AN: Changed my mind! I'm gonna start off with Spain. Why? Because I can. I didn't want to completely reveal the torture process yet. And because I kinda feel bad for putting Netherlands through that, so I'm gonna give him and America a little break while some other prisoners fight. And wow, I haven't updated this in a while. There are a few historical moments that I had to tweak, so sorry about that.
Chapter 3: Keep Striking
Spain POV
"They've been gone for a while," I murmur.
Germany looks up at me. "That's America's fault. He provoked our captor, he pays the price."
"Could you be any crueler?" Austria snaps. "It is an injustice to be trapped here. America was right to stand up for that."
"Watch you mouth, Austria, or I'll show you how cruel I can be," Germany snarls.
"Hey, hey," I say, putting up my hands. "That's enough. This is no time for fighting."
Austria glares at Germany, who glares back, then sighs. "He's right."
Germany stays silent, merely closing his eyes.
"Now is not the time for ignorance," Austria says, his eyes pointedly staring at Germany.
At this, Germany's eyes open. "I spent enough of my life blinded to know what true ignorance is," he snaps.
"Please, spare me," Austria sneers. "You've always had everyone under your foot. No one has ever commanded you, Germany."
"YOU commanded me once, Austria," Germany says, looking as if he wants to stand up and punch the purple-eyed man.
"Would both of you just stop it?" I yell. They look at me with part outraged and part shocked expressions on their faces. "For all we know, two fellow countries are in massive pain right now. England could be putting them through the worst pain of their lives. Are you going to just sit here and argue about trivial matters of which one of you is in control? Because right now, England is in control. And it will stay that way unless you fight him, not each other."
Austria sits back as if my speech has exhausted him. Germany just stares at me, an odd expression on his face.
I lean back against the wall and close my eyes. I just want to disappear, to run away from this horrid place no matter what it takes. No pain would compare to how I got here, so much that even if I had to tackle oceans of suffering to escape, I would take it.
England stands above me, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "On your knees," he howls with glee, and I can only comply. Every inch of my dignity has been stripped from me. "You will pay. ALL of you will pay!"
My scream of pain echoes of the walls, laughter splattering on me and staining my skin. Never will I be able to wash the disgrace from my skin; always will I feel their rough hands on me.
I have paid…
My eyes flutter open to the sound of footsteps. Austria's slumped down against the wall in a restless sleep, and Germany's head is in between his knees. As I shake myself from my sleep, the cell door flies open with a bang. Austria and Germany snap awake.
Two guards are standing there, both smirking wickedly. America is barely standing, his knees crooked, having to lean on the guards for support. As he is thrown to his knees on the cell floor, I see the back of his shirt is completely shredded, caked with dried blood and flayed skin. Netherlands is pushed in after him, and I'm relieved to see that his splint is still in place. His face is bruised horribly, a flourish of dark colors blossoming across his cheek. His back seems to have suffered the same fate as America.
"Hope you get used to that taste," one of the guards laughs as he slams the door shut. "You won't get much of else."
Taste of what? My stomah lurches. Those damn perverts did it again.
America sits up with agony clear on his face. He takes one look at Netherlands and his expression freezes. Netherlands looks away, clearly scooting away from the other country. America does the same, squeezing in the space between Austria and Germany.
The divide seems terribly clear in this small space: Austria and Germany stare at Netherlands while I stare at America, wondering what exactly the other did. We sit at opposite ends of the room. I just gave a small speech about sticking together, and we're all making allegiances already.
Pushing myself up on my toes, I raise my lips to Netherlands ear and whisper, almost inaudibly, "What happened?"
He shivers. His voice is shaky when he speaks. "Just like you, I'd rather not talk about it."
I nod and sit back again. He looks surprised at how I dropped it so quickly.
"Whatever it is," I say. "It doesn't look good."
Across the cell, America's blue eyes grow icy, and bore into mine as I smile at Netherlands. The large country smiles back, and my heart warms to him. He's still able to smile, even after what made America possibly hate him.
Netherlands POV
Spain's eyes are emerald green, ones that I should be able to enjoy if they didn't remind me of his so much. Another shudder runs through me at the thought of him, bearing down on me with the grin of someone's who gleefully pleased at the horror they have created. I can't look at Spain without the feeling of a rat being looked at by a snake dawning over me, so I turn away.
I stiffen when I feel something touch my side, but as I look down, I see it's Spain. His head is bowed so I can only see his scruffy brown hair. His hands wrap around my uninjured arm, no easy feat when you're handcuffed. His warmth seems to melt into my side. Still, he seems reluctant to touch. England's fault, definitely. What Spain spoke of earlier, the suffering he had to endure to get here. What could England have done to this man that would cause him to recoil from all physical contact? And yet, despite what horrible thing England must have done to him, he still touches me?
"Thank you," I whisper.
He nods. "Your welcome….Netherlands."
"Spain," I say. "I'm sorry if I offended you by asking how you got here."
"It's all right," he whispers. "It's my own fault, for messing with a country that was clearly so much more powerful than me."
"What are you talking about?"
He takes a deep breath. "I'll tell you all now."
