"America-san...I'm not sure that's a good idea…let's just stick to the plan..."
"Oww come on Kiku! We've gotta go fast or they are going to get this boy's brother away! Travasco bastard was already packing up his stuff when I was down there, it's a matter of time!
"For the eleventh time America, we understand that but YOU can't just be everywhere at the same time! We need to form groups to explore the whole structure, and since you know the 3rd and 2nd floor better than all of us, we need you in group 2!" roared an exasperated Germany.
Despite their intensive discussion yesterday, let's not forget that they all had their strong personalities, and weren't agreeing on everything. If not, their decades of meetings would have been actually 'efficient'!
Right now, the matter was about who would go where, and with who. 3 groups had been formed : Russia, France, Spain and England for the 1th floor. America, Germany and Japan for the 3rd then the 2nd floor (as they had already been explored partially) and China, Romano, Canada for the 4th floor. Italy was in charge of staying with 'I' in the cottage to take care of him, which he was happy for.
However, America didn't want to go back to the 2nd floor and wanted to explore all the floors he hadn't seen yet, while Romano was pretty much not liking going at all, asking why his brother could not go and he had to! Spain and England would have prefered not to be in the same group and France had tried exchanging his place with China to avoid being with Russia and to be with Canada. The asian was already bearing his bulky friend most of the time and wanted some space out, specially when Russia was in a mood to fight.
Germany had changed the group's members so many times already that he had used his authority to shut everyone and to leave the groups as they were. Of course, some wouldn't be happy and would argue about it.
"What a pain in the…" hissed Romano.
"Tut tut mon cher, no bad words before children uhm? It might be a pain but we have to do what we have to."
" I think on the contrary it will be a lot of fun! But don't go disappearing on me, da? I will not wait for you!"
"If there is someone who will make us disappear it might be you…" mumbled England, as Russia's waves of savage excitement were giving him goosebumps.
The men had regrouped at the entrance of the bungalow, packaging. They had decided to go in the afternoon, the morning being for preparing everything and installing protections around the cottage. There was still a risk for Travasco's men to come search for their experiment, and unfortunately, 'I' was far from having Italy's running skill.
Not speaking about the fact he had been ill this morning, his head hurting again and making the nations worried about his health.
To help him and themself relax a bit before the mission, they had decided to eat outside, as the weather was perfect.
But before they could eat, England heard a familiar voice upon his head.
"England...I feel something approaching...it's really weird and fast this time!"
This alerted the englishman who stopped what he was doing and yelled at the others to warn them.
The countries shot all their heads up, frowning when they saw the british man suddenly walking toward the wood, and after a moment of hesitation, everyone followed him with curiosity.
"Oy England, what's wrong?" Asked Romano. He was irritated at the fact the man was acting on his own without any context given.
"I sense something….and it might be dangerous."
Danger, a word that none here was fearing...more or less. Curious, everyone followed the british man, weapons at hand. 'I' was taken with them in the middle, to be protected if needed. They didn't want to leave him behind, but they all wanted to know what England had found.
Five minutes, then ten minutes later, they arrived in a glade, and still nothing was happening.
"Mon ami, have you perhaps tried to eat some odd mushrooms in the wood? I know you have no taste, but you should be careful about what you eat…"
"Shut up you frog! I'm not having hallucinations!"
"Shh! I've heard something!" whispered Japan, hand over his katana who was never leaving his side.
Immediately, everyone took their weapon off and took position, eyes shot where the noises had come from.
They heard broken branches and then ferns moving, until something jumped before them.
America and Romano almost shot the beast, but blocked at the last moment.
What they were facing was a really big muscular darkish fluffy Irish Wolfhound with one blank eye. It was in fact so huge that it was almost the size of a pony.
The beast had stopped running as his collar had been pulled and was now panting and turning his head right and left, listening to the voice on his head, his tail waving in actual happiness.
But the reason why the countries didn't attack it further was because someone was riding the dog and waving at them with a wide smile.
Germany's heart had stopped at the sight. France had hid his mouse behind his hand in shock and Spain had been speechless. On the back of the dog, there was a child version of Prussia, that looked exactly like in their memories of him, wearing a leather bag with straps around his right shoulder and back.
"'P'!"
'I' was the first to move, almost pushing China to separate from the protecting cocoon he was in and run toward his brother.
The tiny Prussia jumped over the dog and threw himself in the taller boy's arm with a giggle.
" Big brother 'I' ! I found you like I promised! Guess I'm that awesome, Kesesese! "
They both hugged each other again, before 'I' realised what he had said and grabbed his shoulders.
"'P'...what you just said.."
"What did I say?"
