Chapter 5: Hero?
Word Count: 5,214
Hope you guys enjoy~ Got Alfred's POV from last chapter (not the entire thing, just the things Ivan missed)
Alfred sighed, kicking a random empty can he had come across. His boss had really given him an earful after Ivan left. He really hadn't wanted Ivan to go back to Russia, sure that's where he belonged, so maybe he should be happy for Ivan. And he had been thinking about how to avoid the other not long before all this happened. But hell, he hadn't wanted him shipped off to the other side of the world. Still maybe this was a good thing, yes, good for both of them. That is what he wanted to think anyway.
He sighed again, it was probably like the hundredth time he did that. And then Ivan saying all those logical things about how his government wasn't going to try helping to change him back but to make him learn everything between his time and now. Did anybody even speak Slavic? What if Belarus found him, what if aliens invaded and kidnapped him? So many things could happen! Ah, how did this happen? Oh yeah, they were arrested. That had been the start of it. How annoying, it wasn't his fault! He had only tried doing what was right, sure Ivan had killed three people, but it sounded like it was in self defense, and as Alfred explained those people weren't exactly made of cotton candy and rainbows, wow that sounded kind of gay. Well, that was beside the point. The point was that all of this had just gone downhill way too quickly.
Sitting down on a bench in the park, Alfred played with the coke can. Usually he wouldn't go wondering around in a park at night, it could be a really bat-shit crazy place. But it was a place to sit and think about how things had changed in only a day.
Alfred drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. Thoughts of just breaking out of the room came to mind, but no, he would do this the right and legal way, except that meant the long way and he was an impatient person. He was worried about Ivan, who had seemed to zone out when hit with that taser, and after they got to the...police station...place he hadn't seen Ivan since. To say he was worried was an understatement at the moment.
The door opened, causing the blond to look up at who was entering, finally he could actually talk to somebody. They had a folder in their hands, already? Wow, they worked fast, then again, it was New York, they were probably used to so many cases going on at once that they had to move quickly. And several hours had probably gone by.
Well he felt a little better now he wasn't stuck in a little room all by himself. The guy sat down across from him, that meant he was expecting to stay there a while then probably. They sat in silence for a couple seconds. Alfred wanted to break it, but he didn't know what to say. He hadn't been arrested for murder ever, well okay yeah, but that was a long time ago so it was different now.
Wait, he didn't even know how many people Ivan killed...surely no more than two, Alfred could not image more than that would be in the car...maybe...hopefully, "It is not too often that we find the suspects at the scene of the crime, did you think that you two could get away with it?" Already getting to that, wow. Alfred glared.
"Hey, okay I know it looks bad, but you don't have to start accusing me!" He didn't kill people.
"Your right, it does look pretty bad. You two were found in or near the vehicle with the victims and assaulted one of the officers." Yeah, sounded really bad. And victims had been plural, so there had been more than one.
"Look, I tried warning the police there that my friend doesn't speak English and had no idea what the hell was going on. So yeah, he kind of freaked."
"Is that right? Well I guess that he would have a lot to be freaked out about, what with the murders." Yeah, because Ivan was so goddamn innocent. Well, he was kind of young looking to be considered a murderer. Still, it was possible.
"Hey, stop attacking me already! Look, one of them shot him, in the shoulder, close to the heart, it was totally self defense." Which was true as far as Alfred knew. The man seemed a little surprised by the news, but he hid it well.
"One of them had a gun." The man agreed, "But the rest did not have a gun." How many were there?
"I..." Alfred started, "It wasn't exactly easy to tell. If one had a gun, the others could too. Our lives were in danger, we weren't much for thinking at the moment." Who would? "Look, I'm sorry that they died, really I am, but I don't see what other choose there was in the circumstances." The man seemed to examine him for a moment.
"You two were found near the open back of the truck, why would it be open if it was all in self defense." Alfred tried to rapidly think of an excuse for why they would be in the truck. If he said that he was in there then he wouldn't have been able to see all of what he just testified to. In a lack of an honest answer, he decided to avoid the question.
"Look, if you want a full testimony that's fine, but I want my phone call before I answer anymore questions. And I want to use my phone to do it." He knew his boss's number, but he would have to go through so many levels of security unless he used his phone and his goal was to get out of there as soon as possible. The man didn't seem to be approving of that request, but nodded.
"Very well, somebody will be in to give you your phone back soon then." He said, standing up and walking to the door.
