Hello, readers. It's been awhile since I've posted anything Hetalia-related. I've actually had most of this written for a year and posted on Tumblr rather than here, but I figured I'd take a chance and finally upload it to FFN.
This will be a different sort of fic. OCs will be a part of it, but they were not created specifically for this story. They were actually created for an original story that I have been working on since 2010. One of my friends pointed out that my story's universe would mesh with Hetalia's quite nicely, so it got me inspired.
With that being said, you really don't have to know much (or any) about my story in order to understand this, since Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania didn't know what was going on either, and are learning as they go along. (They can sort of be called 'audience avatars' in that sense.) However, what's made pretty obvious from the beginning is that these OCs were all test subjects part of a twisted scientific project.
Hopefully, this is enjoyable to at least someone, XD. I know it was a lot of fun to write!
(If anyone is interested in learning more about the original story the OCs come from, check out my DA and tumblr. While I am not currently inspired to work on it at the moment, there are plenty of excerpts, character bios, and artworks up already.)
Without further ado, 'Duality'.
*I do not own Hetalia. However, I do own Elts Meri, Liene Lejnieks, and Liutas Tarvydaitė, as well as all the other characters from their universe.*
Duality
Installment One
The personification of Estonia was surprised, to say the least. (The correct word would have been 'confused', but he wasn't about to let his government know that.) "Did I hear you correctly?"
The official, who still hadn't taken his coat off, nodded. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. The country of Estonia has another immortal representation. Though the difference between her and you is that she is not a personification."
"What is she, then?" Estonia couldn't help his interest.
"A scientific experimental project that succeeded. It was supposed to be a project for world peace, but the way the children were taken and treated would be considered torture to some. Especially since none of the subjects were willing in the matter. And now the governments of the world are stuck with them."
"Children? How old are they? And what do you mean, torture?" Wheels were turning in the bespectacled Nation's mind, but he wanted a definite answer before he spoke about it.
"Well, the subjects were from fifteen to seventeen years old when they were immortalized. And as for what I said before, how do you think the organization found out their immortality operations were a success?"
"They killed their subjects with any method they could think of." Estonia narrowed his eyes. He remembered how he, Lithuania, and Latvia received the same treatment at a Siberian labor camp in the 1940s, but he forced the thought from his mind. "Can I meet her?" Now, he was even more interested in the test subject from his land.
"She's right outside." The man grabbed his radio and turned to a new frequency. "Send her in."
Within a minute the door opened, and a girl entered the room. Estonia noticed that she was tall, almost around the same height as himself, and that she walked with her shoulders extremely tense. Her hair was a dark copper, and when she looked at him, he noticed her eyes were lavender. What an odd combination…
"Eduard von Bock, meet Elts Meri. Your protégé of sorts." The man looked at his watch. "I have to leave now, but Miss Meri's things are being dropped off at your house. Don't be alarmed if people are out in front."
"What?" Estonia was now more confused than before.
"Didn't I tell you? She's living with you now."
"Why?" This time, it was the girl who spoke. Her voice was lighter than Estonia thought it would be, though there was a hardened edge to it.
"Did I tell you to speak?" At the order, Elts stepped back, biting her lip. "You're staying with Esto—Eduard—because, since you were a successful experiment, you are now the metaphorical property of the government. We have to make sure that there are no dangerous side effects to the operation." Raising an eyebrow, he continued. "And I'm sure you don't want to return to your mother, do you."
Wincing, Elts closed her eyes. "No, sir."
The man's eyes softened for a moment. "I'm sure you and Eduard will get along. Goodbye, Miss Meri. Eduard." With one more nod, he turned and left.
After an awkward few minutes of silence, Estonia turned to the girl. "I guess we should get going, then."
"Yeah." The silence continued until she spoke again, though hesitantly. "You wouldn't believe how good it feels to be speaking my own language after so long."
Estonia merely shook his head. "But I do know, Miss Meri."
"Who are you?" Elts narrowed her eyes. "Were you part of Class U? The scientists said that I was the only Estonian…"
What is Class U? Aloud, he answered with, "I am the personification of Estonia, Miss Meri. And apparently, your mentor."
