What's in a Name

Chapter 17

Alfred felt Arthur stumble backwards as soon as the light was shut out and they were plummeted into darkness. It was impossible to see even a hand right in front of his face, let alone the crazed gang leader that he knew only too well was looming somewhere in the room. Heck, he didn't even know how big the room was! There could have been an army of manic bikers in there for all he knew.

"Alfred?" Arthur's voice rang out through the black space with a clear edge to it, his accent standing out all the more from it.

"I'm here." He replied, wishing for the life of him that his eyes would adjust to the lack of light even without the luxury of his glasses.

Something reached out and tugged on the sleeve of his jacket, causing him to nearly rip it off himself and then grab whoever it was and use the bar the he still held in his hand on them.

"That is you, right?" It was Arthur. Thank God!

"You do know you nearly got a lead pipe to the face just then? Don't do that!"

The other man didn't reply and Alfred could just imagine the crease in his brow as the grip on his arm tightened slightly. Oh yeah Alfred, what a great mess you've gotten into this time!

He broke the contact between them briefly, instead clasping holding of the other's smaller hand with his and holding the bar up in front of him, anticipating any attack that he knew was going to come their way.

"Al, what are-?"

"Shh." Alfred shushed him, still trying to force his eyes to see through the wall of darkness that was surrounding them. "He can hear everything we say."

"That's true."

The voice came from right next to him as Alfred whipped around, swinging the bar wide in a fruitless attempt to hit the man but to no prevail.

His arm was suddenly jerked to one side and Arthur's hand wrenched from his grip, vanishing back into the shadows before the clicking of a lighter started from close by.

The flame jumped into life, illuminating the small area of the room that the three of them were occupying. The small orange light cast dark shadows over both Ivan's and Arthur's features, making the taller man all the more terrifying as he held the lighter up under the smaller man's chin, holding him firmly in place with his hand on the back of his former subordinate's neck, digging his nails into the mess of blonde hair.

Most of the room was still in complete darkness, but the small fire had now caused the doors to reappear behind Ivan, showing Alfred his and Arthur's only route of escape. Surrounding that were a couple of tables, each covered with different books and papers that had been ripped to shreds and scattered over the wooden surfaces, looking crinkled and burnt, definitely damaged beyond repair and if anything, they summed up the gang leader the best: haphazard and broken.

"Two little flies trapped in a web,

Should really be more careful where they tread,

A spider lurks in the dark waiting and watching,

Feeling their hearts fill with dread."

The flame glinted in the violet eyes, making them look even wilder than usual. Ivan was well within his comfort zone, and it was only too obvious. Fire, after all, was what he worked best with.

Every time Arthur struggled the lighter was moved closer to his face, and with Ivan holding him still from behind, it was impossible for him to move anywhere.

"I must say that I was surprised." He tilted Arthur's head up violently, making the smaller man flinch as his hair was pulled. "I would never have pictured you to be the type of person to chase after Jones, England. Isn't he rather extravagant? Oh come now, I'm just making conversation." He replied to the glare that Arthur shot at him, grinning at the shorter blonde. "And what about you Jones? What is England to you?" He sniggered, following the shadows on Alfred's face.

Alfred murmured something, taking a few steps forward towards the blurred figures in the light. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't make his eyes focus with so little light in the room, and they stung badly without his glasses.

"What was that?" Ivan's smirk grew as the boy got closer.

"I said his name's Arthur!" Alfred yelled, stopping a few feet from the other two.

Arthur stopped struggling in Ivan's grip to stare at Alfred, his arms falling back to his sides. His eyes had gone wide at the other man's outburst, seeing him enter further into the light of the small fire, positively seething at Russia. He'd gotten angry to defend him. Alfred, the man who until the previous night had always been so carefree, had gotten angry to defend him.

"Ooh." Ivan breathed out, readjusting his grasp on the back on Arthur's neck. "Oh this is interesting!" He barked out a short laugh, not moving his gaze from the figure in front of him. "You've changed in three years. I'll tell you something, Jones. That last time in the warehouse was the first time anyone managed to hit me. Oh yes, I've had my fair share of injuries, haven't we all? But you were the first to actually hit me. No one's ever gotten that close since, either. So why, when you of all people should know the consequences, would you put someone important to you in harm's way again? That's the one thing I don't understand."

