Thanks to Olivia Kirkland, Zaaze, Elizaveta Herdervary – Hungary, Kattie, Shattering Colors, ScandinavianTrash and Allans for reviewing.
Sorry it's so late today. I was attending a winter's school at another university, and I didn't really have an opportunity to post this earlier.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 28
Ian Kirkland sighed in frustration. Things were becoming more and more difficult.
Right after they had finished with the possible crime scene, they had received word that there was a suicide. Alfred Jones, the brother of Matthew Williams and one of the students confirmed to be a bully of the four.
Another death connecting with the four, this time a suicide.
It was too bizarre to be merely a coincidence. Something like this… The amount of students that were murdered, committed suicide, died of natural causes or simply missing… This wasn't supposed to be happening. There was something unnatural going on, and he didn't like it.
His wife and sons didn't seem to know what was happening either, but he had a feeling that Arthur was hiding something. He had been doing a lot of research lately, and he wondered if the research had anything to do with the events that had been plaguing the town and the school.
Actually, it was pretty much just the school. Everyone that had died or disappeared was a student. And almost all of them were connected to the four students that were severely bullied. He couldn't help but think that there was indeed something there.
Ian glanced over towards Wulfric, who looked as though he hadn't slept in a few days, in fact. Since one of the missing students was his son, it was completely understandable.
"The results are in," Wulfric said.
"Which ones?" Ian asked tiredly.
"The fingerprints on the gun."
When students were registered to the school, they were all required to give their fingerprints, blood samples, and a few other things that could only be traced back to them. Forensically, of course.
"And?" Ian asked.
"They all belong to Gilbert," Wulfric said. "But nothing else in the house has his fingerprints at all."
"Any others?"
"No. Nothing."
Ian sighed, making a mental note to confront Arthur later. And just as he decided that, someone entered the station. A teenage boy with brown hair.
"How can we help you?" Ian asked.
"I… I want to give my testimony," the boy said. "About… Feliks and the others."
Ian and Wulfric exchanged a quick glance.
"Alright," Ian said. "May I ask you your name?"
"Toris Laurinaitis."
…
"Like, do you think Vlad's avoiding us?" Feliks asked.
He and Lovino had waited for Vlad after school, but he didn't make an appearance. And in light of everything that had happened recently, when Lovino's grandfather offered for Feliks to go with them, the Pole had accepted the invitation. So they were currently lounging about in Lovino's room.
"Do you think he's made new friends?" Lovino asked.
"W-what?" Feliks asked, his eyes wide.
"I mean, it's happened before," Lovino clarified. "People hang out with us until they decide that there's someone far better to be around. I mean, with the Magic Club… It's only natural that Vampire Jerk would want to be around with them."
"But… he wouldn't betray us," Feliks said. "He… he couldn't. He… he's not like the others. He can't…"
Lovino watched him with an odd expression on his face. Feliks looked more frantic than usual.
"Why don't you go over to his house later and find out?" Lovino asked. "I mean, you don't live far from him."
Feliks nodded, and Lovino noticed that he looked a little pale. His eyes were also… darker. He didn't know what to make of it, but didn't want to worry Feliks. Though he would keep an eye on him.
…
"So, we're going after the freak, right?" Mathias asked.
"Da," Ivan said. "Though I don't know if Matvey had gone back after Alfred's death."
"Which means the vampire might also be alone," Natalia said.
"But let's go to the drag queen's house first," Mathias said. "It's been a while since we gave him our personal attention."
…
Ian sighed, not sure what he was feeling. Disgust was a very strong feeling, but he also felt pity for the Lithuanian sitting across from him.
It was clear that the bullies had used and manipulated other students as well. And in Toris's case, intimidated and threatened. The students that they used were often wracked with guilt, but the damage was done. They had created another scar on the others' souls.
It disgusted Ian that high school students could do that sort of thing to each other. That it brought them joy. And they didn't care about the fact that to someone else, it was absolute torture. They didn't care about the lives they ruined. Not if it entertained them.
But the moment the tables were turned, things got ugly. And that was, of course, what was presently happening.
There was also something else that concerned Ian.
During the interview, Toris would often shake his head, or start staring off into space, or his eyes would become unfocused. But that didn't stop the words that flowed out of his mouth. Sometimes, it looked as though he was in a trance. But at the same time, there was far too much clarity.
It was really strange.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Ian asked.
"Y-yes," Toris said. "Ivan and the others… they're really mad at Feliks and his friends. They're blaming them for everything that's happening. And I… I'm scared that they would try to do something. Something drastic."
Ian nodded his head.
"I'll keep that in mind," Ian said. "Thank you for your cooperation."
Toris nodded his head and stood, before he hesitated.
"Please," Toris said. "Stop the bullying. If Feliks and his friends have to keep going through that… I'm worried about what might happen. They might… Feliks… I walked in on him in the bathroom once. He had a razor, and he looked jumpy."
"A razor?" Ian repeated.
Toris nodded.
