The Hetalia Global Warming Crisis; Get Out Alive
27— The White Tiger
~America~
He didn't know for how long he was laying there, body curled up into a tight ball, face wet with tears and blood. America looked up and saw China. How long had the old nation been standing there? He stared at his hands slick with blood, with dried skin and blood clogging the area under his nails.
America was a disaster, utterly defeated and ashamed, practically alone.
"Come now, America," the older man said gently, kneeling before him. "I don't want you dying of blood loss, aru."
"What'd I do..?" he mumbled to himself, staring with unfocused blue eyes at the mess on his hands.
"It seems you were ripping your brain out, from what I can see, aru," the other replied calmly. He wiped the young nation with a damp cloth, blood soaking the blue fabric and turning is bright red. "Head wounds bleed a lot, aru."
America shoved the cloth away and stumbled to his feet. Dizziness instantly took over him and he fell back against the dining table. He clutched his head and moaned.
"Nothing left," he whimpered. "I don't have anything left to live for. Kill me now."
China was shocked to hear the optimistic nation spouting such atrocities.
"Think about your people!" he said harshly. "You have them to live for! Even if we're gone, they'll still be there, aru!"
America sighed and staggered over to the couch where the unconscious Brit lay.
"England… England…" he moaned collapsing to his knees before him. "Please wake up. Please. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. It really should have been me."
Yao looked at him in concern, standing awkwardly to the side and debating whether or not to interrupt. His ears pricked at a tapping just outside in the main conference hall and his body stiffened.
"America…" he hissed to the young nation. "There are sounds outside, aru."
The American stayed bowing over the sleeping one, his hand automatically reaching for the gun at his waistband that was no longer there. The enemies had stripped him and England of their weapons as well as their clothes and dignity. His blood ran cold and his body stiffened, but he did not look up.
"China," he growled. "Get me a knife from the kitchen. Quickly!"
The Chinese darted into the kitchen and silently withdrew two knives and a wok from the supplies. He returned and tossed the two knives at Alfred, whose eyes flashed as he caught them with both hands. He stood up, looking alert and lively, although his movements slowed with blood loss. The two countries stood in between England and the door, weapons raised.
England suddenly started to glow a vibrant green, the air crackling with magic. The nations looked back, startled, as the wounds closed up and colour returned to his skin.
"England has his magic back all of a sudden?" Alfred gasped. His attention was drawn back to the door when something began pounding at it, followed by the scraping sound of claws against wood.
The two nations stood uncertainly, torn between checking on the Brit and standing their ground.
"China—!" America couldn't finish the cry as an enormous white shape exploded from the door, debris flying everywhere.
The nations' eyes widened at what was revealed to them. A white tiger stepped into the room, bone white claws clicking on the ground. An aura of darkness radiated from its pure, frosty fur and its sleek fur bristled with hate. It was sleek and stepped lightly, giving the impression of something agile and fast. Although it was an animal, it carried itself in a confident, intelligent manner, and its blue-black eyes were human-like and eerily familiar as they narrowed at China.
"I know you…" gasped Alfred shakily. "You're the dude who threw the knives at us."
Alfred saw his companion's brown eyes widened in sudden recognition.
The creature advanced slowly, muscles rippling under the black-streaked fur. Its eyes flickered to Alfred, only briefly acknowledging him before refocusing on the older man.
"I have no quarrel with you, American," the tiger rumbled in a language that sounded half English and half big-cat's growl. "I don't care what Rocky wants with you, I'm here for my own revenge."
Its claws scraped the ground as it leapt at China, letting out a monstrous roar. America came up behind the pouncing beast and pulled its tail. With a pathetic whimper, it stumbled back, falling not too gracefully onto its rear. It blinked and roared at the bold American indignantly.
Alfred leaped out of range and raised his knives, a grin creeping onto his face. He tried to lure it away from China and England, but it was no use. The tiger saw what he was doing, sniffed, and turned its attention back to the Chinese.
"What did I do to you, aru?" Yao cried out, desperately holding up his wok.
"You and your people skinned my family alive for their bones," the beast snarled. "Now it's my turn to skin you!"
It leaped again, but Alfred stopped it by kicking its side. It tumbled into a wall and let out a screech of frustration.
"I have a few questions to ask you…" the American growled, approaching the stunned animal threateningly. "First of all, what name do you go by?"
The tiger only snapped at first, but with a flash of the blades in the American's hands, it submitted with a snarl.
"I no longer know my real name, but I'm called WhiteTiger William, assistant to that bloody Red Wolf," it said reluctantly.
