MW: So I accidentally didn't update all of January. Yeah, I didn't mean to do that. Between everything from my art supplements to my thesis paper, I just didn't have enough brains to sit down and finish this. But now it's February and it's done. I'll discuss some actual important stuff in the bottom AN, so make sure you read that. Until then, shout out to HoneyBeeGirl94, A Very Big Fan, Hammsters, MastermindKakashi, HimekoUchia, anon, Isuckatreviewing, Krinos Bara, greydragon987, Guest, andNotSilentAnymore.

Enjoy!

Chapter Summary: Larry must take down the bomber, but will he be able to when the plans seems like it's falling apart?

Warning: Blood/Violence, foul language.

~Chapter 12~

There Will Lie My Kin

"For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought."

― Edmund Spenser, British Poet

The Fandom: December 31st

"So you two were getting pretty saucy in there," France said, winking as he elbowed Turkey's side. The cold air redden his cheeks, darkening the skin under his blond stubble. More than anything, Turkey wanted to shove France away and run off to do his mission, but he held himself back. A grumpy Switzerland and a distant Netherlands were still hanging off his sides, both sets of lips pressed in easy annoyance. He needed to wait for his opportunity. Play his cards right.

Switzerland buried his hands into his coat, mouth twisting with disgust. "You just can't keep it in your pants, can't you?" he sneered, casting his hateful glare to the side.

Turkey bit back his bitterness. The last thing he wanted was for his ex-boyfriend of all people to hold him back from his mission. "Don't you have an Austrian to shoot?" he demanded.

"I have a few blocks from the building he should be waiting on," Switzerland replied haughtily. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

France took a few steps forward, just enough to peer at the Netherlands. "And what about you?" he asked. "Isn't Denmark in the opposite direction?"

The Netherlands pulled the burning cigarette from his mouth, tapping off the burnt end. The gray ash fell onto the snowy pavement, only to be trampled by the passing crowd. "Yes he is," he said. "But I have another duty to do."

Switzerland scowled. "And what could that be? I only told you to take care of your boyfriend."

"Friend," the Netherlands corrected. He curled his hand into a fist. He passed Turkey a sidelong glance and dropped his cigarette. Knowing a signal when he saw one, Turkey dropped to the ground, covering the back of his neck with his hands.

The Netherlands slammed his fist into the Swiss's head, just enough to disorientate him. Switzerland stumbled over his feet, helpless to the foreign hands that grabbed the gun from the holster hanging off his belt. Turkey glanced up just in time to see the Netherlands shoot France in the stomach. Turkey gasped, jumping to his feet as the red spread across France's stomach. The surrounding crowd that had been rushing to the ill-fated festival of love screamed. France stumbled into a building, pressing his back to the brick wall as he slid to the ground.

Turkey heard Switzerland's struggle with the homicidal Netherlands continue behind him as he scrambled to France's side. "What the fuck," he muttered as he unwrapped his scarf from his neck. France smiled at him and tried to speak, but Turkey hushed him. "Talking will only make the bleeding worst." He pressed the scarf into the wound, praying that the weight he added would be enough to stop the bleeding. A thousand thoughts screeched through his head, each one filled with his growing panic.

What if France died? What would Seychelles do? What would England say? What if France woke up a different person, one with no will or desire to be England's boyfriend anymore? What would happen then?

Why was the Netherlands even doing this to begin with? Switzerland didn't do anything wrong. France definitely was innocent. Why was it that every time he thought he understood everything, a new piece to the puzzle was add? It was like studying an abstract painting. You think you know what the nonsensical red splatters of paint might mean, but then someone will point out the blue dots. Nothing ever added up, no matter how much he looked. Someone was always one step ahead.

"What the flying fuck are you doing?" Turkey looked over his shoulder, and saw the Netherlands holding Switzerland to the icy pavement. The barrel of the stolen gun was pressed into the back of the blond head. "Go now!" the Netherlands barked.

"What the flying fuck do you think you'redoing, jackass?" Turkey shot back, feeling vicious contempt swell in his gut.

The Netherlands did not break from his stoic expression. "There were two of us with our ears against the doors," he stated simply. "If you're going to switch sides, you have to do it fully. Find Larry and tell him what happened. Now."

Turkey glared at him. "I still don't understand-"

"I'll rather fight Hidekaz and Spain than Mathias any day. Now get your ass moving before you're out of time."

Turkey looked between him and the dying friend at his fingertips. He should stay here with France, at least until the ambulance came. Why did he let that stupid Sue boy leave before him? If that kid had been in the room when Sherry opened the door, they wouldn't be in this mess right now.

The Netherlands groaned. "Spain also had his ear to the door! How long do you think he's going to humor your girlfriend before he calls her out on this shit?" Turkey froze. Spain heard everything? They were being so discreet, and it was all for nothing. Spain heard everything. "Once she's out of the way, you'll be next. Go now and I'll hold him back."

Turkey looked down the street they had been walking down a mere minute before. He should run back and save her. He could do that, or he could stay here and help France. He looked in the direction of the park. Or he could do what Sherry sent him out to do. He didn't trust Spain anymore, but he had to trust Sherry when she promised to be careful. His trust was the least he could give her.

He looked at France with a swelling sadness. "I'm sorry." Turkey touched the dying man's hand before jumping his feet and running towards the park. Each step slammed his foot into the ground and brought him closer to the boy his message was for. He was steps closer to an inevitable damnation. Turkey huffed as he sped down the street. He didn't know how much time he had left. If he didn't hurry, then he might end up missing Larry and Iceland at the park. He needed to hold them in place, just until he got there.

Turkey slowed down his pace, just enough to pull out his cell phone and hit speed dial. The first ring was barely finished when a sonorous voice answered. "Like, hey Turkey-Legs! What up with my totally hot boyfriend?"

Turkey smiled into the receiver. "Poland, I need you to do me a favor."

The Fangirl: December 31st

"Wakey-wakey, Sherry!"

I gasped, desperate for air as the cold water cascaded against the back of my head. It dripped down the sides of my face, bringing a disgusting taste to my open mouth before streaming down the tip of my nose. Something yellow and something red swirled in it as it splattered onto the porcelain white tub. The colors swirled together like water colors as they circled down the drain. My lungs starved with my missing breath as I stayed paralyzed in my spot.

What the flying fuck happened?

I stared at the colored water as the pungent stench of barf mixed with old blood met my nose. I felt myself retch as the hand tangled in my black hair yanked me from the water. Pain pinched the roots on my scalp. I whined as the white hand pulled me to the opposite end of the tub. It released me and turned off the faucet. "Now that you aren't all covered in barf and shit-" I traveled my eyes up the hand, to the arm, and to the smug face of America. "-we can get down to business."

I tried to suppress my panting, but my efforts were met with little success. I pressed a hand to my chest, ordering my heart to stop racing. I was sore, but as I rubbed the wounded area, I realized that the pain was mostly gone. I could still feel a small zip of agony nipping my muscles, but it wasn't enough to stop me from moving or thinking. "What happened?" I asked out loud.

America sat on the edge of the tub, his sneakers squeaking on the tiled floor in the process. "For starters, you passed out," he said. "I guess the pain was too much for you or something." At this, he checked the watch at his wrist, biting his lip at the face. "Larry's boyfriend's been gone for about ten minutes, and I've been here for about three. I found you all unconscious and stuff, so I did the heroic thing and woke you up. And since I'm a pretty chill dude, I got rid of as much of that stupid pain as I could."

