Chapter 6. Novocaine.
This town was…weird. It was nothing like Alfred was used to seeing. Normally, in a city or a town, everyone acted the same. They minded their own business, kept to their families if they had any, and they hardly socialized. It was all the normal gray that Alfred was used to seeing, that seemed to be the norm. Alfred had no idea where this town was, what it was called, or if it was even in the country, but it was much, much different than the norm.
Everyone here was happy and chatting with each other, being mutually beneficial to one another. It was…overwhelming. Concerning, almost, but not quite. Even after the incident with the radicals, it seemed like everyone was back to normal. After they worked together to get everything cleaned up. Now the square was back to its seemingly usual spark and crowd. Arthur made sure he was still as close as possible to Alfred at all times and now Francis and Antonio made sure he was in their sights at all times. From what he could guess was that Antonio was their sniper, which meant that he could at least see very well from a distance. It was just odd how laid back and relaxed he always seemed to be. He even left Arthur so he could talk to girls he obviously wasn't even attracted to.
And then Francis. Everyone, really. They were all laid back. Sure, Alfred and his team were laid back, but only when they were alone. Only when they were safe from prying eyes. Even Arthur would banter with Francis on occasion, slipping into a more relaxed roll than he should have, as the evident leader of the group. Alfred had yet to gauge the reflexes of either Francis or Arthur properly, as he had been distracted with the sudden interruption, engrossed in ensuring his job was complete, rather than focusing on Arthur. He knew that if he didn't silence something like that as soon as possible, the king would have to deal with it later and Alfred didn't want to trouble him. More than he most likely already was.
"You look rather like an assassin," Arthur commented, leaning on a wall beside him. Alfred was standing up straight, watching the people of the town walk around with money or goods of some kind. Alfred was slightly startled by such a comment, though he made no move to imply that he really was. "You're so stiff and your eyes are so cold, I suggest at least keeping your cover better. We are."
"Are you keeping your cover or are you being careless?" Alfred asked. "I find I can't quite tell."
Arthur stiffened slightly, though came with a quick comeback. "Careless is being caught by two people who I assume are far less able than someone who has been an assassin as long as you have."
"Was that careless?" Alfred asked simply. "Or a well thought out plan?"
"Yes, I'm sure that king of yours is quite able to come up with something as ingenious as this," Arthur said, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm.
"I wouldn't doubt anything of the sort," Alfred said proudly and Arthur scoffed, shaking his head. Alfred could tell that he did have some reason that seemed perfectly valid to Arthur that explained his hatred for the king, though Alfred couldn't quite seem to discover it. The closest thing he had to a clue was when a small gust of wind moved his shirt just slightly and Alfred could see a small section of what appeared to be a large, ugly scar on his back.
"How long have you had prosthetics?" Arthur asked, changing the subject of the conversation.
"Why?" Alfred asked skeptically.
"I'm attempting a civilized conversation," Arthur shrugged.
"You are strange assassins," Alfred said. "I've had them since before I can remember."
"Do you know of the accident?" Arthur asked.
"Revolutionaries," Alfred said simply. "The king was kind enough to give a baby like me a second chance with new limbs." Alfred couldn't even remember how many different limbs he had to go through as he grew. And how many glasses to fix his eyesight, much like his brother.
"How do you know a story like that is true?" Arthur asked.
"Why would anything the king says be a lie?" Alfred asked him innocently.
"You're a very interesting person, Alfred," Arthur sighed and Alfred watched carefully as a ball bounced and skidded through the crowd until he stopped it with his own foot before it hit his shin. No one in the crowd seemed to mind, not even Francis or Antonio, who seemed to be perfectly happy, chatting up random girls that passed them by.
"I don't understand," Alfred muttered as he picked up the ball. It was made out of rubber, he hadn't really seen anything like it. "You are quite interesting as well. What person sells this as their wares?"
"That's not something someone's selling," Arthur chuckled slightly and Alfred saw a small group of children pushing through the crowd, looking around until they locked onto the ball in Alfred's hand. He still didn't quite understand what was going on.
"Um…Mister?" one of the children looked up at him, obviously trembling. He was terrified, though less so than the rest of his friends. Did Alfred look that terrifying? Then again, Arthur did say that he looked like an assassin…Should he try smiling? That probably wasn't a good idea… "Could we have our ball back?"
"What are you doing with it?" Alfred asked, genuinely curious. Arthur wasn't about to give him any answers any time soon. As long as he was stuck in this town, he could figure out how it worked.
The child seemed to brighten considerably now that he had something to talk about. "I-It's a game we made up. There are two teams and the goal is to get the ball past the other teams into their goal! Without using our hands."
