Date Written: September 25, 2011
Word Count: 1 628
Summary: A newcomer to the Institution shocks the other residents with a startling secret. How do they react? Can they work together to escape the Insitution? Who is this elusive 'President' anyways? And what the heck is up with this animal DNA stuff? AU, multiple pairings but not sole focus of story, nearly all countries included. Rated T to be safe and for language.
Warnings: Some strong language, somewhat graphic torture later on in story, France (because France is his own warning XD), Canadian swears, country names rarely used (but often not).
Disclaimer: Hetalia does not belong to me.
Pairings: Germany x N Italy, Greece x Japan, America x England, Russia x China, S Italy x Spain, Canada x Prussia, Hungary x Austria, possible other pairings may crop up throughout the story (but highly unlikely).
A short explanation of the Institution: The Institution is a place where people are taken and experimented on with animal DNA, resulting in both physical and mental animalistic tendances/apperances. It is originally an RP on Chicken Smoothie, but this story veers off from the main plotline of the RP and adds things that were not originally included, such as powers. In the Institution, the people expermented/tested on are kept in cages and are called Patients. Those that are in charge of the Patients are called Soldiers. Wilds are explained in the story.
The emotionless black haired Soldier led Canada out of the cell block and down the starkly white hallway, before turning him and directing him through a steel door. As his eyes adjusted to the slightly darker large white painted room his was standing in, Canada noticed another figure standing a little ways away.
The figure was roughly the same height as Canada, with darker skin than him and curly brown hair. He was wearing the same sort of uniform as Canada as well, but the colour was muddled by grass stains and torn patches, giving the grey uniform the appearance of having been worn outside for a long time. The figure's hair had dirt in it as well as a few leaves, adding to the look of having been outside. After a few minutes of just standing there, the other person noticed Canada and walked up to him with a wide smile and a happy gleam in his green eyes.
Canada backed away warily, nervously eyeing this new person, unsure as to whether he was a threat or not. Canada ruffled his own white-flecked black wings, noticing the light brown eagle wings edged with black that the other had folded against his back. "I am Solar. Please to meet you…?" He introduced himself cheerfully, holding out a hand to Canada. Canada paused for a moment, but cautiously took the offered hand and shook it slowly, saying, "My name is Canada."
"Oh, so no power then?" Solar asked curiously, tilting his head to one side. Canada shook his head. "No, just DNA." He stated as he flared out the black and white feather wings poking through the back of his Patient uniform. "Ah. Man, it seems like forever since I left this place…" Solar stated dreamily, casting his green gaze up to the ceiling and pivoting in a slow circle, looking around the large room. Canada nodded, before a puzzled look came over his face.
"Wait, left? You mean, you escaped?" Canada asked shyly, unsure if he was being too nosey or not. Solar nodded, still looking around the room. "They haven't changed much." He mused quietly. "I guess I have been with the Wilds for longer than I thought." Solar continued, finally turning green eyes back to the other.
"Wilds?" Canada asked softly. Solar nodded. "Yes, that is what we call those who have escaped. There are many scattered over the island, but they all respond to one leader. Some try to leave the island altogether and some try to come back to free more Patients. But most just try to survive in the jungle." He explained briefly. Canada paused for a moment, thinking. "So how did you escape?" He finally asked. Solar's eyes grew cold and he turned away, shoulders stiffening and fingers curling into fists. "I cannot tell you that, I am sorry." Solar stated unintentionally harshly.
Canada started to say something else, to apologize, but just then another Soldier entered the room. This one was much shorter than either of the two Patients, with long black hair and golden eyes. Canada could almost confuse him with a woman if he didn't know any better. The Soldier turned to Solar, piercing yellow eyes meeting naïve green ones. "Use your power on him." The Soldier ordered, gaze briefly flickering back over his shoulder to rest on Canada. "But…" Solar started to protest, before being quickly cut off by a few thinly-veiled threats from the small Soldier.
Solar nodded sadly, walking closer to Canada and holding out his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry about this…I hope he knows what he's doing." Solar apologized, closing his eyes as bright flames sprung out of the concrete floor around the two of them. The flames quickly rose higher, fast cutting off Canada's view of the Soldier and sending his heartbeat racing with fear, wondering about the Soldier's intention for having the other do this. His thoughts flew around in circles, all the while coming back to one thought: the flames that were creeping closer and closer around him. Canada noticed detachedly that the increasing heat from the fire did not seem to bother Solar at all.
