There were multiple words he could think of to describe his mindset at that moment. Dread. Worry. Anger. And yet, the biggest thing he was doing was praying. Praying that the sight of the women was just a coincidence and that they weren't here. That his Harper wasn't in trouble or hurt. He knew she had to be afraid of what was going on and what was around them, so it was why he was flying down the hall with Feliciano as they searched for the others.

"Where are they?" Feli asked him.

"I don't know." he replied, "Somewhere here."

"Think Vlad will be ok?"

"He should. We cared for his wound as best as we could."

Shouts echoed the last door as they met the end of the corridor. He nearly sprinted to the wooden piece as it got louder and language fouler. They were all in there. Throwing the door open, Kiku saw the others as they were all fighting with their wives. Demanding to know why they were here in the first place. Through the confusion and fighting, he looked around the room, hoping to see here. To hell with fighting or being angry with her, all he wanted to do was hold her close and know she was alright.

But as he searched, there was no sight of her. Nothing. He felt his heart race as he tried to figure out where she was. The fighting was nothing more of a nuisance as it grew louder within the room. The guys shouted over the girls as the girls spat back their own reasoning.

"Everyone please." he tried to speak over them.

No matter how many times he tried to gain their attention, he was overthrown with their arguments. Even Feliciano was being ignored.

"Hey guys, it's serious." he heard Feli say, "It's about-"

"Not now Feliciano!" Ludwig shouted at him.

Watching Feli flinch at his words as he tried to help Kiku was all it took to take his anger to the limit.

"ENOUGH!"

That silenced the room. He stood there panting as his fist shook, he was shocked that he even shouted like he did.

Finally, he sighed, "Where is Harper?"

The girls looked at him, then to Nora. Question was on the girl's face as she looked at him.

"She was with you. You shouted for her and she went running over to you. You guys left out that side door as everyone fled the ballroom."

"With me?" panic slowly filled him.

"No. Kiku and I were over taking care of Vlad as everyone fled the place. We didn't have Harper at all." Feli replied.

The air went still and stiff as the words sunk into the situation.

"She's not with you?" Amber questioned.

All he could do was shake his head as the guys gathered around and started to make plans about how to get her and what action to take first. He on the other hand was sinking deeper and deeper into his mind as the fear began to overwhelm him. All he could envision was Nora and-

"Chto ty skryvayesh', Ivan?" Lily demanded.

"Nichego."

"Don't lie to me. You and Alexei have that same damn face, so tell me."

"What is going on?" Brie asked.

"Explain the forty-eight hours Ivan, if not you, all of you men. For you all are hiding something." Lily pushed at them.

"Forty-eight hours? You mean like finding her? Hell, it took nearly five months to find Nora. I mean I understand the rush, believe me I do. I want Harper back safe sooner than later but it's been done before. So why the-"

"Because Genesis found a new way to torture the nations." Ludwig cut off Juliet, "And it involves capitals not yet turned."

"What?" Marie gave a puzzled look to him.

"What happens in forty-eight hours?" Nora asked.

The girls were answered with silence. He, himself, didn't want to face that answer, knowing the truth that laid behind it as he watched the man suffer.

"We know the truth of what happens to a capital if they die away from the nation or outside its borders." Alfred replied.

"Alfie?"

"Of all the things to keep from us, that?!" Juliet stormed, "Did you really think it was a wise idea to do something like that, knowing we hold onto each other like we do?"

"It was for the best love, believe me." Arthur placed his hand on her shoulder, just to have it slapped off.

"Best for who?" she demanded, "So what happens?"

"Ja, I want to know along with them. We have the right to know this." Marie added.

He was unsure how to answer them as the thought of Harper suffering circled his mind, yet he never imagined the gentle man to step forward and speak about the truth.

Dropping his shoulder, Feli gave a small sigh, "It was Ankara. She was in market one day, just doing what she would any other day, then Genesis came in and grabbed her right under from Sadiq. We all scrambled and made sure everything was out and searching. About forty-eight hours later we found her, only a few yards away between the Turkey/Armenia border. But by then it was too late. She was..."

Feli trailed off as his own hands shook of the truth and what he saw with them. The girls were silent as he spoke, there wasn't much to say.

"We found Habibah and it seemed she dragged herself away from them as she was dying. It seemed at first when they captured her, they killed her. A single shot to the head. Yet like you girls, she came back as Ankara, but she was in Armenia then and away from Sadiq." Arthur followed after Feli, "From what the medical found, she was destroyed inside-out. Not from Genesis, but from her own changing. Her body couldn't correct itself to be the capital. Escaping was her only option in her state. She held on until the very end, making sure she was close to the borders. It was amazing that Zehra survived the ordeal. Mother's love I'd say."

