I don't own Hetlia. Hidekaz Himaruya does.
From a far distance, the warehouse looked fairly small. Now that they were a few feet from it, the group realized it was enormous, taller than most of the warehouses on the docks. The giant, red sliding doors at the front loomed over them menacingly and the grey walls, cracked with age and covered in moss from the damp air provided a spooky feel. It was safe to say that each boy felt varying levels of fear; even Ivan.
"So who goes in first?" Alfred said, craning his neck as he looked up. There were cobwebs near the corners of the roof, the thin strands almost invisible from such a far distance, and once again, he was reminded of his various vampire enhancements.
Arthur scoffed, "You of course. You're the leader."
Alfred frowned, unable to retort as everyone nodded in agreement.
"Ja! You first Alfred." Gilbert said teasingly, although he was pretty happy it was Alfred first and not the awesome him.
"W-Well, I need someone to help me push this door open!" Alfred said stubbornly. He felt like he was back at home, his friends daring him to go into the neighborhoods abandoned building. He walked to the door and pushed, feeling it give easily. It seemed heavy and it was, but with his super strength, it was like opening a normal door. Still, he pretended it was a great effort; grunting before looking at the others.
"Looks like it's stuck. Maybe if we-"
"I will open it." Ivan said, already at the doors and pushing it open, smiling as Alfred stepped up to the opening. It was just big enough for them to slip inside one at a time. "In you go, Alfred."
Alfred gulped, looking back at the expectant faces. He knew if he chickened out now, that he would be forfeiting more than just his pride. He would lose respect and no doubt the others would jump in at his position. Vaguely, he wondered why he wanted this position so much. It was more or less forced upon him by Principal Roma, right? In a few days he was leaving the school, his trial period nearly up. Nonetheless, he faced the opening, taking a deep breath.
"He won't do it. He's already scared of ghosts. Ghouls are probably no different for him." Arthur muttered, waiting impatiently.
At that, Alfred spun around, glaring at Arthur. It was like the angel was two faced, supportive one moment and traitorous the next… For a moment he felt something nudge at his mind and knowing full well what it was, he instantly turned back around, gritting his teeth and trying to push against the intruder while at the same time trying to stay calm.
"Geez Arthur, I'm going. I was just taking a look. If you want, you can go first." Alfred hissed, stepping inside the warehouse without a second of hesitation.
Inside, the building, somehow, seemed even bigger than it looked outside. The thick concrete walls were cracked here and there, with the odd window placed on them; often broken as well. The stone ground was nearly invisible under the many barrels and boxes of goods. Above them was a complex crisscrossing of black beams and tracks where a crane hung; different hooks and ropes swinging back and forth gently as drafts came through the thin roof.
Overall, things seemed fairly quiet, if not dark. The little amount of light coming from the broken windows many feet above were the only light source. Some holes in the roof provided a bit more light, but with the clouds outside, the warehouse was as dark as pitch. Alfred wished they had some flashlights…
"Here-"
Alfred jumped, screaming as he spun around, raising his hand and curling it into a fist, ready to throw a punch and run before he realized who it was behind him.
"- a flashlight." Ludwig said, his face stoic as he handed Alfred a flashlight. "Keep your guard up and check everything carefully."
Alfred nodded dumbly, feeling stupid for screaming. He suspected everyone in the warehouse heard that. "Thanks."
Ludwig gave him a curt nod before wandering off, leaving Alfred alone to his thoughts.
Sighing, Alfred turned on the flashlight, allowing his mind to wander as he peered in, around and under various objects in the warehouse.
Each time he checked, he held his breath, waiting for something more to jump out at him. In a way, the anticipation made things seem ten times worse, and he actually wished that it would just happen. At least then he wouldn't feel so on-edge. That is, he felt on edge, but somehow it didn't feel like nervousness; the butterfly in your stomach effect, that seemed to gnaw at him, but he couldn't quite describe the feeling any other way.
Ugh, why am I so bad at this? Alfred thought, looking into an empty barrel, which was just that; empty.
Having some troubles?
Alfred flinched at the sudden deep voice in his mind. Once again, Allred just couldn't stay quiet. Not now, Allred, I'm busy searching.
