The conference room was just as tense and strained as it'd been yesterday, no, perhaps it was even worse. How could it not be? Though perhaps in the past the absence of a certain Nation may have caused some Nations to relax, to sit back and think 'my, we may actually accomplish something today!', it was much too soon. It was too soon after the other disappearances, and it certainly painted a devastating picture if the worst case scenario had happened. Kidnapped… right at a conference? The implications were staggering… yet… denial seemed the order of the day thus far. No one wanted to believe the worst.
It wasn't their brother that was missing though… so of course they could all rest assured the world was fine. 'No… that shouldn't be so… even if disliked… he still… well he's rather made himself a part of everything and all…' An unhappy train of thought was interrupted by a vaguely annoyed voice.
"Well… as America hasn't shown up yet for his presentation… I suppose we'll break early for lunch… perhaps then he'll decide to grace us all with his presence." There was a wave of grumbling that passed over the Nations assembled, more than a few of them highly annoyed by what they had decided to deem an attention tactic by the American or a blatantly rude and disrespectful blunder. All the same, Nations began filing out, breaking off into clusters here and there, chatting away and gossiping and the like.
Canada rose from his seat, brows furrowed in anxious worry. His arms were wrapped tightly around Kumajiro as he started to walk, making his way towards England in the hopes that he could speak with him about his boisterous brother. Though the other Nations could wallow in delusion, Canada could not. Most likely it was because of the disappearance of Prussia and North Italy, but when America hadn't come crashing into the meeting when he actually had a presentation to make… well… it'd worried the more timid northern Nation.
When everyone had first begun to groan and grumble over America missing his presentation time, when calls had been made and his brother's cell phone gone unanswered, Canada had slipped out of the meeting to go and check on his brother personally. It wasn't as though anyone noticed that he left to do so, depressing as that still was. His persistent invisibility was something he supposed he should have gotten used to after all these years… but he didn't want to. He had every right to be noticed; he just needed to find a way to do so. A way that wouldn't get him noticed in a bad way.
Everyone noticed his 'big' brother, after all, and that didn't equate to a good thing.
When he'd gotten to America's hotel room though, he'd received no answer to his knocks. It'd taken quite a bit of time to get one of the staff to notice him and help him (because apparently standing in front of people and addressing them politely was not effective), but when he'd convinced the door opened for him, the sight within had not been encouraging.
No, he'd found no signs of struggle, no ruined room telling of a dastardly bold kidnapping scheme. He hadn't even found the room cleared out, there was no sign that his brother had decided to bail out early. No… the room looked as though America had never returned to it to sleep the night before. His luggage was still there, the bed untouched, and personal belongings no doubt tucked away in the hotel safe. It screamed that America had gone out some time yesterday evening… and simply never returned.
Canada knew America didn't need someone to hold his hand or anything but… but… well, it was his brother. He couldn't help but grow concerned. That was the way it worked, that was part of being 'family'… as dysfunctional as they were.
"U-Umm… England?" The older Nation hadn't left his seat yet, a look of deep vexation and annoyance written across his face. The English Nation looked like he was thinking deeply over something, large brows pulled tight and his lips moving ever so slightly, as if to give shape to the words in his mind. Canada fidgeted, trying to step in his elder's line of sight. "England… umm… hello… England?" He unlatched one arm from Kumajiro, waving his hand before the other. Still no response.
"… not quite right… perhaps I should ask that brother of his… what's his name… hmm… oh yes, Canada… perhaps I should go seek out Canada and ask—" It was only too obvious England hadn't seen him walk right up. There were days Canada thought he should seriously start wearing a bell, see if that might alert people to his presence. He'd only feel foolish over it in the end no doubt, and it was only a futile musing that grew from moments such as this.
"Ah… um… England!" Canada raised his voice as he became the subject of the elder's muttered ramblings, hoping that the stars and planets would align to get him noticed. England gave a start in his chair, jolting and blinking up in shock at Canada. Canada gave him a rather despairing smile. 'Such is my life, I suppose…'
"Aha! Canada, perfect! I was just about to seek you out, wonderful timing… have a seat." Complying, the Canadian eased himself into the vacated meeting chair beside the elder Nation, peering at him from beneath his glasses. England did indeed seem agitated, which wasn't terribly unusual. Especially if America was doing something foolish.