"You did that?" I asked, massaging the lingering sore in my breast.

"Well, yeah. I couldn't get rid of allof it, but at least you can think now."

I stared at him, unsure if I could trust the helpful glint of his blue eyes. They were shades lighter than the baby blue wallpaper of the bathroom, but the buzzing light of the fluorescent lamps made them look darker. Keeping a hand on my chest, I sat a little straighter against the tub wall. Water trickled down my back, sending me into a fit of shivers. "Why do I need to think?"

He raised a brow. "What?"

"I mean, why are you helping me?" I demanded. "You didn't need to get rid of that pain, especially since Antonio's going after Sadiq anyways. You didn't need to wake me up, but you did. You want something from me."

America smiled. "You're starting to sound a lot like Larry," he said, sounding like a proud parent. He shifted his position on the ledge, and said, "but yeah. I want to make a deal with you."

I shook my head. "No-"

He held up a hand. "Hear me out first, Sue. Once you do, then you can reject me."

"Do you really think that after all this I'm just going to make a freaking contract with you?" I demanded, feeling the heat gather in my face. I couldn't help but to be happy that I was in Seychelles's body and not my own. Irish-Scots tend to get blotchy red faces when they fume. Lovely African nations only look vicious. "You really are a dumbass."

"I'm not talking about contracts," he replied, not sounding the least bit peeved. "I'm talking about a handshake. No conditions or fine prints, just two people with a mutual understanding based on Scout's honor."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I know you won't make an actual contract." He grinned at my annoyed face. "And besides, it's not that big of a matter. We're just doing each other favors."

I glared at him. "Yeah, and what happened to Sadiq again? Didn't his boyfriend forget him? And what about Lars? He lost his friend. And Seychelles lost control of her body..."

"It's nothing big I'm asking you. I just know that you really need to find your brother. I mean, not to put down Sadiq or anything, but the Spanish asshole is going to get to him before he gets to Larry. We both know it. You're going to need my help to get to him."

His smile was unrelenting, but I knew that there was something he was not saying. Telling Larry about everything must be part of their big plan. I wanted to trust Sadiq to tell Larry in time, but Antonio did have the upper hand. Hidekaz was on his side, along with the rest of our group. It was dumb to send him out alone. I should be helping him, and America was going to be my ticket to doing so.

"But if you want my help, you're going to have to do me a favor in return," America continued, unaware of anything but himself. "Like I said, it's not much. I just want my dad's glasses back. We know you have them, but we don't know where. I think it'll be easier on everyone if we avoided the blood bath and you just gave them up."

I glared at him as he studied his nails, his mouth curled with confidence. He thought he had me. He was completely convinced that I was going to make the deal blindly, just like that. What's worst, I could feel myself about to do it. I opened my mouth to agree, but stopped myself. If I agreed to this, Himaruya would have me in his pocket. I would be betraying Hidekaz- Ari, France, Belarus, Lars -forever. I would be leaving the good guys for good.

But Hidekaz wasn't the good guy anymore. He was too secretive to be safe. I should have realized that neither Larry nor I mattered to him. It was all about this bloody game and who won.

Though I would rather he was the winner than Himaruya. Hidekaz wasn't good, but he wasn't bad either. But I could never forgive Himaruya. He could come crying at my feet begging for me to at least acknowledge his apology, but I wouldn't even consider it. He had put Larry and me through too much pain for far too long. He still had his soiled claws around Jerry and I couldn't begin to imagine the things that had happened to him.

No, at this point I wasn't going to be on either side. Right now, all I wanted was to take my brothers' hands and go home. Forget everything about Hetaliaand the things that happened here. I didn't care about who ruled what world or who won in the end. I just wanted everything to end. But how was I supposed to do that when we were in so deep? This game Himaruya Hidekaz played had ensnared us all and there was no way to get out clean.

America's shadow draped over me. His kind visage never faded as he bent to my height and held out a hand. "So do we have a deal?" he asked.

I looked between his hand and burning blue eyes. Larry, Jerry and I were caught in this game and the only way out was to stop being a piece of it and start being a player. This has always been a game of liars and traitors and I have always been the pawn of it. I've been the pawn since the moment I woke up in Seychelles's body all those years ago, I realized. I just never wanted to admit it.

If I was going to get my little brothers out, I was going to have to act like them. I was going to have to be as scheming and smart as Larry while seeming as delicate as Jerry. Only then would I have the smallest chance of saving anybody.

I gulped, looking at the hand once again. There was nothing dangerous about it, but yet I would feel more comfortable grasping the blade of a sword. Those glasses contained the last part of Himaruya. Terrible things could happen if I gave them up, but I needed to ability to move. If I played my cards rights and say the right things, I might just manage to get America to do what I want without giving them up.

I smiled and took his hand. "Deal," I said, giving it a hearty shake.

I barely pulled away when America jumped to the opportunity. "Great, man. So give me the glasses," he said.

"Take me to Larry first."

He grinned and shook his head. "No can do. You have to give me those glasses before I can do anything in return. That's what favors are."

I blew air through my lips. "They're back in the real world," I told him, trying to salvage my advantage. "I'll tell you exactly where once you take me to Larry."

"Or you can just get them for me."

I paled. "Huh?" I felt the dropping sensation of leaving this world fall upon me in a thunderous wave. I grimaced, feeling my wet shoulders fall as I sunk into the abyss. "Fuck," I breathed, struggling to keep my eyes open. An invisible force commanded them to close and, as they did, the light of the bathroom shrunk into a small circle.

I tried to maintain a grip on reality.

This was a cheap trick, but I can still have the upper hand. I can still do this. I can...

I fell through the hole and back into my real body.

The Fanboy: December 31st

"I swear we have permission to be back here."

Hungary raised a skeptical brow, passing her green eyes between the jacket-less Ari (he claimed that after all the running we did to get here before the explosion that he was feeling overheated) (I truthfully thought that he was just showing off) and an anxious me. Hidekaz and France were off doing their own work for the plan, leaving no one to support our claim as Hungary looked down at her clipboard again. "You guys aren't on the list."

I bit my lip, trusting Ari to come up with a better lie than me as I peeked over her shoulder. Poland was standing by the stage, a cell phone pressed to his ear as he waited for the performance to end. I needed to get there soon, or else I can't take care of that stupid bomb. Ari's cold arm around my shoulder pulled me back to attention. He strained a confident, business-like grin as he jabbed a finger into my chest. "...most beautiful voice on the planet," he was saying. "France and England simply demanded her to sing for the show today."

I nodded. "They compared my voice to the choir of angels that sang the sweet Prince Hamlet to his rest," I added, placing a soulful hand to my chest.

Ari glared at me, as if to scold me for my over dramatic flair, before mimicking it himself. "The special providence given to the fall of a sparrow is instead gifted to the sweet voice of our dear Liechtenstein," he said as he bowed his head in reverence.

Hungary stared at us. "What the fuck have you two been smoking?" she asked.

"If we tell you, will you let us backstage?" I asked.

"No."

