Author's Note: Sorry about the unexpected hiatus, guys. I was really sick, and couldn't work on the next chapter. I'm almost completely over it now, so I can go back to regular updating.
Hetalia's not mine. Enjoy.
America woke up early the next morning. After a quick breakfast, he went straight back to his room to find Kumajirou still snoozing on one of the pillows. Walking quietly past the bear, America grabbed the TV remote and pushed the 'on' button and turned the volume down a little bit. The TV was still tuned to the same news station that America had been watching the night before, but the news anchor currently on the screen was covering some story that was completely irrelevant to America at the moment.
Turning his attention away from the TV, America decided to take a quick shower. Not long after America had shut the bathroom door and turned the water on, Kumajirou woke up and began wandering around on the bed. After some stretches, Kumajirou sat back down and watched the TV while he waited for America.
When America got out of the shower, he dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist, then went to inspect himself in the mirror. His makeshift curl that was supposed to resemble the real Canada's curl had disappeared, but that was easily fixable. America grabbed a lock of hair and spent a few minutes trying to make the curl again. He also smoothed down Nantucket so that it wouldn't stick out, then quickly got dressed.
America came out of the bathroom and took a quick glance at the TV. The news station was currently in the middle of the weather report. Taking a glance at the alarm clock beside the bed, America decided he had enough time to watch the news for a little bit longer before heading out, and sat down beside Kumajirou.
The two quietly watched the news for almost twenty minutes before America finally gave up. He turned the TV off, gathered the few things he had lying around the room, and headed for the door.
"Come on, Kuma," America said, adopting the softest, Canada-like voice he could. "We've got to go."
Kumajirou jumped off the bed and followed America out the door. America went to the front desk and checked out, then headed straight for the car. He hopped into the driver's seat, while Kumajirou took the passenger side seat. Within minutes, the two were on the freeway, headed south.
"You said we were going to help America," Kumajirou said.
"Yes," America replied. "That's where we're headed."
"Do you know where he is?" Kumajirou asked.
America did not answer right away. While he knew that England was in D.C. – at least he was yesterday, when America had called him – and, while it was a safe assumption that Canada was with him, America really wasn't absolutely sure where they were. And between England and Canada, England was the only one with a phone. At some point, America would have to give England another call.
"He's with England, and England's in D.C.," America said at last.
Kumajirou nodded, then shifted in the seat so he could look out the window. He stayed that way for a long time, seemingly motionless. America assumed the bear was taking a nap, and continued driving without comment.
A few hours into the drive, America crossed the Pennsylvania state line, and, looking at the fuel gauge, decided to stop at the next gas station he saw. He eventually found one and pulled up. As he was refueling the car, a group of four men came out the convenience store next door and headed for the white car in front of America's. America only caught a brief glance, but he could have sworn at least one of those men looked familiar.
Feeling a sudden, inexplicable chill down his spine, America finished refueling, paid, and got back in the car as quickly as possible. He revved the engine and hurriedly departed the gas station, forgetting to put his seat belt on as he did so. Not thirty seconds after leaving, America glanced in the rear view mirror, and cursed under his breath.
Those four men were following him.
Kumajirou's ears picked up on America's whispered curses, and the bear sat up suddenly, looking at the blond nation in confusion. America only awarded the bear a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road.
"What happened?" Kumakirou asked.
I thought I lost those guys back in Ottawa! America thought. "We're being followed," he said.
Kumajirou took a look in the side mirror. "Are you sure? They probably just happened to leave the station at the same time."
America shook his head. "No, I've seen these guys before," he said. "They attacked me yesterday. I think they're working with the same guys that are after my brother."
"Oh. You should try to lose them then."
Oh, gee, thanks for the obvious advice, Kuma, America thought. He pressed his foot harder on the accelerator, pulling ahead of a red car in the lane next to him. Once he was far enough ahead, America switched lanes, but did not ease up on the accelerator. Instead, he set his sights on passing the next car. He continued this exercise until he had passed over ten cars, then took an apprehensive glance into the rear view mirror. The white car was still in view, albeit pretty far back in a line of cars.
Not good enough.
