Holding the child close, America almost didn't notice when the scientist and some armed soldiers began to make their steady way towards him. Nothing seemed to matter or exist for him in this moment other than the tiny form held tenderly in his arms. The warmth that passed between them, the soft feel of tiny hands clinging to him… these things filled America's senses. These things made his heart beat just a bit harder, made him feel full of a happiness he could hardly define or compare to anything else. This tiny little child, just in the few moments together, soothed away the ache inside him.
"Alfred… hey Al!" It was Bill's voice that reached him, his citizen's worry and distress that caused him to look up at last. He saw his captors standing over him, guns drawn and pointed at him. He felt his lips curl back, a defensive snarl silent on his lips as his eyes raged with a protective fury at his enemies. It was irrational, how very strong the desire to shelter this child was, but when was America ever considered the most rational and even headed of the Nations anyway? The need to save the day tugged at his senses, ever present and just beneath his feelings for this kid.
"Get up," the one in the lab coat demanded, voiced clipped and difficult to understand through whatever accent laced the words. America scowled and made no attempts to move. It was a stare down, one that had guns pushed closer to him. America wrapped his arms more tightly around the bundle in his arms, ready to shield it with his body if it came down to it. He rose, but not to comply with their demands. It was simply stupid to remain hunched on the ground when in a dangerous situation like this. He needed his feet so that he could move if need be. He took a step away, much to the annoyance of the scientist.
"You will come with us now." America shook his head slowly.
"I don't think so buddy. I want you to send us all home… I want some answers." America was answered with a sneer. The child in his arms shifted, and America flicked his eyes down for a moment. It was a strange look the little one was giving him, a questioning look. The child wasn't scared… and America tried not to frown. 'Of course he'd trust them, if they've been raising him.' At the very least he knew they hadn't been abusing the tiny Nation in his arms. 'Unless they've really messed him up to where he doesn't even know what they did was wrong…' That thought had him seeing red for a moment, and it only got worse when the guns all moved.
No longer were they pointed at him. With just a gesture the scientist had the armed men aim at the innocent civilians all around them. Gasps, outraged words, and a fearful shifting of bodies passed around him, the crowd jumbling about as they tried to avoid having a gun aimed directly at them. America scowled but froze. Not only were they aiming at innocents now, innocent and fragile humans, but they'd purposely targeted Bill. His citizen. The look the scientist tossed him spoke of intimate knowledge, of focus.
"I think you will listen to us, if you are not wishing for anyone here to be hurt. Believe me when I say we will not hesitate to fire. You decide now. Will this be easy? Do you come with me? Or do you make this very difficult?" America swallowed down his rage. No matter how much he wanted to rip the guns away, he knew he couldn't do it. There was no way he'd get all the guns before someone would lose their life. Bill was of course a priority, what Nation wouldn't put their own citizens first? But America was a hero… any innocent deaths were not tolerable. Grinding his teeth, he nodded his head. He'd do what he was told for now, he had to keep these people safe.
"Al, no! You can't go with them!" Bill took a step forward, swatting at the gun pointed at him. America could feel it swelling off of his citizen, the patriotic need to protect his country. Bill couldn't have understood the situation, but it didn't stop the human from wanting to risk his life for his Nation. America was warmed by the feeling, comforted by the devout patriotism the man radiated. There were days Alfred feared his citizens had lost this spirit.
Silently he thanked Bill, but tried to send reassuring thoughts to him. He locked eyes with the man, holding his gaze firmly. As much as his citizen wanted to protect him, it was Alfred's duty to protect the human as well. 'It'll be ok… I'll be ok… stay safe…' He tried to will Bill to back down for now. His citizens were a strong willed lot, not always compliant to influence like this, but Alfred let out a tiny breath when the human started to back down. Flashing a Hollywood smile, Alfred nodded at the man. "I'll be ok… just stay safe, ok?"
Bill nodded slowly, a grim smile offered to America. "You do the same… we'll get out of this together. No man left behind, right?"
America gave a smart nod of the head. "Right." Turning to look at the scientist, his mood dropped again at the unmasked look of disdain and disgust the man wore.
"If you are done with that, then come on." The scientist turned on his heel and started to walk away. America followed; glancing back over his shoulder as if to make certain the gunmen wouldn't suddenly break their deal and start firing. He was out of the room and in the hall when the sound of the doors slamming forced him to spin back around. The gunmen were all following, and as America hadn't heard any shots fired, he allowed a small sense of relief to fill him. That was one worry down for now… just about a thousand new ones up to take its place.
The scientist seemed to have no inclination to speak to him as he was lead about, and that was fine with the Nation. He was more interested in the auburn haired bundle in his arms. Those red eyes stared at America with utter fascination, curiosity, and joy. It was as though he'd absolutely made this child's day simply by showing up. 'Were you lonely little guy? Have you been all here all this time? Only these jerks to talk to?' He'd have to ask the child later, if he ever got a moment to.
