Flowers for Balaton: An Axis Powers: Hetalia/1983: Doomsday Fanfiction
(Epilogue: Only Time Will Tell)
46.7696° N, 17.2481° E, Hungarian Wastelands (Formerly People's Republic of Hungary). August, 2015…
"To think that this place is still holding on…" Marcus muttered to himself as he wistfully stared out of the car window. The strangely tranquil scenery of a small Hungarian town along the banks of Lake Balaton contrasted with what lay beyond the zone of control that those Alpines had set up for themselves…
Various trucks with Alpine flags were unloading their weekly food and medicine shipments as the small Mercedes that was transporting Marcus and his fellow Cursed One continued on towards a location not too far from the town.
"I can't thank you enough for this, Marcus… It's too much, really." Roza sighed as she held onto the Prussian's arm. The Magyar felt uncertain, wanting to face her demons, yet also feeling the pull of her more malicious side, who was begging for more blood to be spilt. "All for revenge… Such a petty thing…"
"It's ok Fraulein. Just try to keep it together, we're nearly there..." The Prussian smiled, pulling her close to him. "Don't snap at me now, verdammt."
The car continued through the winding roads, allowing the pair to take in the view of the lake and a few villages in the distance. Marcus took out a small dossier of files marked 'Project RDNA' from a briefcase and started reading them. "You're still looking into that Agency stuff?" Roza quipped in a way that only Marcus could hear her.
"That proposal was interesting, don't you think? We can get help, Roza. Don't you want to get out of this constant spiral of torment?" Marcus sighed, holding Roza's hand with a rather tight grip.
"I would do anything to get out of this sanity. Except killing you of course" the Magyar smirked as she rested her head on her companion's shoulder. "If only I'd been given a more honourable death… Or if I'd managed to live, I could've been able to see my family again..."
"You have me, Roza. You have all of us. Even if Maximilian doesn't like to say it..." the Prussian smiled as he tried to comfort the young woman, at least this time it was seemingly working…
"I heard that, you halfbreed!" Maximilian smirked as he appeared next to Marcus.
"You've been awfully quiet…." Marcus quipped as he took a swig from his hip flask. Maximilian sighed as he noticed the barely concealed look of uncertainty on Roza's face. He put a gloved hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Remember our first meeting?" Maximilian smiled as Roza rolled her eyes and smirked at the soldier.
"Of course I do, you dummkopf… I stabbed you~" the Magyar grinned as she elbowed the man in the ribs. Maximilian sighed as he continued to tease the young woman, leaving Marcus to look out of the car window.
The car started to drive off the road as it made it's way to a nearby cemetery that was seemingly unknown to the rest of the world. "We're nearly there… Just a few more minutes." Marcus felt a sudden surge of emotion as he watched the gates of the makeshift cemetery inch closer and closer.
The car eventually came to a stop outside of the cemetery, leaving Marcus and Roza to get out of the car, leaving Maximilian to do as he pleased. The German smiled as he noticed the pair was holding hands as they inched closer to the gates of the cemetery.
"Köszönöm, Marcus..." Roza smiled weakly, planting a kiss on her cheek, but not before glancing over her shoulder to notice a familiar face. "Might as well leave you two alone..."
"Ah… Fraulein Magyarország" Marcus turned to face the once-alive Nation, who was sporting her old military uniform.
"It's certainly been a while, Herr Wright" she replied in a faux German accent. "To think that you and Roza would've made up your differences over a night of passiona-"
"Wait… What!?" Marcus felt his face go red as Hungary barely restrained a laugh. "Don't tell me..." he sighed to himself. "You saw the whole thing, didn't you?"
Elizaveta nodded in response, giving him a sympathetic smile. "It's great to see that you two are working out your differences, but it's going to be a long, bloody path to peace… Maybe if you find more of your own kind… If there are any left..."
Hungary opened the gates to the cemetery as Marcus suddenly felt more than a few traumatic memories flooding back as he stepped through the gates. "This is no ordinary grave site..." he muttered to himself.
"It certainly isn't…" Elizaveta replied, directing the man towards one headstone in particular. "These are the graves of those who have kept my people safe… It's a memorial to those who stood up to tyranny and gave up their lives so we can live… They're the unsung heroes from before the bombs…"
Marcus knelt down and read over the headstone, trying not the break down upon noticing the name that was carved onto it in seemingly intact granite. "They couldn't afford her a proper burial…?" he sighed to himself, placing a hand upon the cold stone surface. "She sacrificed her life and her sanity for her homeland. She was a real hero. She was a true freedom fighter... Certainly worthy of such a title"
Marcus continued to struggle against the overwhelming amount of emotion that was threatening to reduce him to an emotional wreck. He slowly placed a small bouquet of roses onto the grave, quickly saluted and turned his back, only to notice that Elizaveta had disappeared…
"It's been some time since there have been flowers here… Flowers for Balaton… Such a fitting name..."
Marcus could only smile as he heard her voice, seemingly being carried by the slight breeze that was being carried through the gates of the cemetery… A sudden flash of light caught his attention. The Prussian pulled out his Luger as he made his way to it's source, deep within a wooded area.
"You must be Marcus Wright, ja?" a voice, belonging to a blonde haired man of a rather youthful appearance stepped out of the shadows, clothed in a uniform of some sort. "I've heard a lot about you… Bitte, call me-"
"Claude von Falkenburg?" Marcus smirked. "As have I, mein Herr… As have I..."
"Mind leading the way?" Marcus asked as he gave the Agent a grin. "We shan't keep the Directors waitin'..." he added with a slight amount of West Country to his already growing repertoire of accents.
Claude raised an eyebrow "I've heard of your rather interesting linguistic skills… I guess that's something for your fellow trainees to get used to… Anyway, I guess it's time for you to experience our organisation first hand…."
Marcus nodded as he felt a strange light envelop him as Claude flashed him a grin.
"Welcome to the Agency, Marcus Wright..."