"That sounds kinda cool," Alfred said, a small smirk playing along his lips. He tossed the ball in his hands while Arthur watched him considerably. Alfred liked kids, he normally didn't see very many, but it was cool to see some of them being able to grow up normally now that the king had restored order to everything. Alfred tossed the ball at Arthur without warning. The man flinched instinctively to catch the rubber object, though judging by the look in his eyes, it took just a few seconds for him to fully react. There, now Alfred knew his reaction time. "Hey, Artie, wanna play with us?"
"Afraid not," Arthur sighed, tossing the ball back to Alfred, who caught it expertly with one hand. "I'm not very good with games, I would most likely slow you down."
"No way, sir, are you going to play with us?" the kid asked in wonder.
"I want him on my team!" one kid cheered happily and Alfred laughed slightly, following as the kids lead him through the crowd. He found that they had set up in an unoccupied alleyway. There were about five children in total, two of them had stayed back while three went to fetch the ball. There were weak lines drawn on the ground in chalk, which Alfred guessed were the lines for the goal. The other kids greedily rushed to their friends to tell them all about what happened. Alfred was more than aware of the fact that Arthur was right behind him, ready to press the damned button at any time.
Alfred smirked as he tossed the ball in the air before hitting it lightly with his elbow. He had already thrown it and weighed it in his hands so he knew exactly how much force to put onto it to get the desired effect. The ball was tossed into the air by his foot next, resulting in him hitting it a few times with his head, and then he turned to juggling it between his knees. He laughed without his own consent. It was actually kind of fun. By the time he let the ball drop to the ground, he noticed that all five kids were staring at him in awe. They all wanted him on their "team", as it were.
Arthur watched in interest from a fair distance as Alfred played with the kids. As expected, he was an expert, even at something that he had just discovered, though, surprisingly, he was holding himself back. Despite his obvious ability, he allowed the kids around him to actually be better than him most of the time. Naturally, there were times when he couldn't help showing off. The part that seemed the most surprising, however, was the fact that Alfred was…smiling. When he looked at the children and they looked at him, he was softer. It was interesting. He seemed to have a soft spot for them, for whatever reason. Arthur could only guess it had something to do with his own childhood.
"You seem a little too interested in him," Francis said beside him, smirking proudly.
"Go back to flirting with girls alongside Antonio," Arthur rolled his eyes. "I believe I can handle this on my own."
"I think I agree with you, he does seem rather attractive when he's happy like that," Francis mused. Arthur paused for a moment before he fully processed what Francis had said.
"That is not at all what I was thinking, you…twat," Arthur snapped at him, choosing to ignore the fact that his face was, in fact, heating up. He just had to hope that Alfred wasn't paying attention to them, though Arthur doubted he would think much of it. Francis usually just enjoyed to mess with Arthur, despite hardly anything he said making any sense.
"What country are you from that comes up with such odd phrases?" Francis chuckled.
"I thought he scared you," Arthur rolled his eyes, changing the subject that he knew Francis knew to avoid. He did know from watching Francis that, when he was in charge of ensuring Alfred didn't go anywhere, he was constantly on edge, well aware of the fact that Alfred was a well-trained assassin.
"He is less terrifying like this," Francis shrugged. "And it is no longer my fault if he runs away."
Arthur rolled his eyes once again. Francis was always one to give excuses to make up for his own mistakes. Arthur kept looking at Alfred and watching. He was extremely careful with the children, almost like he was afraid of hurting them. Afraid of being too violent, which Arthur could understand. He was trained to kill people and here he was, expected to be gentle with little kids.
"You do realize this won't last long," Francis sighed. "Not only Alfred himself, who is no doubt finding out every single weakness we have right now, but there is also those working with him. And the king himself is, no doubt, looking for him."
"Yes, but this is the only plan we have," Arthur sighed. He knew he couldn't say much of the plan with Alfred being so close to him, but it all hung on the fact that Alfred had to, at the very least, enjoy his time with them. The goal wasn't to kill him or just kidnap him for money or anything, it was to change his mind. Which was why it would have been preferable to have a different person under their care first. Arthur knew extremely well that Alfred was certainly going to leave. He just had to hope it wasn't too soon.
Alfred managed to kick the ball, hard enough for it to bounce off of the wall that signified one team's goal, but soft enough so that it wouldn't hurt anyone. He smiled triumphantly when the kids on his team said that they were winning in points. His eyes were a lot brighter now that he wasn't forcing himself to constantly look like a hardboiled assassin.
Alfred tapped his finger impatiently, though he hadn't noticed that he was doing it for quite some time. Sure, he didn't mind the conversation, but he knew what would be going on at the capital. It was nighttime and, no matter where he was, the time couldn't be too different from the time in the capital. There was a sort of ball that was to be held and it most certainly wouldn't be held off just because Alfred wouldn't be there. And he was sure that his team could handle something like that just fine…it just sucked that he couldn't be there for the king like he always was during events like that.
