Thanks to Angeldonut and madders10 for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 107: Race

This is almost finished.

Now the winner of the games will be decided based on who's fast enough.

There's no more time to waste.

…

The game is in check.

One more move until mate.

…

Anika and Matthew were dragged along by the Deathplayers. They were in some sort of cave, and against one wall they could see the alternate versions of the UK siblings and the Yugoslav Nations, and against the other wall they could see Oliver and Tolys.

No sign of James.

The Reds appeared to be sleeping in the centre of the room, but as one they seemed to wake up and raise their heads, looking towards the two Nations with blank yet cruel eyes.

"Not yet," the South Africa Deathplayer said. "We still need the Rook. Until then, we can't let the King and Queen join you yet."

"But you're more than welcome to play with them a while," the Australia Deathplayer said.

The Deathplayers left, and the two Nations held onto each other as the Reds rose to their feet.

"Psst," Oliver beckoned, and they turned to him.

They saw the Englishman trying to beckon them closer, and they immediately ran closer.

"The Reds are alright, as long as the Deathplayers aren't around," Tolys whispered once they reached them.

"Are you sure?" Matthew asked, looking warily at the Reds.

"Fletcher came to us," Oliver whispered. "He wanted us to show him to that other world. He wanted to help."

Anika looked startled, and she turned around to look at the New Zealander. The Red stared back at her, and the eyes didn't look as savage as they did the last time she saw him, but they didn't look like Fletcher's either.

"What now?" Matthew asked.

"Now, we wait for whoever's faster," Tolys said. "Our team with the birds, or their team with the Reds."

"Keep your fingers crossed it's our side that wins," Oliver said.

…

"Dammit," Jett said, hanging up his phone. "I can't get a hold of Annie or Mattie."

"We need to accept that the Deathplayers had taken them then," Ricardo said.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" Alfred asked.

"Take the birds to the capitals," Bruce said. "That's the fastest way that we can end this."

"'Fastest?'" Yao repeated. "In case you hadn't noticed, that would imply that we fly to different locations. We could be ambushed during that time."

"Not necessarily," Bruce said. "Nations in our world have all learned how to teleport. It's easier than any other form of travel, and a lot safer."

"Teleporting?" Alfred asked. "Sweet."

"So the few of us here could start with the Nations from this world," Basch said.

"Exactly," Ricardo said. "And if we need to go to our world, we can just focus on the location. It worked for me."

"So, who's taking who?" Jeng Soo asked.

"I'll take Anika to Cape Town," Ricardo said.

"We're not too far from London," Alfred said. "I'll take Iggy."

"I think we should wait a while," Bruce said, looking at Jett.

Jett swallowed.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm a little afraid, to be honest."

"Why should we wait?" Rosa asked.

"The Deathplayers adjust plans if something happens to one Piece," Ferdinand explained. "If Rook is taken out of the game now, they'll immediately move on to King and Queen, and then the next part begins."

"And, what's the next part?" Gabriel asked.

"They kill the Reds' counterparts," Ricardo said. "Namely, us."

"Got it," Ludwig said. "We can't afford for you to die at the moment."

"I'll take Matthew," Basch said.

"We should probably do something to their number of Reds," Jeng Soo said. "So… I'll take Raj."

"I guess I could take Lukas," Gabriel said.

"I'll take New Zealand," Lobsang said.

"I'll take Toni," Ferdinand said.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about that?" Lovino muttered.

"I'll take Romania," Chio said.

"And I'll take Moldova," Yul said.

"I'll be staying behind to keep an eye on Jett," Bruce said. "He's the last that the Deathplayers need to capture. And they'd be moving fast."

"Alright," Ricardo said. "Everyone, good luck. The Deathplayers might try to intercept us. And please, keep the rest of the birds safe."

…

The Deathplayers had left, but the Nations couldn't bring themselves to move. Everyone was staring at Gupta in horror.

