Well would you look at that! I'M ALIVE!
WHO KNEW!
I actually, I knew. I have a second account on this website for different fanfics because this one seems to be solely dedicated to Naruto and Hetalia so I felt awkward posting some of my other works for Saiyuki, Gravity Falls, Marvel (Avengers and whatnot), Project K, Supernatural and the whole rest of them.
Anywhore!
I took a break from Hetalia because the fandom murdered the fun of it for me. I understand that not the whole fandom is to blame and that, in the end, the rude and annoying people are always the loudest even if they are smaller in numbers but I still needed some time off, you know?
So yeah, I don't know if this is my return to writing for Hetalia or not but this is definitely a start. This is also meant to be a chapter story but this first part can pretty much stand on its own so if I give up on the idea of making this a chapter story, there will always be this thing just chilling here.
Now I'm babbling pointlessly, so just go on ahead and ENJOY!
It all began in the most unexpected way as most extraordinary events did. Alfred was sitting in front of his TV with a hand resting in a bowl of doritos while the other one laid pointlessly next to the remote. He was like a zombie what with his dead stare glued to the bright screen and his mouth slightly open. One would never guess he still drew breath because he seemed so lifeless. Unlimited worldwide cable could do that to a person. It was still a very mundane setting which was in no way foreshadowing the event to follow.
On a whim, Alfred took the remote and changed the channel he had been watching. He skipped through some shows, resting on a few for a couple of short minutes before moving on, and eventually landing on CNN. What had caught his eye and stayed his hand was the image of Matthew hanging in the top left corner of the screen just next to the anchor delivering the story. The picture they had chosen was a nice one Alfred had actually taken himself in autumn. He had made a dumb joke which Matthew had thought was hilarious and snapped the photograph then. He could see the beads of tears from the laughter just hanging in the corner of his eyes.
And though the picture was joyous and brought back good memories, the coverage gave quite the opposite effect.
"—a leak resembling America's very own Snowden case just a few short years ago shocks the world. It would seem that our friendly and quiet neighbours up North aren't quite as friendly as the world might have depicted them to be. Multiple files leaked to the internet this morning on different websites have unraveled secrets utterly destroying the immaculate reputation Canada had globally set for itself. Ranging from corruption of all kinds in the very core of the government to a global spying issue far more invasive than what the United States and the United Kingdom have ever been accused of as well as proof of possessing a worrying quantity of weapons of mass destruction are just few of the scandalous things to have been thrust out into the world. More on this story after this short commercial break."
As a coke commercial played, Alfred dropped the remote onto the ground, hardly hearing the loud sound it made as it hit the hardwood floor. The words the woman on CNN had spoken still resonated in his ears and, for a while, were the only words he could hear but not process. It seemed so impossibly ridiculous to Alfred for that story to have been even remotely true. He had known Matthew since they had been children and was fairly certain they were not only brothers but twins – all that was missing to confirm this hypothesis was a DNA test which they had never gotten around to performing. Matthew was the nicest guy around, always ready to help someone out even if it was out of his way, and cheer people up whenever they needed it. He was quiet and often times went unnoticed, but that in no way supported the recently made accusations.
Alfred shook his head and shut the TV just as CNN was about to resume their report. He wasn't going to listen to lies. He was going to find Matthew and ask for explanations because for all Alfred knew this was one of Ivan's devious plans to screw with him. And yet, he had no time to even stand from his couch when the door to his penthouse opened without any warning.
"Mattie—" Alfred sighed but it wasn't exactly in relief.
Matthew looked…different.
The sweet guy with the soft smile, laughing eyes, and golden hair wasn't the man standing in the doorway. Matthew's hair was tied back in a sloppy ponytail and most of the strands at the front just hung loosely around his face. He looked a bit like Francis. His eyes were also a darker shade of violet, maybe because he wasn't wearing his glasses, and held something else in them that Alfred couldn't quite distinguish. Frankly, it scared him a bit. As for the rest of Matthew, he wore a red Mounty coat on his shoulders, a white wife-beater which seemed stained with red, black pants, and big brown boots.
"You see the news?" He asked, forsaking a greeting. Alfred noted he sounded a bit stiff and aggressive.
"No—well, yes but…" Alfred babbled nervously as he stood from the couch and made his way around it to face Matthew, "It's a load of crap, isn't it!? I mean…how can it be true…?"
Matthew smirked and Alfred wasn't sure why it unnerved him. In all honesty, the whole presence of Matthew in this very moment unnerved him. When the Edward Snowden affair blew up, Alfred was busy trying to work with the government to save his agents abroad while trying to reform the constitution and policies that were admittedly wrong. He was buried in work and hardly had time for other countries so the question remained: why was Matthew not trying to do anything to lower the impact of such a massive leak?
"You came here…to tell me it was all a lie, right?" Alfred asked slowly, "This is Ivan's new evil plan, right? He's trying to get to me by going through you, isn't he? I don't know what he's hoping for but…"
Alfred stopped his jabbering after noticing just how quiet Matthew was being. The taller blond just stood in the doorway with a neutral gaze but with a smirk playing at his lips. It was like he thought the situation was amusing…or that Alfred was. And he couldn't shake the feeling of how wrong everything felt.
