1/23/2015
I came up with the idea of a Clubs infiltration mission in January 2012. That was three years ago. I never expected that I'd still be working on this after so long when I started in 2011, but alas here we are. I'm going to finish this story. It will happen, I promise. All of your support is very much appreciated!
This is a fun chapter. Maybe not for the characters, but I think it's definitely one of the more exciting chapters of this story overall. The timing is important though, so pay attention! With that in mind, happy reading!
I do not own Hetalia.
-o0o-
Clubs Castle
Alfred felt like he was dying.
It was dark and cold in the passageway, his breaths coming in puffs of white smoke whenever he gasped for air. He couldn't see anything but the blue orb floating a few dozen paces ahead. Four hours since the start of the infiltration and he still had no idea where he was. He didn't know where they were going, either, but he trusted the hand clenching his more than he probably should.
The pair flew past doors and hallways, only turning right once they reached a fork. Alfred tried to be quiet as possible as they ran but he couldn't hear anything over the pounding of his heart in his ears.
The orb suddenly went out and the Queen of Spades ducked sideways, dragging Alfred along with him. Alfred, not expecting the sharp movement, stumbled into the archway. He gave out a low gasp when Arthur grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall, pressing them as flat as possible to the stone.
Alfred breathed slowly so to make as little noise as possible. Now that the light had disappeared he could no longer make out Arthur's silhouette. He could hear him though; the Queen was muttering under his breath. Alfred felt the hairs on his arm stand on end when he realized Arthur was citing a spell.
Arthur finished his incantation and fell silent. Alfred couldn't tell any difference the spell had made except for a strange ghost of wind across the patches of his bare skin.
Alfred's ears picked up on the sound of people running towards their hiding place and his heart jumped to his throat. He reached up and wrapped a hand around Arthur's left arm, which was still holding him in place.
His eyes weren't strong enough to make out Arthur's expression but he thought he could feel Arthur's gaze on his face. Arthur's arm pressed against his chest relaxed and the hand attached to it grasped Alfred's shoulder awkwardly.
It's alright, Arthur seemed to say. We are in this together.
The footsteps were even closer now.
Alfred leaned his head back against the stone and he squeezed his eyes shut. Oh Ace, please, please, please please pleasepleasepleaseplease-
-o0o-
4 Hours Ago (start of mission)
Alfred fell out of the Wormhole and hit the ground on all fours. In a moment he had rolled to the side, out of the way of others making their way through the magical vortex, and stood up again.
They were in a long hallway, pitch black except for the bursts of light coming from the Wormhole. Even then Alfred could barely make out the men in his group; everyone was wearing thick matching outfits that would protect them from the cold. They were dark green in color so that it would be difficult for anyone to spot them from a distance. Unfortunately it was hard for Alfred to see them too against the dark stone walls.
There was no obvious end to either direction, but air flowed toward them from the opening side of the Wormhole. Alfred was getting a strange sense of creepiness from this place, kind of like the feeling he got when he swam in the middle of the ocean with no hope of seeing- much less touching- the bottom. He had no idea what shark might be around the bend.
Eerie, isn't it?
Alfred turned and found Simon staring over his shoulder, brow creased.
Is it how you remembered it? Simon asked and his voice vibrated inside Alfred's head.
Alfred grimaced and gave his head a shake. The infiltration team had been linked through a spell by Yao so that they could communicate to each other using direct telepathy rather than speaking out loud. All one had to do was direct his thoughts toward another soldier. The technique had taken some time to practice but they'd perfected it eventually.
I didn't wander the Castle, Alfred said- said? Thought?- We stayed in the ballroom and that was…
Nothing like this, Simon supplied.
Yeah.
It was still weird to Alfred that Simon- and the others- knew that Alfred had been here before. But they thought he had come here as the Jack of Hearts, not as Kiku's friend.
The last of the men entered the hallway and the Wormhole closed in on itself. Alfred squashed the sad feeling of knowing Spades was gone and wouldn't return for another sixteen hours.
Alright, men! That was the leading soldier of the group. Spread out, stay close to the wall. Stick close together until we learn where we are.
The soldiers did as they were told. Alfred stayed close to Simon's side, knowing that if he strayed more than a couple of feet that Yao's spell would torture his skin on his hands.
They traveled silently for almost an hour. Every time they heard a voice or echo of noise the men spread out and rubbed a blue marble until it glowed. This activated a spell that would blend the men into the surroundings. The trick was to not move or stay too close to one another where the surroundings would appear distorted. A few times actual Clubs soldiers passed by the group but none noticed the Spades and Diamonds men camouflaged into the wall.
They understood from what little of the Clubs Castle they saw that they were traveling through the servants' corridors within the South Wing, a layer below the ground level.
Well, that explained the freezing cold and no windows thing, Alfred thought to himself.
The group split into two at a cross section, then again and again and again. The goal was to get to the room directly above the Throne Room; there, according to Toris was the place where the Clubs Triumvirate kept the most important records. The room was code-named 'Rose'. The different groups would keep traveling around the Castle until one found the Rose. That group would alert the others, who would rotate around the Castle, picking off Clubs to divert attention. They would all regroup later at the appointed hour when Yao would reopen the Wormhole. Everyone had to be ready to go at that point or they would be left behind, no questions asked.
Alfred prayed his group would be the one to find the Rose, though he knew how unlikely that chance was.
It had been three hours after the start of the infiltration when Alfred and Simon's group came across another group of men that outnumbered their own- except they weren't Spades or Diamonds soldiers.
They were Clubs.
-o0o-
One Hour Ago (two hours since start of mission)
Spades Castle- Queen's Room
Two hours since the soldiers had left and Arthur could tell that the sound of his pacing footsteps were slowly but surely driving Yao mad, but he could not seem to stop pacing. He was too full of nervous energy to sit still.
"Would you stop that?!" Yao finally snapped from across the room as he stood up and slammed his hands down on the table.
"What if he gets hurt?" Arthur said without missing a beat. He didn't have to give name to the person he was talking about.
"He will not be harmed-" Yao started to say.
"You do not know that!" Arthur said loudly, almost shouting but not quite.
"And neither can you!" Yao snarled back. "Stop assuming the worst! Trust Alfred; he can take care of himself. You worrying will do nothing but turn your hairs grey! You have to stop predicting the future." He sat back down. "You are wasting time; we have work to do."
Arthur glared at his Jack, hands fists at his side. He could not stop worrying about Alfred. Not unless he had absolute proof that his friend would not be hurt or killed or-
But- he already had that, didn't he? Arthur thought with dawning realization. Yao said he couldn't predict the future, but he was wrong. Arthur had been born with the power to predict the future from the moment he had been crowned Queen of Spades.
He turned his back on Yao and left the room, heading to the Private Study. London was inside his desk- literally enchanted to be a painting on the side of his desk. Only Arthur had the power to draw London from the wood.*
"Arthur?" Yao called from the main room.
Arthur froze. "Yes?" he said, trying to sound casual.
"I must go check on a report about the progress of our defense. I will be back soon."
"Alright."
"Please don't do anything rash while I'm gone." Arthur could hear the narrowed eyes in the tone of Yao's voice even if he couldn't see the expression.
"Of course," he said and he heard the door leading to the hallway shut. He quickly knelt down to touch the clock.
"Come to me," he whispered and the clock's outline glowed. London floated out of the wood and became a three dimensional object once more. Arthur picked it up carefully. He rubbed his thumb across the smooth gold siding, noting how warm it was to his touch.
Staring intently at his Eternal Implement, Arthur said very softly, "You know, I have never asked anything of you before."
There was no response, naturally.
"I do not even know why I'm bothering, to be honest. You cannot speak or think so I don't know why expect you to give me what I need." He paused. "But I have to try. I must. I can't stand not knowing what is going on. On the slim chance that you can hear me, please. I'm begging you. Show me that Alfred will be safe."
He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to the top of the clock.
"Please," he begged.
As he said it, the darkness behind his eyes flashed white. He opened them to find London glowing blue. He grinned and within a moment the vision swallowed him whole.
He awoke standing in a dark and narrow hallway. Arthur blinked until he adjusted to the blackness. There was nothing here. Where was 'here', anyway?
