Kennet's A/N - I TOTALLY FUCKED UP ON BETAING, so I'll just handle double checking the document on , while Sorella Lenley (CHIBI-SAMAAA) takes over the full on betaing. Nana currently can't do it on her computer, but it's alright. We got another chapter up! Oh, and our Fanclub is up on deviantART: "#POMP-Sorellas-FC!"
Check that out, and be sure to review before angry puffins are sent!
Chibi-sama will not be pleased if she finds out that there aren't any reviews ;o;.
Then again, none of the Sorellas will!
..Also, if you were wondering where the fuck the chapter song went for the second chapter, I had to go back and add it in again.
Oh, and Hidekaz Himaruya owns Hetalia. We own the ideas. Shush u.u (Inb4 I derp again)
Chapter Song - "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers - .com/watch?v=6iaR3WO71j4 (YouTube)
"Beware of pretty faces that you find. Secret agent man
A pretty face can hide an evil mind.
Oh, be careful what you say. You'll give yourself away.
Odds are you won't live to see tomorrow.
Secret agent man
They've given you a number,
and taken away your name."
7th of April, 2019.
3:05 PM
Chicago, Illinois - United States of America
Today had to have been exhausting to new levels. The Lithuanian only wanted to lie down. But no, that couldn't happen yet. The brunette had news for her "loving boyfriend". She dug into her coat jacket, pulling out a set of keys and shoving them into the keyhole.
The female shoved the door open, to see her silver-haired boyfriend leaning against one of the plain Jane white walls of their apartment, and shirtless and in his own pajama pants to add onto it.
"I'm home Vlad..." She said softly to the said male as he walked over to her, knowing she had to be worn out. "…Anything new, dear?" He cooed to his tired love, who stumbled her way past him, through the hallway and into their bedroom.
"Alfred and Maria are coming over."
She spat plainly. Wait. . . 'Damn it!' she cursed inwardly. Vlad had followed her, and when she sat down on the edge of their bed, she saw his poisonous violet eye twitch and an annoyed smile curl onto his lips.
"What do you mean, Torii?" He asked, although he knew plenty well what she meant. It was obvious, and well. . . He could say that he wouldn't spit in the direction of her family, let alone enjoy them for a visit.
"They're coming over to discuss something. . . "The brunette's voice had softened and she felt a chill go up her spine. No, not good at all. "And. . . Tell me this: Did you even makesome sort of attempt to avoid this?" He hissed. Torii winced and cringed at his voice. "E-Err. . N-No. . ." She mumbled.
Vlad now walked over to her, towering over her - due that she was sitting on the bed - and gave another poisonous glare to her. "Why, don't you ever think?" And a swift palm was sent against her cheek, letting the sound of the connecting skin echo the house.
"I-I'm sorry!" She cried as one of her hands went to her cheek. "I-It's important though! T-They have to come over. ." She added softly.
Meanwhile . . .
"Are you sure you are ok with Kim? You should have left her with Yao miss Maria…" The limo driver pulled around a turn and continued to ramble on about how she should've brought someone else with her or to just leave the six-year-old home with her old housekeeper/adoptive father.
"No, no George, I wanted to bring Kim along to see Torii again-"
"Torii? Auntie Torii?" The little girl next to her in the booster seat giggled and clapped her hands. "Oooh, Mama, are we going to see auntie Ama and…will we see DADDY?"
Maria stiffened at the mention of her father. They haven't been on the best terms, when was the last time she really saw his face, let alone have proper conversation? Usually, Yao would drop Kim off to his house twice a week, that way Maria didn't have to look at Alfred. Well, she would just have to put her poker face up as usual and smile for her sweet daughter. "Of course baby, we'll be seeing everyone today, maybe even…daddy…"
A few minutes passed and the George pulled up in front of the house, Maria unbuckled a squirming Kim and pulled her into her arms as the butler opened the door. "Well, I can still bring Kim back if it's too much trouble-"Maria held a hand up and shook her head, Kim looked at her mother and repeated the gesture with a pout. George chuckled and bowed, returning to the car and drove away.
