An uproar arose in the conference room and Germany had anticipated that much.
"Our own people? Outrageous!" Austria sniffed.
"To think we have to go through our own people to get to the doppelgangers..." Malaysia groaned.
"They can't do that!" Cuba yelled, banging his fist onto the table. "That's just pure evil."
"Wait, how are they going to even get to them?" Finland asked worriedly. "I thought our armies were watching after them."
"Mr. Puffin says that they're secretly infiltrating." Iceland said as people turned to look at him. "They're-"
"Shut up, you're making it sound too boring." Mr. Puffin scowled. He hopped from Iceland's shoulder and perched on his head, much to Iceland's annoyance. "So listen up! The dopps are digging tunnels underneath and kidnap people! They use their mind control over them and-"
"Stop it. You haven't heard anything of the sort." Iceland scolded him. "Get off my head."
"Never!"
"You know, Germany..." America said. "They can't be that bad. We can probably find a way out of fighting our people. We can pretend to be like them and they'll leave us alone."
"That will only work with people who can act, America." Hungary pointed out.
"So you're saying I can't act?"
Hungary thought back to Guangzhou and America and Korea's 'doomed' scene. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying..."
Before America could object, Cameroon said, "Wait a moment. The news said that fights often broke in between the people, right? That's how the death toll rose because everyone 'hated' everyone and fought. I don't see how the doppelgangers can keep the fighting under control."
"Well if they can bring out the hatred, I'm sure they can take some out." Lithuania murmured.
"Can they direct their hatred onto something?" Vietnam asked. "Maybe they can direct the people's hatred towards us."
Germany found himself back in the basements with what doppelgangers were left. They seemed slightly more willing to work with them, but that wasn't enough. While Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam were more cooperative, Dark North Korea was practically the same.
While Dark North Korea spat at the other doppelgangers, calling them traitors, Germany called North Korea up to him and asked him if he tried to simmer his hate.
"You're asking too much." North Korea said coldly. "You first call me out of my home and out into this chaos you and the others created-"
"It's not our fault! Your doppelganger is here too so you have part responsibility, da-ze!" Korea argued. He was silenced with a look from North Korea and he looked away, refusing to meet his brother's eyes.
"And now you want me to try to get along with everyone and get rid of this thing?" North Korea continued. "I hardly think that's an appropriate thing to as of someone like me."
Germany gritted his teeth. His patience had been tried so many times the last past month and it was seriously in the danger zone, not that it already hasn't been; it reached the red weeks ago, but he had kept it under some control but now it was starting to wear away.
"No matter." Germany said, restraining himself from losing his patience altogether. "Dark Japan. I have a few more questions."
"You always seem to have more." Dark Japan sighed, but he listened.
Germany and the others asked him about whether or not they could direct one's hatred towards a specific thing or person, to which Dark Japan said, "Yes."
Then they asked how they were gathering up all the corrupted people. "We can bring out hatred in people and make them act irrationally. I doubt that's a problem for them; I'm sure the hatred will remember to use that to their advantage when the time comes." Dark Japan said coolly.
That was that; he refused to answer anything else, and Dark Vietnam and Dark North Korea kept their mouths shut. When Japan asked Germany if he should make another attempt to break his hatred's will to stay in a physical form, Germany shook his head.
"Another time; they're our Intelligence sources for now. I'll let you know when you can." Germany said, shooting one last look towards Dark Japan. He stopped and notice that there wasn't a scowl on Dark Japan's face. He had a more easy-going expression and his eyes were a mix between red and brown.
Germany couldn't help but smile to himself. One by one, the world was learning to forgive.
The night was restless. Germany barked at every country that roamed the hall, worrying over the next day. "Unless your team isn't leaving in a few hours, go to bed!" Germany yelled.
The hideouts that were the farthest away were the ones that the teams needed to get to. Germany wanted to send them over as quickly as possible, and they were to leave in an hour. The ones who were up and getting ready to go was America and Sweden's Team Two, Japan's Team Four (Korea had asked Japan if he could be co-captain over and over again until Japan wearily agreed just to get Korea to stop bothering him), and China and Vietnam's Team Five.
It was midnight when the three teams departed. Germany had stopped them at the doorway and shook hands with all of them, giving them all an intense look in the eye that made them advert their own eyes in discomfort.
"You really make it sound like we won't see each other again, aru." China murmured.
Germany watched as the teams went their separate ways. He glanced up and saw that all the windows on the second floor facing them was open and their were heads poking out, hands waving in farewell.
The Suzhou Hideout was closer than the Los Angeles and the Kawasaki Hideout, and so China's team arrived to their destination first. China stopped his car on the highway leading into the city and motioned for the others who were driving behind him to stop.