A biting coldness lingered in the air and he shivered as he moved cautiously to the end of the hallway.
A shape hurtled past him, faster than he would have expected; the rush of movement was so silent and sudden that Arthur jumped away with gasp.
Immediately following was a loud snapping sound and something flew through the air after the shape. It collided with the thing that was running away and both crashed to the ground. There were grunts and panicked curses but Arthur couldn't make out what was happening from where he stood. Arthur left the safety of his hallway to inch closer.
He knew in an instant the person trapped on the floor was Alfred, and his heart clenched in fear. The teenager was struggling pointlessly with the metal strips binding him without any sign of escape. Arthur wanted desperately to help but he knew he wouldn't be able touch anything in a vision.
Sounds echoed off the walls from down the passage and Arthur was able to make out a few soldiers coming their way. He looked back at Alfred just in time to see the teenager's binds light up with a white flash. When the light disappeared Alfred was able to break free.
What kind of magic had he used? Arthur wondered with wide eyes. Any weapons used by Clubs would have their influence, making it impossible for an outsider to escape-
Alfred had managed though. The teen stood up and threw the Clubs device down before twisting to run away again.
BANG!
Arthur stumbled back into the wall just as Alfred cried out in pain. Arthur felt like he was watching in slow motion as Alfred fell, landing on his side before curling into himself.
"Alfred!" Arthur screamed in horror and ran to where his friend lay twitching on the ground. Arthur's hands waved helplessly over Alfred's body; he didn't know what to do. He had no training in first aid but he could see blood oozing from where Alfred's hands pressed onto his right shoulder. Alfred was not making any noise but his breathing was ragged and his face was contorted in obvious pain.
Arthur leaned back as Alfred started to move again. Before Alfred could take as much as one step forward, a shadow came over him. Arthur and Alfred found the Clubs soldiers standing over them. One of the men raised a gun-like weapon and leveled it at Alfred's forehead.
"NO!" Arthur shrieked and leaped forward just as another voice, seemingly far off yelled, "Arthur!"
The vision froze, then faded away. Arthur cried out wordlessly as Alfred was swallowed into blackness. The last thing he saw was Alfred's face- mouth drawn down in a snarl, skin paler than pale, the Clubs soldiers reflected in his bright blue eyes.
Arthur slammed back into himself, jerking awake so abruptly that it actually hurt to focus on Yao standing in front of him.
"Arthur?! Arthur!"
Yao had him by the shoulders and was shaking him roughly. Arthur's head snapped back and forth.
"Stop," he croaked out. "I said, STOP!" He managed to shove Yao away and used both of his hands to clutch at his head. He had never been forcefully woken up from a vision before. It was akin to waking up with a terrible hangover.
"You were screaming," Yao said. "I didn't know what was wrong. I ran to your Study and you were just- just sitting there, on the ground, holding London and crying hysterically. I didn't know what to do."
Arthur stared at the ground in between his legs, barely listening. He became aware that he was sitting against the wall with his legs pulled up against his chest. He was able to make out a flicker of gold to his right and saw London lying on the ground next to him. The clock was no longer glowing.
Yao must have seen where he was looking for the Jack said, "I had to pry it from your fingers."
Anger boiled inside of Arthur and he turned his gaze to stare menacingly at Yao.
"If you had to pry it from my grasp," he hissed, dropping his hands. "Why did you think it was a good idea to separate us?!"
Yao looked taken aback at Arthur's tone. "You- you were in pain."
Arthur used the wall to stand, growling when Yao tried to help. "Let go of me!" he snapped. "I can stand on my own!"
Yao immediately backed off. Arthur picked up London- with difficulty- and put it on his desk. Light glistened off London's sapphire gems but he had a hard enough time simply focusing on the clock's hands.
Two hours. Two hours and fifteen minutes since Alfred had gone. How long until that vision became reality? How long until Alfred was captured?
His field of view tilted sideways and suddenly he was falling. Arms caught him before he hit the ground, pushing him back into a standing position but Arthur could barely make his legs stay straight. He desperately held onto Yao's arms- because of course, who else would have saved him if not for his Jack?- and refused to let go.
"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"
The back of Arthur's eyes prickled and he turned in Yao's grip until his head pressed against his friend's collar. Yao's arms came around him and the pair hugged silently. Arthur refused to cry, but he took strength from the comfort Yao gave so willingly.
"I am sorry," he said and his voice cracked.
"I forgive you. What happened?" Yao asked as Arthur pulled back.
Arthur took a deep breath to compose himself. "London, it- began to glow. The vision I saw-"
"Was it about Alfred?" Yao interrupted, one eyebrow cocked.
Arthur tried not to appear guilty but he must have failed for Yao sighed tiredly. "Why do I even bother asking?"
"Am I that obvious?"
"You've been doing nothing but worrying over him since he left, what else would London show you? What did you see?"
"Alfred was running from Clubs soldiers. They attacked him, and the last thing I saw before you woke me was Alfred's face right before they- they-"
"They won't kill him, Arthur," Yao said and grasped his soldiers firmly. "At worst they'll take him in for questioning."
Arthur frowned and resisted the urge to shrug Yao off again; did he not understand? Even if they did not kill Alfred immediately, they would soon. And regardless… "If Alfred will be in danger, so will the rest of our men. He was alone. That means he was either separated from the rest of the group or they were all killed. The spell you used to connect Alfred and Mister Amuls would stop Alfred from leaving him, correct?"
"I see your point." Yao ran a hand down the side of his face. "Nothing is ever simple, is it?"
"No," Arthur said bitterly.
"What do you want to do about it?"
He took a deep breath. Yao wasn't going to like what he was going to say. "I want you to open up a Wormhole for me so I can go in after our men and save them before the plan goes to hell."
Yao's jaw dropped. It took him a moment to compose himself before he could speak again. "Are you crazy?!" he finally said. "You can't just go after them! You are the Queen of Spades! If they find you-"
"But they won't, not when I can see the future and avoid it."
"That doesn't matter! You can't bring London with you to Clubs."
"Yao." Arthur felt like screaming again. "I have to go. It has to be me. I have been transporting London with me for years and I know how to bring it with me so it's unnoticeable. I am the only one who knows where to find Alfred and the rest of our men. Only I can stop this mission from ending in tragedy."
Yao's eye twitched and he clenched his hands into fists. He was quiet for so long that Arthur was almost afraid to speak, but Arthur knew Yao had to hear this; there is no other way the mission would be successful.
He said quietly, "You know what I'm saying is the truth."
Yao let out a long breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know why I even bother advising you. You never listen to me anyway." He opened his eyes and said in a tired voice, "Go change and get weapons to defend yourself. If you're going to save the mission you should leave as soon as possible."
Fifteen minutes later, Arthur was standing in front of Yao fully equipped and prepared for the extreme temperature change. Arthur's noticeable blonde hair was hidden by a hood and London had been changed into a picture on the inside of his dark green jacket, much like it had been a picture on the side of his desk.
"Are you ready?"
Arthur nodded as he shoved gloves onto his hands. "I am."
Yao drew his sword and sliced the air in front of them. The Wormhole opened, smaller than usual so as not to destroy the room. Yao grabbed Arthur's elbow before he could step into the magic vortex.
"Do not let yourself get captured," Yao said with deadly seriousness. Arthur was reminded of himself giving Alfred the same order not even a day ago, and look where they had ended up.
"I know," he said. Alfred might have been caught off guard, but Arthur could not afford it. He would make it back.
"Is there any way you can see if you'll make it out alive?"
"I haven't been able to get anything else from London," Arthur admitted. "But London was made to aid Spades through me and Spades won't be safe without a Queen. I know without a doubt that London will warn me if my future puts Spades in danger; it won't let me fall into Clubs hands without sending a vision my way first."
Yao relaxed marginally. "You're right. But it would still make me feel better if you would give me updates to your condition. I won't open the Wormhole again until the decided time, you understand that right?"
"Yes."
"Good." He hugged Arthur again, holding onto him tight. "Get back safe. Even if not for Spades, please do it for me. You are the only true friend I have."
Arthur swallowed thickly. "The same is true for me, old friend. I promise I will return."
