New chapter! Weeeew! :D
Warnings: Action. Fighting and such and... yea
"I wish I knew what was going on..." Feliciano said for the tenth time in the past few minutes. He was terrified, worried and antsy as he paced back and forth in front of Gilbert's bed. "What if Ivan hurts Lovi or Eliza?" He asked, causing both Arthur and Antonio to roll their eyes.
"For the love of the queen..." Arthur muttered, shooting an annoyed glance at the rambling Italian. "Feliciano, we can't get up there to see. If we could, we would, but the door is locked, so we can't. Stop asking!" Arthur said, sitting in Antonio's lap once more, similar to how he had the day before.
Gilbert shot an incredulous glare at Arthur, willing the Brit to shut up. "Don't worry too much Feli. Eliza can handle herself, she beat me and Antonio up enough when we were younger... And Lovion stands up to Ludwig for you so... Together they should be just fine." Gilbert assured with his strange, rasping voice as he slowly sat up on the bed. To his dismay, blood stained the pillow he had been resting on. Pale fingers gently probed his temple and came away bleeding, he must have done something to it while he was sleeping.
"How do you know though Gilbert?" Feliciano cried desperately, pausing his rapid pacing to look back at the albino nation with pleading eyes.
"I ju-" Gilbert broke off with a frown, stiffening despite the shriek of is aching muscles. He listened for a brief moment before straightening up further and glaring at the bottom few stairs. "Somebody is coming. Feliciano, get away from the stairs!" He growled, the sound warped with the rattle in his chest.
Feliciano did as he was commanded, scrambling back away from the stairs with wide eyes. He glanced down at Arthur and Antonio, relieved to see Arthur getting up off of Antonio's lap to stand and face the stairs. The Spaniard was the last to get to his feet, but when he did he stalked to stand in front of the entire group, protective and ready to face whatever came down the stairs to face them. He moved to block the stairway and stared up defiantly at whoever was coming down the stairs, only to freeze, face a mixture of shock and awe.
Ludwig was making his way down the stairs, glancing every few moments behind him. When he met Antonio's eyes, his commanding power washed over the Spaniard and he continued down the stairs with a confident stride, his pain and exhaustion not showing in the slightest. Blue eyes scanned over Antonio, trying to see past him, though the Spaniard blocked his view into the room below.
Still frozen, Antonio could feel the relieved grin spread across his face as the man drew closer. This was an impossibility. How had the German crossed the wall? He remembered Feliciano's screams of terror last night as he dreamed, watching helplessly with Arthur as they both saw how badly Feliciano had wanted this man to come and save them. Neither of them had dreamed that Ludwig would come. "L-Ludwig..." Antonio whispered, hanging his head in a sudden swell of shame. 'We were w-"
"Who is it Antonio? None of us can see through you!" Arthur said in nervous exasperation. He pushed past Antonio only to stop dead in his tracks. "Bloody hell... Feliciano... Come here." He said softly, eyes filling with hope and happiness.
Feliciano squeaked in fearful surprise. "Ve~? W-Why? Who is it? Is it mio fratello? Did Ivan hurt him? Who is it Iggy?" He rambled, anxiety rising in his voice with each question. Hesitantly he made his way to the stair way. "If Ivan hurt him I'm going to... to... Ludwig!" The Italian cried, flinging himself at the German man and hugging him fiercely. Tears of both pent up stress and intense relief streamed down his tanned cheeks. He immediately released Ludwig though when he heard him let out a near silent gasp of pain. "I-I'm sorry L-Luddy!" He mumbled around a choked sob. "I just m-missed you... I knew you'd s-save us.." His voice was soft and thick with emotion.
Ludwig reacted by pulling Feliciano into a hug once more, ignoring the aches that screamed at him. "Don't be sorry... And bitte... Don't let go." He whispered softly, heart soaring as he held Feliciano to him. His view of the rest of the room was still blocked to know his brother was there as well, but at the moment, seeing Feliciano was enough to quell hs raging worry for the briefest of moments.
Gilbert couldn't find his voice. Is it really him? Is it really mein kleiner bruderchen? He thought to himself over and over again. When no one made an effort to move from the stairwell he moved slowly to get to his feet, agony piercing through every fiber of his being. By the time he was supporting his own weight, standing completely unaided by the bed frame, he was drenched in an icy sweat. Blood trickled out of his mouth and down the side of his face, and his breathing was labored more than usual, rattling harshly in his chest. Despite everything, he lurched towards the others, head swimming nauseatingly. He made it half way across the room before his legs gave out underneath him and the ground came up to meet his face, angrily pressing against the damaged right side of his face. His agonized cry echoed around the room before cutting off with gurgled coughing that left him curled around himself, clutching at his ribs to try to keep them inside his body.
