Just saw Hetalia: Beautiful world episode 11. Just about died laughing- The outfits! Russia, Germany and America's in particular . . . The episode is definitely worth watching for the fan service, now if only Romano had been in something other than a suit . . .
This Chapter is brought to you by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne and Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson. I highly recommend reading The Mysterious Island, not watching the film versions. You lose way too much information that way.
Don't own Hetalia . . . there would have been a strip America and Romano working to deal with the Italian mafia in the 1920's . . . damn it, another plot bunny just emerged.
(Went back and edited chapter 1 to flow a little better, that should be up now.)
Pirate Attack
On the Island, Lovino was wondering who he could blame for his recent turn of luck. Alfred and Whale were off the hook (pun not intended) by virtue of them spending most of their time with him. Bella and Kat were exonerated by just recently arriving and telling him the news.
"What do you mean, there are pirates on the island?" Lovino stared at the trio of mer-people in the shallows. (Bella having joined the other two for a swim).
"Remember how I said the other, longer side of the Island was rocky? Well, there's apparently a hidden cove they knew about." Alfred explained.
"You could stow away on their ship, they have to make port somewhere else, too." Kat pointed out. Unlike Bella, she was reluctant to cover her top half with anything, preferring to just keep her head and shoulders above the water.
"I'd sooner stay on the island for the rest of my life." Lovino shuddered at the idea. Getting caught and press-ganged by pirates was not on his list of things to do.
Between getting killed by mermaids and dealing with pirates, he'd pick the mermaids. They could be reasoned with.
"We could take care of them." Bella offered, glancing at Alfred. "We just pick off a couple, make them terrified and send them running."
"Or encourage them to try hunting us." Alfred pointed out. "They'll probably check the Island, if they find Lovino, they'll hurt him." Lovino blinked, having just been thinking that himself.
"They're not good swimmers, Lovino can just jump in the water to lose them." Bella didn't completely dismiss the point though. "Lovino might be able to steal some supplies from them."
"The less contact, the better, I think."
"I'll go keep an eye on them, they might not check the island and leave once they've gathered supplies." Kat offered, slipping into deeper water.
"I'll take over the watch later." Alfred offered, and Kat nodded before disappearing under the waves. "Lovino, you and Bella need to stay close to the beach, no fires, and dive the instant you think they're close." Alfred paused, tilting his head. "I wonder if we could set traps to make noise when they get too close?"
"I know, Idiot, you don't have to tell me twice." Lovino glanced at the small campsite he'd set up, before his eyes fell on the chests containing the useless silver and gems. He was going to have to find a place to hide them, otherwise the pirates might kill him for their contents. He mentally revised his former opinion of the chests- useless, except for getting him killed. "How am I going to make a trap, anyway?"
Alfred grinned, and Lovino knew he was going to regret asking.
The traps Alfred suggested were surprisingly simple (though he did try to make them more complicated initially, Lovino got him to go with the simple ones) and very effective at causing noise.
For the first few days, the Pirates stayed near their ship, watched by Alfred and the mermaids. Lovino spent even more time in the water with the whale, and he was just starting to believe that the Pirates were going to leave without getting too close.
Aflred frowned at the Pirate ship. He didn't like pirates too much (and while Lovino would argue otherwise, Arthur wasn't a pirate like these) and he didn't like them so close to Lovino. He started counting the men on shore, and his frown deepened. There were several missing, and they should have been back by now.
Lovino moved over to his small campsite after yet another swim with the whale. He was tired, and he'd like to take a siesta. Bella and Kat had left to go diving in deeper waters, and Whale was happily munching on coconuts again. (Which no longer made him worry about his sanity.)
He didn't see the shadow in the trees move until it was too late. Lovino lashed out as he was grabbed, and tried using the knife he carried for diving to defend himself. Judging from the cursing, he'd gotten a few hits and cuts, but it wasn't enough for him to break away, nor was the sudden shower of water that came out of nowhere, and finally one of them came up behind him and hit him with the hilt of his cutlass. Lovino stumbled, stunned, and winced as his hands were tied. He didn't recognize what any of the men were saying, but that could easily be due to being dazed.
The whale meanwhile, was freaking out, his human was in trouble! He couldn't distract the pirates even when he sent a massive amount of water up on the beach with his tail, and a couple even fired shots at him. In a frenzy to get help, Whale reluctantly had to leave Lovino and find either the mermaids or his merman.