"Oh hey, have you tried talking to my friend?" Not that Ivan was exactly friend...he wasn't sure what Ivan was to him, but he just didn't want to say Ivan's name, for some reason it didn't seem right, he had no idea why though. The man seemed to debate whether or not he should say.
"No, I'm about to."
"He doesn't speak English, so you should just leave him alone until you get a translator." Which would be like impossible, so that meant that Ivan would be left alone. The man left. Alfred wondered if he would listen. Probably not. He waited for a while until the door opened and somebody handed him his phone, "Ah, thanks." Alfred said, scrolling down the list until he got to 'boss' and calling it, "You can stay in the room by the way, it won't take long." That and they would probably be listening on the other side of the mirror anyway. There were three rings until it was picked up.
"Alfred where are you!" Instant yelling, not a good sign. Alfred laughed nervously, "Don't laugh, I'm serious! You and Russia are both missing, the meeting was canceled and the world is starting to go crazy!"Yeah, that usually happened when Russian and him went missing from meetings, which meant they were fighting, which did not bold well for the world. Both of them hadn't missed a meeting so unexpectedly since the cold war. Of course the countries boss's would panic, all the G8 countries probably were too.
"Sorry, sorry, I know-"
"No, this is a wreck, Russia's boss was calling to see what the hell happened to their representative, he isn't even answering his phone!"The thought of Ivan answering a phone in this state was actually kind of comical.
"Look, boss, I know, but I only got like five minutes I think by law? Maybe, I'm not sure, so much has changed."
"...Alfred, where are you?"This time he sounded worried. Alfred laughed a bit, pausing.
"Not quite sure, in interrogation for the death of two people. Oh, Russia's here too."
"Why are two people dead?"
"Dude, boss, five minutes, I can explain everything once you get me out of here. You know, just a quick phone call to this place and I'll be on my way there when they let me out." There was a long pause on the phone and Alfred was afraid that he was going to say no.
"There better be a damn good reason behind this Alfred."Alfred nodded before he realized that technically that wasn't answering.
"There is. Oh hey, what is this place's address?" Alfred asked the guy standing in the room. He repeated it to his boss, who hung up after receiving it, oh yeah, he was pissed. Alfred sighed, stupid politics and diplomatic relations. Alfred gave his phone back, "By the way, you guys are going to be getting a phone call soon."
"I hope you do not think that it will do much, you are being questioned for first degree murder." Alfred nodded.
"I know, but still."
And of course, he didn't have to wait long until they let him out of the room, suspicious if not curious glances at who he was. They probably thought he was like CIA or something like that. Which was ridiculous, if a covert operations person was caught by the government then they weren't going to bail them out, that would be like announcing to the world 'hey important government person, capture them for information'. He was a country though, so that was different. They couldn't exactly leave Alfred to go to jail. Well they could, but he would break out and that would cause a whole lot of press issues, so this was more discreet then that.
Once he got his stuff back which included his bomber jacket, pistol and cell phone, he asked to see Ivan. And of course they let him follow them to the interrogation room.
Yeah, it was still weird how Ivan had attacked him when he had called the taxi, but Alfred was sure that the day he figured everything out about Ivan the world would explode and he would go crazy. At the same time. So the good news was that he wouldn't be crazy for very long. Good to know. Alfred looked up at the sky, there was too much light and clouds to see any stars. Part of him wondered what it looked like where Ivan was, probably snowing. Alfred pouted. He wished he didn't understand to some degree why his boss separated them.
Alfred was very nervous as they walked through the White House, Ivan beside him definitely drawing eyes. He wished that the other could have a bath, it must be terribly uncomfortable to be covered in blood and...grim. Still, they hadn't really had the time yet, but he did feel bad for Ivan. Ivan had been silent for a while, but Alfred was now more worried about his impending doom then the other, since he was safe and everything now.
When they were close to the Presidential room, Alfred actually saw his boss. Which was interesting, he usually sat behind his desk when at work. So he had come out to greet him. Another bad sign, Alfred walked up to him, "Hi boss." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. His boss looked at him and then Ivan, a long time at Ivan. Yeah, he was certainly a sight.
"Alfred, my office, come on, Russia can you wait here for a moment while I talk to Alfred?" Ivan responded at the 'Russia' part, looking up curiously.
"Ah, wait here a moment, okay?"
"Sure."
Ivan said, nodding and sitting down in a chair nearby. Alfred turned back to his boss and followed the other into the office. Once the doors closed the other paced for a moment before looking at Alfred.
