Huuuuge Thanks to all those who reviewed. It means alot to me and really does help motivate me to get more chapters up. ^J^
Anyway, enjoy!
America entered without a word what was, on a normal day in the nuthouse, the common room. Today, however, was not a normal day. A lone table sat in the center of the room, the others shoved off to the sides in a disorderly fashion. It was at that center table where all the action was. America scowled upon seeing his least favorite DCI seated there.
DCI Smith sat with his back to America speaking harshly to a man across from him.
"We never saw their faces," the man Smith was interrogating was saying. "They wore those black ski-mask things. Smart of them if you ask me. We got cameras round this place. Definitely woulda got their faces if they hadn't worn 'em. And, you know, if someone hadn't pulled out the reserve power cables on the roof by the east wing."
"Reserve power? Why were you on the reserve?" Smith asked sternly.
"Dunno. My guess is they blew out the main power on the way in."
"And you were in the lobby when the intruders found you?" Smith asked. America assumed the other man nodded. "Why?"
America came to a stop behind Smith and was noticed by the 'interrogated' for the first time. He wasn't a patient as America had assumed. His attire gave him away as an orderly. Upon seeing America, his before relaxed and friendly manner came a little more nervous.
"Well, when I heard the explosion from the west wing I, uh, I knew something weird was goin' on. I figured… that there was a good chance the checkpoint wasn't secure, so I got everybody to the lobby where we could call for help." The man's eyes shifted about the common room as he explained.
"Everyone but Arthur Kirkland," Smith corrected.
"I don't know how he coulda got out!" the orderly exclaimed defensively. "The checkpoint door was locked and none of us was missin' a key!"
Not the type to let others do the questioning when he was present, America stepped forward and leaned on the table, it was then he noticed (with some pleasure) that the DCI's nose still hadn't healed properly from the punch America had given him. Smith was startled at his appearance and opened his mouth to protest when America cut across him.
"Seems like you did a lotta planning ahead, Mr…?"
"Reckson. Frank Reckson, sir," the orderly filled in nervously.
"All right, Frank," America repeated. "You thought to get everyone into the safety of the lobby. So apparently you're a smart guy, yeah?"
Frank looked away with what America thought was a dubious expression. "Yeah, apparently," he echoed.
"Except for letting Arthur Kirkland go."
Frank nodded uncomfortably.
"Didn't you do a head count, how didn't you notice there was someone missing?" a voice said.
America jumped. "Ahhh! Ghost!" he said, stumbling backwards.
Smith looked confused, "Wh-?"
"Dude! Don't sneak up on me like that! How many times do I have to tell you?" America demanded as he regained his composture.
Canada frowned, "I was with you the whole time."
"Were not!" America said, arms folded.
"Uhh... I'm sorry, who is this?" Frank the orderly cut in.
Smith's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I'd quite like to know as well, you can't just bring random people in here."
"This is my bro... err... Za-Can-de-errr..." America trailed off. "Names aren't important anyway"
Canada let out a heavy sigh, "It's Matthew."
America brightened up "Yeah! That's right! He comes from... that... place. Um, you know, the one above the greatest country on earth."
"Canada" Whispered Canada, who was becoming increasingly more irritated.
"Well what are you doing he-"
America cut Smith off once again with a loud "Now back to the questioning!"
Frank straightened up in his chair, as America pointed at him.
"Yo! Orderly dude! You did a head count, right? Why didn't you notice Kirkland was missing?"
"We were all panicking, it was madness! I didn't think to do a head count:"
"Well, that was stupid, wasn't it? You didn't keep an eye on him at all? What about the oth-"
DCI Smith interupted with a loud, fake cough. "I'm terribly sorry Mr. Jones, but I believe I am the one conducting the interview here." He said simply.
"But dude-"
"I also believe you were ordered to relinquish some case files to my team? Also there was the matter of telling me exactly why this case is so important and the significance of the victims, the culprit and yourself?" Smith said, standing up, "The prime minister still won't tell me you know. Says you have to say it yourself, due to some law or other. I must say it does intrigue me. Are you part of some sort of secr-"
Canada cut him off, "Suspect."
"I'm sorry, what?" Smith asked turning to face him.
Canada's eye twitched "Arthur Kirkland is a suspect not a 'culprit'. He's innocent until proven guilty"
Smith scoffed at this, "I thought your lot already had proven him guilty, that why he was in here wasn't it? And we have it on record that he has violent sociopathic tendancies and hallucionations. The man is a schizophrenic, we have mountains of evidence against him, most of which your brother compiled, not to mention the fact that your brother announced the man's guilt to not only myself but the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom! Determining Arthur Kirkland's guilt in this matter is a part of the investigation that is over, I am simply trying to find out the whole story."
