A/N:
WARNING WARNING RED FLASHING LIGHTS PLEASE READ THIS: Due to the author taking a family vacation to the desolate and harsh land of no internet, there will not be a chapter next week. The week after I will continue as normal. This has been a Rambler PSA. (END OF PSA)
Helloooo everybody! This chapter has a special guest...
2P 'MURICA!
I don't own either of the Americas, nor the other countries in this fic. Only the states.
-0-0-0-
"Dad, what's going on?" California stopped in the doorway of America's office. The country was pacing back and forth in front of his desk.
"Don't worry about it." America didn't even smile.
California gulped. "Uh... Okay then." He turned and ran back down the hall, pushing open Michigan's bedroom door. He and Ohio were sitting on the bed, playing Mario Kart and muttering insults.
"Guys! We have a problem!"
Ohio hit pause. "What's up?"
"I don't know, but Dad is freaking out about something. And you know him, he thinks he can beat anything." Cal joined his siblings on the bed.
"Maybe it's Russia? There is that whole mess going on over there right now." Michigan frowned and put down his controller.
"No, Dad's never been afraid of Russia. Only angry." Ohio chewed her lip. "I don't think it's any of the countries bothering him. Did you try asking?"
"He told me not to worry."
Michigan gulped. "This IS serious."
Running feet charged down the hall. America pushed open the door. Everyone whirled. "Hey guys. Something's going on over in England, and Germany and Russia too. They need me over there as fast as I can. Can you guys take care of the little kids?"
Ohio broke out of her shock first. "Sure, Dad."
"Thanks!" America ran off down the hall, tugging on the bomber jacket that every state had worn at least once as he went. "Don't worry, I'm the hero!" And with that, the door slammed shut.
"Hey, have you guys seen New York's gun? We need it so we can go help Dad kill stuff. 'Cause if this turns out like the whole alien invasion thing where we ended up in a metal underground bunker for a week, I'm killing something before we get put somewhere 'safe'." Mass stuck his head in the doorway.
"Uhh..."
Hawaii ran into the room shrieking. "AAAAAAAAAAAHH! 'LEKSEI PUT A BUG IN MY ROOM!" She started sobbing into California's pant leg,
Michigan and Cal looked at each other and decided to call the only person capable of ruling over the more unruly siblings.
"GINNY!"
Sure enough, Virginia appeared almost instantly. "Don't call me Ginny. What do you need?"
All three states in Michigan's room started talking at once, until Hawaii screamed louder than anyone, "AN' IT WAS A BIG ICKY SPIDER!"
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down, you guys. One at a time. Cal?"
"Dad just left because apparently there's some kind of trouble over in Europe."
"What's going on?" Virginia frowned.
"He didn't say. He just asked if we could watch the little kids while he went to go help." Michigan shrugged.
"It's probably nothing big. We'll be fine. Now have any of you seen D.C.? He and Alaska ran off somewhere because they hid a spider in Hawaii's room."
Just then, loud wailing sounded from down the hallway.
Virginia sighed. "Never mind."
-0-0-0-
"No! I can't go to sleep yet! I left my teddy downstairs!" D.C. folded his arms and shook his head.
"Fine. Where did you leave it?" Virginia grabbed D.C.'s hand and started down the stairs.
"In the castle we built with my blocks. But Alaska stomped it over!" D.C. looked indignant as he jumped down the last step.
"I'll talk to him tomorrow. Now come on, it's already past your bedtime." Virginia looked around the dark kitchen. "Ugh... It's dark down here. Let's go turn on some lights, Mikey." Virginia picked D.C. up and walked over to the lightswitch, flicking it up, then turned to walk through the doorway.
He froze, hugging D.C. a little tighter.
A tall man with hair the color of dried blood was standing in their living room. He wore dark sunglasses despite the blackness and carried a baseball bat studded with nails.
"Who are you?"
The man put down the picture he had been studying. "Nobody special. I take it you're Virginia?" He seemed like he was trying hard not to laugh.
"What are you doing in our house?" He started to back away.
The man shrugged. "Well, the rest of my friends—if you could call them that—are busy trying to find the nations of the world. So could you tell me where your dad is?"
Virginia turned and ran, racing up the stairs. Flying through the hallway, he raced into Maryland's room and slammed the door shut, leaning against it and breathing hard.
The quiet state looked up from the book he was reading on the bed.
"There's someone in the house," Virginia managed. "After Dad."
D.C. nodded, eyes wide.
Maryland jumped to his feet, glancing out the door. He looked back at Virginia.
"I don't know who he is. He looks exactly like Dad, but with darker hair, tanner skin, and sunglasses. And he's got a big baseball bat covered in nails. And blood." He shuddered. "It was completely caked with old, dried blood."
