Alfred was sitting on his couch with GIlbert, his babysitter so he didn't do something stupid, fuming about not being able to do anything in the search for his brother. Just as Gilbert was getting ready to yell at the other for his behavior there came a frantic knocking at the door. Both turned with wide eyes as Alfred then got up to answer the door.

"Alfred! Thank God you're home!"

Arthur launched himself into the house and wrapped Alfred in a tight hug. His clothes looked filthy and he seemed to smell slightly himself, which caused Alfred's nose to wrinkle at the stench. Then he noticed Arthur's wrists which were bruised and chaffed like they had been bound by something hard and unyielding.

"Artie, Arthur what's wrong?"

"It's horrible, they. Matthew got me out of there but they still have him. There's no telling what they'll do to him. Alfred you have to help him."

Alfred's eyes widen at the mention of Matthew and he gently pulls Arthur away from him so he can look him in the eyes.

"Arthur, where is Mattie and who took him?"

Arthur seems to shudder for a moment before the adrenaline fully leaves his body and he slumps in Alfred's grip.

"They're us, but they're not. It's like they're our evil twins or something, there are three of them and one of them has been masquerading as myself since they grabbed me a few weeks or months ago. I couldn't really keep track of time down there."

"Wha?"

"Alfred, bring him over here and have him sit down would you? Man looks like he's going to fall over any minute."

Alfred helps Arthur to the couch and settles him down before letting him talk about what happened.

"Now what do you mean by 'evil twins' Arthur?"

"They look almost exactly like us. Well you, me and Matthew at least. They made mention of others but those three are the only ones here now and seem to be the ones in charge of whatever they are doing."

"How did you get away then?"

Arthur bites his lip before speaking. "Alfred I didn't want to leave him behind but if I had tried to help him..."

"Don't worry I understand, you did the right thing getting help Arthur, now how did you escape?"

"Matthew had been pinned down more thoroughly than me but he managed to free himself before breaking the shackles holding me he shoved me up and out of the window so I could run for help. Matthew probably wouldn't have been doing much running even if they hadn't come down right then and nearly caught us. Matthew must have distracted them so I could get away. The poor lad's probably been beaten so badly or worse. Alfred his counterpart absolutely hates him, I think if the other two weren't around he probably would have acted out one of your slasher films on the boy."

That comment had Alfred paling when he thought about Matthew's house.

"Come on we're going to get you back to the conference center so we can let everyone know what is going on. Do you know who they were going after next?"

Arthur nods, "You, I believe, I think its because you were trying to find your brother."

Arthur is interrupted from continuing by a knock on the door. Alfred looks up and then glances between Arthur and Gilbert, signalling them to hide before going to answer the door.

"Alfred! Thank goodness I got here in time. Listen I think the ones that took your brother may try coming after you. One of them looks remarkably like me but obviously is not me. We should get you somewhere safe," The Arthur Alfred had just let in, one that was cleanly dressed and groomed, was suddenly cut off as a frying pan connects with the back of his head. This frying pan was wielded by Arthur, the dirty one, and he seemed smuggly satisfied by his maneuver.

"Ok... I guess we'll take him with us. But uh, first Arthur maybe you should take a bath and change into something cleaner?"

Arthur looks down at his clothes and nods in agreement.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew meanwhile had been living in hell the past few hours. Since he helped Arthur to escape he had been once again pinned in place by rebar through his limbs, this time he couldn't just easily reach what was through him and it seemed Matthieu was thoroughly enjoying putting more through him. He had given up on screaming out as his voice had gone hoarse and the pain was a constant.

"Matthieu, I think something's happened to Artie."

"Really, what makes you say that?"

"He's been gone too long. He was supposed to have gotten Alfred and come right back here but he isn't back yet."

"You think Arthur beat him to Alfred's place?"

"Probably."

"So why does it matter?"

"We do kind of need him to bring the others through."

Matthieu rolls his eyes at his brother before kicking Matthew and heading up the stairs.

"Let's go fetch him then shall we, besides if he talks everything is ruined."

