Happy 2014! I think I finally got my laptop fixed... I think. And if it stays fixed then updates will probably be much more frequent! I'm sorry it took me so long to post this, I was just having so many things going on and then I kept getting random urges to write one-shots and didn't make any progress on this chapter until just today when I finally finished it. Enjoy!

Chapter warnings: Blood, gore, rats (literal rodents), insanity

"Now-now listen here, Canada," England snapped, eyes squeezes tightly shut in pain. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but I helped raise you, remember? I know who you are!"

"See, it's because the cure is working." Matthew smiled. England was strapped to a medical table, a metal crate taped to his back with silver duct tape. Inside, a live rat was starting to panic as the metal began to heat to dangerously high temperatures. Arthur's flesh had already turned black where it sat on his bare skin. Matthew checked a thermometer that sat atop the crate and smiled sickeningly. "And I think you know exactly what I'm doing."

"Of course I do," He laughed. "Rat torture, right? Heat up the cage until the rat has no other choice to get out by digging through my skin? Well, I have news for you, I've enduring worse than this, wanker, and if you think this is going to 'cure' me then you are sorely mistaken because I don't need to be 'cured' of anything in the first-"

His words broke apart as the rodent finally began to rip at the first piece of skin. His fingers clawed at the cool surface beneath him but he had nothing to grasp as yellowed, jagged teeth worked their way deeper and deeper into his flesh. His breathing was heavy and finally he let out a shrill cry.

"Sorry about this, Arthur, but its gotta be done. I'll take it out before it gets too deep." Canada said. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a book as Arthur started to feel blood drizzling down his sides. Flipping to a dog-eared page, Canada began to read silently, mouth moving to form the words that were floating through his mind as small rodent paws wormed their way into the injury.

It wasn't until after England passed out that Canada removed the creature from his back, pulling out the blood-soaked rat by its hairless tail. He tossed it to the corner of the room and undid the bindings that had held Arthur in place. He wrapped an arm around Arthur's waist, half carrying and half dragging the man through a series of hallways until they reached two black doors. He kicked them open with his foot and stepped inside.

It was a large circular room with a domed ceiling, empty except for the cages that hung from the roof by blackened chains. There were at least ten or so of them, all empty except for three. China and ukraine were asleep, possibly for the first time since they had woken up in the hanging cells.

"What did you do to him?" Spain said in shock as he laid eyes upon England's unconscious form.

"Oh, shush, Spaniard, its not like you two didn't have your fair share of bloody battles." Matthew scowled. He pressed a button on the wall and with the squealing sound of gears a cage slowly lowered itself to his level. Opening the door with a key, he roughly shoved Arthur inside.

"Si, but I never did anything like that to him," Spain said, still staring in horror as the Arthur's limp body was transported back to his level by the unsound equipment installed in the walls of the room.

"I'm sure you did at some point," Canada said, turning to go and flicking off the lights as he did so, leaving the four of them in near pitch-black. "You just don't remember."

"America-san, I can see your ribs…" Japan trailed off, looking at the blonde sitting across from him through the glass plane.

"I don't want to talk about it," Alfred mumbled, his chin resting on his fists. He was covered in dark red circle-marks from where Canada continued to attach the suction cups to his body when delivering the electric shocks. It happened on a daily basis now, and Alfred was still barely getting enough food to live, meanwhile Kiku was being delivered a constant stream of pancakes, as much as he wanted, whenever he wanted. Though he didn't eat much himself because the sight of his friend in that sort of misery made him feel sick.

"My apologies," Japan said quietly. His stomach growled and he glanced over at the plate of pancakes sitting in the corner. Even though it made his stomach churn, he was hungry.

"Dude, just eat the pancakes already. I don't really care." America said, though his voice was edged with bitterness.

Japan looked over at the plate again and he frowned. "Okay…" He crawled over to the meal and ripped off small pieces and gently tossed them into his mouth, since he hadn't been supplied with silverware.

"Are they any good?" America asked, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Not really," He shook his head. "They do not taste like the pancakes that Canada has made before. They have a strange taste to them that I do not like."

