Mary's Story (A Norway + OC Hetalia One-Shot)

Day 2

I tried to reach my family, but none of them would answer their phones. I wasn't about to give up on them, though.

We made it to Eugene early the next morning, stopping only once, when we went into a small store in the middle of nowhere. That's where Norway had bought his weapon- a short sword that the store had in their fancy knife collection. I had made us stop there on purpose- most small, highway stores had weapons like that, which surprised Norway greatly. But his surprise was quickly replaced with the courage of a warrior- or should I say viking?
Besides the few people we encountered in the store, we hadn't seen anyone for hours. Around midnight there was a huge traffic rush- in the other direction. Even the cars traveling in the same direction as we were eventually pulled over and went the other way.
And that made me nervous. I had wanted to check the news and see what was happening, but Norway's phone was dead and I had never replaced mine after England had smashed it all those months ago. It didn't really matter, though - I knew what awaited us in Eugene.
But I chose to believe my family had escaped. I was just going to make sure.
I pushed my foot to the floor, pushing the small car to it's limits. We were almost there. I went past multiple signs, trying not to notice the smoke billowing into the gray skies behind them. I pulled onto the exit almost instinctually, unable to keep myself from wondering what I would find when I got home.
"Mary!"
I jumped at Norway's yell and looked up just in time to swerve to the side of the road. We both screamed as we tumbled off the road and down a hill. The car flew across the grass and I pressed the break as hard as I could. When we finally stopped, I looked at Norway, and then back up at the huge pile of crushed cars that were blocking the road. He grabbed his short sword and jumped out the car, and I quickly followed. The end of the highway was littered with cars. All were empty, at least that I could see. But there were torn pieces of clothing and other miscellaneous items scattered everywhere.
"Zodiacs?" I whispered. Norway nodded.
"We should see how far we can get in my car. It's... it's safer than being out in the open."
He nodded again and turned back to my vehicle, a fierce scowl on his face.

