Thanks to Bubblegum Royalty, snowgem33, Eternal Nexus Warrior, Terra, shadowmoonhuntress, pastaaddict, Toesz, ScandinavianTrash, cherryfeather101 and shoujochan for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 37

Argentina was picking debris out of her hair, glaring at Curaçao, who had a few bruises on his face and sported a busted lip, but there was a small hint of a satisfied smirk.

She had to give him credit for being able to put up a fight, but after having a building fall on top of her, he wasn't her favourite person. And it was taking all of her self-control to not punish him for the damage he had caused.

She also had to shoot a few glares towards Aruba and Sint Maarten, who found the situation hilarious.

She comforted herself in the fact that once she dropped them off in Sicily, she could kill whoever she pleased, however she pleased. And she had a feeling that a massacre would lift her spirits nicely.

…

Netherlands was lying on one of China's couches, a hand pressed against his forehead. He had a pressing headache, and he knew why.

Curaçao had been captured, joining Aruba and Sint Maarten. The Kingdom of the Netherlands's overseas territories were all under Amodi's control now. But he couldn't help but wonder about what happened to his children. Were they alright? Did Amodi hurt them? And why did they want them?

Netherlands glanced over to China when he entered the room, looking disturbed. Netherlands didn't really want to hear the news. It would only be bad news for them, and he had enough of that for a while.

"Russia called," China said. "It's a possibility that France is dead."

"France?" Netherlands repeated, sitting up. "And… what about my brother and sister?"

"Russia said that Italy and Poland said they wanted them. So… they're alive. Just captured."

Netherlands sighed in relief, glad to hear that his siblings were still alive. But just like his children, they were captured by the enemy. And Netherlands had a feeling that they weren't captured on a whim. There was something more to it.

"I want you to tell me everything that you know," Netherlands said.

…

"And you allowed that to happen?!" America shouted.

Michoacán and Yemen watched as America paced, his phone pressed to his ear. The two of them weren't too concerned about the tone of voice America was using, seeing as the call was with Russia, but something in America's eyes told them that it was serious, and that something bad had happened.

"I had no choice, comrade," Russia said. "France knew what he was getting himself into. And when he called me, he was already in front of Italy's home. I told him that it was a trap, but he said he knew. He sacrificed himself to give us information."

America took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. France had been his friend, and also like an older brother (though America would deny it when confronted about it). To hear that he had been killed…

"Would you like to hear what I've learned?" Russia asked.

"Sure," America said, before sitting down.

"Attacking their countries would be useless. They've disconnected from their land."

"That might be why they go for the nation instead. If any of us did the same thing that they did…"

"Da. A part of me thinks that some of the things they do are because they're worried that someone else does the same things. At least, that's a theory."

"Okay. What else did you learn?" America asked.

"They can cut off our communication. That's what they did to Angliya. But apparently he's still alright."

America sighed in relief, glad to hear that his brother figure was alright. But for how long?

"Anything else?" America asked.

"Da. They have a potion that can eliminate the status of a nation. Without killing them."

"What?! But then… Why are they…?"

"They're doing it to be cruel, comrade. And they've already decided who gets which land. All they need to do is eliminate the one that already has it."

America swallowed nervously. Hearing all of this… it was horrible. He already knew that Amodi was evil, but this…

"That is all, comrade," Russia said. "I still need to call Turkey. You need to get as many of the other nations out of their line of fire as you can."

"Of course," America said. "I'm the hero, after all."

America hung up and sighed, before he turned his attention to the other two, who were waiting patiently.

"That was Russia," America said.

"We know," Yemen and Michoacán said simultaneously.

"What did he say?" Michoacán asked.

"France's group is dead, except for the Dutchie and his siblings," America said.

"That's not good," Yemen said.

"Of course not. And… Italy knows how to remove someone's status as a nation, without killing them. So what they've been doing… I always used to think the Commie and the terrorists are evil, but they've got nothing on Italy's group. No offence."