Lovino was all but dragged to the hidden cove. He was panicking, and wishing that someone would rescue him. He was no longer out of it, but he still couldn't recognize the language that the pirates were using. 'Damnit, Idiot, save me!'
"Lovino's been captured." Alfred almost fell off the rock he had pulled himself on to get a better look at the ship.
"What?" Alfred slid down to where Bella, Kat and Whale were waiting. "How?"
"They must have set off the traps while he was swimming, He wasn't able to get back into the water in time."
"Damnit . . . we've got to rescue him!" Alfred ran a hand through his hair.
"I might have an idea . . . c'mon!" Kat dove, and reluctantly Alfred followed. Above them, the sky began to fill with dark clouds.
Lovino hit the ground, biting back a curse. He was captured, and pissing off the pirates (however satisfying it would be in the short term) would end up with him probably in pieces.
He still didn't recognize the language being used, and he definitely didn't recognize it after being hit on the head, again, for apparently not answering the ugliest looking bastard he'd ever seen that was either the captain or first mate's questions.
The bastard switched to French and Lovino tried not to gag. French already sounded bad to him (he couldn't speak it, but he could recognize it) and this man's accent made it even worse. The man hit him again, and Lovino earnestly started to pray that Alfred would save him. The steadily darkening clouds meant that they'd either return to their boat, taking him with them, or they'd stay on shore, again, leaving him with them.
The man shouted again, and Lovino watched as two men came over, and quickly spoke to each other.
"What is it?" Alfred asked as they swam getting more uneasy with the distance. Kat and Bella were swimming too slow, in his opinion.
"I found him yesterday, but I didn't want to bother him so I didn't say anything."
"Found who- Oh, Crap!" Alfred and Bella stared, and Whale turned right around and swam back for the Lagoon. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, You need to go back to Lovino, we'll get him."
"Alright, but be careful." And Alfred was gone, hoping that Lovino was alright.
Lovino was not alright, he could have been much worse off, but apparently, the Pirates were having more fun toying with him by pushing him into the path of a swinging sword to see how close they could get the timing before he got cut. Staying Alive was a priority, as was waiting for a chance to slip back into the sea and swim like hell. Or just hide on the bottom, whichever.
One of the pirates shouted, as Lovino was once again shoved, narrowly avoiding the swing of a sword. There was a rumble of thunder, and Lovino was dragged to the waiting longboats. He was quickly forced into one, and a knife nicked his throat, the threat very clear 'Try to escape, and you're dead.' Turning his attention to the water- safety, so close and yet so far- he saw a brief shimmer of gold and blue. Alfred. The merman was swimming around in the darkening water, and watching the long boats.
If he wasn't in the center of the boat, and the knife wasn't at his throat, he was pretty sure Alfred would have grabbed him already. Lovino felt a little better at knowing that Alfred was near, and waiting.
The storm broke, and Alfred appeared and disappeared again, and suddenly, the men in the long boat in front of them shouted, the boat breaking apart. Lovino could have sworn he caught a glimpse of Alfred's tail. Behind them, the other boat suddenly broke apart as the wind began to pick up.
Apparently deciding that the shore was safer, the leader of the group tried to get the long boat to turn around. Several pirates started shouting and screaming, and the pirate holding the knife used it to point in horror at the ship. Large dark tentacles were reaching up and wrapping around rails, splintering wood, pistols and muskets ineffective against their advance.
"Dio mio . . ." Lovino gaped, and suddenly, the long boat was turned over. Lovino had barely gotten a breath in when he hit the water. A blue tail flashed by, Kat's tail, stunning several pirates with a blow, and Lovino tried to get back to the surface.
Swimming with his hands bound was not easy, and he got a good view of Bella pulling two men to the bottom, both struggling before letting out their breath. Then strong arms grabbed him, pulling him away.
"I've got you." Alfred's voice kept him from thrashing, and Alfred pulled him back to the surface, the sudden storm turning into a drizzle. Lovino awkwardly put his still-tied arms around Alfred's neck as he watched whatever it was break the ship in half, one half landing partially on land, the other sinking to the bottom of the cove.
"What is it?" Lovino managed.
"A Lusca, Kat asked him to help." Alfred wrapped one arm around Lovino's waist. Finally done destroying the ship, the Lusca sunk back into the water, taking several unfortunate pirates with it. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Lovino blinked.