Yao released him. "That is all I wanted to hear. I will see you soon, then."
"See you soon." Arthur stepped into the Wormhole without looking back. Alfred had been gone for two hours and thirty minutes.
Hang on, Alfred. I'm coming for you.
-o0o-
Forty-five minutes later (three hours and fifteen minutes since start of mission)
Clubs Castle
The fight between Alfred and Simon's group and the Clubs soldiers lasted a long time. It had spread out as the fighting grew more intense, making it impossible for Alfred to keep track of the men from his group. Their thoughts were a jumbled mess inside of his head that distracted him more than helped. After a while he tuned it out to background noise.
Eventually it was just him and Simon fighting a three Clubs in a small room a few hallways down from the one where they'd been ambushed. Simon preferred to fight with a long sword while Alfred used a nearly silent gun and daggers. He'd tried the sword and while he'd been good at it, it just wasn't his style.
There was no sound expect for the clashing of metal on metal and grunts of pain. Alfred ducked a punch and jammed his gun into the Clubs' side. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger and the man flew across the room, crashing into the opposite wall. He wasn't dead, just stunned, but he would be out for the rest of the fight.
"Gyah!"
Alfred turned just in time to see Simon thrown back into a wall. A second Clubs soldier advanced on him, punching, kicking, and doing absolutely anything he could to pound Simon into the stone.
"No-!" Alfred yelled and moved to help, but the third soldier blocked his path. Alfred threw up an arm and his dagger stopped the sword from slicing him in half one second before it was too late. From underneath his arms Alfred saw the Clubs soldier hit Simon over the head with the bunt of his sword. Simon collapsed.
Simon's attacker raised his weapon.
"SIMON!" Alfred hit the ground and slid under his attacker's legs. The Clubs' sword clanged against the ground behind him. Alfred threw one of his daggers as he stood and turned in time to duck out of the way of a fist.
He heard a cry of pain from the third Club behind him and allowed himself a small smile; his dagger had hit its mark. It gave Simon some time, but how much?
Alfred sidestepped another punch and jabbed the second Clubs' pressure points- something he'd learned in Hearts- until the soldier fell shakily to the ground. He wouldn't get up any time soon.
There was a footstep directly behind him. Alfred picked up the sound, twisting around to find Simon's possible murderer coming at him with Alfred's dagger in his leg and a murderous expression on his face. Alfred threw another dagger from his pocket; it snagged the man in the upper arm, stalling his advancement and giving Alfred the time he needed to fire his stun gun.
The third and final Club fell but Alfred was already running past him to where Simon lay still on the floor. His thoughts were a jumble of words- Please, not Simon. He's a good man with a loyal heart to Spades, he never did anything to hurt me even though I was the enemy, he saved my life back at the Pentagon, please he's my friend-!
Alfred slid to the ground besides Simon and tried to find a heartbeat. He felt it within seconds, and he could breathe easier. Thank Ace, something had gone okay.
Is anyone out there?
Alfred's head snapped up. It was the general's voice. I'm here!
Where are you, soldier?
I'm not sure. He looked around. There was nothing noticeable in the room that he could see, just a couple of green couches and chairs with another door opposite the one in front of him. Simon Amuls and I were separated from our group and chased to a room down the hall. Simon is alive, but he's hurt and unconscious.
Is the wound fatal?
Alfred gently moved Simon's head to examine where the soldier had hit him. He had several scratches and he would need time to recover, but he would recover. Eventually. No, it's not fatal but he needs medical attention as soon as possible.
Understood. Take him back to the entry point and wait there until the Wormhole opens. All the groups were found by Clubs but my group is mostly intact. We will try to find the Rose while any survivors protect the location of the Wormhole so we can leave Clubs together-
Uh, sir, Alfred interrupted, staring through the open door. That won't be possible.
Why is that?
There are more Clubs soldiers headed my way. I can see them heading down the hall.
Soldier, do not-
I'm casting an invisibility spell on Simon, Alfred told the general in a split second decision. Others'll be able to find him if I can't make it back. But I have to go; if I stay here I'll be killed.
Do not disobey me, I'm warning you-!
Alfred closed his mind off to the general. The consequences from staying here and being found by the Clubs were far worse than what he would be punished for disobeying orders.
"Disappear," he whispered and focused on making Simon blend into the surroundings. The original invisibility spell had worn off once they'd been attacked. This would reactivate it.
Once Simon was safe, Alfred stood up and backed away from the door. The Clubs soldiers were running towards his room but he didn't know if they had spotted him yet. He started to run towards the opposite end of the room.
"Halt!" a voice commanded.
Yup, Alfred thought with increased panic. They know I'm here.
He yanked the exit door open and pelted down the hall. His only chance to escape was to lose the men on his tail. Most of his bullets had been used already and daggers would do him little good against ten men. There was nothing else he could use, except-
Something stung his cheek and the wall besides his head exploded.
He yelled out, throwing his arms up to protect himself. He tripped over his own feet yet somehow managed to keep running. He had no idea what the hell they had just thrown at him, but if they could nail one of those on his body he would be goner for sure.
And then- just when he thought his luck couldn't get any worse- his hands began to glow bright blue, meaning that he was outside of Simon's range.
Alfred screamed from pain then- the first time since the start of the mission- because it felt like his hands were on fire. He went down on two knees and held his hands to his chest. He could have kept running even in his poor condition but the agony coming from his hands put him over the edge.
I have to neutralize the spell, Alfred told himself. But the Clubs would be on him before he could do anything, how could he-
Arthur's toy soldier.**
Alfred didn't give himself a moment to doubt. He reached inside his jacket and threw the toy soldier behind him. The toy tripled in size, growing as tall as the ceiling. Alfred heard the Clubs crash to a halt and there were sounds of fighting and cries of fear.
Alfred focused instead on releasing his hands from the pain. Breathing in and out as evenly as he could, he told himself, You do not belong to Spades. You do not belong to anyone. You are neutral, you are No-Man's-Land, you are the Wild Card-
The fire in his hands began to ebb. Almost sobbing in relief, Alfred screwed his eyes shut and focused even harder on the task at hand. Within moments the pain was gone.
Alfred opened his eyes and looked over at Arthur's soldier. It had held the Clubs off enough for him to get rid of Simon's spell, but the Clubs were starting to make a breakthrough. The toy soldier's right arm had been chopped off and it was having trouble blocking the men from getting past.
Well, Alfred wasn't going to wait around for that to happen. He wiped his eyes and stumbled trying to stand but then he was on his feet again, running like his life depended on it- because, really, it did. And he made sure to be silent this time, a trick he had also learned during Hearts training. If the Clubs couldn't hear or see him in the dark how would they catch him?
There was a triumphant yell behind him and he knew instinctively that the toy soldier was gone. Alfred's heart fell; he felt bad, in a weird way. The toy soldier wasn't living, but the thing had saved Alfred's life. What would Arthur tell him when he told the Queen that he had destroyed-?
He heard a snapping sound rapidly approaching and something suddenly wrapped around his legs, making it impossible to keep moving. His head collided with the ground. Stars exploded behind his eyes, leaving him momentarily stunned.
While his brain took a moment to recover, his hands reached down to undo the binds, seemingly of their own accord. But to his dismay, the binds were somehow impossible to separate.
Magic, Alfred thought, breathing hard, and concentrated. Neutral, he was neutral, no Clubs trap could bind him-
The thing ensnaring his legs flashed a bright white and fell off. Alfred scrambled to stand, turning on his heel to escape-
BANG!
"NO!"
Alfred was pushed sideways just as a bullet pierced the air where he'd been standing. Someone had thrown him out of the way and was now gasping against his chest. Alfred's mind was still sluggish from when he had fallen and he found it impossible to focus on his savior's features. Who had come to his rescue this time-?
"Let's go!" his savior said, grabbing his wrist and pelting down the hall. Alfred was slow at first, surprised at what had just occurred, but soon sped up. The pair raced down the hallway and took the first left, ducking into an unlit room with one window.
The stranger shut the door behind Alfred and locked the door. Alfred leaned heavily on his knees, wheezing and coughing for air. The floor beneath him swam and his mouth tasted of metal.