"Just the thing before.." asked 'I' warily. This didn't resemble 'P's way of talking before. And from the memory he had gained, he knew from whom the boy was getting these expressions from.
"Impossible.."
The albinos turned his head on the right side, and his eyes met with Germany's, who had approached himself slowly, looking at him with a mixture of feeling.
The red eyes blinked, and with all honesty, the white face lit up and answered :
"Oh! Hi West! "
The blond nearly fell on his feet, just before the boy, his lips trembling.
"Prussia...is that you..? Have you returned in this child?"
The 5 year-old kid bobbed his head on the side, turning his eyes while thinking.
"Me? Nein, I'm not! I'm 'P'!...but you Mister felt soooo familiar that I said that! Kese!"
As happy as he was to retrieve his brother, the older experiment didn't like what the signs were showing him, and he interrupted the german to ask with a serious tone.
"'P'...did they bring you to the weird machine too?"
At this the boy brought his fingers on his mouth as if he had been taken at fault, and nodded, but not wanting his brother to worry, he quickly added :
"Ja, but I'm all fine Big brother 'I'! I remember you too, and you remember me! And I didn't become a grown up too...it's so weird... Oh! And I've gotten this, look!"
'P' opened the bag he had around him, which was too big for his tiny form, and brandished a long syringe filled with green serum the brunette had seen before.
All the nations had approached to see better, examining the fallen empire's clone, his belongings and also the dog who seemed to want to lick his master, making the child giggle.
At some point, France decided to ask the real questions.
"Hi there mon grand! How did you get away, and how did you obtain this?"
"And where did you find this huge cool dog?" smiled America, having stars in his eyes since he had seen the badass entrance.
Quite eager to answer to the grown ups and liking the attention, the kid turned to his new four legged friend and started to tell the whole story.
"After Big brother was away, there was the alarm going dun dun for a long time and then it stopped but everyone was still running everywhere. The weird professor came and brought me to a weird room. He said that he didn't want his work to go to waste because of the 'ewacuation' and he put me on the cold table and he bound me!
And then it went bzzz bzzz, it felt so so weird!
There was a man wearing green then who got angry with the weird Professor, and they unbound me and took me away. We took the stairs to go down but suddenly, it was night!
"Night?"
"Yeah! It was all night! And there were weird noises, and people were screaming!
The man went to the opened door and suddenly there was a biiig fluffy thing that got in his face and he screamed and they fought each other!
I ran upstairs and there were some flying fluffy thingies that were coming out of the conduits and everyone was panicking.
There were also some big dogs and rats coming from the stairs, running everywhere!
I followed the green lights like Father taught me when it's getting dark and I went to some stairs. I know I didn't have the right to, but I remembered Father saying that if something was wrong I could go there.
There wasn't many people on the new floor, and I walked in corridors and entered some rooms with lots of chairs and tables, and papers on the floor. There was the bag I took with me on one of the chairs. Then I saw other green lights and I entered another room with the door open. It was half empty but there was the green tube on one side next to a big cold machine. Because I'm awesome I took it, but then I heard angry voices and bang noises and I thought I was going to be punished and fled…"
"Bang noises...As for gunshot?" whispered to himself Japan, while the boy didn't notice and continued his story.
"Big brother told me how the outside was so I tried finding the exit following the green lights again. It was dumb because the exit was just next to where I was, kesese!
Then it was completely different, there were trees on the walls!
There were scary muscular men screaming and I ran again and that's when...there was the outside behind a door!
When I got outside, I didn't want to abandon Daddy of course, but I couldn't return, they had weapons and they were shooting everywhere at the animals.
That's when I met Doggy!"
At this, the albinos patted the dog, who whined happily and licked him again, waving his tail.
"Doggy was really nice! I asked him if he could find Brother 'I' and he sniffed me all over and let me climb him…..and he really found you! Nice nice doggy!"
The child was engulfed in fur as he was trying to scratch the bigger creature in a cute and knowing way.
"Oh my..'P'! It could have been so dangerous! I'm glad you're safe...Do you by any chance...know where Father is? Have you met him?" 'I' asked. Now that his brother was safe and sound, he was worrying for his father's well being after all he had heard.
The albinos shook his head.
"Nein...I haven't seen him at that moment but...but he actually came just before I was brought to the machine.
"Really? What did he say?"
This meant it had happened after he had escaped, so it would be the most recent information they had about him!
"He said that you were outside! Also, he told me to follow the green lights if the night was to come, because it would lead to the outside, and that if it happens I have to run and don't let the mean men in green catch me. He also said not to search for him. Then he left, he seemed in a hurry."
