It didn't last long.. The next morning Al wakes up feeling like something was horribly off. The house was silent, nothing stirring. It was really too early for anyone to be up... Even Matt was still snoring next door.
Al felt panicked though, he checks his phone quickly searching the satellites and news. He had several alerts, spanning out in a westbound line. Northern Ireland, Canada, Russia, down to China.
Canada..? He jumps up onto shaky feet stumbling next door. Matt woke with a jolt as his door slammed open, sleep-hazed violet eyes darting around in shocked confusion.
Al looks him over then sank to his knees with a sigh.
Matt frowned softly, getting up. "Al? You okay...?"
"'M fine.." Why didn't he feel right?
Matt just pulled him into a hug, thoroughly worried for his twin now. Al clung protectively.
*...Al, you're not fine...* Matt sighed after a moment. *Please talk to me...*
*..I dunno.. Something doesn't feel right...* he double checks his phone again.
*What do you mean? Have you spotted him?*
*He's been moving a lot..* Al showed him the phone.
*At least we know where he is,* Matt sighed. *He's only staying in each country for a few hours at most...*
*..You're ok right..?*
*I'm fine. I didn't even know he'd passed through.*
Al sighs nuzzling into his shoulder. Matt just held him, petting his hair gently.
After a while Al pulls back with a weak smile.
*Okay?* Matt smiled softly.
*Yeah.. Sorry for wakin ya.*
*It's alright,* he poorly stiffled a yawn. *I'd have done the same if I thought you'd been hurt.*
Al hugs him once more before getting up. "Guess I'll go start on breakfast."
"You don't have to," Matt shrugged. "It's pretty early..."
"Alright then.."
"Maybe coffee...?"
"Sounds good." He pulls Matt along with him, still worriedly clingy. Matt let him cling, still a little too tired to care. They poured some cups and snuggled together on the couch.
They just curl and watch tv between Nate's location updates. He seemed to keep moving into a new country each time.. He was working his way through Asia right now... Al frowns worriedly.
Matt sent messages out, warning of Nate's path and checking everyone was okay while he scanned the international news stations. Al had texted Ivan as well.
China had had a scare, Vietnam had been hit, but not badly... Other than that, Nate had been silent.
Al had curled up on his side laying in Matt's lap. He still felt tense. Matt rubbed his arm comfortingly, but his own tension was starting to rise too. They had to go let loose soon before they both snapped..
Why not now? No one else was awake yet, or at least not downstairs yet. They could slip out and say they went for a jog.
Al sighs sitting up. "Let's go out for a bit.."
Matt nodded softly, standing immediately. They just slip on some shoes stepping out in their pjs and coats. Matt brightened instantly at the wintery chill in the air. Al closed his eyes listening to the life around them as they walked.
A few birds chittered, an owl cooed good morning as he prepared for bed. They walk along for a while until Al pulls them into a detour towards one direction. He let Al lead, happy to follow.
Al lead the way to a small shrine. Over the years they had set up several in other areas of strong spiritual power but this one he was lucky to have close to home. Worn dreamcatchers and offerings of animal skins lay nearby.
Matt smiled as they neared it, warmth filling his heart. These places always put him at ease. Al pulls out a bag of incense he had hidden in a tree hollow and sets some in a bowl to burn.
Matt breathed in deep several times. "I miss that smell."
Al smiles sadly sitting with him on the ground. They closed their eyes. They sat a few moments just unwinding before Al began to talk quietly. He talks about good news along with the bad to someone who wasn't really there. Matt listened mostly, adding in the odd detail here and there, the occasional side story or anecdote.
It at least left them with a feeling of a connection. Like talking to someone's grave would. It felt like they were listening, even if you were just talking to a stone stuck in some mud. They talked for a while Al coming to grip Matt's hand. Matt gripped back instantly, his hold firm and secure.
Eventually they ran out of things to say. They just sat in silence, letting the chill of winter wash over them.
Al sighs softly leaning on Matt. "Think anyone is up yet?"
"Probably Iain," he shrugged softly, laying his cheek in Al's hair. "Maybe Molly. Pat won't be properly awake till ten."
"We should probably go then.. See ya later mom.."
"Yeah..." they pulled themselves out of the dying grass and dusted off their clothes. "It was nice talking to you again."
Al smiles softly and they head back. A breeze toying with the dreamcatcher.
When they got back to the house, the Celts were up, as predicted. Molly was cooking breakfast while her brother ever so helpfully sat and watched. Al held in a snort and goes to help her. Matt slipped upstairs to check on the others.