Hearing the cry, voice familiar even in the high pitched sound of pain, Ludwig let go of Feliciano and pushed past Arthur and Antonio so he could rush to the fallen form of his brother. Seeing his battered form sprawled on the ground, Ludwig sunk to his knees. "G-Gil... Oh Gott..." He whispered, gently lifting his older brother up in his arms and hugging him gingerly. "What happened to you bruderlein..." He questioned in a whisper, sickened by how brutal of a beating Gilbert had to have had endured to be this bruised and broken.
"Luddy!" Gilbert rasped, his voice both softer and harsher than a whisper. "I-Ivan happened." He tried to growl. His left eye locked on his brother, the right too swollen shut to fix on his little brother's face. "He wants Prussia..."
Ludwig's sudden burst of anger was terrible, intense. His blue eyes darkened and his teeth clenched together, leaving him to look like positively demonic as he held his fragile brother. "I will destroy him for what he's done to you" He growled, voice harsh and dark, matching his presence. Watch your ficken back soviet cunt. I will destroy your nation and kill you. You'll be forced to watch your miserable Russian die, one by pathetic, mewling one, and I'll be there, laughing at your suffering and pitiful at trying to rebuild the pieces. You'll regret ever having laid a cold, careless hand on mei-*His dark, threatening thoughts, more Nazi like than honorable German, were cut off by light hand on his shoulder and a trembling one on his face as both Feliciano and Gilbert tried to pull him back from the brink of his darkening demeanor.
"Por favore mi amour... I don't want to lose you to your darkness again." He whispered in a trembling, terrified voice. His warm brow eyes were chilled with fear as he looked upon Ludwig, sensing his inner turmoil. He could see Ludwig slipping away from him back into the evil darkness.
"Bruder... Pull yourself together... That side of you has no place here." Gilbert rasped firmly, the trembling hand he had lifted to his little brother's cheek was trying to reassure him. "I am alright. Beat up, but alright. There is no need for that." He whispered softly, shifting painful to wrap lacerated, bruised arms around Ludwig's trembling form.
The evil, burning hatred dissipated instantaneously at both his brother and his Italian's pleas. A violent shudder ran through Ludwig's form and he closed his eyes, subconsciously holding his brother tighter. "Let's get you guys out of here... I don't know how much longer Elizabeta and Lovino can hold the communist bas-" He stopped when Feliciano winced at the harshness that had crept into his voice. "Can hold back Ivan." He corrected himself with a sigh. "Gilbert... can you walk with help?" He asked, not wanting to let one of the others carry him if he could help it, seeing as he knew he couldn't do it himself. Despite his apparent strength, it was a facade, hiding the physical weakness he still possessed.
"Bruder..." Gilbert regarded Ludwig with concerned eyes, not having missed the darkness that still peeked through the familiar bright blue eyes of his little brother. "I... I can try to walk with help... but we'll have to go slow... Es tut mir leid bruderchen." He whispered softly.
"Idiot. We don't care how slow we have to go. Don't you think we expected this to be difficult when Feliciano first explained this daft plan?" Arthur scoffed, speaking up for the first time since Ludwig had found his brother. If he was bothered by the younger German's inner struggles, he didn't show it, instead he just took Antonio's hand and waited beside the stairs.
"Gil, we want to to come with us... so we'll stay at your pace, no worries si?" Feliciano said, hand still on Ludwig's shoulder.
Ludwig nodded, further reassuring his brother. "Ja. We will stay with you bruder. I'll make sure you all get out of here... Arthur. Feli. You two need to help Gilbert get up the stairs and out of the house. Go through the back door and head to the trees. You'll find my car and Lovino's. Get inside one of them and wait for the rest of us. Soviet troops are swarming around the wall by now I'm sure. When we go up the stairs, I will take the lead, Antonio take the rear. Antonio and I will wait to make sure you got out safely before we go to help Elizabeta and Lovino finish off Ivan. Keep in mind, when Elizabeta, Lovino, Antonio and I get to you, you all better be ready to move. Ivan will send soldiers after us." Ludwig commanded, voice full of authority as he stood up and helped Gilbert to his feet.
"This is all great, but if you plan on them following us to the wall, what makes you think they won't cross over it? Don't you think Ivan will order them to follow us, even over the wall?" Arthur said, hating to have to be the voice of reason against the otherwise solid sounding plan.
"They won't dare to cross. Not with what is left of my troops and the resitienza of South Italy waiting for them on the other side. We cross into West Germany and we're safe for a while... No nation is up for another all out war already, and Ivan is too worried about Alfred right now anyway. He won't want to risk going to war against us and have Alfred strike with nuclear missiles." Even if it does get to the point of another war, I'll just go to Ivan and trade my imprisonment for everyone else's safety. If it comes down to it, he can have Germany... These nations won't suffer anymore because of me.
