DISCLAIMER: Hetalia: Axis Powers Hidekaz Himaruya

THE CALL OF THE WILD


PART TWO

LOST BOYS

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Part Two is set fifteen years after the events of Part One. It is an M-rated story.

CAST OF CHARACTERS (in order of appearance):

AMERICA — Alfred Kirkland

CANADA — Matthew Kirkland

ENGLAND — Arthur Kirkland

FRANCE — Francis Bonnefoi-Kirkland

SCOTLAND — Allistor (Scott) Kirkland

WALES — Owen Kirkland

NORTH IRELAND — Liam Kirkland

IRELAND — Patrick Kirkland

NETHERLANDS — Lars van den Berg

RUSSIA — Ivan Braginsky

PRUSSIA — Gilbert Beilschmidt

GERMANY — Ludwig Beilschmidt


PROLOGUE

WESTERN EMPIRE

A torrent of frothing white-water crashed over the rocks. The river was swollen from the deluge. The gorge was flooded. The violence of the storm was the stuff of legend. The land couldn't have been wetter if it had incurred a divine wrath. It was dark. It was loud. It completely drowned-out the Omega's pitiful voice as his head broke the surface, gasping. A deafening drum of thunder crashed overhead and echoed throughout the valley. He flailed as the current pulled him, tossing him roughly to-and-fro. His body smashed against the jagged rocks of the shallow riverbed and pain radiated from his left leg, but he barely noticed. He was too afraid. His eyes searched wildly for his brother, but he couldn't see anything through the dark and pouring rain. When a crack of lightning lit the sky, he was momentarily blinded.

"M-Mattie!" he yelled, swallowing a mouthful of water. Mattie, where are you?

He cried-out as he hit the rocky riverbank, but managed to grab a low-hanging branch and haul himself up. He crawled on his belly over the rocks, desperate to reach safety. There, he gasped and coughed. His limbs trembled from the cold and exertion. "M-Ma—" cough, cough "Mattie!" he screamed. His feverish blue eyes scanned the rapids, his heart pounding, but he didn't spot his twin. It didn't matter that the current was moving fast; that it would have quickly carried Matthew off. The blue-eyed Omega shivered and bled on the riverbank, waiting—hoping—to catch a glimpse of his brother, or anything familiar.

"Matt-ie!"

By nightfall, he had lost his voice. He laid on the shore, curled into a pitiful ball in defense. His cheek rested on his forearm, which was submerged in a puddle of mud. The wind lashed ice-cold rain down on him, but the Omega didn't move. He didn't have the strength. He laid on his stomach, his body aching, his leg throbbing. His clothes were torn, leaving his skin exposed, but a cool numbness was slowly overtaking him.

Where am I? he wondered. I don't like it here. I'm cold. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm scared.

I want my family, Dad, Papa. I want Mattie.

I want to go home.


A bolt of lightning struck a treetop and it caught fire. It blazed, reflected in the Omega's terrified violet eyes as he ran. He raced through a dense forest, dodging trees and slipping over the undulating terrain. He kicked-up mud as he ran. He was drenched, bruised and scratched, but fortunately intact. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst. His lungs burned. He had swallowed a lot of water before getting thrown violently onto an unknown riverbank. He had fainted and then woken up—minutes, hours—later all alone.

Al—? Al, where are you?

He had panicked and started to run, yelling his twin's name. He didn't know what else to do, or where else to go.

Where am I? Where is everyone?

His head whipped back-and-forth, curls plastered to the sides of his face. He was panting hard, but he kept running. He couldn't stop. He was afraid to stop. His eyes scanned the forest, trying to penetrate the dense curtain of rainfall, but his eyesight was blurry. He was crying. When a deafening drum of thunder crashed overhead, he shrieked like a helpless pup. Then his foot caught on an upraised root and he fell to the ground, cutting his palms.

"Dad! Papa! Al!" he screamed. But his voice was soft, fading.

He crawled to his knees, then his feet. Then he just stood there. He didn't know where on earth he was, so he didn't know where to go. He was alone. And he was afraid. He had never been so afraid in his whole life. As he looked up at the sky, letting ice-cold raindrops pelt his face, he wondered where his family was. He prayed they were safe. His parents, his uncle, and his brother were strong. They were survivors. And me—? What am I?

I'm scared.

He was trembling, but not from the cold.

I don't like it here. I don't like being alone. Someone please find me.

Someone please help me.