Hey-a!
Maura-chan here!
I'm sorry this update took so loooong I've been really busy. I know that's no excuse but please find it in your kind hearts to forgive me!
If you don't already know, Upstream is ending. This is likely the last chapter. It'll be replaced by a new story, though. I'm choosing between a few, all of which I will do at some point.
Now without further procrastination, I give you...
Upstream
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Thirty years flew by in a haze of gunpowder and smoke. First came World War I- the Great War. A European war. A war to end all wars. A war that America had not wanted to get into. But when Germany attempted to bring Mexico into the war, he had to. There wasn't anything he could do. They were sinking American ships and threatening American land. And so the United States joined the war.
He sent soldiers to France, battleships to England, Destroyers to Ireland. It took quite a bit out of him as a person, but he knew that France and England were doing way worse than he was. In the end he was glad he had helped- if it wasn't for the many American soldiers he sent, they 'may not have won as easily', as Francis put it.
"Although it was not easy," France added. "Was it, Angleterre?"
England had not been very happy about having to call on America for help. Although America had entered the war of his own accord, it didn't mean that Arthur had to be happy about it. He didn't want to admit exactly how much help America had given the Allies in this war, so he said nothing, just stood there with his arms crossed, staring out the window.
America wasn't fazed a bit. "No problem, dudes. The hero is always happy to help!"
Now England had to say something. "You didn't want to help in the beginning. You only decided to enter the war when it started to affect you."
"Now, Angleterre. That is not polite."
"Yeah, Britain. I thought you were supposed to be a gentleman."
England shot an annoyed look at America. "I am, but certain people make it hard for me to act like one." He turned back to the window with a sigh and a shake of his head.
"We are, of course, very thankful for your assistance, and hope that you will join us in the League of Nations," France tried again.
"I told my boss about that," America said. "But you know how things are, it has to go through a bunch of people before anything actually happens."
"Let us hope that they allow you to join us."
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The second world war started before he knew it. His boss had relayed the information about the invitation to join the League of Nations, but the Senate had voted against it, and when they suggested a compromise, his boss had rejected it.
This was another war that he tried to consider as European, but it soon came to threaten him as well. Still he kept out of it, until suddenly England was the only democratic country standing between him and the Axis. France had fallen.
It couldn't have had a good effect on England. America barely talked to him now, although their relationship had improved considerably since the War of 1812. It was just that every time America called, England was busy doing something. Sure he could understand it, what with the war going on and all, but couldn't he make just a bit of time for the United States of Awesome?
But still he stayed out of the war. He kept telling himself that all he would do was supply guns and the like, nothing more. But England's boss was pressuring his boss, and America knew eventually something would happen that would throw him into the war.
He almost caved during... that time. Almost. He couldn't bear to see England like that. But it did explain why England hadn't taken his calls...
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He ran through the streets, stumbling over boards and planks and the occasional body. Rubble fell from crumbling buildings, almost crashing into him as they landed. Where's the entrance!? I have to find the entrance...! But it was nearly impossible to navigate now, with many of the landmarks smashed to bits now. There. Straight ahead. That's the turn...Isn't it? No, it is. I'm sure.
He went around a wall, the only part remaining of someone's house, and turned onto the next street- then stood perfectly still. I... I don't recognize this street at all.
He was about to turn back when something moved. A person- a child. A young boy, running in the opposite direction, towards a construction site. It's always the construction sites...
He began to follow the boy, then broke into a run. "Stop! Don't go in there!" The boy had already climbed into the half-built offices. He would only go as far as the doorway, wary of the steel beams hovering above, suspended by cranes. The work had been abandoned weeks ago when the attacks began. The boy was sitting on a blanket in the corner, hugging his knees and staring at England, who took a cautious step into the 'building'. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. Just please, stay out of here. It's dangerous."
The boy was shaking. Am I really that scary? No, the kid was shaking because he was crying. He wanted to help this child, but... His boss had told him to go straight to the metro, which was being used as a bomb shelter. He couldn't just leave the boy here, but his boss...
"W-what do you want?" the boy asked."Who are you?"
"I'm Arthur," England said, as gently as possible. "Arthur Kirkland. What's your name?"
The boy shook his head. "Don't matter."
"Why?"
"Don't need it anymore."
England blinked. "What do you mean?"
The boy shrugged and swiped at the remaining tears. "My mother died and my father's fightin' in the war, so he's prolly gonna die too."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Isn't there anyone you can stay with? Someone in a shelter, perhaps?"
He shook his head. "Nah. Don't know any relatives. They prolly dead too. And I don't got any friends to stay with, neither."
He wished he could offer for the boy to stay with him, but the truth was, he didn't have anywhere to stay, either. He would be lucky if he made it to the shelter without being crushed by a building. But he couldn't just leave him here.
"Come with me," he said. "I'm headed to a shelter. I'm sure we could find someone to take care of you."
The boy considered this a moment, then shook his head. "My momma told me not to go with no strangers."
"And that's good to know. But this is important. Keeping you alive is important." The boy shook his head again. He wasn't going anywhere, it was obvious. "Okay, stay here then. But just so you know, the nearest shelter- the one I'm going to- is in the metro." He turned to leave.