Everyone fell into a tense silence at the sound of a crash and a distinctly female cry of pain. "Elizabeta!" Gilbert growled, taking a couple lurching steps towards the stairs before he stumbled. He would have fallen completely to the ground had Ludwig not caught him.
"Gott verdammt bruder!"Ludwig barked, tone angry to cover up his anxiety and concern at how weak his brother was. "You aren't in any shape to be running upstairs and rescuing anyone!"
Gilbert glared furiously at his brother, positively corybantic "If we would go already I wouldn't have to try!" He snarled, his terror for the unknown of what could be happening to Elizabeta making him reckless as he snapped at his brother. "I'm tired of just standing h-" He broke off into another coughing fit, blood splattering on the ground and Ludwig as he leaned up against his little doubled over in pain and from the fierce coughs, only Ludwig's strong hands keeping him upright. It took an agonizing amount of time for the coughs to finally recede, and once the did he was left a trembling mess, gasping for precious oxygen that he just couldn't seem to get enough of in his lungs. "Let's just go." He rasped, voice barely audible.
Ludwig watched his brother carefully. Terror shown brightly in his cerulean eyes, making him look very much like he did as a child when he was alone, or when it stormed. Gilbert was supposed to be someone who was strong, a constant in his ever changing life, and seeing him so fragile, so weak, scared Ludwig worse than any amount of death or separation could. The terror must have registered on his face, or maybe it was just because Gilbert was accustomed to looking for it, because no sooner did the fear grip Ludwig, choking and vice like, when Gilbert's arms encircle his little brother. Crimson eyes sparked with fury and crushing grief at Ludwig's fear. He was supposed to be able to reassure Ludwig, not make him sick with worry and frozen with fear! "Lud... Ich verspreche, dass ich fein bruderchen." He whispered in his rasping voice, before letting go. Ludwig seemed to calm and he nodded to Arthur and Feliciano, who both wrapped one of Gilbert's arms around their necks. Without another word Ludwig started up the stairs, followed closely by the trio and then Antonio.
The scene at the top of the stairs wasn't pretty. Elizabeta was unconscious, having crumpled to the ground with a blow to the head that left and eerily similar injury on his left temple that blossomed across Gilbert's right. Her beautiful brunette hair was caked with blood and her frying pan was still clutched in a gore splattered hand. "Arthur. Grab Elizabeta and get out of here!" Ludwig commanded, doing his best to ignore the gasp of indignant fury and pain that came from behind him. Gilbert's gasp. He pried the frying pan from her hand and motioned for Antonio to follow him into the house.
"What about your bloody brother?" Arthur snapped, stress and tension fraying his nerves and making him short tempered. "I can't help them both Ludwig!"
"I can walk with just Feliciano's help. Get Elizabeta out of here." Gilbert growled, determined. Adrenaline, his protective nature, and the sight of his Eliza needing help lent him strength as he let go of Arthur, satisfied when he didn't even really need Feliciano's help. Of course, he was only standing...
Arthur muttered a few choice curses under his breath, and his emerald eyes widened, but he caught sight of Antonio's bright, almost cheery grin and he his Spaniard's confidence soothed him. He dashed over to the fallen form of Elizabeta, scooped her up in his arms, bridal style, and sprinted after Gilbert and Feliciano as they headed out the back door. Be careful Antonio... Please, love...
"Let's find us a Russian amigo" Antonio said, lazy grin in place. He had found his ax resting beside the door to the basement, and now gripped it confidently in his hands. Ivan would be hard pressed to get past him. Emerald eyes drifted around the room, looking for both Ivan and Lovino, though they locked with blue eyes when a loud crash sounded from above them. Turning in the same instant, they sprinted up the stairs, Ludwig with both his gun and Elizabeta's frying pan, and Antonio with his ax. They made their way down the hallway, only to pause for a split second to take in the scene before them.
Lovino and Ivan were both bleeding heavily, Lovino from a wicked looking shoulder wound that left the bone exposed, and Ivan from a mostly hidden gash that sunk deep into his side, leaving blood to drizzle down his side and leg in sheets. Both men fought against each other furiously, lead pipe against crow bar as the two continued the battle. Seeing to disposed of knives, each slick with blood, it wasn't hard to imagine where the wounds had come from. Lovino's crow bar connected with the already damaged side of Ivan, causing the much bigger man to growl out in pain. He retaliated with a mighty swing as his pipe smacked against Lovino's back.
