Lieutenant Colonel: Alfred F Jones/ America
Major: Matthew Williams/ Canada
Captain: Berwald Oxenstierna/ Sweden
Captain: Vash Zwingli/ Switzerland
Doctor: Arthur Kirkland/ England
Messenger/Communications: Francis Bonnefoy/ France
Messenger/Communications: Harry/ Unknown
Chapter One - Secrets
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My legs sub-consciously took me back to my quarters into my room and to my uncomfortable double bed which I just laid on looking up to ceiling as if it held all the answers and sought out all my thoughts. I felt numb. This was not happening to me as my brain has argued all this time it was impossible.
I drew him in my brain, a mop of messy dirty blonde hair on top of a head with the thickest pair of eyebrows in existence yet it suited his face and jaw perfectly not to mention his green eyes which nothing that came to mind could compete with. My mind also added how he was almost permanently scowling as if everyone around him was being senseless and idiotic which often lead to sarcasm which went totally over my head. He also had the worst habit, forgetting drinking tea instead of coffee, with cigarettes I swore he smoked three times more than he ate. He normally wore a white blouse with sleeves completely buttoned up under an open long white lab coat which also covered the back of his skinny black jeans which hugged his body perfectly to show off his lithe frame.
Jesus Al it sounds like you love the guy my brain sniggered and a pull in my heart told me it wasn't wrong. He was my best friend and in honesty secretly deep down in a place my mind was hidden from a part of me did as more, as a lover. Just thinking about it makes my heart feel as if it is shattering and being pulled apart piece by piece.
I'm meant to be the one recklessly charging into combat and then you bring me back from the brink of death scolding me. That's how it's always been. Now you're dead and I can't do anything despite everything you have done for me, it's not fair, it ain't right! Argh! My mind spiralled from the oncoming depression and heartbreak to past memories of times from when we first met and I accidently offended him about his eyebrows to when he first saved my life and how when we came back from a tour we would stay together with neither of our families in the country to stay with since Mattie normal takes them on excursions to Canada and so just hang out normally going to the bar together... Not that he could hold his liquor well but it was entertaining on my part.
*Knock Knock*
My heart seemed to skip a beat as someone knocked at the door as if being pulled out of the memories would kill my body itself. Yet, in a few slow seeming moments my body stood up and wiped away the tears unable to do anything about the redness.
"Come in." My voice was cold and it was then I realised my body had gone into survival mode just like when fighting on the front lines, my body was rigid and eyes narrowed which was no question successful in battle but as a leader it was not a reputation I had been trying to build. It seems that with the news of the doc and Ber's men killed even the safe heaven of the camp had become a theatre of war in my mind. "Is that you Francis?"
"Oui." The Frenchman opened the door seeming slightly nervous as if able to feel my worsened mood and threatening aura through the flimsy piece of oak though to be honest on my journey back here I am pretty sure the entire camp knew one way or another today was not the day to piss me off. "We have a petit problem mon ami."
"A problem?" My mouth questioned without thought as I tried to force my body to relax somewhat, Francis was an old friend not some new private that needed to learn to respect authority, though the thought of a problem was not helping. "Are we under attack again?" The last thing I needed was another attack to add to the chaos of my mind at the moment.
"No, no." He quickly shook his head trying to clean-up the misunderstanding. "It is un bon problème."
"A good problem? Dude you're not making any sense." I scratched my forehead half asleep trying to make sense of the Frenchman and speaking a language I flunked in high school was not helping the translation. "How is a problem good?"
"Just stop interrupting me and let me speak mon dieu." Francis sighed to himself, flicking his hair dramatically over a shoulder as if he was speaking to a child and with a huff and crossed arms I nodded in a gesture to explain further. "The clean-up team are trying to recover all the corpses to prepare for transfer back to America but they 'ave only found six out of the total eleven."
"Five are missing." I muttered waking up, clicking onto what he was suggesting, my hand moving to scratch my chin in deep thought. "Survivors possibly or hostages."
"Oui, ma pensée exactement. (Yes, my thoughts exactly.)" Francis smirked pleased with himself or I assumed so once again French was not my speciality for all I know he could be saying his Aunt was a pig. "It gets even better according to witness reports nobody actually saw them dead or die they were just presumed so after last being seen fighting against the enemy and never reaching the city."
"Have they checked the ground for any disturbances?" I asked raising from the bed hopeful yet not willing to raise false emotions it was not out of the question that they would try to bury any evidence of their attack. "Are we sure?"
"Your brother asked the same question the two of you lose heart much to quickly." Francis rolled his eyes putting the clip-board down on my desk for me to read over later and in case I needed the paper work for future reference as I am sure questions will be asked by my superiors in the near future. "There are no disturbances anyway there was not enough time considering there was about four minutes between when they were last seen and when you arrived at their position without a trace of them to be seen. Mon ami they are okay."
