Thanks to AquaEclipse for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 64
Botswana sat on one of the kitchen chairs in a daze. He still couldn't believe what had to be done for Black to be able to see again.
He was startled when someone clapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see Khoisan standing there, the ghost of a smile on his face.
"I see you tried to help him," he said. "Thank you. You have a strong connection to the astral realm, don't you?"
Botswana nodded his head. Khoisan chuckled.
"I have a small connection as well," he said. "But yours is stronger."
"Not that it does any good," Botswana sulked. "It's useless in a fight."
"It's useless in direct combat," Khoisan clarified. "As a defensive manoeuvre, you'd be surprised what it's capable of. Don't sell yourself short."
Botswana faintly smiled, before he turned towards the teenage girls.
"It's strange how you conveniently arrived with someone that could help," he said.
"Imane called," Hout Bay clarified. "When it comes to Themba, she doesn't take shortcuts. Or chances."
He nodded his head, before turning towards the other girl.
"Sorry, but who are you?" he asked.
"Western Sahara," she introduced. "You?"
"Botswana."
"Oh, then in that case, call me Salma," Western Sahara said, smiling. "I heard you joined our club."
Botswana was a bit surprised that she would already know about that. He turned to Khoisan, who was examining the room with faint curiosity.
"I need to have a word with Anika later," he said, though his tone was wistful. "It seems she decided to go back to our roots."
…
The Alvora nations had split into two groups, with the intent on covering more ground. One group had gone with Ganesha, the other with Vishnu.
Lithuania glanced towards the elephant-headed god. He always felt a little envious towards the nations who had a strong connection to their pantheons. He'd converted before he became a member of Alvora, and prior to that, he'd had no way to get in touch with his deities.
When they realised that gods were real, and that they had a strong connection to their nations, Prussia had been extremely guilty. He had been at least part of the reason why Lithuania had lost the chance to connect with his gods. But Lithuania didn't blame Prussia. He blamed his own weakness for submitting his will so easily.
He wondered if they were still out there. If they were just waiting for him to reach out to them. If they were angry at him.
Unfortunately, he had no idea how to reach out to them.
"So, do you use your hands or your trunk for eating?" Prussia asked.
Lithuania couldn't help but wonder how Ganesha appeared to be so patient and indulgent towards his lover. Prussia was the type of person that could either endear himself to someone or get under their skin. And somehow, it seemed as though Prussia had endeared himself to a Hindu god.
Honestly, Lithuania couldn't remember a time when he had been so proud of his lover.
"Does anyone else question the wisdom of Gilbert asking a deity about his eating habits?" Sierra Leone asked nervously.
"As long as he doesn't get angry, I think we should just roll with it," Malaysia sighed.
Lithuania also wondered if it was possible for Ganesha, or perhaps one of the other gods, to give him advice about contacting his own deities. He really wanted to find them.
…
France glanced towards Spain out of the corner of his eye. He was supposed to drive them to Madrid, a trip that would take a while. It would have been faster if they'd taken the train, but Spain still had other former colonies in the Americas to contact. And they couldn't afford to be overheard by humans. At the moment, Spain was on the phone with El Salvador, trying to convince the other nation to come to France's house. Since El Salvador could be quite stubborn, with the tendency to do the opposite of what someone wanted him to do when he wasn't in the mood, it required a bit of finesse.
He felt guilty that he was surprised that Spain seemed to have the finesse to handle this.
Spain often came across as a bit silly and oblivious, but he had still been an empire once upon a time. A powerful, influential empire. People tended to forget that. They only saw what Spain wanted them to see. France himself had to constantly remind himself that Spain wasn't the idiot that everyone thought him to be.
He wondered what Requiem's thoughts about him were. He knew that they hated him, but what exactly about him did they hate? And did they recognise the fact that Spain was a force to be reckoned with when it came to that?
France knew that he also needed to tap into his old imperial side. The news that Requiem intended to use him to hurt Spain…
France couldn't allow that.
…
India was still in Vishnu's arms, feeling guilty but thankful. He was still too weak to take more than a few steps at a time, and the urge to fall asleep was strong as well. And if not for the fact that he requested that the others were rescued, they'd be gone already.
He was just glad that some of the others agreed that they needed to get the prisoners out.
He looked towards the others, who were fanned out and investigating the doors they passed. They were empty of humanoid figures, and when he asked about the facility, they told him that it was huge. Which brought more horrors into the forefront of his mind.
How many prisoners did Requiem intend to keep there? And how many had they kept there? And what did they do to them?
The others didn't say what they saw inside the rooms that they were investigating, but occasionally there would be a room that seemed to disturb them. India could tell by their body language. By the way they would sometimes linger near a room, or the way their shoulders would tense, India could guess the nature of those rooms.