"None taken," Yemen said, though he was a little annoyed.

"They know that killing everyone would be more effective in the long run than simply removing their nation status," Michoacán said. "And it makes us scared of them. And they were trying to be secretive about it in the beginning, right? Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, after all."

"Still…" America said.

"Let's focus on getting everyone to safety first," Michoacán said. "Oman's next." She turned to Yemen. "You called him, right?"

Yemen nodded his head, and Michoacán turned her attention back to America.

"One more thing," America said. "Apparently, they can cut off our communications. Why haven't they yet?"

Michoacán frowned, and Yemen looked between the two of them.

"You were all together for a while, right?" Yemen asked.

"What do you mean?" America asked.

"The story that was circulating was that a large group of you went to England's house in an attempt to figure out a plan against Amodi, but obviously you've split up. But you were together until a while ago?"

"Si," Michoacán said.

"And what happened since then?"

"Well, we tried to save Madagascar, but then she died," America said. "We learned that nations under their control can't escape without dying."

"We also learned that the micronations are on their side," Michoacán said. "Or at least the ones that are friends with Italy's brother."

"And we couldn't get a hold of Iggy…"

"Are there micronations with England?" Yemen asked.

"Yeah. Sealand, Wy and Hutt River…"

"And they cut off communication?"

"Si," Michoacán said. "I think it's because they didn't want their spies' covers to be blown."

Yemen looked thoughtful.

"But they let you spread the word about what happened to Madagascar?" Yemen asked.

"Yeah," America said.

"I think they wanted you to know about that, and to inform as many nations as possible."

The other two were silent for a moment, before Michoacán nodded her head.

"It makes sense," Michoacán said. "If the news reached the nations under their control, then they wouldn't try to escape, and the rest of us wouldn't want to kill them."

"Unless it's to commit suicide," Yemen said. "For the nations under Amodi's control… If they become hopeless, they might try to take the easy way out."

"I don't think they'd do that," America said. "They wouldn't want their people to keep suffering under them."

Yemen looked thoughtful, before shrugging.

"And they're letting us know about France's group," Yemen continued. "But I have a feeling that they're going to think that we know too much."

"What do you mean?" Michoacán asked.

"They let us know that they can cut off communication. It's both a warning and a threat. Once they feel that we know enough about them, they're going to cut off our communication with each other. We would be helpless."

Michoacán gasped in realisation.

"They're letting us know now because it would make us fear them," Michoacán said. "But if they cut off our communications… We'd be helpless. We wouldn't know what's going on in the rest of the world. We wouldn't be able to notify anyone we're trying to save. And… Unable to communicate… We'd be subject to attacks from our own allies."

America bit his lip.

"They could have been lying," America said. "They just want us to be paranoid. Yeah, that's it…"

Yemen and Michoacán exchanged a glance. They could clearly see that America was trying to convince himself, and it wasn't working.

"I guess only time will tell," Michoacán sighed.

…

Turkey was driving when his phone rang. He cursed slightly, before taking it out and handing it to Hungary, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Here," he said.

Hungary took it and answered.

"Hello?" Hungary said.

"Privet, Hungary," Russia's voice said from the other side, causing her to shudder. "Could I perhaps speak to Turkey?"

"He's driving," Hungary said. "How important is it?"

Russia hesitated, and Hungary instinctively knew that something had happened.

"Austria is dead," Russia said.

"What?!" Hungary shouted, startling Turkey to the point that he swerved in the road. "What happened?"

"France received a call from Prussia, but they knew that it was a trap. Still, they managed to gather some useful information."

"And France still dragged him to his death?!"

Turkey sighed, before he pulled the car over on the side of the road. He held out his hand, and Hungary reluctantly handed back the phone.

"What happened?" Turkey asked.

"France, Austria and possibly Monaco are dead, while I think Belgium and Luxembourg were captured," Russia said.

"That explains what made Hungary so upset. But what happened?"

