MW: Okay, so this will be the last chapter without my proofreader since she's coming back sometime this evening. Yeah, I don't want her to come back from an exhausting trip around Europe to suddenly have a chapter be shoved into her face. This is me being a nice person. In celebration of the previous chapter, I would like to repeat a joke FrostyTheBookLover was so kind as to tell: What is Turkey's favorite candy? Butterfingers!

Hahaha, dark humor.

I would like to thankHammsters,PurpleLuna98,FrostyTheBookLover,Sarah I LOVE ENGLAND Fanfics, anddismallyOriented for reviewing. You guys get a bunch of kisses.

Just a little warning, I'm going away for a wedding this weekend, so the next update will probably come a little late. Considering what's going to happen, this is not good.

I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Summary: Things are never as they first appear.

Warnings: Strong language, violence (including animals), some nudity, and blood.

Disclaimer: I really own nothing.

~Chapter 12~

White On The Outside, Black Deep Down

"But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew.

All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true.

And the games you play, you would always win, always win."

-From the song "Set Fire to the Rain" by British singer Adele

THE WAR: Day 18

Turkey held onto her hand when the blast went off. Through the intense heat and roaring booms, he was sure that he had held onto her hand the entire time. So when he opened his eyes to the salty water, he chocked before swimming to the surface without a second thought. The salt stung part of his body, but none more vividly than his face. Was he burnt there?

When he broke the surface, gasping for air dumbly, Turkey saw the full effects of the bomb. All around him, his fellow Brown Coats were hanging onto floating piece of wood and barrels for dear life, moaning from the injuries. He was tempted to reach for them, make sure that people like Switzerland and Greece were okay, but England was already sending his unscratched crew members after them.

He placed his hand back in the water, scowling. If would only be a matter of time before-

Turkey's eyes went wide.

Why was his hand free? Why wasn't he holding her hand?

He looked down into the water, seeing blood swirl in the salt gather below his feet. A pang of fright struck him and, without much thought, he held his breath and dived below.

Deeper and deeper he swam, slowly making out her body. Her eyes were closed and no air bubbles left her mouth or nose. She seemed paler, almost ghost like. One of her legs was tangled in a rope tied to something heavy, pulling her down faster than Turkey could swim. As he dove deeper he realized that the blood he saw was coming from her. Something in the blast caused her arm to be blown off.

She was bleeding so much. So much.

Still, Turkey was determined not to lose her. Even when his lungs burned and his vision turned black, he forced himself to go deeper. He had to get her. He had to save her. He told her that he would protect her, that he would never let her go. What kind of a person would he be to break that promise?

Something wrapped around his waist. Turkey immediately started fighting, punching and kicking the arm of his savoir. The person ignored him, pulling him to the surface. The girl's body continued to sank until, in all inevitability, faded away completely.

Prussia and Turkey broke surface. Prussia yelled for Turkey to calm down, demanding that he listen to reason. Turkey continued to struggle, demanding his release. He couldn't let her go, he couldn't. He bit Prussia's hand. Prussia yelped, yanking his hand away and forfeiting his hold on Turkey. Turkey dived back into the water, vainly hoping to still see her. Barely two seconds later, Prussia pulled him back to the surface.

Stop being a dumbass, Prussia told him. Get on the ship. You'll be safe there.

But I can't leave her.

See all that blood? She's dead already, pal.

But I let her go.

Prussia was silent for a long moment. Let's just find a ship.

Turkey was forced to swim idly with Prussia until England called off his search. It was then that they were picked up by Belarus and the Netherlands. All of them knew that England saw them, but he just glared at them from his spot on the flaming Romanov. He made no move against them. As they waited for Alfred to return with Liechtenstein, Turkey sat in a lonely corner, wishing and praying for an opportunity to jump back into the water. He wanted to find her. He needed to find her.

Or, at least, that is the story Turkey told me. I wasn't sure whether I should believe him or not, but the reserved look on his face told me enough. He was speaking the truth—a cold and difficult one at that.

It's been two days since England's ambush and we were only now coming upon land. Saying that it's been quiet would be an understatement. From my cozy corner of the ship, it seemed as though everyone was pulling their hair out and screaming desperately in their own way.

There was Turkey, sitting quietly in his corner. His abnormal healing abilities allowed his face to heal already, granting him the privilege of taking off his mask. Since he's gotten on the ship, he hasn't eaten, drunk, or slept. He just sat there in his corner, only talking when asked to. He was only able to leave his depressed state to tell his story to me a few hours ago. Even then, he quickly feel back into it.

Gilbert had been trying to keep everyone sane, but in his own way. He spent his days drifting from person to person, grinning cheekily and talking obnoxiously. He didn't want to talk about anything that happened on that ship. I didn't think he realized that I killed his brother.

The Netherlands was in a sour mood. Like the last time he was on this boat, he sat on the floor, steering the boat for Belarus. He didn't try to talk to me. He didn't do anything suspicious at all. All he did was gaze distantly into the ocean, only looking away to check the time on his watch.

Alfred was a breath away from being bipolar. There would be moments when he would join Gilbert in the merrymaking, laughing and trying to cheer the rest of us up. Then, just as quickly as he laughed, his voice would die down into seriousness again. With a drawn face, he would pace the deck, muttering about wasted time. There would be times when he would find a secluded spot and cry silently to himself. Then, right before anyone could step in and ask if he was alright, he was back to being rainbows and sunshine again.

But personally, I think Belarus had it the worse. She had to air bend day and night to keep up General Winter's cold wind in our petty sails, only resting to eat and drink. Dark bags gathered under her eyes and creases appeared on her face. I could tell by the fierce way she moved her arms, the way she bit her lip and kept silent, that she was in pain. Her brother was dead. She left her sister in the hands of the enemy. A civilian was dead. In her eyes, all of this was happening because of her.

Then, there was me: quiet, meek Liechtenstein. For the most part, I sat in the same spot all day and all night, too afraid to sleep. I was afraid that if I closed my eyes, I would see the vivid images of the battle. I would see the blood, the flames, the slaughter. Even now I incessantly rubbed my hands on my pants, trying to rid myself of the sticky coat of blood that wasn't there. I didn't want to think about how Agatha was dead, how I murdered Holy Rome. All I wanted to do was sit mutely and watch Liechtenstein's body heal itself.

Now, two days after the fight, my only lesion was my exhaustion. My status as the soul possessing a country's body allowed my wounds to heal themselves in no time. Although my body still ached at certain joints, I looked as good as new. If only I felt good.

I pulled my legs close to my chest, tangling my fingers in my hair. I could smell the blood on my hands. "What made me think that I could aim properly?" I asked myself, trepidation consuming my body. "I wasn't able to hit the mast- what made me think I could hit his shoulder? Stupid cunt."

Something touched my head. "Calm down, Larry," Alfred said softly as he knelt on the ground next to me. I looked up at him. There was a gentleness in his face, one that matched the soothing tone of his voice. The way his eyes looked levelly at me somehow eased my wrecked nerves. "It's not your fault."

I gulped. I shook my head. For some reason, my movements were small. My head barely moved when I whispered, "But it is."

A hoarse, obnoxious laugh broke through the air. The source, Gilbert, stood in the middle of the boat. His legs were straddled and his fists were square on his hips as he threw his head back and cackled. "Why do you all look so glum?" He demanded, coyly grinning. "Land's in sight! We can go get a few beers and eat some real food and sleep! Why isn't excited about that?"

Everyone from Turkey to Belarus to myself shot him annoyed glared. I appreciated what he was trying to do, but his optimism felt like an insult to our captured comrades. It was a slap to the face for those who were dead. Gilbert looked at us hopefully for a moment, hoping to gain a single supporter. His face lit up like the Fourth of July when the Netherlands sighed and raised his hand. "Excuse me for asking, but Belarus?" Belarus, never stopping her dance, turned her glare to him. His glazed over him harmlessly and he asked, "What's the plan?"

