CHAPTER ONE

TRANSPORT

"I cannot believe that they just left us in this hole of a city," Arthur complained for the thousandth time, making the others groan in unison.

"It didn't used to be a hole, I keep telling you that dude," Alfred shouted back at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It clearly was," Arthur shot back, "in case you haven't noticed there aren't any of those bloody monsters anywhere near here. Even they had the common sense to stay away."

"We are in Kentucky dude, there weren't that many people here anyway…except in the larger cities, ya know?" Alfred shrugged, his heart suddenly pinged with guilt and worry.

It all happened two weeks ago, two weeks ago an incident happened in Russia…China…maybe even America, no one really knows where everything started…but what matters is that it spread. Starting two weeks ago, or it could have been three now, Alfred was starting to lose track of time; he guessed it didn't really matter in the end, but people started coming down with a sickness. A sickness that made them violent, angry…they started to eat each other. It was everywhere, in every country and nothing could stop them. By the end of the first week that the CDC tried tests, hundreds were infected and hundreds more were dead.

The countries decided on a meeting, something had to be done. Countries were all on edge, the one with the least damage at the moment and still to this day had been America, so that is were they went. Frankfort, Kentucky, that's where the meeting was held. A tiny little city that held the National Treasury, a place ready for any time lock down and people were always prepared. Well, they had been.

Alfred shook his head. Memories of men and women flooding the room, telling them how to escape, that they should run, because they were important people. It was disgusting to think upon it now, how they had been considered not even a month ago more important then dozens of other people that had been killed there.

Now, their leaders, none of them, would spare them a second glance or even an attempt of rescue. He was sure it was because they thought that the countries were dissolving. He was sure they were too, just more slowly then expected. Nothing was left of them but the rich, the stubborn and the world leaders that were refusing comment or help.

So instead of waiting for their leaders to come for them, even after they had refused the first time, they decided to move on. Wondering through the backwaters of this place that used to be Kentucky, hoping that they would find something to see them through to the next day. Not that it mattered really, because they were countries and they wouldn't die from something simple like lack of food or clean water. They were much more likely to get eaten alive, which made everything more dreadful.

"Where do you think we are?" Yao spoke up, wiping the sweat from his forehead, sure his country was hotter but Kentucky had much more humidity.

"We started in Frankfort, honestly there is no telling now," Alfred answered honestly, no point in lying when they could die at any time anyway, right?

"And there has always been this much woods in this place?" Kiku asked. He had never considered Kentucky to be a completely forested place, not that he had ever put much thought into it before, but this part of Kentucky that they were traveling had only hills and trees. The wild creatures in it's depths didn't stir as they walked past them, he was sure that they had learned in the past two weeks that their were now humans that would fight them, eat them, just as they did them once.

"In parts," Alfred sighed, jumping down from another small ledge until they finally hit flat ground again, "Some areas of Kentucky had woods for miles, honestly it's one of the better places to be at a time like this."

"As if any Americans thought there would be," Frances broke in, hands on hips as he finally took his first full breath. He wasn't used to hiking and he wasn't as young as he once was, this was all so tiring, but he knew they couldn't stop now. That was not an option.

"More then you'd think," Alfred disagreed, "there were people with real plans, some probably worked while others most likely didn't."

"We should keep going," Ludwig interjected after helping the Italy brothers down from the ledge, "it isn't safe to stop yet."

"What we need to find is some form of transport, da?" Ivan added, tilting his head to the side slightly.

Ivan had thought this had gone on too long, he had been right about nuclear strikes, he was sure though now he knew it was too late. In all of the places he had to be stuck in it had to be America, not just America one of the southern states of America where it was actually hot. He had already shed his jacket, tying it around his waist and refusing to part with it, much like the others; America…Alfred…he guessed he should call him now, approved of this, telling them this was Kentucky the weather changes fast and they never knew when they would need them again. This entire situation made his skin crawl.

"Yeah," Alfred agreed, refusing to think of the fact that he had just agreed with Russia of all people, "we need something to get us out of the forests, somewhere with food and shelter."

"We are in the forest Alfred," Arthur snapped, "do you really think that we would find some mode of transportation here."

"People fled Arthur," Alfred reminded him in a solemn tone, "they would have went to the woods, there is probably at least something here we could use if we looked hard enough."

"Like right there," Feliciano smiled, pointing to a thicket that lay just ahead of the group, "there is a nice truck."

"Dude, what are you talking about?"

"Right there, itsa truck!" Feliciano repeated, walking forward and moving into the thicket without looking, causing the group to curse; one day he was going to get them all killed not looking like that, it was no telling what was in that…

"See right here!" he announced loudly, the dull thump of someone's hands hitting metal followed, "itsa truck."

The group looked at each other for a moment, shock gathering on their faces as they too rushed into the clearing. Sure enough, Feliciano was right, in front of him was a large, red truck…but there was no telling what was inside… "Feli," Alfred spoke calmly, his mind wondering a few steps ahead unlike what everyone thought him capable of, "could you step away from there for a sec."

"Sure!" he brightly agreed, wondering back to Ludwig's side.

"Ivan…could you…" he pointed to the truck, hoping to have to not ask the full question, "with me?"

Ivan nodded back at him, understanding and being just as equally unwilling to actually agree with him. The pair moved quickly, Alfred on the driver's side and Ivan on the other, glancing in the back windows and then moving to the…

Alfred paused, the click of a gun and the feel of cold metal on his cheek making him straighten, "Don't touch the truck," the order was said sweetly from the interior, but the guns pressed against both men's head from out stretched arms…those weren't very sweet at all.