Salutations!

Australian school holidays! Expect more updates. If I can be bothered.

Oh, boy. This is a kicker of a chapter. It's my favourite so far, both in narrative context and in how much fun it was to write. And it's rather long, just for you guys! I really hope you like it.

PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Lien Chung wasn't sure if what she was doing was the right thing. She had betrayed them, after all- she had betrayed Hope.
And she knew she would pay.

But she hadn't been able to sit idly by while innocents suffered, while Emil suffered. Oh, she knew that the Icelandic had so much ahead of him- so much suffering, so much cruelty. But, if she had left him there, he would've died in time, anyway. Sure, those who were doing such a thing to him would meet a painful end for doing so, but he would undoubtedly die. This option had more chances, more possible paths to take. If they were very, very clever, maybe Emil and her could be saved- and, in the best-case scenario...

Mei and Li Xiang, too.

She knew she was selfish for thinking such, because if that were to happen, a lot more agony would occur. But she couldn't help herself from thinking- what if Emil could save them? He was strong, stronger than he knew.
It was just a dream, though. She was aware that the chances of them being alive were low, yet, she couldn't stop herself from hoping.

It was difficult to analyse the situation fully, so Kiku narrowed it down to some factual points, assuming that Emil's testimony was true.
1. Emil Steilsson had been captured by his half-brother and close friends, then kept in captivity and tortured by them for three years.
2. They had recently released him for no given reason.
3. A girl by the name of Lien Chung approached Emil and claimed that she had been working with his torturers, and that she had been the one who freed him.
4. Lien then convinced Emil not to go to the police and instead come to the 10 who were looking for Arthur.
5. Then... She claimed that Arthur was alive.

It was very difficult to digest. Therefore he only used the facts, because that's all he could rely on.

Everyone couldn't handle it. Everyone was going insane and attempting to reason with the giant revelations that were lain before them.

Emil was partaking in much-deserved rest. The way he pulled the giant blankets around him as if they were a shield was slightly unnerving. This, clearly, was a man that had been pushed to his absolute limits, who had been broken, beyond repair.
He clearly needed to go to a hospital, but they couldn't bring themselves to take him just yet. Maybe it was selfish and folly, but they couldn't just let such a huge clue slip through their fingers like that.

And then there was what Lien had said.
"They are the most dangerous people imaginable, with the most numbers."
Who?
They seemed to have stumbled across something immensely huge, that they couldn't begin to comprehend, that defied all current knowledge and expanded into a impossible situation they only had a few ideas of.

It was like starting a 1000-piece puzzle with only two of the pieces, and trying to sketch out the rest with them only.

They were so taken aback that they couldn't do anything else that day. They ate dinner and attempted to talk about it (with little effect) then went to sleep. Because of the size of the room and the fact Emil had taken up an entire bed, many of them were forced to sleep on the floor. They had before, too.

Alfred wondered why they didn't just rent more than one room- it wasn't like they were short on money. Maybe it was just reassuring to see the people you care about by you; he wasn't sure.

Most couldn't quite get to sleep with Emil in the room.

In the morning, Emil was the first one awake, and he seemed to hold more confidence than he had yesterday.
Today was the day, that they were supposed to be meeting Lukas and the others. They were going to go yesterday in a fit of desperation, but now they dreaded every minute they got closer to meeting them.
They had all agreed last night that they had to go, despite the risks, they couldn't let this mystery grow stagnant. They had just received a giant clue and a human life in their trust.

Francis volunteered to stay behind with Emil.
"Isn't it all a bit scary? ...Someone must be here at the end of the day, holding down the fort."

Before they left, Emil placed something in Alfred's hands. His eyes widened. It couldn't be... But it was.
It was a grim, deadly-looking knife.
He stared straight at the Icelandic for answer, and he stared back, "Lien slipped this into my jacket pocket, I only found it this morning. If the people you meet are the ones who hurt me, you may need this."

While he didn't want to be arrested for assault or even manslaughter, Alfred felt safer with it in his pocket. The others looked on warily as he slipped it in, the knife was rather large.
They were now breaking the law, just by having it with them.

It was a terrible thought, but they needed any possible security, any way to feel that there was a possibility that they could fight back and prolong their lives. Alfred tried to pretend that he didn't have it in his pocket, attempting to convince himself, but the weight was too there. It wasn't necessarily that it was heavy, but all the opportunities of hurt and death in its heavy blade.

They set out, a hundred times more paranoid then they would've been if they had never come across Emil.
When they arrived at the address, most of them were shaking. Fear- what a potent emotion. Reaching out a shaking hand, Alfred knocked on the door, three times.

The person who opened it felt inexplicably wrong, in a difficult way to describe.
Maybe it was something in their eyes, their mannerisms, their walk, their horrible smile. It was probably the smile- it looked so forced and fake, but in a different way then the normal definition. Whatever it was, it was strange and awful and uncomfortable. The thing spoke.
"So, you must be those people looking for Arthur Kirkland! I'm Lukas, Lukas Nielsen! Come in, come in. We have a lot to talk about."

The last part sounded slightly sinister, but they came in anyway, with reluctance.

It was a nice, quaint house, definitely not a place that they would've thought to hide a tortured captive. They arrived at the dining room table, and three others sat there, presumably Emil's other 'friends', all with the same uncanny smile.
The most foreboding thing was the set-up chess game, the purpose of which unclear and seemingly sinister. Lukas sat down before the black side, and there was an empty chair for white. It unnerved them, ridiculously so.

"By that knife in Alfred's pocket and the distinct lack of Francis Bonnefoy, I'd say Emil Steilsson has somehow found his way to you. Probably through Lien, knew she was a traitor in the first place, but unfortunately I have to obey those above me. Alfred, knives are awfully rude at the dinner table, hand it over to Berwald over there," Lukas said in a casual tone. His words were dreadful, and immediately drowned all hopes that they could take them by surprise.