Maria fixed her shoulder bag and turned toward the house. It was pretty calm on the outside, no signs of trouble. The woman sighed and put Kim down, holding her small hand as they walked on the pavement leading toward Torii's house.
Maria reached the front door in a minute, the little girl bounced on the balls of her feet as
Maria knocked on the door. "Hey, Torii? We're here!" Kim squealed and pounded on the door with her tiny fists, "Yo! Auntie Torii! We are here now so open the door puh-leaaaaaaase!" Maria tried to calm the girl down, but Kim was too excited to see her favorite 'aunt' again.
A few feet before them, a car door is kicked open and Alfred hauled himself out. He stood for a moment – the door open – and adjusted his sunglasses back into place, a grin forming at the sight of little Kim and his ex-spouse. He slammed the door shut and locked it, a beep sounding out loudly, making the two turn to glance at him.
Alfred approached them, his arms outstretched. "My favorite ladies, you made it!" He exclaimed, eyes flashing with glee.
He hadn't seen Kim in a while, due to the commotion that was gradually spinning itself out of control in the workplace.
The case that Special Agent Hassan had assigned was still quite fresh in his mind, and proceeded to harass him. He was also yet to apologize for his less-than-professional exit.
So, he assumed it would be a fairly good idea to discuss about it with his sister, Maria and Amarilla, since they were all quite snarled into the ordeal.
"Amarilla should be here any second, now." Alfred notified Maria awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, hardly glancing at her.
Suddenly, more noise came from behind-the noise of an engine. A noise that was quite familiar with the ones around her. People who knew this sound well knew that it wasn't just a normal, ordinary civilian on a motorcycle. Amarilla was wearing goggles, noticing the car her fellow associates had appeared in up front. She made skids, rotating her motorcycle around before it stopped with dust clouding around her face.
"You lost me, as visible as your car is Alfred." She snickered, pulling down the goggles while waving at Kim and Maria…and Alfred… of course, Alfred. She was quite worried about him though, seeing as he just walked out of the room without notice. "So~ you didn't explain anything while dragging me along. What's up?"
For some reason, though.. She couldn't help but get the shivers at that moment.
"I…Don't… Care..." He said bluntly, as he raised his hand to hit Torii again. Before it even began to come down, they both heard knocks. A few normal knocks then lightly rapid ones. "They're here." Torii finally said as she stood up and began walking out of the bedroom, only to have her wrist caught and jerked back a bit. "They better leave soon." He growled. "Or else..." And with that, he let go of the brunette's arm, and she proceed to the door, opening it to see the little girl first.
"Hi Kim~" She cooed and gave a small smile before hugging the small child and picking her up. "H-Hi you guys... Please, come in." She said as she gestured in for them to come in. Vladislav stood dead in the doorway of the two's bed room and gave a small smile. "Ah. Alfred, Maria. It's been a while since I've seen the two. How have you been?" He asked as he now looked to the child the brunette had picked up now.
Maria saw Alfred and her stomach did a little flip, good or bad, no one could tell. She heard his cheerful voice and she inwardly cringed. She looked like wanted to both hit and hug him at the same time. The awkward silence was broken by the screeching halt of a motorbike.
Maria and Alfred thanked whatever god existed and both waved at Amarilla.
"Auntie Torii!" The three adults spun around and looked at the tired looking woman with the bubbly child in her arms.
"Ah,Torii! It's so good to see you!" The ones outside walked into the house. Maria looked around, and stopped her eyes at Vlad. She narrowed her eyes and analyzed his plastic smile. "Right, it has been a while Vlad..."
"DADDY!" And excited shriek, little Kim wriggled out of Torii's arms and ran over to her father, who scooped her up with a chuckle. "Aw,there's my little girl! How are you kiddo?" The girl was about to go off in childish babble until Kim locked eyes with the other man in the room. Vlad gave a smirk and a small wave."What are you looking at squirt?"