"What's it taste like?"

"Almost like… ham." He said thoughtfully.

"Huh. Weird."

"Yes…" Japan agreed quietly, looking down at his meal. "Very weird."

Sweden awoke from his light sleep when he heard footsteps approaching his cell. He rolled his head on his shoulders, wincing as it ached from falling asleep leaning against the wall. He'd been sitting because he didn't want to fall asleep, but he hadn't been able to withstand the siren song of peaceful slumber. He stood up to greet the person drawing closer and wasn't in the least bit surprised to see that it was Canada.

"Hello," Canada smiled. Sweden said nothing, just stared at him intensely through the bars. "I have something for you, Ber."

"I don't want it." He replied.

"Are you sure?" Canada asked, reaching into his bag and pulling out another severed finger, holding it out to Sweden. "It belonged to your wife."

Sweden lunged forward and reached through the bars, his hands wrapping around Matthew's throat, causing him to lose the finger as well as the sickening grin on his face. His eyes were clouded with tears and he grit his teeth. "Tell me why I should not just kill you now."

"Because," Canada said in a harsh whisper, barely able to get the words out. "I've got a life monitor in my wrist connected to a computer, and a network of landmines set under the building… if I die, this whole place blows up. If I die, so do you, so does Finland and so does everyone else."

Sweden glared at him, before releasing his grip on the Canadian's neck. Instead, he took him by the shirt collar and pulled him hard up against the bars. Matthew's head connected with the metal with an awful clang and he winced.

"I-it was nice seeing you, Ber," He said, shoving the Swedish man off of him and taking a step back so he could no longer be reached. "But I really must go. Enjoy your present." He kicked Finland's finger into his cell before taking off down the hallway.

Ding-dong. The sound of a doorbell rings through the entire building, and everyone, in every room, freezes. Cell-mates look at each other, shocked, before beginning to scream at the top of their lungs. "Help!" Is shouted in over a hundred languages, but its no use. All the rooms and hallways are sound-proof.

"Wow, is it that time already?" Matthew asked himself, pulling out his smartphone. It was just noon. Quickly walking down the hallway, he checked his face in his phone's camera. He frowned and turned down a different hallway than he'd planned to, stopping in his own personal office. It was a relatively small room with only a desk and some bookshelves up against the wall. Among the papers, pens, journals and the laptop atop the desk was a scarf that Matthew quickly pulled on to cover the emerging bruises on his neck from where the Swede had tried to strangle him. He'd have to make up some lie about the mark on his head.

Rushing to the front door, he adjusted his clothes before throwing it open and tossing his arms around the person behind it. "Bonjour, Prussia."

"Hey, birdie." Prussia smiled, wrapping his arms around the Canadian. "You ready for our lunch date?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded, stepping out of the hug and smiling.

"Birdie!" The albino exclaimed, one hand going up to Matthew's forehead, fingers lightly tracing the newly-developing bruise. "What happened to your head?!"

"I tripped and hit my head on the corner of my desk," He said, blushing slightly. "It's fine, though, its just a little bruise."

Prussia hesitated before saying, "Alright… if you say so."

"I appreciate you coming all the way out here, Gilbert." Canada said, turning and locking the front door behind him.

"Its no problem. But could you please explain why I'm picking you up from an abandoned prison?" He asked with a curious grin.

"Oh, my boss said he was thinking about doing something with the building, so he wanted me to come check it out. Not bad right?" Canada asked, motioning to the huge dark building. It was three stories high with towers atop it almost as if it were a castle, and the black paint it had been coated in as well as the stunning lack of windows made it seem like lightning ought to be flashing in the background.

"A bit creepy," Prussia admitted. "But I guess it could be useful."

"My boss's words exactly," Canada said, taking Prussia's hand as the two of them headed out to the car Prussia had rented.

"Hey, birdie?"

"Yeah?"

"I haven't heard from any of the other countries since they all went to the meeting that day… do you know where they all disappeared to? I'm a little worried about mein bruder and the others."

Canada shrugged. "No idea."