Next Again

Austria was awake that night. He sat at his piano, playing Fur Elise one handed (is that even possible?) with a cup of coffee in his other hand, and a pile of paperwork he was trying to ignore on his desk. The nation was so focused on pretending it wasn't there that he didn't hear it when the door opened. He didn't hear the footsteps, and he didn't hear the coughing. He didn't notice the red-eyed man until he heard the click of the gun.

Austria's head snapped up to find Prussia holding a gun, and it was directed at him. He stared at the dissolved nation for a minute, then sniffed. "You're not scaring me."

A low growl was heard. "I don't give a **** if I'm scaring you or not. You're going to be very scared when we get where we're going."

The bespectacled nation started and turned to stare at the albino man. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and his gaze slowly lowered to the gun. "That isn't... loaded?"

Prussia smiled grimly. "Stand up and hold your hands out so I can tie them. You struggle, I shoot you in the leg. Keep struggling, I shoot you in the other one. If you don't stop struggling after that..." His voice trailed off.

In shock, Austria slowly stood and held out his hands. Prussia grabbed the coffee and downed it, then smashed the mug against the piano. Porcelain shards flew everywhere, grazing the nation's cheek. He flinched.

Prussia tied his hands and blindfolded him, then pushed him roughly down the hallway and to the road. Austria was hauled into the back of the some kind of vehicle, which started and they were off. After a few minutes, the bespectacled nation cleared his throat and asked shakily, "Where..." His voice sounded rough. He licked his dry lips and tried again. "Where are we going?"

He was struck hard enough to knock his head violently against the window and probably leave a bruise. After that he was silent.

Finally the car stopped. Austria was pulled roughly out of the vehicle and spun around until he threw up. Prussia laughed as he emptied his stomach. Then he kicked his prisoner in the shins, apparently just for the fun of it. The dark-haired nation swallowed back tears at the pain.

It was only when he was tied in a chair, much later, that his blindfold was removed. He looked around; he appeared to be in some kind of warehouse, one used for butchering animals by the looks of it. He shuddered at the thought.

He looked again, and this time noticed that he wasn't the only one tied here. On his left were America, Italy, and France. This baffled him; weren't these people and Prussia all friends? On his right was an even more confusing sight; Germany. He was conscious, but battered and bloodied, and he looked terrified. What was going on?

Prussia was talking with a man in the corner. Austria was surprised and confused to see that the man appeared to be America. He glanced at the German, a question in his eyes. Ludwig saw him and glanced over at the two, making sure they weren't watching. Then he began quietly, "That isn't-"

"SCHWEIGEN!" shouted the red-eyed ex-nation (Translation: Silence!). His brother snapped to attention, and the the Austrian could tell that he was preparing to be beaten. He looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what was happening. The man who apparently wasn't America smiled and stepped forward with what Austria suddenly realized with horror was a riding crop. Prussia waved him away, and Germany exhaled in relief.

"I was just letting Al there know that I've changed my mind," Prussia informed his brother, ignoring the new addition. "Prisoners are to be kept conscious from now on. I don't feel like explaining myself over again, so you're allowed to tell them what's happening. But if Al" - the man smiled again and adjusted his glasses, revealing his bloodred eyes, and Austria gasped - "hears anything even close to an escape plan, you will all regret it. Including Italy." The dissolved nation fixed his blond brother with a piercing red glare. "Understand?"

Germany gulped and nodded. The Prussian started to cough again, getting blood all over his newest prisoner. Austria stared in horror at the blood on his new shirt, then at the man in front of him. Prussia grabbed at the chair to steady himself... and his hand went right through. Austria watched as the dissolved nation momentarily flickered out of existence. His eyes grew so wide that his glasses slipped down his nose as he finally grasped what was happening.

Oh God. Oh my God, he's... he's actually... oh my God. went through the dark-haired nation's mind as the Prussian managed to stand and hurried out, hands in his pockets.

After the albino had left, Austria turned to the blond nation and saw with dismay that he was struggling not to cry. He heard a weak, "it's all my fault..." slip from the German's lips. Uncomfortably he waited for Ludwig to compose himself. When Germany finally took a deep breath and turned to him, his face drawn, Austria's first question was, "Is he really...?"

The blond man bit his lip and nodded. "He's taking some kind of revenge before he..." a small noise came from the nation's throat. He looked away, blinking tears out of his eyes, and it was several minutes before he turned back and continued, "All I know is that he's planning to kidnap everyone who's hurt him. Beyond that I don't know what his plan is." He glanced at the red-eyed American, who was playing with the riding crop. "I certainly don't know why they're involved, or what he's promised them." Both nations shuddered, imagining what the 2ps might have asked for in return.

Just then, France started to stir. Both nations fell silent.