"Alfred, are you alright?" Feliciano asked him suddenly and Alfred blinked at him. After they had been in town for a few hours, they decided to return to their house and, though Alfred was still under constant watch, it was Francis that was watching him this time. Arthur was busy discussing something with Ludwig and Antonio at the moment, and it seemed like Lovino was completely unwilling to allow Alfred anywhere near his brother. Alfred couldn't help but laugh a little at that. He found out quickly that Feliciano was very fast to forgive and genuinely wanted to be Alfred's friend. No one else was that naïve in this group, not even Ludwig, the youngest. Alfred was willing to humor him, however. It was only Alfred, Feliciano, Lovino, and Francis in the room, Francis leaning against a far wall and Lovino sitting between Feliciano and Alfred on the couch, and it didn't seem like anyone else was about to talk to him.
"Just thinking about my team," Alfred said with a small shrug.
"Oh, yeah, you must miss them," Feliciano wondered out loud. "I don't know what I would do if someone took me from all of my friends…I am kinda sorry for what I did to you."
"Don't fucking apologize to him, idiot," Lovino spat at him. Alfred would have snorted if he wasn't around strangers. He was so cold on the surface, but Alfred could tell just by looking at the man that his eyes were soft when looking at his brother.
"I nearly slit your throat, I'd say we're even," Alfred said simply and Lovino glared harshly at him. Alfred matched it easily with a simple glance in his direction and he saw the man's resolve crumble just slightly. He still had some of the demeanor that Alfred had seen in soldiers, which he found interesting, but decided not to say anything about it.
Alfred spared a glance at Francis. He was relaxed whenever he wasn't afraid of Alfred running away being his fault, but when it was just him in charge of the machine that could turn off Alfred's prosthetics, he was jumpy as all hell. It was incredibly easy to test his reflexes, just by seeing how long it took him to jump every time Alfred moved his arm.
After a moment of silence, Lovino seemed to get fed up and let out a long sigh before turning to address him for the first time since Alfred had met him.
"What the fuck is so great about that fucking king, anyway?" Lovino asked and Alfred forced back any words he had for the man and the way he addressed the king. He had to be on his best behavior, which didn't involve choking Lovino until he took those words back…
"Besides the obvious?" Alfred asked rhetorically. He didn't need to go on and on about everything the king had done for the country that he had not only helped create, but also protected from the countries around it and everything he did for the people. No, he could cover that sometime later. He continued before Lovino could try to respond. "He is the kind of person willing to care for someone he has no need to. I've never seen a man with as much compassion as he does. And compared to the other leaders, which I have most certainly seen, he is more humble and willing to listen to the people. The king is one of the best men in our world."
"What bullshit is he feeding you?" Lovino snapped and he assumed his face was enough to give away any killing intent he had because it only took a second for his limbs to fall limp and his back fell uselessly back onto the couch. Alfred let out a deep sigh.
"Of course it takes a soldier that has never met him to say something like that," Alfred muttered under his breath.
"Hey, guys, I'd say we start on some different kind of subject," Feliciano suggested as Alfred felt his joints lock painfully as power was restored to his limbs. He didn't show any of the weakness of the pain as he sat back up, looking at Francis to assure him he wouldn't try anything.
"If it's all the same to you, I think I should just go ahead and return to the room you guys made for me," Alfred sighed, standing slowly and carefully.
"I was by no means a soldier by choice," Lovino said clearly, his voice laced with a hatred unlike anything he showed to his brother or even Ludwig. "Your king cares so much about his people? Why does he force them to get shot at?"
"At least I have something I'm willing to die for," Alfred said.
"Don't think for a second I don't," Lovino growled while Alfred stepped out of the room, Francis hot on his heels. Alfred didn't even need to know Lovino well at all to know that he was referring to Feliciano.
"Believe me, it's nowhere near the same thing," Alfred muttered under his breath.
"These things are so boring," Gilbert groaned under his breath.
"Oh, right, I forgot you've never attended one of these before," Matthew smiled slightly, not once removing his gaze from the subject of his mission. The most important subject of all of them. It was a ball, of sorts, meant to bring the heads of all four countries on the continent together for the sake of each other's' image. Nobility was crawling everywhere, some familiar and some new, but they were all just faces in the crowd to Matthew. His main focus was on Ivan, it never shifted. He had a gun at the ready, as did Gilbert, as they hid in a special compartment that Ivan had made just for occasions like this. Usually, Matthew was with Alfred.
