REWRITTEN: 7/16/2015

CHAPTER TWO
The Mini Mart

It wasn't his fault.

Feliciano couldn't have seen the shadow drawing close, or the fist rising to strike. It all happened in an instant. One moment he was talking to Ludwig, the next thing he knew he was on the ground.

First came the punch. A hit to the jaw staggered him, and the phone fell from his hand. Next came the slam. His head grabbed by the hair and brought down hard against the trunk. The pain came first, but it fell numb. The crimson liquid that seeped from his brow told the rest of the story.

His body tried to fight while his mind wanted to flee.

Blindly he swung fists not heavy enough to do damage, but he hoped his attackers would figure him more of an effort than he was worth. He was not so lucky. Though the thrashing caused them pause, it didn't take long to find a solution. Feliciano only realized what was going on when he felt the pressure on his neck. He was dragged into a headlock, and no amount of pushing and punching would free him then. The lock was held, air was cut off, and it only took a moment longer before things went black.

The sky darkened as rain began to pour. The attackers, now done with their little showcase, readied to leave. One of them hoisted the limp body over their shoulder while the rest led the way to their escape.

Once the line went dead he tried calling again.

And again.

And again.

When each attempt was met with nothing more than voicemail, he rushed to call again. But no one was picking up the phone. When five minutes had passed and he realized the entire ordeal was futile, Ludwig put his phone down.

He glanced out the window and saw the clouds – watched the storm brew. A desperate part of him hoped that the weather was just causing a poor signal. That the only reason Feliciano wasn't picking up his calls was because he simply wasn't getting them. But the rest of his mind was left in uncertainty.

The World Meeting was less than twenty minutes away. Ludwig figured that Feliciano would meet him there and calm his concerns. Everything would be sorted out, the brief peril would fade, and the memory would be no more than a discarded thought.

Ludwig put the worry in the back of his mind and chose to focus on getting to the meeting. He grabbed his keys and made his way to the door. Though there was a maze of dogs to pass through on the way out, he escaped without much difficulty. From there he simply walked. The meeting building was a short distance away from his house, and it took a solid five minutes by feet. By the time he arrived it seemed like the brunt of the crowd had already shown up.

Arthur and Francis were bickering, no surprise there. Alfred poked at both of them, looking for a fight from either or.

Kiku sat quietly at the other end of the room, doing more observation than conversation.

Yao and Gilbert were nearby, but seemed to be in their own selective worlds.

Ivan was terrorizing the Baltics yet again and Felix acted like, well, Felix – Toris pleaded with him to stop. So much chaos, it wasn't a surprise. He was just wondering how long it would be until fists started flying.

Things seemed in order, aside from an empty seat.

"No Italy so far..." Ludwig murmured as he found a spot next to Kiku.

"Hello Ludwig-san," Kiku said, voice calm and quiet compared to the rest of the room.

"Say, Kiku. Have you seen Feliciano at all today?" His companion shook his head.

"I haven't. Why, is something wrong?" Ludwig was hesitant. He didn't want to make a big deal out of what could easily be nothing. But if it was something he'd regret waiting to mention it until later.

With a sigh, he spoke. "Ja, he called me earlier. I couldn't really tell what he was saying, but he sounded panicked. Not that that's very surprising." He shook his head at the thought of all the false alarms he had been dragged into before: Feli could freak out over the smallest things. But this time it seemed different, left an unsettling pit in his stomach. "Before I could find out what was going on the line went dead. I don't know what happened, and I don't like it." Kiku nodded, showing understanding but being not nearly as concerned.

"It's probably just a misunderstanding. I'm sure Feliciano-kun is fine." Ludwig shrugged. He didn't know what to think, but settled on assuming Kiku was right.

The meeting started shortly afterwards, but there was still no Italy. Not that anyone really noticed: it was just as loud with him as it was without him. People argued, that was normal. Alfred stuffed his face with food as he taunted other nations. Arthur was yelling, and Francis was making fun of both of them. Nothing new there, most meetings started and ended just like this.

When it became obvious that this would be another dead end meeting, people started doing their own thing. After years of the same old shenanigans, blocking out the bickering trio was easy. For most at least, Ludwig was one of the unlucky few who just couldn't get used to it. While individuals like Kiku were unphased, Ludwig was left slowly losing his patience.

He tried his best to keep the anger contained, but it built up quickly. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore.

Knowing well enough that sticking around would result in him exploding – literally or figuratively – Ludwig roughly slid back his chair. He stood, and exited the room without looking back. Fresh air: fresh air was what he needed. Get out and clear his head. If he was lucky he'd run into a certain Italian.

He left the room, left the hallway, kept walking until he was out the door. Once the cool wind hit he face he let out a relieved sigh. Ludwig closed his eyes, just to enjoy the moment of silence after the Hell he'd been through.

These meetings never got any easier.