Canada and Smith scowled at each other, both were silent but the tension between them was palpable.
Frank awkwardly cleared his throat, still sitting at the table. He immediantly regreted the action when both Canada and Smith turned their scowls to him. "Umm... Do you guys still need me here? I've told you pretty much all I know and... and... well, yeah."
"Fine, you may leave. Be sure to leave your details with the detective at the door in case we need to contact you for further questioning." Smith said.
Frank quickly made his way to the door.
"Wait! I wasn't finished with him yet!" America said loudly.
"I think you're forgetting that this isn't your case, not only are you finished with him, but you are also finished here. I want you to vacate the premisis immediantly and take your brother and those louts outside with you, the American aurthorities aren't wanted nor needed here. This is a crime scene, not a playground. Now run along, I've run out of patience with both of you."
America growled in frustration and stomped his way to the door. Canada not far behind.
"By the way, I need those case files off you, send them to me by the end of the week or I'll send some of my men over to retrieve them." Smith called to America's back.
America turned, just as he was at the door, "You want them? Come and get them yourself", he then left, slamming the door behind him
With an obvious threat hanging over his head, DCI Smith sighed and slumped back into his chair, he didn't like how difficult this case was getting. And then there was the question of the mysterious Mr. Jones, who had still not told him the link between himself, the victims and the 'suspect'. If he had that and the case files he might be able to figure things out. And... that toy bear Jones' brother had been holding... had it growled at him? Smith shook his head, surely it wasn't a real polar bear. Those long nights must be getting to him.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
England shifted slightly in his seat. The silence in the air was choking. The Italy brothers had gone out of the room to greave in privacy, leaving Japan and himself behind. Ordinarily, this wasn't a huge problem, England and Japan got on quite well, they were friends after all. But the circumstances they found themselves in weren't really what you would call "ordinary".
England's head turned towards Japan, who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, as the Asian nation cleared his throat.
"E-England-san, perhaps we could go through the rest of what you remember. Maybe I can help you find some answers to this whole incident."
Aaannndddd he's back to using honorifics again, it took me years to break him out of that habit. He's always way too polite.
"Just England is fine, Japan. We are friends, you know."
"Okay, sorry England-sa-... England." Japan said hurriedly.
Another thick silence was threatening to fill the room when Japan spoke again.
"So..."
"Oh, right. We were going through what I remember" England grimaced as he thought of how it had lead to the two Italians leaving the room in tears last time.
"Ah, yes. So can you remember who the last victim was? There were three in all"
"Of course I can't, otherwise I would've said before." England snapped.
...
"Sorry" England apologised
"That's alright England-san, you've been under a lot of stress and I was-"
"Just England." England corrected
"Right."
...
"I don't remember much about the murders... Nor do I remember much about my time in that horrid mental health facility. But I do know that France visited me at some point"
Japan looked surprised at this. "Oh, when?"
England lent back in his chair and squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. "I'm not sure. Within the first week I think, I'm sure I hadn't been in there for long at the time. He was as useless as always though, he didn't give me any information. He just asked me how I was doing then left."
"That was all?" Japan asked, confusedly.
England nodded, "Yes, I'd expected him to tell me something or at the very least gloat about me being in there. But nope, just asked how they were treating me and left. The great, useless French git ju- Wait. There was something else."
"What?"
"He gave me a letter, but I didn't recognise the sender and it didn't have anything useful written in it."
"Who was the sender?" Japan asked, with interest.
England wracked his brains thinking of the name. "Err... H. Callahan, I think it was."
"I'm afraid I don't recognise the name. Sorry" Japan said.
England sighed. "It's alright. But none of this changes the fact that I can't remember how I got into this mess in the first place."
"You just need to think harder"
"I did, I don't remember!" England snapped, standing up.
"Just try harder than." Japan said simply.
"It's not that easy, I told you I don't remember so I don't remember! Just tell me who the other victim was!" England growled.
"No, you have to try and remember on your own." Japan insisted, unfazed.
"Shan't." England said childishly.
"England..." Japan warned.