Alfred focused his eyes as best he could on Ivan's, ignoring the stinging that threatened to make tears roll down his cheeks. He could feel the sweat on his hand from where he had been gripping the bar for so long, making it feel sticky and uncomfortable. But it was also hidden in the shadows at his side, out of the light of the flame that was still flickering horribly close to Arthur's ear.

"I have changed." He took another step forwards, "But you haven't." Another step. "You're still the same sadistic asshole that you were back then. You don't care what happens to the people around you as long as you get what you want." Ivan's grin flickered. "But I'm not scared of you anymore. I know what you're like. If things don't go your way then you lash out at whoever happens to be there at the time. You target what's most important to the people who oppose you and then beat them down until they have no choice but to follow your way of doing things." Three feet left. "You run away when things turn in a direction that you didn't expect, but when you hit a dead end and run out of options then you go straight back onto the offensive like you have now. You're so predictable."

Alfred stopped with less than two feet left between them. He could feel Arthur's green eyes looking up at him. They were strangely reassuring despite the fact that Ivan's equally intense eyes were boring down at him.

He swung the bar up at such a speed that Ivan barely had time to defend against it. He let go of Arthur and brought his arm up in front of his face, taking the full force of what Alfred through at him, being careful not to drop the lighter and lose the only source of light in the room, knowing full well that he too would be at a disadvantage if it was lost.

Arthur felt himself getting pulled back by the taller blonde, ending up crouched behind the practically blind man who was still wielding the lead piping in front of him, ready for any move the gang leader might attempt. Alfred breathing was a lot heavier than normal, and it was now painfully obvious how much trouble it was causing him trying to see.

Blood was already soaking into the sleeve of Ivan's shirt where his ex-partner had hit him, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Pain was a weakness and he would not let himself submit to it.

The smile had now been completely wiped from the man's face, being replaced by a harsh glare that easily surpassed that of Arthur's. It was something that Alfred remembered only too well that would make even the toughest gang leader question opposing the man. It was why they had been so successful in all their raids.

Then something moved and the next thing Arthur knew was that he was being thrown backwards and out of the way of a massive blur that had now hurtled into Alfred, waving the lighter in front of him, threatening to set anything in his path alight.

Alfred had disappeared somewhere into the shadows, leaving Ivan alone in his small patch of light. He could see the glowing blur on the other side of the room next to what looked like a rather large bed. It was obvious to tell that this room was decorated in a similar fashion to Ivan's study, expect for the fact that it appeared that the gang leader had destroyed a large amount of his possessions in this room.

He darted back out into the light, making another swing at the taller man and feeling the flame lick at his face in response before something a lot harder made contact with his shoulder again. Ivan had evidently found his sister's weapon again.

The clanging of the bars echoed throughout the room, ringing in Arthur's ears as he watched the two other men dodge and defend against each other's attacks. There was no way he would be able to get in between them without either him or Alfred getting seriously injured in the act. Russia was far too strong for him.

Alfred, however, seemed to be able to equal the gang leader's strength, much to his annoyance. No matter what Ivan threw at him, Alfred could either defend against it or avoid it completely only to throw his own attack towards the other man, he was very rarely hit himself.

And then the light suddenly disappeared, leaving them all completely blind in the pitch black once more. Ivan had shut the lighter.

A loud clang rang out as something hard hit the wooden floor and Arthur felt himself jump off the floor and rush forwards, not caring what he found in front of him.

A harsh breath choked out in the dark, bringing the smaller blonde to a halt. His eyes were adjusting and he could just about make out the shapes of the two men in front of him, the taller towering down over the smaller, who now had his arms brought up to his neck, trying to force a long object away from his throat.

"Predictable, eh?" Ivan whispered into Alfred's ear, revelling in the struggle the younger man was having in breathing. "You didn't see this coming, though, did you?"

