So I've decided to alternate between the events in Fairchester (the main plot) and the events in the normal world (the sub plot). That way I can tell both stories, enhance the irony and alternate universe feel of the story, and leave nasty cliffhangers. But they won't alternate one directly after the other, perhaps Al and Matt will show up after three rounds in Fairchester. Who knows.

Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine.

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Matthew was not a happy camper. He has been dragged around by his half-wit brother to search for Arthur, he touched the flower Francis uses to conceal his 'Eiffel Tower', he was missing the new Corner Gas episode, and to top it all off he had just climbed through a now broken window into an empty house to search through someone else's possessions.

"There's a name for this sort of thing, Alfred."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" his brother asked, already looking through drawers.

"Breaking and entering." Matthew said.

Alfred didn't stop searching when he replied, "No, this is detective work! A completely different thing."

"You're not a real detective, though. Besides, even if you were you can't just search through someone's house anytime you want. You still need the proper paper work and good reasons as to why –" Matthew stopped talking and looked at his brother. Alfred appeared not to have heard him. Matthew sighed in exasperation. Sometimes he wondered whether he really was invisible or if Alfred was simply ignoring him. Giving in, he sat Kumajirou down on the couch and began looking around too.

Matthew went through the drawers in the desk. He pushed aside old newspapers and memos until he came upon what looked like a thick book. "Oh, look Alfred, a photo album!" he said when he pulled it out. Curious, he flipped through the pages.

"GAAAAAAHHHH!" he threw the book across the room and clapped his hands over his eyes, screaming.

"Huh? What's wrong, Matt?" Alfred asked.

"My eyes!" Matthew screamed. "Oh, my eyes! They burn! My sweet Canadian innocence! Gone!"

"You mean that after having Francis take care of you for how many years you still have your innocence?" Alfred looked genuinely shocked.

He walked over to where the album had landed and picked it up. "Don't open it!" Matthew told him frantically. But being the hero he was, Alfred flipped to a random page and smiled triumphantly.

"Hey, these pictures aren't bad. It's like a family album." Alfred said, showing Matthew the page.

"Once you get past all those scarring pictures, sure." Matthew mumbled, but he looked at the album page.

"Oh look, it's me, Francis and Arthur at my place!" Alfred pointed to a picture.

Matthew looked at the photograph. "Oh yeah, and there's me over there!"

"There's me introducing the hamburger to Francis in this picture." Alfred continued as though not having heard his brother.

"And here's one of me showing poutine to Arthur with Francis laughing in the background." Matthew said the same time Alfred pointed to another picture.

"Here's another group picture! Me in between Francis and Arthur. Look at how awesome I look!"

"And I'm over here, next to Arthur!" Matthew chimed in.

Alfred squinted. "Huh? What are you talking about? You aren't in any of these pictures."

"Yes I am! Over here!" Matthew jabbed a finger onto the picture.

"Who?" Kumajirou asked from the couch.

"Me! Mat-thew!" he sighed. Even in pictures…

"Well, no use standing around looking at old memories!" Alfred said. "Back to searching!" he slammed the book shut – with Matthew's finger still in it – and started pulling books off the bookshelf.

After freeing his aching finger, Matthew returned to the desk and took out a stack of papers. As he was scanning them for clues something hit his head. "Ow," Matthew picked it up. "Eh? Where did this pen – hey!" He shouted when a picture frame whizzed past his ear. Matthew turned and saw Alfred tossing pens, papers, books, and more over his shoulder.

"Alfred! What are you doing?! Don't make a mess, you can't just throw things around!" Matthew ducked and a stapler flew over his head.

"No, no, no!" Alfred said. "This doesn't help our case!" He tossed a handful of papers in the air and Matthew tried in vain to catch them all. He managed to snatch one out of the air and glanced at the writing.

"Eh?" he looked at the paper. "A list of names? Hey Alfred I think I have some –"

KA-THUNK!

Matthew fell to the ground when a particularly large book hit him on the head, the sheet of paper fluttering out of his hand.

"Did you call me over? Hey, what's this?" Alfred picked up the paper and examined the writing. "It's a list in Francis' writing! Matt, I think I found another clue!" He looked around excitedly and found Matthew on the floor in front of him. "What are you doing on the ground? This is no time to rest!"

Groaning in pain, Matthew slowly sat up. "Sorry, I was just hit with sudden exhaustion."

Alfred showed him the paper. Names were listed from the top to the bottom of the page, some crossed out in red ink. "Wonder what this is for. There's no title."

Matthew took the list from him and read out the names. "Yao, Lovino, Feliciano, Kiku, Roderich, Toris, Raivis, Heracles.... Everyone's on here!"

"Even Vash is on here! No one in their right mind would try to do anything to that trigger-happy Swiss." Alfred said.

"And look!" Matthew pointed to the name under Heracles' crossed out one. "It looks like Arthur's next!"

He turned to Alfred, eyes wide. "This could be proof that Francis was planning something with Arthur!"

"You're right! Good job, Matthew!" Alfred patted his hair. "Just the hard evidence we need to bring him to justice!"

"But we still don't know why he made this list. For all we know this could be a list of people to phone or something." Matthew said.

"This is Francis we're talking about. No, this list is something more."

"But how are we going to find out?" Matthew asked.

Alfred pointed to the paper. "We've got a list of past victims right in the palms of our hands."

"You don't mean…"

"That's right." Alfred's grinned. "We're going to China."

[End Chapter 7]

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Silly Matthew, there's no such thing as Canadian innocence, not with England and France's influence!

While the two hop on their private jets to China (aru) why don't you give me a little review? I'd love to hear your opinions!