Awh, I could help you Alfred. Just ask.
No. I don't need help with this. What can you possibly do?
I am what you can't be, I can lead.
Wh-who says I can't lead!
I don't know, but the others seem to have a pretty solid answer to that.
Sh-shut up. Go away!
When will you realize that I'm here to help you, Alfred?
Alfred shuddered, frowning. He could do this himself. He didn't need the help of Allred, and besides, the others would clearly see it as a sign of weakness. That is, if they could tell it was Allred and not him. But then again, was he just being stubborn?
By the way. Have you not noticed?
Alfred groaned in exasperation, now what did Allred want? Noticed what?
That feeling in your stomach?, the burning in tour throat? You missed yesterdays. Tsk, against the doctor's orders too.
Missed what. What are you talking about!? Alfred was getting tired of Allred's constant teasing. He was pressing all the right buttons. If only he could give Allred a good punch.
Blood. Was all Allred said before fading to the back of Alfred's mind.
Alfred swallowed, the saliva seeming to go down slowly; thickly. He forgot about that… Now that it was mentioned, he felt a tingle in his throat. That feeling in his stomach, what he considered anxiety, was not that at all, it was emptiness; hunger.
"Oh." Was all he could say. "Blood."
Suddenly, Alfred was tempted to run outside and find the nearest human being. He felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over him. His knees were shaky and his head swam. He took a few quick deep breaths as his body seemed to cry out silently for the red liquid, though his mind seemed sickened at the thought. The onslaught of feelings had come so fast, it caused Alfred to stumble and he had to stop walking as he tried to regain his logical mind.
No, don't think about it. Once this assignment is over, I'll just get some later. Just a quick walk to the First Aid room. Yeah. It's fine. Alfred though, trying to pep-talk himself. It was both amazing and scary to him how fast this hunger hit him. Only a day without and he was like this? Than a week… Or longer?
"Ghoul. I gotta find the ghoul. The bl-" Alfred hesitated, even the mention of the word on his lips caused his stomach to strain. He needed it. "The liquid can wait."
With that final word, Alfred's resolve hardened again, though he tried to ignore the ache in his throat. How could he have not noticed that before? Was he just so nervous about this first assignment that he had blocked out everything else completely?
Suddenly a noise came from behind one of the oil drums to his right, causing Alfred's mind to snap back to the present.
Cautiously, Alfred approached the drum, holding the flashlight as though it were a gun that shot bullets, not light. With a moment's hesitation, Alfred ran forwards and around the drum holding the light so it shone directly on what was previously hidden from view.
Nearly dropping the flashlight, Alfred was shocked to see not a scary ghoul, but a man. Just a normal human male who was wearing ragged clothes with dirty, matted hair and a long beard. He was shaking slightly at the sight of Alfred, his mouth open in a silent scream, probably too terrified to make real sounds.
"Oh dude, that was not cool! I thought you were a ghoul or something." Alfred said, partly relieved partly disappointed. Had it been the ghoul then the assignment would be half over and he could get back to the school. Still, what was the man doing in a place like this? Did he sneak in after his team entered? Or… Before? He took a closer look at the man, shining his flashlight directly on the man's face.
The man trembled, his chest heaving as his breaths came out shallow; panicked. His hands were clasped together, almost in prayer, but trembling as he stared at Alfred. His neck, the large vein in his neck was pulsing, only slightly noticeable as his heart pumped rapidly.
Alfred froze as he eyes the man's neck, the shallow breaths making it expand, then contract, then expand again in a cycle as the veins pulsed. He could feel his mouth watering, and no matter what reason this man had to be in here, no matter what Alfred was going to ask before, which was along the lines of, "What are you doing in here?" all thoughts were gone as he was hit once again with a feeling of emptiness in his stomach and a burning in his throat.
"I-I-" The man stuttered, watching as Alfred's expression changed from one of curiosity and confusion to a frown; the eyes seeming to change color to a blood red. In the dim light, the man could not see exact details of the monster standing in front of him, only the glow from the eyes and the way the teeth seemed to flash against the dim glow of the flashlight.
