Hetalia - Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 10! Double digits baby! Not too much to say other than some big reveals in this one, so let's get right into it.

Enjoy!

Unknown, Unknown, Unknown.

Arthur jerked awake with a sharp inhale, and blinked in confusion when he found himself sat at the head of the apartment's dining table; it's long length covered by a white lace cloth whilst all around him, huge colourful bouquets of flowers filled the living room almost suffocatingly so. Fine china cups with matching tea pots and plates with sugary pastries decorated the table amongst even more flowers; rich crystal vases of lilies, orchids, and roses. Lining the overly exaggerated table, were six plush empty chairs, three a side with a grand high backed chair at the opposite end to Arthur.

Goosebumps rippling over his flesh from the unwanted association of the last time he had sat at a tea party table, Arthur wrinkled his nose at the overpowering floral perfume of the enormous bouquets, and frowned when he was met with resistance when he tried to rise. An indivisible force like gravity forced his buttocks and legs to stay glued to his seat, his straining arms effectively pinned to the chair's gold ones.

'What the?' Arthur wondered aloud and tripled his efforts against the restricting force, when to his back, he heard the front lock unlatch and swing open.

'London Bridge is falling down,

falling down,

falling down,'

A high, musical voice sang as their footsteps drew closer to Arthur out of his line of sight. His breath caught in his throat, Arthur recoiled when he felt a finger brush along his cheek before dropping to tap the back of each chair as it's owner climbed their way towards the other head chair. From the back of them, Arthur could see that the singer's hair was a choppy gold of candy gloss pink, and they wore an fanatical vest jumper and pressed cream trousers.

'London Bridge is falling down,

my fair lady'

All Arthur's curiosity about the stranger melted away to paralytic horror when green eyes met electric blue; it did not matter what colour or form they materialised as, Arthur would know them anywhere.

''Ello poppet,' Hatter purred with velvet and that god-awful cheshire cat grin of his, before smoothly gesturing to his face, that was identical to Arthur's own, and then to room overstuffed with flowers. 'Like the new look?'

Arthur lungs forgot how to breathe. His brain how to construct thought.

No. It wasn't-

No.

'I must say, I am loving your's. You've grown to be so very beautiful, inside and out,' Hatter gushed and plucked a red rose from the nearest vase to take a deep sensual inhale. 'lovely indeed.'

He had never felt more detached from his body as he had then as Arthur sat there. Numb. Petrified.

'Arthur? Love? Aren't you going to say anything? I've missed your voice very much,' Hatter pleaded as he rose from his chair and hurried to Arthur's side, his hands outstretched to take Arthur's.

Arthur flinched at the contact. 'How—' His voice came out breathless and cracked. 'H-How…'

Hatter's face, Arthur's face immediately lit up and he moved to tuck a golden lock behind Arthur's ear.

'How? How am I here when your mother supposedly had the lot of you 'warded'?,' Hatter laughed as he backed up to pivot over to the window where the city skyline stretched out.

'The answer is a simple one. See, you may be warded against my possession, but nothing can stop me from existing in your dreams. The only reason I've never appeared before you until now is because I've chosen not to,' The madman looked over his shoulder back to Arthur with that wicked grin, 'Couldn't be tipping you off that I've been watching, could I?'

His tongue felt too large, too heavy for his mouth. His throat too tight to draw any air through. Hatter knew about it all, he had allowed them to fall into a false sense of security, only to use it as a means to spy on them. Arthur's jaw squared, and he latched onto that spark of anger that ignited inside him. Anger was good. Anger, unlike shock, could make him think.

'So what changed Hatter.' Arthur heard himself retort, and was proud that he sounded stronger than he felt. Hatter's gaze softened when Arthur spoke his name.

'Oh, Arthur~ It is so good to hear my name from your lips again.' He sang and pranced back to his seat. Arthur dug his fingernails into his palms, anticipating pain that he could use to focus, but there was nothing…

Of course! Hatter had said it himself. He was dreaming. All he had to do to escape the nightmare, was wake up.

'Answer me.' Arthur demanded with a glower, hoping to keep the dream demon distracted as he pulled together the beginnings of a plan. Hatter's fair brows shot up at the cutting edge in his words, before a sadistic smile drew onto his face.

'Well, well, well. Looks like a little cub is starting to test it's roar,' Hatter cooed as he rose out his seat once again, and began to pace towards Arthur with a glint in his eye.