Kim pouted, scrunched up her face for a second. "Puck off, aths-hole!" As if everyone's eyes weren't as big as dinner plates already, the girl stuck her tongue out, raised her right hand, and stuck up one pudgy middle finger in Vlad's direction.
"What?" Torii looked at Vlad with fear in her eyes.
"Oh…oh god…Kim?" Torii began to back away from the slowly boiling man and the room was silent for a moment.
"Oh… my god… ALFRED!" Al laughed nervously and put the still pouting Kim in Amarilla's arms, Am began to scold Maria on how she was being rude and she should apologize, while Alfred took 2 steps forward the angry mother.
"Look, eh Maria, I really don't know where she got-"
"Don't lie to me, Jones." Alfred scratched the back of his head and sighed.
"Alfred, what else have you been teaching my daughter
The flustered look on everybody's face went unnoticed by Alfred. Vlad was a good guy – as far as he was concerned. He kept his beloved sister in good spirits. Wasn't that all that mattered? Well – at least he thought so. But Torii's demeanor was crumbling in slow motion. Her hair was flat, her skin was scratchy and pale, her eyes were droopy. She wasn't the same.
Alfred cracked a huge grin at Kim. He rushed up to her and lifted his daughter into the air, spinning her around. It had been such a while since his last visit. He was then met with Maria's stern expression.
"Kimmy, I told you not to repeat everything that comes from Daddy's mouth!" Alfred chided nervously, smiling apologetically at Maria.
Kim pressed a big, fat, sloppy kiss on his cheek and giggled. "But you told me . . ."
"Not until you're forty!" Alfred cut off, turning around and moving to sit on Torii's couch. "And your Mom's dead." He added under his breath, laughing lightly.
Kim pouted and crossed her arms. Thankfully, she didn't flip him off.
"Anyway . . . Sis, have you heard from Jen at all today?" He mumbled and adjusted Kim on his lap. He would let her go play in the back yard after their conversation took a more serious turn.
Torii - still shocked by the small display Kim had did - bit her lower lip to the mention of her older half-sister. "N-No, I haven't. . . U-Unfortunately the last time I talked to her was-"
"A while ago." Vlad cut in. She glanced to him, and she knew he was ready to bite her head off in particular right now.
Amarilla was just watching them all, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the scene before her. She had not seem Kim all that much-mostly because she was busy working or secluding herself in the house. However, when she heard what Kim said before her, she looked back at the parents of the child with widened eyes. What were they teaching the child, she wondered? She sighed, shaking her head and decided to look at Torii.
"..." She felt uncomfortable just standing there in front of the couple. She knew that Torii was a good person at heart, and she was the one that she also hung out with during High School. Something told her that there was a certain piece of information that was left out between those two. Torii didn't look cheery-even if she didtry to show it.
"Y-Yeah.. We need ta know, because.. Well... There's something we'd like ta talk about with you all." She didn't say anymore. She wanted Alfred to do the honors, of course.
"Since Torii told me earlier that this was important, please, may yourselves comfortable... Sit down." Vlad suggested. Torii looked to Amarilla and gave a smile - Almost as if a pleading smile- and took her hand and Maria's to pull them lightly inside.
"Y-yeah. . . Please make yourselves comfortable." She said pulling the two ladies more into her house and now into the small living-room. Maria finally took up the offer to sit down as she sat on the couch as well, a good 2 or three inches away from Alfred as well.
If that didn't create some sort of tension within the whole group in the room, then this would have been almost been like a happy reunion. . . If only the tension wasn't there.
Maria crossed her legs, if only to make the distance between her and Alfred even farther. "Thank you Torii…Vlad." She fuddled around in her back and drew out a phone, texting her caretaker a quick reply. She put the device away and put her hands on her lap. "Anyway…so yeah I would like to know what we were brought here for, Alfred." She shifted her eyes over to where Kim was bouncing on Alfred's lap with obvious glee in her eyes. She smiled at her and waved at her daughter, who in turn giggled and blew a kiss to her mother.
