Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia
"Hey,"
"Have you forgotten me already?"
"It's me. Matthew Williams."
"I know I'm not very noticeable but-"
'I've been here the entire time,' Matthew asked everyone, without saying anything at all. The fighting went on outside the fort, as people continued to fire bullets. Matthew looked down at his own handgun. He'd already fired several bullets with it. Although he wasn't sure why. This battle seemed to form out of nowhere. He wasn't even sure what side he should be fighting on. Alfred used to be part of his group too. But, he'd followed Arthur so that's where his loyalty had to lie. But even as he fought to protect everyone. No one. On either side. Remembered he was there. What did it take for him to be noticed?
He looked back across the battlefield as the smoke started to clear. Amongst all the fighting a small white bear wandered through the midst of the fighting. Matthew sympathized with it as it seemed lost, and was just as unnoticeable right now as he was.
Matthew suddenly grew worried for it as it ran through the midst of the fighting. It was right in a range where it could easily be hit mistakenly, and no one had taken notice of it yet. Matthew climbed over the fort wall to its rescue. No one even tried to stop him.
Gunshots sounded right over his head. No one could see him, so he had to be twice as careful not to get shot.
He was barely over the edge when he lost his balance. Slipping in a puddle of mudd. The bear saw Matthew as he landed and started running toward him.
Matthew tried to regain his balance but this particular puddle was very slippery. He fell backward, against his will, falling against one of the concrete spikes that ran out along the wall. If it weren't for the momentum he retained from jumping over the wall, the injury wouldn't have been so severe. It all happened in less than a second.
Matthew was frozen for a moment. As he became aware of the large spike through the center of his chest. It glowed red in sunlight. His head began to burn as the pain from stab wound erupted throughout his chest. He kicked his feet beneath him, still sliding in the mud. The spike pierced both his lungs, making his breathing extrodanarily shallow, supported only by the same spike that caused the injury, as they filled with blood from his bleeding heart. He winced in pain but he could barely breathe now. He had no energy to scream out.
The small bear stopped in front of him, eyes filled with shock and horror. "Ca-Canada?"
The bear could talk? Why not this was his last moment he assumed anything could happen.
"N-No! Canada!" The bear cried brushing against Matthew's feet.
"Wh-Who. Are you. Crying. For?" Matthew managed to stutter out even quieter than usual, "I-I-I'm. M-Matthew." He'd already given up on anyone remembering him. He figured that he would die here and no one would even notice. So he was very thankful to the bear next to him, for staying by his side. Even if it thought he was someone else.
"I'm crying for you! We're supposed to be best friends! And then you disappear on me out of nowhere!" The bear cried loudly.
"Who," Matthew tried to get out with his last breath of air, "are you?"
"I'm Kumajiro!" The bear cried even louder. Suddenly a golden glow appeared around the bear. "No. No. No. No. No. No. No! Please! Let me stay just a bit longer. Please!" The kumajiro cried.
Kumajiro sniffed after a moment, "I-I'm sorry. I have to go back now. She only let me stay here long enough to see you."
Matthew didn't have the strength to speak anymore. All he could do was watch as Kumajiro faded away from him, in a burst of golden light. Now he was left all alone to die. He already felt himself slipping.
"Oh my god! Matthew!" Francis yelled looking over the edge. He thought he heard someone crying over there. Matthew was anything but invisible at this moment. Francis had somehow completely forgotten about Matthew. He'd been with them this entire time though. Silently in the background. Just waiting to be noticed. Francis felt a bout of regret. If he only could have noticed him just a little bit more. When did he get here anyway?!
Francis quickly jumped the wall, down to where Matthew was. Avoiding the same puddle Matthew had slipped in. He was soon at Matthew's side.
From Francis's view Matthew was VERY visible now. Matthew's body pressed against the wall at the base of the spike. blood dripped through his clothing, pooling below him on the ground. Matthew's eyes remained fixed in front of him clinging to life. His feet barely sliding under him anymore.
"Matthew! What ze 'ell 'appened?!" Francis cried coming to Matthew's side.
