AN: Soooooo long. To long. I need to get back into the swing of things. I apologize for such a long delay. I would first like to point out that I made a mistake in Matt's and Alfred's ages in the first chapter. I realized that I wrote fifteen but they are suppose to be nineteen. I fixed it but decided to let you guys know. So let's celebrate this amazing update! Hope you all enjoy and have an awesome day!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia
"Move your feet!" Heracles shouted. Alfred grunted as he moved faster to avoid the advancing combatant. The day started in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had even risen. The dark circles underneath his eyes was proof of his restless night and his scowl showed his displeasure at being woken up so early. It was now noon and the slaves had only a few slices of bread to eat. The Overseer of the arena says that if you are full then you will be tired and unfocused. Alfred strongly disagreed and thought that the hunger was more distracting. A sudden well struck blow to Alfred's raised shield caused him to stumble backwards and fall to the ground.
Heracles sighed. "You need to focus, Alfred. This maybe practice but in the arena you would be killed."
"I know," Alfred frowned. "I'll try again." He stumbled to his feet and glared at his opponent.
"Move it, you useless girl!" Shouted a voice from the other side of the room. Alfred looked over and saw Lili being pushed to the ground by a guard. She let out a yelp as her face hit the ground.
"Hey," Alfred yelled. He ran towards the guard with Heracles following close behind him. Lili struggled to get back up. Glaring at the guard Alfred ran over to help Lili. "What's your deal?"
"Shut up. She was in the way." The guard spat.
Heracles scowled at the guard. "Back off," He growled. The guard glanced at Heracles then reluctantly wandered off. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"I...I'm fine," Lili whispered. She held back tears as she stood up and brushed the durst off of her scratches. "I'm alright. My brother could take this and I will, too." She forced a smile before wandering off towards the weapons rack.
"What a jerk." Alfred muttered glaring at the guard who is now standing in a corner.
Heracles sighed. "Just forget him. I'm going to work with Lili for a bit. Head back to your sparing partner and go through some drills." Before Alfred could protest Heracles walked away and heads over towards Lili.
The day continued and Alfred's mood didn't improve. He continuously glanced over at Lili, wondering if she was alright. It wasn't until late at night did he get a chance to talk to her.
Alfred looked into the slavers quarters. Lili was sitting on the edge of her bed staring at the ground. "Lili? Are you alright?" Alfred called softly.
Lili looked up at him and forced a smile. A bruise had started to form on her face. "I'm alright. It's nothing. I can handle it."
Alfred looked at her with uncertainty. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. My brother wouldn't be bothered from this," Alfred was about to say something else but Lili interrupted. "I'm sure everything will get better and when my brother comes to get me you can come with us!"
"Are you sure?" Alfred couldn't help but smile at her optimism.
"Of course," Her green eyes looked up at him with joy. "I'm sure we could take you with us!"
"Hey," Alfred and Lili looked over to the entrance of the quarters. One of the guards was looking at them with a frown on his face. "It's lights out. Get to bed." They didn't notice how late it really was and when they looked around they saw that all the other slaves were asleep. They quickly nodded and curled up in their beds.
Lili's positive attitude could only last for so long. As the days went on the practice became harder. Alfred was a quick learner and even though he was injured he continued fighting. Lili, however, was not so lucky. She struggled and didn't improve despite her determination. There was several times that she was seriously injured but she wasn't allowed to rest. Instead she was thrown back into the practice ring to train some more.
"Ow." Alfred growled as he wrapped a worn dirty bandage around his wrist. He scowled and glared at it. "Stupid... I bet he did that on purpose." He turned into the sleeping quarters and saw Lili sitting at the edge of her bed surrounded by three other combatants. At first Alfred thought that they were just talking to her but when her eyes started tearing up he stormed forward.
"Hey! What are you guys doing," He yelled. The group looked up at him and scattered. Once they were gone Alfred walked over to Lili and looker at her with concern. "Are you alright?"
"O-Of course I'm alright," She forced a smile at looked up at him with red watery eyes. "My brother wouldn't... wouldn't be..." Her voice choked as she tried to hold back her tears but her efforts were in vain. She burst into tears and started sobbing into her hands.
"Whats wrong?" Alfred quickly sat down next to her and tried to comfort her.
"E-Everyone is s-saying that the guards figured out where b-brother is. That they will t-throw him in jail," She suddenly hugged Alfred who awkwardly hugged her back. "I-I need to save him. He s-saved me. I... I have, too. I can't lose my brother." She sobbed.
Alfred hugged her tighter as he thought about Matthew. "Family should never be separated," He muttered. Alfred quickly looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Did they say where he was?" He asked when he saw that no one was around to hear.
