Chapter 11: No Rest for the Wicked

"Is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?"

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Ivan was asleep on his couch. He had wanted to go out at first, but Alfred had insisted he rested up before they left on their mission. Feliks had occupied the bathroom for whatever reason, and Alfred was more than happy to keep him there.

Ivan looked so much more peaceful when he was asleep. More vulnerable, less troubled. Alfred's eyes dropped inevitably to those slightly parted lips, from which a lightly distorted breathing could be heard. They had almost kissed again. Ivan was asleep now. He just had to bent over to…

The sound of paper flying under his door made the little hairs in his neck stand on edge. Whirling around, Alfred was immediately on the alert. There was indeed a small white square lying in front of his door.

Grabbing a gun in one hand, Alfred cautiously snuck toward it. Was it a challenge? Just a simply note from one of his college friend? A secret love letter from Mei? It turned out to be none of those. When Alfred used the his socked toes to flip the paper over, he only saw a few words.

I'll be watching you.

Shooting up, Alfred wasted no time in running to the door. If he was fast, he could still catch whoever had delivered this note to him! However, when he flung the door open, he found someone else already standing there. Matthew still had his hand raised in the air as if he had been about to knock, and looked utterly surprised to be faced with his brother (even though this was Alfred's house).

"Mattie? What are you doing here?" He leant out of the doorway for a moment, glancing down the empty hallway. Not a signal of life, which meant that the writer of the note had already fled the scene.

"I'm here to see him," Matthew answered in a much too cool, much too sober voice. Alfred's head snapped back at the used tone, expression dropping remorsefully.

"Look Matt, if this is about yesterday, I want you to know that I-"

Matthew shook his head, successfully cutting his brother off. "I'm not here to talk about that." He looked over the other's shoulder, scraped his throat, and raised his voice. "Braginsky? I know you're in there."

Alfred flushed pink. "How did you-" Rustling, the sensation of a looming presence right behind. He could almost perfectly picture the look on Ivan's face.

"You called?" the man purred, sounding far too smug for someone who had been asleep until a moment ago. Which meant he had been awake. Good thing Alfred hadn't voiced any of his secret desires. Or perhaps Ivan already knew…

Matthew narrowed his eyes and bravely looked up. "I have come to challenge you. We versus you villains. Tonight at you know where."

Both Ivan's grin and Alfred's eyes widened considerably. "Wait wait- Mattie, you wanna fight him?"

Matthew sent him a leer before continuing. "If we win, you leave and never come back. You leave me brother alone. If you win… I will give up trying to stop you."

No. No no no, he did not want his brother to fight his… "Matt, have you gone insane? You can't fight this guy! You-"

Ivan pushed past him, placing a hand threateningly above his brother's head. However, there was also a sort of familiar mirth speaking from his appearance. "Challenge accepted, kotyonok."

Matthew nodded, and made to leave.

"Wait!" Alfred protested. He lunged forward to try and grab his brother's hand, but Matthew sent him such a cold glare that he froze in his steps.

"This is for your own good Alfred. If you're not going to make the right decisions, then I will make them for you. And I trust that by tonight, you have figured out which side you should be on."

And Matthew left, and Alfred was left behind with the feeling like his heart just fell through the bottom of his stomach. Ivan patted him softly on the shoulder.

"I am going home to prepare. Feliks!"

Ivan's blond "friend" finally popped out of the kitchen, cupcake between his teeth.

"We are leaving. And Alfred…" He bent over to place a goodbye kiss at the American's cheek. "I will see you tonight. Do not worry, everything will be all right."

As the two left, Alfred was still staring at the wall opposite of him, unseeing.

xoxox

Two groups of fighters had gathered in the middle of what was known as The Pit. It was a huge construction site, abandoned two years ago after an accident. While court kept dragging its investigation, the locals used The Pit for whatever means they deemed it fitting.

Three men were on the right, three and a woman on the left. Matthew had never felt his heart beat so anxiously as it was doing now, and yet… And yet Alfred was nowhere in sight.