"Wait we're on about Arthur and Berwald's privates?" My eyes lightened up as Francis merely chuckled in response.
"Of course, I must say Berwald is currently demanding your presence in the control room he wants to set up a search for his men immediately the quiet man can make a racket when he wants." Francis laughed not bothering to hide his amusement. "Vash is keeping him in check and so far nothing more than what was destroyed in the attack 'as been broken."
"I'll thank him later." I made a mental note aloud pondering. "Though you can reassure Berwald that we will dedicate a team for their recovery."
"Oui~" Francis smiled, flicking his hair on the other side of his head over his shoulder seeming happy with himself for another good job. "Anyway if you will permit it I feel this is cause for celebration."
"You just want an excuse to drink some wine and chat people up." I exhaled deeply with a smile knowing my friends exact thoughts. "We still meed to mourn those lost and need to retrieve those who have been captured in one piece... or at least in as few pieces as possible." A hand ran through my hair anxious this was only one step forwards after several back, they were presumed alive now yes but I doubt they were keeping them up in a luxury hotel and out of the kindness of their hearts.
"Alfred as a friend I am telling you to relax." Francis put as hand on my shoulder, his aqua coloured orbs showing concern. "A lot 'as 'appened and you need to slow down your thought process which is too concerned of what your job position calls for in this moment and not focusing enough on the people themselves both gone and still 'ere."
"Are you suggesting I don't care?" I swiped away his hand deeply hurt at the accusation, he wouldn't be the one who would have to write to the families explaining how it was my fault that their farther/son/daughter/beloved was now dead. It was one of the hardest and most depressing task out of all my responsibilities.
"All I am saying mon ami is that there are some rumours about you 'aving been in a very mauvais (bad) mood on the way back to camp and then suddenly you lock yourself away from everybody." Francis tried moving closer. "We're concerned about you Al."
"I-I'm not the only one Matthew went to clear his head as well and I would have thought you would understand more than anyone." I stuttered defensively, my eyes hardening feeling under attack from his words, it was not like I did anything wrong after all, like I said the time was needed to sort out my thoughts.
"Do not bring up Joan, Alfred." Francis face hardened as he froze mid-step. "That was a different scenario completely which you can't even begin to understand."
"Well never claim I don't care about the men under my command." I frowned, hands balled up into firsts pissed off he had crossed a line he shouldn't have. "They are family to me, it's not only Artie I worry about Francis but Ber's troops and not to forget those we lost today even one is to many. For goodness sakes how do I even write a fuckin' letter to Gabriel kids telling them their daddy won't ever come back?"
"You say all this but you never show any of this even rosbif has to twist your arm to get you to admit it." Francis stated crossing his arms with his blouse arms rolled up to his elbow in an attempt to keep cool in the merciless sun. "You go back to the detached man who started as a volunteer and climbed his way up the ranks at an unprecedented speed not seen in US army for a very long time. It surprises me you changed since it meant delaying your next précieux (precious) promotion."
"How would you know anything Francis?" I growled angry at his assumption as if he knew everything about my life. "You only met me when you joined two years."
"Ah, see your already wrong." Francis corrected with waved his finger from side to side as my heart rate picked up seeing a new, darker, emotion taking over the Frenchman's eyes. "Arthur was not the only one to come from the elite group, didn't not tell you?"
"What Arthur did before his accident is not my business and that has nothing to do with anything now." I lied grinding my teeth against each other.
"We have known each other since childhood even had a small fling as teenagers before joining the military school together. Ow and I 'ave met you before, I was undercover when Arthur had first been stationed in this dead end camp by our previous leader." Francis flicked his perfectly groomed shoulder-length blonde hair over his shoulder. "My mission was to make sure that he was okay in this rumoured hell hole and I made sure to check out your past credentials."
"Well it couldn't have been too much of a hell hole or dead end if you ended up here too." I smirked a hand on my hip, trying to hide my jealousy of his relationship with Arthur. "Unless your admitting that you were so bad at your past position that they demoted you not just to a simple messenger but to the worst base they could find at the time?"
"Hmph." Francis only snorted in reply, in my mind I like to think he was unable to answer. "I think I've wasted enough of my time 'ere I'm going back to control, next time they can send one of the newbie's to put up with your 'orrible temper."
"It would be better than listening to your useless life story." My hand covered my mouth pretending to yawn to show just how little I cared about him leaving today just wasn't the day I could put up with him first pitying me than accusing me of not caring about anybody but myself and just to top that off he had a history with Arthur. Arthur! How did this never come up in conversation, he had unknowingly told me a lot of things he probably shouldn't when he was drunk but not something important such as this?