If it weren't for the 6 year old in the room, she might have suffocated from the tension by now. Now for what were they here for? Maria could take a few guesses, possibly something work related, or it could just be a casual surprise reunion! Yea…if only it were the latter.
Torii shifted uncomfortably and stepped even farther away from Vlad, who in turn sidestepped and wrapped his arm around her waist, planting a seemingly harmless kiss on her cheek. "A-Alfred, so you should explain now I suppose…."
Alfred laughed, pulled the brown ribbon from Kim's hair and retied it, doing some twist thing that pulled half of it up. He scrunched his face up and hiked her from his knee, propping her down on the carpet. "Uh – Go do something. Daddy needs to have a grown up talk with all the other boring fu—people."
A girlish noise of elation left Kim as she scampered into a hallway. He frowned lightly at the irked expression on Vlad's face but neglected just as it came.
Alfred cleared his throat and rested his elbow on a cushion. His eyes flitted to Vlad's face and he narrowed them. "I kind of need to talk them ladies in private, bro. Hope you understand." He gestured towards the three women, forcing a smile.
"Please do, Vladislav. Alfred really needs ta talk to them about something..." Amarilla narrowed her eyes as well, before having them return to normal to show everyone a cheesy smile that was as fake as dentures. She watched Kim walk away from them all, cracking her knuckles before walking closer to Vlad.
"But, really. I would like ta request that you would please leave the room for quite some time. This is confidential, and Alfred, my buddy here," She pointed back at him with her thumb, "Would loveit if you were ta leave calmly and quietly."
Fuck You. Is what he would have said if he was colder than he already was? ". . . . Fine, I will for the sake of how god forsaken important this is." Vlad mused as he now walked out from the living-room and back to their vacant bedroom, only to seem Kim scampering around to her little content. If it wasn't visible enough, Torii seemed to be less tense and let out a sigh of possible relief.
"A-anyways. . . Y-you never told me w-what was so important. ." She began as the twiddle her thumb lightly. "W-what was it about a-anyways . . . ?"
There was a sigh of relief as Torii's husband breezed out of the room. Alfred sunk into the couch and squared his shoulders, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue. Amarilla smiled firmly at her old best friend, plopping down next to him. She motioned for him to go on and he nodded.
"So . . . Amarilla and I got a new case the other day." Alfred managed and awkwardly scraped his nails over the back of his neck. What would their reactions be? This was absurd. He glanced at Amarilla. She would know too. She was the one who didn't know.
He stretched his gaze to the Asian woman and Torii. "It involves the Mafia."
"T-The Mafia. . ?" she repeated questionably. Her pristine eyes glanced to the door where her love went then back to her brother. " . . . What about them, Alfred? And why are you telling methis?" She asked.
Of course she already knew why he was telling her this. But the urge to push it away was just killing her, and well, like her brother at times, she acted off impulse. Which never fit her actually, well except now?
"Because, we'll really need your help for this..." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips as she watched the expressions on each of their faces change. She didn't know much about Alfred, or why he was acting like this. However, it did deal with the Mafia, so of course acting like this wouldn't be surprising.
…But there was something that she couldn't put her finger on.
"Can... Can you please help us on this mission? I don't know exactly what Alfred needs help with, but... You're probably the only ones we can trust." She clapped her hands together, as if she were pleading. "We'd be very grateful if you did help!"
Amarilla looked with hopeful eyes to the rest of them; Maria kept her head down, turning her phone over in her hands a few times. "…Really, the mafia?" She looked toward the hallway where she could hear her daughter giggling from afar. "What do you want, how are we going to help?" 'I promised myself I wouldn't touch the mafia business again' she thought in her head.
She rolled her eyes and held her phone tightly in her hand, "Alfred...you would understand why I don't want to get involved with this...right?" She barely glanced at him from the corner of her eye; then, looked back out to the hallway, trying to tell him silently her reason for rejecting the invitation.
Everyone in the room seemed to be thinking about their decisions, but Maria made up her mind. She would apologize, wish them a good day, and call for her ride home where she'll send Kim up to her room and she'll have a cup of tea.