"Dammit, Japan, I said I don't remember! Just bloody tell me!" England shouted. He had reached his breaking point. He quickly made his way across the room and grabbed Japan roughly by the collar, forcing him against a nearby wall. "You promised me answers. Now be 'polite' and tell me: Who was the other victim? Why was I blamed for it? And why the hell do you all seem to think that I asked you to come here? I didn't even know this place was here!"
"E-England, what are you doing?" Japan cried out. "Let me go!"
"Not until you tell me!"
England suddenly tensed as he identified the sound of the hammer being drawn back on a revolver. With a furious curl of his lip he glanced over his shoulder to see Romano, with the loaded pistol not half a meter away. He'd managed to somewhat pull himself together, although his eyes were still red and watery.
"I leave the room for a few minutes and this is what happens, you crazy bastard!" Romano said, in a low voice. "This is exactly why I don't trust you."
"Look, England. You and I both know this isn't you. Just let go of me!" Japan said, trying to keep calm as England's angry eyes snapped back to him.
"Yeah, maybe you should let Japan go now." Italy pipped up
England did not loosen his grip on the other nation. "Stay out of this," he hissed. "Or-"
Before England could follow through with a rather malevolent threat, he sensed movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun back to Romano in time to see the man's fist go for his face. In a flash, England let go of Japan's collar and got a hand up to block, but didn't see the knee until it was too late. With a vulgar curse that he couldn't really remember himself saying any time previously, England doubled over, leaving his back wide open for another strike from Romano. The man was surprisingly strong and the hit sent him to the floor with a moan.
"Don't ever threaten my Fratello again." Romano spat.
"Romano, don't." Italy warned.
The light, cheerful tone that England had thought went hand in hand with North Italy was gone now and England looked up at his attacker, surprised to see South Italy serious, calm and collected. The man was rolling back up his sleeve which had come undone in the brief struggle. Italy had come out of the shadows to stand protectively by England while intelligently still being out of his reach. Japan stood behind them with a shocked expression on his face. England was furious. He managed to get himself up to his knees, but Romano's black shoe came streaking in, impacting with his side and toppling England back to the cement floor.
"Romano!" Italy grabbed his brother's arm. "I said don't."
"Why the hell not? He killed Spain, the bastard."
"I don't think he did! I don't think he could!" Italy protested.
"He attacked Japan! What more proof do you need?" Romano shouted.
"You're wrong!"
England chuckled callously from his curled up place on the ground. "Having domestic disputes, South Italy?"
"Shut up!" Romano yelled.
"Maybe you should just leave, I'm sure Italy and Japan will be more than enough help in this." England said.
"They didn't agree to help you and neither will I, you bastard," Romano shouted. "And do you really think they will help you now?"
"Well than leave! Better go quickly." England continued with a sneer. The pain that had been coursing through his tired body now channeled into a new overwhelming wish for brutality and he gave a long, mad laugh. "Maybe I didn't kill those other countries, but I am damn well goin' to kill you."
"England stop!" Japan demanded from behind Romano.
A mask of anger past over Japan's face and England found himself taking pleasure in the fact that he'd broken the polite and calm air of Japan, not once but twice in the same day. Even if it was only briefly. Japan pushed past Romano, his calm façade already restored and he spoke with a deadly seriousness. "England, I know this isn't you, we will help you. You aren't a murder. What happend to you?"
Romano made a sound of protest at that but Japan ignored it and continued. "Already you're becoming something you thought you could never be. The England I know isn't violent, maybe a little hot headed but... Let's just see what we can do. In any case, I don't believe you kille those countries. We'll help you find the true murderer."
Romano started up at this. "But he obviously ki-"
Japan silenced him with a wave of his hand. "You and I both know he didn't do it. I'm sure you want Spain's true murderer brought to justice."
"Come on Romano" Italy pleaded.
Romano sighed, "Fine... Bastards. But if he make one more move like that I'm putting a bullet in his head."
England wasn't listening to all this. He sat, curled into the fetal position, with his head buried into his arms, sobbing.
What did I do? Why did I do that? A-Am I...?
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Sorry it's shorter than the last chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it.
If you see any spelling mistakes, please let me know. My spell check hasn't been working lately. :S
Huge thanks to the following people for reviewing so far: SoraChiistar, ByteBug, DominiqueChevalier, Fake of Hypocrisy, MadzJoker, Hybrid, Amanda Opalis, Xaphrielle and paperklip119.
Also thank you to everyone who watched and favorited this fic.
Xaphrielle, Sorry for killing them off, that was really unawesome of me. As for the spoilers, where's the fun in that? I like to keep you guys guessing! Thanks for the review! :D