"I'm worried that he might have been hurting himself," Toris said. "But… that was a few months ago. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't want anything to do with me."
Ian sighed.
"If I may be frank, I don't exactly blame him, after everything you've told me," Ian said.
"I know," Toris said. "I spoke to Feliks today. He asked me why I didn't apologise sooner if I was really sorry. He was right. I am a coward."
Ian frowned.
"He said that to you?" he asked.
Toris nodded.
"But I deserved it," Toris said. "He was right. I hurt him, all because I was afraid of going against Ivan. And I had many opportunities to apologise and try to patch things up, but I was afraid that Ivan would hear about it and hurt me."
Ian sighed, but nodded his head.
"Thank you," Ian said. "I'll contact you if I need anything else."
Toris flinched slightly, before he made a hasty retreat. Ian tiredly massaged his temples. They had one more testimony. One more thing they could present as evidence when they challenged the three remaining bullies. If something didn't happen to those three, of course.
Again, Ian made a note to ask Arthur about what he knew later.
…
"It doesn't look like he's home," Natalia remarked.
The three of them were standing in Feliks's living room, after Natalia had picked the lock. They were all staring at the sheer amount of pink in Feliks's home.
"Freak," Mathias commented.
"I wonder what he has in his closet," Ivan commented.
"What do you have in mind?" Natalia asked.
…
"Thanks for the lift," Vlad said, smiling.
Alice Kirkland nodded her head, a small smile on her own face.
"It's no problem at all," Alice said.
Arthur had suggested that Vlad go with him and his mother, in case he should run into Ivan, Natalia or Mathias. If something were to happen and Vlad felt the need to protect himself, then there could be problems for them all. And besides, just because they said that the final step would be to make a conscious choice to kill someone, didn't mean that the demonic sides wouldn't try to act on their own.
"Remember what we've discussed," Arthur said.
"Of course," Vlad said, wincing slightly.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow," Arthur said.
Vlad nodded his head, turning to his house. He turned back to wave one last time, before entering.
Immediately after locking the door, he placed an enchantment on it. The bite on his thumb stung slightly, but it didn't matter. It was for everyone's protection. They already knew that Gilbert could pick locks, but they didn't know if anyone else could. So just to be safe, they figured that it would be a good idea to fortify his house with magic. And that applied to the windows as well.
When everything was done, Vlad collapsed on his bed. It was tiring work, but it was finished. Now, he was the only one who could open his door and windows.
He was disappointed that he couldn't find either Feliks or Lovino after school. He hadn't really spent any time with them that day. It was just that short conversation in the hallways. And, after spending so much time together lately, Vlad felt… lonely.
Going through his options, Vlad decided to see how Matthew was feeling. After he left the previous night, Vlad was consumed by worry. The thought of something happening to his brother made Vlad's stomach twist, and even if they didn't get along, he was sure that Matthew felt the same. So he just wanted to be sure that he was coping alright.
Vlad dialled Matthew's number, waiting as the rings seemed to echo.
…
Matthew turned his attention to the phone. He already knew that it was Vlad that was calling him, and wondered whether or not he should answer. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt, he picked up the phone.
"Hey Vlad," Matthew said in a weak voice.
"Hey," Vlad said. "Are you alright?"
"I… I just can't believe he's dead. It's so… quiet here now. And… I know he was a jerk and everything, but he was still my brother. I… I can't believe he's gone."
"Da. But it's strange, though."
"Maybe… Maybe he was hurt all along, and I didn't even realise. He… he might have been hurting us all this time because he was hurt too. He… He told me a lot of times that… that he would leave all of you alone… if I just left you guys."
"So that you could be friendless?"
"Yeah."
"I don't care about his reasons, he still shouldn't have done all of that to us. To you. And… Matt, if you want to talk to someone, just call me."
Matthew smirked, but when he spoke there was no trace of it.
"Thanks," he said, making his voice sound just slightly relieved, but touched by the kind offer. "I… I think I'll be coming to school tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" Vlad asked.
"Y-yeah. I… I can't lose too many school days, you know?"
"I guess you're right. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
Matthew hung up the phone, and his smirk widened. He couldn't detect a note of suspicion in Vlad's voice.
He had felt his instincts and senses grow stronger. He also shared a connection with Blood, as well as the other demonic sides, without his friends' knowledge. It was the same that their demonic sides used to have while they were completely unaware of them. It allowed him to know what his friends were thinking. And it was how he knew that Vlad wasn't suspicious of him.
There were moments when it crossed his mind, but the four demonic sides had a natural camaraderie with each other. Blood would do anything to make sure that Vlad wouldn't want to be separated from them, though it wasn't really necessary. They were the first people that were nice to him in the town, followed by Arthur and Lukas. And after the latter two had showed that they were a little scared of Vlad because of his impending transformation, Vlad wouldn't form too much of a connection between them. He would still want to be around Feliks, Lovino and Matthew.
But still, Arthur and Lukas were nuisances. He would have to deal with them at some point. And he would need to make sure that they lost their suspicion of him.