*

The city was crawling with Zodiacs. We saw indications of slaughters here and there, but it appeared that most of Eugene had contracted the virus. Fortunately, my car was faster than most of the monsters. Unfortunately, I was about to run out of gas.
I floored the gas pedal and Norway constantly glanced over his shoulder. A pack of Aries chased us. We were slowly outrunning them, but my tank was nearly empty.
"We're almost there," I said, trying to sound encouraging, even though I was taking deep breaths to keep my heartbeat steady. We had seen some terrorizing things. The Zodiacs were horrifying, but what was worse was many of the Zodiacs we had passed weren't all the way transformed. Some still looked mostly human. And they had reached out to us for help. I had almost cracked, but managed to keep my foot on the gas.
"Down that vay, ja?" Norway said, and I snapped back reality. I pressed lightly on the break, turning left. Tears filled my eyes as I saw the old Dutch Bros Coffee place my older sister Katie and I always gone to was wrecked to the ground.
The city was completely tarnished. In less than twenty-four hours, it had become a war zone.
We zoomed down the road and my heart began to pound as I went down the familiar street. We were almost to my house. I turned onto another street and went a little slower. We had lost the Aries, it seemed, on the curvy road. I kept alert, looking around at all the houses for any sign of Zodiacs, but they seemed abandoned. My heart pounded against my ribcage. Maybe everyone had made it out before the virus hit.
But then, as we turned another corner, I saw a familiar green van sitting in the middle of the road. I braked hard. The doors were completely torn of their hinges and all the windows broken.
There was nobody inside, but red stained the cement all around it.
"No... no, no, no..." I whispered.
"Oh, Mary..." Norway whispered, looking at the destruction.
"No, there's still hope!" I snapped, my voice cracking. I forced myself to look away. "We're almost to my house!"
A minute later, we were in front of the building I had called home my entire life. I caught my breath when I saw my dad's favorite jeep still sitting in the driveway. I switched off the ignition, and Norway picked up the short sword that lay on the floorboard at his feet. I jumped out of the car and immediately ran to the jeep. It was locked, and I bit my lip. Norway came to stand beside me.
"Break it open," I whispered, stepping back and wrapping my arms around myself.
"Vhat? Vhy?"
"My dad always keeps extra gasoline in this jeep," I whispered, turning away. "It'll be in the back. Fill up my car. I'm going inside."
"I don't think you should go alone."
I looked at Norway.
"I can take care of myself."
I marched straight up to the front door. The doorway was smashed to pieces and the door itself thrown from it's hinges. Taking a deep breath, I walked in, wondering what I would find.
The smell of home filled my nostrils, mixed with some disgusting odor that I couldn't place. It almost smelled like fish, except worse. I shook my head and walked into the house. Everything was exactly the same as I had left it a few days ago. I walked around to the kitchen and the den, and then made my way into the living room.
And there I found the source of the smell.
I gasped and put both of my hands over my mouth.
A strange creature with gills and metal fins for feet and hands lay dead in the middle of the floor. A Pisces, suffocated from being without water for so long. But this wasn't just any Pisces...
It was my sister.
"Katheryn!" I screeched, running to her. I grabbed her morphed face in my hands, tears filling my eyes.
"Nope! Nope, nope, nope! You can't be dead! Katie, Katie, no, please... no..." I sobbed, petting her greasy blond hair. But she was gone.
It was all too much.
I hung my head and cried. I couldn't stop the flow of tears for what felt like ages. Katie, my best friend, was dead. What hope was there for the rest of my family? For my friends? For the world?
We were all doomed.
Sobs were still racking me when suddenly a loud screech came from outside, shattering the ghostly silence. I lifted my head, momentarily snapping back to reality. Norway was out there alone.
The beastly screech came again, followed by a scream that sounded very much human.
Lukas. He needs help.
Shivers flowing down my spine, I leapt to my feet, but then hesitated, looking down at Katie.
I had to force myself to turn away. There was nothing I could do except mourn.
And there would be time for that later.
I ran back toward the front door. Bursting through, I looked to where I had left Norway.
The blood in my veins turned to ice at the scene before me. Lukas was lying on the pavement, his sword in hand, but a monster stood on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground. It had long, white wings that were stained red and huge metallic talons instead of fingers and toes. Other than that, it looked mostly human. At least from the back. Tattered clothes hung about it, reminding me that it was once a man.
Suddenly the Virgo gave a loud screech and swung it's hand down. Lukas cried out as the sharp talons sliced across his head. The Virgo roared again as blood poured down Norway's face, and then leaned down to finish the fight.
I ran toward them.
"Hey!" I screamed. Before I knew what I was doing, I pushed the winged beast as hard as I could in the back. The Virgo spread it's wings and jumped into the air, whirling toward me.
It roared, showing it's sharp teeth and looking into my eyes.
But that wasn't what terrified me.
I knew those eyes. I knew that face.
I knew this man.
"D-dad?" I cried, my legs suddenly growing weak.
He landed before me, glaring fiercely.
But he didn't attack. He stared at me silently, and for a second I thought I saw confusion on his face.
Only for a second.
It bared it's teeth and flew toward me, talons extended.
I scrambled backwards, the sharp claws barely missing me. And then, turning on my heel, I dashed around the side of the house, toward my backyard.
The Virgo- my dad- was right behind me.