"Are you alright?" The stranger moved forward with an outstretched hand. "Did they harm you-?"
Alfred slapped the hand away and stumbled back, dizzy from lack of air and the recent stress on his body. The stranger stayed where he was, hand hanging in the air.
"Who-" Alfred stopped to cough again while the other waited silently. "Who the hell are you?! I don't recognize you from my party. What do you want from me?"
"Alfred, please-"
"H-how do you know my name?" Alfred was scared now. He didn't think he could escape after what he'd been through. If this man knew his name, did he know that Alfred was the Wild Card?
The stranger made a strange gesture and a blue orb of light appeared in the air to their right. Alfred had to turn from the brightness, but when his eyes adjusted, he was able to see the face of his savior.
Alfred's jaw dropped. "A-Arthur?!"
The Queen of Spades pulled back his hood, revealing a familiar mop of blonde hair to match emerald eyes. It was Arthur, alright; Alfred had never met another person with eyebrows as fuzzy as Arthur's.
Arthur gave him a small smile. "Hello, Alfred." His voice was much quieter than Alfred's.
Alfred sputtered, fighting to give into the wave of relief that made him want to hug Arthur and cry his exhaustion out. "Wha- what are you- why- no, what are you doing here?! I thought I told you-"
"I wasn't about to let you get killed!" Arthur spoke over him with flashing eyes. "I saw a vision in London and knew you were going to be captured by the Clubs if I didn't do anything."
Alfred scowled. "That doesn't mean you should come charging in after me! If they get to you the war is as good as won!"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Its touching that you think so highly of yourself. You may be important to me, but my own personal reason is not the sole motivation for my interference. If you were in trouble, so are the rest of my men. I can see the future and I came here to save the infiltration from being a complete and utter failure. Saving your arse is a perk."
Alfred felt his cheeks warm as began to snarl something at Arthur. He had a lot of nerve barging into Clubs to save Alfred's life- yeah, Arthur wanted to help the other soldiers but he knew Arthur probably wouldn't have come just for them- only to end up insulting him! How in the world did Yao let Arthur come here-?!
There were noises outside of the locked door, and the last thing Alfred saw was Arthur's face go pale before the orb of light dissolved. Alfred immediately shut up, listening intently. He was afraid to breathe.
Shadows from Clubs caused the light under the door to flicker several times before their footsteps faded away. Arthur let the orb come back, but this time its light had dimmed. It would be unnoticeable to anyone from the hallway.
"So," Arthur said and Alfred reluctantly looked at him. The Queen was very composed for the perilous situation they were in, head held high and hands clasped together in front of him. "Do you wish to keep arguing or shall we move on?"
He strode past Alfred towards a wall covered in portraits. The orb moved with him, leaving Alfred in the dark. Alfred let out a frustrated sigh and followed, his headache from the fall clearing with every step. There was nothing else he could do, despite wanting to grab Arthur and run for the hills. He wasn't going to stay here and let the Clubs find the Queen, that was for sure.
Arthur wordlessly held out his hand. He gave Alfred a pointed glare when the teenager did nothing but stare. Alfred slowly reached out to take it. Arthur pulled him forward and, to Alfred's immense shock, they passed straight through the stone into the adjacent ballroom.
Alfred took a shuddering breath once they had passed safely through. "How did you do that?" he asked shakily.
"Magic, what else? Now-" he began to walk again and Alfred trotted after him. "-tell me what happened?"
"We were found by the Clubs soldiers. The invisibility or blending in spell or whatever it was couldn't keep them from noticing us. Something similar happened to the other groups based on what the general was saying."
"What was the fate of those in your group?" They were halfway across the floor. "What of Mister Amuls?"
"Simon and I were separated from everybody else. He was taken down and badly hurt while we fought off three Clubs but it's not fatal. I renewed the invisibility spell on him before I left him; more Clubs were coming my way. Oh, and I used the toy soldier you gave me and he saved my life, but he kinda, um, died?"
"That's alright. He was supposed to be used as collateral. His job was to protect you and that's what he did. Mister Amuls' connection spell hasn't affected you yet?"
Alfred's heartbeat sped up but he lied, "No. I think he expanded the range a ton before we left Spades, in case something like this happened."
Arthur stopped in front of the double oak doors and faced Alfred, expression serious. "Can you get into contact with the general?"
Alfred sent out a word from his mind but there was no response. A bad feeling started to grow in his gut. "There's nothing…"
Arthur nodded. "I expected as much."
"What do you mean?"
"I think Clubs suspected that we would try to infiltrate their Castle."
"What? How? Is there a traitor-"
Arthur cut him short. "No. I doubt it. They simply know how desperate Spades and Diamonds are and they probably figured it was only a matter of time before we pulled a stunt like this. Yao is strengthening Spades' defenses as we speak."
"So what does that mean for the rest of the mission? Do we save everyone and get out of here?"
Arthur was already shaking his head before Alfred could finish. "We have to finish this mission. If Spades doesn't learn what Clubs' plans are we will lose this war. You and I are going to find the Rose and then we will save the rest of our men. One way or another this mission will not fail."
And with that, he opened one of the oak doors and started to run into the hallway with Alfred a step behind him.
-o0o-
Present (four hours since start of mission)
The pair flew past doors and hallways, only turning right once they reached a fork. Alfred tried to be quiet as possible as they ran but he could barely hear anything over the pounding of his heart.
The orb suddenly went out and Arthur ducked sideways, dragging Alfred along with him. Alfred, not expecting the sharp movement, stumbled into the archway. He gave out a low gasp when Arthur grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall, pressing them as flat as possible to the stone.
Alfred breathed slowly so to make as little noise as possible. Now that the light had disappeared he couldn't see Arthur. He could hear him though; the Queen was muttering under his breath. Alfred felt the hairs on his arm stand on end when he realized Arthur was citing a spell.
Arthur finished his incantation and fell silent. Alfred couldn't tell any difference the spell had made except for a strange ghost of wind across the patches of his bare skin.
Alfred's ears picked up on the sound of people running towards their hiding place and his heart jumped to his throat. He reached up and wrapped a hand around Arthur's left arm, which was still holding him in place.
His eyes weren't strong enough to make out Arthur's expression but he thought he could feel Arthur's gaze on his face. Arthur's arm pressed against his chest relaxed and the hand attached to it grasped Alfred's shoulder awkwardly.
It's alright, Arthur seemed to say. We are in this together.
The footsteps were even closer now.
Alfred leaned his head back against the stone and he squeezed his eyes shut. Oh Ace, please, please, please please pleasepleasepleaseplease-
A light illuminated the back of his eyelids for a mere second before flashing away again. The soldiers followed soon after, their boots making terrible and loud noises when they hit the ground, but to Alfred's immense relief, none of the men stopped. He held his breath until all had passed, only allowing himself to relax after their footsteps were too distant for him to hear.
Beside him, Arthur let out a sigh.
"That was bloody close," he said quietly.
"You think?" Alfred whispered back. His voice shook.
The light orb blinked back into existence and Alfred winced. When he could see again properly, Arthur was watching him with worry.
"Are you alright?"
"Does it matter?" Alfred asked through gritted teeth. "We could get captured at any second, we have to keep moving no matter what or else someone will find us."
"My spell-" Arthur began to say.
"-will only work a handful of times," Alfred interrupted impatiently, though still whispering. "The spell wares off and the guards will have spell-repellant stones or some other stupid magic stuff like that! We have to keep going, c'mon!"
He darted out into the hallway again with Arthur's hand once again clutched in his.
They ran for a long, long time. They went left and right, up and up. In between ambushes by Clubs soldiers, Alfred explained that they were currently using servants' corridors that were less used by the average Club. That was why the temperature was so much colder and there were less places to hide than would be expected. They needed to go up several floors and get to the North Wing for the Rose was directly above the Clubs Throne Room.
By now both Arthur and Alfred were bruised and bleeding. Arthur seemed to feel the need to jump in front of Alfred whenever anything remotely dangerous was aimed at him. In response, Alfred had begun to push Arthur out of harm's way; Arthur then resorted to magic to stop Alfred from getting beaten to a pulp.