The door suddenly burst back opening, bathing the three of them in the dim lighting from the hallway outside. A figure ran into the room, attaching itself to the gang leader's back, trying to force him to let go of the bar he was holding up against Alfred's throat.

"Ivan, no! That's enough!" Katyusha's voice was strained as she fought against her younger brother's grip. She struggled to reach the bar to push it away from Alfred, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes when Ivan refused to relinquish his grip.

"Don't interfere, sister." Ivan's voice was cold, lacking any emotion for his sister. He didn't even spare her a glance as she continued her futile effort to make him release his grasp.

"No! This has gone far enough!" She prised herself between the two men, joining Alfred in pushing the bar away from his neck. "What would Mama say?"

"Mat'?" Ivan's grip finally loosened, allowing Alfred to duck away, collapsing as he tried to get his breath back. "She stopped caring as soon as she left to be with that man! And then she left us with another little sister to care for!"

Katyusha turned to face her brother, but didn't meet his gaze.

Arthur had run to help Alfred, supporting him as his breaths came in harsh coughs and splutters. His eyes were streaming from the effort it was taking him to see, but he still watched the other man, not wanting to lose sight of him for a second in case he did something unthinkable.

"She loved us, Ivan." Katyusha said simply, looking away from him again, instead staring at the bits of burnt paper that was scattered on the tables.

The two of them remained in silence after that, not moving from their respective positions in front of one another. A series of small clicks rattled in the dark before something was thrown onto the bed, flickering slightly before the covers started smoking.

Alfred's mind stopped. The unthinkable had just happened. Fire was always his last resort.

He grabbed Arthur's arm, pulling himself to his feet before grasping hold of the smaller hand and making a dash for the door before the flames started to spread.

"Come on!" He shouted at Katyusha, turning around in the doorway to see the two siblings standing stock still in the bedroom.

The woman looked up at him, smiling, before shaking her head shortly and bringing her brother's head into her arms and cradling it gently. Closing her eyes, Katyusha felt the heat in the room intensify as the fire spread of the covers to the wooden frame of the bed. "You'd best find your friends and leave quickly." She glanced up at the two men again, "And take Natalia with you. It's about time she stopped following us and walked on her own."

Arthur felt Alfred's grip tighten on his hand, and saw his expression harden. "We will." He muttered before turning on his heel and running away from the room, pulling the shorter man along with him.

Alfred could hear Arthur shouting something after him as they sped back through the corridors. The door to the study was still left open and by the look of it, the four people inside had calmed down since their disappearance.

Antonio looked up as they entered the room, missing the urgency on their faces. "Ah, you're back! Thank God! I think Gil's got a broken rib or something-"

Arthur swept past him, looping an arm under Gilbert's shoulder before glaring back at the Spaniard. "Well come on then! Give me a hand!"

"What's going on?" Lovino was batted to one side by Alfred who, much to her horror, scooped Natalia up and swung her over his shoulder, ignoring the kicks that were aimed at his chest and the tickling sensation that her hair was causing on his neck.

"We need to go." He spoke shortly before heading back out the door, still overlooking Natalia's shouts.

Antonio helped Arthur to lift Gilbert to his feet despite the man's frequent statements that he could "fucking walk by himself!" and jerked his head for Lovino to follow Alfred out first, there was no way he was going to let him go last and end up getting left behind.

"So what actually happened?" Antonio heaved Gilbert forward another couple of paces, glancing at Arthur, whose concentration was overshadowed by the obvious distressed that was marked all over his face.

"Bastard set fire to the house." Arthur muttered, struggling with Gilbert's weight resting on his shoulders.

Lovino glanced over his shoulder, the shock clearly showing on his face. Gilbert muttered something in audible from next to him as Arthur's pace sped up when he noticed Alfred already turning the first corner. He was surprisingly fast, even when he was carrying a very disgruntled Belarus over his shoulder.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Natalia's voice screeched down the hallway and when the four former gang members caught up with them they weren't surprised to see the woman trying to prise herself from Alfred's grip when she was faced with the image of the burning room in front of them.