Israel was the only one currently sticking close to India. It bothered both of them that they were unable to touch. Israel also seemed to be a bit worried about India requesting that they try to rescue the others, when it was clear that India needed proper medical attention as soon as possible.
"This one's locked," Haiti suddenly announced.
All eyes were on the door that Haiti stood in front of. Vishnu sighed, approaching the door and using a free hand to open it. For the first time, India could properly see what was inside a room, and his eyes widened in shock.
"Kalyan…" he whispered.
Bangladesh was sitting with his back propped against the wall, his hands over his eyes. India could immediately see the red on Bangladesh's fingers, and he wondered what could have caused his friend to get blood on his hands.
There was also a flickering light, and India could hear this annoying sound.
"Shit," Serbia said, stepping closer. "They're making him lose his sanity."
Vishnu waved a hand, and both the light and the sound ceased. North Korea, Serbia and Haiti rushed closer towards the prone nation. He didn't seem to notice them, at least until North touched his arm. That caused Bangladesh to back away, letting out a startled scream. That was when India saw the side of his head, and he swallowed down the bile when he realised that the blood on Bangladesh's fingers was from when he ruptured his ears.
"It's okay…" North said, holding out his hand placatingly. "We're here to save you."
India kept his eyes on Bangladesh, and ice entered his veins when he realised that Bangladesh didn't seem to recognise them at all.
Bangladesh had been in this place as long as India. What had they done to him? And if Bangladesh was like this… what about the prisoners that had been there longer?
"Let me try to reason with him," India said, looking up at Vishnu.
The god looked conflicted, his eyes flitting between India and Bangladesh. Finally he sighed, walking closer. Israel was acting as Vishnu's shadow, and India couldn't help the small smile when he realised that his lover was trying to protect him. But the warmth was extinguished soon enough when he recalled that it was because he had already been placed in danger. And they were still in the process of rescuing him.
Again, he felt incredibly guilty, but he needed to save his friends.
When they were close enough, Vishnu stopped and let him down. Bangladesh was gazing around between them, fear in his amber eyes. India took a few steps, before he collapsed to his knees. Israel immediately tried to help him up, only to pull back when the contact burned him. India winced as well, before he focused his gaze on Bangladesh.
"Kalyan," he said slowly.
Bangladesh's eyes lit up in recognition. India waited for a few seconds, trying to determine what the other was going to do.
"R-Raj…" Bangladesh croaked. "H-help…"
India reached out his hand, and Bangladesh accepted it. North helped India stand, who in turn helped Bangladesh stand. The other nation looked around at the others, before focusing on India. He smiled in encouragement.
"Come," he said, making sure that Bangladesh could read his lips.
Bangladesh was still wary, but he nodded his head. India tried to walk a few steps again, before a stab of pain in his right leg forced him to halt. Not only was he weak, but his legs had been injured.
"Come on," Vishnu said, picking him up again.
He felt horrible for inconveniencing everyone like this, but he decided to focus that negativity on Requiem. He still needed to make them pay for everything they've done to him and the others.
…
"Shit," Greenland said, scanning the screens.
Egypt and Anubis had left a while ago, so it was only her and Faroe Islands now. She saw that the Alvora nations weren't leaving, despite having found Prussia and India. That was why they were there, after all. So, why weren't they leaving?!
She had gone back to some of screens where the cameras had caught them, and turned up the volume. Her eyes widened when she realised that they were intending to rescue all of the prisoners, and when she saw that they had succeeded in gaining one, that was when the expletive had escaped her lips.
"We'll need to warn the others," Faroe said.
"I know," she said. "We need to gather as many prisoners as we can and evacuate. The Africans should be our priority. I am not having all that hard work go to waste."
Greenland pushed her chair towards the intercom, which she used to connect to the common room.
"Alvora is intending to rescue all of the prisoners," she announced. "We cannot let that happen. But with the gods fighting, it's too dangerous for us to fight back. We need to evacuate. Split into groups, and keep your communicators on. Faroe and I will direct the safest routes. Your priorities are Nigeria and Sudan. Bangladesh has already been extracted by Alvora, along with Prussia and India."
"Shit!" Faroe exclaimed. "Are those Celts?!"
Her head whipped to the screen, and she groaned in frustration.
"And another pantheon has joined Alvora," she muttered. "For all of our safeties, escape is the best option."
She knew the Celtic deities that just arrived weren't from Ireland. No one was able to contact him, so he couldn't have sent help. And considering Wales was also a member of Alvora…
She turned off the intercom and pushed back to the screens, getting her headset ready, with Faroe doing the same.
"Do you think we should tell Egypt?" he asked.
"We should definitely," she said. "Algeria hasn't been put to the test yet, and it's risky sending her against enemies at this point."
"…And what about Nepal and South Korea?"
She glanced towards the screen that showed the two nations being 'interrogated' by one of the Hindu gods. What made this situation worse was the fact that it was right outside the room where the others were.