Matthew looked up at Francis. He couldn't talk anymore. In fact he'd stopped being able to breathe just moments ago. He managed to mouth the words, "Thank you." Before he let go. Sliding off the spike to collapse on the ground. His body had gone numb minutes before he slid, causing him no pain. His mind went blank as well, before he hit the ground. His last farewell to the world.
Francis moved with Matthew. Catching him as he fell from the spike. Francis's good bye was cut short. He barely had anytime to react, let alone grieve Matthew's death. As Matthew's body left the spike, the fort began to glow.
Ludwig looked over at where Francis was a moment ago. And quickly spotted him over the other side of the fort. "Francis! Vhat's hap-" He wasn't able to continue.
The walls of their fort quickly dissolved fading into the light that was created. Ludwig, and Arthur, fell to their knees as the ground beneath them disappeared.
Arthur got up, trying to get things together in his mind. Their fort had been compromised. He quickly noticed Matthew just a few feet away. He must have hit one of the concrete spikes. He shuddered at the thought.
The protective walls were gone now leaving everyone vulnerable. This would all result in a bloodbath if he didn't do something quickly.
He got to Ludwig first. He was the one to take charge, so if he had a plan he needed to share it with Ludwig, before Ludwig had a chance to come up with one of his own. "Ludwig. We need to get everyone out of here! This place is no longer safe. Get everyone and head back to the mansion. I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Arthur instructed Ludwig.
Ludwig was frozen in shock. Had the fort really just vanished?! "What ze 'ell was zat?!" Francis was in shock as well.
"It was some sort of magic. The fort is gone! Now Ludwig hurry! You too Francis!" Arthur yelled, running to get Lovino who he saw huddled over Antonio. He saw Antonio die as well, but there was nothing he could have done. And Lovino was already rushing to his side.
Alfred watched in shock having just finished splinting his arm, and wrapping it in his coat.
The fort he and Heracles had been trying to break into had just dissolved. Resulting in a mere tent in it's place. He wasn't sure how it had happened. Alfred just knew that this was his break. They were fighting on equal ground now. Alfred started sifting through the dirt trying to find his gun.
Feliciano looked up as Arthur walked in. He had just finished re-wrapping Ravis's wounds. "Arthur? What's wrong?" Feliciano asked nervously. Arthur looked ragged and concerned.
"You need to get out of here. The gate crashed, and we're completely defenseless. Ludwig, Francis, and Lovino are already on their way back to the mansion. Head out the back and catch up to them. Hurry!"
Feliciano was tripping as Arthur pushed him out the back of the tent, "But wait! What about Ravis!" He said refusing to leave without him.
"I'll keep him safe. They won't hurt him with as vulnerable as he is right now. But you need to move!" He pushed him completely out the back. "And take this as well," He handed Feliciano his musket.
"Bu-but won't you need this?"
Arthur smiled, "I'll be fine without it. Besides you will probably need it more."
"I-I'll return it to you when you catch up alright? You are coming back right?" Feliciano was becoming increasingly concerned.
"Of course," Arthur smiled. But it took him just a second too long, "Now hurry before you run out of time!"
Arthur barely had time to instruct Ravis, before time was up. He could already hear approaching footsteps. Fast. He bent over and whispered to Ravis quickly, before standing back up to face whoever was left, "Stay low to the ground. They almost never aim at the ground when shooting at an enemy they can't see."
Arthur's mind raced, his plans for stalling them were changed dramatically just by Ravis being here. "Wait!" He called out as the single set of footprints reached the base of the tent, "Which of you is it?" He asked closing his eyes tightly. He didn't want to see what had happened to them.
"It's just me Arthur. Someone from your group murdered Heracles. I found his body on my way back here," Alfred said through gritted teeth. His voice had changed, Arthur had never heard Alfred sound so serious before.
"I'm so sorry about that. He wasn't the only casualty. We lost Antonio. And Matthew. Tell me Alfred do you remember Matthew?"
