"Good work." Germany said as everyone sat down on the floor, too tired to care if they were sitting on a bloodstained carpet or not. "Now let's transfer these doppelgangers to the prison not too far away and clean up before the sun rises."

"But...Germany..." New Zealand said weakly. "It's the middle of the night and there's too much work to be done around here. I'm willing to take these four to prison though, but won't they escape? I think it's useless."

"We can't leave them here." Germany said with a heavy sigh. "These swords won't hold them in forever."

Silence. "Why don't we wake up the others outside?" Russia suggested, breaking the stillness. "They can help."

Germany nodded. "Russia, why don't you and New Zealand go and wake the others? We'll think of something eventually."

"I'm going with Russia." Belarus declared firmly, jumping up to her feet.

Germany stared at her.

Belarus glared back at him.

"Fine, go with them." Germany said wearily, waving them away. He didn't feel like putting up an argument with her anyway.

With those three gone, he said to the others, "Wait here. I'll be back and we'll treat the wounds."

Germany returned with first aid kits a few minutes later. He kept all of his first aid supplies in the bathrooms and in his room, and seeing that his room had more kits, he went there instead. Closing his closet full of weaponry and provisions, he returned to the hallway.

The corridor was filled with countries spread out all over the place; the ones that participated in the fight were still on the ground and they were trying to tell the others who had been knocked out what had happened.

Prussia scoffed. "Ah, damnit. It sounded like fun. And these are some strong ones too." He looked over all five doppelgangers, only to scoff again. "Aw, damnit."

"Believe me, it's not fun." Japan murmured, holding out his arm for Germany to bandage. The countries that were unharmed flocked to the first aid kits that Germany placed on the ground and began to tend to the ones who were wounded.

"Not so tight..." Estonia grimaced as Prussia ranted on and on about how awesome he'd be if he was there.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Prussia unwrapped the bandage and redid it. "But I'm still pissed off. That's it, West, I'm moving into the room next to you. All the action takes place around here."

"There are already people residing there." Germany said pointedly, fastening Japan's bandage together.

"Okay, I'll move into your room then. Just like old times, am I right?" Prussia grinned.

"No."

"What?" Prussia stopped his work to stare at his brother. "West, how can you deny your own brother like that? You know, I think this doppelganger thing has gotten to your head. I'll give you time to think about it-"

"No."

"West!"

"What?" Germany gave Prussia a fixed glare. "Stop being so loud."

Prussia rolled his eyes. "Seriously, be considerate to the awesome me for once. It'll be fun if you have me over. Like we're camping and everything."

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"I'm not-"

"No."

"West-"

"No."

Prussia stared at Germany again and then he chuckled. "Alright, fine. I'll stay where I am because the room I already have is awesomer than your room. West, one day, you'll come to realize that you should have let the awesome me in. You'll regret how you missed out how awesome sleeping with me is."

"You make it sound so vulgar." Austria snapped. He shook his head and murmured, "Please, for everyone's sake, stop talking like that."

"Like what? Awesomely?"

"How the hell do you cope with him?" Hungary asked Germany as she helped Vietnam to her feet.

"I usually ignore him or duct tape his mouth shut." Germany muttered under his breath as he started to clean up Portugal's crimson shin.

"That was fun, everyone." Romania grinned, stepping out of his cell. "It's a good workout."

"Getting some excercise, right?" America asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Phew, we're finally free. Man, I'm still hungry...kinda wish we made it to Olive Garden before Dark England came."

"No time to talk, we have to act now." England said, brushing the dirt from his pants. He took a moment to sought out Iceland and Mr. Puffin. When his eyes landed on them, he said, "Mr. Puffin, I assume you have better knowledge of the hideout than we. Will you help Italy?"

Mr. Puffin cocked his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know my way around kinda. I'll help the kid."

England nodded. "Right then. Everyone, follow Mr. Puffin and Italy. If you encounter a doppelganger, run. Italy..." England gave Italy a slightly amused look. "Don't run faster than anybody else, okay? You're their guide and if they lose sight of you, they're bound to fail."

"Well gee, thanks for having faith in us, da-ze." Korea grinned. "Nah, I'm kidding, da-ze."

They split up at the first intersection they came across. Mr. Puffin flapped his wings and bounded into the air, flying a few feet ahead of Italy with everyone else trailing behind.

France watched them nervously. "With that many people, it'll be a miracle if they haven't been found. Or heard."