"Plan?" She paused for the briefest of moments before flicking her hair and continuing. "I don't have a plan," she admitted, practically hissing the words.

"But you're our leader now," he said dully. "So you have to tell us what to-"

"I have no idea what to do!" I flinched, practically jumping into Alfred's arms as she stomped her foot on the ground. Even Turkey looked up from his lonely spot as she bowed her head until her bangs shielded her face from view. "My brother was the one who led, not me," she shouted, her chest heaving with unshed tears. "I know nothing! I'm pathetic compared to him." She drew her arm over his eyes, wiping away the water. "Everyone came to like him . . . I'm just a freak."

The Netherlands sounded like he was resisting a groan. "But you're the freak who's going to lead us out of this mess," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "The fact is that you're our first mate and the most qualified to lead us. We have no choice but to follow you."

She suddenly turned to him, red in face as she snapped, "If you want the most qualified, then looked to yourself! You're the only one who knows what to do right now!"

"I have other things to worry about."

Belarus gritted her teeth, looking ready to yell at him some more. Something told me that I should stop gaping and offer her some encouragement, but Gilbert beat me to it first. He softened his overbearing grin for her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I don't say this to everyone, but you're awesome, Belarus," he told her. "If anyone will take us to victory, it'll be you!"

Belarus was silent for a long moment. Just when I thought that she was going to put up more of a fight, she sighed and shrugged his hand away. "Alright then. I guess for now our plan simply is to dock at port and find an inn to stay at," she said.

This time, Alfred raised his hand. "Question!" All eyes shot to him. He pushed his cracked glasses up his nose as he attempted a careless grin. It looked forced. "Where are we going to find the money to pay for an inn?"

"If we're lucky, we wouldn't need to pay," she explained. Her practically invisible eyebrow was raised to the sight of me huddling on the ground so close to him. Sweat pricked on the back of my neck and I inched a little bit away from his side. "If we find Pangaea's Inn, then I can call Innkeeper Pangaea out on an old debt and she'll let us stay for free."

"I thought Pangaea was in Sicily," I muttered to myself. No one noticed and I frankly didn't care. If I learned one thing, it was to not question all of the nonsensical things in this world.

Gilbert laughed, dashing to the side of the boat. He only stopped when he reached the rail, daring to place his foot on it in a pirate captain's stance. "You all worry too much!" He said, laughing as he pointed to land. "Where's any of your sense of adventure? Half of the fun is sleeping out in the mud with the prostitutes!"

Alfred frowned. He lazily laid back onto the ground, placing his hands behind his head. I barely heard him mutter, "That's probably the only way you get laid." I stifled a laugh.

Gilbert, apparently, heard him since he turned his head his and sent Alfred the deadliest of glares. "Hey, Alfred?" He called, his voice on the edge. I could feel the impending insult on the horizon, but my mentor seemed unaware.

He only lifted his chin to his chest lethargically. "What?"

"Did you know that Rus-" His red eyes snapped to Belarus. He quickly corrected, "The Romanov was traveling west? That means that if this boat is still traveling in that same direction, then that land right ahead of us is the American colonies." The pin dropped. Alfred shot upright, his eyes blazing with a wrathful snare. I could see him tighten his fists until his knuckles turned white, trying his hardest to bite his tongue when Gilbert taunted, "Yeah, imagined how that'll be like. Walking around a dumpy town where all of these little brats run around with their fathers. It's going to be irritating, you know? Say, have you ever been to American colonies, Alfred?"

For a moment, I thought he was going to explode. I thought he was going to lung for Gilbert and strangle him until all air left him. But, to my astonishment, Alfred somehow managed to grit his teeth long enough to answer, "No. I haven't."

Gilbert grinned. "Well this'll be a new experience for you then. It's kind of something families would want to share together."

"That's enough, Prussia," I ordered. I placed my hand on Alfred's forearm, reminding him of where he was. Already I could feel him relax under my hold. "Let it go."

Gilbert pressed his lips. He looked ready to turn on me for a second but evidently gave up. He snapped his head back to the ocean and watched the land steadily creep closer and closer to us. I wanted to punch him. What was up with him? I know that he's holding something against Alfred and has been taking every opportunity he can get to aggravate him, but I didn't know why. "He's such a jerk," I thought, folding my arms over my best. "Liech, what do you see in him?"

"A man who's desperate," she replied instantly.

I blinked. Okay, wasn't expecting a reply. But what did she mean? A man who is desperate?

Alfred leaned back into the rail, grumbling as he glared at his bare feet. "Are you sure that Prussia isn't Bud or Erwin? Or both?" He asked, scowling until his forehead creased. "I swear he's dick enough to be them."

I sighed, leaning into the place next to him. "I'm positive he's on our side," I told him. "I mean, I have to give the vial to him-"

He suddenly tensed, asking, "Do you still have that on you?"

I nodded. "Yup." I pulled it out of my pocket, showing the crystal container filled with black to him. I smirked. "I wouldn't leave home without it."

Alfred sighed in relief, placing a hand on his chest. "That's good. I would be screwed if we lost it," he said. With that, I was content with simply leaning into the rail and being silent for the remainder of our journey, I've had enough of sailing, but my friend was far from through. He nudged my shoulder, looking around warily. I couldn't blame him- everyone on this freaking boat was suspicious in their own way. Alfred leaned in and into my ear whispered, "So do you have any proof about, well, Netherlands yet?"

Oh yeah, I haven't told him about what happened yet. I knew that I had all of the intention to, but with everything that had happened, it slipped my mind. I quickly whispered in reply, "Yeah. When I went to go talk to . . . " I couldn't get the name out of my throat. Russia died thinking I hated him, didn't he? I forced myself to press forward. "He tried to talk to me, but when I refused he called me by my real name."

Alfred gasped. "You mean-"

"Yeah. Larry."

He was silent for a moment. He placed his fingers on his chin in that intelligent thinker pose I always see in cartoons. "That's pretty much a dead giveaway," he said. He looked at me, his visage shining in the maturity he always tried to hide. "Do me a favor, Lar, and avoid that creep like the plague. Let me handle him."

I scowled. "Don't kick me out of this," I hissed. "I have a grudge against him too."

"It's dangerous."

"I just got blown up, Al- don't you dare lecture me about safety." Alfred groaned, angrily huffing before leaning back into the rail. He glared angrily in front of him, refusing to meet my eyes. I sighed. What a kid. I told him, "What I meant to say, Al, is that I started this with you, right? So you can bet that I'm going to finish it with you as well."

Alfred nodded. "I know, I know. But I care, Lar. You're like a brother to me and I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Alfred flashed a grin, winking happily. "You've gotten strong, you know that right? I'm proud of you."

I looked away, ignoring the blush that crept onto my face. I . . . I always wanted Dad to say that to me. I always wanted him to come home one day and pat my back, telling me about how much I've grown, how much I've improved, how much pride I gave him. It made my chest hurt just thinking about it. I missed him a lot; I wished I could go home already just for the vain chance that he might come home already. But if I went home now, would I even be the same person?

I barely felt Alfred nudge my shoulder. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "Was it something I said?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. It's just . . ." I grabbed my arm, a small way to hug myself. I saw Jerry do this to himself all of the time and I never knew why. That is, until now. There were times when the only person to give you comfort was yourself. It was sad, in a way. "Thank you," I muttered. "That means a lot to me."

We were silent for the rest of the ride.

As we came closer, it was clear that we were landing in an old (well, new for the time) port town. There were already many vessels at the dock, all at least ten times bigger than our miniature boat. The wind turned to our favor naturally, allowing Belarus to stop her air bending and take a long needed repose. The Netherlands steered us to the dock, finding a small spot to anchor.