/
The ride to Mr. von Bock's (Elts didn't feel comfortable being informal with him, not to mention he outranked her) home was silent. The boy looked like he was planning on saying something multiple times, but shut his mouth at the last second.
"Look, Mr. von Bock…" Elts finally spoke, not meeting her new mentor's eyes. "I am very sorry to have inconvenienced you in any way."
She noticed that the blond grimaced, though she wasn't sure at what. "You can call me Eduard."
Was I being too formal? "Sorry." After a year of following orders or being killed if she didn't, it was hard for her not use formalities.
"Is there anything wrong, Miss Meri?"
"Is there anything wrong, Miss Meri?" The sneering face of Feia Marinova appeared in Elts' line of vision. "Oh, that's right. You can't speak. You always did heal slower than the rest."
The copper-haired girl blinked tears out of her eyes, trying to at least appear with some dignity in front of the scientist. Earlier that week, her throat had been slit, severing her vocal cords in the process. They were still healing, even though the operation was supposed to make her body fix itself faster.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Marinova barked, digging her hands into the shivering girl's hair and forcing her face up. Turning her head, she called, "Hey! Vitkauskas! Get over here. Miss Singing Revolution here isn't being very cooperative."
Elts body stiffened as the second scientist approached. Danutė Vitkauskas was the scientist who killed slowly, called the Demon Doctor by Pru Wagner. He was the man who had tortured Liutas the year before, when she accidentally witnessed her parents' murder. Elts knew what this man was capable of. And that's what scared her most of all.
"What do you want me to do, Miss Marinova?" Vitakauskas' eyes glinted.
"Whatever you want."
Suddenly, Elts found her hospital gown torn away, leaving her only in a pair of thin shorts. She was forced onto her stomach, Vitakauskas' knees pressing painfully into her lower back.
"Scalpel," the man said, almost sounding bored. Once he presumably got it, he traced the Estonian's scars lightly. "The color on these isn't dark enough. Wouldn't you want the world to know what an 'honor student' you are?"
Elts could do nothing as the scalpel tore into her back, ripping open the long-healed wounds and deepening them. She couldn't even voice her pain. All she could do was cry.
When each and every letter was cut into, she thought it was over. She sighed in relief when Vitkauskas got off her back, but her peace was short-lived. She was yanked up by her hair and slammed into the wall. Shuddering, she felt something warm and wet on her shoulder, and realized that the scientist kissed it.
"Stop…" she tried to say, though her throat wouldn't allow her. More tears fell as she felt the man licking the blood off of the new cuts.
"I think your blood tastes better than little Liutas'," he chirped, strangely cheerful. He kissed her again, this time, on the lips. The taste of blood permeated into her mouth, and she gagged, knowing that it was her own.
Before the man could say anything more, Elts passed out.
A slap brought Elts to her senses. She found herself sobbing, Eduard's arms wrapped around her. "I'm sorry! So sorry!"
"Sorry for what, Miss Meri?"
"Don't call me that!" she spat, reminded of her tormentors. "Don't ever call me that!" Breaking down once more, she buried her face in the boy's vest, humiliated. "I'm sorry for getting too close…"
"Elts…" The way he said her name was familiar, yet distant, at the same time. "You obviously have dealt with a lot of pain in a short amount of time, yes? It's only natural that you will flash back to it. Trust me, I know from experience." He tightened his embrace, though only for a few seconds.
Elts tried to regulate her breathing, to match it with Eduard's. After awhile, she figured she was composed enough, and detached herself from her mentor. "Thanks," she finally muttered.
"It's no problem." Eduard buckled her back in before restarting the car. "We'll be home soon. Just…sleep, okay?"
Elts nodded, her eyes already closing.
Hopefully, this interests readers enough to continue. Like I said before, I know this is sort of an 'avant-garde' project, but I am really having fun with it.
Also, if Elts' flashback is confusing, that's fine. Information relating to her before this story takes place will gradually appear in the story.
