The Winner
Second Person POV:
You can't believe your school report actually won the competition! A while back your school had everyone write about something in the economy and how to help it or fix it and you wrote about clean energy and simple and cheap ways to spread it globally. Your teacher loved it so much she submitted your paper to a competition being held to find ways, in multiple countries, on preserving earths ecosystem.
You had won in your general area and were now at a big fancy hotel surrounded by much older people who'd submitted entries as well. You were by far the youngest. There were secret service people and body guards everywhere, translators, leaders, famous people. It was like another world, the one you only saw on tv and the news about world meetings and national figures.
Now you would meet the president and multiple others to be congratulated on your work and contribution to the cause of saving the earth and ridding it of so much pollution. You were surprised it happened to you though. You had a few grammatical errors but it wasn't about the writing but about the facts given and research done. You somehow did enough to get there though and now you were really nervous despite your family being with you as well.
But you were just an ordinary girl. You stayed up sometimes, slacked off, were always tired, didn't put much effort into things, you liked anime, you had weird friends, you were smart but not the smartest and you had a suburban house, a mom, a dad and a younger brother and cats. You were the most normal girl you could think of. Sure weird things happened here and there but usually it was because you and your family were all clumsy or that one of your neighbors was a jerk or childish. You once started a neighborhood war over the neighbors cat they kept letting out even though it had FIV. Animal control, social services, the cops and court all ended up getting involved. So in a way you guess nature and animals had always been something you admired and would go to great lengths to protect but you never thought that'd get you here. At an expensive hotel surrounded by world leaders. You wanted to be a world leader but you didn't expect you'd even meet one until you were at least in your late twenties to early thirties
You were wearing a business, figure fitting, navy blue dress . You had a navy blue jacket over it and navy blue short heels. You had a white undershirt, white leggings and a red lace ribbon in your hair.
You carried around a small pocket book in both hands in front of you trying to look more official compared to the actual officials.
You got a few looks and a few even told you to go find your parents, so you took great pleasure in informing them you were in fact there for an award on your work. The surprised, doubtful, regretful of suspicious faces they'd make made it even more fun but you didn't want to make everyone mad so you sipped a glass of water instead by a white clothed table where your family sat.
Your brother was bored and on his iPad, upset he had to dress up. Your dad and mom were unbelievably proud. They knew how much you loved nature, your country and how much you wanted to be a world leader and being well on your way, they were happy for you.
Awards were on the first three floors, in a room where musicals were usually performed. Instead each seat was assigned to someone famous and important and the balconies above were family, cameramen, cops, body guards and reporters.
You found an American flag pin on the floor and seeing as many people had them you figured they were free and put it on.
Everything seemed normal but people started gracefully nodding and shaking your hand afterwards and you tried not to act confused while exchanging pleasantries.
You scratched the back of your head looking around.
A few secret service guys followed you distantly keeping an eye on you and you wondered if maybe the pin was for special people ran into a few blonde girls around your age with the same pins and you wondered if they were a big family you happened to look a part of.
You sighed and headed to sit back with your parents while people still arrived, before you'd make your way to your assigned seat.
You'd never seen a room sitting so many people it was like a stadium.
There was more than three floors but the others were off limits for some reason and those were the ones most heavily guarded. You could see world figures sitting together in the rows of seats. The queen of England, the president of the USA, the Congress and senate. Just to see them was amazing.
You didn't want the day to end and for your brother it definitely felt like it wouldn't as the time ticked by. You had butterflies in your stomach the entire time and the more time that went by the more butterflies you had. Each next room or announcement made your heart skip a beat in anticipation.
You practiced breathing exercises and drank a lot of water. It was a little chilly in there so you tried not to have to much of the cold water.
You watched the other families sitting in the surrounding tables but these families had partners and children of their own. A few people asked your dad who'd won the award, and what for, and they hadn't expected him to say it was you. Not because you were a girl or what you looked like but simply for being so young. You didn't think age had much to do with how smart someone could be. A teen could be as smart as an adult and adults could be as stupid as children at times. Especially your neighbors.
You saw a cat running around. It was tiny and gray and the cutest thing you'd ever seen so you chased after it. People seemed to ignore it like it was usual. You swiftly made your way through the crowd and found yourself in the presence of a man with shoulder length brown hair and a lazy expression. He had multiple cats following him around and even clinging to him or laying on his head and shoulders.