When his eyes opened again they wandered. The sky was so cloudy now, but it hadn't rained yet. Not here at least, but Ludwig knew the weather would catch up eventually. The two trees that bordered the entrance of the building were losing their leaves. Winter wasn't so far away anymore. These oak giants, tended to year round, just seemed to get bigger and bigger every time he came back here. It was no surprise that they caught the eye of passerby, or that Kiku found peace watching their flowers bloom in the spring.

Ludwig was so lost in thought, thinking about the trees and their nature. It was very calming and very peaceful, a drastic change from inside the meeting room. He liked it, it definitely helped him keep a cool head. His eyes only snapped away when he heard someone walking by. They walked fast, with some concerning purpose. At first Ludwig turned to see if it was Feliciano, hoping so desperately that it was. But it quickly became clear that his hopes were misplaced.

The man who passed him in a rush hid his eyes behind tinted shades. Match that with a leather jacket, dirt brown hair, and a shirt stained in red and this guy looked as suspicious as suspicious could get. There was no eye contact between the two of them, only a simple glance before the man went into the building.

Must be another micro nation, Ludwig thought. Every so often one would show up and try to fit into the meetings. Though usually they were smaller, and walked with purpose. Never so suspicious. Nervous maybe, but not suspicious. Ludwig wondered if he should be concerned, maybe head inside and see if he could get the nation talking.

But he didn't need to, just as quickly as he had entered the man was leaving. There was a devious smile on his lips, the type of smile that told Ludwig something was wrong. But the man walked past him without a second glance.

Halfway down the staircase a slip of paper fell from out of one of his pockets. Ludwig hesitated, before he realized that the man hadn't noticed. Ludwig got to his feet and grabbed the paper, before rushing after the stranger. Unfortunately, by the time he reached the bottom of the staircase the man was already crossing the street, walking as fast as he had been entering the building. Ludwig reached the crosswalk, but it was too late by then. The man disappeared between rows of cars – there was no way he'd catch up now.

Ludwig sighed, now what? The man was gone, and he had lost something on the way. The only hope was to find out who he was.

He flipped the paper around, checking for a name or address or anything. On the outside there was no writing. Not a single mark of pencil or ink, so he proceeded to unfold it. What he saw caught his eye.

"To Ludwig~"

His heart skipped a beat. But he quickly shook his head. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation," he mumbled. There wasn't just one Ludwig in the world after all. Maybe this man just happened to share his name, it wouldn't be a surprise.

The message however, suggested otherwise. It read:

CIAO

We have someone you know Luddy.

If you want to see him again go to Pysauer placae on Meahsntecr.

-2P

Ludwig sat there, frozen in place.

Thoughts zoomed through his mind as he tried to understand what was going on.

What does this mean?

Who are they talking about?

What are these jumble of letters?

He read the letter once, twice, three times before turning on his heel. Now he walked with a purpose - he needed to show everyone else this letter. Maybe they knew what it meant, because he sure didn't.

He took the stairs two at a time. He was going so fast that he almost missed the picture at the very top.

The back was facing him, with some scribbles strewn about. He picked it up carefully, trying to read the words. It stated: "Pysauer placae, 11/3" Ludwig still couldn't tell what the location was meant to be, but maybe this picture would give him some inside information.

But the picture only gave more questions than answers.

It was Feliciano. His hands were restrained behind his back, and his feet were chained. He lay on his side, tears streaming down his cheeks. His face was heavily bruised with a thick bandage at his hairline. Still, a trail of blood flowed down his forehead. A thin cut was on his cheek, almost hidden by the shadows created out of frame.

A figure was barely visible.

It appeared to be someone standing next to the cameraman. Ludwig couldn't tell who they were just off of the shadow alone. Only that they had a knife in hand and a curl that looked all too familiar.

That was enough. Ludwig couldn't keep this information to himself any longer.

He rushed back into the hallway, back into the meeting room. He threw the doors open with more force than intended, but it helped nonetheless. Sure seemed to shut everybody up. The fights stopped, the murmur died down. Eyes were locked on Ludwig, and for once he wished there wasn't silence. "I have something everyone needs to see," he stated. His voice was firm, and hid the fear in his eyes. He slammed the letter and picture down onto the table, glancing at them as he tried to form the right words. People sat in breathless wait.

Eventually, Kiku chose to slide over towards the end of the table. Slowly he reached out and grabbed the picture, as if he was scared Ludwig would stop him. When there was no resistance he looked down at the image.

Kiku's breath hitched. No other reaction was necessary, it got all the rest on the edge of their seats. He put the picture down as quickly as he had picked it up. "What... is this?"

Ludwig shook his head, finding the words hard to muster. This was all so... unsettling. And most people here were being left in the dark. He had to get the secret out. "I..." he started, so unsure of what to say. "I don't know."

The letter and picture could speak for themselves. Kiku started passing them around, taking a moment to read the piece of paper before moving it down the line. It seemed like the poker faces most were mustering faltered upon seeing the "clues" at hand. Especially Lovino, whose face turned red as he started muttering curse after curse. To no one in particular, at least for now.