America tried passing more cars, glancing back in the rear view mirror every once in a while to see if he'd lost his pursuers yet. A very nervous twenty minutes later, America finally noticed that they appeared to be gone, or at least so far back that neither one could see the other. He breathed a sigh of relief, and slowed the car back to a slightly more reasonable speed. Keeping one hand on the wheel, America reached into his pocket and withdrew Canada's phone. Now was as good a time as any to call England, he figured. He entered the number.
"Hey, England, are you still in D.C.?" America asked as soon as England picked up.
"Yes, why?" England sounded slightly apprehensive for some reason.
"I was just checking…"
"Please tell me you don't plan on coming down here," England said. "Remember, you're supposed to stay in Canada-"
"England, that's not going to work. They know where I'm hiding; the same guys that attacked me after I met with the prime minister are after me again."
America didn't quite hear what England said next, but he suspected at least several swear words were involved. There was a tense pause while America waited for England to respond.
"Where are you?" England said at last.
America bit his lip, and didn't answer.
"Damn it, Alfred, I need to know. Where are you right now?" England said, frustration creeping into his voice.
America relented. "Pennsylvania," he said.
England sighed heavily, though whether out of exasperation or relief, America couldn't tell.
"Fine," England said. "We'll be waiting in D.C. But, for God's sakes, be careful."
"Thanks." America hung up and pocketed the phone.
He drove a while in silence, then stole a glance in the rear view mirror.
"You have got to be kidding me…"
(-)
It seemed like an interminable amount of time before China finally reached his destination. He had insisted that he would interrogate his doppelganger personally, and while China's boss had agreed, the man had still insisted on armed guards and heightened security around the location. China had then left Japan with instructions to continue searching for any enemy operatives still hiding in the area, and, if possible, to try to continue investigating the base. After all that, China had finally managed to make his way to his doppelganger's cell without further interruption.
China entered the small, nondescript room, followed by a handful of armed guards, who kept their guns trained on the prisoner. The prisoner, meanwhile, merely sat on the floor, looking up at China with a mixture of curiosity and fear. China took a few carefully measured paces toward his lookalike, then came to a halt.
"What is your name, aru?" China asked.
"I can't remember," the prisoner said.
"How old are you?"
"I don't know."
"Do you have any family?"
"I don't know."
China sighed and rolled his eyes. This is getting nowhere, he thought.
"All right," China said. "What do you know, aru?"
China's doppelganger looked very thoughtful for a moment. When he finally looked back up at China, however, his only reply was a shrug.
"Who are you, and why do I look like you?" the prisoner asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me, aru," China replied. "And I find it hard to believe that you can't remember anything about yourself. Come on, there must be something you know…"
Both men were silent while China waited for a reply, but the prisoner stared at the floor the whole time, looking utterly confused.
"Why were you in that base?" China asked.
"I don't know!"
China sighed heavily and paced back and forth. He's obviously hiding something, he thought. It's just going to take a while to get it from him, is all…
"Fine," China said.
The prisoner did a double take. "What?" he said.
"I'll be back later, aru," China said. "In the meantime, see if you can jog your memory."
China left the room, with his guards following right behind. The door slammed shut, and there was a clicking noise as it was locked. Above the door, the prisoner noticed a security camera, but paid it little regard; choosing to stare at the ground instead.
China went down the hall and into another room, where the recovered items from the base raid were being kept. Feeling curious, and needing something to alleviate his boredom and frustration, China went over to the cardboard box with England's spellbooks. He took out the topmost binder and thumbed through the pages, eventually stopping on one page near the middle of the binder.
A few of the runes for the incantation on this particular page had been scribbled over, as if someone had tried blotting them out for some reason. In the margin, in almost indecipherable scrawl, were a bunch of notes. China looked closely at the scrawl and attempted to read it.
"'DNA sample of subject'," China read. "'Can be anything from hair to blood'. What on earth does this mean, aru?"
China continued reading, hoping it would explain itself. It didn't; the remainder of the scrawl was a bunch of runes similar to those on the rest of the page. Undeterred, China turned the page, thinking to find something more useful on a different page. This page contained a diagram with runes on it, but, like the page before, a few of the runes had been blotted out, and others were written in next to the blots.
"England needs to see this," China told himself. "He would know what all this means, aru."
China put the binder back and closed the box. He needed to get this box sent to England as soon as possible.