Chapter Six: Seeds of Mistrust

"Does anyone feel like we're being watched?" Alfred asked.

"Don't say that." Roman groaned. "You're just asking for trouble."

Alfred's gaze roamed over the surrounding forest. The only sounds were the crunching of leaves beneath their feet, the creaking of tree limbs in the wind, and Roman's complaining. Yet he was unable to shake the sense of unease that trickled down his spine. The woods were too dense to see very far, but he swore something was there, just out of sight.

Watching.

Alfred took his bat from its sheathe and carried it, bouncing it on his other hand. "I don't mean to be a downer, but I think we're due for a Grimm attack. You keep going on about how many there are out here…"

"Why are you so insistent on asking for trouble?" Roman demanded.

They all ignored him.

"We've been lucky so far. Your aggravating cheer has kept them away." Mercury informed Alfred dryly.

"Haha." he said flatly. Something moved in the shadows. "Sorry to disappoint…" He flipped the blue bat into an upright position in his hands.

Roman followed his gaze and swore. "God dammit, Alfred!"

The Beowolves swarmed from the forest like bees from a broken hive. Instinct took over and Alfred twisted his bat counterclockwise. The bat transformed in his hands and he fired the shotgun, sending a few of the front-runners crumpling to the ground. More shots joined his but the remaining Grimm merely ran over their fallen kin as they evaporated, bearing down on the humans.

Alfred turned his bat clockwise and a bayonet shot from the top. He held the bat below his should, parallel to the ground, and stabbed the closest Beowolf with a yell. He struck another hard enough to throw it through three other Grimm. A fifth Beowolf rushed him and he impaled it through the throat, tearing the bayonet free.

Something hit him from behind, landing on his back and he stumbled, only for Roman to shoot the Beowolf before it could force him to the ground. The orange-haired man's teeth were clenched and his knuckles were white around his cane.

"There's too many of them!" his hissed, eyes roaming the area wildly.

Alfred was hard-pressed to disagree. The forest was a swarm of writhing black, more and more Beowolves darting from the shadows as they were attracted to the humans' alarm. The pack must have been here for a while because there had to be hundreds of them. Hundreds against four humans.

We won't lose.

Snarling, Alfred struck another Beowolf and it flew upwards, landing hard on its fellow Grimm. He vaguely recalled the feeling of the fight against Neo and to his delight, a gale rushed from his palm, blasting a hole in the swarm of Grimm. Deciding he was now the greatest threat, the Beowolves surged towards him.

Alfred shoved them away with bursts of air, intentionally blowing them upward so the impact on the ground would hopefully kill them. Given a moment to breathe, he saw Mercury tearing through a horde of the Beowolves, legs slicing through them like they were made of butter. Roman preferred long-range strikes, shooting into groups and letting the explosions of his flare gun take them out.

For a heart-stopping second, Alfred did not spot Neo, but she was near the tree line, grinning viciously as she danced through the Grimms' ranks and stabbed them with her umbrella. The amnesiac shot a few stragglers, dodging an Alpha's claws, and hit it directly in the face with a shotgun blast. It fell with a thud and three more Alphas took its place.

One grabbed and lifted him by the shoulders but Alfred stabbed his bayonet through its shoulder, slicing off its arm. The amnesiac landed on his butt and rolled, slashing at the second Alpha as he went. He nearly fell into a Beowolf's claws but got his weapon up just in time, shooting it. Before he could rise, the last Alpha grabbed him by the leg and threw him.

Alfred struck a tree, leaves and dislodged twigs falling down on him. The blow was cushioned by his Aura but still caused pain to shoot up his spine, leaving him immobile and stunned. Seeing his distraction, the Alpha tackled him.

The creature pinned Alfred down, one arm trapped beneath him while the other was pressed uselessly against his chest. He struggled and thrashed but more Beowolves piled onto him, preventing him from breaking free. A few grabbed him with their teeth, pulling him towards the trees. Panic gripped Alfred and he struggled harder, searching desperately for assistance. He saw Neo standing alone nearby, umbrella pointed at the ground, and screamed her name.

"Neo!"

She turned to him, mismatched eyes widening slightly. A Beowolf blocked Alfred's view and to his horror he felt the Beowolves biting and clawing at him, trying to break through his Aura. He managed to buck a few off but more took their place, intent on killing their prey. He needed help. He needed Neo. She saw he was in trouble. Where was she? She had to help. She had to—

Alfred felt his Aura break.

He felt pricks of pain in his arms, legs, and stomach.

He felt teeth around his throat.

Shock soon transformed into numb realization.

I'm going to die. Nonononono. I can't die. I don't want to die!

—He laY in a mEtaL CoFfin, hElpLess aS hIsliFe dRIfTed aWaY—

CRUNCH

The Alpha keeled sideways before it could rip out his jugular, a booted foot kicking it off of Alfred. Mercury tore through the Beowolves like a tornado, kicking them aside with enough strength to send them through the trees. Faltering before his assault, the remaining Beowolves fled into the trees, though many were shot by Roman before they could escape.