"Did you just collapse a ceiling on top of them?!" Alfred panted with disbelief as the pair sprinted away from their latest attackers.
"What did you expect me to do?!" Arthur snapped. "I won't let you continuously sacrifice yourself for me, eventually there will be nothing left of you!" They opened another door and crossed a huge room with portraits covering the walls.
Alfred glared at him sideways. "You have no faith in me, do you?"
"Of course I do! I would not have sent you on this mission if I didn't think you could handle yourself. But you keep getting more and more hurt every time we must fight, and if I have to drop a few ceilings then I will-"
"Stop!" a voice commanded behind them.
Alfred did what he was told out of reflex, grabbing Arthur's arms so the two slowed to a stop.
Someone walked toward them in the dark. Arthur's eyes were both furious and fearful at the same time. They seemed to scream, what the bloody hell are you thinking?!
"What are you two doing here?" the person commanded. Alfred swallowed thickly and faced the man in front of them.
He had straight, chin-length straw blond hair and green almond-shaped eyes. He had simple green clothes on that were rumpled, as if he had just come straight from bed. There was nothing about his appearance that suggested animosity- he didn't even have a weapon on him- but Alfred was wary regardless.
Alfred straightened and gave a solute. "Sir, there are intruders in the Castle."
The guy's eyebrows shot up. "Like, seriously? Since when?"
"A few hours ago," Alfred responded. There was something about this man…why did he seem so familiar?
"Well, that's like totally a bummer," he sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Russia will throw a fit for sure. But don't tell him I said that!" He waved a hand at them.
"Er. Yeah, sure."
The blonde winked at him. "Thanks, darling. Do you know any safe places to stay until you soldiers take care of the situation? Normally I would have gone to Toris, but he's been gone for so long now…"
His voice trailed off. His expression lost all mirth and morphed into sadness. Something clicked in Alfred's mind.
"You're Poland!" he blurted out. Arthur shot him an alarmed look.
"Yeah, that's right." Poland smiled again, though it was smaller than before. "Did you like not recognize me without my uniform?"
That was a terrible mistake, Alfred thought but kept the panic off his face. "Yes. I apologize, sir." He bowed.
"No need for that! I hate bowing, it reminds me too much of Spades. Just go about your duty; I'll manage find a safe spot to hide on my own. Off you go."
He didn't have to tell them twice. Alfred turned away and walked briskly in the direction they were originally heading. Arthur trotted to keep up at his side.
"What was that all about?" Arthur demanded once they were out of earshot.
Alfred winced. "Sorry. I recognized him from one of Toris' stories about Clubs."
"Is that what you were talking about? I couldn't understand a word of what you were saying while you were speaking in Russian."
Alfred halted and Arthur practically walked into him. "I was speaking Russian?" he asked, dumbfounded.
Arthur rubbed his nose, grumbling, "Yes, how else would you have understood what a Clubs was saying?"
"Huh, weird. I didn't even realize."
"Your obliviousness truly astounds me, Alfred. Truly."
"You're so mean!" Alfred whined, but he was smiling. He took Arthur's hand again- it was reassuring to have something to hold onto- and they took off again.
"Are we any closer to the Rose?" Arthur wheezed behind him nearly thirty minutes later.
Alfred skidded to a halt as they reached the end of the hallway. "I think so. We're either on the right floor or we have to find some stairs-" He peaked around the corner to find a huge cavern, completely deserted. He froze in midsentence. "-what the heck?"
Arthur moved past him to see. "An empty room?"
"I guess. I don't know why though. It looks like a dead end to me."
"Perhaps not." His hand slid out of Alfred's before the teen could stop him.
Alfred reached out to grab Arthur's sleeve but the Queen was already too far. "Arthur!" he hissed but was ignored. He quickly ran to catch up. He wasn't going to leave Arthur alone, what if-
"What if it's a trap?" he echoed his thoughts.
Arthur's arm shot out in front of him and halted Alfred in his tracks. The Queen held up two fingers to his mouth, eyes closed. He whispered, "Reveal." and opened his eyes. His fingers moved from his lips to point to the empty room in front of them. Instantly, a grey-sh cloud started to form at their feet.
Alfred bit on his lip to keep himself from yelling out in surprise. As the cloud began to rise from the floor towards the ceiling, he looked back at the passageway they had come from. So far, there was no sign of any Clubs.
When he turned around there were red lines zig-zagging back and forth across the room.
"What are they?" he asked with a frown.
"Magic of some kind," Arthur said as he studied one of them. "Don't touch them; they might set off an alarm."
"Well, there's nothing here anyway. I say we just keep searching-"
"Why would Russia have an empty room guarded by such high level magic?" Arthur said, one hand clasping his chin.
"Does it matter?" Alfred said. He didn't understand why Arthur was so focused on this room.
"I would say yes. If the room is protected, that means there must be a reason. Magic is taxing so there must always be a reason to use it. If the reason can't be seen-"
"-then it must be hidden," Alfred finished with a quirk of his lips.
"Precisely. This must be the location of the Rose. The only barrier are these red lines."
Alfred chewed on his bottom lip. "What if there are hidden threats? Like, people hiding in the ceiling ready to shoot us at any second if we try to get past this- this- thing?" He gestured.
Arthur narrowed his green eyes; Alfred could see them flickering from the orb's blue light. Arthur said, "I will find out."
Alfred's eyebrows jumped up. "Oh yeah? How?"
Arthur unzipped his black jacket and pulled the right side back so Alfred could see the interior. He gasped when he saw an image of London sown within the cloth. He said, "Is that London? The real one?"
"Yes."
"Why'd you bring it here for?!" He closed Arthur's jacket and tried to zip it up. "If someone gets it-"
"Well, they won't!" Arthur said as he wrestled Alfred's hands off of him. "I won't let them! But I need to use it if we're going to make it past those things." He nodded at the red lines.
"I don't like this," Alfred admitted with a shake of his head.
"You don't have to," Arthur retorted and Alfred felt a twitch of annoyance.
"Fine, whatever. Have it your way," Alfred grumbled. He spun on his heel and headed over to the hallway entrance. He muttered under his breath, "It's not like I care about us making out alive or anything."
"What was that?" Arthur said in a suspicious tone.
Alfred didn't bother turning back around. "Nothing! Just go do your thing. I'll stand guard."
Even without facing him, Alfred could tell Arthur wanted to argue back. But Arthur's duty won out before his emotions, like Alfred knew it would, and he heard the Queen settle on the cold ground behind him. Alfred peaked around the corner just far enough to watch for Clubs. He saw the stones facing him reflect blue and knew Arthur was seeing a vision. All he had to do was wait.
-o0o-
London burst with light. The vision seemed to shoot forward and drag Arthur in, face first. The last thing he saw was Alfred's back as he stood guard.
Arthur blinked as the room swam back into focus. He knew he was in a vision, for the edges of his view were blurred. He saw himself, standing to the side, watching Alfred, who was walking towards the red beams. Arthur clenched his hands into fists; the urge to stop Alfred was all too real even thought this vision wasn't.
Alfred stopped in front of the red lines and hesitated.
"Can you do it or not?" the Arthur in the vision asked curtly.
"I can do it, just give me a sec!" Alfred snapped back. The real Arthur grimaced. Was he really so harsh with Alfred? The teen had been through so much in the last few hours. Arthur could make out the dried blood the side of Alfred's face. There were dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks were smudged brown and black with dirt. It was a miracle his glasses hadn't broken.
Alfred took a deep breath and reached out. The moment his hands touched the red lines, they turned bright white. The white spread from where he had touched it and as soon as the whole line was white, it disappeared. Alfred moved onto the next line and then the next. Soon there were no red lines left.
"No archers hiding in the shadows," the other Arthur said.
"Not yet," Alfred corrected. He took out the glowing Clubs Ciph. "C'mon. Let's find out what those Clubs are up too."
And with that he threw the Clubs Ciph on the ground. The stones flipped where the Ciph landed to leave a gaping hole. The hole grew, swallowing the Arthur and Alfred from the vision, along with the real Arthur.
