Iceland sat at a seat by the huge table with his eyes closed and a handkerchief pressed onto his nose. The fabric was almost saturated with blood, but the boy's mind was buzzing with mental images and maps of this building… he still couldn't find the other 4 figures anywhere in the house, but 1 was in a second floor bedroom, and the last one walking back inside a library. But he couldn't see any monsters on that floor. He sighed heavily and opened his eyes, images fading from his mind.
"Darn it…" Iceland muttered and folded the handkerchief, tucking it into the other jacket pocket. Hanatamago barked at him, sitting down besides the seat. The boy stroked him behind his ears and the dog's tail wagged happily. "We just need to wait a little longer… then I'll get everyone out of here safely and without them trying anything to stop me. There must be a room somewhere in the house that I don't personally know of where the four guys are hiding at."
As Sweden walked back inside the library with a cloudy mind, he automatically stepped over to the two large tables, assessing the room for any danger, but the only danger within the room are the splinters from the chair that got stomped one by the Thing. His boots crunched the splinters as he made his way to the table and he put down the book that was labelled The Key back onto the table top. However, he decided to keep the library key firmly stuck in his pocket.
He wondered why the words on the door wanted him to come back inside, because as far as he knows, he couldn't see anything important—
When took a step back, he stepped on something that didn't break. Lying on the floor among the shattered pieces of wood was a shiny silver key. Surprised, the Swede picked it up and looked it over. It had some words engraved in the metal saying: '2nd floor bedrooms'.
"This wasn't here before… but I got a feeling that Danmark is inside one of those rooms… and he's not doing what he'd do with Preussen an' Amerika…"
Satisfied that he found something that can potentially help him find Denmark or Iceland, he left the library and realised that the bloody letters on the door disappeared.
Despite the place being eerily quiet, Sweden decided to make a run for it. He'd be attracting attention from all those Things because of his loud footsteps, but he didn't care. All he feels that he needed to do now is find Denmark as if his life depends on it.
He flew up the stairs to the second floor and saw the door leading to the room and its secret entrance to the Safe Room, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't take long to do his job. This is the second floor, after all, so there are about… 3 locked rooms to explore. Denmark should be in only one of them.
Sweden tried the bedroom opposite the room where he had found Norway's magic wand, but it was an empty room which was similar to the other bedroom.
Shutting the door, he turned the corner and walked on until he got to the 2 corridors. He chose to unlock the door that's all on its own. So he walked over quietly and fitted the key in, feeling relieved when he heard the loving click of the lock being turned.
The door swung open soundlessly and Sweden immediately walked inside, shut the door and noticed somebody huddled between two single beds. Frowning, his hand turned the key in the door and locked it before he walked over and realised the figure was Denmark, quivering and chattering. His bloodied axe lay besides him.
"Danmark?" Sweden said hesitantly and Denmark suddenly yelled, standing up quickly to swing his axe like a wild animal. The Swede luckily jumped back bust as the edge of the axe brushed his neck and left a small scratch where his throat is.
With that one near-miss, Denmark stared with wild eyes before his heavy breathing calmed down and his arms hung limply besides him, dropping the weapon to the floor with a heavy thud. "Sve." He simply said. He didn't even feign bravery or forge any excuse for his uncontrolled actions. "Agh… sorry…"
Sweden didn't spend time to relish the fact that this is one of the rare times when the Dane genuinely apologises to him, but he just simply stepped forward and embraced him, resting his chin on his shoulder. Denmark hesitantly hugged him back, almost passing out from the shock of his rival embracing him. "Don't apologise, I'm just glad to find you safe."
Those lips forced themselves to turn up at the corners and the men parted from the hug. "Y-Yeah, of course I am! …Okay, wh-when you went to check out that noise earlier, this THING appeared out of nowhere and chased me and the guys upstairs! It was an ugly butt-naked monster that's as grey as England's scones!"
"I know," Sweden said bluntly. "I saw it downstairs."
"B-But I saw it up here!" Denmark ranted. "There can't be more than one, right?! Right?!"
"Calm down…" But Sweden's heart lurched with uneasiness when he heard something odd. His ears detected a sound that is like spooky, rolling radio waves. He knows that Denmark could hear it too.
Denmark narrowed his eyes. "Sweden… you DID lock the door, right?"
The door rattled loudly and the men gasped, holding their breaths and staring at each other with equal terror, shivering all over as the door rattled again and again with loud growls being heard from behind it. Sweden's hand was on his staff while Denmark's gripped his axe tightly, ready to leap, jump or whatever…
After a few moments, the noise stopped and seconds later, the men breathed a sigh of relief. Denmark gulped a little and nodded. "…Thanks for lockin' the door. Could've been nasty, huh?" Sweden only nodded in return.
"Norge an' the others are waiting fer us. Let's go."
"Right."
Sweden unlocked the door and the men stepped outside, when another loud growl alerted them and they sharply turned to see the Thing charging towards them.