'However,' Hatter slammed his arm out beside Arthur's head, and leant in to possessively invade his personal space. 'I think that you're forgetting your position here, dearest. This is my dominion, and I am the one in charge here. So I suggest, you play nice~'

Arthur hardly dared to breathe, but he dipped down for that anger once again, and couldn't help but smile when he felt a desired shape form in his lap. 'Or what?,' He challenged with all his bravo, and Hatter's lips curled, the glint in his eye turned dangerous. 'You won't like me when I'm angry?'

All around them, the lush flowers began to wither and crumple to ash, cracks splintered up the china sets, and Arthur felt the room begin to shake as the Hatter's calm control corroded; the pretty aesthetics deteriorating with the ugly souring of his mood.

'Arthur,' Hatter growled warningly, a shadow moved behind his electric blue orbs to darken their unnatural shade. 'Do not ruin this moment that I have spent years preparing for.'

'Sorry love,' Arthur spat the word with sarcastic venom, 'but I've never been one to play nice.'

Hatter stared at him before he grabbed and jerked his chin up with a grip on steel, drawing out a hiss from the Brit. There was no playfulness now.

'Well then,' Hatter decided with chilling coolness, a perverted leer on his lips. 'I will take that as we're both eager to skip the foreplay then.'

Arthur's eyes went wide, and knew that it was now or never. The oppressing fore long gone when Hatter's control on the room had slipped, within the space of a single second, Arthur grabbed the revolver nestled hidden on his lap, saw Hatter's pupils shrink when he realised his intention all-too-late, and flashed him a victorious smile as he brought the barrel to the soft of his under-jaw, and pulled the trigger.

Spades District, The Kirkland Residence, The Med Room.

Arthur Kirkland woke with a jolt, and immediately hissed as an assaulting tidal wave of pain crashed over him. At least vaguely thankful that the pain meant that he was no longer dreaming, Arthur tried to sit up when a raw scream ripped itself from his throat when the action ignited napalm across his back. Good god what happened to him?!

'He's awake!' His brain barely caught in it's haze of pain and then a stampede of footsteps around him. The napalm flames sapped at his strength, both mental and physical. His body was so heavy as it burnt.

'Move,' He groggily heard a voice command before he felt something pry open his eyelid and was blinded by a bright white light that moved from side to side. The lid was released and Arthur winced when there was a loud snapping noise in each ear. 'Arthur? Can you hear me?' The voice spoke again, and Arthur heard his dry lips omit a high whine.

'Well?' A different voice asked.

'He's responsive but disoriented. Too weak to move. Back up, give him some space.' The authoritative voice ordered, and Arthur sighed when there was a soft beeping and a sense of weightlessness overcame him, dosing the flames and soothing them into a far off memory. His body was so light now, so light that even the gentle weight that rested over his relaxed hand felt odd.

'Arthur? Arthur if you can understand this, could you squeeze your hand?' The nice, strong voice asked, and it took Arthur a few seconds to process the request. Not able to manage a full squeeze, Arthur twitched his fingers, and the air was filled with sighs.

'That's fantastic Arthur. Now, can you do that again if you're still in pain? A small finger twitch, just like before.'

The kind voice waited for some time, but Arthur didn't move. He felt so good, so far away from it all.

'Good. I'm glad for that. Okay Arthur, now I need you to listen carefully. I'm going to give you something to help you sleep, and when you wake, we are going to have a very important talk. Alright?'

Arthur twitched his fingers and heard a soft chuckle before something touched his head. It was hard to hear what the voice's last words as he felt himself sink back into darkness.

'Goodnight, Arthur.'

'Goodnight, Arthur,' Allistor muttered and took his hand back from resting on his little brother's damp forehead. He turned to Reina over by the drip, switching off the low blood bag for a fresh one. 'Watch over him.'

'Always.' She answered without missing a beat, and Allistor gave her a grateful nod before he followed Seamus out of the door, closing it softly behind him. Over by the staircase, Allistor saw Dylan speaking quietly to Alfred Jones, who had changed out of his bloody Columbia suit into a borrowed outfit of his. The American held the folded up suit and passed it over.

'I'll clean it up.' Dylan promised and he and Alfred turned to meet Allistor's eyes with their own, full of questions.

'Asleep, doped up on morphine,' Allistor reassured before they could ask. 'He's pulled through the worst. His back is healing well and the bruises are already darkening.'