Alfred's mind was blank. Somewhere in the back of his head, he could feel an incessant voice crying out "No. No!" Was that him, or was it someone else? His body didn't respond, his mind was focused on that one spot on the man's neck. Where the blood would flow the fastest, the strongest, if cut just right. Had he been able to rationally think, Alfred would have been curious as to how he knew the exact spot…
Just seeing this helpless form sitting there; it made something inside Alfred almost smile. Some light feeling of triumph; of success. The world seemed to be getting almost further away from him, as though he were watching a movie from inside a fishbowl. Things were running without him in a way, although he could clearly tell he was moving, preparing to strike, at the same time, it felt unreal; surreal.
"Oi! Alfred! Have you found anything? You're awfully quiet right now. I was starting to- Huh? Is that a human?" Arthur called, stepping out from behind a wall of barrels. His coat was off; probably assumed he was safe from human eyes in here. He held another flashlight, pointing it at Alfred before looking at the man who sat on the ground. For a moment, a look of confusion crossed Arthur's face before he turned to Alfred, his mouth open to ask another question. That is, until he saw Alfred's blood red eyes, glowing in the darkness despite the faint glow the flashlights gave.
"A-Alfred?" Arthur asked tentatively, his voice wavering for a moment as he suddenly thought back to the time Alfred rounded on him, the similar red eyes looking at him. The memory made him shudder, how angry Alfred was, how forceful. Only this time, there was some small, subtle difference. The emotions in these red eyes weren't anger, nor frustration or even sadness.
The dominant emotion Arthur could see in those blood red eyes was hunger.
"Quick, get out of here!" Arthur called to the man, running in front of Alfred to distract him. He wasted no time and grabbed Alfred's arm before the vampire had a chance to lunge forwards at the terrified human.
Arthur's arm jerked from the strength Alfred was planning to put in his spring. He gritted his teeth however, trying hard to hold Alfred back as he looked into the terrified eyes of the man. "Go! Get out!"
He had no chance to check if the man was out of harm's way nor time to brace himself for impact as Alfred ran forwards again, causing Arthur to snap forward from the force. He dug his heels on the ground and held Alfred back. "Damn it, bloody git! Stop it!" he called, straining as he tried his hardest to restrain the hungry vampire.
Speaking was the wrong thing to do however, as Alfred rounded on Arthur. The hungry red gaze focused on the angel, and immediately Arthur knew that the target had changed. Instinctively, he held his hand up and in a panic, released a blinding flash from his palm.
The warehouse was illuminated in a bright light for a split second, shadows cast by some of the taller barrels and details now easily discernible amongst the bright containers. It was like someone had a mini sun dropped into the area, providing as much light as though it were daytime.
Quickly as it came, the light faded and the warehouse was once again bathed in black; views obstructed as he opened his eyes, hoping that the flash stunned the ravenous vampire.
Apparently it had, as Alfred stood motionless, his eyes no longer red and his mouth no longer a snarl. He was looking at his hands, shaking all over and murmuring something.
"W-what did I-? What have I-?"
Arthur took a step forwards, his flashlight still miraculously in one hand. He was surprised that in that short scuffle, he hadn't dropped it. Alfred on the other hand seemed to have dropped his, which rolled over to the angel, hitting his ankle with a dull thump. Arthur bent down and took it in his hand, shining his own flashlight on Alfred and moving forwards to pass Alfred back the flashlight.
"Alfred?" Arthur asked softly, before a sudden scream coming from the far end of the warehouse cause him to halt in mid-step. It sounded like Feliciano and from another part of the building and a second later; he heard more cries from his teammates.
"Vee! Ludwiiiggg! Help!"
"Aiya! What is-"
"Chigiii!"
"Mon dieu!"
"Aaah! No way, this is so not awesome!"
As though a switch were flicked, the warehouse exploded in a loud frenzy, all traces of silence were gone as various cries of shock and horror filled the walls. From somewhere far off, he heard Ludwig call out.