"Y-Yes," Lili muttered as she brushed away her tears. "In the alley's of the market district, they said. They said that... by dawn they would go and capture him... Then I wouldn't have a reason to run away anymore," After a moment of silence she whispered softly; "No one survives those prisons," Suddenly she stood up and her blood shot eyes gave Alfred a determined stare. "I'm going to warn him. I don't care if I'm risking my life. He would do the same for me."
Alfred nodded. "I'll help."
Lili's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Of course," Alfred grinned. "I want to get out of here as well and if it's happening at dawn then we can't wait! Heroes never sit by while someone needs help!" Lili returned his grin and they started to plot their escape that evening.
Alfred stayed awake as he listened for the bell. Every hour the clock tower's bell rings once and rings twice at noon and midnight. It rang twice a while ago. Once it rings again they will go through with their plan. Beneath him Lili shifts nervously. Suddenly the bell chimed and Alfred smoothly slipped out of his bed and onto the floor.
"Lili," He whispered. "Are you ready?" She nodded and quietly got out of bed. The arena was quiet and the only people in the corridors were the guards. As they slipped out of the sleeping quarters they tip-toed down the hall.
"All we need is to get to the guard's barracks," Alfred whispered. "They wont be guarded because no one thinks that a slave would sneak in there. All we have to do is slip out one of their windows."
"W-What happens if we wake one of them up?" Lili asked as she nervously glanced behind her.
"Um... We hit them and run for it?" Alfred suggested. He scowled at the thought of doing this without weapons. All the weapons and tools are guarded so there was no possible way that they could get their hands on one. The sudden sound of boxes being knocked over startled him. When he turned around he saw that Lili have accidentally bumped into a stack of boxes as she was looking behind her... silence. The silence proved that the sound hadn't disturbed anyone. Alfred let out a sigh of relief and Lili softly apologized.
The guard's barracks were far nicer than the sleeping quarters that they were using. Each guard had and individual bed and a chest to put their belongings and a nightstand with a mug. Alfred and Lili quietly crept over to the closest window and looked outside.
"I think we can jump it," Alfred whispered. "I'll go first and catch you just in case." Lili nodded. Alfred unlocked the glass window and quietly swung it open. He put his foot up on the windowsill and was just about to jump when the guard in the bed closest to him stirred and started to sit up. Before Alfred could move to prepare to defend himself against the guard Lili grabbed a mug that was on the nightstand and smashed the guard over the head with it. He fell back down into his pillow and didn't stir.
Alfred scanned the room again and saw that no one was disturbed by the noise. "Nice." He whispered with a grin.
"I-Is he dead?" Lili asked with concern.
"Nah, there's no way he'll die from that. Now I'm heading out. I'll call up when I'm ready." Alfred slipped out the window and allowed himself to hang onto the edge of the windowsill before dropping down. When he landed a sharp pain shot through his ankles but he remained uninjured. Smiling he stood up and motioned to Lili telling her it was okay to jump.
Lili looked down reluctantly at the ground then back at Alfred who nodded and held out his arms. Carefully she slid out of the window and jumped down to Alfred, who caught her.
"See," He whispered. "I told you it would be alright."
She softly laughed to herself. "It was kind of fun. Can we do it again?"
"I don't think we can right now." Alfred smiled as he put her down.
"Well obviously not now. But maybe when we escape with my brother we can do it again some time."
"First, I need to save my brother, too," Alfred glanced around the empty cold square. The snow had been cleared from the roads making it easier to move around. He shivered as an icy breeze blew across the square. Their clothes and shoes were not made to keep out the cold. "Where's the Market district?"
"It's this way," She pointed towards a narrow alley way. "Maybe we should talk the alleys. There are probably guards patrolling the streets."
Alfred nodded. "lead the way." Quietly as they could they made their way through the dark alleys of the city. Not a sound could be heard from the building around them. The eerie unnatural silence sent shivers down Alfred's spine. It was almost as if the city was dead instead of just sleeping.
"So how are we going to find your brother? Did you get an exact location?" Alfred asked. Though that was a silly thing to be asking when they are this far along in their plan.
"Um... well no," She admitted. "My brother is really smart. I don't think that it would be an obvious place."
"Probably," Alfred sighed. The bell rang once more by the time they reached the market district. They shivered from the cold and their lips were turning blue. Cold, tiered, irritated, they checked every where for sign of her brother while avoiding the occasional patrol. "It's almost sunrise..." Alfred whispered as he glanced up at the sky. The alley they were currently exploring was barren and unkempt.
"W-We have to find him," Lili teeth clattered from the cold. "We...We have to." Her foot slipped and she fell to the icy ground.
"Lili!" Alfred rushed forward to help her up. "Are you alright?"
"Hey!" They both looked up and saw a soldier glaring at them from the end of the alley. "It's past curfew! Get back to your houses!" He called as he stormed towards the two. As the guard got closer Alfred prepared for a fight. Suddenly a larger man ran past Alfred and Lili and Attacked the guard. While the man and the guard struggled Alfred helped Lili to her feet.