We groaned. I rubbed my chapped hands together, wincing at their painful return of feeling. I was all out of ideas. I was all prepared to signal Ari to resort to violence- I still had the knife Belarus gave me in my pocket -but I was stopped by a grinning blond. "Like, Liechtenstein!" Poland called as he ran up to me. His face was pink and his eyes were more focused on the ground than my face, but I didn't question it. He quickly hugged me before returning back to his hands at his sides. "Wanna, like, chill with me backstage for a bit? We can totally exchange hair tips."

Ari spoke up before I could say anything. "Actually, Liechtenstein is here to perform. France and England did give you the memo, right?"

"Oh, I got the message from my Turkey-Turks." Ari and I exchanged a glance. What did Sadiq have to do with this? The applause of the audience broke Poland from his bright grin. For a moment, I saw him make a quick calculation behind his eyes though it was quickly replaced by a nonchalant face. He grabbed my hand and started to drag me away. "Here, you can go on next. Just, like, promise me you and I can totes have some one on one talking afterwards."

A surge of panic cascaded me as Rock Star Pangaea and her various Pangaea band members sauntered off stage. "Wait, but I don't have something prepared-"

A cold hand grabbed my arm. "Just improvise, Larry," Ari hissed into my ear as he trotted alongside me. His violet eyes glared at the tech area behind the stage. "I'll look for the bomber. If the bomb's already there, I'll disable it."

"You can disable bombs?" I asked right as Poland pulled me onto stage.

I stopped, staring at the large crowd. There were maybe hundred people standing happily, enthralled by whoever spoke into the mic. Even the people passing between the booths were attentive to Poland as he clapped. "That was, like, totally awesome. Remember that you can buy Pangaea's newest single on her album 'Drifting from You.' Up next we have local darling Liechtenstein singing us a little song." He indicated to me and the claps and hollers started again.

Stiff as a tree trunk, I strained to smile at them. What was I supposed to do?

Poland shoved the microphone at me. "Remember, we're talking after this," he whispered. He winked and, with one last dramatic wave of the hand, he was off stage.

I was left alone.

The audience stared at me.

Someone coughed.

I remembered that I was holding the microphone. I brought it to my mouth, saying, "Hey everyone-" The speakers screeched. My audience groaned and covered their ears. Hissing, I brought it away from me and it stopped. "Sorry, sorry! This is the first time I've done something like this." An uncomfortable laugh spread through my crowd. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Feeling a slight better, I brought to microphone back towards me, careful to not invoke the wrath of the technology gods. "So, I'm supposed to sing for you guys today," I said. I wanted to glance behind me to see how Ari was doing, but there was no way I could do that without it looking weird. "Does anyone have any requests?"

A few mentions of Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga came up, causing me to give a nervous grin. This is what I get for not listening to Top 40s radio. "Any other requests?"

"Vee~! Pick me! Pick me!" I couldn't hold back my flinch when Italy started jumping up and down in the audience, waving a hand around like an idiot. His bright smile illuminated his face, making his peach-like cheeks clear to the eye. I wanted to ignore him, but the people around him began clapping him on, encouraging me to grant his wishes.

I hate show business. How Sayaka was able to drift among it so comfortably was beyond me. "Sure, Italy?"

He jumped into the air, holding up a glossed guitar. "Sing your favorite song for us!" he shouted. "I'll play the guitar!" He lifted his instrument into the air, as if to show the world that his mother did not raise a liar.

His excitement was contagious, spreading like wildfire through the audience. With no other choice, I sighed and signaled for him to come on stage with me. The merry man skipped through the people and climbed up to me. He looked happier than a child released for recess. He flashed me a smile as he adjusted his hold on the guitar, positioning his fingers on the right chords. "You know, you said once that you first realized you loved me when you heard me play my guitar," he told me, uncaring that my microphone was picking up every word he said. "I don't know what I did, but maybe if I do it again, you'll love me again."

Cue the obnoxious "aw" from the audience. My face burned red as a pit of regret dug into my gut. Poor guy. To think that I've been avoiding him all week. I pushed the thoughts away as he began to strum. Liechtenstein can fix the relationship later. She'll understand.

For a short instant, I wondered what Liechtenstein's favorite song even was, but when I heard the melody streaming from Italy's fingertips, I knew what it was: that stupid poem I wrote during THE WAR. In retrospect, it wasn't as good as I thought it was when I had first written it. I hadn't gotten any better at poetry since then, but at least I was now able to admit how overly simplistic the verse and meaning was.

Italy glanced at me, cueing me to start singing. I brought the microphone back to my mouth and, with no other option, started my song.

"Across the velvet sea,

Against the setting sun,

A soul hides locked away-

Captor on the run."

I noticed a person turning around, holding a hat close to their face as they waved out of the throng. Everyone else seemed enthralled by the song, but this one person was leaving. Why?

"So sad- it yearns to become

An eagle in the sky

And high up it will go

Far 'way it will fly."

Ari appeared at the front of the stage. I raised my brows, asking him what he found. He mouthed out two words: No bomb.

That made me stumble over a few words. No bomb? So the bomber never put the bomb there in the first place? That didn't make sense. Right now was about the time the bomb was supposed to go off. We know the bomb was at the stage. Everything was the same as it was last time. It should still be there.

"To the place that is my home

To the normal faces,

To the Arms of my love:

The one bright place safest."

But I was here. Maybe my presence was the changing variable. Why would I be the reason for the bomb not going off? Himaruya's lackeys had no problem blowing my sister to kingdom come. Why was I different? None of them cared about me.

"Run, run across the ocean

With blessings of the wind.

To the ends of the earth,

There will lie my kin."

My kin.

What if Himaruya planned for us to roll back time? It wouldn't matter then that Sherry was caught in the last explosion since she would have been alright at the end. But now it was the final round and the lackey that was supposed to blow up the stage knew that whoever got caught in the mess wouldn't come back unharmed.

My kin.

None of Himaruya's companions care about me. Roderich would throw me under a bus if he could and Alfred would probably take pleasure in my death. Mathias, with his lack of free will, would never care if Larry Sue in Liechtenstein's body was caught up in an explosion.

But my kin would.

"Jerry," I breathed, interrupting my song. The guitar music ended with a loud twang. Italy raised a brow as an awkward mutter stretched across the crowd. I looked to the side, spotting Poland at the wings. His face dawned with the realization of what I was about to do. He swore and ran up the steps.

If he caught me now, I may never reach Jerry.

I threw my microphone at him, setting off another screech of the speakers. The audience groaned. I jumped off the stage, landing with a thump next to Ari. I grabbed his hand. "Let's go," I yelled, pulling him through the crowd.

Jerry was in the body of the man who left the audience. He had been hiding his face from me. Even after everything I did to him, Jerry would rather breach his contract than risk harming me. "You're too good of a person," I growled aloud, fighting my way through the throng of people. Ari yelled at me to slow down and tell him what was going on, but I ignored him. I was only consumed by one thought, the fact that I had finally found my twin brother.

Now I was about to lose him.

We broke through the wall of people, darting into the crowded streets of the festival. I stopped, panting as I searched for the man with the low hat. Nowhere in the pink and red decorations and rows upon rows of booths was his burly figure. "What are you doing?" Ari demanded, yanking his hand free. His pale face burned red as he placed his hands on his knees.

