Japan was relatively at ease; ever since they split up, things were going more smoothly. Meaning that things were quiet and silent like they should be.
But then, when he peeked out of the vent through slits on the bottom, he stopped in alarm. His sudden halt caused Thailand behind him to bump into his foot, producing a clear clang. Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan froze in fear as the sound carried throughout the vent, vibrating the walls around them.
Japan gulped and examined the doppelgangers below them. They didn't move a single inch. They continued talking, calmly, business-like. If they heard, they didn't show signs of it.
But these were doppelgangers they were dealing with. Japan suspected that they did indeed hear them but pretended not to in order to make him, Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan think that they were safe (Taiwan was only in the back because it would be inappropriate if she was in the middle or the front, seeing that she had a skirt on). The doppelgangers were sneaky and cunning like that; it didn't make Japan feel any better however. If anything, it made him feel worse.
"What do we do?" Taiwan whispered. Though she couldn't see what was going on in the front, she could still hear the doppelgangers talk underneath them in the hall.
Japan held up a hand so that Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan could see that they were stopping for now. Japan fixed his eyes on Dark Philippines and Dark Indonesia. The two doppelgangers conversed for a while, and during their conversation, the three countries started to slowly inch their way through, hoping that Dark Philippines and Dark Indonesia wouldn't look up and see them crawl by.
Fortunately for them, the two doppelgangers walked away from them and out of their sight. "We're safe, ana." Thailand sighed in relief.
"That's great." Greece smiled.
But Japan had a bad feeling they still had to worry, but he continued on.
They came across an intersection and based on what Japan's guts wanted, they turned left. It wasn't long before Japan came across another section of half-inch slits on the bottom of the vents to peek through, and what he saw thoroughly caused his blood to drain out of his paling face.
"What is it, Japan?" Taiwan asked worriedly, sensing his abrupt tension.
Japan didn't want to worry the others, but after Thailand asked, "We're in trouble again, aren't we, ana?", he knew that they were worrying even before he told them what was going on.
Through the slits of the vent, Japan watched as dozens and dozens of his corrupted people wander around the lobby of the huge building. They all were hurrying around, some carrying missiles, a few others with ammunition, and several with scraps of metal. What were they doing with metal? Building something?
But that wasn't it.
Japan, Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan were roughly fifty feet above them, right above a huge chandelier. Japan's stomach sank. Why did they have to be so high up. He didn't mind heights, but he wondered if Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan were fine with it. No, scratch that; he wondered if Taiwan would. He knew Thailand and Greece probably wouldn't mind.
"Japan?" Taiwan asked again.
"Yes?"
"What's the matter?"
Japan hesitated.
"Japan?" Greece asked.
"Nothing is wrong."
Silence.
"Something is wrong, ana." Thailand murmured.
Japan glanced behind his shoulder. "Nothing is wrong. Not at the momen-"
But Thailand stopped him. "No, listen, ana. Something is wrong."
Japan, Greece, and Taiwan stayed silent to listen to what Thailand had supposedly heard. At first, it was nothing but the distant sound of Japan's corrupted people moving about below them. Then, for some reason, Japan heard tiny squeaks coming closer and closer. Hundreds of tiny little pit pats rumbled from behind.
Taiwan shrieked, causing Japan, Thailand, and Greece to jump, hitting their heads on the top of the air vent. "Rats!" Taiwan gasped, crawling forward to avoid the rats stampeding towards them.
"Taiwan, don't push me..." Greece grimaced as she pushed him towards Thailand, who was then pushed to Japan.
Japan tried to move forward as quickly as possible but Taiwan and the other two were practically on top of him in a tight-fitting pile. It hindered their movements and they couldn't go anywhere. Japan felt shivers go up his spine as multiple tiny little animals climbed over his legs and back. He jerked one way and another way as two of the rats climbed into his shirt and up his bare back, their tiny little paws digging into his skin.
"They're everywhere." Taiwan said, kicking at them.
"Ah, that's my foot." Greece said quickly, moving his feet away.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Greece!"
"Everyone, be quiet!" Japan said hastily, but he knew it was futile. The noise they were making definitely made their presence known. It would be a miracle if they weren't heard. That or the doppelgangers and the corrupted people were deaf.
Taiwan and Greece's hasty cries stopped when they heard metal creaking. Japan glanced at Thailand, who was closer to him, and they both exchanged wide eyed looks. Japan had a feeling that he should tell them they were fifty feet up, but he never really got the chance to.