"So… William," Alfred went on slowly. "This whole game your master threw us into… it really has nothing to do with global warming and your plans to replace us, does it?"
"That much is in fact true," it replied, a bit smugly. "But that is not what our true aim is."
"It is revenge," said Alfred quietly.
The tiger grinned in reply.
"Why?"
"I don't know about Rocky, but it's definitely because of our pasts," rumbled the beast. "We only know one common goal, and it's to eliminate the nations with the most power in the world and replace them with beings like us, who can run the world properly."
"What do you know about us?" Alfred snarled suddenly, eyes blazing with blue fire. He slammed the tiger into the wall with his superhuman strength and glared at it. "You don't know what it's like to be a nation; to have the loyalty and pride of each and every citizen burning inside you; to feel the pain when something shatters the unity of your country." He choked back tears as he went on. "You have no idea what it's like to live thousands of years, to bear that much history on your shoulders and have no idea what the future holds."
"Then why don't I find out?" the animal snapped its powerful jaws in the American's face, held back only by Alfred's incredible strength. "I always wondered what it's like being a global superpower."
"It's great," the American replied in a monotone. "But before you even try to kill me, I just want to know why this 'Rocky' is so interested in my brother."
"I have no idea myself," WhiteTiger replied, a grin creeping onto its face. "But I remember her mentioning something about Canada's beast being unchained within him…"
Alfred tilted his head in confusion, and the animal took the moment's distraction to twist out of the man's grip and dart towards Yao, who was listening to the entire conversation.
"China!" Alfred cried out in shock as he turned towards them, too slow.
"I'm okay, aru!" he yelled back, slamming the wok into the beast's side and leaping away from Alfred and Arthur. "Check on England, aru!"
Alfred hesitated, but his concern for the Brit won over his Hero instinct and he slipped aside to check the unconscious man.
"England," he whispered, resting his head on the other's cheek. "Great Britain, United Kingdom, Arthur. Wake up. Please don't die."
The air shimmered around the Brit and Alfred pulled back in surprise. There was a cry from behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see the tiger's form wavering.
"W-what's going on!?" the beast shouted. "Why… am I changing?"
China stepped back and watched as the tiger withered on the ground, the air shimmering like a mirage around him as he fought to keep himself from turning into a human.
Arthur shifted and let out a little sound, causing Alfred to refocus his attention.
The Brit slowly opened his eyes. Alfred looked at him, losing himself in the vibrant, emerald green depths. Arthur smiled at the face above him.
"Eng—"
Arthur motioned for Alfred to keep quiet as he rose gracefully from his position on the couch. He unraveled the blood-soaked bandages, allowing them to fall to the ground as he stood, revealing unmarked flesh and smooth, milky skin.
His leafy eyes met the dark blue eyes of the bewildered tiger across the room.
"Your block on my magic is temporarily canceled when you transform," England explained bluntly, his gaze flickering with the hatred his calm face didn't show. "I didn't expect it when Rocky first did it, but I understand now. Your transformation had woken me up, and I fed off of your magic slowly to heal my body." He lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. "That is why you feel weak now. Your magic is out of control, and so your body takes on its original form, which in this case would be an ordinary white tiger."
The animal snarled and lunged for England, lacking the grace and control it had only a few moments ago. Before anyone could act, the Brit pointed to the cat.
"Be gone, you git," he commanded as a wave of power blew the creature back and out the broken door, into the conference hall.
With a final growl, the big cat turned tail and fled.
Arthur nodded to Yao, who looked too stunned to react, and he turned to Alfred, who met him with a big hug.
"Artie~!" he cried out. "You're alive! You're alive!"
Exhausted, the two blonds crashed onto the couch, with the taller man showering the other with kisses.
"Yes, yes, I know I am, you insufferable twat," Arthur laughed as he tried to push the American off him. "Now get off me, you're heavy! And you're bleeding, too…"
"I don't care about me!" Alfred grinned, ignoring China, who stood watching the two in amusement, and then deciding to disappear into the kitchen for a while. "You're alive and well and that's all that matters right now!"
England laughed as America refused to let go, then started to calm down when he realized something was completely wrong. Alfred felt the other tense up and he finally let go, bracing his arms on the couch as he looked down at the Englishman slouching on the seat beneath him.
"America?" the Brit asked curiously.
The younger nation stiffened.
"Where are the others?"
Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya
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This is for I'mnodomino so you won't lose sleep~ Also, to esdertytg for keeping the provinces in mind. XD