"What did you do to Russia?" Yeah, his boss knew what the countries looked like, and they had actually met when they were discussing something.
"Oh sure, something bad happens to Russia in my country and I'm immediately at fault!"
"Yes, you are! What else could have happened?"
"Look, there was a bit of an accident, which I had nothing to do with, ask anybody who was at the meeting the day before yesterday." Had it really been so soon? No, it must have been longer than that, "And Russia kind of um...turned into his younger self with no memories since like the stone age or something." Alfred wasn't sure what time Ivan was from, but it was a long time ago obviously. When was Russia even formed? He had no idea actually, oh well.
"What, is this normal for you?"
"...No, not exactly, I've never seen it happen before anyway." The answer 'England used his crazy shit-ass magic' would, for one get England in some serious trouble and two, didn't sound very believable in all honesty, "But it happened, so obviously it can happen." His boss looked him up and down, probably concerned that this might happen to him at one point or the other. That would be so hilarious, he gave them enough trouble as it was now, he didn't think they'd be able to handle any younger, he was even more hyper the further back one went.
"Well, is there some way to reverse it?"
"Well I was asking England about it, but he still needs to get back to me on that." Alfred said, not exactly lying.
"Alright...well then I guess that's taken care of, why are there two of our citizens dead and you being charged with their murder?" Alfred rubbed the back of his neck nervously, he knew that it would come to this conversation.
"Well um...that's kind of complicated."
"Considering the file that the police station emailed me and both your appearances I don't think it's that hard to figure out Alfred." He already had the police files? Sometimes the Internet turned into the bane of his existence, even when it was amazingly awesome at times.
"No, see it's not what it seems like okay! Look, what happened was that...okay, there was this crazy chick that attacked us at the hotel where all us countries are staying, cause I was helping Ivan to his room since he didn't remember where it was, but he didn't have the key card and so I had to go back to my car to get the key card-"
"Why would you have Russia's key card?"
"Ah...well since he shrunk like three feet um none of his clothes fit so I let him borrow some of mine, it was closer size anyway, and his clothes falling off was a problem and something I didn't want to see. Anyway, so his clothes were in the car. But anyway, then crazy chick attack, then I went to go and look at the security to figure out if she attacked anybody else and what was going on. Asked the front desk and went to talk to the security people, but before I could look at the tapes...um..." Alfred paused.
"Do not be thinking up a lie Alfred, I want the truth!"
"Chillax, okay well this other chick, not the crazy one, another one I didn't recognize came in, she was all like saying how there was a problem. I figured that it was the crazy lady and so of course, I listened and followed them. Of course they let me tag along seeing as how they knew I was higher up in government command. But anyway, so nothing out of ordinary, so I follow them through the back of the hotel, next I know something very fucking heaving hit me in the back of the head and I'm out like that."
"You were attacked?" Alfred's boss asked, shock and panic showing.
"Yeah, guess so, I didn't actually get what was happening and I still haven't been able to sit down and piece it together, but if any other countries have gone missing I would start worrying, seriously. You may want to check on that by the way." Alfred said, "Anyway, next time I wake up Ivan was there and bloody and I was in the back of the truck. I don't know how he knew I was in there, maybe he saw me getting kidnapped, which is possible, he was also apparently shot.
They might also have tried to kidnap him too, seeing as he was also a country. Really it was in self defense, I only wish I wasn't asleep through all this. Anyway, I asked him what happened and then got out to look around to see how bad everything was. Then low and behold the police show up. Ivan, not knowing like any English at all kind of had a spaz attack and well attacked them, which didn't help our situation any, granted. Still, that's what happened." His boss watched him for a moment, probably dissecting the story Alfred finished telling. After a moment his boss picked up the phone.
"Wait for a moment." His boss said as he placed the phone to his ear and called the hotel to talk to them to see if anybody was missing. Then he seemed to start to organize something so that their location would be moved elsewhere to be more secret. Alfred listened in, taking note of where the new hotel would be. Several phone calls and more than an hour later, his boss finally put down the phone, leaning back, signifying that he was done with it. Alfred looked back at him, "So, everybody is going to be moved from the hotel, and this time it will be more on the down low about who knows about them. Now, do you remember what any of the people who took you look like?" Alfred stared at his boss, effectively imitating a deer-in-the headlights look. He wasn't very good at remembering things, let alone people's faces.
