Disclaimer: I do not own hetalia.
Hell, from the morning he woke up Arthur now knew hell, he awoke to being splashed with cold water, was then picked up and thrown across the cell and pinned against the bars. He was punched, kicked, thrown and spit on by the guards. They laughed and prodded him with insults and mocking lectures. He knew, he already knew he was going to be hanged, telling him all the time wasn't going to change his mood or make him cry and grovel. He knew and he accepted it, like Francis said, he had a good run.
He lived how he wanted to live and now he's paying for it. When the night finally came around, he was thrown his meal for the night, whatever it was he sat lumped against the wall, finally able to hear some peace and quiet. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, he lifted his sleeve and saw that his precious red coat was dirty beyond all belief, his shirt just as grimy and disgusting. He sighed and cracked his neck.
"Captain?" Toris said softly.
"Toris, it's fine...I'm sorry you're getting wrapped up in this though." Arthur mumbled not bother to look the man's way.
Luckily Toris was allowed to walk around his cell freely and went to the bars they shared. He sat against it and let his legs stretch out.
"It's okay, we already knew what would happen when he became pirates the crew isn't mad with you. It's...scary...I mean..." Toris held himself a bit.
"...I don't want you guys to die either, If I could I would ask if they just killed me but I know they wouldn't...they'd lie and do it anyways." Arthur said softly
"Yeah..." Toris mumbled. "...Well, I don't think a lot of our men would appreciate that, they're all to prideful to let themselves be saved by someone else. They'll take it with their heads held high, smug bastards till the end."
Arthur smirked. "...lets all then, smug bastards till the end...maybe I should make a speech?" Arthur asked smiling a bit though it was painful.
"I would like that..." Toris murmured.
The next morning Arthur awoke to his own inner clock, his eyes were groggy and clouded with dirt. He sat up and looked around as his eyes adjusted to the dim light in the cell. He sighed and straightened his back before giving it a crack.
"Morning Captain..." Toris said softly.
"Oh, you're awake? Morning." Arthur said and looked over to Toris.
"Yeah, well when Alfred slept in my room he always woke with the sun, it kind of got to me." Toris said nonchalantly.
Arthur stiffened and his eyes narrowed as he glared at the ground, clenching his fists. "Oh..."
"I-I didn't mean to...bring him up." Toris said nervously.
"No, he and I...we don't." Arthur held his head and then looked to Toris. "Do you ever wish you could redo the events in your life?"
"Yes, sometimes captain...you?" Toris asked doing his best to not set the man off.
"For a time...it was my childhood...how I was raised and abandoned. I wish I could burn it all away." Arthur said taking a deep breathe as he scratched his head.
"And now?" Toris asked.
"Now...more then anything I wish I could have at least not met the man...or have done things right." Arthur mumbled.
"That's kind of stupid." Toris said more to himself, letting his thoughts burst out.
"Huh?" Arthur asked tilting his head.
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean...It's this cell it's getting to me." Toris quickly retorted.
"Still, what did you mean?" Arthur asked still staying level headed.
"...I guess...I just doubt you would never want to meet him though. I think you would want to meet him again, no matter what the outcome." Toris said off handedly.
" You romantic fool...but yes I can see what you mean." Arthur mused.
"Yes, in this situation I guess that's all I can be." Toris said bringing them back to reality.
"Hmm..." Arthur hummed as his body ached.
"Do you think...Alfred is somewhere walking around now?" Toris asked absentmindedly.
"Yes, with his brother, talking happily I hope." Arthur retorted.
"You hope? That's quite kind of you captain." Toris said a bit taken aback.
"Heh! I'm just a complete idiot!" He humored.
"No, just a romantic fool, I suppose." Toris smirked.
"Cheeky are yah?" Arthur sighed. "...well we're never going to meet again, we wont be meeting in another life or anything stupid like that. He better be happy afterwards."
"...I don't think he will." Toris said softly.
"What do you mean? That my death isn't enough? Did I break him beyond repair is that what you mean?" Arthur hissed standing up quickly to glare at the other.