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Both of the states froze. D.C. whimpered.
"Closet. Now." Maryland whispered.
Virginia nodded. Ever so carefully, they backed towards the closet, as quietly as they could. Maryland grabbed D.C. and held him, then pulled the door shut behind them.
Virginia peered out through the wooden door slats. They could her the footsteps going up and down the hallway. They grew closer and closer, until suddenly, the doorknob shook as whoever was outside tried to unlock it. D.C. closed his eyes and buried his face in Maryland's shirt.
After a few seconds of trying, the person in the hallway gave up. The states started to sigh with relief, when suddenly the door splintered, a nail-studded bat smashing through. Virginia gave a little yelp, quickly covering his mouth. The man from before walked in through the wreckage of the door and over to the closet. He kicked it once, making the door shake. "Come out. I know you're in there."
Virginia and Maryland looked at each other.
"I'll go first," Maryland whispered. He carefully opened the door, he and Virginia walking out slowly. D.C. clung to the hem of Maryland's T-shirt.
"Come on, then. I'm probably not going to kill you." The dark-haired man was leaning in the doorway, his bat casually resting on Maryland's desk. "Okay, who's in charge of your siblings? If you're anything like my kids were, it's you." He pointed to Virginia. "Go find all of them and get them in here. Now." He gave a toothy grin reminiscent of a shark and ran his fingers across the handle of his baseball bat.
Virginia gulped and nodded, turning and half-running out of the room.
-0-0-0-
Fifteen minutes later, ten states were sitting in Maryland's room; Hawaii, Alaska, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Massachusetts, California, Michigan, and Arizona. Michigan was hiding behind Cal, while the other state stared at the man in fear. Alaska and Hawaii were huddled in the corner with D.C. next to them, sniffling. Arizona was whispering something to them. Hawaii kept asking for America. Mass was sitting on the bed, while Ohio was perched on the arm of the chair Virginia was sitting in. Maryland was sitting on the floor.
"So why are you here? And who are you?" Massachusetts was poking at the baseball bat.
"I—will you stop touching that?!" The man glared at him.
"Ugh. You're boring like him." Mass rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Virginia.
"Shut up," Virginia and the dark-haired stranger said at the same time.
"I'm here because I've got nothing better to do. Your Dad might have told you about us—dopplegangers, I think you all call us. We're nations, but different. This world is cheerful and happy—which is annoying. My world is different. Darker. As for how we got here, it all started when my stupid old man Oliver messed up a spell. He was trying to make some new poison or whatever, but he says that pretend flying bunny of his messed it up. Now were stuck here, in a world we don't belong in."
At the mention of a flying bunny, everyone looked at Massachusetts.
"What? Phillip is obviously real. Unlike Flying Mint Green Bunny." Mass folded his arms, then looked down at the blankets next to him. "Right, Phillip?"
The man sighed. "Massachusetts, then?"
"How do you know my name?!" Mass stared at him.
"Okay, look. My name is Al Jones. I'm America. Your dad is America in this world, right?"
"Cool... So you're like him from another world? And evil?"
He sighed again, as if doubting Mass' intelligence, then looked almost sad. "You guys are too much like my kids were..."
"Wait, what do you mean, 'were'?" Ohio interrupted. "What happened to them?"
"They're dead," Al replied flatly. "But I did have kids. No little ones like him, though." He nodded towards D.C. "They never last long. The older ones kill them off pretty quickly, for the land. They don't live long anyway, though. Nobody makes it far in my world, especially not babies."
"You just let them kill each other?" Arizona asked with wide eyes.
"They kill babies...?" Virginia stared at this darker America, holding D.C. a little tighter.
"If I didn't do it myself. It seems heartless, but where I come from, it's kill or be killed. So when Oliver messed up that spell and sent us all here, we decided to take this world for ourselves. As we speak, Viktor is going after your Russia. Luciano and Lutz are after Italy and Germany, and likely Berlin and Prussia as well. Oliver is going for England. I was sent here to kill you and your dad—"
Before anyone could even blink, Maryland was pointing at kitchen knife at the man's throat, Al laughed.
"Nice try, kid. But if you let me finish—" He plucked the knife out of Maryland's hands. "—you'd know that I don't particularly feel like killing you. Oliver killed off all of my kids, and I might kill your dad, but I don't hurt kids. I do have some remnants of a conscience. Maybe the only remnants out of anyone in my world. Now—" Al suddenly stopped, growing tense and whirling around towards the door. "Don't move." He handed Maryland the knife, not bothering to look back at them. "You may want to keep that thing ready."