"SHIT!" Denmark yelled and dodged a blow from the thing's claws. They were huge. Sweden immediately extended his telescopic staff and lunged forward stabbing the Thing in its eye and it roared loudly as it backed up, showing off it's long fangs. As it roared, the tips of the fangs automatically squirted a deep purple fluid. Sweden instinctively backed away to avoid the small spray of fluid, but some got on his coat sleeve and singed the fabric, dissolving it into blackened fibres.
"Danmark! Avoid the teeth! They got poison in them!" Sweden warned sternly while the Thing screeched and held its own stabbed eye.
"Fuck that! Let's get outta here!" Denmark shouted and charged past the Thing. Sweden quickly ran after him, but ran ahead to the room where the Safe Room entrance is.
"Over here!"
Without question, Denmark just followed him inside and he slammed the door shut. He watched as Sweden hammered the steel door with his hand and it suddenly rose up, revealing Sealand.
"Denmark! I'm so glad you're alright!" the child chirped happily. He was confused when Sweden picked him up and stepped aside to let Denmark inside the small corridor before he pulled a lever and plunged the place into darkness as the steel door slammed shut, just as the distant sound of a wooden door breaking violently was heard. The older nations both panted heavily, listening to the sound of heavy footsteps walking around inside the room outside and knocking over objects such as that table, until the footsteps faded out of view.
"Holy shit…" Denmark breathed, glancing around in the darkness. "When did you find this place?"
"That's not all of it! Go up the stairs, and then you'll be really safe!" Sealand's voice happily perked up.
Sweden just stood there silently, clicking the segments of the staff and sliding it into his pocket.
END CHAPTER.
The door swung open soundlessly and Sweden immediately walked inside, shut the door and noticed somebody huddled between two single beds. He walked over and realised the figure was Denmark, quivering and chattering. His bloodied axe lay besides him.
"Denmark?" Sweden said hesitantly and Denmark suddenly yelled, standing up quickly to swing his axe like a wild animal. The Swede luckily jumped back bust as the edge of the axe brushed his neck and left a small scratch where his throat is.
With that one near-miss, Denmark stared with wild eyes before his heavy breathing calmed down and his arms hung limply besides him, dropping the weapon to the floor with a heavy thud. "Sve." He simply said. He didn't even feign bravery or forge any excuse for his uncontrolled actions. "Agh… sorry…"
Sweden didn't spend time to relish the fact that this is one of the rare times when the Dane genuinely apologises to him, but he just simply stepped forward and embraced him, resting his chin on his shoulder. Denmark hesitantly hugged him back, almost passing out from the shock of his rival embracing him. "Don't apologise, I'm just glad to find you safe."
Those lips forced themselves to turn up at the corners and the men parted from the hug. "Y-Yeah, of course I am! …Okay, wh-when you went to check out that noise earlier, this THING appeared out of nowhere and chased me and the guys upstairs! It was an ugly butt-naked monster that's as grey as England's scones!"
"I know," Sweden said bluntly. "I saw it downstairs."
"B-But I saw it up here!" Denmark ranted. "There can't be more than one, right?! Right?!"
"Calm down…" But Sweden's heart lurched with uneasiness when he heard something odd. His ears detected a sound that is like spooky, rolling radio waves. He knows that Denmark could hear it too.
Denmark narrowed his eyes. "Sweden… you DID lock the door, right?"
Before Sweden could answer him the door burst open and one of the grey monsters ran in.
"Shit—"
The Thing reached out and swiftly struck Sweden's head, knocking him out immediately. Denmark yelled and threw himself at the creature, but he only swung his axe halfway when the Thing opened its mouth and its long fangs seized him around the trunk of his body, piercing through his clothing easily and the man gagged in horror at the dull thudding pain throbbing through his body. His axe clattered against the floor, lying next to Sweden's body.
Denmark tried to speak, to scream, to yell, to struggle, but he felt immense warmth from where his stomach got stabbed with the dagger-like teeth of the Thing. His jaw shuddered and his tongue strained to shout something – anything – but the words died in his throat. The warmth in his abdomen grew in intensity that made Denmark think 'poison!'
He helplessly glanced over at Sweden just as he woke up and Denmark mouthed something slowly at him. Sweden's mind was clouded with dizziness, not quite understanding why Denmark is looking at him pleadingly while being upside-down, but his mind cleared immediately when the Dane's eyes widened and he coughed blood before his breathing stopped.
"M-M… Mathias…" The name escaped through Swedish lips before he could stop himself and the Thing just dropped Denmark's body to the ground.
An unholy feeling of terror zapped through Sweden's body when the Thing stepped over and threw its massive hands into his chest, stabbing it with long claws. He didn't black out straight away, but he knows he's dying. The confusion and horror made the man wish his death came more quickly.
Wide stone-blue eyes looked over at the back of Denmark's body where the material was torn and strips of his flesh were exposed. As the dull thudding pain in his chest and failing heart gently pulled him gradually into a permanent world of blackness, he mulled over Denmark's last silent words:
"Beskyt Norge…"