When Alfred got Lili to her feet he looked over and saw the guard laying one the ground. The stranger glared at them. "What do you think your doing," he growled in a rough voice. "You know what happens if they find people breaking curfew."
Before Alfred could say anything Lili spoke up. "Brother... V-Vash... I need to find him."
The man's eyes widened. "You're Lili," He stated in surprise. After a moment he nodded towards the darker end of the valley. "This way." When the man ran off Lili quickly followed with Alfred close behind. They weaved between buildings until the man came to a stop by a ruined apothecary. At the bottom of the wall was a rusty tunnel cover. He kicked it loose revealing a ladder. Without speaking they descend down the ladder into a maze of tunnels. The tunnels were dark, old, and strangely looked like abandoned roads.
Through the dark they followed the man until they reached a metal door tucked away in a dead end. The man knocked once then three times more. The door swung open and Alfred and Lili were pushed inside. The moment they stepped inside a group of voices bombarded the man with questions.
"Who are they?"
"I thought you were heading to the upper district?"
"Did something go wrong?"
The man ignored the questions. "Is Vash here? I have someone for him."
"What's wrong?" A man was shoulder length blonde hair and dark green eyes pushed his way through the crowd. When he saw Lili his eyes widened and he rushed forward. "Lili! Are you alright? You're freezing," He quickly took off his coat and draped it over Lili's shoulders. He then glared up at the man. "What happened?"
"I was heading to the Upper District and I just stumbled across them. When the girl called you brother I thought I should bring them here."
"You're Vash?" Alfred interrupted.
Vash's glare turned to Alfred "Who are you?" His voice was guarded as he stared Alfred down, looking at the state of Alfred's clothes. "Are... you a slave?"
"Yes, My name's Alfred. I need your help."
"My help?" Vash raised an eyebrow.
Alfred nodded. "Yes. I need to escape but I need to get my brother first."
"Brother," Vash looked down at Lili. She smiled up at him. "He helped me. We can get his brother and we can all head home together."
Vash stared at Lili before nodding. "Fine. For Lili I will help you get him. Then we will leave as soon as possible. Where is he?"
"They dropped him off at the castle."
The men around them started to mutter. Vash sighed and shook his head. "You want us to break into the castle. We-," A sudden crash disrupted the conversation. Vash looked at the man that led them here. "Were you followed?"
The man fidgeted. "I...Um...I don't..."
"You didn't check," Vash cursed under his breath. "Everyone get ready. We might have to leave quickly," He looked at Lili and held her close. "We should take the emergency exit."
"Vash, someone's coming down the tunnels! Sounds like a group!" whispered a man from the doorway.
"Close the door. Lock it. We need to get moving." Vash quickly led the group out of the room and into some smaller narrower tunnels.
"What are these tunnels?" Alfred whispered.
"They were once called the Under. Many years ago the first king of Hiems, the one who legend says killed the angel, decided that those who were weak needed to live underground. He thought that by only showing off those who were rich and strong then the country would only appear to be rich and strong," Vash whispered as he guided the, through the complex maze. "It's disgusting really. But as the years went on they expanded the tunnels and soon their city could reach all corners of the Capitol. About a century later the King decided to chase them out of their tunnels. He was worried that they were plotting against him."
"Vash, now isn't the time for a history lesson," One of the men hissed. "They're breaking through." Behind them a large crash told them that the intruders had broken through.
"Run," Vash whispered. "We need to make it to the exit." Their pace picked up but when they neared the exit it became obvious that their pursuers were gaining on them.
"How do their know their way through the tunnels?!" The men started to panic.
"They're gaining fast! We won't make it to the exit in time!"
Vash growled. "We have no choice. We will seal off the exit as soon as we get out of here and head to the mountains."
"What," Alfred exclaimed. "What about my brother! We need to get Matt!"
The reached another door and Vash flung it open. The room was empty except for a ladder leading to the surface. "I'm sorry, Alfred. I'm not going to risk my friends and family for your brother."
"But, Brother-!" Lili tried to speak up but Vash cut her off.
"I'm sorry, but I won't risk everyone for one boy," Vash lifted Lili up and handed her to one of the men as they made their way up the ladder. Once all the men were out of the tunnels Vash looked at Alfred. "I'm sorry. You can either come with us now or stay here." The guards were closing in and had almost reached them.
"I can't leave my brother behind." Alfred watched as Vash wordlessly made his way up the ladder and sealed the top of the ladder off.
Alfred sighed nervously as he turned to the door. The door soon flung open and the guards poured in. They were shouting orders but Alfred could understand them. Dispute his best efforts to defend himself, one of the guards struck Alfred on the back of the head. He hit the ground hard and just before his vision faded he wondered if Lili and Vash could make it out of the city in time.