Gilbert and I tied the boat to a post, double checking to make sure that the knots wouldn't undo. Turkey refused to budge from his spot, causing Alfred to have to lift him into his arms and carry him around bridal style. Not that he minded- whenever a civilian stared, he simply smiled and confessed that they recently got married. I expected someone to throw a fit about it, but most people simply wished them their best. Even the Turk only stared into the distance, fiddling with the sleeves of his green shirt. Belarus and the Netherlands, meanwhile, asked around for available inns. When she returned with a tired but victories glint in her eyes, we knew that Pangaea was here.

The one good thing about losing your ship was that you lost the majority of your belongings with it. Yeah, we were able to keep hold of our weapons and I somehow managed to keep my vial and journal (though my near-drowning adventure in the water make the now dried pages smeared, wavy, and crisp), but we didn't have a lot. It sounded bad, but at least we didn't have anything to weigh us down as Belarus guided down the dirt streets us to Pangaea's Inn.

Pangaea's Inn was a quaint little place, like the ideal cottage hotel. It's wood and stone walls blended in nicely with the other buildings lining the cool harbor. I would only have known it by the sign hanging out front: a globe with the words 'Pangaea' circling it. I liked the classic look on the outside, but I fell in love with the interior.

I took a breath of relief as I absorbed the sights. A fire was lit in the fireplace, casting shadows on the deer head that hung over. A few wooden chairs surrounded it, though none of the smelly sailors were using it. They only drank their beer and ate at their food at the tables towards the front. I overheard one of them gruffly explain that the door at the far side of the lounge lead to the kitchen. He then pointed to the staircase and explained to his naive colleague that those lead to the rooms.

Feeling relaxed, I closed my eyes and took a long sniff of the air. The cook must have been making stew.

It didn't smell as good as Ukraine's.

Pangaea- the same plump lady with the brown skin, bleach blond hair, and lime green dress as the one in Sicily-sat at the receptionist desk, looking between her work and the patrons drinking at the tables. The soft smile her work brought her morphed into a frowned when she saw Belarus. She testily placed her paper down and pulled her hair up into a ponytail as she came around the desk. "It's been awhile, Belarus," she greeted, giving the six of us warry looks. She held herself very differently from her Bartender counterpart- she spoke with a thick British accent and held herself with refinement. "I suppose you're looking for a room?"

Belarus pulled her lips into a tight line. It seemed to kill her to drop her pride long enough to growl, "Well, I was actually hoping to call you out on an old debt."

"That old thing?" Pangaea scrutinized our company again. We looked like a mess- ripped clothes and worn faces. We definitely weren't winning points by having Alfred cradle Turkey like a baby. "I was hoping you forgot about it." She was silent for a moment, musing over our wrecked appearances. "Well I suppose that if it's just you guys it'll be okay," she said at last.

Belarus looked relieved. "Thank you-"

She waved a finger. "But there is no imaginable way I will let you people walk around my establishment looking like-" She moved her hands around, trying to find the words. "-vagabonds. I will fetch you all some new, respectable, clothes."

"I think changing is the last thing anyone in my crew wants to do right now," Belarus said. "Frankly, we all just need rest and a few beers right now."

Everyone ignored Gilbert when he pumped his fist in victory. Pangaea shuffled back to her desk, scribbling something into her books. "Well I'll just stick them in your rooms then and you can change when you want," she said. "How long are you going to be staying here?"

The frown on our first mate's face deepened as she sighed a little. "Until England finds us," she said.

We all looked at her with surprise. "What?" Alfred exclaimed, not caring the least when the other sailors of the inn sent him annoyed glares. "What does that mean? Are we just gonna give up?" Belarus only held up her hand, watching intently as Pangaea pulled out two sets of keys.

"I can only spare you guys two rooms then," she told us, holding them out to us. I meekly took them from her, muttering a small thanks. She smiled kindly at me. "There's three beds in each, so I'll trust you to sort out who goes in what room."

Belarus nodded. "Thank you, Pangaea."

She shrugged. "Eh, I never leave a debt unpaid. Would you like me to get you all a beer?"

Everyone around me nodded, but I had to shake my head. "I don't drink," I told her.

"Can you get me two?" I shot my head back. Was that really Turkey who spoke? Was he really the one raising his hand, seemingly peaking out of his despair? "Actually, can you get me the strongest think you got?" He asked.

Pangaea pressed her lips, huffing as she turned away. "This is an inn, not a pub," she snapped, stalking into the kitchen. The other sailors in the inn had the gall to raise their hands and order more food as she went.

We were silent for a long moment.

"So we're just going to spend time here until England gets here and then we'll all be rested enough to kick his ass while he's tired from the search, right?" Gilbert asked, looking down at Belarus with hopeful red eyes. He sounded like a little kid again, trying to be reassured that his favorite toy was not broken. "I mean, that'll be the awesome thing to do."

She looked down at the ground sadly shaking her head. She said hollowly, "No Prussia. That isn't the plan."

I heard Alfred gulp. "Then what is?"

She almost looked up at him, peaking her eye at him before painfully looking away. "There's our beers," she said suddenly, pointing to the chairs by the fireplace. Pangaea was placing a tray of the frothing mugs, beckoning for us to take a seat. Belarus rushed to her place, snatching a mug before taking a long drink. It was like watching a parched beggar drink water for the first time in years. Her face gradually relaxed as she eased herself into her chair, sighing in relief. The boys were quick to follow, Turkey tumbling out of Alfred's arms as he claimed two of them. I lingered behind for a moment, gritting my teeth before trailing behind.

I took a seat by the fire, pulling off my black shoes and letting my feet taste the heat. It really hasn't been all that cold outside, yet they felt numb like ice. I wrapped my arms over my chest, hugging myself as I looked weakly toward the others. They were all lounging in their seats, everyone either ignoring the problem at hand or looking hesitant to bring it up. I frowned. It looked like it would be up at me. I didn't cut any corners, only looked up at Belarus plainly as I asked, "So we're giving up?"

Belarus contritely lowered her mug, avoiding everyone's intended gazes. "I wouldn't necessarily call it that."

"But we are going to let England win THE WAR?" the Netherlands asked as he leaned into his chair. I wondered how he could sound so casual in a situation like this. Then again, he was the ringmaster of this circus. He probably made sure that all of this would happen.

Belarus's voice returned to the hard, defensive, tone I was used to when she explained, "We're significantly outnumbered. His ship triumphs ours. We have no hope of defeating someone like him. It's best if we just surrendered and ended this silly game while we have the chance."

Gilbert growled, throwing his empty mug on the ground as he jumped to his feet. "That's the cowardly thing to do!" He shouted, looming over her like a bad spirit. "Would your brother really want you to give up so easily?"

She curled her lip, snapping, "Don't bring my brother into this!"

"You're just a coward!"

"I don't want anyone else to die!" Gilbert's eyes went wide and he took a small step back. He wasn't expecting such volume, such fierceness. In a way, I kind of did. Why wouldn't she get defensive about her brother? But still, I didn't like the two streams of tears that were falling silently falling down her cheeks. "Believe it or not, but I care about you people. I care about all of you. I-" She stopped herself. Belarus tore her eyes away and forced them to the ground. "I'm sorry if you couldn't see that."

The chair squeaked as the Netherlands abruptly stood. "I'm going to go buy some cigarettes," he announced out of the blue. "Here-" he handed Gilbert his half-finished drink. "Finish this for me, will you?"

"Where are you going get the money to buy them?" Alfred demanded, sending him a distrustful glare.

He only waved his words away as he steadily walked out of the inn. "I'll find a way."

I shook my head. If he wasn't the enemy, I would think that he was just tired of this tense atmosphere. I sure was. I rose from my seat, collecting my shoes off of the floor. "I'm going to take a nap," I announced. They looked at me with wide eyes, as if not expecting me to, well, do anything. I sent them a hard glare, only pausing in my steps to place a hand on Gilbert's arm. "Try not to be such an ass," I told him. He gritted his teeth in reply, trying not to snap at me.