Alfred looked over to his right. Matthew's body still lay there in a bloody heap. It was kind of hard to deny his existence Alfred could think was 'Well he definitely wasn't a ghost'. Alfred ignored Arthur's question deeming it rhetorical. "I found Heracles's body brutally torn apart. That goes beyond a casualty of battle. Do you understand me Arthur? Brutally! I won't forgive them for this!"
Arthur winced as an Image of Heracles's body being torn limb from limb flashed through his head. He opened his eyes staring back at the blank white sheet of the tent. "I know Sadiq's death wasn't your fault Arthur. Or you would have never allowed his murderer to escape," He said.
"Are you even listening to me!" Alfred yelled, allowing his rage and grief to boil just beneath his skin.
"I'm listening I just don't like the implications of what you're saying. Tell me Alfred," Arthur ran his hand through his hair. Oh how things had taken a turn for the worse, "What exactly do you plan to do if you find this person?"
"I will carry out the hand of justice," He answered plainly.
"You cover it up with pretty words. But that's just your way of justifying murder. You kill this person in an act of vengeance for your friend, and then their friend will kill you in an act of vengeance. And thenso on and so forth. It's bloody never ending cycle Alfred don't start it!"
"It's too late. That cycle started back when they killed Heracles. I'm just here to carry out my role."
Arthur could see that there was no getting through to Alfred at this point. He had his mind set. And once Alfred had his mind set the whole world had to shift in order to change it. "Then shoot!" Arthur muttered grimly.
There was no response so he continued, "The one you want to kill must be in here somewhere right? I can promise you none of us will tell you as long as we live. So shoot! This might very well be the best chance you'll get," The lie floated easily off Arthur's lips. Arthur called out the bluff hoping to calm Alfred down.
There was the click of a gun. Apparently Alfred had found a better gun than the musket he'd been using on the way down here. It sounded like it might be Matthew's hand gun.
The sound of it frightened Arthur. So apparently he hadn't calmed Alfred down. Arthur sighed, maybe, he could at least slow him down?
Arthur stood facing the wall of white fluttering fabric. The brightness of it nearly blinding as the sun magnified it's lightness by 1000 percent as bullets began break through it. He stretched out his arms in either direction emphasizing his defenselessness. He didn't want it to go down this way, but it was the only way he could continue to buy time for his friends.
He stared intently at the white as a second click sounded the start of the gunshots. The bullets burst through the fabric with ease allowing more light to pour in as they moved in almost slow motion. And yet they were all too quick for Arthur. Of the first three shots he had been hit twice. Once in his right hand. It was bruised, bloody, and broken. Given a few more minutes it would be swollen as well.
The second injury was far worse, and it is what made Arthur fall to the ground. Bullets continued to pour in above him, almost demolishing the fabric separating them. The second bullet had lodged itself just above his heart. It tore a hole in the top of his left lung staggering his breathing. As blood poured into it as he lay on top of it. His lungs retching up blood, begging for air. His mind reached out unable to bear the pain. He hadn't prepared himself for this pain. He wished it would just end already, but it continued, almost impossibly slow.
His mind reaching out for help finally snagged on something important. A single spell lost within his own memories. It was something he shouldn't have been able to remember. Yet, somehow there it was. He hadn't the time to question it. He quickly drew a crude incantation circle using his own blood as a medium. Repeating this incantation as he did, "bestia ex abysso inferorum resurgere quam ego loquor
animam meam in commutationem pro illi qui sunt in quinque milliario semidiametro
accipere sanguinem tuum
et fac sicut iubeo!" He repeated it a total of three times, barely getting out the last syllable as his lungs closed up on him.
Arthur began to cry heavily as he recalled the implications of this particular spell. It was something he did in a moment of desperation. In his suddenly frantic mind this had become the only way to stop his own agony.
The area suddenly burst full of light. A brighter light than anything he'd seen. Even brighter than the light that flooded the tent through the tattered sheets. It was something close to looking directly into the sun. Even closing your eyes did nothing to help. It was an intense white burning. It lasted only a few seconds before he blacked out.
2 more chapters left guys! ^_^