"…right?" Alfred repeated a bit more quietly.
God, there was nothing more he wanted than to hear Matthew agreeing with him. He just wanted to confirm that this was all a mistake, a lie, a scheme from someone trying to hurt Alfred. He mostly just wanted a name or a face to what was responsible so he could fight it and destroy it. He just needed something to blame.
"Alfred…" Matthew said softly and took a step forward. The action was in no way sudden but made Alfred jolt in surprise all the same. The Canadian approached him softly in a manner that was very much like him and placed an uncomfortably tight hand on his shoulder. Matthew held it there for a bit, squeezing almost as if he was trying to be reassuring but didn't know how. "Let's open the TV…" he continued and paused to glance at the clock on the wall to their left, "There's something I want to show you."
Alfred nodded and followed Matthew's guiding hand to the couch and obeyed it further as it gently pushed him to sit down. Matthew took the seat just next to him. He sat comfortably, leaning into it, and swinging an arm on the back of the soda while the other one laid on the armrest. They were like that for a moment: Alfred sitting stiffly, worrying with the way the man decided to approach his predicament, and Matthew sitting like they were just about to watch a hockey game.
"Give me the remote." He said.
Alfred leaned down and grabbed it from the floor, hesitantly hanging it over to the Canadian.
"If what the news said was real…" Alfred started slowly, almost just testing the waters, "Then you're taking this very well…"
Matthew took the remote and flashed him a grin. "I have no reason to worry." He replied and switched on the TV, "Look."
The screen was blue with white letters saying: "Please standby, we are experiencing technical difficulties and will return in a few short moments." Alfred hardly had time to read and process the message that the image flicked back to the CNN news report but now the images were drastically different.
The same anchor that had previously been talking about the massive leaks of Canadian intelligence was roughed up and held at gun point. Her eyes were filled with tears and she trembled violently in fear. She spent a good while just staring into the camera until the gunman shouted at her to speak and shoved the gun further in her face. She winced and whimpered, spilling her until then unshed tears, and bit her lower lip.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the…American public…" She started with a trembling voice.
Alfred could hardly believe his eyes but just before she could continue any further, Matthew changed to the fox news channel. The anchor was in the same predicament as the one on CNN and seemed to be continuing what she had been saying.
"It is with great…" He paused to swallow thickly, and the sound was easily heard through the TV, "happiness…"
Happiness? Alfred barely had time to think before the channel was changed again and this time to VOA TV.
"—that I tell you…we no longer have to live in fear…" The next news anchor continued.
Matthew changed the channel to a different news report again and continued to do so until the message told by the anchors held at gun point and in tears was finished.
"God has finally…smiled upon us…" The woman from MSNBC said.
"Do not fear the trucks and soldiers you'll see outside your homes, your work places, or…schools…" The woman from OAN said.
"If you offer them your full cooperation…you should not be harmed…" The man from TheBlaze said.
"They are here…to bring us to a better world…" The woman from WFIO TV said.
"A world of justice and equality for all…regardless of race, gender, gender identity, religion, or sexual orientation…" The man from ESPN said.
"A world without chaos, violence, or terror…" The man from CNBC said.
"And those who refuse this gift…" The woman from C-SPAN said with a trembling voice, "will be…will be executed."
"Those who speak out against the new world order…" The man from HLN said.
"…will be re-educated. And those who seek to start revolutions…will be made as examples to the world…" The woman from News 12 Brooklyn said.
"…and will see all of their families and friends suffer a terrible fate worse than death…" The woman from Northwest Cable News said.
"…before the supposed revolutionaries in question…are dealt their justice granted by…the hand our new leaders…our new—" the woman from WSNN-LD said.
"—Gods." The man from Newschannel 8 said.
"Ladies and gentlemen…of the American public…" The woman from Time Warner Cable News Austin said.
"Our salvation is finally here…" The man from NY1 said.
"All hail our liberators." The man from Arizona Newschannel said.
"All hail the Great White North." The man from New England Cable News said.
"All hail Canada." A woman from CBC news said with a proud smile and eyes shimmering with happiness.
Matthew then closed the TV and when Alfred turned to look at him with an utterly lost expression begging answers, he was met with a pistol pointed directly at his face.
"All hail me." Matthew grinned.
What can you expect from this story in the coming chapters?
Well lemme tell ya all about it, bucko!
To those who have read my World War III fic, you can expect a dark!Canada very similar to that one but arguably crueler. I did base myself, to some extent, on the 2P!Canada but I'm not going for the same personality so yeah.
In terms of story, there will be violence, deaths (this is not confirmed but highly probable seeing as I do love a good death - See "Thus They All Died" for ref), eventual smut (practically confirmed on the dubcon end but I will put warnings at the beginning of chapters (provided I get to that point) when it makes an appearance or something), probably torture among many other things.
This is intended to be a very dark story with my little dark jokes here and there (Canadians Among Us - Gods Among Us, eh? eh? I'm frigging hilarious, go me).
So yeah, if you go any questions or something, send a review my way or a PM and I'll answer it ;D
Until then, SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER! (maybe...)