Upon hearing this, Germany, Austria and America sit up and look at him. He's still curled into my side, staring at the floor.
He begins his tale in a solemn undertone that reverberates throughout the small space. It's so unlike him that I twitch in surprise.
"I met him at my first World Meeting as a country. He seemed the general embodiment of a pirate, keeping his military uniform and dagger on even when at a meeting of peace. But then, so did I. He eyed me immediately, suspicious of my armada. I had to give up information on it during the meetings, and he wrote down every single detail. I saw him outside the meeting, and he approached me. I was a fool, to be honest. He tricked me with the façade of kindness, made me think he didn't care about our country rivalry or the armada at all. But I was wrong.
"We became lovers, hiding the relationship from the other countries. I always submitted to him after the meetings. The buildings were always empty, so we were never caught. He seemed kind most of the time, but even then I knew that something was amiss. I just wasn't smart enough to investigate it. I told him my secrets, and he soaked up them all.
"One day he was completely quiet during the World Meeting. He wouldn't look or talk to anybody, which I thought was strange."
Germany, Austria, America and I nod. We remember. Now, the events of the defeat would finally be revealed to us.
"After the meeting he jumped me. He held me against the wall and stripped me of my clothes. The building was empty, as usual, and no one heard my screams of pain as he took me against my will. Raped me. The whole time, pain was exploding throughout my body, and I realized his ruse. He had used me to get what I wanted, which was to defeat my so-called invincible armada - and me. Directly after, recovering at home, I got the news that the Armada had been defeated and England was marching towards us. Despite the agony, I still readied myself for battle. We clashed directly outside the capital. He won.
"Over the years, I still didn't forgive him. He grew to be a gentleman, and kinder in appearance. He talked with the others at meetings, like you, America. But it was still fake. One day I got the news he wanted to see me in my house. I didn't trust him, and refused, having the servants eject him from the house. I heard gunshots after he had been thrown out, and found his entire army was marching on my house. He stormed into my office with a platoon of twenty soldiers. Then he raped me again in front of all of them, all while his they laughed at my pain. I could feel my country collapsing around me. Every soldier dead was a fist to the face, every city taken a stab through the chest. Then I was brought here, dragged away while my people suffered. So you see? No matter how much pain you withstood in your single incident, there is nothing more painful than heartbreak."
Silence.
"I agree," Austria whispers.
All of us look up at him in surprise.
"Are you talking about Hungary?" America asks.
"No," he says in a small voice.
His eyes flick over to Germany, but that one glance says it all.
Spain POV
I look at Austria, watching his eyes snap back so they're looking ahead again. He looks at me, and I nod. I know, and he knows I know.
His eyes send a pleading message: Don't tell.
"Why not?" I say aloud.
His eyes narrow.
"What?" Germany and America ask at the same time.
"If we're going to be stuck here," I continue. "And there is a fair risk we won't make it out alive, why not?"
"Because," Austria snaps. "If we do get out of here, it would change everything."
"What would change everything?" Netherlands asks.
Austria shakes his head. I glare at him.
"Could somevun please explain to me what's going on?" Germany asks impatiently. "I don't enjoy being kept in the dark, Spain."
Austria stiffens. "It's none of your business."
"Like hell it's none of our business," America snaps. "As long as we're down here, everything is everyone's business. Spit it out."
"Why should I?" Austria retorts. "It doesn't affect any of you."
"Does it, Austria?" I ask, staring at him.
Austria stares at me. "Yes," he replies finally. "It does."
"One of us broke your heart?" Netherlands asks in shock.
All the other countries look at Austria. Confusion is written all over their faces.
"I know, Austria," I whisper. "I know. If you say it, he'll understand."
Austria shakes his head furiously. His purple eyes are shining with tears.
"Do you want me too-"
"No!" His head snaps up and he glares at me. Then he sighs. He looks defeated, resigned. "Germany…I'm sorry."
Germany stiffens. "What?"
"You know very well what," I say.
Germany shakes his head. "It's not true."
"Why not?" America counters. "Poor Austria just admitted his feelings for you."
"Because I don't want to suffer the same pain that they did!" Germany roars.
Austria looks up to stare at Germany. "What?"
Germany takes a deep breath. "I cannot return your affections because I will not suffer pain. I will not suffer heartbreak or any other kind of pain. Pain is a sign of weakness and I am not weak."
"What are you saying?" Austria asks.
"If I could love you, Austria," Germany says. "I would."
Quiet again. Austria stares at Germany while he looks down at the floor. Suddenly, Austria crawls towards Germany, leaning against his side and closing his eyes. Germany's eyes snap open, and looks at the lean man tucked into his side. He leans over and rests his cheek on the top of Austria's head.
"If we get out of here," Germany says. "When we get out of here, I promise to love you, Austria."
Austria nods, and I see the beginnings of tears start to slip from his eyes. America sits at the end of the end of the cell by himself, back straight and eyes closed.
I curl deeper into Netherlands side. I feel bad for him, no one to ally himself with. All the Europeans seem to be stacked up against him. But all the same, I can't deny how good it feel to have Netherlands beside me.