The vent snapped below them and Japan felt that horrifying light feeling in his chest as they dropped from the ceiling and into the wide, open lobby.
Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was adrenaline. Whatever it was, Japan was grateful that something made him reach out and grab a hold of the chandelier. With both hands, he grabbed one of the boughs and felt it swing as he held on.
Thailand managed to grab a hold of Japan's foot, making the chandelier jerk again, but it held them. Then Greece grabbed Thailand's hand with his right and Taiwan's with the left.
If the chain that held the chandelier up was breaking, it didn't give it away. Japan breathed a sigh of relief that the four of them had successfully preventing themselves from falling to a rather painful situation. As they swung on the chandelier, the rats rained in the lobby, pelting the doppelgangers and the corrupted people in the lobby.
"Did you, like, hear that?" Hong Kong asked Korea, who was in front of him.
"I heard that too." Seychelles said thoughtfully. "It sounded like a crash."
Korea laughed. "Ah, it's probably Japan, da-ze. You know how he is."
"Isn't he supposed to be silent?" Seychelles asked. "Like how ninjas are?"
"Ha, that's all just movies, da-ze."
"Japan, what do we do now?" Greece called up as the doppelgangers below them watched with hungry eyes.
Japan's hands were slipping, and he truly had no idea. Climbing back up wasn't an option. The vent had a gaping hole in it now, and even if they could get back up there on the single chain that supported the only thing they could hang onto, they wouldn't be able to climb back in with a hole that size.
Looking down, Japan ruled out an option they could never take; dropping. Sure the doppelgangers wouldn't want to kill them if it kills themselves as well, but being a country, Japan knew that they wouldn't die from the drop. They'd be a broken heap of bones and flesh, and that would make the doppelganger's job of locking them up easier.
"Where's Korea when you need him?" Taiwan groaned.
Japan pursed his lips nervously. "Everyone. Can you try to climb up and grab a hold of the chandelier itself? I don't think I can hold all of our weights any longer."
But when they made an attempt to climb up the human/country rope, it only made Japan's grip slacken and for a split second, he thought they'd all fall.
"Never mind, never mind." Japan gasped quickly before they could truly loosen his grasp completely. "That won't work."
Silence. No one tried to move because if they did, it would only make the chandelier swing; that would make Japan's hands slippery and they'd free fall into the hands of the enemy.
After a long agonizing five minutes, Japan's arms felt so numb that he lost feeling in them completely. On the bright side, he would no longer feel the pain in his arms if they happened to fall. Then again, the shock of the impact would bring all feeling back, and then the pain would overwhelm him.
A sudden banging noise nearly caused him to slip anyway. As Japan, Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan glanced down at the doors from the left side of the lobby bursting open...
With Korea, Hong Kong, and Seychelles riding on a hotel luggage carrier.
"What's up everyone? We're here to crash the party, da-ze!" Korea yelled energetically as he stood at the front, pointing to the air dramatically.
Hong Kong and Seychelles were clinging to the poles on the left and right respectively, whacking away doppelgangers and corrupted people alike with umbrellas. They pushed off with their feet to keep the luggage carrier moving.
"You're hitting my people!" Japan called in alarm. "Don't harm them!"
"They're corrupted!" Korea said pointedly, running a few of them over (to Japan's dismay). "Not my fault they can't get out of the way in time, da-ze."
"We can use some help whacking." Hong Kong said to Korea as he gave a hard whack on a woman's head ("That's my boss's wife!" Japan exclaimed, distraught).
The luggage carrier stopped on the outside of the chandelier's perimeter and the three leapt off before the doppelgangers could get to them. They weaved in and out of the crowd, towards the stairs that led up to a long balcony-type floor that overlooked the lobby. As they reached the floor, Korea shouted, "Go find a room that's in charge of lowering and raising the chandelier! They have to get it down somehow to clean it right, da-ze?"
Hong Kong and Seychelles ran past him as Korea climbed onto top of the railing, a mischievous gleam flashing in his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Taiwan gasped as Korea jumped from the balcony, catching onto Taiwan's foot.
"Stop moving, da-ze! Japan will drop us!" Korea scolded her playfully.
He climbed up Taiwan, up Greece, up Thailand, and up Japan, who exclaimed in horror, "Climbing everyone was dangerous! We tried that earlier and I nearly let go!"
