"Thank you, mi amigo." Spain breathed gently. He and his French companion moving slowly through the empty street towards the Spaniard's room. "You do know how to make someone feel better."
"Oui. Of course, Antonio. You are my friend." Francis replied soothingly, one arm wrapped tightly around the other man for support. "Let me get the door."
The blonde grabbed the handle, pushing open the wood to see only one teen in the room now.
"Oh? Did Matthieu already leave?" France looked around, bothered by this.
"Yeah." Lovino grumbled from under the covers. "He went to see you guys and then went to his room."
"Came to see us?" Spain butted in in confusion as his friend helped him into a nearby chair. "But he didn't come visit us."
"Then he must've listened to me and went to bed!" Romano growled loudly, wanting the two to be quiet.
The Frenchman signed softly, but let a smile graze his lips. "Ah well…then I guess I should be doing the same, mon ami. Goodnight, Antonio, Lovino."
Antonio smiled weakly at the look of his worried friend. "Goodnight, Francis. Tell Mattie I said goodnight as well if he's still up when you get back."
The Spaniard sighed after the door closed again. It was just him and Lovi again.
"Why are you still up?" He decided to ask.
The Italian growled under the blanket and rolled on his other side. "Shut up dammit…"
"That wasn't an answer…"
"I said shut up! I'm tired!"
"Then why aren't you asleep!"
"Because if I fall asleep before you, your jerky ass will rape me again!" Romano cried.
Yes, he knew he had been wipe awake the first time it happened. He didn't need reminding. But he was afraid if he did fall asleep, it would be more likely to happen again. Especially since that damned Spaniard was coming from the bar.
Antonio stared at the lump under the covers that was his underling, but sighed again and looked down. "I'm sorry Lovi…"
"Just shut up…"
"But I-"
"Mon ami! Mon ami! Antonio!"
The same, long haired Frenchman burst back through the door. Sweat drenched down his tall form and his blue eyes showed nothing but panic and fear.
"France? What is it?" Spain stood, though had to catch himself on the chair before his hurt legs gave out under him.
"Antonio! Matthieu is nowhere to be found!"
"What do you mean?"
"He's gone! I checked our room, It hadn't been touched since we left this morning. Then the bar to make sure he hadn't come after us there. Still no sign! I asked my crew and men from yours even, no one has seen him!" The man wept frantically. "My Matthieu! He's been stolen!"
"That's nonsense." Antonio replied easily. "He must've just gone off somewhere you haven't looked ye-"
"Sir! Captain, Antonio!"
Spain and France looked up to the man in the doorway. Romano listened carefully through the blanket.
"Gabriel? What is it?"
"Matthew! I saw him!" The large man wailed, breathing heavily. He had obviously been running. "Someone they-someone kidnapped him! I followed them as long as I could but they got away! So I came running back here!"
France cried out in agony then.
"My Matthieu! Which way did they go!"
"Down the coast! To the west, that way!" He pointed in the direction opposite than he had taken Matthew earlier that night.
"I'm going after them!" Francis announced quickly, hands forcing themselves into fists by his sides. "I'm bringing my crew!"
"Wait! France. Maybe I should come too, just in case. We don't know who we're dealing with. You think it might be Arthur?" Spain added.
"Non, mon ami. He wouldn't come back here. Besides, when I saw his ship sail it was headed the other way." The blonde stepped away from the rest of them.
"Wait, Francis!"
"I will be fine!" He snapped back. "And I shall kill the one who took my Matthieu away from me!"
"No! Stay here for a little while, please Francis. If they came once, they'll come again!"
"You don't know that!" The Frenchman cried.
Antonio sighed, rubbing the back of his head. No, he didn't know that. But he had the hope they would.
France clenched his teeth. "I'm goi-"
"Gabriel!" Spain yelled in surprise.
"It's for the best, Captain." The large man grabbed the Frenchman's limpy shoulders before he had the chance to fall to the ground. "I only hit him hard enough to knock him out."
Spain growled. "Never hurt him again!" He commanded harshly. "Set him in the chair and go to your cabin."
Gabriel did as he was told without a sound. He stepped to the door, "Goodnight, sir." He muttered roughly, and snapped the door shut.
"Sir," A young crew member cautioned softly. "The prisoner Matthew, the nation of Canada, is below deck in the prisoner's chamber."
A strange grin spread across the face of the pale man. His shaggy hair shone silver in the new sunlight and his eyes were glowing crimson. He was dressed nicely, in dark blue robes, fancy as a pirate Captain of his status should. "Good." He replied easily, a laugh escaping his lips. "Send Ludwig to fetch him for me. The most awesome pirate Captain shouldn't be kept waiting!"
"Yes sir!"
A few minutes passed, and Gilbert was getting annoyed. Where were Ludwig and his newest prisoner already?