"Is this your cat?" You asked him.
"Sort of." He replied sleepily. "They just follow me around."
"May I pet him?" You asked pleadingly and he nodded.
You petted the gray cat and he practically melted into your lap.
"Your America's sister?" He asked.
"Hmm?" You asked but he didn't seem to hear you as he gazed into the distance. "Must be hard with such a big family. They can be kind of loud but you seem alright. Anyone who likes cats is a friend of mine…." Then he went completely off track of whatever he was saying and starting talking about Greek philosophers.
He walked in the other direction completely forgetting you were there. You let the gray cat down and he followed his sort-of-owner.
You wondered why a building where no pets were allowed had a room full of people ignoring multiple animals. Maybe they had something to do with a demonstration. There was even a polar bear, puffin, eagle, several dogs and turtles.
You could think of many ways they could be used to move people and demonstrate the fall of the ecosystem.
You got a few looks and started backing out of the room.
But they shut the doors behind you and they all started filing into different elevators. You walked back to the doors but a muscular man with blue eyes and slicked back blonde hair stopped you.
"Ve have to go now…um vhich vone are you?" He asked in a thick German accent.
"I'm (y/n)."
"That's vright I'm sorry, there's quite a few of you." He said turning his back and walking away. He looked back to you and paused waiting for you.
You didn't know what he was talking about. You were certain they were mistaking you for someone else.
He pointed to the elevator to the far left out of the twelve elevators in a row. Behind you a small man started running in a panic.
"Ah, Germany I'm sorry I'm late there was this-a pretty girl and I-a-" he got cut off rambling to the other man and then he saw you.
"Who are you? I'm Italy?" He said suddenly by your side smiling brightly. It was the cutest thing ever especially the little curl on his head.
"(Y/n)-"
"I've been there it's-a really pretty, but not as pretty as-a you." He said.
"Thank you…" You were so confused by everything going on. It reminded you of Hetalia an anime you often watched but they weren't dressed the same way. You wondered if it was some kind of acting thing going on.
"I need to go out there…" You trailed off pointing to the doors.
"Vere's no time, get vat you vant later." The German, or Germany as he'd been called, told you strictly.
"I'm not gonna keep getting dragged around by you guys. My family is waiting."
"They're upstairs. Militia will get mad, so I'd-a hurry if I were you."
"Who-"
"Germany, you coming bro?" An albino man called waving from an elevator.
The two men blocked your path and you went along with them hurriedly to clear up who they thought you were with this family they kept saying you had.
You squeezed into the elevator with the albino man, Germany, Italy and another Italian who looked angry at all of them but blushed when he noticed you.
"Is my little-a brother annoying you? Blink twice if you need-a any help-a." He said. You'd been right he was definitely Italian. He voice was deeper than his brothers and his skin was a bit lighter with hair a bit darker. They could be twins, he might be the younger because he was shorter but his voice was deeper as if he were older so you couldn't be sure.
"I'm fine thank you. I just need to clear something up and I'll be on my way." You stated clearly and confidently.
"The bosses want us all-a here." He said with emphasis on the all.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" You muttered but they didn't seem to hear you.
You were on some top floor normal people didn't have access to and you began to get worried about how'd they'd confront the situation knowing you weren't supposed to be there.
They rushed out of the elevator pushing you along and you were in a room flooded with secret service agents and people who seemed normal. They were dressed well, they weren't world leaders to your knowledge, they were far to young. Everyone had different flags on their pins and now you were certain this was all because you picked up that pin.
You turned right back around for the elevator and a hand on your shoulder stopped you.
"Number mam?" A man in black asked.
"Um-"
"She's (y/n)." Germany told him noticing you trying to leave again.
"Her human name?"
"My what?"
"(Y/n) is a human name as vell it probably goes both vays." He explained. The guard nodded and walked off, the guards seemed to all be gravitating out of the room.
"We'll be in the balcony in fifteen minutes." A man with glasses, blue eyes and blonde hair called to everyone, standing on a coffee table by a group of chairs.
"Go talk to your brover about zhis." He suggested and pointed you in the direction of the man who's just called out to everyone.
"I don't have time for this I'm sorry." You panicked as your mom started calling your phone and you ran to the elevators but they wouldn't open.
"Why aren't the elevators opening?" You asked loudly.
You ran to the stairs as people stared at you and the door wasn't opening.