America stopped abruptly on their walk as they were passing a sealed set of double doors, armed men flanking both sides. Something inside him seemed to shout at him, instinct trying to get his attention. He stared at the doors, scowling behind Texas at them as he sought to understand what he was feeling. It was dim… but… but…
The tiny hand of the child in his arms tugged at his shirt, the little one perking up and pointing towards the doors. America blinked at the child, wishing it would speak. All it did was point vigorously, uttering small sounds that sounded more like tiny little whines than anything else. America stepped slightly closer to the doors, which earned him a prod in the back from a rifle. He frowned at the gunman, then turned his eyes to the scientist. The man leveled a cool stare at him, observing him, always observing.
"Do you… do you have more hostages back there?" Not wanting to give himself away (though almost certain the scientist already knew what he was), America remained vague. "More hostages like me back there?"
The human in the lab coat merely sniffed and smirked. "Now is not the time, later." With that the human began to walk once more, and America was suddenly sure of it. Prussia and North Italy! They had to be here! America's mind started to race. Were all the gunmen from before here with him? He could certainly survive some gunshot wounds… could he take everyone here out… then burst in and save the missing Nation and Ex-Nation? Take the little one out of here? Rush back and save Bill and all the other kidnapped humans?
He was so very close to giving it a shot when the scientist spoke up, not bothering to look back. "Follow or things are difficult." The threat was crystal clear. America tried to think up a plan B. If only things could be like his movies, with convenient opportunities presenting themselves right and left? Where was a good perfectly timed explosive distraction when a guy really needed one? Not hear apparently. He kept on thinking furiously.
Nothing came to mind before he was at last brought to his final destination, which seemed to be a cell. Oh it wasn't a dirty prison cell. By all standards it was a very comfortable if not barren sort of affair. A simple double bed, a sink and a toilet, an armchair was even there with a lamp. The walls looked thick, and America wondered if they were strong enough to withstand him if he pounded on them repeatedly. There looked to be notebooks and crayons provided as well. Confused, he stepped inside as he was told.
"Hey, so what's going on? Hey! You can't just leave me in here like this!" That seemed to be exactly what the scientist had in mind however. The door started to close, and America raced forward, kicking at it since his arms were still holding to the child. The little one watched all this in silence, taking it all in without understanding anything. "Let me out of here!" America's shout was answered when an intercom buzzed.
"Take care of him. Your progress will be monitored." And that was that. America shook his head, not understanding this at all. He growled in frustration, hating himself for getting caught in the first place. Hating that he hadn't proven to be a hero at all yet. He backed up, plopping down to sit on the bed. The little one squirmed in his arms, moving to sit across the Nation's lap more comfortably. America sighed loudly before he looked down at the child, giving it a soft endearing smile.
"What in the world am I going to do now?" He asked, the rhetoric lost on the innocent mind. The child simply reached up to tug Texas off his face, peering through the lenses curiously. America welcomed the adorable distraction for now, gently tugging the frames away lest the kid ruin its eyes.
. o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Too many days, far too many days had passed to call it an act any longer. Too much time with no contact made it crystal clear that America's disappearance wasn't some sort of attention grabbing prank. The Nations of the world assembled once more, an emergency meeting. England stood at the head of the table, a worried Canada standing at his side unseen. He slammed his hand down on the table, green eyes sweeping over all those present as if daring any of them to speak out of turn.
"America is missing; we must begin searching for him at once!" There was a murmur that raced through the room, a tense mixture of emotions expressed throughout those present. Much as some would be happy to have America gone, out of the way, or at the very least permanently out of sight… this wasn't the way for it to happen. America was no tiny Nation, he was no easy target, and his recent troubles aside, he wasn't a Nation on the brink of destruction.
The disappearance of Prussia… they'd tried to explain it away as inevitable.
The disappearance of North Italy… much harder to ignore, but explained away as plausible.
The disappearance of America…? No one quite had an easy answer to offer for this one. Perhaps if America had been losing a war on his own soil… perhaps if natural disasters had suddenly torn his cities apart… if only there was something that could be pointed to. There wasn't though… and that horrible tension and sorrow that'd been weighing all the Nations down only seemed to grow heavier. Another one of them… gone… just like that. Who would be next? Were they all doomed?
England slapped the table again, trying to gain order and break the Nations gathered from the dark mood he'd seen possessing them. Oh certainly there were some Nations who still didn't seem terribly concerned about what was happening, but regardless… this was a matter of great importance. Nations were going missing… it needed to stop. And… "We need to begin searching for him immediately! If any of you have any ideas where he may be…" England couldn't help it. His eyes shot to Russia, his scowl meeting Russia's placid smile. Certainly American and Russian relations were not anything like they'd been in the Cold War days… but Russia always seemed to be the likely candidate somehow. The violet eyed Nation didn't react to his gaze at all, and England continued.