"Um...chick girl and some dude."
"That narrows it down to the entire population Alfred!" His boss yelled, Alfred rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.
"Well at least it's cut down to that."
"It wasn't cut down at all!"
"But you just said-"
"I wasn't being serious!" His boss sighed in annoyance, "Now Alfred, is there anything else that you can remember happening?" Alfred thought for a moment. Was there anything of importance that he was willing to tell his boss that he had left out? No, not that he remembered. Alfred shook his head back and forth.
"Nope, that's about it boss man!"
"Great, what am I suppose to tell the people coming to pick Russia up? They're going to be pissed."
"Say what?" Alfred asked, blinking in confusion.
"Russia's boss, Alfred, what am I going to tell him?"
"No, not that part, well I guess that's important too, but what about Russia representatives coming over?" Alfred asked.
"Well when their country went missing for a few days, what did you think would happen? We still don't have a good relationship with them, and you know that better than anyone!"
"Okay, sorry, what was I suppose to do? All of this is so complicated and everything, I was just going to try and fix it before the whole world got involved." Which it was way too late for that apparently. Mostly he had wanted to keep their boss's out of it, because they took these things way to seriously. For countries, this wasn't normal per-say, but it wasn't anything like the world being invaded by aliens and they were all going to die, or like they were acting, as if Russia was going to die or fade away or something. Jeez, they should really chill sometimes. But they were mortal, so they hadn't experienced nearly as much as any of them had. Still, "What would Russia's people do anyway?"
"Well they were going to, for one take Russia's place at the meeting, but also to look for him since they seem to think that we're incompetent and probably question us as if we know anything." Sounded about right, well if he went missing in Russia, he would hope his country would send over like SWAT or something. Then again two days? Well, during torture time did go by quicker. But really, he mostly just expected terrorists to do that these days. Wait, what were they talking about again? Right, Russians coming over and looking for Ivan, seeing little Russia and freaking out. Okay, yeah, best to avoid that!
"Can't you tell them that we found him?"
"Do you think they would just take my word for it?" No, not when it came to the personification, that was usually serious in the political world, "Maybe you could call them and try to explain, they may believe you if you put Russia on and let them talk."
"Well yeah but...I don't know if Russia, you know...remembers well how to speak Russian?" His boss stared at Alfred in something akin to horror written on his face.
"What do you mean he doesn't know Russian?"
"Well, I said earlier he doesn't speak English, and he doesn't remember anything at all, and I mean like at all, he thinks that light bulbs are some miraculous invention! He's seriously stuck way back in the day. And so yeah, apparently they didn't speak Russian back then, at least I haven't hear him speak any of that backwards language." His boss stared blankly at him, almost in disbelief.
"What? He doesn't remember anything?" Alfred shook his head.
"He doesn't even know who I am." His boss gave him this weird look, almost like he was angry. What did he do this time?
"Alfred, you didn't do anything to take advantage of Russia did you?" Alfred's looked at his boss in shock, how did he- but, and, it wasn't...
"N-no." So convincing.
"Alfred!" His boss was yelling again, "What did you do?"
"N-nothing okay! I just...he was...eh." Alfred said, faltering and shrinking into the chair to hide. Damn why couldn't he turn invisible like his brother sometimes? Just at moments like this? He was just so lucky! Especially since the President was looking like he was about to send the CIA to assassinate somebody, and in this case he was the first one up.
"You took advantage of the Russian personification? What exactly did you say to him? I want details Alfred, and now!" Say? Oh god, so he meant...that was a little better. Still, never could tell what his boss might know. Still didn't.
"W-well, I mean they were just little white lies is all, n-nothing too big to worry about." Alfred said, since he did kind of say some not-so-truthful things to Ivan, "But they were for his own good!" It didn't seem like his boss was going to be buying that anytime soon.
"What. Did. You. Say?" Stressing of each word, never a good sign.
"Just you know...some things about who he may or may not be aligned with." Alfred said weakly, knowing just how bad that sounded. His boss roared angrily, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know, stupid thing to do." Not really, he didn't see anything wrong with telling little Ivan that he was friends with like half the world, especially when it had cheered the other up so much. But his boss wouldn't get that, just best to apologize and tell him what he wanted to here, then get out as soon as possible.
"And were you one of the people said to be aligned with him?" His boss said tightly. Alfred chuckled nervously, stalling for a moment before hanging his head a bit so he didn't have to look at the other anymore.
