CHAPTER TWELVE

Part of the Plan

Tick Tock Tick Tock
The repetitive sound of the abnormally loud clock was all that was heard throughout the cell hallway. Luciano had left randomly again after dinner and hadn't returned. As a result, one person was sent to watch over Feliciano in case their counterparts got wisp of their location. Coincidentally, the person happened to be Jean who was more than irritated at the obnoxious ticking and the crying Italian. Though it had died down a bit after Andrew left, turning to small whimpers every here and there, the clock never seemed to seize ticking which just caused even more irritation.

So he sat there on the small wooden chair outside of the cell, smoking a cigarette without a fuck to give. He would've gone outside to do such a thing, since it would stop him from having to smell such a putrid odor, but he was given strict orders by a man wielding a katana to not leave that spot unless told otherwise.

Any other day he would of happily socked him in the jaw or land a good kick in the shin, maybe even the groin, but he wasn't in the mood to get into a brutal fight. No one was. They were all either tired or injured, not prepared to start a brawl. So he just took it and left without another word. He had to swallow all of his pride in order to do that. He despised Kuro, as most others did. He could easily be defined as an asshole or a bastard, as most of his family referred to him. Jean saw him as a rat, a pest. Something that no one wants but just keeps coming back.

Few liked him, Jean never meeting any personally. Though he would love to so he could slap some sense into their heads. But it wasn't a likely occurrence, this he knew. He also knew that the other reason Luciano kept him around was purely based on the fact that Kuro could fight. Not just fight, fight good.

That's not something everyone can say for themselves. Put together Kuro, Luciano, and Kasper were a group of killing machines that would take on anyone and everyone in order to win. But they weren't so lucky in World War II. Allan ended up sealing the deal at the end of that war, bombing Japan really did it.

Then peace was restored, but such a thing can only last for so long before someone decides that want to rip so-and-so's head off. Then their allies get in and before you know it they have another war on their hands. It was the sad truth yes, but it was the only truth.

Jean broke away from his dreamland when he realized that the cries had completely stopped and the clock was the only thing making a noise. He wondered why they had actually kept that piece of crap. It had come with the shop, of which was abandoned after the previous owner was evicted. He decided, out of all of the things he could have left, to leave the stupid and obnoxious clock that no one would even use.

But what he considered even more sad was that they hadn't gotten rid of it yet. Listening to the constant ticking could drive anyone mad. "Tu vas bien italien?" Jean asked, trying to test Feliciano's French skills as well as making sure he didn't kill himself when he wasn't paying attention.

"O-oui, je vais bien." Feliciano's reply was shaky and full of sadness. It could've made Jean feel bad, if he actually cared. "Vous pouvez parler en français?" There was a moment of silence, Feliciano likely trying to process the question. "Oui un peu. My big brother Francis taught me." Jean smiled. It was nice knowing that Andrew and himself weren't the only ones that could speak French.

He had tried to teach Luciano when he was younger, but he outright refused to and was just now starting to pick up basic words. "Well that's nice to hear." He said, switching back to English since he knew it would be the easiest for the two to communicate. He stood up, dropping the bud of the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his foot.

He walked over to the cell and knocked on the door. Something on the other side jumped before crawling over to it. Jean unlocked the hatch and pulled the heavy door open. Light flowed into the room and Feliciano was forced to shield his eyes. "I figured you'd might want to see the light for once." Feliciano stood up on weak legs and walked around a bit to get the blood flowing again.

They threw him in here right after dinner and, normally, he would have fallen asleep but he was just too scared to. He never really liked the dark in general, so being locked away in it made him nervous. But so did his counterpart. He was a psycho, as most if not all of the others were. It obvious the only reason they were keeping him alive was for the sake of their 'master plan'. If he wasn't alive then they couldn't control his friends. He sometimes wished he was dead though. He hated being alone, no one to talk to or hang out with, no one to share a good laugh with. It was boring and it made him feel unwanted.

Jean watched him slowly walk out into the hallway. Feliciano coughed a bit at the smoke that was lingering in the air, waving his hand around in an attempt to blow it away from him. But it just didn't seem to work. "Eh, Jean come in here!" Sebastian yelled. He looked over at Feliciano and shrugged, too lazy to force him back into the cell. "Follow me." He started down the hall without receiving any form of reply. Feliciano stood puzzled for a moment, before rushing to catch up.

