According to Japan Italy had the key. So America went to his home to ask for it. Italy wouldn't be hard to persuade, and if he just told him what happened to Japan, America thought that he would surely help him without further questions. Japan was one of Italy's closest friends after all. And if it didn't work he had Russia with him, and America thought Russia could scare anyone into doing anything ... except himself of course ...
They knocked on the door at Italy's house, and waited almost a minute without getting any response. America and Russia looked at each other, knowing Italy he would already have run to open with a big smile covering his entire face if he was at home.
Russia knocked on the door again, a little harder this time. Then the door opened. Russia and America looked at each other again, it was something that was not quite right here. If Italy was out he would have locked the door.
"Italy? Dude?" America yelled through the door "FELICIANO!" Still no answer. Then they went inside. They split up and went through every room, this would go faster and they needed to do everything fast now. Both America and Russia wanted to say a few things to Britain after this and they couldn't do that unless Japan and Canada were safe.
"America!" Russia cried through the whole house, and America came running as fast as he could. And he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what Russia wanted to show him. Italy lay lifeless on the floor beside him, he had a syringe needle with the ill-fated text "hypnotics". And when they lifted him to the couch that stood right next to the spot, it was clear that he hadn't taken the hypnotic voluntarily. There was a blood stain on the back of his white shirt, big enough to gossip that he had tried to fight the one who had given him the drug.
"What are we going to do now?" America asked resignedly.
"Waiting until he wakes up." Russia responded nonchalantly, nodding to Italy who actually made a low moan. "It should not take more than an hour, if he do not wake up before that, we need to call an ambulance, but I do not think we need - he's about to wake up!" Then America got an idea.
"We'll make pasta!"
"What?" Russia stared at America as if he was crazy.
"If we are kind to him, maybe he will be more willing to tell us where the key is, Britain might have threatened or tricked him." Then Russia nodded.
"It's worth a try" he agreed.
Approximately fifteen minutes later, Italy woke up. He was still very tired, but he was awake and he could speak. He hadn't seen anyone anesthetized him down but he could tell that Britain had been there and asked for help with what he called "a surprise" a few days ago. He wanted Italy to hide a key. When Italy came that far in his story America stopped him.
"Where is that key now?" he asked.
"I promised not to tell it yet" was what he got in response. When America decided that it was time to tell Italy everything. He showed him the picture of Canada.
"That's what's behind the lock that the key is going to" he explained, and he continued, "He keeps Canada and Japan captive Italy, please, give us the key so we can free them"
Italy looked down at his half-eaten plate of pasta that he had got from America and Russia. Then he set it aside and picked up a small box from a drawer.
"The key is inside this box, but it is locked," he replied. America took the box with a sense of both hope and despair, and even though he already had guessed the answer, he wondered.
"Who has the key to the box?"
"Britain"
America sighed, it was just like he imagined. But then Italy said something else, "But he said he would give it to Japan, Japan would take care of it. All three were silent for a moment. Then America stood up.
"Are you sure that it's the right key in this box?" he asked. When Italy shook his head, he felt hope fall again. "So what we have, then, is a box that" might "contain the key - and that box is obviously locked"