"France knew that it was a suicide mission. He had gone in to try to perhaps kill one of them, but also to find some information. He didn't manage to kill or even injure one of them, but he did manage to learn something."

"And how do you know this?"

"He called me and left his phone on speaker while Italy and Poland were chatting."

"That is so cliché…"

"Which part?"

"The bad guys telling the plans before they try to kill the good guys."

"Well, in this case, it was more than 'try'…"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"And they knew that I was on the other end of the line."

"What? But… How did they…?"

"That's the part that bothers me the most. They knew what we were doing."

Turkey sighed, removing his mask and rubbing at his eyes. He felt so tired. He glanced at Hungary, seeing her fuming, but she was trying very hard to hold back her tears.

"You said that France managed to learn a thing or two," Turkey said. "Well?"

"Da. Attacking the country is useless. The members of Amodi had disconnected from their land and people."

"Damn. They broke the most sacred rule about being a nation. The people must always come first."

"Da. And they claim to also be able to cut off our communication."

"Shit. So, if they decided to act on it…"

"Da. We'd have no way to contact each other."

"Damn. Anything else?"

"One more thing. They claim to have a potion that can relieve someone of their nation status. Without killing them."

"What? But then… Those sick bastards! They started a massacre when they have the means to avoid it?"

The other occupants of the car looked at Turkey curiously, but he didn't care. They would learn in due time.

"Da. A part of me thinks that they want to be sure, but there's another part that thinks otherwise. That they don't kill because they have to."

"They kill because they want to," Turkey finished. "Dammit. Those bastards…"

"We need to think of a way to bring the fight to them."

Turkey didn't say anything about that being what he was on his way to do. He was suddenly paranoid. He didn't want to say anything on the phone. Italy and Poland had known that Russia was on the phone with France. What if they could trace their calls?

"You mentioned Belgium and Luxembourg," Turkey said. "But not Netherlands. What happened to him?"

"Apparently France thought to send him to China before they even thought of their suicide mission," Russia said. "I don't know the details, and China seemed reluctant to say anything."

Turkey grunted, knowing that China didn't like Netherlands very much.

"Alright," Turkey said. "If you can, see if you can find one of their bases. We've got other business to take care of."

"Very well, comrade. If I learn anything, I will contact you. Provided that they don't cut off our communication."

"It might have been an empty threat."

"Nyet. That is what they did to England."

"Oh, I see. Well, good luck then, Russia."

"Da. For you as well, comrade."

Turkey hung up the phone, before he looked at Hungary. It became clearer than ever that she was trying very hard to hold back tears.

And Turkey could understand it well. She had always been pretty close with Austria, even before and after their marriage. And then there was also Prussia to think about. They'd known each other since they were children, and neither wanted to admit it, but they were the best of friends. They didn't know if Prussia was alive or dead.

He hated these modern times. Things were less complicated when he was still the Ottoman Empire.

Wait a minute…

"I have an idea," Turkey said, his voice low. "But it's going to be tricky, and you might not like it."

"Tell us what happened first," Greece said. "Then we'll decide if your idea is worth listening to."

"Fine," Turkey said, starting up the car. "I'll tell you on the way. We still need to meet up with Syria."

"Anything to get rid of those bastards," Hungary hissed lowly.

Turkey sighed. He knew that she had been friends with Poland, and she had practically raised Italy. But now, she hated those two, along with everyone on their side.

It might prove to be to their advantage.

…

Luxembourg and Belgium were taken to Amodi's base in Vatican. Luxembourg seemed to be in a daze, Seborga having hit him pretty hard. And they had shot Belgium in the abdomen, avoiding anything vital. But it made sure that she didn't try to fight.

"Here we are," Italy said, smirking at his captives. "Feliks will show you to your room."

Poland smirked, and Luxembourg and Belgium reluctantly followed after him. He gestured at a room, and they could hear something coming from it. He opened the door and they shuffled inside.

They weren't expecting to see South Africa, and she wasn't expecting to see them. She paused the portable DVD player before going over to them.

