Chapter 25

Gil set his jaw, trying to hide his recognition of her. He turned to Russia, angry, "What did those idiots do to her!?" he growled, walking up to Adelaide and inspecting her hands and head. They'd torn at the tips of her fingers until they bled. Her skin had split where something hard had struck her head, bleeding into her hair. He lifted her chin. Her left cheek was bruised, and her lips and nose were bleeding. Her eyes were exhausted and angry.

Russia walked up behind him, also looking at Adelaide's hands, "They were just trying to get information from her," his voice was upset, almost uncomfortable.

"Well, this isn't how you do it!" GDR snapped, "What did they expect to gain from this? Idiots…"

Adelaide looked up at him, her eyes warning him to be careful.

GDR turned back to look at Russia, his voice hot with anger, his hands clenching into fists. "How long have your soldiers been working on her?"

Russia bristled at GDR's accusations but kept his voice calm, "Four hours, and some of them were your soldiers."

"Which ones?" GDR almost growled.

"Does it matter?"

"Ja, it does. Because I'm going to teach them how you actually interrogate someone!"

"I still need to know what she knows," Russia nodded to Adelaide, "You can deal with your soldiers later."

"She needs to rest first! If I tried anything now it wouldn't matter," he shook his head, his fists still clenched with rage. He turned back to Adelaide as she coughed hard, gasping for breath. She went limp. GDR sighed, untying her wrists, which were bound to the arms of the chair. He looked up at Russia, furious as he picked up Adelaide, carrying her towards the door.

"You know her," Russia said, his voice holding poorly concealed anger. "Who is she?"

GDR sighed again, turning back to Russia, "She's a spy, and she's on our side, or at least she was before your men, and mine, did this to her," he struggled to open the door. He managed to grab the handle, pulling the door open. He looked back at Russia, expecting to receive some kind of punishment for his boldness.

"Where are you taking her?" Russia's voice was calm, too calm.

"Upstairs to give her an actual bed. She's one of ours, and I intend to treat her like it."

"You've slept with her…" Russia smirked, but his eyes flashed with anger.

GDR didn't reply, "Have my men ready for me?"

Russia nodded, "Then I expect to hear about who she is, and what she knows. All of it. Otherwise, you're still going to interrogate her. And I'm going to make sure you do."

GDR nodded, "Understood." He carried Adelaide up the stairs into one of the empty barracks, laying her in one of the beds. He locked the door from the inside and walked back to her. "You can wake up now," he said, taking one of her injured hands, looking at the damage.

Adelaide opened her eyes, sitting up with a groan, bringing her free hand to the gash in her head, "Do you think Russia knew?"

"Knew what, that you weren't really unconscious?" Gil asked, reaching for her other hand, "I'm sure he did, and I'll probably pay for lying later."

"He hurts you?" Adelaide's voice was concerned.

"Nein," Gil said without looking up at her. He stood, walking to the bathroom, leaving the door open as he took a towel from the shelf and wet it.

"You're lying," Adelaide called to him.

Gil didn't reply, bringing the wet towel back to her, taking her hands. "I'll get you bandages for these."

"I'm fine."

"You won't say that once the adrenaline wears off," Gil shook his head, still irritated.

"Your men are brutes," Adelaide looked down at her hands, wincing in pain, "I told them I was on your side. They didn't believe me.

"I'll take care of them," he growled again, then looked up into her face kindly, "Are you all right?" He touched her cheek gently, pushing her hair behind her ear. He reached up to her face with the towel, dabbing the blood away from her nose and mouth.

Adelaide nodded, "I've had worse." She pointed to the scar, clearly visible over the neck of her tee-shirt.

There was a long silence as Gil cleaned the wounds on her hands and head. It wasn't deep enough to need stitches, which relieved him.

"Well?" She asked eventually, wincing as he pressed the cloth onto the wound in her head.

"Well, what?"

"Well, aren't you going to ask me how I got caught?" she smirked.

"How did you get caught?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"I let them catch me to keep them from finding the tunnel."

GDR stopped, pulling the cloth away for a moment, "There's a tunnel?" His voice was cold suddenly.

"Yes!" Adelaide turned to look up at him, "They're building a tunnel to go under the wall. We're going to get out!" she grinned.

GDR sighed deeply, "You shouldn't have told me that," he looked away, shaking his head.

"You… you're not going to tell Russia…"

"I might have to…" he didn't look at her.

"But you won't," She stood, facing him, touching his face, turning it towards her. "Gil, promise me you won't tell him. Please, it's my last chance to-"

"You may have just lost that chance." Gil pulled her hands away.