"As you wish princesse." Francs did a mock bow, his face wrinkled in disgust. "I'll make sure to let security let in the messenger with no security clearance claiming he 'as some personal message, good luck if he iz a suicide bomber." The Frenchman made a clean exit with a slam of the door storming back off to his station in the control room where most of all the important electronic equipment was kept.
After Francis left I looked at the golden watch on my wrist which had been a birthday present from Arthur along with some ale apparently it had been six hours since I had decided to stay in my quarters to clear my head, how the time had passed quickly and maybe Francis did have a point. No! Do not agree with him. He had been out of order and he knew it... even if he did perhaps have a point. Aw great. Now I have to find Francis and apologise for being a dick though hopefully he will own up for overacting with the whole Joan thing.
Anyway, that will have to wait now there was a chance Lukas, Matthias,Emil, Leon and Arthur were still alive out there under enemy control my body was back in the works. The news and Francis was the reality check I needed to get myself in gear. I planned to walk into the control room which had already been informed to expect me with a full update and the appropriate people to plan the next stage we did not only lose people to the enemy but we had to retreat from a tactical position we had hoped to gain with a key figure to take out. It caused for a whole re-write up of our next stage of plans and set us back months.
However, for now I waiting for the communicator to deliver this letter which personally I needed to read before able to commit myself to the task ahead fully. Arthur had decided to actually write something before heading off to re-infiltrate the compound, to write knowing he would most likely not come back. It just frustrated me all over again I swear when I see him again I had already had a list of lessons to scold him on.
*Knock Knock*
The man finally arrived at my door with the message; I did not even invite him in rushing over to the door yanking it open wanting to waste no time. I just had to know the contents! It was a desperate need from the bottom of my heart just thinking about it made me blush, damn Mattie was right when he said I had fallen for the Brit badly.
"May I come in?" The man's eyes a shade of forest green similar to Arthur's, flickered to both sides of the hallways cautiously, and quickly I hurried him in more than pushing the dude into the room before bolting the door shut behind him closing us off to the outside world. "Here is the letter and after you read it there are a few extra details he left out which he did not want to be written down."
"No problem dude, do ya mind if you um look away when I read it?" The ginger man nodded sitting down at my desk taking out his phone, it wasn't that I didn't trust the man but unsure of what Arthur would write my reactions could be a rather private matter. He would probably be grateful for me not sending him outside anyway, the air conditioned room was somewhat of a luxury in the base it had been worth three months wages.
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Alfred,
I do not have much time to get all this down I have just got reports that some men are due to return back from a routine ... so it seems that I am going to have to return back to the camp before they unknowingly get themselves caught under enemy fire and killed. Anyway, if you are getting this message I am most likely dead which quite frankly is not the greatest but I just quickly wanted to say you are the best friend, boss and co-worker I have ever had the pleasure of meeting despite all my backhanded compliments. Never change you idiotic American wanker.
Onto a more serious note however, the information was a honey- trap and it was not the informant so do not blame yourself. I know what you have been doing up to this point you insufferable dope so snap out of it! I have sources from my old days, they warns that there is a possible rat in the base, someone high up with access to all classified information.
That is why I am telling you to trust no one. I have not investigated this alone other things have been a miss before this accident, smaller yet still noticeable happenings which is why I am entrusting Harry to you he is the only one I trust.
Keep him close and best of luck both now and in later life Al I truly am sorry to drop all this on you,
Arthur
P.S Ha
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I finished reading the letter with a sniff and forced myself not to cry. It was very Arthur even down to the English curses which he meant in affection I had learnt after my first month, he always scolded me that it took a month and my brother pointing out the obvious for me to realise. He also called me Al, which he almost always refuses to do claiming it unprofessional and a butchery of my full name. I did feel disappointed nevertheless that he never had time to finish whatever he wanted to say having to rip out the page to give it to this Harry.
"Sir?" Harry questioned turning his gaze to me having somehow sensed that I had finished.
"A-Alfred, call me Alfred." I coughed bringing my emotions under wraps for the moment carefully folding the letter back to it's original size sliding it into my pocket taking my time to keep it in a good condition. "You said there were extra details?"
"Well- we had recently managed to shorten the list of potential suspects to the amount of people who knew about the new troop's arrival, the exercise of combat practise earlier this month and who were of high enough security to have access to all classified information." Harry took his phone which had vibrated in his pocket frowning before carrying on with a small apology I only reassured him that it was okay before he carried on. "All had individual interruptions from signs of sabotage though nothing massive due to the doc pulling in favours to change or solve each problem. Arthur had been affected about three months ago when he first noticed something wrong with the labels on some medicines and antiseptics when working with a patient."
"This has been happening since three months ago?" I questioned stunned and hurt it had been going on for such a longer period of time without consulting me. "Why not inform me?"
