Yay, new story! So pretty much I just want to say that if you're looking for a nice, easy, light read then you should leave now because this definitely isn't it. I feel more like I'm writing a novel than a fanfiction with this story and as such there are definitely some thick paragraphs and thick descriptions in this. Beyond that, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or its characters. And I don't own history- but does anyone really? But this plot is definitely mine.
Chapter 1
The young blond haired, blue-eyed man handed his papers over to the stern looking woman behind the desk. The woman favored him with a piercing once-over before turning her eyes to his paperwork. The young man nervously pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and tried to look as though he belonged in the grand, marbled entrance hall he was standing in.
"You're Alfred F. Jones, 22 years old, correct?" the woman suddenly asked, her voice as sharp as her gaze had been.
"Y-yes ma'am," Alfred replied, internally wincing as his voice cracked a bit.
"From Washington D.C., United States of America?"
"Yes ma'am."
"And you just received your bachelor's degree in history with honors from Harvard University?"
"Yes ma'am." There was no uncertainty in Alfred's voice that time. The proudest moment of his life had been his graduation.
"Very well," the woman continued, shuffling the papers and then tapping them on her desk to line them up. "It seems that everything is in order. Welcome, Mr. Jones."
"Thank you," Alfred replied, smiling at the woman in relief as he realized that he had just survived his first encounter with his new employer.
The woman picked up the receiver of the phone on her desk and pressed a few buttons. "Hello. Yes, he's arrived. Yes. Yes. Thank you." The woman hung the phone up and fixed Alfred with another stern look. "Someone will be out in just a moment to escort you inside."
Alfred thanked the woman again and went to sit down on one of the large, plush couches placed along the walls of the entry hall. Alfred's bottom had barely touched the seat cushions, however, before the door behind the desk opened and a tall man in a crisp suit stepped out. "Mr. Jones?"
"That's me," Alfred answered, his nerves making a sudden reappearance.
"Please follow me," the man said politely, but Alfred wasn't foolish enough to mistake this order for a request. He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and quickly followed the man into the hallway behind the door.
"I trust you had a pleasant trip?" the man asked as they walked, not bothering to turn around or even glance over his shoulder.
"Yes, sir." Alfred was definitely nervous again, the man's brusque manner doing nothing to ease his worry. Idly Alfred's brain noted that while the woman at the front desk had a light, pleasant French accent this man had a heavier German one. Did the Swiss ever get confused talking to each other?
The man led Alfred through several corridors and up a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs he turned left, leading Alfred to the very last door on the right at the end of the hallway. "You will be staying here for now," he said, opening the door. "You brought an appropriate change of clothes, correct?" he asked, eyeing Alfred's bomber jacket and jeans with distinct disdain.
Alfred flushed. "Yes sir." He definitely made sure that he packed his very best suit for this trip.
"Good," the man said, his voice as crisp as his suit. "I will return in a half hour to escort you down to meet your new boss."
Alfred thanked the man as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Alfred's new room was as lavish as the entry hall had been. It was large, the floor covered in a thick, plush carpet. A four-poster bed took up one wall and opposite it was a magnificent marble fireplace. On the same wall as the door there was a heavy, antique wardrobe as well as a full-length mirror. There were also two other doors on either side of the fireplace that Alfred suspected led into a bathroom and a closest. The far wall, opposite the door, was completely taken up by windows, a large, comfortable looking chair placed in front of them.
Alfred let out a low whistle between his teeth as he crossed the room and caught sight of the view he had out the window. Switzerland's capital city of Bern was laid out before him, practically glowing the in the afternoon sunlight. In the distance Alfred could make out the snow capped mountains of the Bernese Alps. The scene took Alfred's breath away as he gazed at the world spread out below him. If he hadn't entirely believed that everything he was doing was really happening before, he certainly believed it now. There was no denying the beauty of the city and the mountains before him. This was real. This was his life. And, dude, it was awesome!
Finally Alfred managed to tear his gaze away from the windows. He had a meeting to get ready for.
…
The two other doors in the room had indeed led into a bathroom and a closet. The closet had been quite large with more than enough space for the clothing Alfred had brought with him. The bathroom was just as luxurious as the room with marble floors and countertops and a massive clawed-foot tub and shower. There had also been another door at the other end of it, but it was locked so Alfred decided to ignore it.