…Unless… someone would convince her to stay.
But Alfred knew what would make them snap. And beg for more.
He reached out to brush his fingertips over Torii's collarbone until they curled firmly around a locket. "Remember this? Remember who we were? Remember what we are? And alwayswill be?" It was Guttural and scratchy, dangerous and toxic.
"Remember the 'tree', my sister? Do you remember our fucking tree?" A growl could be heard making its way up the back of his throat as Alfred held up the piece of jewelry to her eyes, forcing her eyes to it.
It was a necklace given to her by Ludwig when they were younger, a pact disguised as luxury. Alfred's mouth twitched.
"The Vargas family won't see the light of day when we're done with them."
He dropped it and it slapped against her skin. Alfred faced the rest of the women present and gestured for Amarilla to fish out the documents.
"B-but . . . I thought we were . . . d-done . . ." Torii's face blanched, eyes widening in horror, lips trembling with every word. "I thought w-we r-ruined them . . . B-before the t-t-tree was b-burnt . . . "
"I thought so too." He said softly and wrapped his hand around a binder that was tossed in his direction after thanking Amarilla.
Alfred flipped it open and looked straight into Maria's eyes.
"This case says otherwise."
Alfred traced the drops of moisture that slid down the glass, only sipping it. Arthur had always mixed the tea too sweet and too strong for him, and he could not swallow the huge gulps that he wanted, until the ice melted enough to dilute it. He scoffed.
Alfred preferred milkshakes.
Velvet, creamy mass in a tall, fluted glass, sweetened with the fresh aroma of strawberries-
...
"Stop that." Arthur snapped – piercing, British accent cold and thick in his words. The American's eyes drifted open and the tip of his tongue paused mid-lick. Arthur stood at the threshold of their family living room, buttery blonde hair protruding every way which way. His eyes were that of a far older person – the once, electric vigor there minimized and crippled with the demons of alcohol and time.
"I'm sorry, Artie." Alfred mumbled, the crook of his lips curling into a faint smile.
Artie. That disgusted him. Here was the man who blew his load into his Belgian mother, Bella without a second's thought and he couldn't even acknowledge him as a father.
The underworld – the highs and lows of life – gradually crumbled him until he was a heap of soot, once a fire. Now, shit.
The Brit sat himself beside his son, slipping the rim of his tea cup between his lips and sucking in a gulp. He positioned the cup on the table afterward and sighed, content. "Alfred, why are you here?" He smiled briefly, corners of his lips turning up wearily.
Alfred chewed on the inside of his cheek. "I invited my boss over. I need to talk to him about this personally." He leaned back. "I figured inviting him to the house I grew up in would soften the blow a little, ya' know?"
Arthur's jaw clenched. "Now see here git, I don't know. Alfred, you're a sodding pig! That's hard enough for this whole family to bloody accept and you can't very well just bring the man who enables you to do your whole cop business, in here!"
"Your, 'Dealings'; with those things are not to be talked about in front of me." Alfred hissed, clutching the tea cup more firmly, putting strain on the delicate china. He finally flung it across the table top and onto the floor, in aggravation; scattering tiny pieces of glittering plaster onto the plush carpets.
Arthur raised a brow and grimaced. "I am not that man, anymore, Arthur!" Alfred raised his voice, directing it at his father. "And when I have a guest over, I want you to treat the guest with the same respect you'd treat any of your mob bitches with!" he stared into his father's stony eyes, chest heaving, head spinning, waiting for a response, anything to show that the other would except him.
…A silence...
The buzz of Alfred's phone sliced through it, the tension shattering like the glass on the floor. He glided his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. There was a click as the call connected. "Yo, Boss Man, did you find the place?" Crap speakerphone.
There was silence...
In fact there was so much silence, that the room that Gupta was in seemed almost comforting and normal. There were pots surrounding the room-Artifacts of Anubis, Sekhmet, and various other Gods that many knew of. The room's lighting was calmed as well, dim; there was only a figure, a chair, a computer plastered with open files, and silence.