The door crashed open with a bang. "ALLAN! Did you get me some guests for tea and cupcakes?" A man who looked exactly like England walked in. His hair was pale pink, and his cheeks were dotted with freckles. He looked like a little kid, sweet and innocent, except for his eyes. They had a strange, murderous gleam to their bright turquoise. "I must admit I'm just not in a good mood. Silly Arthur got away."
It took the states a moment to realize he meant England.
"Back off, old man." Al raised his baseball bat.
Oliver smiled sweetly. "Oh, have you grown soft, then? I suppose I'll just have to get you after!"
The states were all hiding under the kitchen table. Mass stood up. "What's so bad about us?"
"Nothing. That's why we have to kill you." The pink-haired Brit smiled eerily, then lunged.
The states froze in terror, staring at the strangely glowing knife flying towards them in Oliver's hands.
Crack! The bat swung through the air, smacking into Oliver's head and knocking him to the floor at California's feet.
Al grinned slightly, his teeth now splattered with blood. He looked far too comfortable with having apparently nearly killed his "old man" as he called it.
The blood started to pool on the kitchen floor, seeping towards the states' feet. Virginia covered D.C.'s eyes.
"Don't worry. He isn't waking up anytime soon." The animal grin finally disappeared as Al looked at the door. "Someone's coming." He grabbed his bat and pointed it at the entrance once more as feet pounded up the path.
"STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS!" America burst through the door, having somehow procured a gun. The other countries ran in with him, even England and Russia.
Al grinned and raised both hands, smiling slyly. "Relax, Freddie. I would never hurt your kids," he drawled.
"Then why are you, your bat, and my kitchen covered in blood?"
"Just a stupid old man. Nothing special. Burger-eater."
"Psychopath."
"Imbecile."
"Mur—"
"ENOUGH." England snatched America's gun and pointed it at Al. "We've already stopped all of your friends. Surrender or I'll shoot."
"You didn't stop all of them. Needed my help on Ollie over here, didn't you? Move," he instructed the states. They stepped aside to reveal Oliver, still bleeding slumped on the floor. "You can do whatever you like to them. Go ahead and shoot 'em a few times. All I want to do is go home."
"You guys go deal with this outside," America sighed, nodding to the other nations. Russia nodded and picked up the unconscious bleeding Oliver, dragging him outside. Germany pulled out some rope and tied Al up, pulling him away.
Alaska waved to Russia. "Bye Daddy!"
As the door shut, America turned to his kids. "So... How much do you guys know about what's going on?"
"They're evil versions of you guys?" Mass shrugged.
"But not exactly evil. Just different. Oliver was evil, though. He and Kuro—that's their Japan—were the ones who decided to try to take over our world. We've caught almost all of them, though." America glanced out the window. "What exactly happened here?"
Virginia frowned. "I think he came here to protect us from the rest of them, Oliver and Kuro and... Viktor, I think? He said that Oliver killed them all, but that they were just like us—"
"Only they were a bit more murderous," Mass interrupted.
"—So he might have killed you like he was supposed to, but not us."
"It makes you wonder what our opposites, or doubles or whatever you call them, were like?" Mass thought.
"Well apparently Oliver was an incredible cook who made poisoned cupcakes, and Al is vegan."
"So that's why he called you burger-eater. It seemed like a weird insult." Mass smirked. "I'm reusing that on York when he comes back from that trip to Canada. Hey, I bet his opposite is really wimpy or something."
"I bet Ginny's hates little kids," added Michigan.
"Yours is probably terrified of fire," Virginia told Massachusetts.
"Do you think they even have little kids like Alaska and Hawaii?" Cal asked.
"If they do, Alaska's would be like Soviet Union was, all creepy and murderous. And he'd hate whoever is their Russia," Ohio decided.
"And you and Michigan would be best friends," Alaska told her cheerfully.
"I don't think any universe can handle them liking each other." America looked at the two of them.
"We actually did agree about something," Ohio started. "Since you asked us to watch the little kids..."
Michigan nodded."We're getting paid, right?"
END
A/N:
Yes, the alien invasion Mass mentioned in the beginning is Paint It White. That movie was beautifully weird.
Skylar the guest reviewer: I appreciate you giving my idea, but that's not the sort of thing I do. This story is supposed to be PG-rated. I'm sorry. I think you may be better off with someone else if that's the sort of thing you want to read. I was planning on doing a chapter with Area 51, but not that. Definitely not that.
Other reviewers: Those of you who gave me ideas, thank you! Those who didn't—thanks for reviewing! I practically tackle my phone every time it tells me I have an email. That's how much I love hearing from you guys.
See you all next time!