I glanced behind and saw Poland speaking hastily into his phone. Something told me that he was calling for security to restrain me. I had to act fast. "We don't have much time, so just trust me when I say that I saw the bomber in the audience," I told Ari. "I didn't see his face before he left, but I'm sure that it's my brother in someone else's body."

"I thought your brother wasn't here," Ari said.

"Antonio said that Hidekaz lied to me."

His teeth dug into his bottom lip as he thought it over. I felt the harsh eyes of the world bore into my back. The cold air made it hard to breathe. The Icelandic boy finally gave me his verdict. "I think you're right. Do you have any idea where your brother went or even who is he?"

I made a distressed noise. "No."

"Well we got five seconds for you to figure it out or else we're all screwed."

I held up a hand, as if I could grab his agitation and force it back down his throat. I could figure it out. Jerry was my twin. I knew him better than anyone else.

I probed my brain, trying to narrow down the possibilities. Jerry would have to have been in the body of someone who would make a contract. This someone had to be a Hetalia character, one who was tall and muscular.

Lars? No, I would have noticed.

One of Himaruya's sons would have to keep by him, just in case Jerry started to go off their tracks. Jerry is a chef, not a bomber so the personification who made the contract would need to have some prior knowledge of pyrotechnics.

Hong Kong? No, he didn't match the man's physique.

Maybe the Hetalia character didn't need to be into explosive exactly, but something closely related to it. He would need to have a logical, unsuspicious source for all of the necessary materials, like wires and oil-

I took Ari's arm again. "I know where he is!" I exclaimed as I pulled him along with me. Ari yelped in alarm and, after a stumbling start, followed right after me. His loud shouts demanded for me to tell him who I was thinking of. I told him the name. I didn't hear what his reply was, but his feet picked up and he ran alongside me willingly.

I picked up my pace and forced my legs to stretch as far as they could. Happiness found its way into my worried mind. I found Jerry.

I finally found Jerry.

The Fangirl: Saturday

I opened my eyes to the bright sun blaring down at me. I groaned, lifting a heavy arm over my face like a visor. For a fuzzy moment, I was caught in that state of not remembering who I was and why I had fallen asleep. It was short lasted, but it was nevertheless a moment of treasured peacefulness I could die in. Of course, it had to end with the crushing realization that, despite what I was feeling, I was still Sherry Sue.

I felt myself begin to bolt upright, but my muscles ached in protest. I groaned as I leaned on the back of my hands. I squinted at the clear blue of the pool. America must have sent me back to the exact moment I left this world or, at least, sometime afterwards. I didn't see Antonio anywhere.

Larry.

My brother laid at my side, his eyes closed in comfortable sleep as his chest rose up and down in steady cadence. My heart lunged to my throat as I saw the puddle of red blood he laid in. My hands flew to his side as I rolled up his shirt, just enough to see that there was no knife wounds left on his body. His arm was still broken to a hideous angle, but he wasn't dying.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Antonio didn't trick me there.

I looked towards our house, frowning at French doors I had left open. Now I just had to get those stupid glasses. I would have to make sure to not hand them over to America until he took me to my brother and, once Larry found out how much I screwed up, there would be no way he would ever let that blond bastard get his hands on them. I looked down at my brother's body. I should take him out of the sun first. I didn't know how much time would pass between now and when we were all finally home again. He might get dehydrated or burnt.

I hissed in pain as I pushed myself back to my feet. Doing my damn best to ignore the drying pool of blood, I picked up Larry's legs and dragged him to the shade of the patio. Easier said than done: he was twice my weight and impossible to move. After only three feet, I dropped his legs and took an irritated breath. There had to be an easier way to do this.

I ran to the garage, entering from the backyard's side door. I found one of Larry's old skateboards (one he never learned to use) in a box. I brought it back to him and tried to lift his heavy torso onto the board. Somehow, I managed to roll him onto it. Careful not to drag his arms on the ground, I wheel him to the shade. I pulled him into the house and, once his feet were through the door, I closed it shut.

I took a deep and much needed breath. There. He should be fine now.

Next, I checked up on Jerry. Knowing that I needed to get those glasses, I tried not to fret over the small things. I made sure he was still breathing alright and that he didn't need a blanket. My fingers brushed over the round lenses of his own glasses and, deciding to do him a favor, I took them off his face. I folded them up carefully and placed them on the coffee table, right next to his glass of water. Now that I thought about it, Larry wasn't wearing his specs. I must have left them outside by accident.

Leaving Jerry behind, I went upstairs. My wet hair hanged like weighted string on my back, leaving an uncomfortable wet spot. I reached a hand back and tugged at my bra strap as I entered my bedroom. My bed was still messy from my early morning wake up... a few hours ago? Fuck, I hate this time difference thing.

Out of habit, I yanked open the drawer in my desk, but when the glasses weren't inside, I remembered that I left them on my bed. I threw away a few of my pillows before I found them between the folds of my purple comforter. I breathed a sigh of relief as I held before myself. Now with these, I could leave and...

Wait.

I brought them closer to my eyes. One of the rectangular lenses was scratched. I've had these things for years and they've never shown any sign of damage, not even when I took a sledgehammer to them.

I bit my lip. I reached over to my desk and grabbed one of my art books. I placed the glasses on the ground and dropped the book on it. A worrying crack echoed through the room. Dread drenched me as I lifted the volume. Of course, the glasses were smashed to little pieces.

My heart lunged into my throat. I leaned against the wall, feeling a new wave of panic crash over me.

I didn't have the glasses. What's more, I didn't even know where they were. This whole entire time, I thought that I had one reason for being here, one purpose to make this all worthwhile, and I was wrong. How? I was so careful? How did I lose them?

I didn't lose them. Someone stole them.

Antonio might have taken them, but he left for the Hetalia universe the same time I did. Plus, there was maybe a few minutes between waking up right now and when I first fell into that sleep. He won't have had enough time to find the glasses and switch them out without risking me running into him.

They were definitely Himaruya's when I woke up this morning. I remembered trying to break them, but failing once again. So sometime between then and now someone switched them.

But I was the only one who went here.

As far as I knew, I reminded myself. I ran through the events of the day in my head.

I got up and took a shower. Mom woke up while I was in there. She would have no reason to touch them. Jerry got up and made breakfast with us. Larry returned from his run and Mom went to work. He went upstairs to change, but he went to his room, not mine.

But he couldn't have gone to his own room after his argument with Jerry. Jerry would have taken it. Did he go into my room? Why woudn't he? He spent plenty of sleepless nights writing out his insomnia in here as I drew. If he needed somewhere to sulk, who was I to say that he wouldn't go to my room?

But how did he know those glasses were Himaruya's?

For a moment, I pretended that I was Larry. I got up and started at the door of my room. I had just gotten into a bad argument with both of my siblings. I'm tired, so I would want to sleep. I lay down on my bed. If I was going to sleep, I would take off my pair of glasses...

I gasped.

The stupid idiot! He didn't mean to switch the glasses! I had left Himaruya's glasses on my bed and he must have accidentally taken them when he was rushing back downstairs! They looked similar enough, so it was possible someone with bad vision could mistake them in the heat of the moment.