Without much thought, I walked up the stairs and to our rooms. According to our keys, we had the two rooms at the end of the hallway, both doors facing each other from opposite sides of the hall. I sighed, looking at the two iron keys I balanced with my shoes in my hands. Which one to choose?

"Larry."

I sighed again, rolling my eyes when I heard Alfred's steps coming down the hall. "I want to be alone right now," I told him, not bothering to turn back to him. "Can you go away?"

He paused a few feet from me, close enough that I could hear his shallow breaths. "Not until you promise me something first," he said.

I scoffed, "Like what?"

Alfred hesitated for a long second. He said, "Don't do anything stupid."

I dropped my guard. Stupid? What did he think that I was going to do? I really did just want to go inside and rest for a bit. I didn't care anymore about who won THE WAR or not. The only thing on my mind right now was whether or not I really was going to give Gilbert that vial or not. It was my only ticket home. "What if he thought that I was going to go after Netherlands," I realized. He did leave so abruptly that it was hard to believe that he wasn't going to plan my demise or anything.

I shook my head. "I don't plan to," I told him firmly. "At least-" I couldn't help but to grin. "Not without you there to help me."

Alfred was quiet for a moment before a hollow laugh left his lips. "Yeah, you're right." He placed a cold hand on my shoulder, squeezing it for safe measures. "I shouldn't have doubted you, man." Just as quickly as he appeared, he ripped his hand away and walked away. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

I waited until I could hear his feet pound on the staircase to look back down at my keys. Which one to pick . . . I did a quick game of eeny-meeny-miny-moe, picking the one in my right hand. To the right door I went, sticking the key in and unlocking the key. The room was dark, the only light coming in from the rectangular window on the far wall (not that it did much good- it was barely five feet from an alleyway). There was three twin sized beds against one wall, a mirror with a sink, toilet, and tub on the other. So much for privacy.

The new clothes Pangaea gave us were on the beds, ripe for the picking. Dropping my shoes on the ground, I shifted through the trousers and shirts, eventually finding a pair of navy blue slacks and a long brown tunic. I quickly pulled it on, buckling a new black belt around my waist. It felt nice- wearing clothes that didn't reek of blood. If only I could get the damned smell of my hands.

I released a long breath, sitting on the edge of the bed. What was I even doing? What was the point of staying here any longer? I should just give Gilbert the vial and get my hands out of his business. This was a completely different world from my own, wasn't it? I had no reason to be concerned about what Bud or Erwin or Himaruya do with it. I sighed. Alfred said that I changed, didn't he? Was this for the better or was it for the worse? Did he know that I was starting to give up?

"Meow!"

I jumped, yelping as I quickly pulled my legs up onto the bed. I couldn't believe my eyes. There, right at my feet, was Sokka. It looked up at me innocently with its large eyes and brown and white fur. My heart pounded in my chest as I started incoherently down at it. How did it get here? I thought it went down with the ship. Looking at it closer, I saw that there wasn't even a scratch or flaw on its fur. "How are you still alive?" I demanded shrilly. Now that I thought about it, Sokka always appeared at the most unbelievable times. Like right when something important is about to happen. "Is Sokka working against me?" I wondered. The idea sounded ridiculous. How can a cat be conspiring for my downfall? "This is a world where bisexuality is a norm and people are countries. I don't think it can get more ridiculous than that."

Sokka meowed again, jumping onto my bed. I yelped again, scrambling to get away from it. I shrieked, "What do you even want?" If Sokka could roll its eyes, I sure it would have. Instead, it continued to meow as it hopped from my bed to the window sill. I stared at it, trying my best not to blink. I asked, "You want to go outside?"

Another meow.

Finally, a way to rid of this . . . thing. Quickly looking around the room one last time (I had to make sure there wasn't a trap in wait for me somewhere), I swiftly ran to the window and pulled it open. Outside, the air was cool and tasted strongly of smoke and salt. "There," I said. "Now get out of here."

Sokka sat down, a sure sign of that not being what it wanted. I stared at it for a moment, waiting to see what it would do. It bit the edge of my sleeve.

A surge of panic shot through me, causing me to shriek as I tried to pull my arm away. However, the cat was pretty strong. It nonchalantly pulled my arm towards the window without much problem. Was he trying to tell me something? I did my best to clear my head long enough to figure out what its message was. "You want me to go outside?" I asked.

It nodded, moving my arm with it.

I looked out the window again. "Right through here?"

Another nod.

"Why?"

Sokka pausing, thinking about it for a moment before spitting out my arm. I quickly shot my arm back to my chest, cradling it there gently. My arm didn't hurt at all, but the idea that Sokka had bit me had me all shaken up. The cat was patient enough to wait until I gave it my full attention again. "Meow, meow!" Two times. It meowed two times.

I thought back, trying to figure out what that means. When has it ever meowed to me- I felt like banging my head against something. It was so obvious, but I could hardly believe the answer. "You mean . . . if I go outside, I'll find Spain?" I asked.

Sokka meowed thrice again, gesturing with its head towards the window.

I stared down at it. With everything that has happened, it would be best to finally meet He With Your Name in person at last. The chances were that he was on my team and he would be more than willing to help Alfred and me with Bud and Erwin. But . . .

Sokka blinked innocently at me, meowing loudly.

Alfred has yelled at me. There are times when Gilbert has been a jerk. Sokka has never hurt me in any way. Every time I needed to rest, it's always been there to curl up at my side, just like what Berry used to do. Even now, Sokka could have bit my arm to direct it, but it instead clamped its teeth on my sleeve. It had no intention of hurting me. I closed my eyes and sighed. Maybe I was just a sucker, but I was surely convinced that Sokka loved me.

"Let me pull on some shoes first," I said, rushing back to my old clothes. Sokka seemed to brighten up as I pulled on my shoes and shove my two knives into my pocket. I rushed back to the window, placing my hands on the wood sill and sticking my head outside. "Okay, so we're going out the window. We're doing down into the alley, right?"

It happily jumped onto my shoulder, balancing itself on the crook on my shoulder. It meowed once. No. I gritted my teeth. "So we're climbing up?" Two meows. Yes.

I sighed, looking up. Since I was on the top floor, it wasn't much to climb, but there would be a long distance to fall. I took a deep breath. Remember fetching all of those papers the Connor the Paper Boy threw? Remember how you always had to climb up trees and the side of the house to reach them? This couldn't be much different.

Bracing myself on the sides of the window, I brought my legs up and crouched on the sill. I inched out a little bit more, trying to find a holding. The alley was cramp like the ones in Sicily, making it easy for me to touch the other wall across from me. Lucky for me, there was another sill across from me. I carefully stood, placing one foot on that sill and keeping the other on mine.

Straddled between the buildings, I looked for something to hold. Sokka meowed, bring to my attention a drainage pipe. Did they even have those back then? I didn't care. It looked sturdy enough to hold my height. I grabbed it and used it to help pull myself up onto the roof. I had to run my feet on the brick walls, huffing as I swung a leg over. When my whole body was finally safe on the slanted red shillings of the inn roof, I could not help but to laugh in relief. That wasn't so bad. Slightly terrifying, but not bad.

Sokka pawed my shoulder, meowing for me to get up. I groaned, "Okay, okay." I sat up, rolling the kinks out of my shoulders. It took me a second to realize that Sokka was running off already, jumping from one building to the next. Seriously? I groaned as I rose to my heavy feet and speedily ran after it.

I frowned. This was like the first time I woke up in this place. I had to jump across buildings to escape the Netherlands and Turkey. The first time I did this, if I remembered correctly, I was afraid of making the jump. But even though the gaps between the alleys were bigger than the ones of that old deserted town, there was not a lick of fear in me. Why should there be? I've been harassed, kidnapped, and blown up more times than I could count.

Maybe Alfred was right. Maybe I really did change.