"Mm..." America sighed. "Oh well. We're off to look for these ultra big mega weapons that they're going to use to attack headquarters. No pressure or anything, but we have to get rid of them or we'll all be doomed. So let's go!"

The Chicago hideout was a good size; there were several rooms and doors that America itched to open but he was able to tame his curiosity before it killed him, even though he wasn't a cat (curiosity killed the cat, according to America's not-so-common sense).

Whenever they passed a room with a doppelganger in it, they'd glance inside, look who was there, and then turn their head away whenever a doppelganger or two noticed them passing along. They hoped that the doppelgangers would assume they were Dark America, Dark England, and Dark France.

Once or twice, a door would open and America would react instantly; he'd yank open the first door he saw and pull England and France in. Of course, France scolded America for being rash because what if the door led to more doppelgangers?

"We sweet talk out way out." America joked. "And if that doesn't work, we hug them and run while they cringe at the kindness. Awesome plan, right?"

"You'll get us killed." England sneered. "No, on second thought, they won't kill us. You'll doom us all."

America flashed him a bright smile and gave England a thumbs up. "No I won't, because I'm a hero."

France raised an eyebrow. "'A'? What ever happened to 'the'?"

The three turned a corner and America shrugged. "There's more than one." And then he smiled privately to himself.

"I think he must be sick." France murmured to England.

"That's what I've been thinking ever since his bloody revolution."

"You know I'm right here, right?" America asked in annoyance.

"Oh we know quite well, mon ami." France said casually.

America stared at them. "Gee, thanks you guys."

Time passed and they still couldn't find a hall that led to some huge cavern-like room that held weapons of mass destruction. France suggested that they probably passed it; England argued that the entrance was probably hidden.

"Haha!" America grinned as the two bickered. "Wouldn't it suck if there aren't any weapons here, bros?"

England and France froze and then they stared at him. America blinked in confusion before he laughed nervously, "Um...but that's not true, is it?"

"Well...Korea said that the invasion of Germany is false information..." France murmured under his breath, realization striking his face.

"And Germany sent us here to destroy the weapons that were supposed to be used for said invasion." England grumbled. He gritted his teeth in irritation and muttered how he could have not seen it coming.

"So then...did we just waste time around here?" America asked slowly.

Silence.

"Damn those bloody doppelgangers." England scoffed under his breath as he led America and France through the corridors. They were all fast-walking by now, anxious to catch up to the others if they weren't already captured. Every second they spent in the hideout, the more nervous they became; they had a bad feeling that they weren't going to escape unnoticed.

"Do you even know where we're going?" France asked in a hushed voice, quickening his pace so he could walk alongside England.

"Not at all."

France slowed a little and gave the back of England's head a confounded look. "Then why should we trust you with directions?"

"Oi, you better be grateful. At least I'm not Austria." England snapped, throwing a brief look over his shoulder.

Unlike Austria, who was somewhat directionally challenged, England turned out to be good at knowing where to go. That or they were all lucky they didn't walk into a room of doppelgangers like Mr. Puffin did. Technically, he flew into a room of doppelgangers but that wasn't the point. The point was that the three were met with a blast of fresh air and a gorgeous sunset.

"You know, I think this is the most entertaining hideout yet." America mused, stepping out from the small tunnel. England had seen a change of atmosphere a while before and led them towards a hall that had gotten narrower and narrower, the ceiling lower and lower. England chose correctly because the tunnel-like hall led them out and onto a rocky shore.

"How is it entertaining?" England asked.

"Dude, it's underwater. This is my favorite one."

"How can you favorite a place where they locked you up?" France asked in disbelief.

"Stop talking and look." England said, pointing towards the lake. "There's the boat."

America and France joined England out on a huge boulder a few yards away and shaded their eyes from the setting orange sun. The sun cast its colors onto the ripples of the lake and shimmered in a nice, glowing manner. The boat they had came in was docked at the shore (in reality, they figured Italy just drove the boat all the way onto the sand. France started to complain about how they were going to have to push the boat back into the water).

"It seems like they got back safely." England said as the three made their way to the boat. Sand got into their shoes but they didn't care; they were determined to get out of Chicago and return to Germany, where there were no doppelgangers to worry about.

"Oi!" England called up as they reached the bottom of the boat. "We're down here!"