"This ends now!" he shouted in shaky voice across the empty spaces. Ivan was casually polishing his beloved faucet, Feliks and the mysterious Yao standing by his sides with expressions like they were paying the dentist an obliged annual visit.

"You know it is not ending," Ivan chuckled, sending the other a knowing leer. "More will come after me. Perhaps worse." He deemed his pipe ready, tucking away the cloth as he pointed it at the trembling blond. "Perhaps a true villain may be released upon this city."

"Shut up," Matthew growled back, hands tightened around the hockey stick he was protectively holding in front of him. "None of this would be happening if you just hadn't gone after my brother! What are you planning with him anyway?!"

Ivan's expression darkened, mouth forming a thin line. "…You wanted a battle, if I remember correctly?"

Feliks rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "Yeah, enough talk! I have an appointment with the hairdresser and I am not missing it simply because someone doesn't agree with the way we work! Yao, you ready?"

The Chinese finished writing a text message, after which he sighed. "I was ready long ago, but because of all that talking I got busy again. Now can we finish this? Some of us have to work!"

Matthew growled, motioning for his team to get ready as well. Gilbert, Roderich and Elizabeta were all donned in handmade costumes. Gilbert even had his own outfit back on, the last time he wore it already seeming so long ago…

"I'm going to teach you not to mess with my brother," Matthew whispered, before surging forward to strike the first blow.

xoxox

Alfred was running, heart thumping in his throat. He hoped with his entire being that he wasn't too late to stop them. For once in his lifetime, he had chosen not to participate in a fight. Not because he was suddenly a pacifist, or got queasy at the thought of violence, but…

Because despite knowing fully well that he should stand by his brother, his friends and family, those who wanted to protect the city… There was something nagging at the back at his head. A gnawing feeling wanting to make its presence known. As if there was something else, something worse, to be paying attention to.

If Ivan really was as bad as Matthew thought, then why didn't he just kill him when he came to challenge him? If Alfred really was the hero he claimed to be, then how could he still have doubts? If there were no true villains, then had he been sending innocent people to justice all those years? Could Ivan's actions really be justified? And who had raided the other's home yesterday? Were they to be labelled a villain?

So many questions, and yet his mind could provide no answers.

His wings were bouncing against his back as he ran. He had contemplated the option not to put on his uniform, since this was Alfred going out to stop his brother and… whatever Ivan was to be called, before they made a grave error. But the uniform was all he had, all he had ever known. Ever since Matthew had given it to him. He needed it.

Shouts could be heard, and his heart skipped a beat. Was he already too late…?

Climbing on top of a car, he could finally see what was happening in The Pit. People fighting, so lost in combat that they were almost unrecognizable. But no, there was Ivan, his pale figure clearly distinguished in the heat of the battle. And there was his brother-

"Hey! Stop!" He tried to shout over the ruckus, but his voice couldn't carry far enough. He would have to get in there and stop them himself, before anyone could get hurt.

Sliding from the roof of the car, he sprinted forward, adrenaline urging him in. Almost there…

"Oof!"

The air was knocked out of him as a body collided with his own, dragging them both to the ground. Alfred couldn't tell if it had been intentional, or if the other had been pushed. He struggled to get free, the only important thing being his brother right now. When he felt the other roll off, he was about to get up and continue on his way… Until he saw who exactly was lying next to him.

A piercing red costume, a giant A sown into the front… Mr Awesome! He had returned! But how? Alfred swore he had turned him in, and last time he saw him the man had been on his way to a life sentence in jail…

The other coughed, opening his eyes. Alfred felt a second spark of recognition. Mr Awesome didn't have that eye colour… Unless he had used contacts all that time. A hand shot up, and pulled off the mask.

"Gilbert?"

Two crimson eyes stared up at him in alarm, being caught red-handed. It was then that Alfred heard the words flying from Ivan and his brother's mouth.

"If you are dissatisfied with the way we work, I will have to remind you that we still have a contract!"

"The contract didn't say anything about you buttering up my brother!"

The return of Mr Awesome, something about a contract…

"What the hell is going on here?!"