The Egyptian was on the ground, a look of horror on her face as she clutched her throat. Blood was dripping from her mouth, but that wasn't the issue.

She was silent.

Her scream had simply died, and the Deathplayer had pulled away, leaving Gupta to cough blood. And when she tried to speak, no sound would escape from her throat.

It was Omar that moved first. She dropped to her knees next to her counterpart and pulled the other into a hug. Gupta clung to the other, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed silently. Khemet was next, kneeling down and pulling both of her sons into a hug.

"Gupta," she whispered. "I am so, so sorry. It was me the Deathplayer was angry at. You shouldn't have been the one that was punished."

"Why were they punishing you?" Alistair asked.

Khemet rolled her eyes.

"Interrupting their spying," she said. "They're pretty big children, actually."

Alida sighed.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that we should finish this," she said. "We've had enough of them, and all they bring is sorrow."

"How far away did you say that place was?" Patrick asked.

"An hour," Alida said. "But if you know the right methods, it won't take nearly as long. I'll ask Rebecca and Manuella."

"We'll go as well," Seamus said. "We know what to do, and you could be replaced at any time."

Alida nodded.

"That's something I don't get," Alistair said. "There's no reason for your side to start over. So why?"

"I spoke to Ricardo about it," Alida said. "He said that after Roberto had been reborn, he felt a void. In his mind and in his soul. A piece of him was missing. And half of his soul was dead. There was a new piece created with the soul, but Ricardo isn't connected to it. It's not his half. It wasn't meant to be his half."

"He said that it's one of the worst feelings he's ever experienced," Matt said. "Like the anticipation of war while not sleeping for a week and consuming nothing but coffee. His soul wants the other half."

"And that's why we're going through with it," Alida said. "I can't imagine my life without Anika. We're two sides of the same coin. And what Ricardo described…"

"I don't want to live without Matthew either," Matt added. "I don't think I can. Things would just be too wrong."

The other Nations were silent as they absorbed the information.

"I guess that settles it then," Alistair said.

Will walked closer to Gupta and crouched down.

"Listen, I know you're as eager for this as I am," Will said, "but you know that there's a way for you to get revenge, right?"

Gupta looked up to face the Welshman, and she nodded her head.

"Then let's get to it," Will said, looking around for the mirror.

…

Alfred was a little annoyed. Sure, he had volunteered to take Arthur's bird to London, but he didn't count on Rosa volunteering to come along.

"Gringo," Rosa said, "for the last time. This is the UK. You drive on the left side of the road."

"Hey, I'll do whatever I want," Alfred snapped.

The bird started chirping frantically, and Alfred could almost imagine that Arthur was scolding him. However, due to spending enough time with his eagle, he started picking up on the bird's warning of danger.

He glanced into the rear view mirror, and almost had a heart attack when he saw someone staring back at him, a cruel smirk on his face. As it was, the car swerved on the road.

"What the hell?" Rosa demanded, glaring at Alfred.

He nudged his head behind, and she turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw the England Deathplayer.

"You two aren't very observant, are you?" the Deathplayer asked.

Rosa clutched the bird closer to her chest while Alfred tried to drive calmly.

"We're not going to let you take Iggy," Alfred said. "You're going to have to go through us."

"I don't have to do anything," the Deathplayer said. "Your driving is so sub-par that anything I intend to do, you will do it for me."

Alfred gripped the steering wheel while Rosa couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to laugh. And what made it worse was the fact that it sounded just like Arthur saying it.

Then Alfred saw something that made his blood run cold: a car approaching from the other side.

Rosa saw it as well and she instantly paled.

"Left side!" she shouted.

Alfred tried to drive into the left lane, but it was as though the steering wheel didn't want to cooperate.

"Gringo!" Rosa shouted.

"I'm trying," Alfred said. "It's like the steering wheel is locked or something."

"Of course," the Deathplayer said, "it helps to make other preparations."