I learned pretty quickly that the jumps were easier if I didn't stop running. All I had to do was extend my legs far enough for each leap. Then, use the shock of my landing to power my feet even more. I couldn't stop, not even when my chest began to ache. I had to make sure that I didn't lose that cat. I was like my own Alice, except the bunny was a cat and Wonderland was the real world.

After ten or so buildings, Sokka finally stopped. As I ran to catch up with it, I saw it pause at one the ledges and lean over the side, looking down at something. I jumped my last building, landing with a shock. I grunted, but ignored it so that I could skid to a stop. My whole lower half ached. I felt like Jell-O, the green kind Mom ate in the morning for breakfast. I placed my hands on my bent knees, panting too hard not to feel sick. "What. . . " I had to stop. I didn't have enough breath to talk.

I dragged my feet to the ledge, letting myself sink to the ground. I looked over the edge. I was expecting to see a Spanish man look up at me with a drawn face and beckon for me to join him on the ground, but instead I saw the Netherlands, muttering something to a waterside street vendor before taking a pack of cigarettes. The ache in my chest grew, but not from loss of breath. "Sokka, am I supposed to be looking at Netherlands?" I asked. It meowed twice. "Why? I thought that we were going after Spain."

The cat ignored me, only watching as the Netherlands took a long drag of his tobacco and stalked into the alley below us. I watched him pause right below us, stuffing his new pack into his pocket. I closed my eyes, sighing, "Sokka, what are we-"

It bit me.

It bloody bit me.

I yelped, snatching my wounded hand off of the ledge. My support gone, there was nothing stopping me from falling over the ledge. I barely had time to realize it, only feeling my stomach plummet as the air rushed around me. Then, I painfully hit something. I kept my eyes closed and groaned loudly. I could feel the bruises develop over the aching stretches on my arms and legs.

"Mother of Jesus!" I froze. I suddenly knew why I didn't have broken bones. I knew why I was still alive. I cracked my eye open, not surprised but still gasping when I saw that I was in the Netherlands's arms. I had fall straight into his clutches. Literally. I immediately began to kick, muttering about how he had to let go of me. He only raised a thick eyebrow, looking down at me with shock. "What the hell, Liechtenstein?" He exclaimed, dropping me to the ground. I landed painfully, but I could not afford to waste time. I scrambled to my feet, the Netherlands watching me with growing confusion. "Where the hell did you come from?" he asked, looking back up at the sky.

I took a few steps back. I was face to face with the enemy now- the exact thing I swore to Alfred I wouldn't do. I glanced around frantically, trying to sort out all of the voices in my head. One was screaming for me to run away, another was sneering in my ear to stick my feet in the mud and confront him once and for all. Another part of me was crying tears over Sokka's betrayal, another questioned optimistically why the cat would do something like this. Would confronting Netherlands lead to Spain's arrival?

I realized that the Netherlands was in my personal space far too late. Breaking from my trance, I saw that his hands were gripping my shoulder and his green eyes were looking down at me with worry. "Are you alright, Liechtenstein?" He asked. "You look scared."

Something within me was pricked painfully. I know that I swore to myself that I was no longer going to pretend to be strong when I wasn't, but old habits die hard. A hole formed in my pride, eating me up from the inside out. I had to prove him wrong. I wasn't scared- not of him, whether he was Bud or Erwin.

Growling, I yanked my shoulders away. "Get off of me!" I shouted. I took a few steps back, reverting my feet to the battle stance Belarus taught me. I pulled my knives out of my pocket, showing the silver blades to the Netherlands.

I watched his eyes went wide and the cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth. "What are you doing?" He asked quietly. "Liechtenstein, why are you-"

"Why are you still calling me by that name?" I barked harshly. I could see the sweat dripping down his warm skin. "You know my real one, so use it."

The country stared at me for a long moment. "I don't understand-"

I shouted, "Larry Ebenezer Sue! That's my name! I know you know it, so where did you learn it?"

Then, not to my surprise, his shock disappeared.

The Netherland's face warped into some sort of reverence, his eyes cold and mouth flat. He abjectly took another drag of his cig, blowing a long stream of drag out of his mouth. "So it's come to this, hasn't it?" He asked coldly. I shuddered. As much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I was not prepared for that. "Two men, finally confronting each other in a pathetic alley way."

I tightened my grip on the hilts of the knives until my knuckles were white. "I'm not going to back down," I said lowly. "I have too much to gain from this."

"So do I."

A peal of cold laughter left my lips. "You do?' I asked, barely believing it. "What can you, the master mind, possibly gain from all of this?" And there he was again- gaping at me with shock. The Netherlands opened and closed his mouth a few times like a starved fish. I cackled again. "So you didn't expect me to figure it out?" I sneered.

"No." I dropped my hatred for a second, a primal fear striking me. I was wrong? How could I be? He was just tricking me, wasn't he? I narrowed my eyes and looked back at him. He was shaking his head, his eyes so wide that I could see more white than green. "You've got this all wrong, Larry," he said hastily. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his watch for me to see. It was the same one he's always been looking at, but this was the first time I've realized that it was an exact copy as the one Denmark had. "I'm not the bad guy here."

"Yes you are!" At this point, I was only shouting from fright. The fact that I was wrong was stuck to my skin, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. If I did, then I would be completely blind right now. I've lost my handicap and I was oddly aware of how small I was without it. "You're Bud and Erwin," I persisted. "I signed my contract with you!"

"No."

We both went still. My heart seized up as all breath left me again. "That voice."

Footsteps bounced against the brick walls, echoing all around us. "I can hardly believe it, Mr. Sue."

I saw the Netherlands turn to stone, his hands shaking as he heard the steps grow faster. "It couldn't be."

"It's only been a few days, yet you've already forgotten who I am."

We both looked down the alley. "That''s-"

Stepping out of the shadows was a familiar face. He was a rather young man with square glasses like mine that glinted against the sunlight. His hair was dark, greased, and stuck out at every so angle. There was an air of snobbiness on his pale face as he smirked at out expressions. "Really, Mr. Sue," he said calmly, flicking the cuffs of his white suit. The color drowned him, the only shade on everything from his slacks to the tip of his suit jacket. Black would be a more fitting hue. "I would have expected so much better."

I nearly dropped my weapons. That was the same face the man at the receptionist desk at the hospital. His voice was the very same that threatened me on the Oberon. I pointed my finger, silently commanding my body to stop shaking. 'Y-you're Erwin," I whispered.

The Netherlands at last gulped whatever lump he had in his throat. He gripped his watch tightly in his hand as he narrowed his eyes into a deadly glare. "So it's you," he hissed. "All this time, you've been Erwin. I . . ." He took a deep breath. "Out of everyone, I never thought it would be you, Austria."

I gasped. "You're a country?" I asked. I sounded more scared than I wanted, but I couldn't help it. Every inch of my body was consumed with trepidation and I did not know how to control it.

Erwin laughed. It was sick to the taste, making more sweat trickle down the sides of my neck. "I'm more than just a country, Mr. Sue," he told me humoredly. "I am an enlightened one, one of the few who is worthy of the true knowledge of this universe. I work under the name of our creator, Himaruya, and I know all of the secrets to this world and the others."

"Like my world?" I asked.

He grimaced. "Yes. The . . . negative world." I knitted my brows. Negative world? Did he mean to say that my world was bad? Before I could dare to ask, Erwin turned his attention to the country in front of him. That disgusting smirk never left his face when he placed a gloved hand on the Netherland's cheek. "My dear client," he said. "I do believe the time has come, has it not?"

Surprisingly, my comrade was able to shake his head. "I still have time on my clock," he whispered. Even though his voice was so soft, there was a rebellious tone to it. He was dangerous, like a time bomb with an inaccurate clock. Any second, he was going to blow.

Erwin nodded. "Yes, but wouldn't you like to join your brother early? Your poor old Mathias is very lonely."