He gasped as he fell and threw up his arms instinctively, but no hard landing came. When he tentatively opened his eyes, he was back in the real world. London was lying innocently in his lap and Alfred was still watching for Clubs.
Arthur cleared his throat. Alfred's head whipped around, face white.
His stomach flipped uncomfortably. "What is it?" He spoke barely above a whisper.
"Clubs. Headed our way. If we're gonna do this, we have to do it now."
Arthur swore and forced London to meld back into his coat. Alfred was there within a second, grabbing him up by the arm before he had even finished.
"What do we do?" Alfred demanded, grasping Arthur's upper arms so tightly it hurt.
The intensity of his gaze made Arthur's mind go blank. "You- you have to make the lines disappear," Arthur stuttered.
Alfred blanched. He dropped his arms and stepped back. "What?"
"You heard me," Arthur said. He could hear footsteps coming from the hallway opening now. His heart jumped to his throat and he swallowed thickly. "I don't know how you do it. But you do, obviously, according to my vision. And you must if we are to survive this."
Alfred's expression clouded over abruptly, making it impossible for Arthur to tell what the teenager was thinking. Arthur tried not to feel hurt and ignored the creeping suspicion that Alfred was hiding something from him. For all his friendliness and openness with Arthur, Alfred was a Heart. He had been trained to quickly block all emotions and give nothing away.
The footsteps were growing louder.
Arthur's hands started to shake, and this time it had nothing to do with the cold. He leaned around Alfred. There on the opposite wall there was a dim reflection of greenish light. The Clubs would be here soon if they didn't act-
"I can do it," Alfred said. He brushed past Arthur and stepped up to the first red line. Unlike the vision, Alfred moved with speed and without hesitation. His hand jumped forward to touch the red line without any sense of doubt. He moved onto the next before the first had evaporated. Arthur winced as the lights changed colors.
To his shock, the red lines didn't turn white; instead they become a dark forest green. Why were they green?
Alfred had barely finished before Arthur was stammering, "H-how did you do that?"
Alfred yanked out the glowing Clubs Ciph and threw in on the ground. "The Ciph disables the defenses too." He threw an uneasy look over his shoulder at the hallway opening. They could hear the Clubs' voices now, yelling orders and the terrible scratching noise of swords being drawn.
Arthur's gaze fell to the floor. The hole on the ground from the Ciph was growing larger. It was almost at Alfred's feet. Soon they would-
"Arthur!" Alfred's terrified cry jerked Arthur out of his stupor.
He twisted around to see a group of Clubs soldiers standing in the hallway entrance. One was aiming an arrow right at his chest.
Arthur did not wait for that to happen. He ducked just in time for the arrow to sail over his head. It buried itself in the opposite wall but by then Arthur was already on the move.
Arthur sprinted over to Alfred's side, gasping for breath. The teenager reached out with his arm even as he started to fall through the hole. Arthur leaped.
A knife flew past his head, only a few inches from its target. Arthur's hand curled around Alfred's-
And then there was nothing.
When Arthur came to, he was lying on his back. He blinked up at the wood ceiling several times before attempting to sit up.
A sharp flare of pain on his right side stopped him from moving too much. He struggled to breathe evenly, gasping in short breaths. The stinging was agonizing, but not unbearable. He concentrated on the air in his lungs for now.
"Are you okay?"
Arthur's eyes looked up to meet startling blue ones.
"Alfred," Arthur said and felt his body relax marginally. The teenager smiled tiredly and knelt down next to him. Alfred's hood was off, revealing matted gold hair.
"Can I check it out?" Alfred asked, gesturing to Arthur's side.
Arthur nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Alfred gently moved Arthur's arm out of the way and leaned down. Arthur felt feather-light touches to where the pain was emanating and let out a low hiss.
"Sorry," Alfred muttered but continued his examination. "It's not that bad. You have a gash there, probably from one of those earlier fights in the servants' corridors. It probably happened when you pushed me out of the way of a dagger or something and it nicked you instead….The cut's shallow though, so that's good. Here-"
Arthur heard a ripping noise and saw Alfred tearing pieces of his undershirt off.
"No, Alfred, that is unnecessary-" he began to protest weakly.
Alfred scoffed. "Shut up, Arthur. And I mean that nicely. It's my fault you're hurt so at least let me help you. Drink this." He shoved a pill and his water jug into Arthur's numb hands.
Arthur did what he was told. The water felt good going down his parched throat. Soon Alfred finished treating Arthur's wound and he took back his water jug. Arthur's pain was slowly ebbing, leaving him to once again focus on the chilling temperature of the air.
"Th-thank you," he said through chattering teeth.
"No problem." Alfred gripped Arthur's waist- deliberately avoiding Arthur's wound- and helped him to stand. Arthur normally would have been ashamed at his lack of strength but as of now he was too exhausted. He leaned heavily on Alfred, letting Alfred's body warmth spread through to his own body.
Arthur gazed around. They were in a room shaped like a half circle, on wall completely straight while the other curved. The curved wall could barely be called a wall at all; it was more of a digital screen with numbers, images and various information being uploaded too quickly for Arthur to focus on any of them.
There were no doors.
"This is the Rose?" Alfred's voice echoed around the empty room. He sounded wary.
"I assume so," Arthur said grimly. "It is similar in appearance to what Toris described. Help me over-"
Alfred led Arthur to the digital screen. Now that they were closer Arthur could tell that it was nearly double his height. Thankfully there was a control table a foot from the screen that came up to Arthur's waist. Alfred carefully lowered Arthur into the metal chair behind the table that faced the screen.
Arthur frowned down at the buttons, levers and cords that covered every available square inch of the table. How in the world did anyone keep track of all these bloody controls?!
"Is this, like, a control panel or something?" Alfred asked besides him.
"I am not sure. I don't even know where to start."
"Do you-" Alfred faltered and Arthur glanced up at him. The teenager was chewing on his lip.
"What is it?" Arthur said.
"Do you think the Clubs can get through here and attack us again?" Alfred expression was tense and Arthur reached out to squeeze his arm. Some of the lines in Alfred's face smoothed out at Arthur's reassuring gesture.
"I do not think so," he answered honestly. "They do not have the Ciph or else they would have been here already, yes?"
Alfred nodded slowly, obviously uncertain for whatever reason. It caused Arthur's suspicion from earlier to rise once more and Arthur quickly looked away to hide his face; Alfred could be dangerously perceptive when he wished to be.
His mind whirled as he stared down at the buttons. Alfred had claimed the Ciph had deactivated the red lines above. But that was not…true. It couldn't be. The red lines turned white in his vision, not green. Green represented Clubs, of course, but white was something else entirely. A Clubs Ciph could not create those white lines. White had no Kingdom. White and grey they were colors worm at the Gathering in No-Man's-Land, in Alhliða-
"Arthur?" Alfred's voice broke his thoughts. "We don't really have a lot of time, so-"
"Yes, yes, of course. You are right." He pushed his doubts to the side. Those would have to wait.
He studied the control panel in front of him. "Er, I do not suppose you know what to do?" he asked Alfred.
Alfred shot him a withering glare. "What makes you think I know how this thing works?! My group wasn't even supposed to make it here; we were the distraction. You're the Queen- shouldn't you know what to do?"
Arthur flinched. "I was busy attending other matters! I was never supposed to be a part of this either!"
"Well, that makes two of us." Alfred ran a hand through his hair and let out an elongated sigh. "We could always push some random buttons and see what happens."
Arthur fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I doubt that will work." Then he noticed the words written on the board. He squinted at the letters but they made little sense to him. They were in Russian. He knew some Russian, of course, being the Queen of Spades but he hadn't practiced nearly as much as he should have. If only someone nearby could speak a variety of languages-
"Alfred!" he exclaimed, hope making his heart race.
"Wha- ow! Hey!"
Arthur had grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him down to Arthur's level. "Can you read this?" Arthur asked excitedly.
Alfred narrowed his eyes. He mouthed some words silently as he read and Arthur said impatiently, "Well? Can you?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it's just a bunch of direction stuff." He pointed to a green button in the center. "That says 'play'. That black one there says 'select'. There's an alphabet thing over to the right. The arrows are obviously arrows-"
"Is there a start option anywhere?"
