A large group was sitting around the table.
Germany headed the group as he poured over all the evidence they had collected.
In the middle of the table was a large map and tacked onto it was evidence that pointed to different places.
The leader plopped into his chair and ran an agitated hand through his, now messy, hair.
"According to zhis, zhey can be in more zhan a hundred countries! Even zhe New World!"
"We're never going to find zem zis way!" France shouted.
"At least we know where they are NOT," Japan said as he held up a piece of paper.
None of the countries had to look; they all knew what he was talking about perfectly well.
A small note had arrived the day before.
'We know you are looking for your lovers and children.'
Spain had quite literally growled at that part.
'Want a hint?'
Sweden had been the brave one and turned it over to look at the back.
'Thought so.'
"By native lands they will not be found, nor inside such lands."
The group looked down at the six countries that had been blackened out.
"By your native lands they will be found neither."
Six more blackened countries.
"Nor in any stare they share borders with."
By then half of Europe was gone.
All of the New World, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific was intact.
They hadn't been able to decide if Japan and Greece counted because they hadn't been threatened.
"Like, how do we know they weren't, like, split up?" Poland asked. "It would be, like, totally uncool if they had."
"Because vhoever has zhem vould vant zhem all togezher so zhey could show off zhey're prizes."
The group turned around to see Austria.
He looked exhausted and weak but he had dragged himself out of the basement and up the stairs to join them.
Germany pulled out his chair and offered it to the fragile nation.
Austria limped over to them and took the seat gratefully.
"Danke."
Germany nodded.
"Natürlich. Can you contact Schweiz at all?"
The brunet shook his head.
"I can't. I can't reach him. He's too far away. Can you reach anyone?"
All the men shook their heads.
As, technically, supernatural beings, they could sense when another nation was near. The feeling was much stronger and more powerful if the recipient was important to the sender. If they were close enough they could send a sort of signal or message; a bit like telepathy. The stronger the bond, the more you could do with it. Spain had been the one to discover it, but England was the best at it.
His magic strengthened the link to where he almost didn't have to concentrate to use it. He was also able to hide himself from searching signals which no other nation could do. It's what had made him such a feared pirate, though he hadn't told anyone until long after his pirate days were over. He could pop out of anywhere it seemed and send out his own searching signals without being caught.
All the nations used the power in different ways.
Spain had used it to help an eye on Romano when the younger nation was small.
England used it to watch over his kids. It was so much more rewarding to let them know they were in trouble without having to actually say something.
France thought he was the most practical with it.
He used it to check the needs of his sons and lover. That's how he always knew what they wanted before they said anything and he'd always be ready with whatever it was.
It was most useful with Steven being a baby.
France quickly checked on him and found him sleeping and wouldn't need anything for a few hours.
The downside of the power was that it could easily drain you if you overused it and didn't know how to control it.
And you could only use it when you were conscious and calm.
"We're all being blocked."
France turned to Austria.
"But what about your dreams?"
Austria shook slightly.
"Vhat about zhem?"
"What if zat's Suisse's way of reaching you?"
Austria's bloodshot eyes widened.
"Zhat-Zhat makes sense….He uses IT to project images into people's heads. He changes zheir zhoughts from dark to bright or vice-versa and it really does vork."
"Then it sounds like he's trying to let you know something," Greece said, surprising them all. "What do you see in your dreams?"
Austria's shaking increased.
"A-A-All sorts of bad images," he forced out. "Of how he's being treated."
"Vhat do you see in zhe background?" Germany asked gently.
Austria shook his head.
"I-I don't. I can only see him."
Prussia came around the table and took his hand.
"Try Österreich. Focus." The brunet closed his eyes but everyone could tell he didn't want to. "Vhat do you see?"
Austria's face tightened.
"I-I can see a stone wall."
He looked around more and described what he saw.
"Can you see anyone?"
"No-Wait. Now he's zhere. And-And…someone else."
All the nations leaned forward.
They might be able to find out the person doing this to them.
"Who is it?"
Austria tried to concentrate.
The image was very blurry but he could see his Vash trying to help another blond person.
His perspective shifted and he was suddenly looking through Vash's eyes.
"It-It's England."
France gasped and scooted closer.
"H-How is he?"
Austria scanned the man.
"He's unconscious. Vash is trying to help him. Zhey're both bleeding a lot. And so two are other people." Austria looked around. "It's hard to tell but it looks like zhere are only four people in zhis room."
'The others are somewhere else…' Vash's voice whispered in his head. 'I don't know where but we're all up here because of who we are. England is going to be taken back to wherever he was before soon so I'm trying to do what I can before he's gone.'
Austria told them what he had heard.
The door opened and he looked up to see a shadowy figure.
Austria gasped.
'Pull out!' Vash's voice told him urgently. 'Now!'
Austria snapped back to himself and shook his head.
He raised his eyes to see the other nations staring at him.
"V-Vhat?"
Germany was pointing at a spot on the map.
"Zhey're here. You gave us a lot more zhan you realized. We can go get them back."
There was an angry fire burning in the man's eyes that was matched by four other pairs.
AN: If you're confused, Austria can look into people's heads but he has to ask first during peace times and with people he cares about. When he gets in, he basically becomes the person he's inside of. (It's like possession!)
But BUM BUM BAAAAAH! Shall we find ze l'amours next chapter? I ZINK ZO! :D
I have to admit something. I LOVE this chapter. I don't remember how I thought of that 'power' thing but I think it helps. (AND IT'S COOL!)
Oh! And since Austria's and Switzy's 'power's' are similar they have the tightest connection. That's why they asked if he could reach him. They can reach each other from one side of the planet to the next. It might not be very 'clear reception' but it works.
And this story is in an AU. The 'New World' is obviously America and Canada but since they're still kids nothing really exists yet. And speaking of existing! Australia does NOT in this story! Or a few parts of Asia! Well...not YET anyway...
Anyway! See ya soon! :D
