Chapter Four! ... It's technically Chapter Nine, but... Whatever! Okay, this chapter involves mainly America's and Josie's POV. I will try to give Mexico and Serbia their cameo's in this chapter as well, but if not, they will appear in Chapter Five.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Michigan. And the iPod that helps my spellcheck. ^_^
America's POV:
The last thing America expected to see when those doors opened was his daughter covered in blood. It was the last thing he /wanted/ to see.
It started off as just another World Meeting, except Canada wasn't there and England was complaining.
"We all have a duties to fulfill. Those as family members, and those as countries. Why do we even bother having these World Meetings if not everyone is going to show up?" England ranted, pacing around the room.
"Iggy, for the last time, I /asked/ Mattie to take Mich fishing. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with her, and she needs some quality time with her uncle." Alfred explained for the umpteenth time that morning. He was getting tired of England's complaining. He already had enough on his plate, with the economy, the fact that Washington was sick again, and the new... Living Dead problem that had been on his mind since it started.
'He better have it all under control.' America thought, rubbing his temples.
"And I understand that completely! Truly, I do. Children need attention. But to schedule it on the day of the Meeting is stupid and childish!" England continued.
"Oh, England, calm down! The world is not going to end if Canada does not attend the World Meeting!" America finally snapped, glaring at his former brother. England turned and looked at him, shocked.
"Are you alright, America? And don't think I'm asking because I care, git. I wouldn't be a true gentleman if I didn't." America sighed.
"I'm fine, Iggy. I just have a lot on my mind right now, and you're not helping." England stared at the American, a shocked expression on his face.
"Y-Yes... Well... I suppose you are right. The world will still spin if Canada does not attend. And it's not the first time he has skipped a meeting..." England broke off, obviously feeling awkward. He soon walked off, probably to yell at France. America sighed and put his head in his hands, exhausted. His mind kept drifting back to the Living Dead situation. He hasn't seen one yet, but he had seen the carnage. Livestock torn apart and eaten, people going missing, only to turn up dead, their internal organs splattered around them, it scared America. And he said he had it under control. He had to. What could he say? 'I have no idea what the hell I'm doing! Go ahead and panic!'? America scoffed at the idea. He couldn't do that. Not when he had so many people depending on him.
"Mister America? Are you alright?" America turned around, seeing Lithuania looking at him with concern. He gave the man his signature grin.
"Never better, dude. I'm just exhausted. Got a lot on my mind, ya know?" The Lithuanian man nodded in understanding, reassured.
"I understand. It's been a hectic year." He said. He then looked around. "Where is Miss Michigan? I expected her to be here." America grinned.
"Why were you expecting her, Lithuania? Something you wanna talk to her father about?" That comment caused Lithuania's cheeks to turn a bright red.
"N-No, sir! It's just... This is her state! I expected her to be here and watch over the Meeting! Th-that's all!" He objected, shaking his head. America chuckled, thankful for the distraction.
"Sure, Toris. Whatever you say." He smirked, raising an eyebrow at the Lithuanian. Toris sighed in defeat and have America a sheepish look.
"Is it really that obvious?" America chuckled.
"To her father, yes. To her siblings, yes. To everyone else, no. You're lucky, dude! Only fifty-one people know! If you count Canada." Toris dead panned.
"Only fifty-one. That's very reassuring, sir." America laughed.
"Relax, dude! Mich doesn't know!" Toris looked relieved.
"Would you mind if I changed the subject?" He asked suddenly. America shrugged.
"Sure. What's up?"
"Well, I was wondering if all those stories about the dead coming back to life in your country were true." America froze. Shit. No one had asked him that yet. They would talk about it, but they all assumed it was a nation-wide prank.
"Well-" he began. He would have told Toris not to worry about it, if England hadn't announced the start of the meeting. "Tell you later, dude. Better get to your seat before we both get in trouble. " Toris nodded and walked back to his seat. America breathed a sigh of relief and leant against the table, watching as England stood at the head of the table and started the meeting off.
And all that was three hours ago. Now the room was in total chaos. England and France were strangling each other, China and Taiwan were yelling at each other, Russia was terrorizing the Baltic's, Spain was pissing Romano off, and Prussia was giving Germany a hard time. America just sat there and watched it all, only moving to dodge a chair or push his own chair out of the way of the two brawling Europeans. Suddenly the door opened, and all fighting stopped. Everyone stared at the door, which was not supposed to be opened until the meeting was over unless there was an emergency. They all watched as it opened and two girls stepped in. One was covered in blood, the other looking shocked and pissed. Florida and Michigan. America stared at Michigan in horror, a million thoughts raced through his mind, fearing that something terrible had happened to her. He was the one to break the silence.
"What the fuck happened!?" He shouted, standing and running over to his little girl. Everyone in the room jumped at the sound of his voice, but no one said anything. They just stared as America looked over his daughter, panicking.
"It's not mine..." Michigan mumbled, refusing to look at her father.