I did a fist bump as I fell onto my back. That was some damn good deduction skills, Sherry Sue. Sure, you destroyed your brother's glasses in the process, but you figured it out! I was a way better Sherlock Holmes than that alien-faced Benjanapper Cumberbaby guy.

That meant that Himaruya's glasses were still outside.

"Fuck!" I dashed out of my room, banging into the door frame in the process. My feet pounded the staircase and I flew to the French doors. I stumbled around Larry's body as I went, already searching the outside through the glass planes. I couldn't see the black specs anywhere on the ground. They might still be at the bottom of the pool. Through my excitement, I somehow managed to stop fumbling with the door handle long enough to yank it open. I ran outside and, without any other thought, dove into the pool.

The chlorine burned my eyes as the water cooled my warm skin. I took a moment to relax as the bubbles my impacted caused floated to the surface. Holding my breath, I swam to the bottom of the deep end, searching for the glasses. I couldn't see its blurred shape anywhere and, when I patted my hand on the bottom to feel for it, I realized that it wasn't here either. When I thought about it, I remembered correcting Larry's skewed glasses when Antonio was trying to revive him. Someone must have taken them while I was out. But who? Antonio? Did I have any other options?

I swam back to the surface, gasping for air when I broke through. Without those glasses, I had no leverage. What was I supposed to tell America?

"Where are they, Sherry?" I screamed, kicking water into the air when I noticed someone kneeling by the poolside. He groaned and wiped the water from his face. "Chillax. It's just me."

I stared at Larry, trying to figure out how he was up and about. "How are you back, Lar?" I asked, pointing a puzzled finger. "Shouldn't you..."

He tried to make an X with his arms, but his broken one made him gasp in pain. Rubbing the destroyed angle of his elbow, he passed me a cool look. "Sorry, chick, but I ain't Larry."

I frowned. "America?"

"Bingo." I stared at him as he resumed his previous position. The way he draped his broken arm over his knee reminded me of a movie poster hero, the one looking at the ground in angst as the movie title loomed above him in vivid brilliance. He rubbed a hand on his chin. "So, how's it going with the glasses?" he asked.

I grinned, trying to hide my burst of anxiety. What was I supposed to tell him? Would our deal be off if I couldn't get them for him? Would he leave me here in the real world while my brothers were still stuck in hell on Earth? I had to think of a way to manipulate this, and if I had to stall to do that, then so be it. "But why are you in Larry's body?" I asked. "Don't you have your own?"

"Yeah, but I thought that it would be fun to mix things up for a bit. Plus, he's not using it. Did you know that being a ginger isn't all that different from being an incredibly sexy looking blonde hero like myself?" He ran a hand through my brother's wet hair. "Yes, one would imagine that due to a lack of soul and apparent love for country music, gingers would obviously have a different perception of the universe around them. I had hypothesize that gingers could see into another plane of existence in which everything was the Canadian shade of magenta- wait, are you trying to distract me?"

I shook my head. "No," I snapped. "Please tell me more about your ginger theory."

He placed an offended hand on his chest. "Sherry, you little bitch! How dare you exploit my love for science for your own good."

I shrugged. "Did you really expect anything better from me?" I asked. "I mean, you're kind of the guy who's possessing my brother's body right now."

It was his turn to shrug. "I couldn't help it. He's a really good kisser and I was wondering what it was like to be the master of such awesome lips."

I pressed my fingers to my temples. "Oh God. America, have you ever heard something about your sibling that you just never want to hear? Ever?" I demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "Pssh, are you kidding me? That's nothing. I can give you this douchebag's dick size right now if you want. In fact..." He started to unbutton his pants, which was more than what I wanted to see. I didn't even want to think about Larry's penis, or my teenage question of whether he was the same size as his identical twin.

I groaned, placing a hand over my eyes. "Please don't! Please don't! Please don't! I don't want to know!"

He pulled his hand away from his pants. "Then give me those glasses!"

I bit my lip, knowing that this was my last chance. His brows were furrowed in such a way that I knew that any more delays were going to be the end of me. I looked down at the water, sighing. "I don't have them," I admitted just as a plan came to me. My face began to light up, but I forced it to return to its previous somber mood. "But Larry does. He brought it with him to the Hetalia universe. I'd forgotten that I had asked him to guard them for me."

America pursed his lips as he thought it over. "That makes sense," he muttered to himself, running a hand through my brother's orange locks. "Knowing Larry, he won't give them up easily."

"He'll give them to me," I offered. If he would only take me to Larry...

"True. That sounds like him." I breathed a relieved breath. I couldn't believe my plan was going to work. "But do you know what'll work better?" He snapped his fingers and I felt my consciousness begin to slip away. "Using you as ransom for them!"

I gasped as everything began to grow fuzzy. I tried to kick my legs harder, if only to stay afloat, but I neck slipped below the surface and water splashed into my mouth. I gagged, screaming for America not to do this when I was still in the water. I was going to drown before I could ever wake up in Seychelles's body. He only laughed to himself. The last thing I saw before slipping out of my body was his cruel humor distorting my brother's face.

The Fanboy: December 31st

"Larry! Iceland!" I stopped dead in my tracks, recognizing Antonio's voice immediately. Ari walked a few more steps before the same realization dawned upon him. The red hue our earlier sprint left on our faces turned dead white as Antonio's ran to us. I twisted around to him and spotted the worried look on his face. A sick feel swirled in my gut as I felt my joints lock in place. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, voice cracking from panic. "Did something happen to Sherry?"

Antonio held up a hand, as if the sight of his palm could quell the nipping anxiety on my skin. "She's fine. She's back at my place," he explained.

Anger erupted inside me. "Why are you here?" I demanded. "You're supposed to be protecting her!" Antonio was supposed to be the smart choice. He wasn't supposed to leave her behind like Sadiq would. Was I the only person who actually caredabout my sister?

The teal scope of the bay outlined the distressed gleam of Antonio's green eyes. He placed a hand on the rail extending along the wintery bay, ignoring the ice that crunched beneath his gloved hand. "I have to protect you first," he told me in a low voice. My glare broke. A new pang of worry sounded down my bones. "Turkey betrayed us. He got your sister involved in this scheme to ruin our chances of taking down Himaruya. I had to stop that from happening."

A heavy "what" escaped my lips. I looked down at the icy boardwalk, feeling the sweat gather on my palms. Sherry's a traitor? How could she do that to me? After everything we had been through, she would actually...

Why did both of my siblings have to leave me in the end? What did Himaruya do to her and Jerry? He had to be using some sort of mind control on them. There was no other explanation- they couldn't leave me behind like this. I couldn't be the last one standing up to Himaruya.

I couldn't do this on my own.

"I don't believe it." I raised my brows at Ari as he too grasped the cold metal rail. His violet eyes complimented the dreary background, bringing out the green of the ocean behind him and the blue of the sky. Snow camouflaged itself through his grey hair and dusted the tips of his eyelashes. In a word: winter. Ari looked like winter. "We both know that Pops wouldn't betray us," he said. "It's just not him."

"I know it's crazy," Antonio replied. "I hardly believe it myself, but I saw it with my own eyes."

Ari shook his head. "Pops is a lot of things, but this isn't one of them. You know him, Spain. He's always had this high moral standard. Betraying us just isn't like him."