"England, stop yelling and start pushing." America hollered, kicking at the boat. A loud metallic clang rang into the air and England and France gave America a look "Be quiet!" they both chided him.

"We need to get this in the water though." America retorted.

England stifled his laughter. "No need to. Some of my energy and magic has returned. I'll take care of it. Come on, let's go."

"How are we supposed to get up there?" France asked.

"There should be a rope ladder, right?" America asked. He pointed up at a figure leaning across the railing of the boat and waved his arms back and forth energetically. "Hey! You! Toss down the ladder!"

The figure waved back. "You guys are back!" Italy called with relief. He disappeared for a while and then he threw the ladder overboard.

France caught the ladder and stepped aside. "You two first."

"No, as a gentleman, I insist you two go first." England said, shaking his head.

America sighed. He didn't see how France and England were enemies (or at least rivals) and yet they were being so polite all of a sudden. What happened to the fighting?

Well, actually, America didn't miss it. In fact, he was ready to go eat something and he knew there was a huge tub of ice cream in the freezer inside the boat.

Motivated by the sweet delight, America fixed his foot on the rung and started up the ladder. It was only a twenty to thirty feet climb, not a problem.

"Hold it for me you guys." he called down, suddenly somewhat aware of how wobbly the ladder was in the wind. "I don't want to fall."

The ladder suddenly became sturdier and it didn't sway with the persistent wind. America breathed a small sigh of relief and finished his ascent. Italy greeted him at the top and pulled America into a tight hug. "You're safe, you're safe, ve!"

"Yup. And we didn't didn't run into any doppelgangers on the way." America grinned, patting Italy's head, careful not to accidentally brush his hand by the hair curl. Germany had told him not to touch it once, and when America had asked why, Germany tensed and said that a ghost would haunt those who did.

America didn't want a ghost to haunt him and so he lowered his hand and watched the frightening hair curl, mesmerized. Italy released him and waited for the next person to arrive and America went straight to the kitchen, passing several countries who were waiting on deck.

France was the second to climb on. He nearly lost his balance when Italy tackled him with a hug. "Italy, you should be more careful." France chuckled, patting his head.

"I'll try, Big Brother France." Italy grinned.

A few feet away, Norway glanced at Iceland and said, "See? Italy calls France 'big brother'."

Iceland refused to meet his brother in the eye. "I'm not Italy."

"It's not so bad." Norway said, folding his arms. "Try it. Try saying 'big brother'."

"No."

Ukraine overheard their conversation and asked curiously, "Why don't you call him your older brother? I think having an older brother or sister is a warm feeling that makes you very happy. Older siblings care for their little siblings."

Iceland, a little startled by Ukraine's statement, said, "It's belittling for me. I'm not a child."

"Niether is Russia." Ukraine smiled gently. "But he still sometimes call me 'big sister'. It's a normal thing."

"Ve, Ukraine is right."

Iceland, Norway, and Ukraine looked at Italy, who joined them. "Even if you're not a child, calling an older sibling like that is nice." Italy said with a huge grin on his face.

"You too?" Iceland murmured as Mr. Puffin started to peck at his ear.

"Aw just give in and call him that for once." Mr. Puffin scolded. "Just do it so they'll leave you alone."

Italy glanced behind him as England set foot on the boat and flounced off to give him a hug as well. "England!" Italy smiled at England's bewildered expression. "You're safe!"

"Er, yeah, I am." England tried to push Italy away but Italy was glued to him for a few seconds longer before he let go of him. He then returned to Iceland, Norway, and Ukraine, and Iceland and Norway were now arguing with each other. England couldn't help but smile. It had only been an hour or two and already the countries were starting to regain their personalities back.

"Well, now we can set sail for Germany's." England said to France, wiping his hands together.

"Are you sure you have enough magic?" France asked skeptically.

"I feel okay right now. I'm only sore in some spots. It'll be fine."

The nations around them quieted their conversations and watched England as he glowed with a mysterious green light. They all gasped when the boat slowly lifted out of the water.

"A-are you sure this is the safest way to get the boat into the water?" France demanded, crouching down to keep his balance.

"Shut up, you're ruining my concentration." England snapped.

The boat suddenly swayed to the left and the countries on deck let out a small surprised sound as they slid on the ground a few feet. Then the boat swayed the other way and they grabbed a hold of each other out of fear.

"Keep it steady, aru!" China yelled as Korea clung onto China like crazy.

"Aniki, we're going to die, da-ze!" Korea cried out.