"Don't you dare talk about Mathias that way!" The Netherlands screamed, swinging a fist at Erwin. Hands folded behind his back, the man lightly stepped back and let the blow miss him entirely. The Netherlands grunted, wiping the sweat off of his forehead as he lunged again.

Erwin continued to take small steps back, calmly avoiding each swing. It drove Netherland insane- the way Erwin didn't blink when his knuckles barely missed. I watched the cruel waltz with anxiety, one part hoping for my friend to land a blow and another hoping he'll miss. Would it be better to aggravate Erwin or avoid the conflict now? Would we ever get the chance to go against him again?

At last, the Netherlands gave up, lowering his fists in defeat. He glared at Erwin, his chest rising and falling with his pants. "You're a coward," he sneered. "You always avoid conflicts instead of facing them head on like a man."

The other shrugged, the heels of his shoes clicking as he walked towards him again. "Fighting is not my forte," he said, watching triumphantly as the Netherlands took steps away from them. They were coming closer, coming back to me. I raise my knives again, prepared to fight him as well. I wasn't weak. I knew that now.

Still, I could not keep my arms steady. My weapons shook in my hands as I tried to aim them straight, straight at Erwin's chest. But it was a strain to even raise them. My limbs felt weighted. For the first time in a week, I couldn't breathe in my corset. I swore, trying to focus in on the situation, but my mind was frantically jumping to other places. What was going to happen here? Was I going to be okay in the end? Would Erwin try to kill me? Since when did the Netherlands have a contract with him?

I bit my lip. What the hell was going on here?

The Netherlands's back was right in front of me now. He stretched a hand back to me, protectively pushing me back further as Erwin caved in on him. He stole a quick glance back to me. Something inside of my twisted when I saw the haunted gleam in his eyes. There were dark spot dropping beneath them as well, making him look older as well. Yet, beneath the scars his dealing with Erwin left him, there was something else. "Care," I realized. "He wants to care-" I looked at his eyes again. "No, he wants to protect me."

He turned back to Erwin, "Look," he said. "I don't know what you want with this Larry or Liechtenstein or anything, but right now you're problem is me so if you do so much as lay a finger on this kid, I will attack you."

Erwin paused in his steps and quirked an eyebrow. He looked between the Netherlands and I, musing over the words. "That's very surprising of you, Lars," he said. "You say that with such faith, even though the last time those words were uttered from your lips, you were not able to go through with that promise." The Netherlands, Lars, gripped his fists. "Remember Mathias? Remember how he so valiantly decided to lay his life down for you? Remembered how you cried and cried and begged for him not to sign, but he did so anyways?" He laughed hollow. "Only a vain man would pursue a lie even when he knows the truth."

Lars yelled, raising his arm for another punch. I swore. Even I knew that was what Erwin wanted. Those words were only trash disguised by eloquent speaking, made only to instigate him. I had no idea what Erwin could be planning, but I knew that it couldn't be good. In an instant, I was dropping my knives and reaching out towards his shirt. If only I could grab it and pull him back in time.

Time was not on my side.

Erwin got to him first, roughly taking Lar's shirt in his hand and banging him against the stone wall. He smirked when the blonde cried out and lowered his face from view. Sweat made Lars's hair flat, the strains dark as it stuck to his forehead. His eyes were shut and he was wincing with each breath. He was in pain- that much was certain. Erwin must have cracked a rib when he banged him on the wall.

I closed my eyes. Breathe, Larry. If you lose your cool like Lars, then you were going to end up like him. You have to be the strong one and not let him get the best of you. But even though I highly suspecting that Erwin wanted me to try to fight him as well, I felt as though I couldn't stand back and let Erwin push him against the wall like trash and relish in Lars's pained breaths. Lars had stretched a hand back to me when Erwin was caving in on him, keeping my protected. He had the courage to help me, so I will have the foolishness to help him.

I crouched to the ground, snatching my knives back into my hands. Still low, I narrowed my eyes at my target: Erwin's neck. I knew that if I hit there, then he wouldn't be able to fight me back. But if the knife veered to either direction, I might hit Lars instead. I took a long, steady breath. Belarus said that if I didn't put all of myself into my throw, then I was bound to miss. Even if I couldn't stand the idea of murder, I had to stand up to his defense. I had to save Lars, no matter what. I cleared my head of all thoughts.

I had to make this move.

The knife was an extension of my arm.

I was going to make this move.

Lars choked.

I was going to hit his neck.

The knife flew from my hand.

Suddenly, Erwin twirled around. One hand remained on Lars's neck, holding him high against the wall as the other shot out towards the knife. He caught the blade between his fingers. My eyes went wide as a wave of panic came over me. Shit. I threw the other knife. It was a reckless shot and he only had to tilt his head to the side to avoid it. The noisy clang! it made when it hit the wall and fell harmlessly onto the ground terrified me.

A cold cloak enveloped itself around me as I fell back onto my hands, scrambling away from him. I thought my chest was going to burst with how fast my heart was beating. My back hit the wall. Logic told me that I should move right or left- any way to get away but my body refused to move. I couldn't rip my eyes away from Erwin. I couldn't bear to blink and discover Lars dead. I couldn't move.

"That was a foolish move, Mr. Sue," Erwin said nonchalantly, twirling the knife between his fingers. The sun glinted off of the silver blade, blinding me here and there. "I thought that you treasured life, after all, is that not why you are here? To save your dear Stella?"

I didn't answer him. My mouth refused to work.

I watched with dread as a frown printed itself onto his lips. "That does not matter," he said sullenly. He stopped twirling my knife, instead pointing the blade towards me. "You desired to throw a knife, is that right?" He asked. Fear rushed through my veins. My eyes shot to my other knife, the one abandoned by his feet. If only I could reach it. "Then, Mr. Sue, let me give you a demonstration."

Shit.

I immediately squeezed my eyes shut, praying to God that it wouldn't hurt. When that knife hit me, please let it be somewhere nonlethal. Better yet, please let it miss. Please let me live. Stella and Lars need me now, they . . .

"Got ya!" Someone grabbed my arm and, in an instant, I was back on my feet. Arms wrapped around me as I was whisked away. A hand came up behind my head, pressing my face into a firm chest. I opened my eyes and looked up.

I smiled largely. "Alfred!"

Alfred looked down at me, sending me a confident grin. It was so cheap and cheesy that it actually made me feel better. My moment was relief was short lived, however, as he turned his focus back on Erwin. I turned around to face him, allowing Alfred to hold me back by my shoulders.

The knife laid on the ground right where I used to be. Lars was clawing away at the slender, pale sticks around his neck, growling for Erwin to release him. Erwin, meanwhile, gave my mentor a small look of surprise before raising his chin with pride. "You are late," he said calmly.

Alfred chose to ignore him, instead pointing a sharp finger towards his enemy. "Monster," he spat loudly. "I wouldn't let you hurt Larry! Do what you like to me, but I will never-"

"Did you not receive the notice?" Erwin demanded suddenly. I made an audible sound of confusion, peering at him carefully. What in the world could Erwin possibly mean by that? Alfred didn't seem to know either. He just stared blankly at him, blinking from behind his wired glasses. Erwin placed a hand on his face and groaned. "You skimmed it again, didn't you?" Alfred nodded, causing him to groan again. "Honestly, you are so carelessly, Bud."

Bud?

He couldn't mean . . .

My whole body went cold. The source, it seemed, came from the frigid hands on my shoulders. I shook my head fiercely, as if trying to wipe the idea away. "No," I whispered.

No.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no- That couldn't be right.

That would mean that Alfred . . .

Numbly, I turned to my friend, giving him a hopeful look. "Erwin's just playing with us, isn't he?'" I said, forcing a grin on my face. For once, Alfred didn't return it. He just looked down at me with cold, cold eyes. "Y-you're my friend, Alfred. Y-you wouldn't betray me, right?" He didn't answer. Something inside of me broke and I could feel my panic increase. "Alfred?"