As the sounds of pounding paws and cracking gunshots faded, the battlefield grew silent. Alfred rose into a sitting position, trembling slightly, and reached up to touch his throat. When he lowered them, his fingers had spots of red on them. Mercury was at his side in an instant.

"Let me see." He demanded.

Dazed, Alfred exposed his neck, allowing his friend to inspect it. Mercury also grabbed his arms and lifted his shirt to check his stinging stomach, and the amnesiac was too numb to even think of protesting. After a tense pause, Mercury released his shirt and leaned back on his heels.

"The teeth nicked your skin. It should heal up soon." He said in a clipped tone.

Alfred nodded, unable to find his voice. His heart still pounded, and he saw his hands were still trembling. Mercury briefly put a reassuring hand on his upper back before digging in his bag and grabbing some bandages. He gently wrapped Alfred's neck in silence before moving on to his stomach. The amnesiac's eyes followed the small trails of blood the Grimms' claws had left and he shuddered.

"Thank you." Alfred blurted in a wheezy voice, still shaking.

Mercury brushed a stray lock of grey hair away from his eye, looking slightly past him. "Don't mention it." He muttered. Then he turned to Roman. "We'd better keep moving."

The orange-haired man nodded. "Neo?"

The girl crept closer. Alfred's eyes locked on her, searching her face without quite knowing why. Her jaw was tight and her pink and brown eyes were dark with anger. Was she upset that she had not made it in time to help him?

Or is she upset I survived?

Alfred shook his head to try to discard the thought. That was ridiculous. Neo was his friend.

So why wouldn't the niggling suspicion leave?

Frustrated, he shoved it to the back of his mind and stood up, holding his weapon close to his chest. Good old Cobalt Striker. He could always rely on her. And apparently Mercury and Roman. But Neo…

She stood there and watched—

Stop it, brain.

"I can walk. We can get moving." Alfred informed them, voice regaining its stability and strength.

They did not argue, and the four quickly continued their trek through the woods, walking faster than they had before and eying their surroundings carefully. Roman and Mercury were soon back to arguing, though Alfred did not mind. Their fights were entertaining, and helped him not to sink into his thoughts… Thoughts that soon plagued him again as Neo skipped beside him, shooting him a smile. Was that concern he spotted?

Or is it fake?

Alfred gave her a brilliant— fake— smile of his own. "Don't worry, Neo. I'm okay. What happened was not your fault."

She relaxed and gave her usual nod. She believed him.

Alfred was not sure he believed her.

She stood there and watched.

There was a memory somewhere, buried in his muddled brain. He could feel it. But he could not recall it.

He could, however, recall the feeling that accompanied it.

Don't trust Neo.

Alfred kept his unease off his face, instead smiling as Roman and Mercury snapped at each other.

It took him five hours to realize he had remembered the name of his weapon.

XXXXXXX

"You and I need to talk."

It took a moment for Canada to register who had spoken the words, and once he did, he was ashamed to note his heart went into overdrive. He looked up at the imposing Russian standing over him and did his best not to smile nervously.

"Okay, eh." Canada stammered, his verbal tic blossoming with his nerves. He looked to Jaune and Pyrrha, who he had been sitting with. "I'll be right back."

Jaune nodded absently as he stared into space, not noticing his discomfort.

The more observant Pyrrha, however, could see it as clear as day. Her green eyes grew wary but she seemingly agreed. "All right."

Canada could not decide whether he wanted her to come after him or not if he did not return soon. As they walked deeper into the ship, the halls grew steadily smaller and more crowded. While Russia plowed through people and sent them scurrying with a smile if they looked ready to argue, Canada opted to press himself against the wall to inch around passengers.

One such passenger was talking to a flight attendant. Though calling the conversation 'talking' might be rather untruthful.

"—unhappy with this vessel's policies about individuals allowed on this ship." The woman was snapping.

The poor flight attendant grew increasingly harried even as she maintained her smile. "I understand, ma'am. I'll talk with the captain about your concerns."

The passenger was not satisfied and continued to snarl at the poor woman, her words growing low and sharp as she snapped at the attendant. Canada would stop to intervene but Russia's warning stare kept him moving along.

He followed the other nation into the empty family bathroom, trying to ignore the instincts that were screaming that this was a bad idea. Another voice that sounded a lot like America told him not to let the bastard intimidate him and Canada felt his heartbeat slow as terror became mere unease. It quickened again when Russia locked the door behind them and turned to him.

"I discovered something quite interesting during our fight earlier." Russia informed him with a smile. "However, it also upset me very much. We are allies, da?"

"Yes." Canada said warily.

"And allies share information, da?"

Canada nodded mutely.

Russia kept smiling. It did not reach his violet eyes. Smiles never did. "Why did you not tell me we can have awakened Aura? I only found out from Prussia, and he did not mean to tell me." His tone was soft, like it always was, but held a hint of danger that sent an icy chill up Canada's spine.