"Captain..." Toris sighed.
"Out with it!" Arthur ordered.
"Th-there's no way he would break in the first place! There's no way...even if it may have seemed that way...there's no way he could stand tall the way he has been. Have ever looked at his back?" Toris asked softly eying his now bewildered captain.
"His back, well yes-"
"I mean really look at it...for all it's worth?" Toris added quickly.
"...I'm not sure." Arthur said his memories going back to seeing Alfred's lashings scarred all over his back in that night they said goodbye.
" Well I have, when he stands, though he kept his face sullen and dead, his back portrayed him. It was strong, broad and defiant." Toris said softly.
" What does that have to do with anything?" Arthur asked wearily.
"He's not broken and since it's Alfred he would never want to see you or any of us hanged." Toris said leaning his head back against the cell.
" Are you trying to make me believe he's coming to save us? I've never known you to be such an idiot, Toris." Arthur said with a huff of annoyance.
" I don't know...I just still have faith in the man, not letting people he cares about die."
"Well, maybe he'll save you and the crew in the end." Arthur muttered.
"No, he'll save you too, he still loves you." Toris mentioned fiddling his fingers not looking to his captain.
If Arthur had been drinking something he would have spit it out by the man's words. He grabbed the bars that the two shared and slid down in a crouching position.
"I raped him Toris..." Arthur said darkly.
"I figured as much..." Toris said not looking at his captain.
"Then how the hell can you say he still loves me? Has this flee infested place finally rot your brain away?" Arthur asked growling a bit.
"Not at all captain in fact this place allowed me to voice my thoughts without fear." Toris stated noting the bars between the two.
"You're going to lecture me now? Heh! Like you know anything.' Arthur huffed.
"Captain, I could feel it that he had a plan that he was determined to do something and follow through till the end. He escaped and I bet he planned his fight with Ivan just for that moment. Most of all he planned that fight at that time for a reason. He may be an idiot about most things till he puts his mind to it." Toris said with a huff.
"You-"
"It's true comrade." An ici cold voice stated from down the dungeon hall.
"Ivan!" Toris asked and went to the front of his cell to see if he could see the man. Just barely, he was tied up but he could see the man's long legs on the ground.
"He came in the middle of the night...I believe after spending some time with the captain." Ivan said and Arthur blushed a bit in remembrance.
"I remember him waking me up and asking a favor. I wasn't going to do it but that smug look on his face irritated me so much I couldn't help but agree." Ivan said softly.
"Agree to what?" Toris asked.
"Well he came in and told me he wanted to escape, he knew he was probably going to be tied up or guarded when we made port so he had to get off before then. I was curious...he is a strange man is he not? He asked if we could have one last brawl, an all out battle to end it all, of course I agreed especially when he said I could punch him with all my might as long as I knocked him overboard." Ivan said thinking back and gave chilling grin though the other two had no idea.
"Why did he need you to punch him over?" Toris asked and Arthur nodded.
"He wanted to fight me again...he has pride as a man. He wanted to go all out and see what would happen then escape. A two in one, da?" Ivan asked with a small chuckle.
"Alfred slow down!" Matthew panted out as he carried a large barrel on his shoulder.
"Can't do that Mattie! Gotta keep goin'!" Alfred said with smile.
The two were making their way from the market down to the dock where they put the barrels in a row boat and covered them with a tarp. Alfred tied it to another row boat and started rowing out to see, the land curved and Alfred rowed through a few coves till he was out of sight of the town. He met nothing but see and the huge cliff side with a cave opening that he slowly rowed into. Rowed into the dark cave and until he washed up on rocky beach deep within. A lantern shown brightly in his face when he arrived.
"There you are, I've been waiting all day!" Francis huffed.
"Hey sorry, just make sure we have enough food." Alfred said with a grin.
"There's always a price to pay for making someone wait." Francis said softly and with one finger traced the under part of Alfred's chin.
Alfred gave him a deadpanned stare and shoved a loaf of bread into his mouth and began unloading the barrels onto the beach.
