Machines rattled loudly inside of the factory. It was a factory for flour and it was huge. Currently however, it was being used as a place to hold a country captive.
Rescuing him was top priority.
A large man wearing a dark tux stood on the cement floor with a group of smaller, but just as cold and threatening, men around him. They worse grey tux and had their hair slicked back out of their face.
The large man had two initials sewn into his jacket with gold thread: J.J.
Placed in front of him was a person. That person lay on the cold floor with his hands tightly tied behind this back. His head was held up by a long wooden bow, with the body of the bow being firmly placed under his chin. The person was a young man in his early 20's. His brows furrowed together as he struggled to breathe properly as his body weight leaned into the body of the bow.
Up above, another group of men stood together. One of them on a motorbike in a bomber jacket. Another in a long black trench coat, and the rest who could only be none other than a elite police force. The group above looked down at the burly men surrounding the prisoner.
Both groups appeared to be in a stand off, but in the meantime were trying to talk their way out of it as each side planned what would be their next best move.
"I want someone to come down here unarmed to present us with what we came for. Only then will I allow this man to live." Said the large man with the initials on his tux. "I don't you want this to get messy young man. Might scratch that brand new bike of yours"
The man on the motor bike bit on his lip in anger. Of course that's what they say now, but he had delt with this group in the past, and they never hesitated to put a bullet in someone's head.
"America. We don't have a better option. We need to do this quickly because England's getting tired." said the man in the trench coat in a distinct French accent on his right. His long blonde hair just barely touching his shoulders.
America looked down at the man who was tied up on ground and made contact with his green eyes. His head was covered in sweat causing his blonde bangs to stick to his forehead. He awkwardly leaned into the bow that the large man held around his neck firmly. His eyes seemed to speak for him: "hurry up and use that large head of yours to get us out of here!"
"Do we have aim on JJ?" asked America with taking his eyes off of him.
"Yes," said someone in uniform from behind. "But we suspect that his men will continue to hold England captive if we shoot. Or worse. This crew has a very tight connection to their boss. Their fathers probably served him before they did."
America nodded. His eyes met with JJ's as a cold chill slithered up his leg and into his shoulders.
"We now have the money outside. It's being airlifted to the window on our level so we can retrieve it." whispered France into America's ear.
"Perfect"
A minute passed and then word spread to the front of the group that the briefcase had arrived safely.
"We have what you want with us now" France spoke loudly down to the gangsters. "How would you like for us to give it to you?"
"Bring it down here and count it in front of me. But only one person needs to bring it down."
France and America looked at each other.
"I'll go. You stay here." said France and he wasted no time getting to the ground floor.
He walked up to the group trying to keep his cool as his glove wrapped around the holder of the case. He breathed through his nose as he got closer to the group.
"Stop" said one of the men.
France stood still.
"Open the case slowly. No talking."
France stood several feet away and brought the case up to his chest. He unlocked it and slowly opened it.
"Now show us"
France turned the open case to the men. It was completely packed with money.
"Slide us one of the stacks. We want to be sure it is real"
France took one of the stacks of bills and kicked it over with his boot. One of the men examined it and nodded to their boss.
"Count it starting now. Out loud."
France glanced at England, who's eyes were looking alert but weary.
He loudly counted the money for the group. Several minutes went by until finally he reached the total amount.
"100,000... there. It's all there."
"Good. I appreciate your patience." Said JJ.
"And I appreciate you not killing me or my friend." France replied with a hint of sweat on his brow as he tried to relax.
"Oh yes. This guy tried to sneak into my workplace, which is like my home. He nearly got away with it until one of the boys caught him outside. I don't like it when my family is put in danger. "
JJ pulled out a syringe in his coat pocket. France's eyes widened.
"This is personal matters now. You did nothing wrong. But this is what I do to people who meddle with my family."
He stuck the syringe into the back of England's neck. England's eyes shot open.
"This is 663-43. A formula I created. It will knock him out and it may or may not kill him. Just like what he might have done to my boys."
He removed the syringe from England. England's head drooped forward. JJ lowered the bow that held England up and brought him gently to the floor. He slid the bow out and brought it to his side.
"Only I have the antidote. The rest is fate."
France stared at England in horror. What should he do? What was America thinking? How could they go through with this?