The fire had spread across the full length of one wall now and was quickly engulfing the surrounding objects. The light flickered menacingly out into the corridor, its heat intense as it crackled louder than even Natalia's shouts for her siblings as Alfred dragged her away from the scene.

It was not a pretty sight as the flames took hold of the open doorway, leaping out into the hall as they sprinted past it.

Lovino had his phone pressed to his ear and was shouting into it, calling for the fire service to come to the house, pausing only to double check where they were.

The smoke was travelling through the house at an alarming speed, irritating Alfred's eyes even more. It was getting ridiculous with how little he could see, and kept having to stop to make sure he was going the right way. Why did the house have to be so damn big?

And then there was light. It came as a wave of relief when Alfred could finally feel the cool air at the entrance to the building. The others must have left the door open when they had come bursting in. However the heat behind them was quickly catching up as the fire spread through the decrepit old house. The wooden framing wouldn't hold out for long now that the walls were catching alight.

Even when they had gotten outside Alfred had to struggle to contain Natalia, trying to stop her from rushing back inside the house. He'd forgotten how strong that girl could be when her mind was set. It was one of the reasons she was so dangerous.

It wasn't long before the blare of sirens could be heard in the midmorning air, the red truck soon circling the corner at the end of the road before coming to a halt in front of them.

An ambulance had also been sent as a precaution and the paramedics were quickly crowded around Gilbert and Alfred, one of them carefully taking the distressed Natalia to one side while others started tending to Alfred's wounds, his shoulder and arm taken into particular consideration.

Gilbert was busy complaining that he was fine bur was still hefted up into the back of the vehicle so that they could get a better look at him. Lovino took great pleasure in pointing out that the albino was flinching every time one of the paramedics touched the place where he had been struck by the gang leader.

Arthur had taken to quietly watching Alfred get treated, his arm had fresh bandages applied to it and his eyes were examined carefully as the younger man was asked a series of questions to which he avoided giving any straight answers.

A small group of firemen had entered the burning building, hoses in tow to beat back the flames that were still spreading on the inside of the house. The smoke was now billowing out of the front door, though no flames could be seen as of yet, it was still too soon.

It wasn't long, however, until one of the men reappeared carrying a figure wearing distinct overalls, which were now charred by the flames that she had been trapped in.

Natalia finally broke free of the paramedic that had been restraining her, shouting for her sister as she practically knocked the fireman over in her attempt to see Katyusha. She was placed in the ambulance with Gilbert for the paramedics to look after before the man retreated back into the building before the youngest of the three siblings started interrogating him about her brother.

More and more sirens were blaring around the corner, another ambulance appearing along with several police cars.

Natalia was quickly taken to one side by an officer to be questioned, reminding Alfred just how long they had been searching for her and her brother. They were, after all, wanted for their offences that tied in with their gang activities.

The ambulance holding Katyusha and Gilbert closed its doors after Antonio quickly jumped in, accompanying their friend to the hospital and Alfred was taken into the second one so they could treat his wounds properly, though they didn't follow the others to the hospital.

The police questioned everyone who was still at the scene, Alfred's interrogation taking a particularly long time because of his previous involvement with Ivan and Natalia and also because he seemed to be the only one left there who seemed to be injured, but again, he wasn't packed into one of the patrol cars as Natalia had been, and was left watch the last of the firemen exit the wrecked building, not finding anyone else inside.

"So they didn't find him then?" Gilbert was sitting up on the hospital bed, still looking slightly uncomfortable.

The group of them were all sitting around the small hospital room, waiting for him to be discharged (which wouldn't be too long judging by how Gilbert was treating every nurse that entered the room to check his blood pressure or to give him his next dose of pain killers).

"No." Arthur sighed, rubbing his hand over his forehead and yawning. "No sign of the wanker. The police were still searching for him when we were brought over here."

They had been in the hospital for several hours now, first waiting for Gilbert's diagnosis and Alfred's examinations to finish, then receiving the news that Gilbert did indeed have two broken ribs where he had been hit, and now they were just waiting to be told that the now rather impatient and loud-mouthed man would be allowed to leave.