"It better not be yours! Why the hell are you covered in blood!?" America couldn't calm himself down. He was too concerned. His daughter was covered in blood and was unresponsive.
"We were fucking attacked by some fucking dead people." Mattie said simply, leaning against the doorway. He looked pissed, but America knew Mattie was just as concerned as he was.
"You were WHAT!?" Carolina rounded on Mattie. "What are you talking about!? The dead are dead! That's all there is to it!"
"Then how in the hell do you explain a man getting up and trying to fucking eat us with half his fucking heart missing!?" Mattie snarled at her. They soon started to argue again, forgetting about their niece. America turned back to Michigan, shocked.
"Please tell me that isn't true." He said, panicking. They shouldn't be in Canada. They shouldn't even exist. He watched as his daughter looked up at him, trying to hold back tears.
"I can't." She whispered. America stared at her, horrified. They had made their way to Canada. And without Mattie's knowing. This was serious. He stood up and looked at Sollena.
"Call Trevor now. Demand an explanation." Sollena nodded and walked out of the room, pulling out her phone. America looked down Michigan, who just stood there, looking upset. He opened his mouth to say something, to reassure her, but was interrupted by England.
"What the bloody hell happened to her? And what is this talk about the dead eating people? Did that stupid prank of yours finally reach Canada?" He asked, scoffing. America watched as Michigan turned on the Englishman, suddenly pissed.
"Right! I just killed two men and covered myself in their blood for a stupid ass prank! That's what I did!" She screamed. England took a step back, shocked. America grabbed Michigan by the shoulders and pulled her back, bending down so he could speak to her quietly.
"Josephine. Calm down. Now. It's going to be okay." He whispered, pulling her away from everyone. She sighed and looked at him.
"I hope so." She whispered back. She looked up as Lithuania made his way over to the two of them.
"Miss Michigan? Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He asked, clearly worried. America watched as his daughter shook her head, not looking at Toris.
"I'm fine." She said, keeping her gaze cast downwards. Then Sollena walked back in the room.
"I called four times. The bastard isn't picking up his phone." She snarled, shoving her phone in her pocket. America sighed. Of course he wasn't.
"Would someone please explain to me what the hell is going on!?" Germany's loud voice rang throughout the room, making everyone jump. He was standing at the head of the table, looking angry and confused. "We have a room full of pissed off countries, a state covered in someone else's blood, and talk of the dead coming back and eating people! I demand an explanation!" He yelled. Every head swung towards the three Americans in the room. America looked at Josephine, then over at Sollena. They both gave him the same look, one of fear and hesitation. America sighed and straightened, ready to tell everyone what has been going on for the past four months, when a phone started ringing. He turned and watched as Michigan pulled her phone out of her pocket and answer it.
"Yello? ... H-huh? Ry-Ryder, I can't... Slow down, I can't-..." America watched as his daughters' expression turned from one of confusion to horror. She turned to her uncle. "Uncle Mattie, turn on the TV. Channel ten." She practically demanded, fear present in her voice. Mattie nodded and walked over to the large television on the other side of the room. He turned it on and immediately started pressing the channel up button on the side of the TV frantically. He finally stopped when the picture appeared on the screen. Channel twenty-seven. Mattie hit the channel down button seventeen times, backing away as the news came on.
"Yes, we just turned it on. Yes, yes we- ... Then shut up so we can watch!" Michigan snapped into the phone, hanging up on the caller.
"Everything okay, Mich?" America asked. "What did Ryder say?"
"He told me to turn the TV on to Channel Ten News." She said, looking up at the screen. America looked up as well, feeling everyone crowd around them, trying to get a good look at what was going on. A female news reporter was standing outside, and it was utter chaos. People were running around, chasing or being chased. Blood covered everything. Shop windows were broken and busted in. People were jumping out of sixth story windows, falling to their deaths that awaited them on the ground.
"Why the hell are they showing this!?" Sollena asked, stepping up next to America. "This... This isn't right! There's..." She stopped herself, absolutely horrified. America turned away from her and looked back towards the screen. Sollena was right. They shouldn't be showing this type of stuff on the news. Something was truly wrong. The news anchor looked scared, and kept dodging people, as if a touch from them would kill her.
"H-Hello... My name is Maria Norton, reporting for Channel Ten News at Four." She involuntarily added emphasis on the word 'Ten' as she just barely managed to get out of someone's way. "I am here in downtown Lansing, where complete and utter chaos is destroying the city." America heard Michigan gasp, and turned to see her covering her mouth, eyes watering and looking horrified. He put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. He watched as she reached up and grabbed his hand, never looking away from the hysteria on Channel Ten. He turned back to the TV, listening in once again.
"-dead have started to mysteriously come back to life, and have the strange desire for human flesh. They will-" she yelped and jumped to the side, narrowly missing getting tackled by someone. She straightened out her skirt, her hands obviously shaking.
"Where is Lansing, aru? What is that? What's going on, aru?" China asked, stepping closer.