They were above the massive floor of the ballroom with not much dancing happening. It wasn't dazzling, though some of the guests dressed in very vibrant colors. There was some music and a lot of food and a lot of standing around and talking. They had clear orders; Matthew and Gilbert were to not move and keep an eye on Ivan and anyone in direct contact with him to ensure his safety, Kiku was to stay at the entrance and make sure no one came in with anything that could be deemed dangerous, and Elizabeta and Roderich were hidden among the crowd as guests, to gauge if any guest at any point in time will prove as a danger. These events were always held in the capital of their country, Kormall, as an arrangement Ivan had made years ago with the other three countries; Merkatus, Prulamuck, and Eltrack. This enabled him to use their group of assassins as he pleased.
"Remind me who the big shots are gonna be," Gilbert sighed, shifting yet again in his position, still not taking his eyes off of Ivan, either.
"There are five that never separate," Matthew explained. "They're from Merkatus, it's a democratic republic, of sorts. Matthias, Lukas, Berwald, Tino, and Emil. Only a few of them are very good at fighting and none of them bring weapons to these events. The one talking to him now, the blonde with long hair, is the king from Prulamuck, Feliks. He is never a danger, he is actually extremely shy and he nearly collapses after big events like this. The last one is the elected king from Eltrack, Yao, and his advisor, Im Yong Soo. Yao is normally not much of an issue, though his military is a problem in the forest lining the north and so Ivan is forced to be extremely diplomatic. His advisor, more like a servant, does not particularly like him, I can tell just by looking at them, which means he is fairly easy to manipulate. Ivan is currently working on slowly getting Im Yong Soo to work with us, as that will make dealing with Eltrack much easier."
"I bet you even have all of their heights and weights memorized," Gilbert smirked.
"We need to stay focused," Matthew smiled slightly. As a matter of fact, he did. He could honestly say the height and weight of anyone in the room just by looking at them, but that was a waste of time. Ivan's three most trusted soldiers, which he nearly always kept with him, Toris, Ravis, and Eduard, were also there, though in more obvious garb to ensure that the party was well contained.
"Whatever you say, sir," Gilbert laughed slightly.
Matthew shifted when he saw a servant come through the main doors, Kiku looking at him in slight intrigue, though he had no weapon on him, so he was no real risk. He ran straight to Ivan, who regarded him with surprise, interrupting his conversation with Yao. Matthew narrowed his eyes as he watched the exchange, Ivan's demeanor changing completely in the process. He became stiff and then ushered the servant away and they quickly scurried back from where they came. The party didn't even stop for a second.
Ivan hurriedly excused himself from the crowd of country leaders before rushing to the side of the ballroom that Matthew could easily access without being seen.
"I'll be back," Matthew said before quickly disappearing from Gilbert's side. There was a small tunnel of sorts, more like an air conditioner duct, connecting their hiding spot to the next room and Matthew quickly traversed to the next room over, the kitchen, jumping down out of view of any of the staff before ducking into the ballroom in the more shaded part where Ivan stood. "Your Majesty," Matthew bowed to him, though didn't kneel, something Ivan didn't even seem to notice. "What has caused this behavior?"
"They have found Alfred," Ivan said simply and Matthew forgot any sense of formalities and looked the man directly in his eyes in hope.
"What?" Matthew breathed out.
"Due to the circumstances and his location, we can only send one person, you understand that will have to be you, naturally," Ivan said quickly and simply. He would have to return soon. "A servant is outside and will give you the location and a shuttle will be able to take you most of the way. I expect you back by tomorrow."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Matthew said quickly. He hadn't expected to receive news this fast. He had no idea how they had found it, but he wasn't about to doubt it. If it wasn't Alfred, then perhaps he could find something else important, but a part of him desperately wanted to believe that it really was Alfred.
Ivan nodded to him and Matthew bowed once again as the king returned to the party. Matthew stealthily and quickly made it to the entrance, nodding to Kiku and then nodding in the direction of Gilbert, before leaving the room. He would have to return home for a few moments at the very least to get a few weapons, but he already had in mind which ones he would need. He would get there as fast as he possibly could. For Alfred's sake.
That happened rather fast, indeed. Goodness, so many words, so much information, so much angst. I can't even deal with all of this at once. Oh, well, it was fantastic in any case. I'm really enjoying this story, guys! Anyway, how did Arthur's team mess up so that they could find Alfred? Did they actually find Alfred? What will happen next? It's all so exciting. Also! I would like to say that, originally, Im Yong Soo wasn't going to be a part of the story (for those of y'all that don't know, that's South Korea), but I had this awesome reviewer that requested him, Ahdaze, and I checked out their profile and I think they're a pretty cool person, so I put in him there just for them. I don't promise he's going to be a major character, he's not, considering Yao isn't even a major character, but I wanted to at least try for them.
Anywho…I've talked way too much, his is now over 4000 words… So, please review! And I'll be back soon!