Thanks to Ariaprincess, madders10, Mx Akiyata, cherryfeather101 and Mantyke30 for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 89: False Alarm

We were so close.

If he thinks he can escape from us, he is sorely mistaken.

We will not allow the failure to go unpunished.

…

Andrei looked around at all of the Nations that were watching the game. He had gotten pretty good at picking Alexandru out in a crowd, and he could say for a fact that he wasn't there. But the Deathplayers hadn't gotten him yet, so he still had hope of finding him.

He looked around again, searching for someone that could help him find him. His eyes immediately landed on Elizabeta, and he first had to shudder due to the knowledge of what his brother and her counterpart frequently did, before he walked over to her. He at least knew that she would be a formidable choice, should anything happen.

Elizabeta smiled when she saw him, and he nervously smiled back.

"Hello," she said. "Did you and little Alex come to watch the game?"

"Actually… no," he said. "I don't know where he is."

"What do you mean?" Mahesh asked, looking nervous.

"I don't know where he is. He disappeared when I wasn't watching."

"You don't think…?" James asked, eyes wide.

"I would know by now if it was them. Just… Please help me find him."

Elizabeta nodded her head, and the two made their way back to the house. Neither of them said a word, too worried for Andrei's counterpart.

…

Luis was watching as Ferdinand continued to paint, Alexandru sitting on his lap. The child Nation had calmed down considerably, though he still sniffled occasionally.

"That was close," Luis said, rubbing he child's back soothingly.

"They're mad," Ferdinand whimpered. "They thought they would get a new Red. They didn't. They thought he would be the easiest. They were wrong. They're going to try to fix it."

Alexandru held tighter to the Venezuelan, and Luis sighed.

"We need to be on our guard, then," Luis said. "Even more than we already were."

"I'm sorry," Alexandru whispered.

"It's alright," Luis said. "Neither of us blames you."

"But what about the other Nations?"

"We'll… work on that."

…

Elizabeta poked her head in to see how Lovino and the Micro Nations were doing, and to see if Alexandru had returned.

No such luck on the latter.

The Hungarian quickly ducked out of sight before anyone could see her. She, like everyone else, had heard about the situation regarding the other Seborga, and she didn't want to ruin Lovino's progress unless it was absolutely necessary.

She looked back towards Andrei with a helpless expression.

"You should know him well by now," Elizabeta said. "Where would he go?"

"I don't…" Andrei said, before his eyes widened in realisation. "My brother. Alexandru misses Vlad. What if he went to the next best thing?"

Elizabeta grumbled, readying her frying pan. It didn't matter which version it was, Romania was always causing trouble for her.

…

Hyung Soo was sitting between Yong Soo and Jeng Soo when he felt it. A headache, combined with vertigo and nausea. The beginnings of a migraine.

It didn't take him long to realise what the cause was, and he grabbed onto Yong Soo's sleeve in order to get his brother's attention.

"Hyung, what's wrong?" Yong Soo asked, having noticed the other's expression. His smile had melted away, to be replaced by a look of concern.

"Wonsan," Hyung Soo muttered.

Jeng Soo had also turned to look at him, and he also looked a little pale.

"Should we take you inside?" Yong Soo asked.

Hyung Soo nodded his head, wincing at a particularly loud cheer from the crowd. The three Koreans stood, with Hyung Soo being assisted by the other two.

"Come on," Jeng Soo muttered. "If I can feel this in some way, then I don't want to know how you're experiencing this."

…

Marius glared at the two people who had come barging in, demanding to know where Alexandru was. Oliver and Sigurd were trying to control their laughter.

"You know," Marius said offhandedly, "you're not as pretty as Reka. And I can see why Vlad didn't like you."

Elizabeta glared, revealing a… frying pan? This world had weird ideas when it came to weapons.

"We just want to know where he is," Andrei said, glaring at his brother.

Marius looked over to Andrei, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Tell me something," Marius said, "would you miss me if I was gone?"

