Chapter Four

"Hang on un attimo, prego (one moment, please)!" Feliciano interrupted Ludwig's Beethoven music by lifting it off his head and shouting into his ear. No pun intended.

"I heard you," Ludwig was clearly annoyed. "Ja, ja, vhat is it?"

"I'll be right back! I forgot to use the bathroom! Hold my seat!" he took off his seat belt and casually walked towards the front to the bathroom. He was humming and smiling stupidly as he walked.

"Ve!" he said when he got there and closed the door.

"Vhat?" asked Ludwig. "No one is going to take his seat…it's his assigned seat…" then he thought for a moment. He goes after ze plane takes off? Or did he already? He looked down into Feliciano's seat, and sighed in relief after realizing it was still dry. "That kid is a handful…" He closed his eyes and put the headphones back over his ears, and leaned back into his seat.

Kiku closed his eyes, but realized it made it worse, and opened them again. "I will sit next to aisle.." he mumbled and sat in the seat next to his. He didn't want to look out the window…

Suddenly, the plane went through some heavy turbulence and caused everyone to bounce in their seats.

"Sorry, Folks," the Captain's voice came over the intercom. "Uh, we're experiencing some rough turbulence. Should be OK in a few."

They flew through another air pocket, but this one was rougher than the last one and it triggered the oxygen masks to fall from the ceiling. Everyone started to panic. Even Ivan, whose face now had a worried look on it. Didn't know he had other expressions, huh?

"Dude? What's going on?" asked Alfred, sitting up straight, and putting down Sports Illustrated. "Something's off!"

May-Ling looked at him and sarcastically shouted, "you think?!" She pulled the mask over her nose and mouth.

Alfred took off his seat belt and made his way out of his seat.

"Huh?" the Italian was still in the bathroom, checking his hair in the mirror, but fell as turbulence hit the plane. "OH NO! What'sa going on?" He opened the door and as he made his way back to his seat, the plane suddenly lost altitude and the poor Italian flew into the aisle, landing in someone's arms!

"Oh, Gratzi!" he thanked the man but realized it was Ivan! He looked even more terrifying with the oxygen mask on! The scared Italian jumped out and flew into the air, hitting the ceiling, before falling back onto the floor, unconscious!

Ludwig gasped and pulled himself out of his seat and tried to pull Feliciano into the seat, but the plane jerked and caused Feliciano to fall into Ludwig's lap!

Ludwig sighed and put their masks on. He held tight to Feliciano, knowing that, with this pressure, he wouldn't be able to buckle him in his own seat. And he would probably freak out if he woke up now.

Meanwhile, Alfred had his own problems as he made his way to the front of the plane. Everyone around him were screaming and trying to breathe through the mask. Some were hyperventilating. He knew something was wrong and off, being a pilot himself, and that he should probably stay in his seat…

"America?" Arthur wondered out loud, but his mask muffled his voice so Alfred didn't hear him as he struggled past him.

Alfred looked up when he heard a girl scream and the plane jerked again. One of the flight attendants fell over and down the aisle. But Alfred caught her!

"Not exactly how I wanted to meet you, Miss," Alfred smiled.

She blushed but their tender moment was interrupted with another drop in altitude!

"Not good…" Alfred mumbled.

"No one is flying the plane!" the brunette girl told Alfred. "The pilot is out cold and we're losing altitude fast!"

"Tell me something I don't know! Time to be a Hero!" Alfred was able to get to his feet, but the turbulence made them stumble. Alfred landed on all fours with the flight attendant under him!

"Whoa…I need your number if we live through this, Dudette!" He stood up and said, "put your seat belt on. Safety first!" He smiled and told her to "trust me—I'm a pilot!"

She breathed in relief and crawled to her seat. But what she didn't realize is that he didn't tell her that he only flew small airplanes, not airliners…

Alfred opened the cockpit door and mumbled, "oh…boy…"

The pilot and co-pilot were both dead!


Gilbert also started to think something was wrong…he looked at his friends and they were just hanging on for dear life. The Spaniard mumbled something about forgiveness before he died and kept signing himself. He wasn't going to do anything helpful…

Gilbert looked over at Arthur, who was trying to keep Francis off of him, because the Frenchman was crying. Gilbert ripped off the mask and headed towards the cockpit on stumbling legs. He refused to die this way! If he had to fly it himself, So sei es!* (*so be it in German)

Ludwig stared at him…unsure if he believed what he saw. "Gilbert?" he asked himself.

No, it couldn't be…could it?

Alfred took the seat belt off of the Captain, and gently lifted him out of the seat and lay him down on the floor. The man was heavy despite him being dead. The side of his face was bleeding. He must've hit his head. Alfred didn't have time to check the co-pilot.