Heart in his throat, Canada somehow managed to meet his cold eyes. "It wasn't necessary."

"I am thinking it is." Russia stepped closer, towering over Canada, and smiled. "I was thinking we should all have this Aura, da?"

Canada's jaw locked. "No."

Russia's head tipped curiously, seemingly not angered by his refusal. "Why not?"

Strangely enough, the childish look— and implied threat?— did not cow Canada. Instead the chill left him, and he steadily locked eyes with Russia. "Because I don't trust you with Aura." Canada declared. "You'll use it to try to strong-arm other nations into 'becoming one' with you."

"You are being very rude." Russia did not deny his accusation. "You are fine with France having Aura. You activated Prussia and England's Auras as well, da?"

Russia grabbed his arm. Even with his Aura, Canada winced, feeling the pressure around his bicep. If he did not have his 'force field', he was certain his arm would be broken. The other nation kept his smile, seemingly ignorant to the pain he was causing his 'ally'.

"I insist that you activate my Aura, please."

Canada swallowed and shook his head. "No. This is exactly why I won't. Forget about it."

He winced as Russia's fingers tightened. He could feel his humerus creaking.

"You are being silly." Russia informed him. "I am asking nicely."

The last remnants of Canada's fear washed away, replaced by rage. This was why he refused. This was why he did not trust Russia. He knew that the nation would use the powers he gained with Aura to harm others, and he refused to let that happen.

"I said forget about it." Canada snapped.

Russia went still, grip going slack. Canada took the opportunity to yank his arm from the larger nation's grasp. He ripped the bathroom door open and raced through the airship, trying to calm his frantic breathing. He just stood up against Russia. Russia. This was bad. This was very bad. Russia may not be the Soviet Union anymore but he was still more than a little unstable and dangerous.

Maple, I'm doomed.

Canada returned to the crowded viewing gallery and saw his human friends were all there. Thank God. Canada rushed to the closest one— Ren— and nearly crashed into him. The ninja unknowingly grabbed his bruised arm to balance him, making him wince.

"Are you okay?" Ren asked.

"Fine." Canada said briskly. He glanced over his shoulder nervously and rubbed his arm.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha demanded, also spotting his nervousness.

"Nothing." Canada blurted. He touched a tender spot on his arm and winced.

Ren gently grabbed his sleeve, maneuvering him out of his hoodie before he could protest. His arm was already bruised and slightly swollen.

"What happened?" Ruby gasped.

"Whose legs do we need to break?" Nora asked darkly.

"Nothing. No one's." Canada said quickly. "It's fine."

Ren gently touched his purplish skin, studying his face carefully. "Does that hurt?"

"Not as much anymore." Canada said truthfully. "Look, it'll be gone soon."

He shoved his hoodie back on. Nora looked past him with narrowed eyes and he turned, stomach dropping when he saw Russia enter the gallery. Surprisingly, the nation did not appear angry. Nor did he smile creepily. Instead he simply came over and leaned on the wall beside a silent Nora. Canada saw the girl's hands twitch towards her hammer but she thankfully refrained from smashing Russia through the floor. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, and Canada scrambled to find a way to divert his friends' suspicions.

"So what did you two talk about?" Jaune asked carefully, glancing between Canada and Russia.

Russia gave him a blank look and creepy smile. "What talk are you speaking of?"

"Never mind." The knight mumbled.

They sat in uncomfortable silence, too uneasy to relax but too worried to find an excuse to get away. Russia did not bring up Aura again. Canada knew it would only be a matter of time before he did. He knew Russia would not give up that easily.

His violet gaze roamed over his friends and his stomach did a somersault. He knew that once Russia realized they could also activate his Aura, the nation would not hesitate to force them to assist him. That was how Russia worked. He did whatever he must to get what he wanted, and either did not care or did not realize he was hurting people in the process. That was why Canada could not let him get Aura. If he did, then the balances in the world— especially for the Baltics and others Russia always had an eye on— would irreversibly shift.

I won't cause the second Cold War. Or World War III.

He could only hope that the other Auraless nations would not press the issue. Call Canada a hypocrite, but he trusted them more than Russia. That did not mean he wanted them to have Aura and Semblances. If they were from a more united world, he'd consider it but… nations could always change for the worse.

At times like this, I wish that the other nations never found out we were capable of having Aura.

XXXXXXX

A/N: I seriously hope I'm doing okay with Russia's characterization. He's difficult to write, because part of his characters is that he's like a child who does not realize his actions hurt people. I don't want to demonize him, but he isn't the nicest guy, you know? It's a weird balance.

Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, favorited, etc!

To Guest: Thanks for the long review! :D Trust me, there will be plenty of interactions and stuff between the nations and RJNPR. I'm afraid I can't say anything more because spoilers. Let's just say some of your predictions are correct and leave it at that. ;)

Please review!