The two head up and out. Matthew can hear them leaving and makes an attempt to get free. Unlike last time, when they had used the 'U' shaped pieces to hold him in place they hadn't used them this time and he was able to slowly and painfully lift himself off the rods pinning him.

Now free he just need to try and get to the conference center, no doubt that was where Alfred would take his prisoner if he truly had Artie.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Back at the conference center Alfred had tied Artie up to a chair and placed him in the center of the room. Germany, Russia, Italy, France and Japan were there along with Alfred, Arthur and Gilbert. Several from the first group were glancing between the 'twins' in confusion.

"So are you sure you have the correct one mon ami. What if this is a trick and you've tied up the wrong England?"

"I highly doubt that I could be the fake." Arthur grumbles before grabbing a water pitcher and tossing it in the face of his unconscious clone. The water served two purposes, the first was to wake the fraud up and the second was to wash off his make up.

"Owwie, my head. You big meanie, why did you have to hit me?"

Artie looks up and the drippy makeup allows his freckles to show, though the whiny tone he was using was so different than the Arthur they were used to many were convinced before seeing his face.

"Ve~ Germany Who do you think he is?"

"Actually Italy, I think the better question is where did he come from?" Arthur steps forward toward his clone, arms crossed and looks down at him crossly.

Artie pouts at Arthur, his lips pressed into a thin line, stubbornly refusing to speak.

Alfred, who had been silent up until this point, frowns and steps forward. His eyes narrow as he approaches Artie and glowers down at him. Artie sees this and seems to cower away from him.

"Where is my brother? Why did you take him?" The barely contained fury is tangible in Alfred's voice and question.

A whimper escapes Artie and he tries to turn away from Alfred. "Matthieu wanted him, not me I thought it would be better to just lay low, but he, he couldn't stand there being a hero. All our heroes, he destroyed them."

Just as Artie is opening his mouth to continue a loud bang interrupts him, cutting him off. Everyone in the room turns to the door to see two figures standing in it. One has black hair with dark sunglasses propped low on his nose just barely covering red eyes, he wore a black bomber jacket and held a bat with nails poking out of it. The other was a very pale almost white blonde tied back in a short tail with dark almost black violet eyes, he's dress in a red fitted jacket with a hockey stick held tightly in his hand. The thing that shocked them the most was how much they looked like Alfred and Matthew.

"Freddie, you came to save me!"

"Shut up Artie. We only came because we need you to bring the others here."

The one that looks like Matthew steps forward, brandishing his hockey stick at those across the room from him. "Hand him over and I might just let you get away without a beating. Now, make this easy on yourselves and hand him over."

"Why do you need him?" It was Gilbert that stepped forward and voiced the question.

Alfred scoffs taking a practice swing with his bat. "We just do, now hand him over or this is going to get messy"

The nations shift on their feet at the threats but most stand their ground, Italy and France being the exceptions, hiding behind the others. Artie seems to cringe away from the impending battle.

"Artie you better have kept your mouth closed."

Just after Matthieu finishes his sentence another bang echoes through the conference room. In the ensuing silence all eyes fall on Matthieu as he looks down at his chest where a red stain in forming just over his heart. He falls to his knees revealing Matthew standing in the doorway behind him with a gun held in his outstretched hand. His clothes are torn and bloody and at his feet seems to be a trail of fresh blood. Through the holes in his clothes they can just make out fresh scabs and what seems to be holes in his flesh.

"That was for the rebar."

"Matthieu! You!" Fred shouts in surprise before running at Matthew with his bat held ready to swing. Matthew barely pauses before shifting the aim of his gun and firing.

"Ever heard the phrase 'Don't bring a knife to a gunfight'? It applies to bats too apparently."

"Mattie?" Matthew turns to his brother before letting the obvious damage to his own body finally show as he falls to his knees and drops the gun. Alfred runs toward his brother, catching him before he falls flat on the floor. Gilbert is close behind as is Arthur with his phone out and dialing 911 to call an ambulance and the police.