I knew what I had to do. There was a small garden shed on the other end of the yard- it had all sorts of tools inside.
I pumped my legs as hard as I could, crashing through the overhanging vegetation.
But when I made it to my backyard, there was another surprise waiting for me.
I stopped, my eyes growing wide.
A ginormous metal crab-human stood in the middle of the yard. She had the face and body of a human, except that she was crouching down, her legs spread apart. Her back was covered with a metal plate for protection, and her hands had grown into enormous metal crab claws.
But I knew that dark hair and freckled face.
I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I felt like throwing up.
"E-Evangeline?" I whispered my little sister's name.
I was forced to run when a loud swoosh sounded above me, signaling the Virgo's presence.
I sprinted around the Cancer, my vision blurred. Water dripped off my cheeks but I didn't wipe away my tears. My heart pounded as I heard the crab claws snapping behind me. The Virgo screeched again, but soon I was under the shade of my favorite cherry tree and it was forced to land.
By then, I was already in the shed. I pulled the rickety wooden door shut behind me, and as soon as I did, the Cancer slammed it's claw against it.
I briefly examined all the tools in the shed.
A rake. A snowshovel.
The giant metal claws broke off a piece of the door behind me. No good.
A chainsaw. An axe.
Talons ripped through the rotting ceiling above me and debris fell on my head. I looked up to see my dad peering through. Nope. They're my family.
And then, in the gray light filtering in through the hole in the roof, I saw a sledgehammer.
I grabbed it and turned toward the door, just as my little sister tore away another chunk. I kicked it open and the Cancer fell back. I swung the heavy hammer at her with a yell, and my metal collided with hers. She stumbled back, and I turned and ran for it.
But then, the Virgo flew down from the roof and landed in front of me. Instead of lifting the hammer, however, I just ran up to it and stared it in the eyes.
"Dad, it's me," I yelled, my voice breaking as I stared into his eyes.
This was my dad. This was the man who'd raised me and taught me so much...
But I guess he wasn't a man anymore.
I lifted the hammer, but then the Virgo suddenly backed away. I paused. He stared at me, his eyes wide. He looked down at himself, and then back at me.
"M- Ma-" he stuttered. But then, without finishing, he jumped up and flew away.
I watched him for a second, and then remembered Evangeline. I glanced back just in time to see her reach out her claw.
I tried to run, but I was too late.
She grabbed my leg with her smaller claw, pulling me to the ground. I screamed, but it was cut short as I hit the ground. I rolled onto my back just as she stepped over me, pinning my lower body to the ground. I lifted the hammer, but she grabbed the stick with her claw and wrenched it away from me.
"Evangeline! Evangeline! No, stop! It's me!" I screamed as she raised her claw, but it was no use. There was no flicker of recognition in her eyes. Only hunger.
But before she could strike, Norway came from nowhere, tackling her to the ground. Evangeline screamed.
All my limbs were shaking, but I managed to stand up.
Lukas raised his sword.
"Norway! Nei! Nei!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, sinking onto my knees again. "That's my sister!"
He stopped, glancing back at me for a brief moment. Blood stained his hair and poured into his eyes. But then Evangeline smacked him across the chest with her claw and he skid across the grass, toward me. I quickly crawled to him and helped him sit up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my sledgehammer, so I scooted over and grabbed it.
I stood, helping Norway stand also. He grunted in pain. I held up my hammer and slowly began to walk backwards, pulling Norway by the arm.
"They're gone. They're all gone," I whispered. "Back to the car. Now."
He nodded.
Evangeline screamed and charged, but we were already running. We rounded the house and went straight to my vehicle. I saw the empty gas canister on the side of the road.
I jumped into the driver's seat, throwing my sledgehammer in the back row. Norway hopped into the passenger's side, gasping in pain as he sat down. He winced and shut the door, grabbing his arm, which was a gory mess of ripped up fabric and blood from where the Virgo had forcefully pinned him down.
I started the engine, but didn't press the gas. I looked back at my home one last time.
And there, on the roof, was my dad. He stared straight at me.
"Go, go!" Norway gasped. Sucking in a deep breath, I pressed the gas.
In less than a minute we were speeding out of my street.
We drove away, past all the empty neighborhoods which I knew so well.
Silence filled the space between me and Norway, but this time I couldn't bear it. I would've rather had anything other than silence. Anything other than being left alone with my own thoughts.
I pressed harder on the gas, everything rushing by in a blur.
"Mary?"
I didn't look at him. I was on the verge of tears as it was, and looking at him would only collapse the dam.
"Vhy didn't ve yust put them out of their misery? Vhy did ve let them go... yust so they can cause more destruction?"
"They're my family."
"I know, I know... but... they're not our family anymore. They're Zodiacs."
"No, Lukas," I said, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "My dad... he recognized me. He must've. He looked straight into my eyes and then... flew away. He could've killed me- should've killed me. But I saw his face. In that moment, he wasn't a monster. He was my dad and, Lukas, he recognized me. Look, I know there isn't a cure yet and that all odds are against us, but, what if they could be saved? What if someday there is a way to bring them back? We can't just kill them. Not now, not ever. There must be a way to save them. There must be! I won't give up on them!"
He was silent for a long time.
"Mary?" Norway finally responded, his voice full of pain. He reached out, his arm shaking, and put his hand on mine. "I am so sorry."
And the dam collapsed.