"Now slide the case forward and we will leave. Unless you or your friend wants a bullet in his head ."
France knelt down with the case. Nothing was coming to him. England could die if he didn't do something right here and now.
"I'm sorry that he put your family in danger. But you broke your promise. How can we let you walk out after you have killed my friend? Unless there is something else you want?"
JJ looked down at France.
"I'm sorry for my behavior. But this is just for pro-cautionary measures."
He took out a small vile from the same pocket he had the syringe.
"If you allow us to pass, I will give this to you. If not, there is a chance he won't make it."
France looked at the dark liquid he held in his big hand. He couldn't let them get away. But what else was there-
"FRANCE!! What's going on down there??!!"
America called from up above. The police standing around him had their guns out in full view ready to shoot.
Instinctively, the group below pulled out their guns and aimed them at the police in return. JJ pulled out a small pistol from his other coat pocket and clicked it in front of France. He pointed it at France's forehead.
"Call your men off, or you don't make it." JJ spoke in a low tone.
"FRANCE??!!" yelled America.
France glared at JJ. A button clicked in France's pocket.
"NOW!!" yelled France.
France pulled out a shield from under this coat, and covered his face. A bullet from JJ's pistol hit the shield, making a loud noise.
The glass windows from the ceiling broke as soldiers suddenly appear dressed in black. They slide down long ropes to the floor below where the gangsters stood.
In the three seconds France had, he jumped across to where England lay. Everything seemed to happen on slow motion. Would someone shoot him? Was all of this for nothing? His arm landed on the cement floor and the other covered them both with the bulletproof shield. After the three seconds were over, the bullets and broken glass rained down all around them.
The gangsters were shooting, but were now very outnumbered. They ran towards the exit doors.
Glass covered the floor like snow. It hit France's shield like rain on a tin roof. France had managed to cover both his and England's top half, but still leaving their legs partially exposed.
France hugged England close to him and shut his eyes.
"Get them out of there!" yelled America to the commander.
The soldiers dropped from their ropes to the ground floor. They were fully equipped with helmets, bulletproof vests, heavy artiliery and boots.
One group of soldiers fired after the gangsters while the others surrounded France and England like a protective fort. A few men from JJ's group lay dead on the floor, but the rest were currently escaping.
France removed the shield from on top of them.
"I need a knife!"
He ripped apart the rope with a sharp knife one of the soldiers had on him. Then he lay England on his back.
"What's his condition?" asked a nearby soldier. "I'm a doctor. I can help him".
"He's been poisoned with a drug that was self made by the gang leader. He said it could potentially kill him, but it's 50/50. I should have grabbed the antidote, but it's long gone now."
"How long has it been in his bloodstream?"
"About 7 minutes"
The medical doctor took off his belt of supplies and kneeled down next to England.
"Boys, push this glass away from us. I can't let these guys get cut."
America arrived at the main floor and sprinted over.
"Is he okay?! What happened?!"
"Working on it" said the doctor as he listened to England's heart through his stethoscope. "Give me some space people".
The soldiers took a few steps back. Meanwhile, America grabbed France by the collar and brought him away from the group of soldiers. Once they were alone, he slapped France across the face.
"WHAT were you thinking? No signal-no talking? How was I supposed to know what the hell you were doing? I know you're the one to always tell me not to speak unless I have a plan, but god damn it- YOU didn't have a PLAN!! Anyone one of those men could have shot both of you before I could get to you! Then what?!"
"Sir." A soldier after searching the area stood next to the doctor. .
"Yes?" replied the doctor from the floor.
"The briefcase is missing."
America swore loudly. It echoed up to the ceiling-less building.
"Mr America-" the soldier called over, ignoring the argument.
"What?!"
"I mean Mr France-did you see the vial containing antidote?"
France now had tears in his eyes from the amount of force America had just unloaded onto him. Not to mention his near death experience. "Yes, it was a tiny glass vial."
"Did it look like this?"
The soldier held up a vial that looked exactly like the one JJ had shown him.
"That's it! That had to be it! Oh my God.."
"There's blood over it. His hand much have gotten bloody and it slipped out."
"Alright, stories later-bring it here. Thank God I have a spare syringe on me." Said the Doctor as he went through his things.