They cook up the food and set the table. Matt returned with a sleepy redhead on his hip, Dylan in tow to taking his and Arthur's plates back upstairs. They sit at the table digging in, Al briefly checking his phone again.
A new alert said Nate had moved over to Japan and had stayed there for quite a while now. Al frowns texting him. Japan texted back, assuring him that his people were on high alert.
He sighs softly. It would be near impossible for him to sneak away now, at least. He fiddles with the phone some more before setting it down.
*Is he still on the move?* Matt cast him a glance across the table but gave nothing away.
*Last spotted in Kanto..*
*I just wonder what he's doing...* Matt sighed, chewing thoughtfully on his last mouthful of his meal.
Al swirled the last of his egg around his plate while glancing around. He then did a double take and burst out laughing.
Three pairs of confused green eyes snapped up to him.
He points over to the door where a very pissed half pink bear was hunting for a certain rabbit. They all turned then burst out laughing too, the look on Kuma's face just too hilarious.
The bear finally finds where Mana was hiding said rabbit fleeing to Al's shoulders for safety.
Matt scooped up his angry bear before things got ugly. "Calm down Kuma, he's just teasing..."
"Yeah snowdrift! It's only Nesquik!"
"C'mere and say that, you pair of mittens!"
Al chuckles. "It should just wash out, it's just wet powder."
"I know," Matt grinned, showing how it had transferred to his hands already. "Hey, Pat! Wanna help me give him a bath?"
"Yeah!" The child literally jumped out of his seat. "You think the powers gonna make pink bubbles?"
Al watched them go and chuckles petting Mana. "Thanks bud, I needed that.."
"We were all just getting rather depressed there," Iain chuckled. "Wouldn't be surprised if that old bear didn't get his own back, mind."
Al grins, Mana just smiles slyly. Molly just chuckled, gathering pots.
"I'll wash, Mol," Iain took the stack with a rare tender smile. "You go rest for a bit."
Al helps him carry everything off. Molly slipped off upstairs. Iain set his pots besides the sink, turning on the hot tap and letting it heat up.
Al leans on the counter and checks his phone again. According to the satellite, Nate was still in Japan, somewhere in Tokyo. It was beginning to look troublesome..
"Staring at that tracker won't make him behave himself," Iain hummed idly. "Nor will it make him disappear."
Al sighs, "At least we know where he's at.. Ya know I hate waiting.."
"See if you can't find a pattern to his movements then," the Scot shrugged. "If you've got to follow him, figure out where he'll go next and cut him off."
Al hums going to his study where he kept a map and pins on the wall, old habit from planing out war strikes. He had both a world map and one of North America by itself.
Plotting out Nate's flight paths, he'd gone solidly west until hitting China, then doubled back to Japan. Japan was the only place he really stayed in too... Had he just been heading there the whole time?
It was odd..
It was almost like there was no sequence to his movements. Like he just picked a direction and went there... But Nate was a practical man. He never just did things for the sake of it.
He sighs sitting in his chair. This was all so complicated... He sat staring at the map at a loss.
A loud crack sounded from the kitchen, what sounded like a plate smashing on the floor. Al jumped startled, he rushed downstairs.
Ro was already in the kitchen, kneeling besides Iain. The Scot had ended up on the floor, head gripped in his hands, his face the picture of intense pain.
Ro looked the picture of panic. "I-I came in for a drink, he just tipped...!"
He rushed over. "Iain?!"
He cringed visibly at the sound, a desperate little noise slipping through his clenched teeth.
"Ro get Molly."
She nodded and ran off upstairs. Al knelt by Iain trying to sit him up gently. The redhead let him move him, but wouldn't uncurl or let go of his pounding skull.
Molly skidded into the kitchen, colour draining from her face at the sight of her brother. "Oh my god... What happened?"
"Found him like this.."
She cussed softly, practically pushing Al aside as she knelt by her brother.
"Iain.." She spoke softly, holding his face and cooing when he winced. "Shh... Calm down..."
"Mol..." Iain's voice cracked horribly.
"I'm here... Just relax, you're alright."
Al backs away slightly watching.
"Mol, it hurts," he croaked.
She just pulled him into her shoulder, humming softly. "I know, I know... Al, check the news." There was a soft urgency to her voice: fear.
He stumbles up towards the tv. The set stuttered to life, channels flying by. But when he got to the channel that should be showing Scottish news it showed nothing but a black screen with "Connection Error" blinking in the middle.
Al frowns heading to his computer and satellites.
He opened the live feed, focusing it straight over Scotland... The entire country was black, not a light to be seen. England was fine, just to the south, everything bustling as it should, but it was like the land just stopped... Scotland was in a total blackout.