…
Toris was pacing in his room, his hands pressed against his head. After his supposed conversation with Ivan and Natalia, things only became worse for him.
He kept hearing people telling him that he's a coward. That he wouldn't be anyone's friend because he didn't have a shred of loyalty. That he would betray anyone if it meant he could protect himself.
The voices sounded like everyone he knew at school. And they only became louder and louder.
He figured that it was the guilt speaking. He had hurt Feliks, and he had helped pave the way for the torture that Feliks had to go through in school. And he had thought that he could silence the voices if he confessed his part to the police, but they only grew louder.
And there were times when he thought he could see someone, only for nothing to be there.
He was going insane, and he wanted it all to end.
…
"Like, thanks for the lift," Feliks said.
Romulus smiled.
"Think nothing of it," Romulus said.
"You know I could have dropped him off myself," Lovino muttered.
"And miss the chance to get to know my grandson's friend a little better?"
Feliks grinned, before he looked over to his house again. And froze.
He had only looked at it briefly, but now he could clearly see that the door was ajar. Feeling panicked, he flew out the car and ran towards his house.
"Wait!" Lovino shouted. "You forgot the…"
"Look," Romulus said, eyes wide. "His door's opened."
Lovino's eyes widened as well, before he followed his friend.
Feliks went to the living room, where he saw that everything had been overturned, and his pink décor was missing. Feeling concerned, he went to his bedroom, with Lovino following behind, surveying the damage as well.
Feliks froze, smelling smoke. He went to the bathroom, and screamed in horror at what he saw.
In the bathtub was a large black pile. The bathtub itself had black scorch marks around that pile. And Feliks recognised one or two things.
In an instant he made his way to his bedroom, going straight to the closet. And he whimpered when he saw that all of his clothes – or at least the feminine clothes – had been removed. He knew what the smouldering pile in his bathtub used to be.
Romulus came up to them, his phone in his hand.
"I called the police," Romulus said. "They're on their way. Try not to touch anything until they arrive."
Feliks barely heard him. His mind had gone blank. This… This was…
He knew who it was. There were only three people it could be, after all. But if it was only one of them and not all three…
Well, he wouldn't want to go after the wrong person.
…
Ian returned home, feeling his exhaustion building even more. He had just returned from investigating Feliks Łukiesciewisc's house, and he was once again shocked by the things that teenagers could do.
Destruction of property… Feliks had lost a lot of his everyday clothes, his bedsheets, his pillows, his rug… All of it had been set ablaze.
But the vandals had been smart. They did it in the bathtub, where not many things could accidentally catch fire and where they could turn on the tap if the fire got out of hand. It had been planned, and was executed too perfectly.
Ian shook his head, deciding to focus on another thing that had been bothering him: the reason for all of the deaths. The school was becoming frantic, and parents were starting to make demands. He went to Arthur's room, finding him with his homework.
"Arthur, could I ask you something?" Ian asked.
Arthur looked up and nodded to his father.
"You know what's going on in town, don't you?" Ian asked. "Regarding all the deaths."
Arthur fidgeted nervously, and Ian knew that he knew something.
"Tell me," Ian demanded.
"Well…" Arthur said. "There are… four demons."
Ian's eyes widened, and he leaned against the doorframe.
"Four demons?" he repeated. "What kind?"
"Well… we're not sure," Arthur said. "But… They have the aspects Insanity, Blood, Death and Decay."
Ian thought back to the three they had found in the house. They looked as though they had killed themselves. And Alfred Jones had also killed himself. It could be the work of a demon.
"What do they want?" Ian asked.
Arthur hesitated, before he shook his head. Either he didn't know, or he was reluctant to say anything.
"People have died, and some are missing," Ian said. "I want to know as much as possible."
"These demons are out of our league," Arthur said. "The Magic Club, I mean."
Ian sighed, but nodded his head in understanding.
"If there's anything you can tell me about them, let me know," Ian said. "Also inform your mother and brothers. We need to stop them."
"…I know," Arthur said.
…
Vlad went to answer the door when he heard the knocking. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Lovino and Feliks standing on the other side, with Lovino's grandfather not far away.
"Did something happen?" Vlad asked, looking between his two friends.
"They broke into the Pink Jerk's house and burned his clothes," Lovino explained.
"What?"
"Like, all my pretty clothes…" Feliks said.
"We can't let him stay there," Lovino explained. "It's too dangerous. So we're hoping he could stay here because… Well, there isn't a lot of room in my house."
Vlad looked between the two and nodded his head. Feliks smiled.
"Like, thanks a lot," Feliks said. "Like, I'm sorry to be a bother."
"It can't be helped," Vlad said. "You're not the one at fault. But… how could they do something like that?"
"We don't know," Lovino said. "But I hope the police actually do something about them. Or I will."
Vlad tried to hide his wince. He didn't want that to happen. But he was so focused on Lovino that he failed to notice Feliks's eyes flash red.
