NB: Hey there, this is my first entry on the site so please bear with me while I'm figuring out how everything works. This is an idea I had watching one of my favourite shows, and I thought, "Wow, wouldn't it be cool if the characters from HETALIA were competing on this? I would be glued to that show!" So I decided to write something that is hopefully a bit funny, hopefully a bit exciting, to that ends. Any feedback or support is greatly appreciated! So here we go...
Prologue
From across the globe, the best and the brightest business prospects are heading for London.
It's a beautiful day. The sky is blue, smattered with a few light clouds. The city of London sprawls peacefully, as its inhabitants go about their daily lives.
"I'm witty, intelligent and resourceful," A man smiles at the camera as he sips a cup of tea, a hint of superiority in his expression, "I have a huge amount of experience in business and I used to own an empire that spanned the whole world. I think you'll find me quite unbeatable."
Polished black stilettos make a sharp clacking noise as a woman walks briskly across the road, pausing only to glare at a car, which stops to let her pass. Elsewhere, a neat, dark haired man glances at his watch as he gets off a train, his face smooth and expressionless.
"I'll definitely bring something special to the show this year," a man announces with confidence, tossing his blonde locks and swirling a glass of wine in his hand, "A true businessman needs a certain spark, a certain je ne sais quoi, a certain personality, non? I have that and I will, without question, leave Lord Sugar begging for more." He chuckles, and takes a sip.
All the buildings the contestants are walking past seem to be made from nice, shiny steel and glass. For just a second, it looks like there's a reflection of someone with a… is that a polar bear? But then a bus drives noisily past, and the reflection is blocked from view.
Chosen from thousands of applicants, sixteen candidates.
"I'm totally gonna rock this contest!" A young man beams winningly at the camera, "Everyone had better watch out because I'm here, and I'm in it to win it!"
A blonde man steps out of a taxi. He walks with a casual air, dragging a hot pink suitcase behind him.
They will battle it out for a top job with a six-figure salary.
"I have trained for this opportunity," a tall, well-built man with a serious expression declares, "And I have what is required to win. Failure is not an option."
A smartly dressed man in glasses is going through a busy station. He glances briefly at a board of train times, and then walks briskly past.
"I can adapt to any challenge," a woman states confidently. She's smiling, but there is a determined glint in her eyes, "I'm a tough businesswoman, and I will be the last one standing."
But to succeed they'll have to impress the boss.
From a council block in Hackney, to the House of Lords. Serial entrepreneur and multimillionnaire: Lord Sugar. On the hunt for a new apprentice, he'll put these hopefuls through a punishing selection process.
One man is walking along, an untroubled smile on his face. A couple of people glance over, wondering how he isn't boiling in that long coat and scarf, before looking away again quickly, for some reason, strangely unnerved.
"I'm awesome and I know it." A man grins, a mixture of confidence and determination etched in every line of his face, "I'm going to win this, and I won't hesitate to crush my opponents."
Sixteen candidates, twelve tough weeks, one job.
A young man with shiny, chestnut hair smiles candidly at the camera. "I'm just here for the buffet!"
Everybody goes silent.
They stop.
The turn.
That one guy drops his (now empty) wine glass and the shattering noise it makes echoes painfully through the silence.
Everybody stares at the man who just spoke.
He meets their gaze totally unabashed, and asks with surprise,
"What?"
Lord Sugar's search for his apprentice has begun.