"Scheiße! Ambush! There's m-" his voice was cut off as a loud clang was heard. Arthur had no way of knowing if it came from Ludwig or if it was from somewhere else. Everyone was in panic, crashes and thuds heard as the students tried to defend themselves.
Arthur turned to Alfred; he was the leader right? So Alfred would call the next plan of action. "Alfred, what do we-"
Only, Alfred seemed to be unaffected by this sudden turn of events. The vampire was still standing, unmoving as his hands moved to his head, clutching it as though it were going to explode.
"Alfred?"
The American made no sound, no movement indicating that he had heard Arthur. He looked up, his light blue eyes meeting Arthur's. Arthur was shocked to see a couple of unshed tears on the corners of the boy's eye; his expression seemed like one of a kicked puppy. With a sudden push that sent Arthur stumbling backwards a few steps, Alfred ran past the angel, heading towards the faint glow from the entrance of the warehouse.
Alfred was running away?
"Alfred!" Arthur called loudly, waving his flashlight wildly, causing the beam of light to glide across the walls, the barrels and up the ceiling. His mouth was wide open in shock, still making frantic motions in a sad-looking atempt to draw Alfred back. Something he probably shouldn't do as loud clangs and frantic footsteps echoes through the dark warehouse.
"Alfred, what are we going to do?! There is-" Ivan's voice was heard amongst the chaos, causing Arthur to stop.
Alfred's not here. He's just abandoned us. Was what Arthur was about to say; making sure there was plenty of anger and disappointment in his tone, but that was before he looked up.
His flashlight beam, from the wild motions of his hands, must have attracted them. At least, that's what Arthur figured in the short time he had to react.
High above him, hanging from the ceilings, was the ghoul. In fact, he looked just like the human man who was just here a few seconds ago. Only, there wasn't just one ghoul. There were three.
"Oh… Bollocks." Arthur muttered as the ghouls dropped from the ceiling, like agile bats they flew down, gliding as though they were sky divers, their decent far slower than normal as they grinned. Their mouths formed grins and their dark, coal-black eyes looked at Arthur with excitement and mirth, their pale features clearer the close they got and their skin almost reflecting the rays of light that came from Arthur's flashlight.
With only a second to react, Arthur ran forwards, rolling as the ghouls made contact with the ground which shook as they made impact. No doubt if he hadn't moved, that would have hurt.
"Damn… What will I-"
"Alfred-san! What should we do?!" Kiku called before getting cut off again. Arthur gritted his teeth, Alfred wasn't here to tell them and as he ran to the left to dodge another attack from one of the ghouls, he opened his mouth to issue a command of his own.
"Retreat! Everyone get out! Now!" Arthur called, running for the open door of the warehouse. He ran around the barrels in his path, dodging and ducking under the ghouls that came after him. His eyes were focused on the line of light filtering in from the entrance, his feet focused on nothing but running. He could hear the others running towards the entrance too; see their shadowy silhouettes as they slipped through the door. He could also see that the light seemed to be getting smaller.
The ghouls were trying to shut the door.
With a last burst of strength, Arthur sprinted forwards, slipping between the thin space before the warehouse doors gave a sold thud as metal contacted metal and the gap where they had both entered and exit ceased to be.
Arthur looked up, happy to see the cloudy sky. It wasn't sunny, but it was still brighter than inside that deathtrap. He smiled for a moment before looking around at the others and frowning.
Not all of them were here.
"Wh-where is Yao-san?" Kiku asked worriedly, looking around. He had just barely gotten out of the warehouse. The air around him was thick with tension.
"Mein bruder and Feliciano are not here either." Ludwig added, taking a head count. The flames dotting his body were low-burning as he tried to regain his breath.
"Francis is not with us, neither is Lovino." Ivan added. He was not smiling now, is face looking grim as his eyes darted to the door of the warehouse.
Arthur cursed under his breath. "They must be still inside. Before they attacked, at least, I think that was when, I heard them cry out."
Ludwig's eyes widened and he made a quick run to the entrance of the warehouse, pushing against the door. It wouldn't budge and he hammered his fist against the metal, calling out his brother's name. "Gilbert!"