"Yes." There was a lot more of his boss yelling and him trying to apologize until his boss seemed to calm down a bit more, he was still pissed, but calmer. He didn't approve of it at all, Alfred lying and what looked like manipulating another country. Alfred hadn't meant to do that, he was trying to save Ivan from exactly that...but he had taken advantage, that was something his and his boss could agree on, just on different reasons.
"Now Alfred, his representatives are coming and they will be taking Russia back to his own land and correct whatever things you have been telling him."
"But-"
"No, listen to me. I expected better, I know that you two have not had the best of history, and I have tried keeping an open mind to that. But that is too far." His boss shook his head in disappointment, "I wouldn't have expected you to manipulate another like this Alfred." He opened his mouth, about to defend himself in anger, but closed it, faltering. He looked away. He kind of had, hadn't he? Even the lies, what right did he have deciding what things Ivan should and should not learn? He was Biased, and extremely so, if the issue of talking about Communism ever came up Alfred would have told Ivan such negative things about it and how evil it was. Was lying about who he was friends with any different, in reality? He had thought it was for the best...but he didn't know who it was best for anymore. Was he really trying to be the hero and help Ivan? No, probably not, he just got carried away sometimes.
Alfred nodded silently, "Good. Now I'm going to call his boss's and after that you will translate for me what exactly is happening, and don't you dare try to manipulate anything Alfred." The blond nodded again. He could understand why he had lost his boss of one year's trust so easily. He couldn't blame him for the sudden decrease in respect. Alfred was just as human as anybody else really, made mistakes, lost and gained trust just the same. He would only know this man for another three to seven years, but it still hurt to be viewed so negatively from the one in charge of America.
Alfred felt almost like crying, or screaming...maybe just beating his head against a brick wall. All of those sounded like good options. And Ivan had been so wanting him to go to Russia with him. His boss didn't say anything to Russia about any possibility of Alfred manipulating him, nor the representatives or whoever who had come over from Russia. So apparently it was 'their little secret'. Alfred sighed, kicking the can he had been playing with off into the park before slumping further into the cold, dirty wood. Hopefully it wouldn't give him a splinter.
Still, Ivan had made some good points about knowing and not knowing what was normal for a country and not being the actual Russia. Still, surely they could find another country that at least somewhat remembered it? Maybe...other then Belarus anyway, and they could help Ivan better. Alfred wasn't any good to be teaching him about the world as it was. Maybe China or something could help more, they were friends, weren't they? They were both all communist together, so probably. Yes, for the best. Even if Ivan was kind of fun to be around now that he wasn't so much of a bastard, well he was more in help then Russia would have ever admitted to in this time period anyway, not that that made somebody a bastard, Alfred wouldn't have done that either, that was pride, "Ah! Stop confusing yourself!" Alfred muttered sourly, he decided to simplify it so that he didn't have to think about it too much. Little Ivan need help, he hero, help. Older Russia not need help, ignores helping, evil. As long as he didn't think about it, that worked.
Ivan had looked so cute sleeping next to him too, even when he was covered in blood, which was admittedly worrisome. But he was! And then his people had come and carried him off, quite literally since Ivan hadn't woken up, and none seemed to want to wake up an Ivan covered in blood and sleeping peacefully. His temper was kind of known. Then again- No, Russia evil. Alfred groaned, leaning against to benches back. Why was everything so complicated? It was complicated between him and Ivan before, sure, but not this much. So what, sleeping with him just suddenly changed things? No, it was more than that, just being around the other made his whole thought process for the world screwed up.
But, having sex with the other did...he didn't want to say cause problems, but it was! And it was because it was pretty awesome for such a vanilla things. And dammit, Russia was suppose to be his enemy, not...not like lover or anything. Alfred shook his head, no, that wasn't right, even if it was hot. No, he should just forget it! But how? Alfred face palmed. He blamed his teenage hormones for all of this. It was all their fault...somehow.
He should go back home. Still, he kind of missed Ivan, something he never would have even comprehended saying. And never again. Besides, Ivan would learn soon enough through his country and boss that they were not really on such great terms as Alfred may have said. They would go back to hating each other, and who knows? Maybe the spell would be lifted and things would really go back to normal.
But even if the old Russia came back, would either of them be able to just go back to what was normal?
Next few chapters will be Ivan's POV, just as a warning.
So, anybody understand why Alfred's boss was kind of being a dick? Misunderstanding! Anyway, enjoy the commentary.