Alfred showered quickly and now stood before the full-length mirror tightening his tie and pondering how he had ended up where he was. It sounded cheesy, but ever since Alfred had been kid he had wanted to be a hero. As he'd gotten older that changed from being a superhero to more of an everyday, regular kind of hero, but Alfred's goal remained the same nonetheless. He nearly joined the Army after high school, but his parents had talked him out of it fearing for his safety. Instead he went to Harvard, diving in with both feet to his chosen major and love for history, but at the same time feeling lost about how to make his dream come true. That was until the end of his junior year when he had been contacted about this job. He still didn't know how they had learned about him, but after hearing everything that the job would entail Alfred would never have dreamed of saying no. He spent his last year of college studying hard and preparing himself so that he would be ready to start as soon as he graduated.
Not that any of his friends and family knew what he was doing. This new job was top secret so Alfred had told everyone that he had been accepted into a special program with the UN. They didn't even know that he was really in Bern rather than Geneva. Alfred didn't like having to lie to his family and friends, but he wouldn't have given up this opportunity for the world. He was finally going to be a hero, to get the chance to make a real difference. There wasn't anywhere else he would rather be.
Alfred smoothed his tie out and buttoned up his jacket. Clothing? Check. He adjusted his glasses on his nose. Face? Check. His eyes drifted upward towards his hairline. Frowning he licked his palm and smoothed back his hair. It lay flat for only a moment before the stubborn cowlick in his bangs curled back up again. Alfred sighed. Hair? As good as it was going to get.
Alfred jumped slightly at the sudden knock on his door. "Mr. Jones, I'm here to escort you down to your meeting." The thick German accent identified him as the same man who led Alfred up to his room.
"Yes, sir," Alfred called. He looked himself over in the mirror one last time. Right, it was time to get this party started!
…
Alfred's nerves were back. The man with the German accent had led him back down the stairs and to the opposite side of the building. They walked down several long hallways before coming to a stop in front of a pair of large, heavy double doors at the end of a hall. The man pushed the doors open and stepped aside, motioning for Alfred to enter. As soon as he did the man pulled the doors shut again and they closed with an ominous thump.
Alfred was now standing in an office. It was as large and well appointed as the rest of the building. Rows of filled bookshelves lined both walls, ending only at the far wall, which was all windows just like Alfred's room. A very large dark wood desk took up the back half of the room, a plush chair both behind and in front of it. Set into the windows themselves was circular seal in stained glass. Alfred examined it curiously. The center of the seal was taken up by the skull of a ram and crossed behind it was a feather quill and a sword. Around the edges of the seal were the Latin words 'Invenireveritatemsequiviam'. Alfred had seen this seal before, on the letter that had offered him his new position.
"You're Alfred F. Jones, I take it?" Alfred eyes fell on the man who had his back to him, gazing out the window onto yet another magnificent panorama of Bern.
"Yes, sir."
"Take a seat then." The man did not turn around as Alfred did as he was bid, pulling the chair from the front of the desk out and sitting down. Butterflies fluttered around in Alfred's stomach as he waited for the man to do something.
Finally he turned. He was middle-aged, probably in his fifties. His hair had been dark in his youth, but age had sprinkled it with gray and turned it to salt and pepper. The neat moustache sitting above thin lips had received the same treatment. The man's sharp eyes were such a dark brown that they were nearly black and small wire glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Alfred fought the urge to swallow nervously as the man observed him, his expression carefully neutral but eyes critical.
"As I'm sure you've guessed already I am Dr. Zwahlen, the head of this organization."
Alfred nodded. He'd figured as much. "Yes, sir."
Something flickered through Dr. Zwahlen's eyes too quick for Alfred to catch it. "Tell me, Mr. Jones," he said as he stepped forward and sat down in the other chair. "Do you know what our motto means?" Dr. Zwahlen steepled his fingers together, his look politely curious as he gazed at Alfred.
Alfred allowed his eyes to drift upward to the seal again. He knew some Latin. He knew what it said. "Invenireveritatemsequiviam," he said quietly, his eyes tracing the words as he spoke them. "To find truth, follow the path."