'Thank god,' Dylan sighed and then glanced back to Alfred. 'You had better go and get your stuff and coordinator before Allistor can lock you in the gym.'

'Gotcha. See you dudes later then.' Alfred grinned with a mock salute before he set off for the front door, and disappeared into the lift. When the resounding ding signalled he was gone, Allistor turned back to Dylan with a raised brow, reading his thoughts from the hungry way he pawed the Columbia suit.

'Be honest. What are you gonna do to it?' Seamus asked, beating Allistor to the punch.

Dylan shot them both a mischievous grin. 'I'm thinking stitch in bulletproof padding, make the fabric nonflammable and acid resistant. Maybe tweak the life support and goggle sensors if Matthew will let me.'

Allistor gave him a nod. 'I like it. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go set up the torture chamber.' He quipped with a knowing smirk.

Downtown Spades District, Cyan Apartments, Alfred Jones' and Matthew William's Apartment.

'Matt! I'm home.' Alfred called out as he jimmied open their stiff front door and breezed over the unlit threshold towards the kitchen. Well, if two dirty counters, a fridge and a stove could be considered a kitchen. Their apartment was pitiful when compared to the Kirkland's penthouse Alfred had just come from; creaking pipes, electricity blackouts, hot water shortages came and went in an never-ending cycle, but it was home to Alfred. Buying it had marked his and Matthew's first significant milestone in their new life without their parents.

The old floorboards creaked beneath Alfred's weight as he beelined for the fridge to grab a beer before they could head back out with overnight bags and fresh clothes. His back to the busted up couch, Alfred wrenched on the fridge door and dipped down to grab one of his favourite green bottles, when he heard the cock of a gun, and felt the press of a pistol against his back.

'Hands behind your head.' A woman's voice ordered, and Alfred felt his stomach churn as he complied. Robbers? He speculated whilst a hand on his shoulder forced him to turn around to face her. Alfred, again, did as he was told, and couldn't stop his jaw from dropping at the vision before him.

The woman was drop dead gorgeous, olympic model gorgeous, with all the curves and all the muscles in all the right places. Her thick milk chocolate hair was pulled into a high knot and her narrowed eyes were a pretty brilliant green like Arthur's (wait, what?).

'Why don't you drool a bit more eh?' His brother's voice shook him out of his daydream, and Alfred blinked to notice that Matthew was sat on the couch, a short in stature man (a mask of a white fox to disguise his face) with his hand pressing down on his shoulder behind him.

Relieved that Matthew showed no signs of injury, Alfred glanced between the two with a different kind of nervous energy.

'Put your gun away Hungaria,' A deep, brass voice commanded in a german accent from Alfred's bedroom, before it's owner stepped into view.

Just from looking at him, Alfred knew that this man was one that embodied power. Broad shouldered with hulking muscles to match, the man had eyes of blue steel; Alfred could feel himself unconsciously shrink under their razor-sharp stare. He did not wear the same black kevlar as the other two did, but instead, a prim black military uniform that wouldn't of looked out of place in a high-ranking general's wardrobe. 'It is not needed for what we are here for.'

'And what, is that exactly?' Alfred implored with more lip than he intended, regretting it when all eyes went to him.

'Recruitment.' The german smiled, and Alfred's eyes darted between the invaders with clear confusion, as 'Hungaria' holstered her gun.

'What?' Matthew vocalised both their thoughts.

'Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am agent Germania of DIA. With me are agents Yamato,' Germania motioned to the man over by Matthew, 'and agent Hungaria.' He finished with a gesture to her respectively.

'Uh. DIA?' Alfred asked.

'Defence Intelligence Agency. Sister branch of FBI.' Hungaria clarified with an amused smirk, and Alfred shared a pointed look with Matthew, their twin senses tingling as the same thought passed to one head to another: stick to the story.

'Why would the DIA want to recruit two broke students?' Alfred pretended to slowly string together. Perhaps if they were lucky, they'd all be able to write the night off as one big joke. Germania, however, did not looked fazed.

'Please do not insult us. We already know who the two of you are, Columbia, Acadia. We have for some time.'

Alfred's brows shot up and Germania waved off his alarm as he strode into the centre of the room.

'So why haven't we been arrested yet?' Matthew demanded, and Hungaria gave a huff of laughter.

'Would be a bit hard to work with you if you're in super-max, don't you think?'

Alfred looked back to Germania with his brow furrowed. 'Yeah more on that please. You keep saying recruit, but recruit us into what exactly?'