"Gil?"

GDR turned towards the door, setting the blood-stained towel beside the bed. "I'll get you those bandages."

"Gil!?" Adelaide called after him as he turned towards the door.

He stopped but didn't turn, letting her speak.

"I don't care what happens to me… just get my family across the wall… Gil…. please…. please don't tell Russia… please…"

He'd never heard her voice so desperate. He clenched his jaw again, forcing himself not to turn back to comfort her. He opened the door and walked into the hall, locking it behind him.

GDR sighed. He wasn't sure there was a way to protect her family, not anymore. At least it didn't seem like anyone knew where they were, that at least gave him a chance, maybe.

…

GDR turned the corner of the hallway. on his way to the room where Russia would have brought his incompetent soldiers. Russia was waiting for him outside the door. He stood in front of Russia, trying to act braver than he felt.

"Are my men in there?"

"Da." Russia's voice was ice.

GDR shivered, looking into Russia's face, "May I see them?" He stood straight, his hands behind his back.

"Not yet."

GDR grit his teeth, keeping his eyes on Russia's face, daring him.

"Follow me," Russia ordered.

"Nein. I have to deal with the men in there," Prussia said, keeping his eyes on Russia's.

"Leaving you alone here has made you forget your place, GDR," Russia's voice was angry but quiet.

"Maybe I have," Prussia dared him with his eyes again, challenging him to hurt him. He was too angry to care.

Russia reached for his hair, but Prussia's hand stopped him, twisting his arm back, pinning it behind his back.

Russia laughed, "So you do have fight left."

"Always," Prussia snapped, his voice hot with rage.

Russia broke free of Prussia's grasp, grabbing the country's white hair, bringing his knee to his ribs, gripping his neck.

Prussia doubled over, gasping as Russia brought him to his knees, his hand around his throat, pulling his head back. He smirked defiantly.

"Don't cross me," Russia snarled, bringing his face threateningly close to Prussia's. "Don't you ever undermine my authority in front of a prisoner again."

"She's not a-" Prussia's words were cut off as Russia's grip on his throat grew tighter. He brought his hands to Russia's, trying to loosen his grasp on his neck.

"She is, what I say she is," Russia snapped, pulling Prussia's head back farther, slowly tightening his grip on the white-haired country's neck. He smiled as Prussia squirmed, desperate for oxygen. "Now, you will not defy me again…" Russia leaned in closer again, "Or I'll have to treat you like Poland."

GDR looked up at Russia, fear overpowering the anger. He blinked back the images that rushed into his mind for a moment with vivid clarity before vanishing again as everything started to go black.

Russia let go of his neck.

GDR fell forward, gasping for breath, bracing himself on the ground, bringing his left hand to his neck, panting.

"Now," Russia pulled his head back again, "You will promise not to defy me again."

GDR looked up at him, trembling. He nodded, "Ja."

"Good," Russia smiled, letting go of GDR's hair, offering him his hand, helping him to his feet.

GDR still trembled a little, allowing Russia to put his hand on his shoulder.

"Now," Russia said with a smile, "We'll handle your soldiers, and then we'll talk to the girl, what was her name?"

"Adelaide," GDR whispered, still rubbing his neck.

"Yes, Ade-Adelead," Russia shrugged, he couldn't get the name right.

GDR barely noticed, still breathing hard. He didn't look at Russia, "Will you let me deal with my men however I want to?"

Russia smiled. "Yes, of course, GDR," he put his arm around the smaller country, ignoring GDR's wince.

GDR looked up at Russia for a moment with a nod. He straightened, trying to stand tall and erase the exhaustion from his face. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to smooth the mess Russia had made of it. He glanced back at Russia once before opening the door. The soldiers inside all stood to attention as he and Russia entered, as did the officer watching them. The soldiers looked straight ahead, but GDR could see the fear in their eyes. The rage he'd felt from before boiling back up to his chest. He walked down past all of them slowly, then turned, walking back along the line, watching closely to see if any of them showed any hints of fear. He stopped at the end of the line.

"Which one of you was the leader in the 'interrogation' of the girl we captured at the train station?"

They stayed silent.

GDR laughed darkly, "You know it's almost funny that you all stay silent," he smirked, "Considering that my job is to teach you, how to get a man, or in this case a girl, to talk." GDR walked down the line again, stopping at the other side, "Now, someone explain to me why you though going straight to torture was a good idea!?" his voice was hard, angry.

No one spoke.