Waiting for the other Nation to start speaking, Canada was able to quietly observe him. England seemed a bit flustered, as if he wasn't certain how to begin. 'Strange… there are only certain topics that England hesitates to speak on.' Canada wouldn't rush him if possible… but the sooner the Englishman composed his words the better. Until then, Canada continued his surveillance, dread pooling deeper in his stomach. It was as if every flustered moment by England was a confirmation of the worst.
"Has… has America said anything… strange to you of late?" The elder Nation turned piercing green eyes upon Canada, almost making him flinch. The scrutiny behind that look was intense, too intense for casual inquiries. Frowning slightly, Canada gave a meek grin.
"We are talking about America…" He said, hating to point out the obvious. Much as Canada did indeed love his brother… it wasn't a blinding love. While ignoring Canada seemed sadly instinctive by other Nations… ignoring America when he got onto strange tangents was an acquired skill. After all… sometimes those crazy tangents weren't so crazy after all. But they were family, brothers… so Canada thought he could pick the rotten from the ripe well enough. "Could you be… more specific?"
Deep annoyance shot across England's face, and Canada almost rushed out an apology. He didn't want to make the other mad… he wanted to know if England had any idea where America might be! It was terrible, terrifying even, to think that if their conversation ended now, England might never think to consult him about this again. Until it was too late. His fears of England storming away were unwarranted though, for of course England wasn't quite as volatile as that. Not when something mattered.
"It's simply… last night he was gazing at the stars… and he…" England's voice carried so much annoyance it was almost able to mask his genuine concern below it. Canada could hear it though… America wasn't the only one who'd spent time with England as a child. Canada could tell. He also knew what was coming…
"And he wished for a little brother… right?" The hitch in England's breathing told Canada he'd hit the nail right on the head. 'If people would consult me more… they'd understand.' Still, his own woes and desires aside, Canada leaned back and hugged Kumajiro close. 'So… America's telling even England this now, eh?' For America to touch this sort of subject with England meant his boisterous brother was really depressed.
"Y-Yes… how did you… does he speak of this with you? Often?" It wasn't entirely clear which England was more curious about… the thought of the two brothers having meaningful conversations… or the topic of little brothers being more than just a passing fancy. Canada nodded his head, staring at the table before them vacantly. Vaguely he could see his reflection on the polished surface… it was almost like looking at America… if America could ever be such a faded presence.
"I'm not sure I'd say often… but he does mention it a lot. Sometimes seriously… but mostly as a joke, you know? He hates being so serious… he hates to settle down and let his insecurities out." His brother, by habit and in self defense, had done a wonderful job trapping himself into such a one dimensional image. The hero, always full of energy and life, happy to a fault and blissfully unable to read the atmosphere. Canada's violet eyes flickered to England, who looked a bit morose, perhaps embarrassed.
"I… know…" It was almost like a whispered confession coming from England's lips. "I know there's more to that git than he lets on… I know he understands… I did raise him… after all." The elder nation shook his head, fumbling for what to ask next. "But… I mean… truly… it's nonsense! America has a family! He has you! He h-has me!" Oh the red flush on his face showed just how difficult that admission had been. "There's no reason to lament the lack of a tiny sibling!"
Canada could feel England staring at him, seeking out validation to his words. He didn't turn to meet that gaze though.
"I understand how he feels though…" There was a gasp, incredulous, by England, but Canada's quiet voice forged ahead. "N-Now don't get me wrong… I don't really feel the need for a little brother." Wasn't America sometimes a handful like a tiny child anyway? "I'm happy… I'm content with what I have… even if it isn't much. I… I'm forgotten so often… I'm not sure what I'd do if the little brother I was raising ignored me." The thought was painful, chilling, but it wasn't high on the list of reasons why Canada didn't share America's longing. He finally looked to England.