France and America walked up to where England lay. His skin looked pale and sweaty. The doctor had cut off one of his sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt. France knelt down to him. He put his glove on his chest for a heartbeat. It was high.
The doctor poured the antidote into the syringe. "We've got one shot".
America knelt down beside France. Anger still covered his face, but it now was being mixed with anxiety as England breathed heavily through his mouth. The mark where JJ had held the bow against England's neck was now red, as were his hands.
The doctor found a vein in England's left arm and drove the medicine into it.
Everyone was silent.
The only sounds came from the noises coming through the open ceiling from the street outside.
"I got it into his bloodstream. It should start working right away, but he's not in the clear yet. He needs to be taken to a hospital right away." He said this as he packed up his belongings. "The ambulance is right outside. I think it should be safe for them to come in".
America nodded.
The commander of the police force that was standing across from them by the main entrance looked at the doctor. The doctor nodded at her. Her team ran out to alarm the medical staff.
England's breathing began to slow a little. The color had returned to his face slightly as well. France looked at America who was staring at England.
The doctor looked at France, who now had a very red mark across his face.
"I think it wouldn't hurt if you got checked out too. To make sure there's no glass in your skin.. or for anything else."
France breathed for what felt like the first time in several minutes. His brain began to function properly and soon the anger had swelled up inside of him.
"Excuse us for a moment" France spoke in a "calm" voice, although the irritation behind it was leaking out.
He grabbed America by the arm and pulled him back with him.
They stood several feet away from the soldiers who continued to stand around England.
"How DARE you slap me," France said in a deep tone to America's face. "We both knew this wasn't going to go our way but we DID have a plan. Those soldiers lives were on the line just as much as England's!
First, we agreed to what JJ wanted, and then if they threatened to shoot, I would use the button. Which is EXACTLY what I did. I put myself down there because I knew that your stupid mouth could get us killed any other day of the week-"
America glared at France.
"So then WHY did you leave without telling me that you TOOK the button from me?? If I had it, then our soldiers could have arrived sooner, and then England wouldn't be at death's door!! All because you CHANGED the PLAN!"
"I hoped you assumed that you knew what I was doing!"
"How was I supposed to do that?!"
"Because I'm older, and have more experience!"
"So that suddenly makes you right?!"
"We knew they had a trick up their sleeve, but why should you have it if you're several feet away and can't see what's happening?! So, therefore I TOOK the button! Because if they did something- and they did-I could see what was happening from up close! However, there wasn't anything I could do to stop it because-
"Because you froze. You froze when you should have fired it once he took the vile out!"
"Yes, i should have!"
America hesitated.
"I should have. But..I'm sorry. I couldn't think fast enough. I'm sorry for changing the plan... "
France looked down. His hair covering the sides of his face.
"I guess ... I deserved this beauty mark" said France in a whisper.
America put his hand on France's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have slapped you. I knew that you froze. But I didn't know what to do because I didn't want to interfere with what you had in mind. It's just, once I saw England on the ground... I got worried.."
They stood in silence for a few seconds. America looked over at the soldiers. Only two stood there now. The doctor beside them, waiting for the two countries.
"I think we need to go back now."
France looked up at America, then over at the doctor. They both walked back.
"We have loaded him into the ambulance and they're headed to the hospital now. I am headed back there now separately if you want to join me"
France nodded.
"What are you going to do?" asked the Doctor.
"I'm going to go over there too" said America.
"Well, then let's all go. I need to leave right now."
The soldiers accompanied the three men to the car.
"We have captured two of the gang members, Mr America. Three of them are dead, and the rest, including the boss, are missing. We are currently working to track their whereabouts."
"Okay, I'll call after I'm at the hospital." Said America, sounding exhausted.
"For your protection, I think it would be best to have squad cars in the front and behind a bullet proof car we have, sir. Your motorcycle was taken back to base. I will drive."
"Alright" America sighed.
The three got into the bulky vehicle with the soldier. The other two got into similar cars and put their siren lights on.
"No sirens" spoke the soldier into the talkie. "We don't want too much attention here"
The three vehicles sped to the hospital. America leaned against the window. France sat across from him on the other side. The doctor shut his eyes.
"We'll be there in 20 mins" said the soldier quietly. He put on his sunglasses and relaxed his hands on the wheel.