"…Right," she muttered. "Didn't think about it."
She quickly connected to Egypt's communicator.
"Egypt, could we have one of your gods help out Nepal and South Korea?" she requested.
…
When Canada woke up, he was surprised to find that Serbia wasn't there. The other side of the bed was cold, as though Serbia hadn't been there for a while.
But there was a note lying on Serbia's pillow.
Feeling a sense of trepidation, he picked up the note. Serbia had gone to rescue India and Prussia. He threw his head back and sighed.
"Why couldn't you wake me up to tell me?" he groaned.
…
Algeria was a bit disoriented. Her vision was swimming a bit, and she was afraid. She was all alone, with a strange sound in her ears. She tried to put her thoughts in order, but they were jumbled and confused. And why did she feel as though she'd been asleep for a long time?
She also realised that she was hungry. She was craving meat, but a certain type of meat. It took her a while to recognise the meat that she was craving, and a memory flashed through her mind.
She smirked as she recalled the fear on Tunisia's face. He was delicious. Perhaps she should visit her brother again. And her sister…
She scowled as she thought about Morocco. The traitor. The filthy liar who worked with the enemy.
Algeria had no idea how long she stayed there, but then suddenly the door opened, and she tensed, ready for an attack. But when she saw who entered, her tension melted away and an easy smile crossed her face.
"Egypt!" she said happily.
Egypt smiled when he saw her as well. She ignored the figure behind Egypt and tried to bound to him, but her legs were a bit shaky, and so she had to lean on the bed.
It was only when she actually paid close attention that she noticed that the bed looked like a hospital bed.
"How are you feeling?" Egypt asked.
"A bit dizzy," she admitted. "Must be because I'm hungry."
"I understand. You've been asleep for a few days."
"What?! Why…? How?!"
"Alvora."
Upon hearing that word, her face twisted in distaste. It would figure that Requiem's enemies would be responsible for the state she found herself in.
"What happened?" she asked.
"They attacked a few days ago," Egypt explained. "And they're attacking now. I came to make sure that you were alright. You can't imagine how relieved I am to see you're awake."
She nodded her head.
"I'd like to make them pay for what they've done to me," Algeria said. "Especially Morocco."
Egypt cocked his head to the side, pursing his lips.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though that's an option," he said. "We were told to evacuate."
Algeria scowled when she heard that. She needed to make Morocco pay, and now she was told that she had to wait?!
"If it makes you feel better," Egypt said, "Morocco isn't one of the attacking nations. You wouldn't be able to punish her even if we were allowed to engage them."
Algeria pouted, but accepted the explanation. She didn't know why they had to evacuate, but she realised that it wouldn't be required unless absolutely necessary. Requiem was strong, and no one was equal to them. So even if Alvora had a temporary advantage, they would strike back with double the brutality.
…
"So, you're saying they decided to evacuate," Italy repeated.
Seborga had teleported to Vatican's house, which was currently the headquarters of Requiem. At the moment, all of the Italian siblings were gathered: Italy, Seborga, Romano, Malta, Vatican and San Marino.
"Some of our more vicious members are there," Romano said. "I can't imagine that they would just tuck tail and run."
"It's tricky with three different pantheons attacking," Seborga said. "Especially considering we only have two on our side."
"What about the Aztecs?" Malta suggested. "Mexico can contact them, can't she?"
"The only problem is, she needs a sacrifice to call for their help," Romano explained. "So, unless she decides to turn on one of our allies, use one of the prisoners we worked so hard to get, or get her hands on an Alvora nation wandering alone, it's going to be impossible."
"And unfortunately, the group is split in two, each with a god protecting them," Seborga said. "Why couldn't they just have come for India and Prussia and left? Why did they decide to get the other prisoners out as well?"
"Please tell me that all of this isn't a wasted effort," Italy implored.
"Well, I think we should give Egypt a huge reward when this is over. He scrambled Prussia's mind while he was in Room 241, and he placed a curse on India. He didn't say what this curse was, but he assured us that it was almost impossible to break, and for best effects, we should keep both India and Israel alive."
"Hmmm…" Romano hummed in thought. "That sounds promising. But we've still got that little matter of Alvora to deal with. They're proving to be very annoying."
"Why don't we leave Alvora alone for now?" San Marino suggested. "Focus on other targets? At the very least, we'll be gaining strength to better challenge Alvora."
Italy sighed.
"You may have a point," he said. "Hopefully, we're as troublesome for them as they are for us."
"At least Venezuela brought some good news," Romano said. "He told Spain about Madrid. And knowing that idiot…"
"He'll want to try to find him," Italy said, his eyes lighting up. "And Spain also comes with a few added bonuses."
"A large number of our allies want to see him suffer, and he's the brother of the enemy's leader."
Khoisan's comment about going back to their roots is a reference to the San creation myth, which says that humans used to live underground.