Disclaimer: Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is fanfiction.

Warnings: AU, possible general confusion, and conversations that add more questions than answers.

A/N: Apologies for delays, though I can't make any promises that updates will be any faster from this point on. And thanks for a) the reviews and b) the favourites, alerts, etc. You're all awesome. Just so you know.

Scene Zero
Three

The silence that had once blanketed the room – if they chose to ignore the whirl of machines, as well as the faint murmur of voices out in the hallway – was broken by the sound of footsteps, and a vaguely irritated voice.

"Don't worry so much; I can still do this," Vietnam said as she waved Taiwan away, preventing the other girl from continuing the check-up. She tugged at the bandages wrapped around her arm, unravelling them with ease as she paced the room.

This earned a childish pout, "They've only just begun to close, Viet, and you know everyone will throw a fit if you start bleeding on the field. Also, the bruising is getting better, but you'll just-"

"Taiwan, leave the worrying to Yao," with a smile, she reached forward to ruffle the other's hair, earning a defensive yelp in reply, "And Thailand already said that the chances of gates opening tonight are pretty low."

"That's good to hear. As long as someone doesn't decide that test explosives are good weapons, then…"

Both girls stopped at this and turned to look back at Kiku, who merely lifted the map in his hands a fraction higher to avoid their accusing glares. Although almost a week had passed since that particular incident, neither wished to drop the subject despite the apologies, and Kiku knew better than to think anyone else was about to defend him; especially Yong Soo, who was irked at the loss of a test subject he claimed to have been in its final stages.

A few more adjustments and you could have gone all-out, you just needed to wait a little longer, he had said with a laugh, clapping Kiku's back with a little more force than necessary. (He had made a note, then and there, to avoid being in the same room as Yong Soo, especially alone.)

Hong Kong hopped down from his seated position on the bookcase, pulling at the sleeves of his shirt in that same moment; "We really can't afford to take it lightly, though. Yao's still trying to set up an appropriate time for us to meet the branch on this side as well, isn't he?"

"Yeah, the Vargas brothers, I think?" Taiwan tilted her head, frowning as she tried to recall their names, "There wasn't a large force to keep things in check here, so I suppose our help was required, huh."

"So you mean this isn't suspicious in any shape or form," he deadpanned back, even as Yong Soo passed by the door to toss something in his general direction. Managing to catch one, Hong Kong spun the tonfa experimentally as the other clattered to the ground, stopping to rest by a table leg. "And all the stuff you and Thailand heard had nothing to do with this transfer at all, so we would be out of their hair for the time being."

She glared back at him, hands on hips in irritation, "I never said that. But it doesn't take a genius to work out that, with such a small force, things are going to get out of hand."

"Considering how much it cost to transfer our force almost halfway across the world, you would have thought-"

Vietnam rolled her eyes, before clapping her hands to catch the pair's attention. Once they had stopped glaring at the other – though it was occasionally hard to tell with Hong Kong – she shook her head at them. Kiku stood up, folding the map and leaving it by the table, as he too gave her his undivided attention.

"We've only just settled in here, you know, and arguing amongst ourselves isn't about to help us get back home," she said bluntly, "Yong Soo's still trying to work out the reason for an upgrade in Levels, and Yao's being as fussy as ever. I think there are more important issues to be discussing here, hm?"

Offering them a smile that lacked any trace of humour, it was enough to prevent Taiwan from retorting, as Hong Kong glanced to the side pointedly. As he entered the room, Yao could only raise his eyebrows at the sight, while Thailand called a cheerful greeting that went over their heads.

"Everyone's rather excitable today, aru," he mused aloud, as he slapped a couple of manila folders down onto the table, "The field's smaller this time, thankfully, so there won't be any issues with keeping communication lines up or covering necessary distances."

Shifting the papers around, Thailand passed them out, explaining as he did so; "You've heard about the Vargas brothers, correct? They've been assigned to patrol the parameter around your locations-"

"Wouldn't it make more sense to have them do the inner circle, since there are only two of them?" Hong Kong cut in, even as he scanned the paper in his hands.