"He could be thinking he's doing the right thing," I muttered, just loud enough for Ari and Antonio to hear. I wanted the idea to sound sane when I said it, but it seemed more like the jumbled shapes of a Picasso painting. Sadiq was a massive martyr, even though he was willing to abandon Sherry when he heard Agatha nearby. He should be willing to find the best solutions to his mistakes, but making him own up to them was impossible. I knew that Sherry saw Sadiq in an immaculate light, like he could do no wrong, but I could only see him as a rogue figure. There was nothing I could say to prove that he wouldn't put himself first or give up his life for someone he didn't know. Sadiq Adnan was just a living gray area.

"That sounds possible, but not like him," Antonio said, unknowingly voicing my own thoughts. He pulled back the sleeve of his shirt and glanced down at his watch. "Let's get going before we run out of time. We could still salvage this-"

"But I just can't believe this," Ari insisted. The stoicism I had grown accustomed to seeing on his face disappeared, replaced by a chewed-on lip and wide eyes. Ari ran his hand through his bangs, gripping his hair at the roots to pull on them. "Pops wouldn't."

Antonio's shoulders fell as he gave Ari a disappointed gaze. "I think you're letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment."

"I don't let my emotions control me," Ari snapped. "You know as well as I do that Pops isn't like that."

"I saw it with my own eyes-"

The argument would have ambled on for infinity if I hadn't yelled "that's enough!" The two men's eyebrows shot up their foreheads as they gave me a wary look. Tightening my fists, I bore through their skin with a sharp glare. "I'm going to go get my brother now and if you two are going to bitch to each other like a couple of doitsus while I do it, then fine by me! Just leave me out of it." I stomped off, continuing my trek to my brother. When I heard two loud sighs and a pair of footsteps following after me, it occurred to me that I should send one of them back to watch Sherry. I didn't want her to be alone, not when the stakes were already so high. But I didn't know who I could possibly send, not when Antonio was obviously not capable of keeping his promise and everyone else was taking care of their own missions.

Then, of course, I had to consider the fact that it would be pointless now. Sherry was apparently on Himaruya's side. I didn't know if I could believe it, not when her eyes fill with fear at the very mention of the bastard's name. Not when she was the one to smile and tell me that she loved me. No, Sherry would never betray me.

You're in denial,a voice in my head chimed.

For a moment, I dared to believe that Lichtenstein was somehow back in my head with her impeccable wisdom of this world. But the voice was only my doubts chewing on the edges of my mind, driving me insane with their constant what if.

What if Sherry was being mind-controlled?

What if she switched sides willingly, or else Jerry and I would be put into greater danger?

What if she was never on my side to begin with and every moment of sisterly affection she showed me was coupled with an inner thought of disgust for poor old Larry Sue?

What if I was the one on the wrong side?

For the second time this week, the clear cut building of Germany's Mechanic shop was a God send. I stared at the gray walls for a moment, considering the possibility of turning back right now. Something told me that once I went through those glass doors, I would not walk out again. I almost didn't want to go in. Yet, my courage found me and I pushed the door open.

A bell rang above me as I stepped inside. The interior was hardly warmer than the outside, causing me to hug my arms for warmth. "Germany?" I called as I walked further inside. Ari and Antonio flanked my sides, both sure to look unsuspecting as their eyes skimmed over the chairs and magazines of the waiting area. "Are you here?"

"I'm in the garage." I stopped at the counter and peeked at the dissected cars. Germany's strong back was to me as he washed his arms at a sink. I just saw the remains of black oil roll down his buff arms when he looked back at me. I saw his thick neck contort with a swallow. He looked back at his hands. "What can I do for you, Liechtenstein?" he asked.

All words left me. I stared at the burly shape with a mixture of awe and fear. My brother was in that body. He was right here,under my nose this entire time. All I had to do was speak up and call to him, but I couldn't find the words. I was a writer, and yet I couldn't write my next line. I couldn't order my character to jump over the counter, run up to him with outstretched arms and a smile, saying, "I'm here, Jerry!"

No, I couldn't write that. It was out of character. I wasn't the brother for affection and happiness. That was Jerry's thing. I was the wielder of anger and harm. If I was writing this scene, I would have my character address Jerry with cold eyes and a biting voice like he deserved. But I didn't stay in character. For once, I swallowed my pride and became the brother for guilt and regret. I looked down at my hands, wiping them on my jeans. I said two words: "I'm sorry."

Jerry froze. Water rushed down his hands as he stared at the wall in front of him. "Why are you apologizing?" he asked, trying to keep his act going. "You didn't do anything wrong, Liech-"

"I never listened to you," I said. "You were always coming to me for help and I never noticed." I thought back to all the times I ignored Jerry walking with limps, or heard new rumors of him at school, or turned a deaf ear to his pleads for help. "No, that's wrong. I think that deep inside I knew what you were going through, but I chose to ignore it because I didn't want to deal with it. That was wrong of me. Terribly wrong. I'm the worst brother- twin brother-in the history of brothers. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I'm going to apologize anyways. So I'm sorry, Jerry. Really sorry."

A sob broke through the air.

Ari and Antonio stood to the side, knowing well enough to give me some space with my brother.

Jerry lifted a hand from the dirty water and placed it over his mouth. He turned towards me. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he leaned into the sink. Black droplets of water dripped down his arms and splattered on the floor. "You idiot," he said, voice cracking. "You have the damn worst timing in the world."

I gave a wistful smile, relieved to see Germany's hard face melt into the smooth expressions of my twin. "I know I do."

"Do you remember anything?"

"I don't need to," I said. His eyes looked down in guilt. I opened my mouth to comfort him when a crash was heard from the opposite end of the garage. A car blocked my view of everything, but I could tell that three shapes had broken through a window. Ari and Antonio sprang into action, hopping over the counter as I pulled out my knives. Jerry began to move away from the sink when a human shape flew from the fray and into the hood of a red SUV.

All the blood ran from my face when I saw Belarus lift herself from the deep crater, groaning as she nursed an aching head. She blinked a few times as she tried to clear her vision. "Belarus, what are you doing here?" I demanded as I stepped towards her.

Her eyes went wide and shot towards something behind me. She rolled off the hood just as Mathias's feet struck the area she had just been. He swung his axe in a large arch before driving it down to where she laid on the ground. She swore and rolled under the car. When she came out on the other side, she scrambled to her feet, only to be rammed against the car by Roderich.

"Belarus!" I ran towards her, raising my knives, intent on saving her, when I felt a searing pain on my face. I fell back, tumbling into Antonio's outstretched arms.

"Larry!" Jerry's voice rang somewhere in the background. I hardly heard him. I hissed as I placed a hand on my face. I felt the warm blood on my fingers as it dripped down my cheek. I looked up at the ax blade still pointing at me. The wielder's face was blank of all emotions. Mathias didn't seem like he cared if I was hurt or not, yet he only gave me a shallow graze.

"What are you doing?" Jerry shouted, sounding more desperate with the passing moments. "Why did you hurt him?"

Emotions flitted to Mathias face the same moment Belarus kicked Roderich away from her. Smirking, Mathias pulled his ax back and balanced it on his shoulder. "It's a flesh wound. He'll live," he told Jerry confidently. He looked like he about to say more when Belarus tackled him. They crashed to the ground and wrestled each other for dominance. The ax clanged on the ground next to them.