There was a loud creaking noise, and a snap. The boy and Arthur looked up simultaneously.
One of the cables had snapped, and the steel beam that had been attached to it was plummeting towards them.
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He had tried one last time on that fateful day. He'd never forget the absolute and total panic in Arthur's voice, slowly growing fainter as the world slipped away into darkness. How even though he was clearly in no state to do it, he came to help. Although he was in a much worse state, he was concerned enough to make the journey. He could have stayed where he was, somewhere he knew was safe. But he hadn't.
Arthur had chosen him.
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They stood there and watched as the beam came down to crush them. It could miss. It might miss. Time seemed to slow down as they watched their death falling from the sky. It won't miss.
He took a chance, gambled with fate. He shoved the boy out of the way, then scrambled out of the beam's path himself. The boy wasn't hurt, but he hadn't been so lucky. The beam landed on and crushed his left foot.
The boy saw it happen, saw the cold, unforgiving metal slam full-force into his ankle. The boy got up from where he had fallen and rushed over to see how bad it was, but Arthur had already sat up and was surveying the damage himself.
The pain was nearly unbearable, but he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. It slowly began to fade until it was nothing more than an extremely intense throbbing. Being a country is a good thing, occasionally.
:Are you ok?" the boy finally asked, fear still making the words catch in his throat.
"I will be." With the boy's help, England removed the steel beam and got to his feet. He leaned heavily on the boy, who seemed unfazed by his weight. They began to move out of the area and down the street, over debris, towards the shelter. "If I start getting too heavy..."
"Don't worry," the boy replied. "You don't weigh nothin' at all. What you been eatin', a steady diet of air?"
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He remembered the phone ringing, and being surprised that someone was calling. Sure phones weren't all that new anymore, but that wasn't the point- no one ever clled him because barely anyone knew, or was supposed to know, that he existed, much less where he lived or what his phone number was.
He picked it up of course. "'Ello?"
"Alfred. I have some things to tell you-"
"Arthur?"
A sigh. "Yes, who else. Now, there is suspicion that-"
"Why and how are you in the States?"
A pause. "How did you know I was here?"
Alfred laughed. "You can't call me from England."
"I'm surprised you know that. Yes, I;m in your country, but you don't need to know why and you don't need to know how. What you do need to know is-"
"So how have you been? I haven't gotten to talk to you in forever!"
A much longer pause. Alfred wondered if Arthur has hung up on him. "England?"
"My state is not important right now. In a few moments there is reason to believe that you are going to be-"
Arthur was cut off by America again- but not by words this time. America let out a piercing scream. "Holy fuck, what's going on!?"
Arthur's voice was panicked. America has never heard him sounding like this, all flustered and concerned. "Alfred? Alfred, are you alright?"
He kept talking and asking questions, trying to get America to answer, but the pain was too much. Alfred dropped the phone and fell to the floor, soon falling unconscious.
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He had woken to clean sheets and a bed, a steaming cup of coffee and a bright morning sun. Arthur had been there, calmly sipping a cup of tea. Once Alfred was fully awake, Arthur explained that there had been an attack, made by Japan.
An attack on the United States. An attack on Pearl Harbor.
England informed him that the United States had joined World War Two.
If he hadn't been awake already, he was now. "Wait, what? And no one wanted my opinion on this!?"
"Why, are you against the decision?"
Alfred laughed. It kind of hurt his side, just a little. "Of course not! I just could have made an amazing case for joining you in the war!" He grinned at Arthur, finally getting a good look at him. "What the hell happened to you!?"
Arthur cracked a smile, a rare occurrence. "Don't worry about me, I was much worse a few months ago."
"But I am kind of worried. You look awful." It was true. Arthur looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, and there were still small cuts, bruises, and scrapes all over him that hadn't quite healed. "What have they done to you," he mumbled.
"The Blitz happened."
"You were actually in London for that? I figured they had probably gottne you out of there!" Alfred could feel the rage rising, threatening to bubble over. He shoved it back down, forcing himself to remain calm. "I can't believe Germany did that to you."
"You and I both know Ludwig did not have much say in the matter. It is not our place to make decisions."
"But I'm still not just going to let this go." He struggled to get out of the bed and onto his feet.
"Alfred, you're acting ridiculous! Don't get out of that bed!" But he did anyways, and ended up falling on the floor all tangled in blankets. When he looked up, Arthur was above him shaking hid head. "I know you want to just charge straight into battle, but you can't. Your country can, but you need to rest."
"But that's the same thing," he whispered. "I am my country. The United States. The hero."
"And you can be a hero, in your own way. God knows you're a hero to me sometimes." He rolled his eyes. "So although neither of us can be in an actual fight right now, they know we're there in spirit."
"We can be heroes, Iggy." America rolled onto his back and stared up at England. "We can save the day for everyone."
He couldn't help but smile again. Maybe it was worth it, after all.
Maybe sometimes, like in their case...
It was worth trying to swim upstream.
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And the shame, was on the other side
Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever
Then we could be heroes just for one day
We can be heroes
We can be heroes
We can be heroes just for one day
We can be heroes
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Thank you so much for sticking with me to the end!
Special thanks to SailorCheesy for helping me stay inspired and finish first-ever multi-chapter fanfiction!
Keep an eye out for my new story!