"Um." Alfred glanced over the board quickly. "No. I'll check under it though."
He got down on his knees and crawled beneath the table. Arthur fiddled with his hands, unsure of what to do. They couldn't waste much time here.
There was a loud slapping sound and the buttons lit up as if illuminated from behind. Arthur leaned back just as the digital screen in front of him froze. As he watched the screen went dark.
"Alfred-" he began to say before the screen turned a startling bright green. The light hurt his eyes and he grimaced.
"We need a code," Alfred said. He had come out from under the table and was now kneeling besides Arthur. Arthur followed his gaze to see words flying across the screen. It ended with a blinking line, indicating that words must be typed in.
"If we don't have the right code," Alfred continued to read out loud. "It says it'll warn the Triumvirate. And we'll be stuck here until they come to get us."
Arthur sucked in a breath. "Alright. Do you-?"
"Move over," Alfred ordered and Arthur automatically shifted out of the way. Alfred leaned across him and pressed several of the buttons, hands moving swiftly over the keyboard. Arthur watched helplessly, hating his own uselessness. He was the Queen of Spades; he should be the one in charge here. Yet he was completely out of his depth.
When Alfred stopped, both turned toward the screen. Arthur held his breath. Please, Ace, let this work-
The screen blinked and the words Alfred typed disappeared. Then- faster than Arthur's eyes could follow- collections of pictures, files, words, maps and more flashed across the screen. They organized themselves into twenty separate groups across the wall before a minute was up. And then everything was still.
Arthur gaped at Alfred in awe. "How did you know what to do? What in the world did you type?"
The teen flushed. "I. Um. It was a name, Toris- he told me. Only the head general of our group was supposed to know but-"
"You are always getting into situations you should not be in, aren't you?" Arthur massaged his temples. He needed a vacation. No, he deserved a vacation after all this mess was over. Maybe someplace warm. He shivered and rubbed his arms. Very warm.
"Sorry," Alfred said lamely. He did not sound sorry at all, Arthur thought sourly.
"We'll talk about this later," Arthur said firmly. It was a promise. "We must look through this quickly and leave as soon as possible."
"What do you want me to do?" Alfred asked without missing a beat.
Arthur felt a rush of warmth. Alfred hadn't even hesitated. Alfred was here for him and that was all that mattered in that moment. Arthur would not have made it this far without his help.
"I am glad you're the one here with me," he said sincerely.
Alfred's face flared bright red. He looked so flabbergasted that Arthur almost laughed out loud.
"It's been a long time since I've made someone make that face," he said, mouth twitching.
"I-" Alfred made a face. "Shut up, Arthur."
Arthur did laugh at that. In fact, he laughed so hard that Alfred had to hit him over the head to get him to stop.
"Ow," Arthur grunted, still smirking despite himself. His sides were hurting even more now but he didn't care. He didn't know whether he was going insane or was just too fatigued to function normally, but he hadn't felt this light in ages.
"Calm down," Alfred muttered. "Jeez."
A pause.
"I'm really glad you're with me too," Alfred admitted quietly. Arthur's cheeks flamed. Suddenly it was not as cold as it had been a few minutes ago.
"Yes. Well." Arthur cleared his throat and looked at the screen. "I will go through this, you go-"
"Find a way out?" Alfred suggested.
"Yes, you do that."
Alfred nodded, still looking somewhat uncomfortable, and turned away.
Arthur started with the file to the left. The program was easy to manage using the arrow keys. He only had to call Alfred back once to ask where the 'back' button might be.
He tried to flick through the information as quickly as possible. He could feel his fingers sliding on freezing metal. Sweat dripped down his neck. He cursed under his breath.
He should have known it wouldn't be this easy. Ten minutes in and still nothing. He was down to the last two files when he saw something at the edge of his vision.
He zeroed in on it. At the very bottom of the screen was a swirling green circle.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Holding his breath, he selected it.
The circle enlarged to take up the entire screen. Arthur sat back in the chair and clenched his hands into fists. More maps, images and documents flooded the wall, but this time was different.
This time, Arthur recognized the information flooding the screen.
The maps were Spades towns. The images were photos of Diamond land. Documents like the Spades and Diamonds treaty were there, as well as another document in German and Russian-
"Alfred!" Arthur was standing on his own now, using the table for support. His voice was unnaturally shrill with excitement. This is what they had been looking for! Finally, they had something useful to bring back to Spades.
"What?" Alfred materialized besides him. "Did you find somethi-?"
"Look, look at all this!" Arthur said breathlessly as Alfred faced the screen. He threw his arms around Alfred's neck with a laugh and hugged the teenager with all the strength he possessed. Alfred stumbled back from the force of Arthur's embrace.
Arthur pulled back just enough to see Alfred's face, not quite ready to let go yet. He was light-headed; Alfred was blurry in front of him. He said with an ear-to-ear grin, "This is everything we need. Now we have a chance! We might even win this war! All we have to do is copy this information, maybe even delete it from here if we can-"
Alfred's face swam into focus. His expression made Arthur go still.
"Alfred…?" he whispered.
Alfred's eyes were locked on something over Arthur's shoulder. They were wide with raw terror and his skin looked ashen in the ghoulish light.
Arthur released Alfred and slowly turned around.
On the screen a video was playing. Two groups faced each other in a simple cream colored room. The first was the Clubs Triumvirate: Russia, his Queen Hungary and their Jack Austria. The second group was Germany and Japan of Hearts.
Their expressions were serious. Germany was speaking to the Clubs while Japan stepped forward with a piece of paper. Russia took the paper and held it up so Hungary and Austria could see.
Arthur sucked in a sharp breath. It was a photo of Alfred in Hearts attire. Was this a recording of the Clubs and Hearts Alliance? He couldn't hear what they were saying-
He reached out to select the volume option. Before he could, Alfred snatched his hand and pulled it away.
Arthur looked back at Alfred. The teen's jaw was set but Arthur could feel his hand shaking around his own.
"What is it?" Arthur asked. A cold feeling of dread settled in his stomach.
Do you really want to know? a voice in his mind whispered.
"Please," Alfred's voice broke on the simple word. "Please. Don't. If you do that, you- you'll-" He shook his head, unable to continue.
"Why?" Arthur found himself saying. "What is it? What are you so scared of?"
Alfred opened his mouth but no sound came out. Arthur felt a rush of anger. Alfred was hiding something from him. That had to be it. What the bloody hell else would he be so terrified for?!
Well, he thought savagely and yanked his hand out of Alfred's, he would find out soon enough.
"Arthur, no!" Alfred cried out.
Arthur pressed the sound option.
"-ing," the Russia on the screen said. He sounded amused.
"What?" Japan's voice was ice cold in comparison. Both were speaking in Hoppípollan.
Russia tapped Alfred's photo. "I recognize this child."
Neither of the Hearts replied. Arthur tightened his hands into fists, gazing intently at the screen. Alfred, too, was silent behind him.
Hungary plucked the photo from Russia and held the image close to her eyes. Austria peered over her shoulder.
"Is this not the boy who attacked you at the dinner party all those years ago?" he asked in a haughty, know-it-all tone.
Hungary snapped her fingers. "Ah, yes! I remember now-"
"He did not 'attack' you-" Japan interrupted, seething. "-you were the one who insulted us first!"
Germany jerked Japan back to his side and gave him a warning glare. Arthur looked over his shoulder at Alfred and asked, "What party?"
Alfred stared straight ahead at the screen and didn't answer.
"I would not be making such bold accusations if I were you, little Japan." Russia smiled sweetly and Arthur faced the screen again. "You came to me for help, I could simply-" He made a shoo-ing motion with his hand. "-ask you to leave instead of giving you what you came for."
Japan flushed with fury and even Germany stiffened at Russia's words. Arthur heard Alfred let out a low hiss but he didn't turn this time. He didn't want to see Alfred being defensive of these people. Especially Japan.
"The party though, I remember it well. I was not yet King. It was a celebration party to meet you-" Russia inclined his head. "The new Triumvirate of Hearts."
There was a beat of silence. Then-
"This boy was not a member of you three that night," Austria said as he considered the photo. "And where is the last member of the Hearts Triumvirate now? Where is the real Jack of Hearts?"