The corners of Dr. Zwahlen's mouth turned upward in the faintest hint of a smile. "Very good, Mr. Jones. As you know you have been selected from a pool of many other qualified candidates to join us. But before you officially accept this position I want to make sure that you completely understand what we do here."
Alfred shifted, making sure his back was perfectly ramrod straight. He nodded slightly, indicating that he was attentive and listening. Dr. Zwahlen's smile widened by just a fraction, but Alfred was heartened to see it all the same. This was what he had been waiting for after all.
"History is a delicate thing, Mr. Jones," Dr. Zwahlen began. "It is not just some meaningless mess of random opportunity. People and events all play their part in laying out its path as it runs from the past into the future. But the balance is very tenuous. Even the tiniest mistake can knock history off its path and into chaos. And that's where we come in, Mr. Jones."
Dr. Zwahlen's eyes locked with Alfred's and Alfred was unable to look away. "The task of The Shepherds is to make sure that history stays on its proper path. We send people like you back into history, to those key moments where the balance is just a hair's breadth from tipping either way. There you do whatever you must to make sure the course of history doesn't change. We do provide some things- language, area, and cultural knowledge- but it is rigorous work for certain. Our agents must have a thorough working knowledge of history and the way it is formed. They must be in the peak of physical condition and be familiar with both unarmed and armed combat with a large variety of weapons. But most importantly they must be willing to put their lives on the line to do what they must."
"Alfred F. Jones…Are you prepared to join The Shepherds? Are you willing to risk everything, to put your very life at risk in order to make sure that history happens as it is supposed to?"
Alfred felt pride swelling up in his chest. He had been chosen to do this, to play this vital role in the maintenance of the world's history. He'd been waiting his entire life for a chance like this, where he knew what he would be making a difference. Alfred had to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat before he could respond. "Yes sir." Finally Alfred's nerves were gone.
Dr. Zwahlen broke out into a true smile. "Then welcome, Mr. Jones," he said, reaching a hand across the table. Grinning with excitement Alfred grabbed it and shook it firmly.
Dr. Zwahlen chuckled a bit as he sat back. "I do apologize for the theatrics. I'm afraid it's rather important though that the people we hire truly know what they're getting themselves into."
"It's alright, sir, I don't mind," Alfred responded, still glowing with happiness and pride.
Dr. Zwahlen nodded. "Of course everything is a bit more complicated than what I've just mentioned, but you'll learn the details when you're briefed for you first mission. There are just a couple more things that we need to go over for now." Dr. Zwahlen pulled open a draw on his desk and took something out, setting it gently on the desk in front of Alfred.
Alfred frowned. It was a large, old-fashioned, gold skeleton key on a thick, silver chain. "A key, sir?" he asked, confused.
"Yes," Dr. Zwahlen answered, closing the desk drawer. "That is an extremely important item and you must never lose it. As I said everything will be explained in full during your briefing. For now you just need to know that you must keep that Key on your person at all times."
Alfred still wasn't sure what to make of the key, but he wasn't about to argue with his new boss. Instead he picked the key and, after a moment's deliberation, slipped the chain over his head and tucked it beneath his shirt. It sat heavy and cool against his chest.
Dr. Zwahlen nodded in approval. "As for the other matter…You are no longer Alfred F. Jones."
Alfred looked up, startled. "Excuse me?"
Dr. Zwahlen smiled again. "It is imperative that we do not interfere with history more than is necessary. Therefore all our agents are given codenames so that they cannot be traced by their identities. As long as you are with us you are no longer Alfred F. Jones. You are America. And we prefer you go by that name when interacting with your colleagues as well so that no one uses someone else's real name by accident."
"America?" Alfred thought about that for a moment. He kind of liked it actually. A super secret code name and it was the same as his country's? Cool…he could definitely deal with that. "I understand, sir," Alfred said grinning.
"Very good," Dr. Zwahlen said, standing and motioning for Alfred to do the same. He led Alfred out of his office and into the hall, stopping before another door. "I would like you to wait here for a few minutes. We've had two other new recruits arrive over the past couple of days, but I wanted to make sure that you were all here before introducing you to your colleagues. I'll give you the chance now to meet them while I go round up the rest. It should only take a moment."