The two North Americans exchanged a glance as Alfred tried to turn the wheel, Rosa deciding to try to help. And it didn't help that they were on a bridge at that moment.

During their attempts, Alfred discovered that while the wheel didn't want to turn left, it could turn right. And really, it was the humans in the other car that he was worried about.

So he did the noble thing and turned the wheel right.

And he tried to ignore Rosa's scream as he drove them off the bridge and into the river below, the Deathplayer simply looking surprised but not panicked, and the bird screaming Alfred's ear off.

…

The moment Ricardo had entered the space between his location and his destination, he was intercepted.

It was empty space, and he had never paid attention to it before. But now he became completely aware of it, and he couldn't help but wonder what was happening.

"It's simple," a voice whispered, and he turned around, only to see no one. "We just need to keep you from going to your destination."

Ricardo searched around. He recognised the voice as Anika or Alida's, but it couldn't be them. That meant that it was their Deathplayer.

The bird in his arms became restless, and the Brazilian immediately set to work on trying to get out of that space.

…

The moment that Basch had tried to teleport, he was intercepted as well, but he ended up in another country. Specifically, Greenland.

The Swiss wasn't prepared to end up in the middle of nowhere, and he immediately curled in on himself when he was exposed to the cold. The bird chirped frantically.

That was of course Basch's only warning before the Canada Deathplayer came into view.

"You two aren't going anywhere," the Deathplayer said, reaching out for the bird.

Basch stared in surprise as the bird burst into flame, and the Deathplayer reeled back, crying out in surprise. Out of the flames a much, much larger bird rose, and even the Deathplayer looked worried.

The bird dove towards the Deathplayer, who disappeared instantly.

Basch watched as the flames that created the bird disappeared, leaving the chick in its place.

"You sneaky little bastard," Basch said, smiling faintly. "Come on. Let's go home."

…

The two Irish brothers were a little nervous sitting in a car with Manuella and Rebecca. The Namibian was driving, completely ignoring every traffic law in existence. She was driving twice as fast as the speed limit, and she didn't care about oncoming traffic at all.

And what disturbed them was the fact that the Mozambican was completely unaffected.

"Never make fun of Italy again," Patrick muttered, and Seamus agreed, clutching onto his brother as Rebecca swerved wildly.

The only relief was the fact that the road was smooth, with not a pothole in sight.

…

The New Zealand Deathplayer looked up when the Canada Deathplayer entered the chamber. He was making sure that James didn't go anywhere, whether it's physically, mentally or spiritually.

"What's wrong?" the New Zealand Deathplayer said.

"I think we need to prepare for the worst," the Canada Deathplayer said. "We need to prepare for the next game."

The New Zealand Deathplayer looked at him blankly.

"Do you think that the Nations will win this game?" he asked.

"It's possible," the Canada Deathplayer said.

The New Zealand Deathplayer looked towards James, who shrank back under his gaze.

"Very well then," the New Zealand Deathplayer said. "We should tell the others as well. We need to choose the pieces for our next game."

"It might not be necessary," the Canada Deathplayer said. "We just need to make a few adjustments."

The New Zealand Deathplayer smirked, knowing exactly what his comrade was referring to.

…

Will breathed deeply. He didn't want to be there, but he knew that he had no other choice.

He sat on the bed where he had been confined for over a day due to that strange metal poisoning. It was also the place where he had been attacked by the Nations from the other world that had resulted in the first of the Beasts appearing.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the Beast that had been trapped in his body for who knew how long. He tried to draw it in, cringing at the thought of consciously having that thing inside his body.

And in another part of the house, Gupta was doing the exact same thing.

…

Jeng Soo had arrived in New Delhi without any difficulty, and was staring as the bird was surrounded in a bright glow, changing from an avian form to that of a human infant.

He was glad that he had ducked into an alley, as there were far more people in the streets than there usually was in any city in his world. It would have caused a bit of a panic.

