Author's Note: Still with me? Good. If you're familiar with RvB and not Hetalia or vice versa you'll catch on quick. Or better yet go watch; you're in for a treat with either.
Red vs Blue fans: This is very, very AU. Before you come trying to kill me for messing something up remember that, then come try to kill me.
Also there is one and only one OC in this story. I generally do not like OCs and try to avoid writing them under the notion that others feel the same way, but this one was necessary as a plot device. His name is Cal and I hope he doesn't offend you too much.
Finally any pairings took a backseat to the actual story, but you may notice subtle York/Carolina and a bit of USUK.
I think that's the basic info. Sorry for the long author's note, on with the story.
"Agents, as you have been informed, this mission is of great importance." The Director pressed a button on the center console and a picture of a young man paralleled by what must have been his suit off armor appeared on the holoscreen. "This man is Private Calvin Jones; we have intell indicating that there is plot to kidnap this man. You are to make sure this does not happen by any means necessary."
"Uh, sir?"
"Yes, Agent Washington?" the Director raised an eyebrow.
"Why is this Private Jones of any importance to the program?" Wash asked
"That is classified information, Agent Washington," the Director changed gears quickly, "Now, Carolina will be leading the team from the field. Your objective is to get to Private Jones before his kidnappers. Carolina." He nodded to her.
"We have very little intell about the kidnappers only that they are a small team—most likely two man—who are part of a much larger organization," Carolina leaned on the console as a hologram came up, "This is the base at which Jones is stationed, we need to get in and get out quickly and quietly, any obvious activity at the base could alert the kidnappers to our presence before we get the job done. The team will consist of Washington, Maine, and I. York was supposed to be on this mission as well, but due to his accident in training yesterday with Agent Texas, we'll all have to pick up the—"
"Don't be so quick to write me off, 'Lina." Everyone present turned to the doorway where York was leaning.
"York," Carolina started, "but you're—"
"Fine, and I'm coming along. We're the good guys we're supposed to be protecting people, and that's damn well what I'm going to do." He crossed the room in an easy stride as he spoke; someone who didn't know him would think he was just fine. Carolina knew him and she saw how he stumbled ever so slightly.
"York—" she said again as he came to a stop next to her.
"I'm fine, 'Lina, and I'm going through with this mission," he spoke in an undertone so as not to be heard by the others. Carolina nodded slowly after a moment, still seeming doubtful. "What kind of fire power should we be expecting from these guys?" York asked, louder this time.
"We don't know."
"So, be ready for anything then."
"Exactly, from the kidnappers and the base. The base will be likely to arm and retaliate should we be detected as we won't be ID'ed in its databanks. We will be perceived as being as much of a threat as the kidnappers." Carolina finished.
"Then don't be detected," the Director stated.
"4-7-Niner will be transporting us via Pelican. We get in, we get out, we get Private Jones back to the Mother of Invention. Any Questions?" There were none.
"That is all," the Director said, "You are dismissed."
"Yes sir."
"This is so like America! Never making things easy!"
"Calm down, England-san."
"Why should I Japan? He always made things hard on me, always!" England shouted.
"For one thing, it is not America we are dealing with, it is one of his states. Please, England-san take a deep breath or something." Japan said softly.
England sighed, suddenly sounding weary and a tad broken, "Finding America himself has been hell as well, Japan. He just had to up and disappear on us."
"You know as well as I do that was probably not his fault, he would have surfaced by now if he were off on one of his 'adventures'. He must be…" Japan trailed off, not knowing how to put it gently.
England closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "That just makes it all the harder."
"I miss him too, England-san. The States most likely felt the same way. That is most likely why they spread out the way they did, trying to get away from the reality of it all."
"Of course they didn't hang around to pick up the pieces. Except for DC they all just had to go gallivanting off into the stars," England was back to grumbling, but after a moment he softened, "Did you see any of them before they left, Japan?"
"California, Washington, and Hawaii. California seemed eager to run, Washington was pretty broken up about it, and Hawaii had drawn back into himself, though he is still back on Earth."
"And how many of his states had to inherit his hero complex and hard headedness? How many just had to jump at the chance to become 'space marines' and fight aliens? I swear, America filled their heads with far too many UFO theories. All this running, it just makes it more difficult to…"
"Pick up the pieces?" Japan offered.
England nodded, "Yes." Ever since America's disappearance he and Japan, along with a few others such as Germany and China, had been trying to piece back together the chaos left behind. Most civilians didn't notice, blaming the state of things on the war, but to some, like England, the real reasons were apparent. And the States hadn't helped anything by trying to pull away from what was left of their broken nation. They'd checked in on Tennessee, Louisiana, and Oregon in varying degrees of recentness, the last of whom had pointed them in the direction of California.
"I thought it would have been obvious," he'd said, "Cal is still going by Calvin Jones when he needs a name."
"Jones," as England had put it, "is a pretty common name, lots of people have it."
"And yet you still managed to find little ole' Salem Jones. Now get out there and find Cal, would you."
"Japan?" England asked, pulling himself out of his musings, "Do you think California will run away again, he's never like to be tied down anywhere, has he?"
"He might," Japan shrugged.
England accepted this—Japan had known California far better than he had, in fact England hadn't had much contact at all with any of America's states. To him they were mostly just the number on the back of America's jacket—50, though it would be 49 now, even with Puerto Rico.
California might run again, but it wouldn't matter if he did. He'd have to still be alive and free to be able to run. Knowing he was alive and free just made their lives a bit easier, they could move on to the next state, bringing them one step closer to some sort of system for managing the broken pieces.
England put his helmet back on and turned to the console to check the ship's instruments—making sure they were still on course.
An idea struck him—"Hey, Japan?"
Japan glanced at him from where he stood over their holomap table, "Hai?"
"Do your prefectures ever give you problems like this?"
Japan chuckled, "You have no idea, England-san."