"Of course, sir," Alfred replied. Dr. Zwahlen shook Alfred's hand again before setting off down the hallway. Once he was gone Alfred looked back at the door. He wasn't nervous anymore. If anything he was excited. He just didn't know what to expect when he met the other new recruits. Well there was no point in pondering over it for an extended period time. Alfred was more a man of action than thought anyways. He pushed the door open.
The room, some sort of antechamber, had all the opulence that he had come to expect from The Shepherds' headquarters. It was small compared to the other rooms he had seen so far, having only enough space for a table and two large couches in the middle of the room, and several plush armchairs around the walls.
The decoration was not what drew Alfred's eyes, however. Two other young men, sitting on the couches opposite each other, were inside. They both looked up as Alfred stepped through the doorway.
One of the men jumped to his feet immediately. "Ciao!" he exclaimed cheerfully, crossing the room in several bouncy strides to offer his hand to Alfred. Alfred liked him immediately. He was rather short and slight, but his energy and presence easily made up for his lack in stature. He had reddish-brown hair, an odd curl hanging from his bangs on the left side his head, and warm brown eyes. His shirt looked a little wrinkled and his tie was a bit askew, hinting that he tended towards absentmindedness. But his enormous, friendly smile was completely and utterly infectious. "I take it you're the last new recruit?" Alfred noticed that his accent was Italian.
"That's me," Alfred replied, beaming in response to the Italian's smile. Alfred took the other man's offered hand and shook it firmly.
"It's wonderful to meet you! I'm Feli…Italy! I'm Italy!" Italy smiled bashfully at his near slip-up.
"Cool, I'm Al-, I mean America." Alfred's grin matched Italy's at his own near mistake. Having the codename was cool and all, but it was going to take some getting used to.
Alfred looked at the other man as he approached. He was even taller than Alfred, with a muscular build and an air of absolute self-control. He had bright blue eyes and bright blond hair that was slicked neatly back away from his forehead. His suit was neatly pressed and folded in what Alfred thought would be fair to call military precision. The look in this man's eyes was stern and by the set of his jaw it was clear he was a no-nonsense kind of guy. Alfred might even have called him intimidating if he had randomly run into him on the street. He was about as perfect a foil to Italy as you could get. But here they were equals and, while Alfred couldn't help but feel a bit wary about the man, he was looking forward to getting to know him. "Germany," the man said, extending a hand as well, his voice as crisp as his appearance. His accent was German.
"It's nice to meet you," Alfred replied, taking Germany's hand as well. His grip was strong and the two of them wrestled for a minute before stepping away from each other. Germany gave him a slight nod and Alfred took it as a measure of acknowledgement.
"Well, why don't we sit back down?" Italy asked, apparently completely oblivious to what had just passed between the other two men. "There's some snacks if you're hungry."
"Great, I'm starved!" Alfred replied, stepping past the other two and making his way to one of the couches. Once he was seated he grabbed several finger sandwiches off the plate on the table and began stuffing them into his mouth with far too much enthusiasm to be polite. Alfred decided that he wouldn't worry about that now, however. His airplane dinner had been way too long ago for him to be concerned about his table manners. He still earned himself a disapproving look from Germany, however, which he ignored.
"So how long have you been here?" Alfred asked as Italy took a seat beside him and Germany sat down on the other couch. "I only got here, like, an hour ago."
"I got here yesterday," Italy replied with a wide smile. "I've been so excited to get the chance to meet everyone!"
"I arrived the day before yesterday," Germany said, his sitting posture just as neat and clean as the rest of him was.
"Wow, so they really did make you wait 'til I got here," Alfred said, slightly surprised as he stuffed another sandwich in his mouth.
"Ja," Germany replied and Italy nodded enthusiastically. And awkward silence fell over the three of them. Alfred, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable, decided that he could wait until his next meal and stopped reaching for the finger sandwiches.
Alfred forcefully cleared his throat. "So…um…where are you guys from?" He hated making small talk, but hopefully it would make the atmosphere less awkward.