"Maaan!" Gilbert groaned, stretching on the bed. "I hate hospitals! Why couldn't they just let that glasses idiot take care of everything?"

"Roderich's got enough on his plate right now, don't you think?" Antonio frowned from his position in the chair next to the bed, absentmindedly playing with the hem of Lovino's shirt as he perched on the arm of the seat. "I mean, he had a major casualty show up last night, then you and Francis appear out of the blue with Peter. The poor guy must be exhausted."

"That woman'll be alright though, won't she?" Lovino batted the Spaniard's hand away, huffing at him. "I mean, they found her pretty quickly."

"If she's anything like her brother, then she'll be fine." Antonio's usually bright smile was tired as he looked up at the younger Italian.

"She's nothing like her brother." Alfred muttered from the corner of the room. He had been silent since he entered the room once his examinations had finished, instead remaining away from the rest of the group, not wanting to be crowded too much.

They had seen Katyusha getting wheeled off to the emergency ward as soon as she arrived at the hospital, an oxygen mask strapped to her face and several doctors quickly gathering around, ready to start treatment.

That was the last they had seen of her, the doctors not telling them any details of her condition, rather concentrating on keeping a bored Gilbert under control.

Arthur stood up from the bed, crossing the room in quick strides and stood in front of the figure slumped in the corner. Alfred didn't look up, keeping his gaze locked on the floor, even if the action of staring still made his eyes itch.

He crouched down, lifting up Alfred's now dirt free face, searching his brilliantly blue eyes. He really did look so much younger without his glasses.

"She'll be fine, Al." He smiled, running his thumb along the other man's cheekbone. "After looking after those two for so long she's got to made of sturdy stuff. If she's got the courage to stay in a burning building, then she's brave enough to make a full recovery. Okay?"

Alfred closed his eyes, letting his head flop forwards to rest on Arthur's chest. He shuddered slightly before letting his arms rest around the smaller man's waist. Arthur moved his hands so that they brushed through the other's hair, carefully combing out the tangles with his fingers. He felt his expression warm when Alfred gave him a quick squeeze in his own little way of letting the older man know he was alright.

"Well now, this is a development!" Gilbert's cackles cut through the room, bringing Arthur's attention straight back to the three other occupants.

"Put a sock in it, git." The Brit growled, scowling at his injured friend, making a mental note to make the man suffer later on.

Gilbert laughed, but then decided that the action was a bad idea when the pain returned in his side, glowering at Arthur when he smirked.

"Come on then." Arthur hefted Alfred back up off of the floor, allowing the taller man to lean on him slightly (though not too much because he was so damn heavy!). "Have you got another pair?" He motioned to Alfred's eyes, the concern for his lack of glasses showing on his face, even if the other man couldn't see it properly.

"Yeah." Alfred raised his hand to his face out of habit, still not used to his glasses not being perched on the bridge of his nose. "Back at the apartment."

"Good." He stood back up straight, rolling his shoulders into a more comfortable position. "You know if you don't stop whinging then they're never going to let you go." He raised an eyebrow at Gilbert who was now massaging his side, trying to make it stop hurting.

"You could be more sympathetic, y'know." Gilbert scowled, trying not to flinch again. "And here I was thinking that having the old you back was a good thing."

"Of course it's a good thing." Arthur placed his hands on his hips, glad to know that his confidence (arrogance) hadn't suffered. "Now I don't have to worry about anyone stopping me from giving you what's coming to you."

He chuckled. It was as if a weight had finally been lifted off his back after the event of the last few hours. He was finally free from that idiotic mess that he had gotten himself into and damn, if that didn't feel good then he didn't know what did.

The detail that Braginski had disappeared nagged at the back of Alfred's head less than it probably should have, but that was a minor spec at that minute in time. He'd only seen Arthur smirk like that once, and that was when he was bully him just after they had first met those couple of months ago, but he didn't look this relaxed back then. He actually genuinely looked happy (even if Gilbert was suffering for it…).

It was only when a nurse finally entered the room and told them that Gilbert was free to leave and to "stop this noise at once, this is a hospital!" that the commotion ended.