There it was. The truth of capitals changing outside the borders and now another capital was in that line of danger as he stood there like a fool.

"Oh, my god. I'm sorry. I should've held on harder to her. I shouldn't have let her go. It's my fault, I didn't mean to I swear. I'm sorry." Nora sobbed out as she collapsed against Yao.

"Nora, you didn't know, it's not your fault." he consoled her.

"Mein Gott, what do we do now?" Marie asked.

"The only thing left now is to quickly search the castle and the area before it becomes too late of time." Francis replied. "After that we must move to look elsewhere. A way to play a game with not only her, but you as well Kiku."

He was lucky to think straight, let alone formulate a plan up. He was speechless as they all stared at him, almost waiting for answers from him.

"It's alright Kiku, just think for a moment. I can have Gilbert, Roderich, and Vasko out here in a matter of moments searching the lands as we move out around the nation." Ludwig said, gaining nods from them all.

Lightly nodding his head, he went along with their plan as they spoke briefly to other nations and tried to pinpoint locations she might be near. yet walking the corridors of the castle, he felt utterly alone and useless.

He couldn't protect her like he promised. He let her get kidnapped. Hurt. Scared. Dying. Everything that he promised to never do and yet it happened. She looked at him as this great warrior when he wasn't even near that title. Once in his life and history, he was. A strong nation and warrior that was a force to be met with, but now he was nothing.

The tone of his cell rang out, pulling him out of his fog that he felt.

"Hai?"

"Kiku." he heard Im Yong speak through, "Get over here as fast as you can."

"Nani? Naze?"

"I found a blacked-out area in my nation. It had some weird activity earlier but it just went out a moment ago." Im Yong explained, "I know the situation with Harper and I have a hunch that this activity involves them."

"Are you positive?"

"Very. I'm looking at it right now."

"Have everything checked all the way. Do not invade it yet, we still have a bit of time. We act too fast they'll move with her." Kiku ordered him, "Where is the location?"

"An old abandoned movie set on Jeju Island."

With a stiff hum, Kiku hung up the phone and ran. He was running to get there faster than anyone else. To make sure she was there. Running to get his hands on the bastard that took her. And when he got his hands on him, may god have mercy on his soul.

Hell. It was the only thing that fit. An excruciating, white-hot, burning hell that took over her body and soul. Her voice was going hoarse from her screams, her body stiff and ridged in pain as overwhelming pain ran through her veins. She wanted to die, anything was better than the torment she was living.

His laugh pierced the air as she let out another scream. Besides her body wanting her dead, he was just the nasty bug that wouldn't go away, no matter how many times you swatted him.

"Does it hurt?" he asked as he pushed his finger into her temple.

Harper tried to hold it all in as he continued his torment, to hold it together a little longer. A sudden slap to her face made the pain rocket throughout her body, ripping another pained scream out of her.

"There." he laughed, "Good girl. You're more fun than the last one we had. She was stubborn. Even in as much pain. Must've been her kid she was thinking of."

She couldn't tell where he was as her vision went in and out of blur to darkness, her hearing faded back and forth between the same as well. He kept poking her and touching her as the pain rolled through her. Laughing every time, she flinched. All that she really knew was that he took her somewhere away from civilization and she was curled up like a ball on the ground.

"So, sweetie, do as I asked. Scream his name."

It was the one thing she was denying him. Yelling Kiku's name. He wanted her to do that so badly, demanded it really, yet she gave no budged to it. She remembered Nora saying that the one wanted the same thing from her. The pervert. The one that-

"Don't make me play rough."

She cringed at the thought of it. Another pain came forth so strong it brought up her stomach. The vile taste of blood laced her tongue as he laughed. She felt the tears slide down her cheeks as her own nose bleed from the force of the pain.

"Now you're too messy to play with." he said, seeming like he was standing above her, "Time to clean you off."

Stinging icy water washed over her face and chest, setting off another wave of pain. She felt him grab her wrist as he pinned them above her head painfully. She tried to get away yet his strength was too much for her body as he sat upon her torso. Fits of coughs and muscle spasms hit her as he chuckled.

"Looks like the little capital is running out of time. If I'm correct, since I grabbed you, it's going on almost twenty-four hours now. So, where's you're nation?"

Harper refused to answer. Couldn't even if she wanted to try. Her voice was gone as more blood and bile rose to her throat. She wanted to spit it on him, yet she was too weak to even turn her head. Shoving her head to the side, he sat down roughly on her stomach, making her lose it once more as her body stiffened up once more.

"Don't like me like this." he asked, "Can't agree thought, you are quite pretty."

She felt his free hand skim down her chest and across her belly, the same way he used to touch her. Her nightmare was back. The hell was once again before her and Kiku wasn't there to make it go away. Harper pushed against him as he touched her body.