Andrei's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I don't see why that's relevant," Andrei said.

"Just answer."

"…No."

"And if I were like Vlad, what would you say then?"

"Is there a point to all this?"

"Alexandru came because, at the moment, I'm the closest thing he has to his older brother. I didn't hurt him, if that's what you were wondering, and he also wasn't taken by the Deathplayers, at least not while he was here, or near here."

"What did you say to him?" Elizabeta asked.

"Nothing." He wasn't going to tell them that he sang a song for him. "And like I said, I didn't hurt him either. I'm not stupid to allow the Deathplayers to get anymore advantages. Maybe you should have kept a better watch over him."

"Did you ask Mikey?" Oliver suddenly interrupted. "If they're going to work on ways to counter the Reds and Deathplayers, then he might have asked little Alex's help with seeing if it might work."

"And, who's 'Mikey' again?" Elizabeta asked.

"My brother, Ireland."

"I see. And as much as I hate to admit it, that's a good point." She fixed Marius with a glare. "I'll be watching you."

But when she turned to leave, Marius decided to be a little mischievous.

"You know, you might get along better with Vlad if the two of you took care of your sexual tension."

It was worth getting hit over the head with a frying pan.

…

Ludwig, Feliciano and Kiku were sitting on the side lines, watching the game. They would have played, but they suddenly got nervous. They were still getting used to their female bodies, and the thought of playing a sport like this in their new bodies didn't sit well with them.

They would be alright if they had some training, but for now, they'd have to be satisfied with just watching.

Looking over towards the South team, they were actually pretty glad they weren't playing. Namibia, South Africa and Argentina were especially ruthless at the moment.

"Maybe we should ask them for some training," Kiku suggested.

"Ja," Ludwig said. "If anyone can teach us how to play with these bodies, it would be them."

"I still don't get it," Feliciano said. "Is it really going to be that different?"

"Our bodies are somewhat smaller," Kiku said. "And our muscle memory seems to be suffering from amnesia. I learned that the hard way when I was practicing with my katana this morning."

"So, it's settled then," Ludwig said. "We'll need to develop the correct muscle memory and get acquainted to how things would work in these bodies."

Of course, none of them suggested that their female bodies were weaker. They wouldn't have dared after seeing Argentina tackle America and grabbing the ball from him. It took the male a while to get to his feet, and he was rubbing the point of impact, glaring at the female.

"I am so glad I'm not playing against them," Ludwig said.

…

Michael was discussing their plan with Gupta and Miora when Elizabeta and Andrei arrived. The two looked worried, and that only made the magical Nations feel worried as well.

"Have you seen Alex?" Elizabeta asked.

"Non," Miora said. "Is he missing?"

"You don't think that…?" Gupta started.

"We don't know!" Andrei said, looking like a scared little kid. "Everyone said that it hurts when the Deathplayers take our counterparts. I haven't felt it yet, but no one's seen him! I don't know what's happening."

"Shh," Elizabeta said, rubbing his back.

The other three looked at each other before turning back to the Moldovan.

"We haven't seen him," Michael said. "Have you tried asking Venezuela? He's bound to know if the Deathplayers took him."

"We haven't yet," Elizabeta said. "Are you sure he would know?"

"He's the best choice at the moment," Gupta said.

"It couldn't hurt," Miora said.

"Alright," Elizabeta said. "Thank you."

The other two left, and the magical Nations looked back at each other with concern.

"We should perhaps apply a simple tracking spell," Miora said.

"There's a chance that the Deathplayers could throw it off," Gupta said.

"It's better than nothing," Michael said.

…

"Are you going to be okay?" Yong Soo asked.

Hyung Soo swallowed before he shook his head. While he was better after getting out of the sun, the migraine had gotten worse, and he was finding it very hard to stand, even with the other two's assistance.

"Come on," Jeng Soo said. "Let's get you to bed. And I think I'll be joining you."

Hyung Soo whimpered as he allowed the other two to lead him to the room that they had claimed. He felt as though he was going to pass out. He just needed to reach the bed in time.