Arthur's skin was tingling. What did he mean? Alfred was not there with the Hearts when this deal was struck-
There was a creaking sound and the door behind the Hearts slowly opened.
A boy with red-brown hair stepped into the room. He looked up and regarded the figures with solemn brown eyes. He wore plain scarlet clothes and carried a gold baton in his right hand.
Arthur felt a jolt run through him. He recognized the boy. That was the boy he had threatened with a knife in to capture Alfred back in Alhliða. What was he doing at the Clubs-Hearts Alliance?
"Ciao," said the boy with a small wave. "My name is Feliciano Vargas. I am Italy, the current Jack of Hearts."
Arthur's blood ran cold.
"Yes, you do seem more familiar than the other," Russia said with a gesture at the photo. "Still, I wonder if this is yet another trick of Hearts." His eyes flickered to meet Germany's.
"You wish for proof?" Germany asked.
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble." Russia splayed his fingers in an open, non-threatening manner that Arthur mistrusted immediately.
"How dare you-?" Japan began to snarl when the Vargas boy put a hand on his arm.
"It's no bother. Please, watch." Vargas held out his right hand. The baton shot out from both sides until it was as long as the boy was tall. The upper end sharpened to a deadly point and a maroon flag unfurled itself from around the metal pole. The flag was triangular and decorated with cream colored hearts.
"This is my Eternal Implement, Rome," Vargas said as goose bumps broke over Arthur's arms.
"And this-" Vargas reached up with one hand to pull down his shirt. There, in the center of his chest just below his neck, was a red Heart Tattoo. In the center of the Heart was an eloquent white 'J'. "-is my Tattoo. You can try to rub it off to see if I drew the 'J' in but I'm telling you now that it is real."
Horror started to override every thought in Arthur's mind until there was nothing left. But he could not seem to stop listening, as desperately as he wanted to turn on his heel and bolt.
Italy continued to speak, "I am the Jack of Hearts. Alfred Jones is a friend of the Hearts Triumvirate. He saved me at the Gathering by pretending to be the Jack and taking my place as Spades prisoner."
"And now you want him back," Hungary concluded. She shared a meaningful look with Russia that Arthur could not decipher.
Japan responded, "Without him, we lose everything. Will you help us or do you refuse?"
Russia gave a Cheshire cat grin. "As long as we can share the spoils, we will fight with you. We have an agreement."
Russia reached out and Germany, despite the unhappy expression on his face, took the offered hand. They shook once and the video receded back into the Spades-Diamonds file.
The silence left after was deafening.
Arthur stared numbly at the screen without seeing anything. His mind was void of any thoughts.
Without being totally aware of what he was doing, he turned around to look at Alfred. The teen had backed away at least three steps and was half-way to the further wall. His eyes were blown wide. His face gleamed with sweat and Arthur could see his chest heaving even at their distance.
Arthur didn't know what he himself looked like; he could barely feel anything at the moment. But what Alfred saw caused the teen's expression to turn petrified.
"Ar-" he stopped and started again. "Arthur, I-I'm so sor-"
And just like that, Arthur's emotions came back in full force.
With a high pitched scream, he hurled himself at Alfred. He only saw Alfred's terrified face for a split second before Alfred leaped out of the way. Arthur skidded to a stop, hand pressed against the aching wound on his side, and whipped his head around.
Alfred was to his right now, wheezing. He looked so weak; his knees were bent as if he could barely stand. Arthur might have felt empathy for Alfred had not all thoughts not been wiped out with a raw, boiling desire for vengeance.
He was furious beyond anything he had ever felt in his life. He was trembling from the force of his emotions. All this time Arthur had felt sorry for Alfred. He had allowed Alfred to bargain and even gave him liberties no other prisoner would have ever received. Alfred had so simple and honest, yet Alfred had planned this all along. And Arthur had fallen right into his trap.
Arthur had been played like a fool.
"You-you-" he stuttered, voice shaking with barely controlled rage. His vision had taken a red tinge to it and he was caught in between attacking Alfred again or throwing the control panel at him first. "You-you tricked me on purpose, you worthless bastard! You are nothing but a spineless liar-"
He had begun to stumble towards Alfred, taking a step with every word he spit out. Alfred took a jerky step back every time Arthur moved forward and soon enough he was pressed flat against the opposing stone wall.
The teen had curled into himself so that he appeared smaller than he was. He flinched with every word Arthur said and began to gasp for breath when Arthur was a mere two steps away.
He thinks I'm going to hurt him.
The thought struck Arthur wrong. Wrong enough that he paused his advancement.
But before he could ponder on the issue, a blinding flash of light blazed through the darkness. Arthur cried out and covered his eyes.
When he removed his hand, Yao was standing in front of a medium sized Wormhole.
Arthur gaped. This was the last thing he would have expected in this moment. "Yao-"
"Arthur, you must return now," Yao said. His voice was oddly calm and his eyes could have been carved from stone.
Chills shot down Arthur's spine and, for the moment, chased away the blinding rage. "What happened?"
"The Hearts and Clubs are at our boarders. They have demanded one last peace talk before they attack our lands."
Dizziness washed over him. Yao leaped forward and dragged Arthur back into an upright position. Arthur held onto Yao with a death-like grip and demanded, "When the bloody hell did this happen?!"
"Within the last hour. I did not want to interrupt your mission but-" Yao's gaze fell onto Alfred, who was still cowering against the wall, and the corners of his lips turned down. "-I had no choice until now."
"Bring me back!" Arthur ordered and shook Yao. "Bring me back to Spades, now!"
"But the mission-"
Arthur snapped, "To hell with the mission! I got what I needed anyway." He shot Alfred a venomous glare. The teenager shuddered and bowed his head.
Yao said slowly. "Of course, Your Majesty. You go first, I'll send Alfred after-"
Arthur cut across Yao, "No, leave him! He deserves to rot in here until the Clubs Triumvirate finds him."
Yao blinked. After a pause he said, "Arthur, you cannot-"
"Do not tell me what to do," Arthur snarled. "I am your Queen and I expect you to obey me."
His words were met with a chilling stillness. The only thing Arthur could hear was his own heavy breathing and the blood roaring in his ears. His mind was screaming for revenge. Alfred had betrayed and deceived him; he led Arthur like the Queen was nothing more than a puppet, bargaining and twisting his words to win Arthur's favor. And all for Hearts' sake.
It was always for Hearts.
"Arthur," Yao spoke to him directly in a quiet, even voice. "Hearts and Clubs have demanded to see him. We must bring him back with us."
Arthur stared into Yao's eyes. After a minute, he nodded. Yao lead him over to the Wormhole in short steps; the gash on Arthur's side was starting to act up again after all the recent activity; white hot pain emitted from the cut.
With gritted teeth he pushed his way through the Wormhole, refusing to look back at what he left behind.
-o0o-
"This is the bad before the worse.
This is the storm before the storm.
I haven't even hit the bottom of this ocean floor.
This is the bend before the break.
This is the mercy not the grace.
This is the proof and not the faith I try to find.
There shouldn't be a good in goodbye."
Shouldn't Be A Good In Goodbye, Jason Walker
-o0o-
Background Information:
*"London was inside his [Arthur's] desk- literally enchanted to be a painting on the side of his desk. Only Arthur had the power to draw London from the wood..."- Alfred was able take London out of the Arthur's desk in Chapter 13 because he's the Wild Card and London wanted to specifically show him a vision.
**"Arthur's toy soldier."- this is a reference to the Hetalia scene where England gives colony America the toy soldiers as a gift. I try to include as many references to the magna/anime as possible.
-o0o-
Timing Guide:
I know the order of events is confusing, so below is the timeline I used to write this chapter.
Start of mission- Search castle
One hour- Know inside castle, south wing. Groups split up to search for the Rose
Two hours, Fifteen minutes-Arthur gets vision from London
Two hours, Thirty minutes- Arthur leaves Spades for Clubs
Three hours- Alfred's group is attacked
Three hours, Fifteen minutes- Alfred leaves Simon
Four hours- Alfred is with Arthur, start/middle of chapter