"Rome!" Italy replied immediately. "It's such a beautiful city and I'll miss it so much, especially when winter gets here! But this opportunity was so amazing! There was no way I could pass it up!" Italy had said it all so quickly and without so much as a pause for breath- it left Alfred a bit startled for a moment. But then he grinned. He definitely liked this guy.
"What about you?" Alfred asked, turning to Germany.
"I'm from Berlin." When Germany didn't continue both Alfred and Italy pinned him with expectant gazes. Germany tried to ignore them at first, but after about thirty seconds he began to shift uncomfortably as they continued staring. "What?" he finally snapped.
"And…?" Alfred said, drawing out the word, purposely trying to sound obnoxious.
"What about Berlin?" Italy chirped curiously.
"What about Berlin?" Germany repeated in disbelief, like he was baffled that they could possibly be curious about such a thing. He then sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. Alfred and Italy shared secret grins of amusement at getting under the stoic man's skin. "It's a nice place," Germany continued, his tone clearly irritated. "It's a very large city. But I don't think I'll miss it much. What I'm going to be doing here is too important."
Alfred and Italy agreed. Alfred then leaned back, putting his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. "That's kind of cool though- all of us are from our country's capital cities."
"You're from the District of Columbia?" Germany asked.
"Yep," Alfred replied with a grin.
"What's it like?" Italy asked, child-like curiosity in his voice.
Alfred's grin widened. "It's the best city in the world."
Germany had just snorted in exasperation when the door opened. All three men jumped and sat up straight as Dr. Zwahlen stepped in. "It's looks like the three of you are getting along just fine," he said with a small smile.
"Yes, we're friends already!" Italy exclaimed cheerfully.
"Of course, sir!" Alfred replied, his own smile wide with excitement.
"Yes, sir." Germany was far more reserved than the other two.
"Good. Well come along then. It's time for you to meet the rest of your colleagues."
…
Dr. Zwahlen, Alfred, Italy, and Germany at his back, stopped before a pair of wide double doors. "This is the meeting room," he told them over his shoulder. "This is where you will receive the instructions for all your missions, where you will meet before setting out on your missions, and, once you return, where you will be debriefed."
The three new recruitments exchanged hesitant glances as Dr. Zwahlen pushed the door open. Alfred was heartened to see that even Germany looked a little nervous. They stepped into the room. It was long and narrow, with one side lined with windows giving more spectacular views of Bern. The center of the space was taken up by a long, oval table with around ten big, plushy chairs set up equidistant all around it. A projector hung from the ceiling and the left wall was covered with a projector screen. There was a computer in the back of the room. And, sitting around the table, were five other men.
All of them sat up a little straighter as Dr. Zwahlen looked them over. "I would like to present our three newest recruits," he said crisply with no introduction. "I trust you will all look out for them and make sure that they become comfortable with their new roles. I present Germany, Italy, and America." Alfred jumped slightly when he heard Dr. Zwahlen use his codename. He wondered absently how long it would take him to get used to it.
The three new recruits offered quiet- and, especially in Italy's case, nervous- greetings before Dr. Zwahlen spoke again. "Now I would like you all to introduce yourselves. China, since you are the most senior, you may start."
An Asian man, the one seated to the far left on the far side of the table, stood. "Hello, I am known as China. I'm sure we will all get along," he said. His tone was serious, but there was something in his dark brown eyes that suggested to Alfred that he didn't do a very good job of acting serious all the time. He definitely seemed rather enigmatic though, like he didn't like to open up to other people. He was quite short and lean, but the way he held himself, balanced perfectly on the balls of his feet, suggested extreme athleticism. He had long, dark brown hair that he wore in a ponytail and his suit was neatly fitted.
As China sat down the man next to him stood up. He was a giant, even by Alfred's standards, with ashy blonde hair and eyes that were nearly violet. Alfred had to suppress a shiver as the man offered the new recruits an innocent looking smile. This dude was creepy as hell. "My name is Russia," he said, his voice just as innocent as his smile. "I look forward to getting to know all of you!" All Alfred could do was stare. His build- that of tank- and his menacing aura did not match his demeanor in the slightest. His suit was slightly baggy and he wore a long, white scarf with it. Another enigmatic guy. And Alfred wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to get to know him.