"Well, they've been joined by two others, so it should be alright, don't you think? It was all last-minute, sadly, so I haven't had a chance to pick up names; pretty unprofessional, but what can you do?" Picking up the map Kiku had abandoned, Thailand spread it out for them to see.

As everyone present gathered around the table (Yong Soo waltzed in and made a beeline for the computer), he pointed out three separate locations with the end of a pen; "These would be the best places observation-wise, but it's really up to you in the end. The readings have been consistent since the Level Seven was closed, but keeping one's guard up is vital. I guess I don't need to tell you that, though."

Glancing back up to meet their steady gazes, Thailand offered a smile, even as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Still, I believe it will be a quiet night," he finished with the barest hint of a shrug, before pulling away from the group the same moment Yong Soo called for his aid.

Yao crossed his arms; "Right, so, any questions?"

"How long are we going to be stuck here?"

He turned to face Taiwan, who bit her lip and continued to stare down at the map. Her hands clenched stubbornly, refusing to meet his gaze, even as the other sighed in mild frustration.

"It hasn't even been a month, aru. Until they find enough people to permanently patrol this area, we just have to make the most of it."

"That's…" She began, pitch rising, but stopped when Kiku stepped forward. Offering her an apologetic look for his actions – only to have it waved away – he spread his arms out.

Something about that answer, those words… "What do you mean by that, Yao?"

"I mean what I said, aru. Things are slow here, and Thailand has other tasks to get done, so I have to keep my ear to the ground, you know."

"But the Vargas brothers-"

He waved a hand impatiently, as if the answer were obvious, "-were only situated here as a temporary force, just like us."

Kiku only realised, faintly, that he was grasping the edge of the table in a death grip, "Yao, what does that even-" He was cut off again, this time by Yong Soo's cheer as a blueprint of the area appeared onscreen. Red and green lines criss-crossed throughout the screen as he turned to face them, grinning.

"Alright, it's nearing sixteen hundred hours, and you've got to keep patrol until at least twenty one hundred hours; think you guys can handle it?" He smirked at this, the challenge in his tone far too obvious as he leaned back, arms crossed.

Picking up the abandoned tonfa, Hong Kong tilted his head a fraction; "We wouldn't be here if we couldn't."

They were used to Yong Soo attempting to rile them up, after all, and if he didn't say something along those lines at least once before the start of the mission, then everyone knew something was amiss. As it was, he merely saluted the group with a grin, confidence almost overflowing.

"Alright then! Let's get this show on the road."

With a useless tug at his scarf in an attempt to cover the top of his head, Kiku could only adjust the headset Yao had insisted they wear for the mission. While he understood the reasoning behind it, there would always be something unnerving in the fact that, if he were to make a random observation to himself out loud, everyone would hear it (and Yong Soo recorded everything). It was a double-edged sword, however, as he heard someone sneeze on another line.

"Sorry." Hong Kong did not sound particularly apologetic, even as Vietnam muttered something inconspicuous in reply. "Rain's not going to stop anytime soon, is it? And did you ever work out if the weather had anything to do with the gates, or was that merely speculation while you were half-awake?"

"More like half-asleep," Taiwan said, and one could almost see her elbowing Yong Soo in the side as she spoke, "But it seems everything's rather calm on this side, how about you?"

Vietnam sighed, "This cat keeps staring at me."

There was a pause as everyone present mulled over her statement, until Yao spoke up; "And I'd like to believe that would be the least of your worries, aru."

"But it looks possessed," she shot back, and it became obvious that she was willing to continue a conversation that did not need to exist. It was impossible not to hear Yao's hiss of frustration while Yong Soo chuckled, only to yelp in pain when he was quickly reprimanded.

"Just keep an eye out, and don't let anything slip by you," Yao said, irritation evident, even as Yong Soo began a monologue in the background about abuse within the family, "otherwise we'll just end up with a bigger mess than what we started with."