Before another round of blows could be exchanged, Ludwig had his gun pointed at the lead pipe in Ivan's hand. He fired it with a ringing 'bang' and knocked the brutal instrument from his hand. He strode into the room confidently as the two men jumped back, momentarily stunned by the sudden noise. "Enough!" He commanded, every inch of him radiating authority. He allowed a ghost of a smile to cross his lips when Antonio shot out from behind him and had the injured Russian man slammed back against a wall, ax blade forcefully pressed against his neck.
"You've been busy amigo..." Antonio purred, grin still fixed on his face as he spoke in a conversational tone. He pressed his ax against the soft flesh of Ivan's neck hard enough to draw blood as the man struggled. "I wouldn't do that... You kept mio Arturo captive... I will kill you."
Lovino had the same idea apparently. He glared furiously up at Ludwig and pointed his crow bar at Ivan. "Potato bastard! Why shouldn't I smash his head in? Why shouldn't Antonio chop him to pieces?" The Italian snarled, pacing back and forth in front of Ludwig.
"For what? The joy of killing? We have what we want... so far. Don't you think I am pissed at him too? He kidnapped your bruder, but he tortured mine." Ludiwg's voice was cold, but it swelled with power and left no room for questioning. His gaze shifted to fix on Ivan, and he regarded the man coldly as he struggled. "Ivan. You are going to let us go. All of us. Gilbert, Arthur, Feliciano... All of us, or there will be war. I think you'll find that more people will side with me when we expose your ways in dealing with mein bruder. I will leave you, and more importantly Russia, in peace and forget about this entire event, but you will let us go and not follow us, or cause any of us trouble, or I will want to know why."
Ivan's amethyst eyes flashed with unrequited, corybantic rage. He shoved at Antonio's chest, only to be forced back by the Spaniard. "Who are you to be telling me what to do, da? Why should I be letting you go? You broke the rules, da?" He said with a vicious smile on his face. "Tell you what Ludwig. If you be staying here, my soviets will be staying away from everyone else.
Antonio's grin fell from his face in a heart beat and he turned his head to try to lock eyes with Ludwig, finding the action exceedingly difficult as he continued to hold Ivan against the wall. "Don't do it amigo... Ludwig... Don't do it. Feliciano did all of this for you. Don't stay with this R-" He was cut off when Ludwig nodded in agreement, blue eyes darkening briefly with pain. "Fine... Do what you want Ivan. Keep me here, but I expect you to keep your word." The proud nation growled, bowing his head in acceptance.
"Damn potato bastard! Think what this is going to do to mi fratello! You idiota! Why would you give yourself over to him eh? What is wrong with you? This is a going to kill Felicano! Damn bastard I should have known you'd be doing a something like this!" Lovino's mouth motored away, almost as fast as Feliciano when he panicked. The German couldn't just give up like that after all of this!
Ivan grinned, child like and innocent, yet full of sadism and insanity at the same time. He pushed passed Antonio and took a firm hold of Ludwig's wrist as he lead him to the center of the room. It wasn't until then did Antonio or Ludwig realize the room they had walked into was only what could be described as a modern torture chamber. Thick iron chain hung in lazy arcs from the ceiling, knives, flogging whips, and things in jars lined the walls. Ludwig's stomach churned in fearful apprehension as metal cuffs were latched around his wrists, chaining him to the ceiling. A large metal band was cuffed around his torso, making it impossible to stand up straight. Before Antonio and Lovino's eyes, Ludwig was detained without any resistance and his jacket was cut off of him, almost as an afterthought, leaving him in his black tank top, though soon that garment followed suit.
Once he had successfully restrained his German prisoner, Ivan lead Antonio and Lovino from the room, pleased they hadn't tried to come to Ludwig's aid. "Stop pretending you care about him. He bombed Britain, remember Tonio? And... He's been with your brother for a while now too, Lovino... It'll be safer for Feli to be free of him, da? You can be stopping your pretending now, he can't be seeing you now."
Lovino glared up at Ivan, hate shining in his eyes. "Shut up, vodka bastard! He isn't a damned, sick, cruel, twisted bastard like you! If he hadn't come in when he did, I would ha-"
"Enough, Lovino... He isn't worth it amigo. Insulting him won't free Ludwig. Just be glad we are allowed to leave... I'm sure the German knows what he's getting himself into." Antonio sighed, sounding defeated. He didn't like leaving Ludwig behind any more than Lovino did, but they weren't going to change anything by fighting against Ivan now. He headed out the door, all but dragging Lovino behind him.
"Good bye Antonio. Good bye Lovino. I am glad you dropped by, Kolkolkol." Ivan called after them with a victorious grin. Antonio and Lovino could feel Ivans eyes trailing them even after they disappeared into the trees.
Well that was fun... What is going to happen to Ludwig though? D: Next chapter. Don't worry~ Reviews are awesome!