They strolled back into the living quarters and joined with a group that was circling around the table. "What's going on?" Jean asked, no emotion in his tone. No one had to answer for him to realize what. A cell phone was placed on the table, Kasper's specifically, on speakerphone with an unfortunately familiar voice on the other end.

"Ah, ciao Jean."The other grunted as he pulled Feliciano along.

"Luciano." He stated bluntly.

"Aww, someone doesn't sound happy to hear from me~"

"What do you want Luciano?"

Jean hated him when he was like this. He preferred the mad Luciano, or even the psychopathic one over the nice and cheery, happy side if you will, of him. He reminded him too much of his brother, or his counterpart if anything. It disgusted him. And the fact that he was so bipolar, he could be cheery one moment then trying to rip your neck out the next. It was one of the reasons why, in the end, he was the leader of the Axis and the most dangerous enemy of others.

"I guess I should tell you, sì?" Just by the tone of his voice, they could easily tell he was smiling.

"It would seem that we have a minor... set back in our operation." Andrew lent forward a bit, palms on the table.

"What kind've a 'set back'?" Luciano laughed.

"Ah, you see. It would seem that I've been captured!" His voice was far too cheery. How in the hell could he be so happy about something like this?

"What do you mean you've been captured baka!?" Kuro yelled at the phone, a death grip forming against the brim of the table.

"What I mean, idiota, is that I've been captured by the counterparts and they are holding me hostage." Sarcasm lingered in his voice, it was obvious, and only pissed Kuro off more.

"I swear to god when I get my damn hands on you-" He cut himself off, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from spiraling out into a series of Japanese curses. It was obvious that if he could he would of happily flipped the table in response to his built up anger. But the only problem was the fact that Kasper's phone was on it. Though it could be easily replaced, it would give Kasper an excuse to beat the crap out of Kuro. He had those muscles for a damn reason you know, and just about everyone knew that he would love to use them on a certain someone.

"Kon'nichiwa Kuro-san."

Allan's hand jolted up and covered Feliciano's mouth, stopping him from saying a word. Koru looked up at the phone, and stared at it. The anger on his face subsided, his grip on the table disappearing. He stopped biting his bottom lip, which was now bleeding slightly. Everyone raised an eyebrow at his reacted, which was probably the least thing they expected. How the hell was his counterpart calming him down? It made things every more interesting than they already were.

"K-kon'nichiwa Kiku."

Kuro muttered, avoiding the eyes of the others who were either forcing back laughter or mildly confused. The two exchanged short words in Japanese, likely to lessen the amount of embarrassment for Kuro, since he would surely his this from just about everyone later. Once they finished Kasper bid farewell to Luciano before hanging up the cell phone. "We'll talk again later."

"Sì, tutto parte del piano."

Luciano had to beg them in order for Alfred to hand over his cell phone in order for him to dial an anonymous number. He refused to let them put the number in themselves, since he said they could possibly remember it and that would be bad for him later. So they hesitantly released the bindings just enough so he could remove a single arm and put in the number. It took three tries before the person on the other line finally decided to answer. Luciano had expected this since he was calling Kasper after all. And Kasper had a thing where he refused to answer numbers from random people, especially since he didn't want to end up on the same line with a telemarketer of some sort. Those guys were annoying after all.

So a good ten minutes later, after being annoyed immensely by the caller, he finally answered. The very last thing he expected however, was to hear Luciano on the other end. He was relieved since he had been a bit worried about his boss since it just wasn't like him to disappear out of the blue, at least during important missions such as this one. He grouped everyone together and then they talked.

Luciano was heavily annoyed by Kuro on the other end, who obviously didn't understand the current situation whatsoever. But he refused to burst out in complete anger in front of the three men holding him against his will, not that he disagreed with their actions. After the phone call ended they tied him back up but Luciano smiled. He knew exactly what effect Kiku had on Kuro, and he planned to use it to his advantage. Whether it was cruel on not, he couldn't really care. He wanted to make Kuro suffer and, in the end, he would.