'The 'Guardians' initiative. A collaborative operation with the goal to form America's first league of officially recognised superheroes.' Germania proclaimed with evident pride, and for the second time that night, Alfred's jaw dropped. The government— The actual men in the big house wanted Columbia to be part of some super team they were putting together. Him! Columbia!

'Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,' Matthew quickly protested, shoving off Yamato's hand to rise onto his feet. Alfred received a sucker punch to the stomach when he realised how overwhelmed his brother must be feeling, having his secret life shook up not once with Britannia, but now again. 'You broke into our apartment, threatened us with guns, all so that you could extend an invitation?'

'I admit the guns weren't necessary.'

'They were necessary.' Germania and Hungaria confessed simultaneously before Germania shot her a look and cleared his throat.

'From their feedback, Oz and Shepherd were very impressed with the both of your performances earlier this week on the S. .'

At that, Alfred gave a bitter laugh. 'Now that I'm calling bull on. God, not only was Doctor Edelstein kidnapped, but we weren't even the ones to disarm the bomb. That was all the Winter Syndicate's people!'

Hungaria made a sympathetic noise. 'You can't be so hard on yourselves. You're both still young to all this. And besides, it wasn't a complete failure. You did prevent the White Queen from kidnapping Britannia along with Edelstein, and you did hospitalise one of the Syndicate's core members.'

'What core member?' He breathed.

Hungaria raised a perfect eyebrow. 'The elder sister of the leader, General Winter. The woman you threw out of the ship's light box. Nice touch with the door there by the way.'

Alfred's heart kicked into overdrive in his ribcage. He had hospitalised the sister of a major crime organisation's leader. He- he probably had a freakin' hit on him now!

'Oh my god, I'm dead. I am so dead.' Alfred hyperventilated, staggering back to use the counter as support; his legs jello underneath him. He was so fucking dead, just as he had finally gotten a glimpse of his dream of being Britannia's partner to! Fuck! The twist was just too cruel.

Hungaria stepped forward and curtly smacked him upside the head, shocking him out of his hysteria. 'Hey! Hey! Relax! Our intelligence tells us that the Syndicate is in the steps of leaving Terra. His sister down and with Britannia the only and unpredictable lead to the White Queen, General Winter has decided to withdraw from the city. That it's not worth the risk.'

Alfred felt his breathing slowly calm down to a controllable rate, and after a few seconds, he gulped and met Germania's steady eye.

'From the way you're talking, I'm guessing that you're not just here to recruit vigilantes. You're following the missing neuroscientist case pretty closely, aren't cha? The White Queen, she was the one who tried to kidnap Britannia…Do you know why? Or why she's kidnapping the scientists?'

Germania's lips pressed into a thin line, surprised by Alfred's astute observation and deduction. 'The White Queen is an particularly special person of interest to both ourselves, and the Winter Syndicate. She is the reason why both organisations came to Terra in the first place.

In regards to her motives for her abducting the neuroscientists, our current hypothesis is that she is delivering them to an unknown client for whatever reason,' A line formed between the agent's blond brows. 'Britannia is the most frustrating puzzle piece. We've searched and the only link we have found is that the White Queen has apparently been searching for them for a long time.

Clearly, she found out them here in Terra.'

There was a long silence after Germania finished his speech when Matthew broke it with a sniff.

'I don't suppose you couldn't tell us the rest of it, eh?' He tried, and got a chuckle from it.

'I am afraid not, unless of course, you would like to accept our invitation.'

'With some more information, maybe we'll consider it.' Alfred countered and reflexively caught the tossed memory stick thrown to him by Yamato.

Germania smiled at him, it's warmth controlled. 'On there, you will find information on the Guardians initiative. If you reach a decision on it, or have any relevant information you wish to share regarding the case.'

Alfred simply gave a nod in response, Germania mirroring it before he marched past for the front door; Hungaria flashing them a swoon worthy wink and Yamato a bow before they followed after their leader. Several minutes passed as Alfred and Matthew stared back at each other in stunned silence; the same thought whirring around and around in their heads:

What had they gotten themselves into?

Because bigger is better, and better is bigger! A little bit is never a enough! (no, no, no!)

Ha, joking aside, the stakes in the story have skyrocketed for our characters. It's certainly going to be 'interesting' as the tension pikes.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, then please take the time to leave a review telling me your thoughts, opinions and questions. Once again, thank you for reading and as always,

Until next time folks!