"Did they lock us in or something?" You asked looking back to the German man.
He came over with a confused look and pushed on the door.
"She's right nothing's opening." He grumbled and the room got quieter as everyone started trying the elevators and doors.
The blonde man he'd called your brother kicked the door open and the metal door flew into the back wall of the stairwell.
"There. That's weird though I wonder why that happened." He thought out loud.
You just stared at where the metal door flew into the wall and stuck there. The wall was breaking with cracks all around it.
How the flying heck was he that strong.
You stared at him and he looked at your American pin.
"Umm sorry sis….but which one are you again?" He asked awkwardly.
"I'm not your sister." You said loudly and they looked at you.
"I picked up this pin and since then more than five of you people have been calling me America's sister, asking for my human name and rushing me into this room not letting me leave." You spoke quickly.
"Then who are you?" He asked as everyone crowded around.
"I've told you guys. I'm (y/n)."
"I'm (y/n)." Someone else in the room said. She looked like you.
The German, Italians and albino all looked to her confused.
"You're not (y/n)." Someone said.
"Yes I am that's my name! I'm (full name)!" You shouted at them and they stared before the blonde man stepped forward and looked at you closely.
"Where'd you get the pin?"
"I found it on the floor, so many people had them I thought they were giving them away somewhere so I picked it up."
"Why are you at the hotel?"
"My paper won in my area and I'm here for the award so I need to go down stairs now." You insisted.
The German man looked horrified at his mistake.
"Germany of all people messed of this bad?" A British man asked before several others started laughing and Germany looked pale like a statue.
"Zhe strictest person 'ere, blew zhe biggest secret on earth." A French man started laughing and a woman with a Germanic accent patted Germany on the back laughing.
"I don't know what you're all talking about and I hate walking out of here without knowing but I don't want to be late." You said hurriedly and sped walked towards the door.
You got a growing feeling of anxiety though and something told you not to go through the door.
"Are the elevators working?" You asked nervously.
"Are you okay you look kind of pale suddenly?" The British man with blonde hair, green eyes and thick eyebrows walked over to you.
"She's about to go on stage and was rushed into here by a bunch of strangers being mistaken for someone else I'd be a bit stressed to." The blonde man with glasses said.
"America." Some one called and he turned around to a man in black. He'd apparently done a background check on you after not recognizing you and America cleared up the situation.
The more you looked around the more they looked like Hetalia and you couldn't help but want it to be true.
It was every fan girls dream to be where you were even if it wasn't real and just seemed like it. You shook the thoughts out of your head and the British man, probably England, if this really was all Hetalia, helped you to the door but you refused to go through.
Was it your OCD refusing to walk away without the truth, a random panic attack or internal will keeping you there.
"I'm sorry but I have a bad feeling about this." You insisted and stepped to the side.
"She can't be here." An Indian body guard insisted.
"I know but, my anxiety doesn't just act up like this unless something wrong." You insisted and a few body guards came at you.
Your pin fell off of your jacket into the stair well and rather than landing there it fell through. They watched it fall.
"A hologram?" England gasped.
"Someone stopped the elevator hoping we'd fall through that." America analyzed.
Germany finally snapped out of his cold statue state and investigated further, dropping a pen this time and it too fell through.
"Wow you almost died." A young British boy gasped. England rolled his eyes.
"That's not going to help her anxiety twit." He complained and the boy kicked him in the shin and ran. England bolted after him through the crowd.
"It's a global event there's bound to be at least a few terrorist plots." A girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes pondered out loud.
"Terrorists?" You asked wide eyed. "It's been so thoroughly planned already, we need to get everyone out of here." You panicked thinking about your family.
"And into the open? I don't think so." She scoffed. "I'll protect everyone don't worry, I'm the hero after all." She said calmly as if that were normal.
America gave her a thumbs up and looked to you. "If you're stuck here while this gets figured out I'll call the people handing out awards and let them know to present you later." He said and pulled out his Samsung. After a minute he grew worried.
"No answer."
"Try it again." Germany insisted.
A small Japanese man stood by him now looking at you. "Yes?" You asked.
"Oh! Forgive me." He bowed slightly. "You reminded me of a character in a new anime I'm watching. This is however no excuse for staring, please do forgive me." He said scolding himself in the process of apologizing.
"It's okay dude." You said waving your hands frantically.