"I know it isn't much… but a brother who'll play catch with me when he does remember I'm just next door… another who can remember my name if he sees me… and another who's always sincere in his apologies when he mistakes me for America…" He trailed off, thinking of any others he'd consider close enough to be kin. "It's all the family I need. But… I… do know what he's feeling. The sense that we missed out on a vital experience that the rest of you seem to take for granted. It's… well…" He pet the soft fur of Kumajiro's head. "We aren't human… and our lives… our milestones… our rights of passage… what are they?
"We're so young in this world, and yet certain avenues are lost to us because of it. It's a bit… intimidating really… and a bit… disorienting. I'm… ok. I can handle it… but America? Who wants to be everything, save everyone… it's difficult for him to handle. He's always… hated that he lacks a history before his lands were 'discovered'. I wonder if he doesn't want to make sure no other new Nation feels like that."
Trailing off, Canada noticed that England had grown thoughtful, face free of anger at last as he processed Canada's words. A slight smirk came to his lips, his eyes twinkling as he stared at Canada. "I don't think you've ever spoken quite so much to me, perhaps you should speak up more often. It's good to know one of you makes sense when he speaks."
Blushing at the praise, the younger Nation quickly brushed off the urge to say he'd speak more if he'd only be noticed. This wasn't the sort of time for such childish comebacks. Instead he smiled gratefully to England, wondering if perhaps he couldn't find some way to speak with his former guardian a bit more. It'd… well it would be nice. Not completely necessary… but welcome.
"So then… if this is not a new longing… you don't believe he would have… oh I don't know… impulsively hopped a plane and gone off adventuring for a new land or whatnot?" England seemed to know better than to sound even remotely hopeful of the idea. All the warmth of the conversation seemed to die from Canada, who shook his head.
"No… even with Prussia and North Italy disappearing… I don't think he'd rush off to go child Nation finding." Sighing, Canada had to finally admit out loud what he feared. "England, I think whatever happened to Prussia and North Italy… may have happened to America."
Bitterly, England nodded his head. "As do I."
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The muffled sounds washed over his ears, warped and uneven in volume, disorienting and difficult to understand. It was like being underwater as he lie there, his body feeling heavy yet unsteady. As his mind sluggishly tried to piece things together and swim up towards waking, the thought that maybe he was underwater, or floating upon the sea somewhere seemed entirely possible.
'Why not?' Prussia certainly didn't know where it was he'd been held this past year. All he knew was that it wasn't Germany… and there was a lot of the world that fit that wonderfully vague criterion. Hell… at this point maybe he wasn't even in the world anymore. He was so disoriented it felt as though he were drifting someplace far away where only he and North Italy and these assholes existed.
These assholes and that tiny freak.
"His healing has slowed dramatically… drawing for a transfusion will be difficult…" Prussia was just able to focus enough to make out the words, and for a moment he gave himself a good mental pat on the back for his awesome listening skills.
It was bad enough that something was making him so groggy, but the man speaking had one of those voices that just seemed to drone on and on without any sort of difference in inflection or pitch. It wasn't completely robotic, but it was the sort of voice that screamed 'I'm saying something lame that Prussia doesn't need to listen to.' The fact that he was speaking Italian only added to the number of the Prussian's personal triumphs in his eavesdropping. Prussia couldn't speak every language out there, but Italian was certainly one of the ones he could.
He tried to open his eyes, brows twitching from the effort, his lids moving so slowly he felt like someone had put tar on them. The lights in the room seemed to blind him, his eyes failing to adjust quickly enough to spare him the pain. Maybe he shouldn't stare straight up at the lights above him… yeah, that'd be an awesome idea.
"So he's becoming like specimen one then?" It was another voice, and just as uninteresting as the first. His head starting to clear up a bit, the albino tried to turn his head. Maybe other Nations wouldn't be able to do it when drugged, but of course drugs were no match for him. He was able to tilt his head to the right very slowly, though it made his vision turn and blur for a moment, his stomach twist and clench with nausea.