GDR smiled, looking down, "I see you're all begging me to demonstrate!" He turned to the group again, "Now, which one of you was in charge of the 'interrogation'?" He caught them trying to glance around the room, "Don't look at each other! One of you: step forward!" He waited a moment, almost hoping no one would so he had an excuse to make all of them pay for their stupidity.

One of the youngest stepped forward.

"What's your name, soldier?"

"Gefreiter, Rolf Geiszler, sir." The soldier looked straight ahead, never at GDR.

"How old are you?" GDR asked, walking around him.

"23, sir."

"So you just missed the war then," GDR nodded, "Good, otherwise you probably wouldn't be standing in front of me right now."

Geiszler said nothing, keeping his eyes straight ahead. GDR noticed the muscles of his jaw tighten.

"You don't seem to understand how this works…" GDR shook his head, "This doesn't get difficult unless you don't talk." He smirked, looking into the man's face, "Now, were you in charge of the interrogation?"

Geiszler said nothing again.

GDR sighed, "You just really want to give everyone a good lesson don't you?" He grabbed an arm-less chair from the conference table in the room and pulled it forward, setting it down in front of Geiszler, "Sit."

Geiszler looked at GDR for the first time, unsure.

"I said: Sit." GDR's voice was colder.

Geiszler obeyed, sitting in the chair, folding his hands in his lap, trying to hide their shaking.

GDR grabbed his shoulders, twisting him back so he almost fell off the chair, forcing him to steady himself by grabbing onto one front, and one back leg of the chair. He tried to brace himself as GDR pressed down on his chest, kicking his shins, forcing his legs under the chair. The young man's muscles tensed, trying to keep his balance as GDR kept his hand on his chest.

"Russia, do you have your handcuffs?" GDR glanced up at Russia, who leaned against the wall by the door, a sickening smile on his face

Russia nodded with a smirk, "Of course."

"Would you mind if I borrowed them?"

Russia shook his head, walking up to GDR, handing them to him.

GDR took Russia's handcuffs, and the pair he kept in his own pocket. He locked one of each of the cuffs onto the lacing of Geiszler's boots, then grabbed his hands, pulling them under the chair. He crossed the cuffs, locking Geiszler's right wrist to his left boot, and the opposite on the other arm.

"Comfortable?" Gil whispered, leaning close to Geiszler's face with a dark smile.

Geiszler said nothing, but beads of sweat started to appear on his face, and GDR could hear his breathing was harder, strained.

"Now," GDR said, standing up straight again, "You're going to tell me if you were the one in charge of the interrogation."

Geiszler was silent again.

GDR put his hand on Geiszler's chest and pushed down, drawing a slight cry of pain from the young man, "You're better at this than I thought you'd be. I'm actually impressed," he leaned harder against Geiszler's chest. "Do I really have to ask you again? Who was the leader?"

"I was, sir."

GDR shook his head again, "I don't believe you."

"It's the truth, sir," Geiszler said through grit teeth as GDR pressed down even harder, forcing the corner of the chair to dig into his back, catching on his shoulder blade. He closed his eyes, clenching his jaw harder to keep from crying out.

"And you're sure, it was just you?" GDR glanced back at the others, "Would they agree with you no matter what?" He pulled out his gun, holding it to Geiszler's temple, looking back at the other soldiers. He cocked the gun, returning it to Geiszler's head, pressing it into his skin, keeping his eyes locked on the other soldiers. "No one, would like to tell me what's really going on?"

One of the other soldier's stepped forward, shaking. "It was me, sir. It was me. I… I was just trying to get her to talk, I thought I was doing the right thing, I."

GDR stood, walking up to the soldier and putting the readied gun to his head, "And do you now understand that your 'method' was useless and unnecessary?"

The soldier nodded, shaking.

GDR fired the gun.

The soldier winced hard, then opened his eyes, staring at GDR.

GDR pulled the empty magazine from the gun, showing it to the soldier. "Lesson over," He turned back to Geiszler, unlocking the cuffs and helping him stand, patting him on the shoulder as he took his place in line again, "You did well, soldier, very well." GDR looked into his face, nodding, "I'll keep you in mind next promotion. If you can hold up that well, I could use you."

"I could have taken it longer, sir."

GDR smirked, "I'm sure you could have, soldier." He turned to the officer guarding the men, who'd watched from the corner of the room. "Let them go back to their normal duties. They've learned their lesson, take no further action." He nodded again, walking out of the room without another gesture to the soldiers. Russia followed him.

"That was impressive," Russia said, standing next to GDR, who leaned against the wall and lit a cigaret.

"That," GDR shrugged, "Was easy."

Russia chuckled darkly, looking away, the smile back on his face, "Were you serious about promoting Geiszler?"