…

Luis looked up when two people burst into the room, looking worried.

"Have you seen…?" Elizabeta started.

"Alexandru!" Andrei said, immediately seeing his counterpart in Luis's arms.

Luis motioned for them to be quiet, since Alexandru was sleeping in his arms. Elizabeta went up to him, and Ferdinand paused in his painting.

"Is he alright?" Elizabeta asked.

"Si," Luis said. "He had a bit of a close encounter with the Deathplayers…"

"What?!" Andrei and Elizabeta said simultaneously.

"He managed to get away. Though I'm surprised that they haven't come back yet. I mean… they don't seem to be bothered by one or two Nations being around their targets anymore. It's… weird."

"They're angry," Ferdinand said. "They won't be happy with just taking him. They want to punish him."

"What?" Elizabeta asked. "But why?"

"Mind was in the right frame. Emotions were right. No one to help. And he got away. They're angry."

"But, this can't be the first time a potential Red got away," Elizabeta said, looking at all the different paintings. "And some of them were alone without something happening."

"That's because they were pushing," Ferdinand explained. "Not taking. When they were taking…"

Ferdinand motioned to the paintings, and the other Nations felt chills running down their spines. They saw the messages clear enough.

Raj was taken when he couldn't handle the torture anymore, Fletcher was pushed over the edge, Dimitri also couldn't handle the torture he had been put through, Toris was also pushed over, Feliks gave up, Lukas had been taken after seeing Berwald being hurt, Vlad and Arthur were taken while everyone was distracted, Gilbert was taken in an effort to protect his two younger siblings, and Antonio and Francis were merely taken.

No one had managed to escape yet. Until now.

"What are they going to do?" Elizabeta asked.

Ferdinand shook his head, before turning to the painting he was working on.

"We won't let them close to Alexandru," Andrei said, looking towards his counterpart with a determined expression.

…

Roberto watched as his friend cheered, hugging Jett. The Southern half had won.

The Brazilian had wanted to play as well, though Miguel had strictly forbidden it. It was clear that the Portuguese was still worried about the other, and Roberto understood.

He was still disturbed over what he had seen, and no one, other than Miguel, knew about what he had seen. He didn't even tell Anika or the other potential Reds yet, even though they probably had a right to know what the Deathplayers had in store for all of them.

"Come on," Miguel said. "We're going to get some lunch."

"And I think the Northern half needs a few drinks," Roberto said, smirking at the European.

Miguel huffed, but he smiled nonetheless.

But Roberto was struck with another thought. If the Deathplayers had let him in again, then maybe…

Of course, he would need to discuss the idea with his counterpart. He doubted that Miguel – well, anyone, really – would allow him to carry it out himself.

…

Luciano felt her eye twitch as Flavio gave her another new dress. This was starting to get really annoying.

"Idiota, this isn't permanent," Luciano said. "So stop doing this."

"Let me have my fun for as long as I can," Flavio said. "You would look so bella in this."

Luciano growled, before turning away from her older brother.

Unfortunately, she couldn't go to her younger brother for some sane company. For one thing, Francesco was scared of her. For another, Francesco was in the other world.

She wouldn't admit aloud how touched she was that Francesco had gone to the other side in order to help get over his fear, just so that they could spend time together again. And if the other Seborga managed to help him, then she swore she would never do anything to hurt the Italians on the other side again.

…

Michael sighed, trying to figure out which of the Ancients they would need to get first. Personally, he would prefer to bring his mother back, but Gupta wanted to see his own mother again. Miora didn't seem bothered by it.

They didn't ask anyone else about their opinions, since it could cause a few other arguments, but now they had to decide between Britannia and Ancient Egypt. And neither he nor Gupta wanted to back down.

"Oh, for the love of…" Miora said. "Just flip a coin or something. Honestly."

Michael and Gupta exchanged a look, and the two of them nodded in agreement.