"It had probably been going on longer than three month it's just when he first noticed." Harry admitted with a shrug. "As for why you'll have to ask him but as far as the official line goes we could have frightened off the traitor."
"Hm." I bit the inside of my cheek, around the camp I was not exactly known for my patience.
"Between us, in honesty, my best guess is that Arthur was more worried about the backfire which would come back on you from higher ups." Harry explained exhaling, probably noticing my exasperation at the bullshit well-recited excuse.
"I would have been fine." A groan escaped my mouth with no lock on my thoughts.
"You are his closest friend and he refused to do anything that would endanger your career he knows how it feels to have it taken away for something beyond your control and he could never put you through the pain." Harry only waved off my inner argument with a flick of his hand.
"He is the most stubborn, overprotective old man I have ever met!" I pinched the bridge of my noise able to tell of the oncoming headache this new intelligence would bring. "He had been so quiet recently and always busy even though we had hardly any injured since almost all the personal were focused on the upcoming attack. I've been busy but I should of noticed something was up."
"If I could, I would suggest that all of your major plans be conducted mostly in secret and always revel them just before you plan to carry out the scheme so to allow minimal affect the traitor has while fighting the enemy and recapturing the hostages." Harry advised me, which in truth and logics was the best option however in the real world plans took co-operation even if I wanted to run the whole operation by myself the men had to be put on stand-by, operation teams scrambled and those in charge of each sector in full knowledge of what was about to happen and how to keep everything under control. No. That was the 'official' way which danced around the problem and getting to my position was not because of cowardliness or following everyday plans.
"No. If we have a traitor I'm going to flush them out, let them run scared, we after all still hold a captive which may be able to give us all the information we need." I smirked clicking my knuckles not wishing to be whoever got caught right now. "They're going to wish they were never born.
Author Notes: Haha... Yeah so explanations basically originally I had this chapter ready to go but then I read the review and to have a slightly more informal dialogue changed the plot slightly which meant Francis appeared early though mid-way through writing my laptop got a virus and it had to be sent off to get fixed. That sucked enough but as if life didn't hate me enough the chapter was lost and so I needed to be re-write the whole chapter again which means I also left out some stuff originally planned in the second plan which I have noted for later chapters and yeah, lost yet?
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Enough of my bad luck and onto the thank you's ^.^ so to my amazing followers Rebeckapuss, LadySuoh, Kingdomkeepers77, Kuro . Suu and LoveXOXOLuna have some virtual cookies courtesy of France as well as my awesome favouriters Miss S. Grechy and Kuro . Suu who gets a special hug off favourite character *bear hug* and last but certainly not least to my reviewer who will be glad to know that I listened to your feedback (much appreciated by the way) and if it happens again or is in this chapter tell me and I will try to re-write though the argument with Francis and Alfred has to happen for events later down the line... Anyway you get one favour from Alfred *hey no fair duddette, comes out of screen* breaking fourth wall is not allowed idiot and you will comply in their imagination!*forces head back into screen* wish away and please feel free to make him pay for that ~
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Also, the elite group mentioned by France is a special group at the top of the military school who once qualified formed a special back ops group well known inside the military for being the best of the best in all aspects though each member had a speciality which Alfred already mentioned Arthur's being a sniper and Francis, well he decided not to mention because he loves a good mystery, feel welcome to guess ~ this part is entirely fictional I claim no knowledge on secret American military groups just in case it was not obvious
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Thank you once more for reading I hope you enjoyed and have a good day ~ R&R appreciated :3
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PS. Hehe for anyone still reading one well done and two Harry is a country it's just complicated, guess who he is if you wish ~ be warned on my author's notes I use the squiggly line a lot and I mean A LOT because I think it looks cute and has a happy vibe like I could see Finland curse at someone but still act sweetly (he's just to cute to be mean 'kay) and I would show this with a ~ or after Italy says his infamous Ve~ now I am babbling because I've finished editing and is finishing off the author's note at almost four in the morning and will be over that by the time I put this out but I really want to put this out... so I'm cutting the rambling off here, love you all ~ tomorrow I swear I'll read this and think I was drunk or high and probably edit half of this paragraph out (I'm neither by the way) so until next time stay awesome! (great now I'm Prussia)
EDIT: 30/07/2015 4:09
Already an update to the author's note, right Kuro . Suu your name apparently is too awesome for the website to comprehend and disappears whenever I actually publish chapter *facepalm* I mean seriously FF it's a name and I thought I was going crazy looking through the preview and actually counting on my fingers the number of followers then looking at the favouriters and thought I had somehow recovered my original file that was now out of date and urgh in short sorry but when I write your name I am going to have to use gaps to not overwhelm the system. *sighs I had to edit to respell write instead of right I am sorry for any other mistakes but I need sleep or a cup of tea*