GDR nodded, "Considering his age and rank he's never been taught to hold up under… 'enhanced' interrogation. He did well. With the right training, he could be very useful." He took a deep inhale of the smoke, turning to blow the access away from Russia.

There was silence for a moment, until GDR extinguished the cigaret, looking back at Russia, waiting for orders.

"I want to talk to Adelaide."

GDR sighed, nodding. "All right, follow me." He knew he didn't have a choice. If Russia wanted to talk to Adelaide, he would talk to her. A sickening dread sunk into Prussia's stomach. He tried to ignore it. He led Russia to the bunk room where Adelaide was being kept, unlocking it and letting Russia step inside first. He followed close behind.

Adelaide sat on the bed, her boots on the ground, leaning over with her elbows resting on her knees. She sat up, looking towards the two countries as they entered the room. She stood, walking up to Russia.

"You must be Ivan Braginsky. Or should I call you, Russia? What do you think, GDR?" She turned to Gil with a playful smirk.

Gil rolled his eyes, he was a step behind Russia, so he wasn't afraid of the bigger country seeing his amusement. He smirked back to her, her boldness both amusing and attractive.

"You know who we are?" Russia's voice was concerned instead of amused. He looked down at her, curious, irritated.

"Ja, I know who you are. I know a lot of things."

"Things I think I would very much like to know, da?" Russia took a step closer towards her.

"I have a price for the information I hold."

Gil shook his head, trying to hide the terror on his face. Trying to make a deal with Russia was almost suicide.

"Oh really?" Russia laughed, the smile returning to his face. Now he was amused. "And what, Shchenoksha (little puppy), is your price?"

Gil winced at the nickname. Adelaide didn't.

"I want my family to have safe passage across the wall. Do that for me, and not only will I give you all the information I have…" she paused for a moment, glancing at Gil quickly, "I'll stay on this side of wall and continue to gain more intelligence for you"

Russia raised an eyebrow, surprised by her request, "You want your family to leave? Are they not happy here?"

"They…" she decided to tread carefully, "They would like to go to the West. My father was killed in the war… my sister… died-"

"And you would give me all the information you have?" Russia broke in. He didn't care about her family.

Adelaide nodded.

"Then it's a deal. Where is your family?"

No. No no no no no don't fall for it. Gil tried to tell her with only a look, forcing his breathing to stay calm, shaking his head slightly to her.

Adelaide didn't look back at Gil, seeing him shake his head in the corner of her eye. She kept her gaze fixed on Russia. She told him.

Gil closed his eyes, holding back a sigh. He looked into her eyes as they met his. What have you done?

"I will have your family sent for immediately," Russia smiled, taking her hand and kissing it.

Gil crossed his arms, glaring at Russia behind his back.

"I will have them made ready for the journey, here. They will take my personal car. No questions will be asked in crossing the border," he smiled still, nodding to her.

Gil looked at Russia, confused, and suspicious. It was too easy. He'd agreed to readily. There had to be a reason he was listing to her so completely, not even negotiating terms. He opened his mouth to speak.

Russia turned to him, stopping him, "There's nothing to say, GDR. The discussion is over. Her family will go across the wall in exchange for the information she has, what else needs to be said?"

GDR didn't reply, still almost too shocked to think of any kind of argument that wouldn't end in disaster.

"GDR, I need you to come with me now, you two will be able to talk later," he turned to Adelaide, "I will send someone for you soon. I'll make preparations for the information to be written down, or would you rather record it?"

"I can record it," she nodded, keeping her eyes on Gil this time, worried by his expression.

"Khorosho," Russia smiled, nodding to her. He put his hand on GDR's shoulder, almost forcing him to turn away and walk out of the room.

Gil glanced back at the door as Russia locked it. Adelaide, what have you done?

A/N: Well... this is going well... *wince* Also we get to see even more of the side of Gil that's... dark. Really dark. Again, all tortures described were real and really used. *shudders* His soldiers better have learned their lesson. Also, Adelaide may be confident... but she's not as good as she thinks she is... or is she? And more Russia snapping between completely Psyco and actually quite nice. Also, Prussia's still in there somewhere... but hopefully the change from pre and post-fight-with-Russia Gilbert was obvious. I tried to make it so!

As always, reviewers are to be given cookies and hot tea or cocoa, depending on your preferences. Or lemonade and biscuits. Your choice. There's much food today! It's almost a holiday here in America. (Kattie... you said you're from the UK... sorry not sorry... ;P (I'm kidding of course)) Thank you, as always, to the loyal reviewers! I appreciate all of you so much! 3 *hugs*