What the hell?! *Matt get to the kitchen I need ya to relay for me..*
*Why, what happened?!* even as Matt responded, Al could hear him running downstairs. A sharp stab of fear and confusion sparked between them, signalling that he'd seen the Celts. *Al...?*
*Scotland's gone dark, no signals, no feeds, satellites aren't coming up with any moving cars or lights..*
*W-what...?! Nothing? Not even like, a-a lighthouse or something?!*
*Leme zoom in..* It was completely black, blank and might as well been empty for all the life on show. *Nothing..*
There was a soft notion of acknowledgement then a moment of silence.
*... I told Molly... Where are you?*
*In the study checking the sats. Everywhere else seems fine so far..* It really did just seem to be Scotland that was hit...
Matt slipped into the study, coming straight over and hugging Al. Al turns hugging back. They just clung to one another for a moment.
"Is he any better yet..?"
Matt just shook his head softly, sharing the image rather than speaking.
Iain sat where Al had left him, clinging desperately to his sister's petite frame, trembling like a leaf as she tried to calm him down.
Al sighs gripping tighter.
*He can't feel his land,* Matt whispered. *I-I heard him... He can't feel anything... S'like his country just vanished...*
*How's that possible..?*
*I don't know...*
Al pressed his face into Matt's neck with a soft whine. Matt just clung tightly to him, trying to repress his own horror and disgust. They remained so for a while, thoughts swirling on what could have happened.
It wasn't until broad, strong hands touched their shoulder that they snapped out of their reverie.
"Boys? Everything alright?" Dylan watched them with a concerned curiosity.
"S-something happened in Scotland.. T-there's no lights or tv signals.. Iain can't feel anything.."
"I know," the Welshman smiled sadly, his blue-ish eyes so different to his siblings startling grees, but somehow so similar. "Molly's sorting him. I wanted to know if you were alright."
Al shrugs unsure. He was terrified, first the fear from his confinement and now Nate could do things like this? Nate had boasted about having connections everywhere, but they'd all dismissed it as just that: boasting.
Perhaps their adversary was better connected than they knew...
But why? Who could betray them like this? If not for them surely the endangerment of so many innocents would disturb someone?!
Whoever it was, either Nate knew their weakness, or they were just as sick and twisted as he was. Al shivers again.
"Come," Dylan just slipped an arm around them both and lead them down the hall. "You can sit with Arthur and Pat until this washes over."
They get pulled along silently. Arthur swept them both into a hug as soon as they were dropped on his bed. Arthur looked more tired than worried, but he was both and would have been downstairs already were it not for his side. Al burrowed in. As did Matt, Patrick curling up between them. Dylan left them and went back downstairs. They sit for a while Al zoning out.
*...Do you think he'll be okay...?* Matt broke the silence in Al's mind after a while, voice small.
*I hope so..*
*I-I've never seen him like that...* It'd thrown Matt, just how unnerving it was to see the unshakable shaken.
*Yeah..*
*I wanna check but I'm scared... I can't watch him like that...*
Al grips his hand. Matt gripped back tight, shifting over to hug him. He hugs back leaning on Arthur's side.
Arthur grunted in his sleep, shifting. Patrick, who had been cuddled into Arthur other side ended up being pushed odf the bed, landing with a might thump.
Al sat up at that. As did Matt.
Pat stayed down, hiccupping softly. He'd been silent since Iain went down earlier... Al shifted of the bed picking him up and hugging. The child huddled in with a soft whine, shivering gently. He hugs him close sitting back on the bed.
*He okay?* Matt leaned over, watching them sadly.
*Yeah.. Still upset though..*
*Not suprised, poor thing,* Matt sighed, petting his soft auburn locks. *He probably knows something bad happened, but not what or who to...*
*Same as us then..*
*I just hope nothing happens to him...*
Patrick was so small and sweet, it would be heartbreaking if he had to suffer on Nate's whims with the rest of them.
A stab of worry hit Al, he did stop there.. Nate had started his escape and revenge in England... Arthur had been hit first... He'd moved on to Scotland and now Iain... But other nations had been hit in the meantime, right? Did that mean Patrick might be safe...? Was he and Molly next..?
That would be a blow they would struggle to manage with... Iain, Francis and Molly were the ones that kept everyone going most of the time... Francis wouldn't manage on his own... He repressed a shudder.
*It won't...* Matt hugged them both. *He won't hurt him...*
Al leans in hugging Pat. Pat just burrowed into them both, craving comfort as everything seemed to be going wrong around him. They sit curling around each other, eventually falling into an uneasy afternoon nap.