But he didn't stop paying attention to those behind him. The three men were talking, discussing something. He knew that they didn't understand what he had said, but at least one of his companions was bound to. He couldn't hear much since their voices were hushed for the most part, but he could pick up a couple of sentences.

"-you two should go and take a break. You've been up longer than I have."

"Leave you here? With him?!"

"Kiku that's a crazy idea!"

"Just trust me. He can't fight me, he's far more injured and I have a weapon."

Silence. Followed by a sigh. "Fine, if you insist we'll go. Just down the road to the coffee shop though, and if anything happens call us." Alfred slipped on his jacket that he briefly took off and Arthur stepped off to the side. "Don't worry, I won't lay a hand on him." Luciano smiled as they began to leave, the shocked expressions on their faces proving to him that they didn't realize he was eavesdropping. "You better not." Alfred mumbled as the two departed.

Once Luciano was sure they were gone he began to speak to the other, who decided to sit behind him rather than in front. "So, what is the real reason you sent them away?" Kiku shifted uncomfortably behind him. "Was it that obvious?" He asked, still refusing to show himself. Luciano laughed half halfheartedly. "Yes, I figured you noticed."

"Apparently not." Luciano looked over his shoulder, trying to spot the smaller man but failing, his smile fading. "Why do you hide from me Kiku? I thought we were friends." More silence.

"My apologies for misleading you, Luciano-san, but I never considered us friends." Luciano leaned back in his chair, looking up at the roof, smirking. "Ah, you're so polite Kiku. I wish Kuro was more like you. Then maybe I'd reconsider putting his head on a stake." Kiku's eyes widened slightly. He was surprised that his voice could go from the cheery, happy go lucky Italian he knew and loved, to the voice of a killer, in mere seconds. The drastic change was both terrifying and amusing.

"Is that so.." Kiku muttered, finally deciding to show his face. He pulled a chair up to sit in front of Luciano, who finally decided to meet with the other's gaze. An unintentional stare down started, the two never losing eye contact. "So," Luciano began, still not breaking eye contact. "You want to learn more about Kuro?"

Kiku looked away, breaking the connection. Was he that easily readable? Being such an open book was out of character, for him at least. No one really figured him out as easily as this one had just done, and it scared him. He tried not to show it though, fighting off the one emotion he hated so much. Stay strong, stay calm.

"Hai." His voice was balanced, not too loud or too quiet, but it quivered. Luciano's smirk grew to a smile, it was his turn to be in control of this imbecile. "Well, what would you like to know?" Silence again, and it was starting to irritate Luciano. But he figured he should have seen it coming. If Kuro was loud mouthed with a colorful vocabulary, then Kiku would probably be the shy and quiet type. "Did... you change him?" Luciano's smile faded away and was replaced with a serious expression. "What do you mean change him?"

"I know that he was always... power hungry. And that he was always wanting to control everyone. But it was never so bad. Not before World War II. Yes, he ruined my relationship with my brother, but I prefer to see it as setting a boundary. Yao-san was also trying to get into my business, protecting me if anything. I tried to explain to him that I wasn't a child anymore, that I could take care of myself. He just... wouldn't listen and Kuro-kun acted upon it."

Luciano was interested now. He hadn't really heard this story, specifically because Kuro told him to stay out of it and that it wasn't his business.

"But then World War II happened. And... it was like I wasn't talking to the same person. He changed so much, and I never found out why. I had-" Kiku stopped, it was almost as if continuing was too hard for him. "I had to banish him, I had to kill him in order to stop him. When I did, I thought he was gone for good. I thought that I wouldn't see him again. But then, out of the blue this news about Two-Ps pops up. I didn't believe it at first, I didn't want to. I didn't want to have to go through the same thing that panned out in 1945.

"I don't know where else I might find answers to this. You're the only source I have, and I don't even know if I can trust you in the first place. But, I just need to know something. Anything, that could help me understand what happened."