Antonio released me and ran for the weapon. In a single swoop, he took it into his hands and swung it about him. He rammed the butt into Roderich's stomach, sending the charging man back into the car.

I lay still for a stunned moment, trying to decide what to do. Roderich and Matthias were supposed to be out in the town, fighting against Lars and Switzerland. Why were they here fighting Belarus? Did Lars and Switzerland never find them, or were they defeated? What happened to Hidekaz and Himaruya?

Large hands clasped my shoulders. I gasped as I looked up, surprised to see Germany standing behind me. No, not Germany, I reminded myself. That was Jerry. He passed me a kind smile as he handed me a clean rag. "Here. Are you alright?" I nodded as I pressed it to my bleeding cut. I knew that I should stop being a wimp and help Belarus and Antonio out, but I couldn't bring myself to raise my knives against them- or at least, throw them. I didn't want to miss and hit someone that I cared about. I didn't want to kill again.

I didn't know if the disgusting feeling coating my hands was imaginary or real.

Somehow, Ari's smooth voice rose above the commotion of the fight. "Well, this is entertaining," he said with the slightest hint of sarcasm. My eyes jumped to his breaking mask. The same fears that plagued me were also revealed on his face. We exchanged a mutual look. Neither of us knew what to do.

Where was Hidekaz?

"Ah!" Belarus flew across the room, banging her back into a work bench. A red tool box fell over, spilling its contents onto her.

"Belarus!" I jumped to my feet and started to run for her. I had barely taken a step when I noticed a dark shape in the corner of my eye. I saw Roderich's punch coming before I saw his face. I dodged to the left, rolling on the ground as I tightened my grip on my knife. Jerry shouted a warning and I jumped away from his oncoming kick. I swiped my own leg under his and sent him onto the floor again.

I jumped onto him, pinning him to the ground with my knees. I jammed the blade of my knife against his throat, adding just enough pressure to make the smallest of cuts. "That's enough," I said. His violet eyes glared at me as sweat dripped down the sides of his angular face. I was tempted to slash at his face, just to get rid of his smug visage.

Suddenly, I was no longer in the garage, but the hospital from all those years ago. Roderich held his clipboard out to me as he dangled Sayaka's life out of my reach. He acted like the aloof, yet comforting nurse. But I knew better. His eyes gleamed at me with mockery. I should have seen it when I first made that contract.

Roderich first sent me into Hetalia. Because of him, Himaruya had Prussia's body. He screwed with me and now he dared to screw with Jerry and Sherry.

There were no sentiments of past friendships to hold me back. I could carve his face off right now if I wanted to. I had the weapon, the motivation, the means. No one would stop me. If anything, I could hear shouted encouragements.

Lars would want me to.

I wanted me to...

I thought that I had gone deaf until I heard Jerry's voice shatter the barrier. "Larry?"

I closed my eyes. I didn't need to smell my hands to know that they reeked with blood. My arms shook as I restrained myself from mutilating Roderich. Instead, in an unsteady voice, I asked, "Where's Hidekaz and Himaruya?"

"I'm not sure where my sibling is, but I'm right behind you." Nothing could ever sooth the shock of hearing Prussia's voice used in such a slick, cold hearted way. The thumping of a cane against the ground aroused Belarus the avalanche of tools she was stuck under. The tha-dump-tha-dump-tha-dump paused the fight between Antonio and Mathias. Ari and Jerry stayed in their places.

I looked down, feeling a ball of regret gather in me. I missed my chance. I had to play Himaruya's game now. The plan was in shambles. The only one who could save it was me, and I would need to play Himaruya's game in order to force his hand. I would have to let Roderich go. Belarus- who was nurse a bruising eye -would have gotten injured for nothing. I would never get my revenge.

But you don't need revenge, I told myself. You need to end this now.

I stood, unceremoniously wiping my knife on my pants leg. "Sorry about that," I told Roderich as I offered a hand. "I got a little carried away there." He glared at it before picking himself back onto his feet without my help. I shrugged as though I was not insulted as I turned to face Himaruya.

The albino's body was paler than usual, his skin blanched to a shade whiter than snow. Even his red eyes seemed dull, outshone by his navy blue jacket. If Ari looked like winter, then Himaruya looked like death. But not the Grim Reaper or the master of it. He was a victim wasting away bit by bit. I tried to feel happy about it, but something about it made me uneasy. "Hey, Himaruya," I greeted, stuffing my hands into my pocket. "You look terrible."

Himaruya smiled, though it lacked any apparent malice. "That can happen to someone when your sibling gets all the attention and you're still missing part of your soul."

So Hidekaz wasn't lying when he said that part of their powers came from popular opinion. "Your glasses?" I supplied, trying to get more information from him.

He gave the doors to the shop a thoughtful look. "Yes, but I believe I shall get them in three... two..."

"Hima-pops!" The glass doors banged open, creating a noise so loud that I could have sworn that the glass panes should have been broken. But they remained in place as Alfred strode in, carrying Sherry in his arms. I concealed my worry as he jumped onto the counter, grinning as he displayed my dazed sister. "Look what I got!"

"Sherry?" Jerry's broken voice made me look away. His blue eyes were brimming with emotions as he placed his hands over his mouth. He didn't know that Sherry was delirious before this. He must have thought that there was a spell on her.

Allowing myself to show a little kindness, I stepped towards Jerry and held his hand in mine. I felt him tense under my touch before slowly but surely melting into my hold. He squeezed me back as I tuned back into our problem at hand. "...did you not read the notice?" Himaruya asked. "You were supposed to get the glasses from Sherry, not bring her to me."

"This is what you get for trusting the idiot," Roderich muttered.

Alfred smiled, making sure to bore his smug expression into his brother's face. "I was gonna, but then Missy here told me that Larry has it."

"What?" I felt Jerry recoil as I stared up at Alfred. "She told you..." My free hand dug deeper into my pockets. My fingers clipped the edge of my own glasses. I paled as my voiced died away.

It made sense now.

These weren't my glasses. They never had been. These were Himaruya's glasses. That was why they seemed to follow me to every universe I visit. The lenses were never scratched and the frame was never broken because there was a fifth of a soul harbored in them. This entire time I had Himaruya in my pocket and never realized it.

I wiped the ghostly visage from my face right as Alfred gestured to the girl in his arms. Water dripped from her hair as chunks of God knows what clung to the wet strands. "Give me the glasses or else your sister is going to get it."

I bit my lip. I couldn't give them up, not when they were my last advantage. I made eye contact with Ari, telling him without words to watch my back. If Himaruya and Roderich even thought about attacking me from behind, the teenager would have to be the one to stop them. His oddly colored eyes flickered down to my pants pocket as he realized my position. With a brisk nod, he turned his attention to the men and passed a similar warning to Antonio.

Jerry nudged my side. I turned to him and saw his eyes overflowing with panic. "Larry..." He started.

I cut him off. "Trust me."

He stared at me as though every moment I threatened his and Sherry's lives were playing behind his eyes. He hesitated, but then nodded his consent. Feeling the weight of the situation, I played my most charming smile. "Hurting my sister isn't all that heroic," I said.

"Being the hero means having to do some pretty unheroic things for the greater good," Alfred replied. "Besides, I'm not the one hiding behind his brother."