There was a murmur of agreement from all lines, as Kiku resumed scanning the area for anything remotely unusual. It was a cloudy night, completely obscuring the stars and moon in the process, as the constant threat of heavier rain nagged the back of his mind. The last thing they needed was an uncomfortable distraction, coupled with a handicap if any fighting became necessary.

At this, he touched the hilt of his katana, reassured by its presence even though there was no threat to be seen. And that was the worse part, to wait on the off-chance something did happen; one could never know exactly where the attack would come from, and how quickly things could escalate, so…

"Hey, Kiku."

Like smoke, his train of thought vanished at an instant and it would not have surprised Kiku if he had flinched reflexively; "Did you need something, Yong Soo?"

"You think Yao's serious about all this?" There was a certain amount of seriousness in his tone that dispelled any thoughts about cutting the conversation short. And even if he had wanted to, Yong Soo had just brought up a question that had been on his mind for quite some time, even if it had only just been brought out in the open a few hours ago.

"The fact that we're patrolling a formerly abandoned area? I didn't think it was even possible."

There was a sigh on the other end, and he could hear Yong Soo typing into a keyboard as he continued to keep track of their progress; "There've been no former reports for us to work on, and Thailand agrees with me that it seems fishy. Then again, there's no one powerful enough to create an entirely new area and have people living in it, so I'm guessing it really was just forgotten."

"But you can't just forget an entire population of people," Kiku pointed out, though he knew his cousin was well aware of it; more than anything, he wanted to find a reasonable explanation, because the alternative… "And you've been out yourself, haven't you? People are living their lives like normal, so nothing large must have happened before we came by."

"True, but someone might be covering anything large as well," there was a brief moment of distortion, and Yong Soo muttered an apology as he readjusted the connection, "Also, I was looking up on our currently unseen partners-"

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on the Levels?"

It would not have been surprising if Yong Soo waved a dismissive hand at this; "I can multi-task just fine, unlike some people. As I was saying, the Vargas brothers have actually been here for a while, looking at their transferral orders-"

Kiku could not resist his urge to groan, "You do realise that, if anyone finds out, you'll be disposed of, right?"

There was no need for him to elaborate, as they all knew the consequences of such actions, but Yong Soo merely laughed in reply. It was impossible to tell if it was just an act, or if he really was unconcerned by the fact.

"I've covered my tracks just fine, Kiku, so don't worry 'bout that." When Kiku refused to reply, there was another sigh, and one could almost see Yong Soo leaning forward, voice lowered despite the fact they could hear each other just fine; "You're questioning a genius here, you realise that, right?"

He bit back the instant reaction to argue that point (it had just been dumb luck, after all), and instead glanced down at the scanner, "You aren't the only genius when it comes to technology. Remember that."

"Wait, you're worried about me?"

"This isn't a game," Kiku murmured, ignoring the irritation he felt upon hearing Yong Soo's question, disbelief evident, and returned to scanning the area. It was true, after all, that they did not get along as well as one might have thought (they were family; it was only natural), but that did not mean they wished any real ill on the other.

There was another laugh at this, though it sounded a little more self-conscious, "Yeah, I know. If it makes you feel any better, I roped Eduard and Liechtenstein into helping me set up the initial program before I began the actual search."

"It does, actually. At least I know you aren't experimenting with codes again." At the reassurance, Kiku returned them to the conversation at hand, "How long ago did they send the Vargas brothers in?"

"A year ago, and it was almost impossible to find just that. Like I said, there were no former reports for us to work on."

Kiku bit his lip, turning the information over as he tried to make sense of it, "It can't have just been irresponsibility if it was for an entire year. Are you saying that-" He stopped, unsure if he should continue, but Yong Soo spoke up before he could finish the question.

"It's still too early to come to any solid conclusions, but it seems that they've been forgotten, much like the city itself," there was no more laughter in his voice, no more jokes to be said, "But until I can dig up the necessary evidence, I don't want to tell Yao."