The others followed suit, Yao placing a hand on Ludwig's shoulder as Ivan tried, and failed, to open the door. "I think the ghouls have placed something against the door. It will not budge."
"Together then." Ludwig said with a determined look as Ivan nodded.
After a few more minutes however, it was clear that it would not work. "We need Alfred-san's hep too push this." Kiku concluded after watching a tired Ludwig and winded Ivan lean against the warehouse, trying to regain their strength.
"Where is Alfred-san?" Kiku asked, looking around. At last everyone noticed the absence of the American's cheerful voice, looking around with confusion before their eyes rested on Arthur.
"What?" Arthur asked, looking at the others and returning their gazes. "Why are you all looking at me?"
"Do you know where Alfred-san is, Arthur-san?" Kiku asked politely,
"Why would I know where the bloody git is? I'm not his babysitter! Besides, he ran off somewhere before the attack and- Oops." Arthur said, covering his mouth and wishing he could take it back.
Too late. Already the others were glaring at Arthur, seeing as Alfred wasn't around. Their sudden rage burned intensely and Arthur felt himself grow nervous.
Before the others could speak however, Arthur cut in. "N-no. He was just doing something! He had an idea and-"
Looks of disbelief crossed everyone's face as Arthur sighed. By mentioning Alfred's moment of terror; of fear, he had probably just destroyed most, if not all, of Alfred's chances to gain respect from any of his teammates.
"Look, I'll go find him, okay? I'll-"
"We need a new leader, da?" Ivan said cheerfully, a smile on his face.
"I will be leader then!" Ludwig said bluntly as Ivan frowned. An argument began as Arthur looked at the two back and forth, he grumbled and looked at Kiku, giving him an apologetic look as he hastily ran off.
Bloody Alfred, leaving me with this… I'm going to get his arse back here! Arthur thought angrily, marching towards the van. It was a place to start looking at least. He didn't know why he took this job upon himself though. Kiku could have easily done it, or even Ludwig or Ivan, but he had a nagging feeling that he should be the one to find the git.
It's not like I'm worried about him. Arthur thought, marching towards the van with heavy feet. Making a loud thumping sound as his shoes hit concrete and wood. He just can't leave like that, not with half of them still stuck in the warehouse with the ghoul. Ghouls.
Still, despite what he said, Arthur couldn't help but picture that kicked puppy look Alfred had given him in the warehouse. Something about those eyes, that expression, his trembling form as he stood there looking at Arthur. That muttering Arthur thought he heard. Now he wasn't so certain that he imagined it; those words that escaped Alfred mouth just before Feliciano's cry.
"P-Please… Help me..."
Authors Note: (=w=") I'm… A bit behind in updates I think… But it's been about a week, ne?
So yay! A bit of excitement, right? Or at least, it seemed kinda exciting when I wrote it. Erh… Well, at least its long! I did promise it to be long! About 4000 words *Little less if you don't count the Authors Note*
Well, well, well, Alfred. You are a vampire after all! This chapter is probably gonna have lots of things concerning Alfred and Arthur. Starts of friendships are always fun to write. Then again, this is what I consider Alfred's and Arthur's arc. *Which I will label soon once it becomes more apparent. XD
Ugh… On random notes, I have a dentist appointment to get all four of my wisdom teeth out… *Again 8U* So I hope to write a bit while I heal. This reminds me, I should probably upload those chapters I wrote on my ipod and add them to the main document… I'm at about 90,000 words right now! Look forwards to a little more excitement! *I wanted to make this a fun chapter, seeing as you all had 32 chapters of boring introduction arc. A)*
(^u^) {*Goes to write it* Not quite finished yet.
щ(ﾟДﾟщ){Y U SO SLOW?!
Hehe, sorry, I like using these things.
Well anyways! Happy New Year! Year of the Snake in February I think~ I hope your holidays were fun too, and I'll see you on the 2013 side! (-u^)~
Thanks for all the new faves, alerts, reviews~ You're the best~ *Passes you lemon tarts* Christmas tradition, still got some left.
Reviews are welcome~ Flames are used to light the New Years Fireworks *Which I still don't have. XD*
~SERF
(SoulEaterRomanceFan)