The next man, seated near the end of the table, stood up. He was also Asian and very short, with short black hair and guarded brown eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to working with you. I am Japan," the man said, bowing to all three of the new recruits individually. Japan emitted serenity and perfect control with every movement. It was clear that this was all part of a purposely-maintained appearance- his goal was to offend no one and please everyone. If you looked up politeness in the direction this guy's picture would be next to the definition. His suit, pressed and fitted to perfection, added to the effect, though Alfred wondered what he was hiding behind all that civility.
The next man stood. He was on the shorter side and lean. His suit was neat, but old fashioned in a way that indicated eccentricity. He had scruffy blond hair, bright green eyes, and – easily his most defining feature- the thickest, darkest eyebrows Alfred had every seen. Alfred was completely distracted by them for a moment. It was like two woolly caterpillars had decided to take up residence above his eyes. Slightly embarrassed for staring- it was rude even with those eyebrows- he refocused on the man's words as he began to speak. "I'm England. I hope we can all get along." Alfred raised an eyebrow at the emphasis placed on the last two words. Like this man was expecting it to be an effort to do so and was not looking forward to it. And Alfred didn't miss the small glare thrown at the last man at the table as he sat down.
This man finally stood, throwing his own smirk at England. He was…flamboyant, Alfred decided. He was the tallest besides Russia, had shoulder length blond hair, and bright blue eyes. Stubble clung to his chin and his suit was extremely stylish and less formal, suggesting that he didn't necessarily think that following the rules was all that important. "My name is France," he said, his tone elegant and yet somehow over dramatic. "I'm sure I will enjoy getting to know all of you." He finished with a wink, his tone bordering on suggestive. He was definitely more of a free spirit than the rest. Alfred got the feeling that he had better keep an eye on this guy's hands whenever he was around.
"Thank you all," Dr. Zwahlen said, nodding to the five men around the table as France sat back down. He turned back to Alfred, Italy, and Germany. "I'm sure you're feeling a bit overwhelmed. Everything will make more sense tomorrow once your first mission is explained. For now though I think it would be best if you returned to your rooms and finished settling in. Your first briefing will be here tomorrow, 9 am sharp."
Alfred had to fight the urge to salute. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Germany was having the same problem. "Yes, sir!" he chorused with Italy and Germany.
Dr. Zwahlen smiled. "I'll see you then."
Author's Note
So this is the first chapter of my new story. I realize that not much happened besides character introductions, and while the first few chapters will probably just be that I'm definitely going to be getting into some actiony stuff a bit later on. The main characters are obviously the Axis and Allies, but I plan on introducing some more countries as we move along. And no OCs in this one that are the main character (like in my other multi-chapter stories). My first story where all the main characters are canon (yay exciting kinda)!
Also this story will be similar in some ways to World History 101 (if you've read that) since they will be going back into history and stuff. However, it's going to be to very specific points/events and will probably be a lot more actiony than WH101. I'm not currently planning on doing romance in this, but we'll see how things end up.
This first chapter is from America/Alfred's point of view, put my plan is to do a different character's POV for each chapter and just kind of rotate. It'll make more sense as I post more chapters. This will give me a chance to do more perspectives on this story and get deeper into each character's motivations and such. I'm taking all the characters pretty seriously in this one, so I'm not planning on using their verbal tics/overdone personality quirks much, but there will definitely be humor in this story.
And, if you've read some of my other stories, you're probably like 'Why is imagination junkie posting a new story rather than an update to –insert name of story here-?'. Well don't worry about it. I'm going to have more time to write here shortly and, while I absolutely adore the idea for this story, it is on the bottom of my priority list for now. As such the updates for this probably won't be that consistent, but I do intend to keep working on it, so be please patient.
Finally…please, please, PLEASE review! I like to have feedback for all my stories, but this is the most original idea (as in I'm not following someone else's plot or using it as the basis for my story) I've written so I really want some feedback on this. I know it's only the first chapter, but please review! And definitely review once I get farther along.
And if you're wondering about the Latin in The Shepherds' seal it's all thanks to Google translate. I don't know any Latin so I used that.
Thanks for reading!
imagination junkie