"Get them onto the ship...how is everyone?" Alfred asked nervously.
Francis took the loaf out of his mouth and glared at the other for a moment. " They are disposed of on another part of the island...like you asked. I'm surprised Matthew had such a...volatile substance on him. Though he did buy it at the black market but still..." Francis muttered in thought.
"Well, that's my brother, he's awesome." Alfred said with a grin.
"Yes, Matthew is amazing and so are you...are you sure you can go through with this though?" Francis asked worriedly.
"Hey I thought you said I was amazing! I am going to go through with this, so we can all get our happy ending." Alfred said sternly.
"What if it doesn't work?" Francis interjected.
"I can't think about stupid stuff like that...I need to think of how it will work." Alfred said and returned to his row boats.
"Be ready for tomorrow! Big day!" Alfred said and pushed his rowboat back in the water before jumping in.
Francis sighed and wondered how he could have gotten himself so wrapped up with Alfred's affairs, truth be told he was excited. He felt that old burning passion he thought once long buried. He was completely astounded that Matthew was going to go along with them as well. Those brothers never cease to amaze him, they do complete each other in a way.
Naive fools but he will hold so hope for them. If things worked out well enough there would be a happy ending.
The next morning, the day of Arthur's and his crews execution. Arthur would be first along with Toris, Ivan and Yao. The more prominent show pieces then the rest of his crew, if anything they were to be sold off by traders as slaves. Since the most the wood beam could support was four decent sized bodies, the probability that his other men were either just shot or sold was more lilely. Not him though, Arthur was going to be hung for all to see and cheer for, as he deserved. He wasn't fed breakfast and he knew he wouldn't be fed all day, no need to waist food on a dead man.
It was getting close to noon and they were to by hung by sunset, the block head fools probably just wanted a reason to drink more that night, if the hanging was in the afternoon or morning they couldn't drink till they passed out because of rules and regulations. This would probably be the last sunset Arthur would ever see. Arthur crouched down and held his knees, he wanted to be held, he wanted Alfred if just a minute come in, wrap his arms around him and smile warmly at him.
He knew that wouldn't happen though, Alfred wouldn't come, he wouldn't comfort him and he wouldn't smile a loving and caring smile not anymore, not for him. He clenched at his pants and closed his eyes tightly. He was scared, he didn't want to die, he knew he didn't deserve it but he felt so scared and so small.
"Captain...I want to apologize about my behavior. these past couple days" Toris said softly looking at his captain's shrunken form.
Arthur was silent and he gave a muffled response. "Shut up Toris."
Toris did just that and leaned against the wall of his cell and tried to keep himself calm as the minutes ticked away.
The two didn't know how long it's been but a few guards came in and extracted Arthur, Toris, Ivan and Yao from their cells. They were hand cuffed and roped together and pushed through the dungeon. Arthur made sure that before that he placed his favorite hat on his head and tried to brush off the dirt on his favorite red coat. He walked his head down till they made their way outside to the courtyard, he lifted his head up and looked to see where he would be hanged and the audience waiting for it all to happen. He looked and he could see the setting sun and couldn't help but smile softly and let his eyes tear up.
It was a beautiful sight, of oranges and pink hues that decorated the ocean, the sun was starting to sink into the ocean little by little creating even more wonderful colors, if Arthur thought about it; dying after seeing this didn't seem as bad. Still it was, he looked side to side and noticed that walls were lined with marine officials, not one looked like Alfred or Matthew.
He sighed and felt thankful that the last thing he saw wasn't cold and dead blue eyes of the person he should have loved more. The sunset and the sea is the last thing he should see, that's all he ever lived for anyway. He was marched up along with others up the stairs and forced to stand on a stool as the rope was placed around his neck. Thankfully, they didn't tip his hat off.
-I had to cut it at some point because it would turn into too long a chapter if I just kept going...I was thinking about if I could get most of what I wanted in but it just didn't feel right.
Also Thanks for the reviews and reading this story, I hope you're still enjoying it!