Alfred got into the pilot's seat and looked around. "Ok…." He said after a moment. "How do I fly this thing?"

He turned his head to see a red flashing warning light. "Yeah, I know! I'm trying to get us out of it!" He talks to inanimate objects?

He saw another red button, but this one wasn't flashing. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't touch that one, either…" He picked up the radio. "I need to call the control tower! They can tell me how to fly this thing!" He was actually thinking?

"MAYDAY!" He spoke into the radio. "MAYDAY! HELP!"

No response. The radio was dead. "Crap!" He buckled the seat belt. "It's gonna be a wild ride!" He picked up the intercom. He felt that the other people needed to know what was going on. "Hey, Peeps! Eh, don't know how to tell you this, but I suggest you stay in your seat and buckle up! Safety first! Don't mean to freak you out, but we've got a problem….I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING! Women and children first!"

Just then, the Prussian from earlier opened the door.

"Oh, thanks, Dude! I hope you know what you're doing, cuz I sure as hell don't-"

They met each other's glance. "OMG! NOT YOU!" the American cried.

"Do you know how to fly ze plane?" the Prussian shouted back.

"Hell no! Just airplanes, not jets!"

"Useless Americon…" Gilbert mumbled. He stepped over the dead Captain on the floor and pulled the co-pilot out of his seat and onto the Captain!

"Hey! Respect the dead, Dude!" Alfred cried. "They could come back as zombies!"

"No zime for zat now!" the German sat down in the co-pilot's seat and buckled in. He flipped a few switches above his head and put his hands on the steering wheel.

"Hey, cool, you know how to fly this thing?" Alfred sighed in relief.

"Nein…" Gilbert answered, and then looked at him for a moment before continuing his checks.

"Holy crap, Man! We're gonna die!"

Unexpectedly, they heard an explosion and looked out the window. The left engine was gone! They looked at each other. Maybe this really was the end?!

"I am doing jumping," Ivan announced, standing up.

"AIYA! You crazy man!" May-Ling cried. "I starting to wonder if I pray enough…" She mumbled, but losing altitude so fast made her faint.

Alfred starting hyperventilating and crying, "we're gonna die! OMG! I'm sorry! Ok! I'm sorry, Arthur!"

The German couldn't concentrate with the American's useless crying. He couldn't think straight. But then again, he was insane and a little drunk.

Although, it seemed he was thinking like a sensible, sane man now. He went through a checklist in his head. He was practical in math and science. He flipped a few more switches and pushed a few more buttons. How hard was it to fly something similar to his WWII airplanes back home? His grandfather had taught him all about WWII and flying airplanes.

Suddenly, Ludwig burst through the cockpit's door and almost tripped over the dead pilots. "GILBERT! Vhat ze hell are you doing here?!" he shouted, angrily.

"Now iz not ze best time, Bro-ha…" he mumbled.

"Yeah, Dude!" Alfred agreed. "Can you wait till we land this effin plane?"

Ludwig grabbed his older brother Gilbert's shirt by the collar and pulled him as far as the seat belt allowed and waited for an explanation. The plane drifted to the left. "Vhat are you zinking? Ve'll be disqualified! Do you vant to bring disgrace to ze Vazerland?!"

"I'M TRYING TO SAVE IT!" Gilbert spat back. "You know less about zis zan Awesome me!"

Ludwig released him. He was right. He regretted that he hadn't gone with them when his grandfather and older brother had gone to fly. He couldn't fly an airliner…he had to take a chance on Gilbert landing it.

"Buckle up, und pray to God," Gilbert said, seriously. He tried to keep the nose up, but the turbulence and shaking made it difficult. He was flying it by himself, as the American was still unsure.

Ludwig stared at him in shock. That was the first time in ages that he mentioned God. Maybe he really wasn't insane, just confused. Ludwig nodded and closed the door and sat down in one of the flight attendant's seats. Ja, I vill be praying you know vhat you are doing, Bruder…

"And kiss my butt goodbye!" Alfred mumbled, under his breath. His gloved hands were on the Captain's wheel and shook with the turbulence of the plane. Then, Alfred started reciting his Airman's Creed from his short-lived military life… "I'm an American Airman. I am a Warrior. I've answered my Nation's call…"

Gilbert looked at him in annoyance.

"I am a Guardian of Freedom and Justice…I will defend my Country with my life. I will never leave a man behind…"

He was so nervous that he was mumbling and skipped a few lines…then to annoy Gilbert further, he started reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

They held the steering wheels and held down the brakes as they prepared to crash-land. Sweat ran down both of their faces and they both closed their eyes, praying, as they braced for the worst.