Hey, guys! Here be dragons! Whoops, I mean Chapter 9! Haha, dragons, what dragons...?

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia...Yet.

Chapter 9:

Time passes slowly when you can't see the sky. For Atlantis, it seems an eternity has inched by since the lady who led her to her cell told her that she was going to be tested on almost immediately. But she isn't foolish and realizes only eight hours have passed, most of which she spent sleeping.

She isn't sleeping anymore, instead sitting on her bed with her knees pulled tight to her chest and slowly rocking back and forth.

"You alive in there?" A rap on the glass startles Atlantis and she almost falls off the bed, instead getting to her feet and facing the door and the lady standing outside it. "My name is Dr. Lucius and I'm here to take you to get tested." Dr. Lucius pulls down the clipboard that hangs on the wall next to the door of Atlantis' cell and peruses it slowly, humming to herself when she sees something of interest. "It looks like we've got you down for taking the Water Test today first. Funny, that one has our highest mortality rate. I don't know why the higher-ups insist on wasting my test subjects like this. But oh well!" She hangs the clipboard up and opens Atlantis' door with a cheery grin. "Let's get you ready...In the name of science!"


Meanwhile, in a World Meeting...

A room usually filled with yelling and laughing and various conversations going on at once, a somber quiet permeates the very walls of the meeting room.

"How did they get past security? I thought every country offered up the best of what they had?!" America, now an adult, lifts his head from its resting spot on the wooden table.

"We did, you bloody idiot." England's tone lacks its usual anger towards his former colony, instead sipping on a cup of tea that he silently wishes was something a little stronger. "I can't tell you for sure how they got through, but what matters now is they did, and they have Atlantis."

"Yes, but who is this 'they'? To fight our enemies, we must first know who we are fighting." Japan sits next to Germany and China, polishing his katana in an effort to clear his mind.

"I...Might have an idea." No one is expecting Canada to raise his hand, nor to get to his feet and walk up to the podium. "Y'see, my country's had a couple run-ins with these guys and we managed to get at least a little information." He pulls a flash drive out of his coat pocket and inserts it into a nearby computer, pulling up a PowerPoint. "They call themselves the 'Atlantis League', a group dedicated to finding the personification of Atlantis herself and using her knowledge of lost technology to take over the world, installing her as their puppet empress once that goal has been achieved."

"For only maybe having an idea, it sure panned out, little brother!" America grins, seeing a faint glimmer of hope, and throws an arm around Canada's shoulder once he returns to his seat. Germany clears his throat and gets to his feet.

"Now our only issue is figuring out where this group is located." America chuckles awkwardly and rubs the back of his head.

"Oh...Right..."


Back to our irregularly scheduled testing...

Atlantis was taken to a room to be outfitted in a simple black one-piece bathing suit before being lead to another room where she is now waiting. This room is mostly taken up by a giant water tank with a sealable lid and no space to breathe. Not uncomfortable with her own mortality, she only wishes to hurry things along and get this over with. The wounds on her arm are beginning to itch in either nervousness or irritation. Frankly, she feels like it could be a mixture of the two.

Dr. Lucius (And Atlantis can't help but wonder if her last name is a reference to Lucifer, the devil.) walks in, closely attended by two meek-looking assistants carrying arms filled with various folders and papers.

"Are you ready to begin?" She asks Atlantis, not waiting for an answer, instead wagging a hand towards the tank absentmindedly. "Be a dear and get in of your own accord, will you? I'd hate to have to ruin my new manicure by forcing you in." For one second, Atlantis is tempted to fight as the faces of her friends flash through her mind, but she heaves a sigh and begins walking toward the tank, knowing, to put it in the words of a popular pop culture reference, that resistance is futile. Atlantis climbs into the tank, which is about seven feet deep, and floats down until her feet rest solidly on the bottom pane of glass. Over her head, the two meek-looking assistants have latched the lid on tight and let their eyes linger on hers before glancing away guiltily. "Can you hear me in there?" Dr. Lucius' voice reverberates strangely through the water but it is still understandable. Atlantis gives a slow nod, head moving fluidly through the water, and she sees Dr. Lucius' blurry grin. "Good, you're not screaming like some of our other subjects. Now then..." Dr. Lucius proceeds to prattle on about something that Atlantis honestly does not care about at all, so Atlantis turns her focus on the funny burning feeling in her lungs.

'It's called oxygen deprivation, sweetheart.' Unscathed appears, standing in the water as though she's on dry land. 'If we were anyone else, we'd probably be choking on this water now. As it is, we're just the tiniest bit screwed to all oblivion.' Atlantis almost opens her mouth to answer when she remembers she's underwater and shoots Unscathed a questioning look. 'You can communicate with me by using your mind. Just think a thought and I'll hear it. We are one and the same, after all.'

'How is the oxygen deprivation not affecting us yet?'

'It's a mental thing.' Unscathed raises a fist and lightly raps it against her temple. 'I'm staving it off because I need to show you something when you pass out. I just wanted to warn you ahead of time.' She grins and begins to fade out of sight even as Atlantis' vision grows increasingly black. 'Good night, sweetheart.'


Cliffhanger, how I love you! *Commence evil giggling as I twirl in my spinny chair.* Anyway, just the usual comment and respond to review, no big deal!

For Unscathed being such a minor character, I'll admit I've gotten just the teeniest bit attached. So she'll probably stick around for one more chapter before fading into the mist.

To lulupyne: Ah, you're just trying to make me blush! I'm glad you're excited for the sequel! (Even though I haven't planned it out at all...) Thanks for your kind words!

And remember, my minions, do the three R's: Read, Review, and Repeat with the next chapter!

Signing off, as always,

EOM