The Things I'd Rather Forget // Countryhumans AU

Ch 43: Everything goes black... again \\ The Alleyway

'Always be aware. You never know what they might do.'

That was the last piece of advice Puerto Rico sent their way through the medium of DC, right after they had stolen a quick gun. Er- guns. One for each of them.

You know, just in case.

'Always be aware.'

America pulled out his gun as he and Russia stepped into the dark alleyway where Confederate was spotted last. You see, the funny thing about this one, specific alleyway was that it led to a dead end- don't ask how America knows that- so... if he went into the alleyway not too long ago and the cameras haven't yet spotted him come out the same way...

Chances are, he's still in there.

Waiting.

But why? Why?

Surely, he...

Surely...

America bit his lip, feeling his hands start to shake. What could be waiting for them down this corridor? What horrible thing does Confederate have planned for them? America... America didn't know. And, considering Confederate's amazing track record... America wasn't sure that he wanted to find out. He wasn't sure...

America jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning his head to the side, he spotted Russia... smiling? "Hey..." He spoke reassuringly, his smile becoming just the slightest bit more confident, "It'll be okay... We're in this together. I'll always have your back."

America blinked a little at Russia before his heart warmed and he smiled back at Russia. Looking ahead of them, America took in a deep breath, a small, confident smile lingering on his face, "Right. Together."

Together.

He wasn't... He wasn't alone this time. He wasn't alone anymore.

And he'll... he'll probably never be alone again, right?

Right.

Exhaling calmly, America took a step forward into that dark alleyway, his heart pounding as one thought lingered and dwelled in his mind. He wasn't... he wasn't alone!

And, after stalking down the alleyway for long enough, America paused. Just a few paces ahead stood Confederate. But... it was all... off. Like that one scene in a horror movie... because, well...

Confederate stood there completely, almost deathly still, facing the wall ahead of him, his back to America and Russia. He had... walked into the dead end? And just... stopped?

With a sickening jolt, America suddenly got a horrible feeling about all this. A sickening feeling twisting in his gut that something wasn't right. That something was about to go horribly wrong. But... America seemed to be the only one affected by this because Russia didn't react at all. He was just standing there, completely unaffected by this suffocatingly bad feeling as he practically grilled holes into the back of Confederate's head, his trigger finger twitching and yearning to shoot.

Gulping slightly, America cocked his gun, already aiming straight for Confederate's head. America opened his mouth to say something as his hands started to shake, but nothing came out, his gut feeling overwhelming his every sense and his legs and mind yelling at him to run.

But America had nothing to be afraid of.

He had... he had nothing to be afraid of!

Confederate's just a small, tiny rebellion now! America could crush him in a millisecond!

So why? Why was he shaking? Why was every fiber of his being screaming at him to run?!

He had nothing to fear!

...

Or at least, he thought he did.

...

America nervously adjusted his grip on the gun and, after a few terrifying seconds, Confederate's head turned to look at America. America felt himself freeze. Confederate's eye- the one that America could see, at least- was like a miniature void. A black hole sucking him in, peeling and scratching at his skin and pulling him ever closer until he's... until he's gone, reduced to the nothing that ate him. Those... those were not eyes. They were blanks of space- cracks of reality- in which nothing could exist and nothing could truly linger. They reminded America of his own eyes before he... died and, oddly enough, that... that's what terrified him the most.

But it didn't end there.

Despite the void that was Confederate's eyes, a glowing red occurred in its depths, breaking the rules already broken and piercing deep into America's own eyes. Just the sight of those blazing, controlling red eyes were enough to make America freeze in his tracks, his throat closing up on him in instants.

With just one look, America was terrified, unable to move like a deer caught in the headlights.

Up until now, he had never gone face to face with... this Confederate himself, and now?

In that moment of pure, uncontrollable fear, America finally understood what DC meant by Confederate merging with America's nightmares. The terror freezing America's body and making his heart want to run out of his own chest gave a sense of clarity unseen before. America had never been more afraid in his life, looking into those terrifying red irises, and that made him understand.

And then Confederate smiled.

His lips twisted upwards to create a cruel, horrific smile, one that seemed to scream all sorts of terrors and horrors into America's ears. That smile, despite being a smile of all things, somehow struck more terror into America's heart than him almost dying.

America felt himself take in shaky, raspy breaths, his entire body shaking beneath Confederate's gaze. Beneath that... that monster's gaze.

And America thought that he himself was the monster this entire time.

But no, he couldn't have been more wrong. This... whatever Confederate was now... he was the monster, and America couldn't compare if he tried.

He couldn't compare even if he tried.

And, though he had been seemingly deathly still just moments before, Confederate suddenly twisted around, lunging towards America, a devilish grin on his face and his eyes glowing brighter than ever before. America immediately felt his heart shoot up to his throat and choke him, stumbling backwards with pure fear the second his mind registered Confederate's lunge.

Confederate reached his hand out and America, completely forgetting about the gun in his hands in his blinding, screeching fear, stumbled wildly backwards, just trying to get away in his sudden, choking desperation. Reaching forward, Confederate grabbed America by the head, and-!

And, suddenly, everything had returned to dark, as it was meant to be.