"And you're saying that I don't have faith in you guys?" England muttered to Korea.

"I was only joking, da-ze!" Korea said. "Aniki, stop sliding around!"

"It's not my fault, aru!"

"See, even Korea calls China 'older brother'." Norway muttered, sliding to the left.

"You're still going on about that?" Iceland sighed wearily as he slid after him. Mr. Puffin left Iceland's shoulder and flew into the air, circling around the boat as the others slipped and fell on the surface of the boat.

The boat creaked as it stopped rocking and the nations sighed in relief, only to cry out again as the boat began to back up.

"Wait, wait!" France cried out, tripping over his own feet as he tried to make his way to England. "At least let everyone have a chance to go inside!"

"It's worse inside!" America yelled from the door, clinging to the door frame. "Books from the bookshelf nearly killed me and Romania almost got stabbed by a kitchen knife that fell from the whatchamacallit."

"Aiya, with this much noise, the doppelgangers will hear us for sure!" China groaned.

"Well then stop complaining." England ordered, struggling with his magic. Beads of sweat started to roll down his face. His heart skipped a beat as his magic temporarily stopped for a second, allowing the boat to free fall.

The boat jerked down and the countries found themselves in the air, a split second before they'd crash to the ground. Alarmed screams carried through the air as the fact that they were in the air registered in the minds.

Then England's magic returned and saved the boat from crashing into the water and it saved the countries from a terrifying free fall; the magic caught the boat in time so the nations only fell three feet.

"England's going to, like, totally kill us." Poland moaned as Lithuania grabbed onto his collar before Poland could slide off the boat.

"At least try to hang on to something." Lithuania said worriedly. "And don't get too close to the edge, please..."

At last, the boat was lowered and England released his magic, no longer glowing. Panting, he sat down and laid back so that he was lying on his back, staring at the darkening velvet sky. "That was one of the hardest things I had ever done with magic..." he murmured to himself, wiping sweat from his forehead. "But I did it."

"You could have killed us all!" France exclaimed as he picked himself off the ground along with many others. "We could have fell off the boat and fall all the way down and into the shallow water!"

"We're still alive, da-ze?" Korea murmured. "Oh phew, I'm glad, da-ze."

As England laid there, resting, Thailand mentioned how someone should start the boat and set sail for Germany's. America said he would, but he still had to get his ice cream.

"I'll get your ice cream for you, America, ana." Thailand said. "Right now we have to get out of here, ana."

America grinned at Thailand. "Gotcha! And if you don't know which flavor to get, just give me all of it!" Thailand and America disappeared inside the boat and several countries who were starting to get sea sick followed them inside, somewhat pale.

Greece peered over the rails and squinted his eyes downwards. "You forgot to pull in the ladder." he noted.

England sighed. "France...can you do that for me?"

No answer.

"France just went back inside." Greece said. As England groaned, Greece added, "I'll do it."

"Thank you, Greece." England said wearily. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air. The boat started to move forward and he knew that America was now driving (he hoped that America could drive right). The sound of the water around them was relaxing and he took a few seconds to pretend he was on vacation on a cruise ship and not in the middle of escaping.

No, in fact, he was sure they had successfully escaped. Although he had this nagging feeling that things weren't that easy, he couldn't help but feel a little careless and assume they were safe. Besides, if anything happened, there were too many of them there anyway; they be able to overwhelm any danger.

"The ladder is heavier than I thought." Greece murmured.

England opened one eyes. Then he turned his head to watch Greece struggle with the ladder. "Here, let me help." England got to his feet and Greece stepped to the right so that England could grab the left side of the rope ladder.

The pulling process started and even with England's help, the ladder was heavier than usual. "How did Italy throw this thing overboard without trouble?" England muttered.

Greece stopped and peered over the rails again. He did a double take and his jaw dropped.

"What's the matter?" England asked quickly, but he was 99% sure of what was going on. "They're here, aren't they?" he murmured quietly.

"Just a few of them." Greece said as he and England released the ladder at once. "Maybe we can just cut the ladder and prevent them from climbing-"

The boat jerked to the side and they stumbled to the left, falling to the ground. "What was that?" England asked, glancing at the nations that stayed on deck. They too had fallen and were just as confused as England and Greece.

The door that led inside flung open and Spain emerged, his happy, calm expression gone while a distressed expression took its stead. "The boat's sinking!"