Sure enough there were a couple of men in white coats, men Prussia had seen before and never for anything good. It curled his insides to think that these men were doing what they were. Treating Veneziano, their own Nation if their language fluency meant anything, like a science experiment? Treating it like a sack of spare parts? It went beyond disrespectful, went beyond traitorous. It was certainly, without a doubt, beyond forgiveness. If not for the effects of the drug Prussia would have been growling, curling his fists in anger.
There weren't only Italian scientists here, oh he knew that. So many people… so many nationalities. It was a regular world gathering of kidnapping bastards. If only Prussia could get up… if he could only regain enough strength to break free… international relations be damned. He'd make everyone here pay. Call it a perk of being an ex-Nation, there was no real way he could start a war, right?
"What should we do? He needs a transfusion… should we attempt to collect the Principality of Seborga?" Prussia frowned as the lab coats continued to chatter to each other. The way they stood over Veneziano like that, as if he were nothing but a culture sample in a Petri dish! It almost distracted Prussia from what they were saying. 'Seborga… that rings a bell…'
"Absolutely not. If possible we should avoid tainting him with the blood or organs of a micro nation. It could be counterproductive to our goals." With his sight mostly clear, Prussia watched the two scientists continue to lean over the comatose and wheezing Veneziano, looking from monitors to the body of the Nation, reading over charts and scribbling down notes. Prussia tried to pull on his restraints, wanting to physically drag the men away from the ailing North Italy. 'Come on body, move! This is so… not… awesome…' He wasn't sure anymore who he was most angry at… this mysterious group who'd caught him… or himself for getting caught. Inexcusable all around.
Movement at the edge of the albino's peripheral vision distracted him, causing to twist his head to the other side sharply. Reaching out towards his face was a tiny hand, the skin pale and soft. The little hand was moving towards his face, slow and reaching, inching closer and closer. Prussia let out a hiss and tried to jerk away, his red eyes shooting from the hand to the face. Shooting to lock with a pair of red eyes the exact same color as his own.
The child's face stared back at him blankly yet tinged with just a hint of curiosity. Soft auburn bangs fell about the cherubic face, a face that Prussia wanted to tear off of that little monster's body. 'How dare you look like him!' It was like a slap to the face, this little monster's appearance.
The hand had almost come into contact with his face when he heard the scientists moving, turning about to pay attention to him now. "Well, draw the transfusion from North Italy today anyway… we'll have to prepare Prussia to start giving transfusions agai—no!" Suddenly one of the lab coats was rushing over, grabbing the child roughly and pulling him away from Prussia before contact had been made. The man didn't bother to yell at the child, for as always there was that device on its head. It looked like headphones, and from what Prussia guessed, they blocked out all sound. But the scientist gestured wildly at the child, scolding it for trying to touch the ex-Nation.
The need to get out only grew stronger and stronger, and Prussia locked his eyes on the men as they sat the child next to Italy, as they prepared to rob the comatose Nation of his blood. Prussia strained against his restraints and burned the image of these men and that brat into his mind's eye.
Everyone involved in this… they'd all answer to him. If only he was still strong… if only he hadn't been wasting away on this table for a year! Fatigue washed over him, trying to drag him back down into darkness. As much as Prussia had more than enough legitimate excuses for still being trapped here… his heart wouldn't accept them. Excuses were for the weak, and Prussia was far too badass to be failing like this.
If this was his only other option than being alone… then he'd gladly be alone again. After all, it was so much fun on his own…
Author's Note:
This chapter is a little on the short side… I debated showing some of America's fate, but pushed it back to the next chapter. So… while you got more of a look at our villains, you obviously didn't get their full appearance like I promised. Apparently my author's notes are lies!
As always, reviews are very much appreciated. If you liked something, let me know… if this chapter seemed utterly confusing and disjointed from the first or if everyone is OOC etc etc… I need to know that too. I'm thinking Prussia might end up as the secondary main character but… I'm not sure I portray him well enough for that. I have no inner-Prussia!