It was a two and a half hour drive and as far as they knew, there were no flaming missiles in the air or fighter planes zooming overhead. It was quiet and a little dim since the sun was not yet over the horizon (despite it being roughly six in the morning in China); it was a tense mixture of environment. China gathered his team up and made sure they remembered the plan.
"We might run into my people, and if you do, don't panic." China said. "Watch what they do first; if they don't react, continue on. If they run after you, run, aru."
"Are you worried for their safety?" asked Australia.
"Of course." China said quietly. "But I can not let that get to my head. We need to get going, aru."
They followed China to the city on foot; the cars would attract too much attention. "Besides, a little exercise won't hurt us." the Philippines panted, giving everyone a smile.
"Remember the address?" Wy huffed at China. Wy had been assigned to Team Five for two reasons; One, her older brother, Australia, was there and was able to look after her (despite her complaints) and two, because she lived practically next-door to Australia, and Australia was on the hit list.
"Of course, aru." China said.
China led them around the beautiful city; even though they were supposed to be focusing solely on their work, they couldn't help but point out the pagodas and the canal in the downtown area with admiration.
"Suzhou is one of the 'Venice in the East', aru." China told them as they walked along the narrow 'sidewalk', following the canal.
"One of them?" New Zealand murmured.
"There are many others, aru."
China then led them towards what he called the 'Jiangsu Province', and he said that they had to behave whenever they step foot in the Ruiguang Pagoda. "It's very old, and if you break something I'll send my whole army after you, aru." he threatened.
"You shouldn't treat your comrades like that." Vietnam chided. "No threatening, alright?"
"What will I do if they break something, aru?"
Vietnam heaved a sigh. "Forgive them, make them pay for repairs, something not violent."
The pagoda was a lovely dark shade of maroon underneath the rising sun. It towered over them as they stepped into the courtyard, sneaking along the shadows. Malaysia whispered something about it being too quiet, too still. It made everyone more suspicious.
China held a hand up to halt them and he faced them with a determined expression glued stubbornly to his face. "Okay, so the hideout is apparently on these grounds. If we're going to stop them, we first have to find them, aru. Execute Plan A, aru!"
Plan A was a seemingly simple plan, and maybe it was. China would lead one half of the group to find and destroy the weapons while Vietnam led the other half as scouts. They had created a system of how they were going to relay information to each other without getting noticed, and for Vietnam's half of the team, there was bound to be a lot of sneaking around like a ninja.
"Ninjas come from Japan, not us." Vietnam explained to Australia. "And don't say 'Same difference'. China gets irritated if people say that." she added in a whisper.
China beckoned for New Zealand, the Philippines, and Australia to follow him across the courtyard and Vietnam stationed Malaysia near the water of the lake not too far away from the pagoda and Wy was stationed to the east of the pagoda, facing the streets.
Vietnam fixed herself up in a tree to the north and scanned the darkening streets for any sign of movement. Should she spot anything, she'd make a bird call-each call different for a certain situation. She'd do a crow-like call when she needed help, a high, sharp call if she spotted a doppelganger, three chirps if her side was safe and clear, and a low, wavering call that required both her hands and a wiggle of her left fingers that meant that it was time to make their leave.
There were more, but she tried not to concentrate on the different calls in fear she might let something go unnoticed.
While the three were outside keeping close watch with ropes slung over a shoulder and under the opposite arm, guns with silencers propped up against their bodies, and swords and daggers galore strapped to them, China and his half of the team were figuring out where exactly the weapons were at and if they could, disable the doppelgangers and force them to release China's people from their corruption.
"I doubt it's in this pagoda. I mean, weapons of mass destruction in a small tower like this..." New Zealand murmured, circling back to China.
"It's not a tower, aru." China whispered. "It's a pa-"
"Okay, I got it." New Zealand whispered back. "Maybe we should check outside. It could be underground."
"Aiya, we don't have the time to dig!" China groaned.
"If it's underground, then there would already be an entrance the doppelgangers built in order to access it." Australia said thoughtfully.
China rubbed his chin for a moment. "New Zealand, Philippines, come with me. Australia, stay here and keep looking. Be careful, make sure your gun is loaded, aru."
Australia nodded at China curtly and China hastily made his way outside into the cool night with New Zealand and the Philippines at his heel. They made it as far as to the water's edge where Malaysia kept guard and called out to him in a single high pitched chirp that meant that a comrade is near and to not shoot.
"What are you three doing out here?" Malaysia asked, surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be searching for the weapons?"
China went on to explain that there wasn't a good chance that it was inside the actual pagoda and suggested that it could be in the area somehow. The three scanned the land and saw that there was no suitable place to actually store them.