He nodded. "Thank you." He bowed again and turned back to Germany.
"You must be Japan right?" You asked and a few people looked at you.
"How much do you know?" He asked.
"Well everyone is being called by the country name of their ethnicity, and it reminds me of Hetalia and you look like Japan." You pointed out.
"You watch Hetalia?" He asked and you nodded.
"I love anime. Have you seen that older one about the maid dragon?" You asked excitedly.
"Yes I have, are you watching the one with the Demi-humans?" He asked and you nodded.
"Yeah I think the succubus is my favorite. Her or the vampire, I'm really bad with names…" you trailed off.
He seemed so interested to find someone else in the hobby of binge watching anime.
You were distracted from the other situation completely as you started asking about favorite characters and other shows and manga. This guy could easily be your best friend, but he seemed a little shy around you when you weren't talking about otaku things.
America patted you on the shoulder and you, Japan, Germany and the large man that was probably Russian followed after him into a hallway outside the lobby-like room you'd been in.
He checked the other stairwells only to find the stairs as holograms. He wondered how many people on the other floors had fallen. He hoped the trick stopped by the fifth floor at least.
You called your mom, dad and brother and didn't get answers from any of them.
"I'm missing the show they probably have their phones off." You worried.
"They vouldn't vatch without you." Germany stated.
"That's even worse! They'd be calling me or answering then." You panicked and he tried calming you down but that's not something he seemed to be good at. At all.
Italy came running into the hallway and saw you panicking, curled into a ball.
"What-what if the building falls. What if it like 9/11 all over again?" You panicked hyperventilating at that point.
America froze and his face turned white like he'd seen a ghost.
"No…that won't happen again." He said. You didn't know if he was telling you or assuring himself of that.
You heard people on the floor screaming and shouting suddenly.
"America." Germany said looking to him.
He nodded. "He's here."
"Who's here?" You panicked.
"Just hide, whatever you do hide, they don't know about you so they won't go looking." He ordered you. He took a rifle out of his chest, like it was inside of him. It glowed and took form like something you'd seen in a cartoon.
He wasn't human, this was all real. This was Hetalia, but this was the reality version. This was about to be a real battle between the strongest beings there was. He handed you the gun on his belt. "Only use this if necessary." He said not even looking at you and ran off.
You scurried through the halls and heard the ensuing chaos behind you, guns and explosions.
You hoped everyone down stairs was okay as the building shook. If this attack went their way, the world leaders would be dead. It would be absolute chaos. No government to run the countries, people trying to appoint themselves leaders, the wars that would start, it'd send the world's progress back by years. But there was your parents too. It wasn't just them, your whole family had come. You'd be orphaned, friendless, futureless. You wanted to be a world leader but at your age you were to young to do much in a country of chaos and anarchy.
But what about you, there was you too and whether you'd survive. The footsteps echoing on the metal walls only made your heart beat faster.
Two people dashed around the corner and you almost shot them both before realizing it was who must have been Russia and China checking on your safety.
They nodded to the each other and shooed you away as a bullet struck the cheek of China and he fell, cupping his cheek.
You were horrified, you'd never felt that kind of adrenaline and instead of running you collapsed into a ball panicking, but things got eerily quiet fast.
The building was still rumbling and dust was falling through the vents, you stood up and shakily walked over to a window and looked down below as masses of people flooded from the building and people evacuated nearby stores and building.
This wasn't happening, this had to some nervous dream.
Hetalia? Terrorists? A polar bear in the lobby, these things couldn't be happening, and not so suddenly all at once.
You took a deep breath and hid around the corner as you heard foot steps heading to you, it was to quiet to be anyone from before, they whispering back and forth. If anyone you'd just seen was coming they'd be faster, they'd call for you or come right to you, knowing where you were.
The thought of everything happening angered you to point you didn't even feel fear anymore. This was your country and you'd fight for it too. What was one Human life compared to thousands, compared to the countries and reps and leaders. Nothing to them, everything to you and your family and friends, but it was your life and they'd have to respect your decision to put it on the line to fight.
This was in your blood, gun in hand charging into a battle field to save people, this was who you were.
You didn't remember much after that, you tried hard to remember but as you stood there in the rubble looking to a shocked crowd of people who'd all somehow survived nothing seemed to be processing. You stood stiff as a statue and looked around. What the actual heck just happened?