I tightened my grip on my brother's hand. "It's called family, something that someone like you wouldn't understand." I heard Antonio snort behind me, but I ignored it. "I don't have your glasses. Please just let her go."

Alfred looked between Sherry and me. Her eyes were struggling to stay open as her mouth mouthed as though she wanted to speak. I met her dull gaze with one of determination, praying that she knew that I was trying to keep her safe.

Alfred shrugged. "Okay." He placed Sherry back onto her feet with a grin.

I started for her, stretching out a hand to help her get off the desk. She began to sway to the side as though her legs could not support her.

"In second thoughts-" Alfred wrapped his arm around her neck, locking her to his chest as he forced the air from her lungs. I raised my knives as I heard sneakers scratch the concrete floors. Metal tools slid on each other as Belarus rose from her grave, wobbling on her feet as she tried to raise her own weapons. Alfred looked down at us with a satisfied look, smirking as Sherry scratched weak nails across his forearm. "I'll let her go once you hand over those glasses," Alfred said. He tightened his hold, causing a choked noise to leave her mouth. Jerry whimpered. "And don't either of you think about using your knives against me- I'm talking to you too, Belarus." She flinched, but continued with her glare nonetheless. "You try to hurt me and I guarantee that you'll hurt dear Sherry instead."

"Give him the glasses," Jerry hissed, face hollow with fear.

"You're a coward!" Antonio shouted, redirecting his ax blade from Mathias's neck and towards him.

"It doesn't take long to suffocate," Roderich chimed behind me.

My eyes skipped to every person of the room, trying to think of a plan. I had to get her out, but I had to maintain my leverage. I had to rescue Sherry. I had to...

I reached for the glasses.

Crash!

"God fucking damnit!" Alfred flew to the other side of the room, Belarus just barely able to roll out of the way before he landed face first in the pile of tools. Compulsively, I dropped to the ground, dragging Jerry down with me. Covering my neck with the back of my hands, I looked back at the counter.

Sadiq barely had a squirming Sherry in his arms, supporting her upright as he gently lowered her to the ground. Violent coughs plagued her, ones that seemed to be on the verge of being a full-fledged scream when blood began to drip down her lips. Her hand gripped her chest and her eyes were sewn shut with agony.

"Sherry!" I shouted as another clash sounded behind me. I turned to see Belarus resume her fight, this time aiming her blades at Himaruya. The dexterous man brought his cane up like a sword, fighting her off with rigid movements. Roderich started to turn his force against me, but Ari stepped between us.

"Larry!" Sadiq's voice stole my attention. It barely rose above the shriek of Antonio's ax against the concrete floor as he tried to slice Mathias's feet, but I could still hear the distress coating his words. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face. His chest heaved with effort. He placed Sherry on the counter, holding her against the surface as he asked, "did she tell you?"

I watched him pin her legs down, trying to prevent her from harming herself as body spasms consumed her. I swallowed, but my saliva could not steal the dryness from my throat. This had to be the pain spell her contract inflicted on her, but I had never seen it at such severity. What if this time it...

"Tell me what?" I asked.

"We've been- Kid!" Sadiq dashed from my sister, as Ari crashed onto the ground. He gasped in pain as blood spilt from his obviously broken nose. Roderich stomped a single foot into his stomach before Sadiq fought him away.

A small voice in my head demanded that I turned around to help Ari, but I couldn't drag my feet to do it. They carried me instead to the counter, dragging Jerry along with me. Our hands finally unlatched themselves as Jerry cupped Sherry's cheeks, holding her head steady as I pinned her flailing legs. "What's going on with her?" he asked me, voice cracking with tears. "Is she having a seizure?"

I didn't know how to answer him. The well in my gut only grew deeper as I watched the emotions swarm in his blue eyes. He needed me to give him an answer, a soft reminder that everything would be alright in the end. I didn't think I could lie to him anymore.

I looked back at the fight. Ari was still on the ground, his white hands cover his nose as the blood flowed freely between the gaps of his fingers. Sadiq was now fighting Roderich, making sure to keep him away from his friend. Antonio and Matthias were back to their previous fight, the ax swinging in large circles as the former tried to cut the latter.

Belarus and Himaruya were the only anomaly. They were caught in a sort of dance- Belarus swiping her knives through the air as Himaruya dodged them with little problem. Each swipe was accompanied by a large step forward. Each dodge was complemented by an undisturbed visage. I stared at him as his cane moved with his feet with no problems. He seemed so sure of himself.

Like he was in complete control.

I tightened my grip on Sherry's legs as I looked down at the ground. He was in control, wasn't he? We could have never gotten Switzerland's plan to work. He knew us too well. We were too predictable. With victory in his pocket- all he had to do was reach into my pocket -how could I ever force him into the void?

I already knew the answer, but I didn't like it. There were too many variables. This could exactly be what he was planning. Maybe I would be doing him a favor. If it didn't work, what would happen to Liechtenstein? Would she...

Sherry traveled the past for me. She was all alone, yet she managed to save everyone and bring them back to the proper present. She must have been scared and unsure, but she still managed to carry that burden by herself. Sure, that was infinitely less reckless than what I was about to do but the thought still counted.

I stuck two fingers into my mouth and released a shrill whistle. "Hey Himaruya!" A few fights slowed so that eyes could give me confused glances, but none stopped. Only Himaruya gave me his full attention as he sidestepped another strike. I forced a smile as I raised my knife. "How important am I to you?"

Before I could talk myself out of it, before Jerry could restrain my arms, I drove the knife into my stomach.

Immediately the floor melted away as I heard a familiar voice scream my name. In the developing blackness and the sudden loss of ground beneath me. I almost thought that it was two voices screaming at once: one the undeniable shout of Himaruya, the other the panicked scream of a girl.

She sounded familiar, but I could not place a name or a face to it. But her voice- it filled my chest with a wary warmth.

It didn't matter anymore. I was bleeding out and I felt myself falling

and falling

and falling

and falling

a

n

d

. . .

MW: So I'm not 100% happy with this chapter. I originally had this giant, epic fight planned, but the whole scenario was based on Switzerland being OOC. I decided that it would be better for him to be in character and have a weaker chapter then to have everything seem forced. I don't know, some of this was forced anyways. I have two chapters left before the epilogue to improve the climax. I can probably do it.

Speaking of the end of this story, it's coming! Unless I can pull off two updates this month, expect the end to come early March. If you've been following my tumblr aphwriter, you would know that I released a list of planned fanfictions for this year. On there, I mentioned two fanfictions to look out for this year.

The first is my Over the Garden Wall and Gravity Falls crossover entitled Gravity Gone, which updates every Friday. If you're in either of those fandoms, I recommend you read it. If you have no idea what either show is, I recommend you read my fanfiction anyways. It's already up and running for those interested.

The second is for my Hetalia loving readers. On the update, I mentioned that it's going to be another large fanfiction entitled Hell Hath No Fury. As we reach closer to the end of this story, I will give out details of the plot and characters, but for now I'll just leave two clues.

1. While I am a sucker for the 1940s, the Roaring Twenties is a pretty interesting time period.

2. I never got over how badly I botched up the plot of HETA.

See you next time!

No Notes

Next Chapter: Did Larry's plan work?

Thank you for reading! I'll see you later this month! Have a happy Valentine's Day!