Peridot eyes were snapping from the left to the right scanning the screen. He had recently received a call from Sadiq-Asking if anyone had accepted the duty of going after the Italians. No one did. He told the Turk that they considered the mission to be too high to their standards.
It was a lie. He had not offered this mission to anyone else. He was waiting for that certain someone, that certain /American/ to take up the job of finding the group and eliminating them or something of the sort. He just wanted them out of their hair before any more ruckus was caused about it. His face showed no emotion when he thought about it, but he couldn't help but get enraged internally.
Then he decided to call Alfred. To check up and see if he was to accept the offer or not
The telltale beep-beep of a call's disconnection blared from his phone and Alfred frowned in uncertainty.
There was a second of quiet before it sprung to life – catching him off guard. Alfred instantly flicked it open, fumbling with it until it was smoothed against his ear.
Arthur laughed darkly from the side. Oh there he goes again, with the law; again with trying to be a hero. He shook his head from side to side, ascending from the couch. He plucked his heather grey parka off of the oak coat hanger and slipped it on. "I'm going out to get a drink." Arthur grumbled, breezing out and thumping the door shut behind him.
Gupta wasn't expecting the words that came out of his mouth.
"..." He breathed into the phone. Seconds passed as he stayed quiet.
...Minutes…
...Tick...
...Tock...
"...Italy..." He muttered, "...I'd expect you to know that, considering they're Italian and you seem to have ties with them."
…More Silence
"...I know about your connections with them. Maybe not all of it, but at least enough for you to know the reason as to why I asked you before..." He stopped, then continued.
"...Your rendezvous point is as follows..."
And the secrecy of the plan was done for.
In the meantime, Gupta's murky, deadpan voice trickled in through the earpiece. A chill the size of a basket-ball coursed through Alfred's spine and he blinked curiously.
Gupta knew. Not everything, but enough. Enough about his past, his history; He swallowed thickly and felt his jaw waver. "..Yeah. Yeah…ties. I have them. . ."
Oh...he had a plan.
He had it all…
He could pull this off – with the help of his sister, ex-wife, Agent Salinas and Adnan together- it would be an easy, almost, effortless win.
"Look, Gupta, how badly do you need me for this case? Obviously I'm considering this."
"..." He heard something in the background. Talking. Was he somewhere public? No... It had to be with just another person, because the audible noise of the door shutting made it seem like he was alone now. There was a bit of a dead silence, but Gupta slid away from his computer to look through his file cabinet, keeping his phone close to his ear as he looked for the files he wanted.
One by one, he realized these cases were pretty old-Some that had probably appeared from the previous years. He looked at a particular case that he sent both Alfred and Sadiq on to cover each other and finish it. It went well, considering there were two other teams that tried and died in the midst of it. He opened the folders of the pictures, scenes, news articles...
Yes, he knew they could handle it.
Even for Amarilla, who had one of her teammates die before her when going on site. It was why she was considered the underdog, but, it was also why Gupta had put her on other, trying assignments. It was like a test run, or a trial of redemption.
This was also the reason as to why he decided to put her with the others.
"...You're the only person that will be able to take this risk without being eliminated in an instant." He muttered through the phone, putting the files back before sliding back to his computer. He probably made Alfred wonder how much silence would flood before their conversation was ended. "...The only person who I can count on to succeed without anyone in your group falling."
There was nothing those three couldn't do.
"...Do you accept this challenge?"
". . . I'll have to go undercover. I'll be endangering the safety of so many. That's not too heroic." Alfred mused to himself, lifting his hand to his face. He tented his hands over his mouth and felt his eyes drift close as the thought conquered him.
The past was the past. He wasn't supposed to impede with it. "And – I need my sister's help to do this. Some of my family's; Maria's . . ."
Uncle Gilbert – he would see him again. Alfred swallowed audibly. That wasn't a good idea. He would be enveloped in death, the carcass of a German legend, his old self.
Was it worth it?
Alfred's eyes snapped open and he blew cool air into the palm of his hand.
"...Yeah, definitely…"