Once the pages made full circle and were back in Ludwig's hands he folded them up and left them to the side. Kiku appeared deep in thought, you could practically see the gears shifting in his head. Ludwig wondered what was going on in there.

It took a moment of silence before Arthur cleared his throat. Gazes were instantly upon him - the spotlight had shifted. "As you can see, we have a situation on our hands," he spoke as he fixed his tie. The situation was uncomfortable for everyone, it seemed. "I say we should investigate. This... could be some cruel prank. But Feliciano is missing. It wouldn't hurt to go find him." Most nodded and murmured to their shoulder partner, disrupting the unnatural silence. Attention went back to the Brit as he yelled across to table. "Ludwig! Do you know anything else that could help us?"

The German nodded slowly. "Well... I got a call from Feliciano before the meeting. I think he said he was... shopping? I'm not quite sure."

"Do you know where?"

"Probably at the mini mart. There aren't a lot of grocery stores in the area." Within an instant Alfred shot out of his chair, shaking the table and pushing a startled Frenchman to the floor.

"THEN THAT'S WHERE WE'LL START!"

From there the search began.

The respective Axis and Allies went to the mini market. It was the only real lead they had, but not everyone was interested. Some didn't care, others chose to search elsewhere. The rest left the meeting without another word.

They only had one car.

Since Arthur was one of few who actually bothered to drive to the meetings, the party was stuffed into his Mini Cooper. The arrangement was not very thought out, and rather uncomfortable. It would have been easier to hail a cab, but that was realized too then. They were on the road, and weren't about to stop.

Arthur and Kiku sat in the front. Sort of a poor decision, since they were two of the smallest. Meanwhile Ludwig was crushed against the car door, next to France. Alfred was in the middle, a prime spot for him to annoy everyone. Ivan was to his left, and Yao was left half on his lap and half on the door. To make it all worse neither Francis or Yao had seat belts.

This was a disaster waiting to happen.

"We should probably find the car. He's driving around in my old BMW now," Ludwig mumbled as they arrived at the parking lot. It was raining harder out here, the sky dark and gloomy. Alfred made a remark on the depressing atmosphere, but Arthur quickly shut him up.

Things didn't get much better from there. Once they got out, they discovered only one umbrella.

Ivan agreed to hold it up and let everyone else shuffle around him as they walked. Most ended up soaked and drenched anyway. Though if there was one person who didn't care, it was Alfred. He was more than happy to run through the rain, as excited as a kid in a candy store. Puddles were splashed, to say the least.

Arthur muttered an insult under his breath, before quickly went back to surveying the area. It didn't take long for them to actually find the car.

Despite the parking lot being packed, the BMW stood out from all the rest. That just peaked their concern more though. Something had obviously gone down here, but no one had noticed or questioned it? As if they were too busy thinking about themselves to notice the surroundings.

The first thing they noticed was the spilled groceries. One of the three bags had been ransacked, and it seemed like things were missing. The other two were untouched, but some of the contents had fallen out. How did no one notice this?! Ludwig thought as he examined the mess. This was ridiculous, how could people be so careless? But it seemed like these groceries weren't the only thing left behind.

The next thing they noticed was a dent in the trunk. The car, though old, had never been in an accident. The dent had to be new. It was small and not the most notable thing, until you saw the blood. Specks were left on the trunk and a small trail was spotted on the ground. Almost unnoticeable, Arthur questioned how the stain survived through the rain. Though now dry, it was obviously fresh.

"It looks like someone laid in it," Ivan threw in his two cents, "but not for very long." Alfred knelt down to look closer, but his eye caught the oil.

"Hey, it looks like someone was messing with the pipes. What's-" Alfred's voice caught in his throat as he spotted something. He leaned down and reached under the car. It took a moment before his hand caught cloth and he tugged an object out. Holding it up, it seemed to be nothing more than a white cloth, soaked and stained. But that was only at first glance.

It took less than a second for most to realize what it really was: a white flag.

"I-Italy?"

A/N: When I was reading the letter I read it as "Pyrosaur Place on Meatchester." I know my stories. Also rereading this chapter made me realize how stupid some of the things I wrote were. I'm so disappointed in younger me. How dare you be so incompetent. For shame.

(But seriously the mini mart was originally over 40 miles away just? And the picture had a time that said it was taken at 3:27am? Also Germany took his car keys but not his car apparently. I was so bad)

The Rewritten chapter is 235 words longer than the original.

Quick List o' Names (1P Addition)
- Feliciano Vargas: N. Italy
- Lovino Vargas: Romano/S. Italy
- Ludwig: Germany
- Gilbert Beilschmidt: Prussia
- Honda Kiku: Japan
- Alfred F. Jones: America
- Arthur Kirkland: England
- Ivan Braginski: Russia
- Francis Bonnefoy: France
- Wang Yao: China
- Matthew Williams: Canada
- Feliks Łukasiewicz: Poland
- Roderich Edelstein: Austria
- Elizaveta Hedervary: Hungary
- Antonio Fernandez Carriedo: Spain