Luciano smiled, he could easily manipulate Kiku at this rate. He was weak mentally, broken down into pieces and scattered across the ground. This obviously wasn't a state that he was used to being in thanks to the clearly noticeable shaking. "Of course I'll tell you what you want to know. But first, I have a question for you." Kiku raised his head and gave the other a questioning look. The smile on his face just pointed towards a devious plan that he was bound to be creating. "Are you really trying to save Feliciano?" The question caught him off guard, his eyes showed that he was confused.

"Of course I am." Luciano's smile faded away, replaced with a serious glare.

"You are? Really? Because you seem more interested in Kuro than your so called companion."

Luciano hissed, his anger seeming to come from out of nowhere.

"So Kiku, what is it? Are you really trying to help Feliciano out, or are you still Kuro's little boy toy?"

He spat. His words stung the other greatly. Yes, he wanted to save Feliciano. He wanted this to be all over with. But he also wanted to know the truth, something he had been missing for so many years. "Either way." Luciano began, his voice cheery once more and cruel demeanor disappearing.

"I still think you're plan is relatively good, just a few kinks here and there. Of course it can't go out to it's fullest without a bit of my help." Plan? What plan? The Asian man wondered, pondering on the topic. Almost as if he could sense the disturbance, Luciano answered his non existent question. "The plan you told me earlier. Don't you remember? I know old men have poor memory but sheesh, I didn't expect it to be this bad." Kiku raised an eyebrow at how straightforward the other was being. "Why don't you revamp my memory, Luciano-kun?" Kiku hesitantly asked, wanting to know what was going on.

The Italian sighed. "Your plan was simple yet... suitable enough for the situation. It was tactical, interestingly enough, and consisted of three teams infiltrating wherever your friend was being held. But since you don't know that location yet, the plan was still undergoing some.. bugs. So on and so forth, communications and whatnot were worked out. All and all, it was still durable and fairly simple. I still don't know how you could of forgotten it. After all, it was your plan." Kiku didn't know whether or not it was truly his plan, but in the end it wouldn't work without knowing Feliciano's location. "Which I'll be more than happily to provide."

It took him a moment to realize that Luciano had been talking the entire time he was lost in thoughts. He sighed in relief, knowing that this lunatic couldn't literally read his mind. "If I may ask, why would you?" Luciano sat there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and wondering the same thing as well.

"I guess... I'm just getting tired of this damn dimension. I want to go home..." He muttered the last part, but it was loud enough for Kiku to understand what he had said. "Anyway~" Luciano clapped his hands together as best he could, despite the bindings. "If you want to find Feliciano, he'll be at the end of a deserted road known as Dahlgren Drive. Take that all the way down until you see an abandoned warehouse. He'll be in there and I'll be sure that my... associates are long gone before you get there." He finished his sentence off with a goofy grin.

Before Kiku could of even think about thanking the other, the door to the room burst open and in fell a familiar American. He toppled onto the ground, face first, and laid there for a moment before perching his head up. Arthur jumped into the room, seeming just as panicked as Alfred, before realizing what the situation was and straightening up.

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about." Arthur cleared his throat in an attempt to hide how awkward that was. Alfred got back onto his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, you were worrying too!" He protested. Arthur nodded. "Of course I was, we left him alone in a room with a psychopathic maniac. Who wouldn't be?"

Kiku stood from his spot and calmly walked over to the two. "Alfred-san, Arthur-san, I have good news." The two traded glances before turning their attention back to Kiku. "What is it?" Alfred asked, trying to hold back his excitement. He allows loved news. "I have a... location. Where Feliciano is supposed to be. And a plan that will help us infiltrate it.. safely." The two blondes smiled. "Really? How did you get him to talk?" Arthur blurted out without thinking. Kiku shrugged. "I guess he just trusts me more." While they spoke Luciano's smile widened.

You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, Kiku~

Tu vas bien italien = You okay Italian (French)

Oui, je vais bien = Yes, I'm fine (French)

Vous pouvez parler en français = You can speak French (French)

Oui un peu = Yes a little (French)

Idiota = Idiot (Italian)

Sì = Yes (Italian)

Kon'nichiwa = Hello (Japanese)

Sì, tutto parte del = Yes, it's all part of the plan (Italian)

Hai = Yes (Japanese)

A/N:

**Evil Laughter

I can't wait~