There was a something in his tone, not quite pleading, that caused Kiku to smile, "I'll keep my ear to the ground." And I won't tell a soul remained left unsaid, but they had known each other for too long not to catch the rest.

"Alright- what? Yes, yes." There was the sound of sudden distortion – loud in his ears, but familiar all the same – as other voices rejoined the mix.

It came as no surprise that their discussion had been on a private line, as the conversation would have otherwise been filled with thoughts and opinions from all sides, and it seemed as if Vietnam and Yao were still debating over whether or not a cat could actually be possessed in the first place. If that made any sense.

"-requesting back-up," Hong Kong said, speaking slowly and clearly over the arguing voices that filled their ears, "Sighted movement, but there are no Levels in progress, so…"

"Understood, I'm moving to your location," Kiku replied, making sure to answer clearly as he gave his area one last, long scan, "Taiwan, is that alright?"

There was a ten second pause, as the sound of keys being typed in joined the argument, "Yes, that's fine. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Murmuring his thanks, Kiku moved from his position, glad for the chance to stretch his limbs. It also aided in clearing his mind and sight, as keeping watch in one area could cause a lapse, where concentration swayed if they were not careful.

Kiku glanced around, to get a better idea of his location from the ground, as he touched the right side of his headphones lightly; "Hong Kong, is it possible to tell me more as to why you think this is cause for suspicion?"

"There are particular areas we've marked out; places no citizen is allowed to go through for safety reasons," Hong Kong said, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, "and unless I was completely mistaken, I just saw someone passing through one of those very areas."

Yong Soo chose to ask the question on their minds, "And you don't think it's just someone taking a shortcut, or one of the usual shady guys the city offers us?"

"I doubt it. The scanner went haywire when they passed through, and it's still not functioning to the best of its ability now." His tone remained level as he replied, even as Kiku felt his heart skip a beat and Yong Soo swore softly, as realisation dawned.

"Kiku, get over there and help him," there was a particular curtness in his tone that brooked no argument, though it was unnecessary, "Thailand, could you be their back-up from this side?" There was the faint call of assent, before he continued, "Yao, if you and Vietnam could stop your little argument for a while-"

Kiku blocked the rest of the conversation from his mind, mentally mapping out the path to his destination. Once he was confident that there was no error in what his memory had given him, he ran. The sounds of car engines were clearer in now, as he remained in the shadows to the best of his ability (even then, some people glanced in his direction, unsure as to whether not they had seen someone at all).

Though it did not take him long to reach where Hong Kong was situated, the rushing in his ears and the pounding of his heart were almost unbearable. It was as if hours had passed, though it had only really been minutes, and Hong Kong glanced up at him, talking into the microphone as he did so.

"-yes, understood. I won't. No. Yes. Confirmed." He stepped forward, towards Kiku, and held out a hand. Blankly, Kiku reached forward to pick up the scanner offered to him, and glanced down at the screen.

"… Damn."

"That's what I thought," was the simple reply, as Hong Kong took the scanner back and tucked it away. Once he was sure that Kiku had sufficiently recovered, he made a vague gesture to the dark alleyway they were standing in front of; "It was this way."

"Thailand, do you have a trace?" Kiku asked as they headed in. At an instant, they were swallowed by the unnatural darkness that seemed to consume most places once night fell.

"Just picked it up when you arrived. It looks like they're moving in one direction at the moment; I'll let you know if anything happens."

There was no need for him to nod, and yet Kiku did. Because it was something of a reassurance to know that they were as prepared as they could be, in the given situation, and he wasn't alone.

Even so, the tightening in his stomach remained (not enough to be a hindrance, but still very much there) and the image Hong Kong's scanner had given him was enough to worry anyone. They had been placed in this area, this apparent corner of nowhere, under the assumption that it would be a routine job.

But after the appearance of a Level Seven gate, and now this, Kiku could only wonder what it was he and his family had actually been thrown into. What the cost would be, while unanswered questions were shoved to one side as he focused on the present.

First they had to live through this, and then they could search for the answers.