"Oh, a little fight now. Good." he sneered as his hand went lower.

She let out a weak cry as his hand dipped to her skirt. She attempted to kick him off, at most doing whatever she could to get him away from her.

"Now don't tell me, are you a virgin?" he smiled against her cheek, "Lucky me. I love a good virgin's scream."

Harper tried. She tried so hard to get away from him as he laughed at her attempt to be free. To get away from him as more pain riled through her.

"Not going far are you." he laughed as he tried to push her legs apart, "You have two choices, scream his name or mine when we start. Scream Thales if you really want it."

He was crazy, batshit crazy. She was running out of energy and hope as he held her down. What more could she do, beside pray that she would survive and that it would be over quick. Kiku flashed in her head. His smile, his eyes and smell. It all hit her, the last motive to keep going as she got her foot against his chest. Her hands becoming free as she beat against his head and chest.

"Now we're gonna fight?" he said as a new source of pain hit her hands as cold metal hit her skin, "Fight with those then."

She knew what they were before the blood dripped down her arms. The same thing happened when her uncle pressed the blade into her hand after killing Hops. She was trapped down once more as another wave hit her, this one more powerful than the others. She screamed out in pain as he laughed again.

"Now you will see what a real man is."

Harper cringed, hoping it would be fast and quick along with her death, yet neither came. All she heard was a strange gurgling sound as a warm liquid hit her chest. His hands were suddenly gone along with his body, giving her a moment to move. With a solid kick, she hit him square in his chest as she scurried away just to have another set of hands place themselves on her shoulders.

She tried to push it away, she was lucky to even make it out as her vision was blurred once more. All she knew was that she was going to fight, even if it killed her.

"Harper, it's me!"

She didn't trust that. She's never trust those words after that mistake. She pushed against the body again as something warm draped over her shoulders and the sweet smell of cherry blossoms and green tea filled her. Finally, she stopped, trying to focus on what was before her as her mind and body told her to fight.

"Harper, if you can hear me, cover your ears and close your eyes." they said, "I don't want you living anymore of this."

Her body moved without her knowing as her hands covered her ears and she squeezed her eyes shut. The familiar scent still hit her as she slowly felt warm and peaceful, the pain slowly going away as the body left her side. She heard mumbling as they spoke. They slowly became distant, unable to hear or know what was going on until pained screams filled the air. She tried to escape the sound, almost replicating the sound of Hops. The sound of death. No matter how hard she clasped her hands on her ears, it was no use to escape it. Then silence.

She waited. Wondering what would come next as she cried against the ground just to have a gentle hand caressed her wrist, a touch she knew too well and welcomed. Being pulled up to sit, she felt the jacket become tighter as the warmth of the body was in front of her. She was terrified to open her eyes, half afraid to see Thales or her uncle before her.

"Harper?" they spoke, "Harper, it's ok, you can open your eyes."

She was afraid, no, terrified to even let go of her ears, let alone open her eyes.

The gentle touch came to her wrists again as the sweet smell hit her once more, "I'm here Harper. No more to be afraid of."

Finally, she slowly slid her hands down and opened her weary eyes. She noticed the pains no longer hit her as the world slowly came to. Looking up she saw him, those brown eyes staring into her own, worry and delight laying within them.

"Kiku?" she heard her voice squeak out, now noticing the new accent.

"Hai. It's really me Harper."

"Kiku?" she felt the tears become heavy as she realized that she was safe and sound now that he was there.

"I'm here, there's nothing to worry over, I promise."

Harper believed him. He really was her warrior that rescued her. The tales of the knight in shining armor came true as he cupped her cheek in worry.

"I want to go home Kiku." she couldn't hold her tears back as she leaned against him.

"Don't worry, we're going home." he said, placing his arms around her in a tight embrace.

Before she knew it, he hoisted her in the air bridal style as he walked away from the hell she faced, "Harper do me a favor and don't look back, ok?"

She didn't argue. Her mind was stuck between the reality of being save and being a capital to the wonder of the blood stains upon his shirt. Harper lightly leaned her head against his shoulder, just enough to be able to look back and see why he asked what he did. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Thales, well, pieces of him at least. He was destroyed as the only thing visible right off was his head stuck to the wall by the katana.

It was then she realized that a man would do anything to save the ones they love. No matter the cost of it or the damage it may ensue. They would fight armies and battle evil just to make sure that their loved ones were safe and out of harm's way. She understood the girls' husbands and now Kiku.

Never was Harper more thankful for Kiku coming into her world, showing her that not all was bad and that she was strong enough to stand on her own, no matter how hard it was. As she laid her head against his chest, another thought passed her mind as the earlier episode raced her mind, but she wouldn't bring that up to him. Not just yet at least.

For now, all she wanted was him and him alone. To be Tokyo and Japan.