"Don't make me repeat myself! Hand that knife to Berwald, or some bad things might happen~!" Lukas said in an overly cheery tone. Alfred hesitantly took out the knife, and after confirming the action with a glance at the others, he quietly handed it over to the man with a terrifying demeanor and one arm outstretched. Just like Lukas, the smile didn't quite seem to fit his face.

"Wonderful, wonderful! Oh, Tino, why don't you go get some drinks for our friends? Matthias, take their coats!" the Norwegian ordered, and they did so. Lukas didn't offer a seat.
"Okay, now that the pleasantries are over, why don't we get down to business. You want information for Arthur Kirkland, don't you? Well, that's what we have! Now, your best chess player, take a seat opposite me, won't you?"
After a bit of debate, Yao took the seat.

Lukas nodded, "Yes, you're rather good, aren't you? It's a shame Arthur isn't here to play, though- heard he's fantastic. But I suppose if he was, you wouldn't even be here!"
His sudden joke about their missing friend was uncomfortable, but they didn't say a word.

"I set up this game in case Emil found his way to you guys! Would you like to know what we're playing for?" his tone turned into something more sinister at the last sentence. Yao hesitantly nodded.
"Well, let's see... If you win, then we tell you some information about Arthur's whereabouts. If we win, then we get Emil," Lukas was done playing around- though his tone was still cheery, it now held a certain bluntness to it that suggested he was being completely serious.
This caught everyone off-guard. The stakes had been put into play, and they were high.

Yao had already figured out that their tactic of getting what they wanted was to make their victim as uncomfortable as possible. He wouldn't let Lukas get away with it.

"Isn't that a bit unfair? A whole person for just a little bit of information? What if we make it so that if we win, we get Arthur back," Yao blurted out.
This immediately made Lukas burst into laughter. The other Nordics followed with raucous, uncomfortable laughter, that wasn't genuine and clearly was just to make them feel even more tense.
"Oh, you're a riot~! So, by your reasoning, all human lives are equal? It's amazing how ignorant you are! You wouldn't trade a prince for a beggar, would you? Arthur is our wonderful little prince, and unimportant, broken Emil is our beggar. We're actually being awfully nice, giving you such large information when all we might get is a shattered little boy! Try, try, again!" Lukas replied.

What did he mean, Arthur was a prince? Wasn't he just ordinary? But, why else would people like this be compelled to kidnap a random 15-year-old, who lived in California, who wanted to write stories? How much did they really know about Arthur Kirkland?

"Okay, then. You said it's slightly unfair, in our favour? Well, then. Can we change what you get?" Yao continued his bargaining attempts.
Lukas raised an eyebrow, "All we want is Emil. Nothing else. Now, why don't we play this game?"

Yao looked into Lukas's eyes and felt a chill go through him, and made the first move.
His friends told him words of comfort and encouragement, but he didn't listen. He just put all of his attention on playing. This was it, lives were on the line. If he won this, they might be able to find Arthur, they'd be able to keep Emil safe.
If not...

It was the most intense moment of his life, the most pressure. He couldn't mess this up. He just couldn't. It slightly amused him that it all came down to a simple chess game. So, just as he was cornering one of Lukas's bishops, Yao said, "Why a chess game?"
"Hm?" was the lackadaisical answer.
"If Emil's life depends on this, can't you just take him? You know where he is. Why don't you just not risk losing him?"
"Because it's fun!" Lukas grinned, "Besides, who said there was risk of losing him?"
Lukas took Yao's second rook and he felt dread creep through him.

Halfway through the game, Lukas started crying. He continued smiling, he didn't show any signs of distress, he didn't even say anything. He just started crying. When asked about it, Lukas shrugged.
Yao wouldn't let discomfort and fear get the better of him.

It was clear that Lukas was winning.
But Yao wasn't going down without a fight.
He went in suicidal, sending his last pawn across the board in a desperate attempt to win back his queen. It was taken halfway through his plight.

"Check."
Yao moved his king. Lukas moved his queen.
"Check."
Yao again moved his king. Lukas again moved his queen.
"Check."
Again.
"Check."
Again.
"Check."

Yao was in a corner. He couldn't move his king anymore., it was surrounded by Lukas's queen and rooks.
The only pieces Yao had left were his king, unable to move, and his last knight, also unable to do so while the king was in peril. Lukas had taken immense joy in taking every single piece of Yao's before the king.
Except the knight.
Lukas had missed it, assuming that it could no longer do any damage and went straight for his king.

He stared at the board. He had lost. He had lost, but it wasn't over.
It wasn't over.

Kiku's character is not Japan's character.
I think it's important to remember that, although they may share similar personalities, they are not the same person. I also think it's important to, when writing fanfiction, still make interesting and compelling characters and not be lazy by just using the characters from the original source and not developing them in any way.
The Kiku in this story is the way he is because of the circumstances of the plot. If I were to portray a normal Kiku in an average Human AU, or Japan, I would use different characteristics. But, this Kiku's character is integral to the plot, and he has reasons for being this way. Please do not assume this is how I would normally depict Japan/Kiku. Thank you.

The immense OOC-ness of the Nordics is all purposeful, and presented in a way that people who know about Hetalia will feel uncomfortable because of how strange everyone, especially Lukas, is acting. Please don't tell me that they're OOC and that I should fix it- it's all on purpose.
Actually, I had a ball writing this chapter, mostly because it was so much fun to write OOC Lukas.

Lukas winning the match may or may not be a reference to the recent Chess World Championship. Ivan would've been the one against him, but wasn't for reasons I will reveal next chapter... ;)

Hope you enjoyed!