"Well you didn't this time." Korea grinned. "I'm here to help!"
"How?"
Korea froze and looked down. "Uh oh. Da-ze."
"Uh oh is correct." Japan said irritably. "You didn't think this through?"
Korea scratched his head. "Well, America says the best type of plan is one you make up as you go, da-ze." Then he stopped and said brightly, "Why don't you just swing the chandelier and have Taiwan drop onto that floor I just jumped from?"
"If I swing, I'd lose my grip. My hands are sweaty, I feel like I can't move, and I haven't in the last few minutes." Japan said uncomfortably.
"Japan, ana." Thailand said, his voice rising to an alarmed tone. "The doppelgangers are about to jump like Korea, ana."
Japan and Korea followed Thailand's gaze towards the balcony-type floor and groaned. Dark Samoa and Dark Laos were already climbing onto the rails, preparing to leap onto the chain.
"Here, stay where you are, da-ze" Korea said quickly, climbing back down Japan.
"I can't go anywhere in the first place." Japan said, but he felt his grip slipping. His hands were wet with sweat and he prepared for the free fall he thought was inevitable.
"Up you go!" Korea was saying. Some of the weight disappeared from Japan and he glanced to the side as Taiwan gave him a weary smile.
"Wh-" Japan started to say but he was cut off when Korea started to climb back up him.
"Make way Taiwan, we need to get Greece up here. Move over, da-ze." Korea said seriously.
Taiwan swung herself to the next bough of the chandelier like she was on a set of monkey bars; Greece took her place on Japan's right.
"Come on up Thailand, da-ze!" Korea said cheerfully, holding out a hand to him as he held onto Japan's back.
Thailand climbed up with Korea and swung himself to the right. Then Korea followed after him, thus equalizing the weight around the chandelier and balancing it out so that it wasn't tipping to one side anymore, making it near impossible for the doppelgangers to reach them.
"Hahaha!" Korea laughed at the doppelgangers' sour expression. "What are you going to do now, da-ze?"
Japan felt that it was safe to adjust himself and he did. Now that everyone was clinging on their own, he had to find a way to get them down and away.
And that's when the chandelier started to lower.
"Hong Kong and Seychelles found it!" Korea exclaimed. "I knew there's got to be a room that controlled the chandelier. Huh, I wonder if we'll be low enough to jump off, da-ze."
"If we are then my people can get to us." Japan said pointedly.
"Oh yeah. I wonder, da-ze." Korea said pensively.
The chandelier lowered just high enough for them to jump down and suffer only a small brief pain in their legs but it was low enough where the corrupted people could get to them.
"They're coming, what do we do?" Taiwan asked nervously. "If we jump and make a run for it, we'll never make it!"
"Can we climb to the top of this thing?" Greece asked, swinging his legs. He made the chandelier rock a little, and it knocked into a few of the corrupted people, causing them to stagger backwards in alarm.
"Ana, I know what to do!" Thailand said suddenly. "Swing the chandelier like a wrecking ball, ana! We'll knock the people and the doppelgangers away!"
Before Japan could protest, Korea said, "Great idea, Thailand! See, I told you plans that we make up on the go is the best, da-ze. Start swing my way everyone!"
And so the chandelier swung; easily and softly at first, but then the kinetic energy took over and the 'wrecking ball' swooped down across the lobby. Everyone clung to the boughs of the chandelier once kinetic energy took over, and every time they hit the corrupted people, Japan would hastily call out, "Sorry! I'm so sorry-oh no, I'm terribly sorry. Sorry, sorry, I apologize. I wish I were dead!"
"Do you really?" Greece asked, surprised.
"Ah, no. It's an expression we use." Japan said, reddening.
Whenever the 'wrecking ball' would slow, they'd start hanging by their hands again and swing around until it started to pick up where it left off. Several glass shattered all over the lobby floor and there were many times where the doppelgangers would actually fail to stop them.
Hong Kong and Seychelles had returned from the chandelier control room ("Or whatever it's called, da-ze" Korea shrugged.) and they'd jump onto the chandelier when it was time.
"Hi guys." Seychelles greeted.
"Hi Seychelles." Taiwan greeted back. "Hi Hong Kong."
"How long are we to, like, keep this up?" Hong Kong asked as they swoop back down across the room.
Korea examined the room as they swung by the corrupted people, trying to pick themselves off their feet. "When they're all knocked out, da-ze." he said cheerfully.