After what felt like an eternity to Canada, with the flickering orange and yellow flames dancing ever closer, the flames seemed to retreat and sizzle. Canada's eyes, which had been screwed tightly shut soon after Solar caused the fire to appear, snapped open to see a wall of clear ice surrounding him and the astonished gaze from both Solar and the short Soldier.
"Well then. I guess we know what your power is." Solar stated with a cheery laugh, the rest of the flames dissipating into the air. The Soldier looked shocked, his golden eyes wide as he stared at Canada. Suddenly, he started asking rapid-fire questions, scribbling something down on the clipboard he was holding and not even bothering to give Canada a chance to reply. "How did you do that? Did you have to concentrate? On what? Do you feel weak or anything now? Could you do that again on purpose?"
Canada slowly grew panicked again, getting more and more flustered with each wide-eyed question. His heartbeat sped up again as he tried to figure out the answers to the Soldier's questions. Solar's gaze turned from gentle amusement to worry at the steadily increasing speed of Canada's breathing to complete shock as the outline of the timid Patient blurred, then disappeared completely. The Soldier stopped talking, staring at a now-invisible Canada before whirling around and darting back out of the room.
Canada's form slowly re-appeared again as the Soldier left, breathing slowing and heartbeat steadying. "W-what…what happened?" Canada asked slowly, watching the spot that the Soldier left from. Solar blinked a few times before grinning widely and clasping a hand over the other's shoulder. "You can turn invisible!" He stated excitedly. Solar was about to say more, but just then the door opened again and two Soldiers came into the room. The blank-looking Soldier, whom Solar addressed as Shadow, as well as the smaller Soldier from earlier.
Shadow motioned for Canada to walk in front of him, directing him back down the hallway and into the cell block, leaving Solar standing in the testing area. A sudden wave of exhaustion passed over the blond Patient and he slumped forwards, stumbling and prompting Shadow to place a guiding hand on his back. Canada's control over his power slipped as he walked, causing the edges of his body to shimmer and fade. Shadow stopped him in front of a white door marked with a small black 'A', opening the door and gently pushing him inside.
The quiet remnants of chatter stopped as Canada walked through the door, gaining quite a few amazed stares. Finally Somnus spoke up after a few moments of awkward silence. "Canada…why can I see the outline of Shadow and the door behind you through your body?" Canada paused as Shadow opened the door to his cell and ushered him inside. "My power…invisibility…" He slurred tiredly, leaning up against the back wall and sliding down until he was sitting on the concrete floor. "Cool Birdie! You have a power after all!" Echo interjected, with both Somnus and Nyx glaring at him.
"Canada looks like a ghost!" Came the childish giggle from a few cells down, violet eyes sparkling in amusement and lips pulling back from teeth in a wide smile. "Maybe that should be Canada's power-name, da?"
Canada shook his head slowly, tiredly. "Frost." He stated quietly, causing more than a few of the residents of the cell block to glance at him again. "But…that's not even close to anything to do with invisibility…" Echo pointed out, red eyes narrowing in suspicion, a suspicion that Canada failed to pick up on. "Canada…um, Frost…did anything else happen during testing?" Echo asked as he leaned over farther to peer at the sleepy Patient.
Canada's head shot up from where it was falling forwards as his eyes closed; his already partial invisibility increasing until the rest of the Patients could only see a faint glimmer of colour where the blond Patient had been sitting. "Nothing else happened." Canada insisted softly, eyes flickering closed again with an exhausted sigh. Echo did not say anything else, only squinting at the patch of watery grey and blond colours floating in the air as a deeper suspicion entered both his face and his mind. Power-names always had something to do with the power in question. Always. Something else had happened to his friend while Canada was gone and Echo was determined to find out what.
After a few more moments of extended quiet, Canada, now Frost, slowly re-appeared and spoke up again. "So…w-what are all of y-your powers?" He asked timidly, fighting to keep the yawn out of his voice. "Well, you already know mine. Entering and influencing dreams." Somnus stated, inclining his head towards the twin Patients across the hall to direct them to continue. "Mine's light and stuff, ve~" Lumos re-stated, apparently forgetting that he had already said this earlier. "Nyx's is exactly the same, just with darkness!" He continued with a glare and a grumble from Nyx. "I don't have a power, da." The tall purple-eyed Patient at the end of the cell block stated.
"And what about you, Echo?" Frost asked, blinking open heavy eyelids and turning towards the figure in the cell next to him. "My power? Being awesome, of course!" Echo chirped cheerfully, turning his head aside to mask the fear flickering across his features.