Finally the light faded, and Jeng Soo immediately wrapped the baby in his arms. The hair seemed to be darker than Raj's hair usually was, but he could see that it was him.

He also couldn't help but notice that this baby was a newborn, in every sense of the word. Roberto had seemed to be at least a week old, but Raj appeared to be only minutes, if not seconds, old.

"I guess it's a mystery for another time," the North Korean said. "Come on. Time to take you back. So, who's going to take care of you?"

…

The Nations' attentions were drawn to Raj when he was suddenly surrounded by light. The Reds retreated, and Oliver gasped.

"They got him to his home," Oliver whispered.

Raj looked up and gave a small smile towards Anika.

"I'm glad I got to see you again, my friend," Raj said, before he dissolved into ash.

Anika stared at the scene, and upon hearing the words, tears came to her eyes. They fell as Raj completely disappeared.

"Are you going to be okay?" Matthew asked.

"Ja," Anika said, wiping the tears away. "Soon, we'll be joining him, anyway. Sien jou binnekort, my maat."

…

The Nations that didn't go to deliver the birds to the capitals were still in the dining room, waiting anxiously for the others to return. Jett was fidgeting nervously, afraid of the Deathplayers' last attempts.

"How do we know if they've succeeded?" Ludwig asked.

"They'll come back," Bruce said. "It's as simple as that."

They waited for a few more moments, before Jeng Soo returned, followed by Gabriel, Lobsang and Yul. Each of them carried a baby in their arms.

"So," Jeng Soo said, "who should we give them to?"

"We already figured it out," Jett said. "India's going to China."

Yao looked surprised as Jeng Soo handed the baby to him. He smiled when the infant yawned, before snuggling into his arms.

"Thank you," Yao whispered, obviously excited to raise a child again.

Gabriel handed Lukas to Tino, knowing that the Nordics would be the best choice for him.

"And the other two?" Yul asked.

"We're going to have to wait for the UK siblings before we give Kiwi away," Jett said. "As for Moldova and Romania… Ukraine, do you mind?"

Katyusha smiled.

"Not at all," she said, accepting the little Moldovan that was given to her.

"Okay," Lovino said. "Now, where the hell are the others?"

…

Rosa was the first to make it to the surface. She took a huge gulp of air, holding the bird up with one hand, before said bird tried to climb to her head.

Alfred came next, sputtering for a moment, his glasses completely soaked and difficult to see through.

"Next time, I'm driving," Rosa said.

"Just this once, I agree," Alfred said. "Is Artie okay?"

Rosa looked up at the bird.

"Si, he seems to be fine," she said. "You're going to get in huge trouble for wrecking their car."

"They have a bunch more," Alfred said. "I'm sure they won't mind this one."

The two of them started swimming towards the riverbank, keeping their arguing to a minimum, at least until they were on solid ground again.

"Wait a minute," Rosa said. "What happened to the Deathplayer?"

Alfred looked back towards the water.

"Do you think we managed to kill it?" he asked.

"I highly doubt that."

Alfred sighed, before pushing himself to his feet.

"Come on," Alfred said. "Looks like we're walking to London."

Rosa looked blankly at the sky.

"I hate you so much," she said.

…

Anika and Matthew watched as a few more of the Reds disappeared. Each of them had a farewell, with some even giving an apology.

Both Anika and Matthew were crying when Fletcher faded, saying that they needed to play in their next life. Alexandru gave a bright smile, waving goodbye, and Lukas merely smiled and thanked them.

There were still many Reds to go, and Matthew and Anika knew that soon, they would also fade away.

"Matt…hew…" Arthur said, getting Matthew's attention. "If we… don't get… a chance… I'm… sorry… for ignoring… you… And… Anika… I'm sorry… too."

Oliver and Tolys had explained how the Nations had to try to break through the Reds, and they knew how much effort it took for Arthur to apologise. And considering the fact that it was Arthur, whose pride wouldn't normally allow it…

Well, they just hoped that they could experience something like that in their next lives.