"Gilbert," The muscular blonde grunted, pulling along the smaller Canadian. "This is Matthew."
"I told you to call me Captain, Ludwig!" Gilbert whined in reminder.
Ludwig seemed unfazed and shook his head. "What do I do with him?"
Again, he grin returned on the Albino's face. "Let me take care of him for now. Now that we have returned from our trip into the city, we are ready to leave this hidden port and towards the little town Gabriel is residing in with Spain, France and southern Italy." He told his first mate, and little brother. "I shall capture Southern Italy and take both him and Canada to England. And I shall finish up my unfinished business with Spain and France."
"Give Canada here, you get the crew ready to depart and do so when you please, Luddy."
"Yes, sir." The German murmured, letting the other take the Canadian from him and walk off with him.
"Alright…Men! I am in charge for now, get ready to sail! We leave in half an hour! Get to work! Now!"
"Ahh! My head!" France groaned in pain. "Eh?"
He cleared his blue eyes, blinking uncomfortably. "A-Antonio? Antonio! Wake up! Antonio!"
"Be quiet!" Ludwig snapped.
"How did you get us here?" He questioned suspiciously. He looked around, his friend and his underling were tied to the post beside him. They were both knocked out and France noticed they were all on a ship. Unfortunately, it was one that was all too familiar to the man.
"It was simple, my old friend. Gabriel took the honors of knocking you out early. Next it was easy to do so with the others while they slept."
France growled, that voice. Only one person could have that voice.
"Gilbert! Let us go!"
That laugh…that same old laugh…
"Why would I do that? I have to say I have it pretty good like this. Our plan turned out better than we could have hoped."
"Our plan? What plan! Who?"
"All in good time, by old friend. For now, I should tell you not to worry about your crew. Both yours and Spain's are in the prisoner chamber under my ship."
"And where do you plan on taking us?"
He laughed again. "We are going to Turkey."
"Antonio! You're awake, mon ami! Thank goodness!" France sighed in relief, watching the Spaniard groan in pain.
"Dammit, where are we?"
"Seems Romano is awake as well." France grinned weakly.
"Why the hell am I tied up!" The Italian noticed quickly, starting to scream. He felt just like he did in that cabin. Tied up and burning in the fire.
"Shut up!" The Prussian cried, covering his ears as he walked up.
"Gilbert?" Spain gasped, pushing uselessly at his bounds. "What? Where-Gilbert!"
The Prussian laughed loudly. "Ludwig! Please, bring me my new toy!" He commanded quickly. "I'd love to show them their future!"
"Yes sir."
Walking away, it didn't take long for the German to step back onto the deck. This time though he had with him a smaller male. He was wearing nothing but ripped pants and limped painfully across the planks of cold wood. His pale body was smothered in bruises and slashes. He wobbled with the German like a zombie on puppet strings, not even able to lift his bowed head.
"Oh my god…" Spain whispered in horror at the sight. The three tied up gawked in awfulness.
"Give him here." The albino took the boy into his pale arms, holding his gentle like a child.
But this boy was a child, not small but not yet to Lovino's age quite yet.
The Prussia held onto his grin, taking his hand and lightly caressing the boy's chin.
"Greet our guests, my love." He spoke with a new gentleness, though the words burned in France's ears in a mocking manner.
Two white fingers grabbed the boy's chin, lifting his head up so the others could see it.
Lovino started crying, sobbing instantly. That face! So horrible, so disfigured now! Why would someone do that to another human being!
Spain could feel tears in his own eyes, though he only stared in pure hatred and horror.
But Lovino's sobs were nothing compared to the Frenchman near him. He screamed and howled, tears gushing down his face so greatly it started to sting excruciatingly.
This boy's face was bruised worse than the rest of his sluggish body. Cuts took over his cheeks like loving kisses and the violet eyes that bulged out were dim and stressed because of the black and blueness around them.
"Matthieu!"
Days passed slowly.
Beatings were daily.
But still they were not released from their bounds.
"Gilbert," France breath in deeply, his lungs burning with the forced air. "How long are we going to stay like this!"
A new face formed. A colder one, a darker face with a criminal grin. "Only a few more minutes until we port."
"You're here!" Arthur cheered with a clap. "And as you said in your letter, you brought even more than I could have imagined!"
"That's right, England!" Prussia laughed, motioning his crew to untie the three and bring them forward with him off the ship and onto the Turkish ground.
The three stared in surprise as they used the rest of their strength to step off the ship.
"England?" France gasped, fear forming into his face at the sight. The shorter man was known for a lot of things, but loving the French was not one of them.
"It's low, even for you to partner with someone like Arthur Kirkland!" Spain yelled at the albino grinning beside the Englishman.
"Do not talk about Arthur like that!"
The group looked to where the voice came from. It was Alfred standing in front of Northern Italy, both hand's clenching a loaded pistol, pointing it at the group threateningly.