"If you have any ideas, please come forward immediately. I know America is intolerable most times, however I'm certain we can all agree that this matter is not completely about him. We could all be in danger… we must move. We must—"
England's speech, which had been growing rather passionate due to his concern over his former colony, was suddenly interrupted by a harsh laugh. All eyes in the room shot instantly towards the source of it. Romano, correction… Italy… had left his seat, standing at his place at the table. His body doubled over in his laughter for a moment, a cold cruel sneer painted on his lips as scathing mocking laughs shook his body. Some Nations fidgeted, but no one quite knew what to do at the moment, stunned into silence.
Romano laughed some more before straightening; glaring daggers at England once he'd regained his senses a bit. He slammed one hand down on the table before pointing viciously at England. "Oh of course! Now you demand the world be serious… now you demand an all out search!" More hateful laughter spilled from Romano's lips, tears hitting the corners of his furious eyes. "If you really thought this was all so important you never would have stopped looking for Veneziano!" The utter venom and hurt in Romano's voice all but stabbed into England's chest, the Nation taking a physical step back.
"Now wait just a moment… we all searched very hard for your brother… all of us pooled our resources to do so! But in the face of our search results we could only conclude that—" Once more England was cut off by a raging Italian, his attempts to reason with the other only seeming to add fuel to the fire.
"Fuck your conclusions! My brother isn't dead! I told you again and again, I'll tell you bastards again and again! He's not dead! He's not dead! So we should still be fucking looking for him!" The strain of it all had been piling up on Romano, more and more. His temper had finally snapped, and in near hysterics he was unleashing the torrent of emotions he'd been forced to bottle up.
Spain was at his side in moments, reaching out cautiously to comfort the Italian. "Now now, settle down Italy…"
Romano turned on Spain in a flash, all but baring his teeth at the other. "Don't call me that! Don't you fucking call me that!" Spain winced, noticing his mistake just moments too late. He of all Nations knew that Romano hadn't given up hope that Veneziano was alive. Spain sat with the Italian many nights, as many as he could, as many as he was allowed. He sat and listened to Romano's words, his rants. When the Italian took to wandering his streets, his lands, and the lands of others, Spain went with him. Veneziano was still alive in Romano's heart, even if he couldn't find him.
Romano had calmed a bit though, allowing Spain to put a hand on his shoulder as he kept his eyes locked with England. Neither side was backing down from the other. "You know what bastards? Go ahead. Search for America. I'll even help you!" A sneer fell over Romano's face, ugly and bitter. "And then, as the days and months go by I'll watch you… watch as you despair when others stop helping you. Watch as you try to insist that America is fine, that with just a little more time he'll be found! I'll watch as your hope turns into something else, watch as you're left alone… the only one who thinks the search should go on. The only one left who knows his brother is still alive and in trouble!"
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Some Nations wished to speak up, tired of this nonsense, wishing to get to some sort of business or be allowed to leave. Some were indifferent to this all, almost sickened by this display. The Nations assembled fell on various sides, various biases, but none spoke up. None seemed willing to interrupt this showdown between England and Romano. England straightened up, holding his head high. He would not allow Romano's words to affect him, especially not right now in front of the World. It didn't matter that they cut deeply, didn't matter at all. Only one thing was important.
"Thank you then," England said, arrogance rolling off him like a shield. "I will appreciate your aid in searching for America." He purposely refused to address the rest of Romano's words. Part of him very much wanted to apologize, or even suggest that they search for North Italy while they search for America, but his pride wouldn't allow it. He looked like a bit of a bastard for it, but he could rationalize it. Besides… it was likely finding America would lead them to North Italy if that Nation was indeed still alive.
"Bastard…" Romano grumbled, before seeming to lose all of his strength. Spain caught him in his arms, tossing a glare at England before ushering the Italian out of the meeting. There was no reason for him to stay. As the Nations left the room, Romano's voice could still be heard, muttering the same phrase over and over again. "They're killing him by calling me Italy… they're killing him by calling me Italy…" Spain's quiet sounds of comfort accompanied the fading voice away.
Clearing his throat, England looked around at those still present. Almost mechanically he began outlining his thoughts for the search, expressing the basic needs that he would seek aid for. Honestly… he sympathized with Romano more than words could express. Though the 'brotherly' relationship between America and him had seemed to fail, that didn't mean England could ever stop feeling protective of the other. Could never completely stop caring. It was this ever present worry that forced him to act this way… anything to make certain others would act now.
No one mentioned Romano and his outburst again, but Germany's eyes had never left the door the Italian and Spaniard exited through. Cold blue stared, seemingly without life, seemingly without hope, yet there was the hint of thought behind them.
A/N:
So… I suppose sorry if anyone thought Romano or England were being a bit too mean or anything this chapter. But, they're both missing family, and poor Romano… this has been building since his brother's disappearance of course!
Sorry this took so long to get out. I'm also sorry there was no Prussia in this decidedly unawesome chapter. I promise he'll be seen again soon!
Reviews are always appreciated, thanks to those who send them!