His blue eyes were like the slits of a snake now, jeering down at me with hard pity. I shuddered, eyeing him uncertainly as he place a heavy hand on my head. He petted my hair softly, not breaking eye contact as he said, "Of course I'll never betray you, Larry."

I cracked a small, relieved smile. Thank goodness, I-

"But the thing is Larry, I can't betray you." His fingered tangled themselves in my hair. I yelped, bringing my arms up to stop him as he lifted me onto my toes. The pain drilled into my head, bringing tears to my eyes. His face swooped into close mine. I could feel his cold, slimy breath on my skin as he sneered, "To betray someone, you have to have been on their side at one point, but I was against you from the start."

He tossed me to the ground like a rag doll. I rolled over the cobbled stones, crying out with each hit. When I finally stopped on my side, I could barely move. My whole body was on lockdown. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. All I could do was curl into myself: a shaking mess. I knew that I couldn't just lay there and let him walk all over me. I had to get up, I had to fight him. Grunting, I tried to push myself off of the ground, but my arms felt broken and they shook under my weight. I collapsed back down again, just as Alfred crouched down right next to me.

"You know, Larry-" He tangled his fingers into my hair again. He lifted me back up, bringing my face right back towards his. A disgusting smirk laid there as he chuckled at my frailty. "-I would have expected a lot more from you."

I looked him in the eye. "What about your contract?" I demanded huskily. "And everything with England? Whatever happened to that?"

Alfred humored shook his head. "Poor Larry- you really are too trusting," he said. "I lied about all that. I said all of those things so that the boy who felt ignored by his own father would be able to relate."

Deep inside, I knew he was right. Somehow, I knew that all this time that story was the only real reason why I trusted him. I knew that all long I had been sticking myself into Alfred F. Jones shoes, replacing England with Dad. It drove me insane to even think about it. Still, I was determined to invoke something from the Alfred I once knew. "What about me?" I asked, wincing when he shook me by my hair. "We're friends. We swore to help each other until the end."

"Again, lies."

I must have looked so pitiful as I looked at my friend with wide eyes. I practically whimpered, "Alfred, please . . . " He struck me, bringing his fist sharply into my stomach. I cried out, lowering my head in defeat. I couldn't lie to myself any longer. I really did lose my only ally.

I vaguely heard Lars fighting against Erwin's grasp. "Stop hitting him!" He shouted, relentlessly struggling even when Erwin only rolled his eyes. "This is about me, not him!"

"I would have never taken you to be the vain one, Lars," Erwin said casually, plucking the cigarette from his lips. The brunette smiled darkly as he pressed the smoking end into the skin of Lars's neck. "Did you truly believe that you and Mathias were the only ones with contracts?" He asked, watching Lars grit his teeth in pain. "Didn't you know that Mr. Sue and Liechtenstein have their contracts as well?"

Alfred nodded, adding, "Contracts that we'll be calling him out on now." He roughly shook me again, enticing me to cry out. I bit my lip, determined not to make a sound. "So Larry, have you given Gilbert his vial yet?" He asked, knowing the answer quite well. I didn't answer him. He scowled, socking me in the jaw. Pain shot through my head and traveled down my spine. The sick, metallic taste of blood appeared on my tongue. "Well?"

I looked up at him, glaring. I curled my lip and spat a thick wad of blood and saliva at his face. It dripped slowly down his cheek, causing him to grunt in disgust. He threw me to the ground, never stalling as he rose to his feet and kicked me. In the stomach, my chest, my groin- anywhere and everywhere he could. I kept trying to curl into a ball and protect my softer parts, but he stomped his foot on my sides every time, always causing me to unwind.

The pain started to morph, each shot fading into the next. Eventually it just grew into one large tone, a long note on a broken piano. It was consistent, never faltering as it never ended. It just went on and on and on and on until I felt half insane and half crazy.

"Ah- shit!" The blows stopped and the pain echoed away. Weakly, I cracked open an eye and saw, to my amazement, Sokka. It was on Alfred's head, meowing like crazy as it dug its claws into his eyes. Alfred was stumbling away, swearing on the stop of his lungs as he tried to pull it away. Erwin's eyes went wide as he watched his partner helplessly. It was plain that he wanted to save him and, for a moment, he looked ready to release Lars and do just that.

But his attention was stolen.

Lars flashed his teeth, kicking his long leg into Erwin's stomach. Erwin gasped, immediately releasing his hold as he reached for his stomach. Lars reached to the ground, swiping one of my abandoned knives off of the ground. I saw where this was going and quickly looked for the other. It laid a few feet away, right by the wall. I rolled over to it, grasping it firmly in my hand. Just as I sat up, holding the knife in front of myself, the tables turned again.

Alfred ripped Sokka off of his head and threw it to the ground. Glasses skewed, his face was covered with hot red scratched and one of his eyelids was struggling to stay open. He grinned wildly as he brought his foot down onto my cat. A loud crunch! reached my ears as he stomped into Sokka. Acid rose from my stomach as I watched with wide eyes as Alfred stomped into it again, and again, and again, and again, each one provoking another ear killing crunch!

"Stop it!" I screamed, crawling over to Sokka. Alfred took a step back, letting me pick the animal off of the ground and cradle it in my arms. I could feel the warm blood seep through my sleeves. For the sake of my sanity, I ignored it. "Wake-up, Sokka," I whispered, bouncing it like a mother to her sleeping child. I didn't know when my tears started again, but they were falling unmercifully down my face, wetting Sokka's dirtied fur. "Please wake up."

Alfred fixed his glasses. "I never liked that cat," he said flatly. I heard him walking towards me, his feet patting the ground at an agonizingly slow rate. "Good riddance it's gone now, right?"

Lars appeared in front of me, holding his knife out to both Erwin and Alfred. "Don't you dare take another step closer, monsters," he sneered through his pants. I was amazed. He was working so hard to help me (for what reason, I had no idea) when all I could do was sit in shock and cry. I wanted to help Lars like he was helping me. Gulping, I looked down at my dead friend. "I'm sorry Sokka," I whispered, placing it on the ground beside me. "But . . ." I sighed. Ignoring all else around me, I leaned over and kissed the top of Sokka's head. "I love you."

My world went white.

I groaned, shutting my eyes as I placed an arm over then. I heard Lars shout in surprise as Alfred swore.

It was silent.

Then: "Don't hurt him!"

I opened my eyes, just to see splotches of purple and green in my vision. I cursed, trying to rub them away. Even with my wrecked vision, I could tell that someone new was standing in front of me. I tried to zone in on their form. Then, a familiar smell met my nose- something that smelled like the ocean, except more spicy. I knew that smell. "Sokka?" I whispered.

My vision began to clear, along with everyone else's.

"Aluino!" Erwin shouted, his feet scratching the ground as he dragged them into a defensive stance.

Lars stuttered over his words for a moment, before finally blurting, "The hell- what are you doing here, Spain?"

I shot my eyes up, my vision finally clearing enough for me to see. Standing above me, stepping in front of Lars, was a tall man. He was lean with tanned and sweaty skin. I couldn't see his face, but his brown hair was long and pulled into a low ponytail. He was also butt naked. My cheeks heated up when I realized that the crack in his ass was right in my face. I slapped a hand over my eyes, swearing to myself.

Spain-Aluino-Sokka-Whatever his name was didn't notice. He swept his hand across the air, declaring, "I am Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. I am the follower of the true creator and by his word I declare that you will not hurt them."

Alfred took a tense breath, running his hand through his hair. "What do you mean, little bro?" He asked, cracking a fake smile. "Hima-pops's the true creator. Don't tell me some asshole ticked ya into thinking otherwise."

Antonio shook his head. "Alfred, he is not the creator," he said solemnly. Alfred's face dropped ever so slightly. "I know this for a fact." Lars looked down at me with knitted brows. His eyes asked me if I knew what the hell was going on. I shook my head. This time, we were both lost.