"België," she said. "Luxemburg. What are you doing here?"

"They apparently want us for something," Luxembourg said, looking at her curiously. "Why are you here?"

"They found out that I shared my country with someone else, and they wanted to punish me," she said. "They also killed my colleague."

"Oh. That must be bad."

"Bruder," Belgium muttered, "help me get to the bed."

He nodded, guiding her to the bed. South Africa made room and looked at the other female nation with a small amount of worry.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's a long story," Luxembourg sighed. "Could we maybe rest a while?"

"Ja, natuurlik."

He looked at her strangely again. It wasn't too uncommon for a nation to revert to their official language, but South Africa had eleven, one of them being English. It was rare for her to revert to Afrikaans in the presence of other nations, with the exception of Namibia.

But he had heard her speak Afrikaans before, and it sounded a little different then than it did now. It almost sounded like…

He mentally shook his head. He had heard all about the movements. She wouldn't revert back.

Would she?

As he lay down next to Belgium, he listened closely to his possible-niece. She was whispering something under her breath that sounded a lot like a poem, but he couldn't quite figure out if it was Afrikaans or Dutch.

He wondered what had been going on with her. Something about her seemed different, but not in a good way.

…

Turkey had explained his plan to the others, and they stayed perfectly silent. Turkey wasn't sure if they agreed or disagreed, but it was a good plan. It would certainly level the playing field a little, especially against opponents like Amodi.

Turkey stared in front of him and felt his annoyance grow. They had crossed the Syrian border without a problem, but now it came in the form of a group of terrorists.

"Your plan…" Hungary started. "I think we can use them as catalysts."

Turkey stared at her, and he could see an old gleam in her eyes. He looked in the rear view mirror at the others, and he was pleased to see something similar in their eyes.

Turkey smirked as they approached the terrorists. At the very least, they'll be doing Syria a huge favour.

…

Philippines chuckled, continuing the barrage of machine gun fire. The people were scrambling along the streets in an attempt to get away, but they wouldn't get far. She would kill them all.

"Philippines!"

She stopped her assault to look behind her. She smirked when she saw Malaysia, and she was more than pleased to see that he looked afraid of her.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because Italy asked me to," she said, before turning the weapon to him. "Another way to kill a nation: completely eliminate their population. You'll wake up later. And I'll kill you again."

And her assault continued, this time on a single body.

…

A young man walked along the island, not caring much about the scenery. He had to find her.

His black hair swayed in the breeze, and his brown eyes scanned the surroundings. She wouldn't turn him away. He was sure of it.

He saw her by the beach, looking around nervously. The scar on his neck prickled as he walked closer. She saw him and smiled.

"Tokyo," she said. "I wasn't expecting you. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Hawaii," he said, walking closer. "Everything still peaceful?"

"Of course. The war hasn't reached this place yet. I hope that it doesn't."

He came to a stop next to her, his hand in his pocket.

"You never know," he said. "After all, remember what happened in the last one."

And in a flash, he removed the knife from his pocket and stabbed it in her heart. Her eyes and mouth widened in surprise, and he merely looked at her coldly. He allowed her to drop to the ground as his hand went into his other pocket, producing a cell phone.

He called San Marino to report the death of Hawaii.

Credit for Tokyo goes to LifeLeaves.

So I recently started Mandarin, and the lecturer (who is Taiwanese) expressed her surprise when she found out that South Africa has eleven official languages. She thought that it was just English. And in class, the rest of us all communicate in Afrikaans with each other.

The movements Luxembourg was referring to are the Afrikaans language movements, in order to separate Afrikaans from Dutch and to have it recognised as its own language. It has significance, and it will be seen with a few other nations as well. Anyway, the poem White was muttering is supposed to be 'Klaas Geswind en syn perd', one of the earliest Afrikaans poems, and technically somewhere in the middle between Afrikaans and Dutch. Again, it has relevance. I wanted to add a quote or something, but I don't currently have the book it's in with me.