Drip.
He shook his head, the greasy, matted blonde hair flopping uselessly from side to side.
Drip.
Why did his head hurt so much? How long had he been here?
Drip.
Dull emerald eyes fluttered open, trying to register where he was. He immediately winced due to the extremely bright, lone bulb swinging above his eyes. He tried to cover his eyes, but his hands were restricted by a rope. He realised he was on a cold, hard floor and his neck had a horrible crick in it.
Arthur's heart started to race and adrenalin coursed through his body as he became alert. Why was he here? How?
"Glad to see you're awake, big brother."
Arthur mentally shuddered at the deadpan voice. He twisted his head, trying to look for the voice's owner.
"No need to panic, dear brother," the lifeless voice said from behind Arthur, who gasped as he felt something sharp and cold against his neck. He instantly froze.
"W-Who...?" he whispered, feeling the knife press harder against him.
His captor laughed eerily. "How could you not notice, big brother? Oh wait." A hand gripped Arthur's hair and yanked his head backward. "You only have eyes for that Alfred, don't you? I was just another country to add to your 'collection'..."
Arthur gulped. "D-Dan?"
"You have no right..." Arthur was picked up by his hair and brought to the face of his kidnapper, "... to call me that anymore. I'm a country. A continent. I could leave you. Become independent, like your precious Alfred," he sneered, "but Matthew told me what you were like when he left you. And I deluded myself. I thought 'If I stay, England will love me the most!'. But no!" England was thrown into the wall. Arthur felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes, and his back hurt like hell.
"I did everything I could!" The eyes that looked so much like Arthur's burned with rage and insanity. They bore into Arthur's teary ones, and Arthur shrank back.
"I went to war with you! I hurt my indigenous people for you! Yet you still pay more attention to that stupid America who left you years ago! Why don't you love me?" Australia punched England in the face, a sick cracking noise letting him know that something had broken.
Arthur was silent as blood trickled out of his mouth and onto the floor.
Dan laughed malevolently and squatted on the ground next to Arthur.
"I'm just a silly island that you found. One that was big enough to send your slimy criminals to, but not big enough for your love or respect." Australia grabbed England's right arm and, with a child-like smile on his face, he used his knife to write the letter 'I'.
England screamed in pain. "B-Bloody hell... stop it Australia! P-please..." he cried.
"But I'm just getting started~!" Australia sang. England groaned with pain at every letter that Australia carved painfully into his arm. Sweat had broken out on his forehead, and every moment felt like an hour of intense torture. Australia's smile grew wider with every scream.
England felt blood running down his limbs. His breathing became shallower and everything was numb. His vision slowly blackened, and the last thing he saw was his tanned younger brother staring at his with hatred.
Australia watched in satisfaction as the empire closed his eyes. That would teach him. Dan would be noticed, and loved. He looked at the limp arms, which were red with blood. 'I AM AUSTRALIA'S' was barely legible on each arm, but he knew it would show up better once the blood was gone.
Deep regret filled Dan. This was his big brother... what had he done to him? Australia needed him.
He loved him.
"To the last man and the last shilling my ass," Australia whispered, tears running down his face as he laid England's unconscious head on his lap and dabbed his cuts with a cloth.
He could never leave him, no matter how much he hated that he loved his big brother.