The blonde frowned, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "My name's not Alfred," he growled darkly. He finally copied Erwin, drawing himself into a defensive position. "It's Bud, Aluino. Get it right."

"That's not the name the creator gave you," Antonio said calmly. "It's Alfred. And you, Erwin, your name is truly Roderich." He lowered his shoulders. I could hear the wistful frown in his face when he extended a hand, saying, "Please, guys. I know we weren't necessarily on the best of terms the last time we saw each other, but I know that Himaruya is not the person you think he is. Please join me and we can bring the positive world back to its former glory."

Alfred curled a lip at him, huffing as he turned away. I could see, however, Roderich's purple eyes soften. "I do not understand, Aluino," he said quietly. "I turned you into a cat and yet you insist and showing us mercy. Why is that?"

"Because you were supposed to kill me and you didn't," Antonio replied. "And you're my brothers. Why wouldn't I want to give you salvation?"

Before Roderich could reply, Alfred huffed, cracking his neck. "Don't waste your breath- we're not interested in your 'salvation'," he sneered. "What we're here for is the boy." Antonio shifted on his feet, knowing quite well that the boy he was thinking of was right behind him. Lars gave him side glances, begging to know what to do. He didn't return in, only set his gaze straight at Alfred.

The traitor waited a moment, smirking when no objections met him. He took pleasure in clearing his throat, making sure all was listening when he announced, "In accordance with the contract between Larry Ebenezer Sue and the associates of Himaruya Hidekaz, the price for the assurance of Hoshi Sayaka's life is to be paid by service, in this case, the giving of subject the Kingdom of Prussia, known as Gilbert, a vial containing an undisclosed liquid. The Kingdom of Prussia must drink this vial in order for Larry Ebenezer Sue to fulfill his service. There is no set deadline for said contract."

"Why are you telling us all of this?" Lars demanded abruptly. Antonio hushed him.

Alfred ignored the question, continuing his speech. "However, in accordance with the contract between Liechtenstein and the associates of Himaruya Hidekaz, the principality of Liechtenstein must surrender use of her body to the purposes of Himaruya Hidekaz and his associates until the service of Larry Ebenezer Sue is fulfilled. The contract will become void at the discretion of Himaruya Hidekaz and his associates." Alfred smiled motioning Roderich to follow as he started to walk away. "That is all."

I looked between them, feeling myself grow tired all of the sudden. Exhaustion weighed on my shoulders, causing me to lean back into the wall. I weakly lifted my head, trying to get one last look at them. "W-what is that supposed to mean?" I muttered tacitly.

They either didn't hear me or didn't answer.

Roderich and Alfred walked out of the alley way, disappearing when they stepped into the street, engulfed by the crowd. Lars waited until they were gone for good to explode. "Spain! What the hell is going on?" He demanded immediately. "What happened to you? Why are you their brother? Why were you a cat- oh shit you're naked! Here-" Lars pulled his dirtied, white shirt over his head and shoved it to Antonio. "Cover up and explain yourself. Now."

Antonio muttered a thanks, pulling the shirt on. Lars was about a foot taller than him and since the shirt was already long to begin with, it covered his private parts perfectly. Antonio ruffled his hair, taking a tense breath. "We really don't have time to go over everything in detail, but I can tell you a few essentials: Himaruya is the false creator of this world. Me, Alfred, and Roderich were his sons, in a sense, and we lived to serve him. I, however, grew fed up with all of this contract makings when Mathias was signed on. You remember that, right? You were there."

The edges of my vision were starting to go black. It felt as though something was trying to pull me out of my body, pull me into the darkness. "I remember it a little bit," I heard Lars mutter. "You were the quiet one."

"Yup, Aluino. Anyways, Himaruya wanted them to kill me for betrayal, but Roderich took pity and turned me into a cat instead."

"So how did you-" He gestured wildly. "Un-cat?"

Antonio threw his head back and laughed. "I met the true creator, obviously. He told me that he couldn't undo the spell, but he could modify it. Said that the only way I could return to human is if I get a kiss from my true love."

The blond looked down at me, bewildered. He didn't seem to notice my fading life when he pointed a finger, saying, "You mean Larry?"

Antonio nodded happily. "Yup!"

"Spain-"

"Call me Antonio," he interjected happily. If I was fully conscious, I would have questioned how he managed to be so serious with Erwin and Alfred, yet be so obviously cheerful now. The mirth I heard in his voice seemed in human, but more genuine than Alfred's ever was.

Lars groaned. "Fine, call me Lars," he spat angrily. "But you do realize Larry's still a kid, right?"

My vision was all about gone now. I could barely hear them speak. Their footsteps created vibrations in the ground, ones that rocked me to sleep. I wanted to reach out and beg them to help me, but my throat was constricted. I couldn't even move my hand to wipe the irritating blood that dripped down my face.

Antonio quickly changed the subject. "Let me see your watch," he ordered. There was a shuffling and I could hear the golden trinket click open. He mused for a moment, humming to himself. "I'll say you got less than forty-eight hours before your contract is up."

"Shit." Lars muttered to himself for a long moment, no doubt rubbing his temples helplessly. "We have to get going then. Where's Lar- shit!" The footsteps echoed again as he ran towards me. I vaguely felt his hand on my shoulder as he placed the back of his hand on my cheeks and forehead. "Shit, shit, shit, shit- wake-up, Larry. Can you hear me?"

Yes, I can. My voice just wouldn't work.

Antonio crouched beside him. "Let me try," he said. I felt his warm hand appeared on my cheek, his thumb wiping away the blood, mud, and sweat. The claws that dragged me into the darkness disappeared and I could suddenly open my eyes again. My throat, however, was still useless and I couldn't move my limbs. I saw Antonio's tanned face relax and his bright green eyes lit up. "Oh thank God, we didn't lose you yet, though-" His soothing, optimistic smile turned into a tight frown. "-I can't sense Liechtenstein's presence inside of you anymore. And I think there's something else trying to drag you away."

He lowered his hand.

The black immediately returned to my vision. I screamed inside of my head to stay, sticking my ground and fighting it off. I couldn't slip out of this body! Not yet! I had to save Stella, I had too-

My vision turned completely black for a moment. My sense of touch disappeared. I pushed the numb darkness away, struggling to find the light. I heard a scream. A white dot appeared at last and it grew rapidly bigger. My sight returned. I saw that Antonio had his hand back on my cheek, holding me up in the middle of the alley. He was panting, grimacing as he looked at me evenly. Odd—why wasn't I by the wall? "Just as I thought," he muttered, looking downward.

I follow his gaze down, seeing for the first time that I had one of my knives in my hand. Luckily, it was not bloodied, but Lars's horrified look told me enough.

I had tried to kill them.

MW: *Eagerly waits for the yelling reviews*

Notes:

"All this time, you've been Erwin. I . . ." *warning: spoiler for Fangirl* Okay, so remember how I said that if you used your brains, you could figure this one out easily? Well everyone presumed that I meant to look for the one character that's in every chapter for no reason. The secret really was in why Himaruya is Estonia. Remember how Estonia was somewhat based on him and that's why they were the same person? If you look at the trivia section of Austria's Hetalia wiki page, you would learn that his bad sense of direction was based on an Austrian that Himaruya met in real life. Add the fact that I gave you his description in the very first chapter, I would have thought that at least someone would have guessed this one. There's a similar deal going on with America and Spain, making them who they are. And those names I gave them? Well they all mean 'friend' in their respective languages (you know, kind of like how they all have traits based upon Himaruya's friends?) You guys totally could have guessed this. And before you all start complaining about how I never had him in the background before, I would like to point out that for every fight scene where the Red Coats attacked, I always mentioned a man with dark hair fighting. I wonder who that is . . .

Next Chapter: What's wrong with Larry? Are Antonio and Lars going to be able to figure it out in time for the next major plot point?

Please review because this has been the chapter I've been dying to write and I want to know what you all think of it!