As New Zealand murmured that they'd have to have dug an underground lair or something of the sort in order to do such a thing, China grabbed a hold of his shoulders excitedly and shook them, whispering, "Yes, that must be it, aru!"
"How do they have the time to build underground lairs?" the Philippines asked skeptically.
China crossed his arms and smirked. "If I can build a Chinatown in meeting rooms within a few seconds, my doppelganger will be able to make a hideout underground within a few seconds too, aru!"
"Why is something like that worth bragging about?"
"Okay, so hypothetically speaking, if Dark China built an underground hideout, then how would we find it?" New Zealand asked slowly.
China rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If I were to make a hideout, I'd probably have it where people would east expect it, aru."
"No kidding." Malaysia said. "Where?"
"Hmm..." China glanced around. "Under the lake, aru?"
"How would they build a hideout underwater?" Malaysia asked, stunned.
"Chicago, aru."
Malaysia coughed. "Carry on."
Wy wished she had slept on the way to Suzhou, but everything was happening so fast that she felt that if she slept even a little bit, she'd miss something exciting. Of course, the only thing exciting so far was the sky zooming forward into time as they 'drove backwards in time'. Due to the time zones and the fact that China had already seen midnight and a few hours later, it was six in the morning.
She worried for Japan's group because for them, they'd arrive at seven in Japan, and there was no knowing when the doppelgangers would attack.
But then again, worrying wore her out and she needed to be on alert so she could prove she could do it; she did not want to disappoint the countries now that she was finally working with them like equals. It was a chance she never imagined would come true under that brat Sealand's plan.
Wy sighed. Sometimes, she felt like Sealand was too...hyperactive. With him around, it tired her out. Just thinking about his hyperactivity wore her out!
She stopped herself before she fell asleep on watch and concentrated scanning the south side of the pagoda as the sun started to peek out from the horizon. She stayed in the shadows, afraid that a doppelganger would see her if she stepped one toe out into the sunlight.
A few minutes passed in silence. The silence practically coaxed her to sleep, and she started to doze off. She snapped her head up and said to herself, "No. If I fall asleep, what will happen to the world? I have to stay up. Come on!"
Peering around the trunk of the tree she stood behind, Wy dashed from that tree to another. Peering out again, she watched the streets to the south and then she shot a suspicious look behind her in case if someone was following. No one.
Wy grinned to herself and then she glanced back towards the streets. Still nothing. Wy threw the strap of her gun over her shoulder and when the gun with the silencer was resting on her back, she dashed to another tree and started to climb. She perched herself at the first big branch she got to and scanned the lake a ways off. She knew Malaysia would be there and she wondered if he was okay. She sighed in relief when she saw his figure looking around.
Then she took a good look at the other direction and tried to make out Vietnam. She couldn't find her, but she didn't worry. If anything happened, Vietnam would have sent out a call.
Wy froze when she glanced back at Malaysia's hiding spot. Only, she wasn't concerned about him, not when there were three figures standing on the bridge over the lake. Doppelgangers! Wy thought in alarm, and she waited for Malaysia to send out a shrill, high pitched call, but he didn't.
Wy stared at the three figures, her mouth agape. Then she looked at Malaysia's silhouette and was stunned he was looking right at the lake without doing anything. Was he paralyzed with fear? What was going on?
And then she took a closer look and saw that the figures were China, New Zealand, and the Philippines. She assumed they were the real ones, and that was probably why Malaysia wasn't so worried. Wy exhaled quickly, and murmured, "Geez, why are you so worked up?"
A barely audible rustle made her jump. If it wasn't for peaceful serenity around her, she wouldn't have heard it. But she did, and she looked down at the ground.
A high, shrill call pierced the early morning air, and Vietnam's heart jolted. It came from the south, and she jumped off her tree branch without a second thought. Wy was in trouble, and the call signaled that a doppelganger had been spotted.
Whether Wy was spotted herself was something Vietnam wanted to know, and she raced towards the call that became more anxious, more strained. Vietnam gritted her teeth, clutching her weapon. Wy was in trouble.
Malaysia's head turned to the left and he clenched his fist. Wy. He glanced back at China and the others, and China waved him on frantically. Malaysia sprinted off and hoped that Wy was alright and that China, New Zealand, and the Philippines were able to find the hideout entrance, because they might be running out of time.
He heard someone running ahead of him and he lifted his gun a little, ready to shoot if needed. When the mysterious person in front of him ran across the courtyard and out in the sun, he hissed, "Vietnam!"
Vietnam shot him a brief sideways glance as Malaysia also came out into the new sunlight. "We have to be prepared." she said to him.
Malaysia gripped his gun a little tighter. "I know."