The adults were trying to put the dots together with all these informations, and suddenly, Canada exclaimed (frightening a little his neighbours again):
"This Father man knew what would happen..it means he was the one who shot the light off, that's the only plausible explanation!"
"What I don't understand is these animals wandering in the facility. Where are they coming from? That dog over there isn't normal…" replied France, still confused by this strange story and wary about the Irish Wolfhound.
"If they are able to do clones of us, I wouldn't be surprised they tried to do some genetic modelling on animals…" suggested Russia.
"There's only one country to have that kind of idea..." England remarked smuggly.
"Yeah, play innocent old geezer, like you never got your own mad scientists…" retorted America, rolling his eyes.
"So amigos...let's not stay there! We can hear Chibi Prussia at the cottage, and give him a good hot cocoa drink to celebrate his escape!"
Spain gave a wink to the boy, who's eyes sparkled at the perspective, and after an enthusiastic "Kesesese! That's so awesome!" Everyone agreed to proceed with that.
Guess Germany would have to rethink his whole plan, again. He was starting to have a headache about this, but well, if they had already found the other remaining clone, it was going to be easier, na?
Talking about headache, despite the feeling of relief, 'I' was still massaging his temple in pain, hiding it from his little brother, until a gasp of pain was heard.
"Doggy?"
It wasn't from the brunette, but from the dog the noises had come from. The second before, the fluffy creature was following obediently with a curious gaze, but now, he was rubbing frantically his head on the floor and whining.
'I's stomach made a whole turn when he recognized the symptoms. Even if the creature couldn't express it, it was in pain and soon, blood started to drip from its ears and its nose.
"Ve! What's wrong with him?" murmured Italy, as the scene started to look like a horror movie.
Contrary to 'I', the dog didn't have any clothes and thus, they could see wounds opening themself all over its body, which was having spasms and wrong movements.
Feet trembling, Doggy tried to maintain composure, but eventually fell on his side, struggling against that invisible enemy that was paralyzing him at fast speed.
"He has the woodpecker in his head too! Hurry, let's give him serum!" shout out a panicked 'P', pulling Germany's pants frantically as he was the one who had taken the bag with him.
"No Aru! We can't waste it, we need it for your brother!" interrupted China before the big nation could obey.
"Big brother 'I' is sick too?! But..But…" stammered the small one, turning his head in the direction of his brother, who was lowering his head and watching terrified as history was repeating itself again before his eyes.
Doggy was still whining on the grass, and 'P', not standing seeing his friend suffer, ran to him and hugged him, even if his clothes would be strained with blood.
From his only valid eye, the dog was expressing his distraught, confused and scared at what was happening to him. He just couldn't process what was happening, but he knew what awaited him at the end.
When he understood that, he stopped struggling, only waving his tail and whining miserably, giving a last look to the only friend he ever had for that short amount of time he had been free.
Then, he stopped moving and fixed the distance before him, even after 'P's effort to shake him, caressing and talking to him in german saying he was a good and nice boy.
Canada had sat and was taking the pulse of the creature, knowing it would be only faint, if none.
Seeing as 'P' continued to hug the beast despite it being dead, France snapped out of his initial shock to get closer to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.
" 'P'...it's over, release him now mon grand…"
"Nein!" replied the albinos, his head pressed against the fur of his fallen friend.
"You know, he was probably very happy to have been with you, but he was probably suffering and...he went to a better place. But for him to go there safely, we need to bury him…" added Canada with a soft tone, trying to negotiate with the boy.
After a minute of silence, 'P' finally gave up. He wasn't crying yet, but he was grimacing sadly, clenching his hands.
Still without a word, he headed to his brother and hugged him, receiving the same attention from him, even if 'I' couldn't manage to console him much as he was in distress himself.
It had been so sudden, so imprevisible and fast that most of the nations didn't even react. Some, like Italy, turned their eyes away. China, England and Japan had looked worriedly at each other before looking at 'I'.
It wasn't difficult to understand the experiment suffered the same condition, and that he was at risk to know the same fate. Heck, maybe Prussia's clone was on the same boat and they had only one shot of serum…
Germany had stared at the serum syringue inside the bag, and was also clenching his fist. He knew it had been a wise choice not to use it, but he still felt guilty somehow.
Not standing anymore seeing the two cuddling kids trembling, the blond went to them and grabbed his brother's doppelganger without warning to put him on his lap.
First surprised, the albinos gasped, but sensing the warm and comforting adult surrounding him, he calmed down.
Italy and France went to the older experiment and helped him get up and walk.
As they promised, Russia lifted the dog's body (not minding dirtying his clothes) for them to bury him later near the bungalow.
Then, they all proceeded to the house, and only 'P's silent cry could be heard.