"For being late." Alfred looked at him. "For not being there when you needed me."
"Tch, Idiot, Y-you came when I really needed help." Lovino felt himself blush. "You've got nothing to apologize for." Before he even thought about it, his head moved, and he kissed Alfred on the corner of the other's mouth. Alfred flushed a little as well.
The moment did not go unnoticed. "See?" Bella pointed at the two, "How could you not think that's adorable?" She and Kat were a short distance away, watching the two as Lovino turned an even brighter red as Alfred pulled him back to the Lagoon.
"You have a point." Kat smiled, then turned her attention to the remaining sailors that hadn't been killed yet, a couple stubbornly swimming towards shore. "Now, let's make sure they don't bother Lovino again." Bella's cat-like smile returned, but it was more feral.
"Of course." And the two mermaids went after them.
Lovino was grateful when Alfred finally got the ropes off, and then had to fend off a very concerned whale.
"I'm alright, Oi, don't get so close, you'll get stuck again." Lovino patted it's head. "Thanks for the help." Whale gave a soft "Bwooo" and backed up. Lovino turned red as Alfred wrapped his arms around him from behind. "I need to get out of the water, Idiot."
"I'm sorry."
"What- what the hell's with the apologizing?" Lovino twisted to look at him. "I told you, it's alright!"
Alfred didn't respond, merely burying his face in Lovino's hair and wishing that he had his shell back, so he could guard Lovino on land, too. They stayed like that for a while, and Lovino, surprisingly, began to nod off.
"We're back!" Bella and Kat popped up carrying something between them. Lovino yelped and knocked into Alfred, who also startled out of the doze that he had begun to fall in.
"I'm so sorry, we didn't mean to startle you." Kat apologized.
"Where have you been? It's almost time for food." Alfred blinked, reluctantly releasing Lovino.
"Cleaning up- there's a lot of stuff we thought Lovino could use." Bella beamed, and Lovino blinked at her.
"What are you wearing?"
"Oh, do you like it?" She pulled herself out of the water, showing off a black bodice and off-white blouse. "We found them in some chests, I'm going to teach Kat how to wear one, but some of the laces are broken so we'll have to fix them first."
"You know how to wear one?" Alfred blinked.
"Of course, how else are we going to find our sister, if we can't blend in on land?" Bella beamed, then grew serious. "There might be some pirates on the island, though, there was a long boat on shore."
"Of course there are . . ." Lovino groaned. "It would have been too easy otherwise."
"Huh?" Alfred looked at him, but Lovino didn't elaborate.
His life couldn't get any more difficult at this point.
The pirates aren't representing any Hetalia characters- or any other characters other than the fact they are cruel unsavory characters who deserved to have a very angry and very large octopus attack and eat them, as well as very vengeful mermaids go after them.
Real Life Pirates of this time period were very cruel, and enjoyed coming up with crueler and crueler ways to kill someone. Walking the Plank was one such way, Keelhauling (which is actually a gruesome way to go), sand neckties, and there's another crueler method that I don't remember the name (and it might have even been the Vikings who came up with it) that pretty much involved disembowelment and being forced to walk until you died from bleeding out. You did not want to be captured by pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean notwithstanding. (You also don't want to be captured by modern day pirates, on that note.)
Alfred being faster than Bella and Kat- sadly, girls with large breasts swim slower because the pronounced breasts cause drag, meaning they have to swim twice as hard to be just as fast. Ukraine would be an even slower swimmer than Belgium due to this. (Even then, mermaids would still be faster than humans by virtue of having a powerful tail and breathing underwater, so against pirates that can't swim very well, Ukraine has them beat, hands down.)
Lusca- a mythological octopus that ranged between 75 ft (23 m) and 200 ft (60 m), believed to have lived in the Caribbean/Bermuda/Bahamas area. (Or still lives, if you believe some Cryptozoologists, in the Bermuda triangle.) Yes, this is an octopus, and not a giant squid. (Squid have eight legs and two long tentacles). Also, Ameriwhale has a reasonable reason to be scared, remember, he's technically still a baby and anything that big would have no problem eating a whale. Ameriwhale will redeem himself in a later chapter, but he couldn't handle this fight.
Yet another awkward boy kiss- I think Lovino's trying to convince himself that it didn't happen. Or that he meant to kiss his cheek and missed.