"Fine," Miora said, digging through her pockets until she found a coin. "Heads it's Britannia, tails it's Mama Egypt."

The two nodded in understanding, and they watched in fascination as the coin twirled through the air, and time seemed to slow down as it made its descent.

"Alright," Miora said, watching the coin land on the table. "It's…"

…

Lovino sighed. They had managed to make some progress, at least. Francesco had finally calmed down enough to sit down on a couch with Sheila and Camille on either side. The two girls had settled on asking him questions, and he was answering as calmly as he could.

"So, what's your favourite colour?"

"Green."

"What's your favourite food?"

"Pasta."

"What type of pasta?"

It went on like that, and Lovino was watching, along with the male Micro Nations. Francesco managed to keep his panic out of his voice, but his hands were still trembling, and he refused to make eye contact.

Well, it would seem as though they wouldn't be teaching him how to flirt anytime soon.

"Alright," Lovino said. "Let's take a break. I'll go get us some lunch, since you're obviously not ready to be around the older women yet. And there are definitely more than two."

Francesco looked down, as though embarrassed about his situation. Camille took his trembling hand in her own, earning a jump from the Italian.

"I think you're making progress," Camille said. "Don't worry. Everyone has something they're afraid of."

"Yeah," Sheila said. "At least you're not as childish as the rest of these guys."

"I'll have to agree," Lovino said, before he left the room.

Francesco sighed, before moving away from the two girls, going towards another couch. They allowed it, since they knew that he still had a far way to go.

"Hey," Peter said suddenly, looking around, "where are the two Moldovas?"

The others looked around, realising for the first time that the young Nations had left. John huffed in annoyance.

"Couldn't they have at least told us that they were leaving?" the Ladonian said.

"Why should they?" a voice asked. "After all, they are really Nations, while you are Micro."

The young ones looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Camille was the only one that didn't look nervous, being annoyed.

"Hey, I'm a real Nation!" she shouted.

"You are an island under the control of another," another voice said.

"I AM NOT UNDER HIS CONTROL!"

"Shh," Sheila said, looking around.

Francesco jumped when arms wrapped around him from behind, and a female voice chuckled in his ear. He trembled, feeling the extra-long nails digging into his chest.

The other Micro Nations saw this, and they stared with fear in their eyes.

"It's a Deathplayer," Jack whispered.

"That's right," another voice said, and the Moldova Deathplayer appeared. "You're going to help us get little Alexandru."

"There's no way we're helping you!" Peter shouted, trying to sound brave.

"You have no choice," another voice said, and they saw the New Zealand Deathplayer.

"Get out of Kiwi's body!" Sheila and Jack shouted simultaneously.

"We only share their likeness," the first voice said, revealing himself to be the Australia Deathplayer.

"We don't share their bodies," the second voice, the England Deathplayer, said.

Peter took a nervous step back when he saw the Arthur-lookalike.

"What do you want with us?" Marcello asked, looking nervously towards his counterpart.

"As we said," another, the Prussia Deathplayer, said, "you will help us get little Alexandru. You will also help us punish him for the little escape."

The South Africa Deathplayer sank her nails deeper into Francesco's chest, and he screamed in pain, but soon he cut off, his eyes wide and glassy. She moved away from him and he dropped to the ground.

"You want to know why we like you kids?" the South Africa Deathplayer asked casually. "You aren't true Nations, and your minds are easily… twisted."

Francesco rose to his feet, and when he looked towards the others, his eyes were blank, like Lukas or Kiku's eyes.

"What did you do to him?" Marcello demanded.

"He's now our little puppet," the New Zealand Deathplayer said. "And don't worry. We'll make sure to include all of you in our little puppet show."

Okay, so I kind of have this huge favour to ask. We have a project in Creative Writing that involves digital storytelling. My topic is computer games, and whether or not people care for the storyline. And also if graphics influence the player's decision in whether or not they'd play the game, since I'm making my practical on RPG Maker. Could you leave a review with your opinion or PM me? This is all for research purposes.