They had lost power to everything but the lights and doors, so testing was discontinued. They cared for America until he got his strength back, but his eyesight never healed. They were there a month. They stayed together in the same tank, and no one ever let them out.
Their burns healed into scars, faint patches of skin that were slightly lighter than the rest. America's leg and arm healed, and America wanted revenge. Britain and Canada saw no point in standing, so they sat. America paced the tank, occasionally having to reach out and touch a wall to figure out where he was.
He started breathing heavily. "America, calm down," Canada said softly. America pulled at his hair. "I can't, I really can't. I can't see it but I feel it, I can feel myself being caged, and I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT!" He slammed a fist into the wall, and it cracked, and his knuckles split. He winced, and he felt his cut.
Britain got up. "Hey, listen to me." America tried to turn away, but Britain pulled him back. "Listen! We will get out of here, understand? But we need to figure out how to actually do it. The other countries are probably trying to rescue us anyway."
America grabbed Britain's shoulders. He looked desperate. "I'm losing it, Iggy. I'm going crazy!" Britain almost grimaced. He was strong. He pried his hands off of him. "I know, but we can't just act out." America shook his head. "Iggy, you don't understand," he cried.
"Oh no," Canada murmured. "What?" Canada looked away for a moment. "Our mother, Native America, she visited us once, when we were growing, before she was gone." He looked at America, and as though he could tell Canada was looking at him, some sort of sadness crept between them.
"She, uh, she told us that at some point, parts of her would surface, like her wildness, her rejection to being caged. Britain's eyes grew wide. "America's always hated small spaces. So what's it going to do to him?" Canada opened his mouth but nothing came out. "I don't know," he said. Meanwhile, America had tried taking out the build up of anxiety this was giving him, out on the walls, but it didn't work.
He slammed his whole body into one side. "Britain get back!" Canada said, and he pulled Britain away. America started to almost glow, but he radiated something. Something wild. His eyes were a deep forest green with gold surrounding the pupil. He lashed out and with a yell, shattered the whole tank, leaving it in shards around them.
They gasped looking around. America was panting, and blue poured back into his eyes. He stumbled, totally spent. Canada and Britain caught him and dragged him off to the side, behind some crates. A soldier came in, from hearing the tank shatter. He realized the countries weren't there and quickly backed out of the room.
They waited until they couldn't hear his footsteps anymore to get out. They stepped into another hallway, America getting his strength back. They ran, averting guards, and running up stairs, diving behind objects, when they saw it. The front door. Big, grey, and bolted shut from the inside. They ran to it, and they cranked open the door when there was a click.
America froze.