"Lansing is my capital." Josie replied, her voice wavering. "My citizens are dying." America felt everyone look at his daughter with some form of pity, and it pissed him off. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He watched Lithuania reach for her hand out of the corner of his eye, obviously wanting to comfort her. But he pulled away at the last second. America sighed and turned his attention back to the TV.
"- Authorities strongly encourage families to stay indoors, to lock all doors and windows, and to not let anyone in under any circumstances. No one knows what causes this, or where it originated from, but the CDC, or Center for Disease Control, is currently looking for a solution. In the meantime, avoid anyone who-" she was cut off as someone came up behind her and bit into her shoulder, tearing through skin and muscle, tearing out a large chunk of her. The woman screamed and fell, the man who attacked her still chewing and tearing at her. There was a collective gasp, everyone in the room shocked. The camera tilted and fell to the ground, skipping and showing nothing but snow for a matter of two seconds, before the picture returned just in time to see the woman's throat get torn out. She stopped all screaming and movement, her face forever frozen in her final scream. America heard what sounded like someone vomiting, and he heard people cursing and muttering in disbelief, too shocked for actual words. He felt Michigan turn and curl into his side, hiding her face in his bomber jacket. He knelt down and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. Her capital was being destroyed, and she just saw one of her own citizens get eaten alive. It hurt him almost as much as it hurt her. Sollena walked around them and wrapped her arms around Michigan as well, being the big sister she had to be.
"America?" America turned at the sound of his name, looking up at the speaker. England. "What just happened? What did we just see?" He asked, too stunned to add his usual insult or make a wisecrack. America stood up and looked around the room. Mattie looked absolutely disgusted, still staring at the TV. Carolina looked like she was going to be sick, along with everyone else in the room. Lithuania and Guam were trying to console Michigan with Sollena. Mexico, who had been silent for the entire time, was letting out a string of curses, horrified. Everyone else was either staring at the TV or looking away, everyone horrified and confused. America sighed and stood up, looking down at England.
"You know those stories about zombies and stuff like that? The undead that eat brains?" America asked, having no idea how to start any other way.
"Y-yes... I'm aware. I believe we all have some version of those tales." England responded, those who were paying attention nodding in agreement.
"What if I told you that... That was what you saw? An undead horror book coming to life." America tried, feeling helpless. He watched as England blinked, processing the information.
"Are you telling me that... Us that... Those were zombies?" England asked, realization dawning on his face. America nodded sadly.
"And they're out there because of me."
Michigan POV:
Josie held onto her sister, trying her best not to cry. She didn't want to cry in front of everyone. But it was hard. She just watched her citizens get eaten or kill themselves in her own capital. It was horrifying, and it hurt her. Badly. Her capital, one she had worked hard to build and maintain, destroyed in a matter of hours. She let out a small sob, cursing herself internally for letting it happen. She felt Sollena tighten her grip on her.
"It's okay, Mich... You'll be okay..." Sollena ran her fingers through Michigan's hair, knowing it would calm her down. "It's going to be alright. We can fix this."
"How? We just watched a reporter get eaten alive on national television." Michigan replied, feeling helpless. She heard Sollena sigh, and she pulled away slightly.
"I don't know. But we will." Sollena tried to reassure her, looking her dead in the eye. Michigan wanted to believe her, wanted to let herself be fooled into the idea that this would all disappear within a few weeks, but she wasn't the type of person to be fooled twice. She watched as Guam knelt down next to her, a sad smile on his face.
"You okay?" He asked. Michigan shook her head. He sighed and opened his arms, inviting her into a hug. Michigan accepted the invitation and walked into his outstretched arms, feeling the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes again. She felt Guam fold his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly. "You'll be okay... It'll be okay..." He whispered, trying to comfort her. Michigan saw Lithuania reach for her out of the corner of her eye, but he pulled back at the last second. Michigan sighed and hugged Guam tighter.
"I hope your right, Mateo. Now let go of me. I'm getting blood on you." Mateo laughed and pulled away.
"I wouldn't have hugged you if I cared about dirtying a shirt." He smiled brightly. Michigan gave him a small smile. She turned and listened to the conversation between her father and the other countries.
"You're telling me that those... Things... Are all your fault?" England demanded. Her father nodded, looking upset. Michigan was truly surprised. Her father never took responsibility, especially when it wasn't his fault.
"It's not your fault, dad." Michigan heard herself say. She removed herself from Guam's arms and standing up. "It's Trevor's."
"Aiyah, who is Trevor? What did he do, aru?" China asked.
"Trevor is one of my brothers. He represents New Mexico. He caused this." Michigan responded. This time it was Japan who spoke up.
"But what exactly is this? What did he cause?" Michigan sighed.
"It looks like he caused the apocalypse."
Okay! I'm sorry it was uneventful, but there are always filled chapters! Maya will be in the next chapter, as well as Mexico and possibly Serbia! Okay, I hope you all liked the chapter! I have a very special friend to thank for all the help I received! Thank you!
