(NOBODY POV)
UN stared down at the country as a stunned silence settled over them. His eyes were cold and devoid of any sympathy, his tall figure blocking the ebbing threads of moonlight. El Salvador averted his eyes and couldn't help but shrink under the Power's piercing gaze.
"This shouldn't be possible," NATO growled, "I retrieved your corpse with my own two hands."
For the first time that night, Five offered no comment.
The time read 4:50 in the morning with the light of dawn just below the horizon. The morning mist hovered over the ravaged landscape that once was the pristine Eastern Courtyard. Now all that remained was blackened upheaval and a country casted in iron puppet strings.
"I'm sorry," El Salvador rasped, his eyes searching the ground for he knew that there would be no forgiveness on their faces. He was subconsciously aware of how far he had gone astray and that they had every right to be upset.
Finally, UN shifted his gaze to FVEY, signaling for him to apprehend him but before Five could go anywhere, a disheveled country stood in their way, three pitch black eyes staring up at them with an air of solemnity.
"Hear him out first," he advised, though it sounded more like a command. UN narrowed his eyes but held up his hand, telling Five to back off. America turned his gaze back to El Salvador who sighed.
"I dunno how much of a help I can be though. Most of everything has been a blur for me," he admitted but Ame shook his head. It didn't matter right now.
He closed his eyes and knit his brow in concentration as he dug deep into his head, looking for the day he got into this mess. Large chunks from his mental timeline were missing, some were just too muddled to recall, though he could distinctly remember somewhat of a change in himself that started at the beginning of the school year. No- it was before that... during the summer break. And just like that, things began to fall back into place and the answer came to him.
It started with a duel and a deal.
(EL SALVADOR POV)
"Three weeks, San Salvador," I said as I handed my Conduct and a note from the Headmaster to the agent at the desk. She glanced at the note and inserted the blood-red stone into a machine which etched a couple symbols into its surface.
"Second chamber, fourth Gate," she instructed as she handed the Conduct back, now glowing with a renewed light, "An agent will be sent to your location if you do not respond to the recall order and bla bla bla..."
She gave me the usual spiel, the rundown of safety precautions and rules and whatnot. Finally I was let go and as I walked down the grand, high arching corridor, I couldn't help but read over the letter one more time. UN's distinguished, elegant handwriting sprawled across the crisp stationery, granting my request to oversee the situation on Earth that I had been worrying about for the past few months. Unsettling chills, as if I was in danger, began to race through my body at the start of the final month. Two weeks later, whispers for help began to haunt me. And then the last week of school, cuts and strange tattoos began to burn into my skin at random. It got so bad on the left side of my face that I had to bandage it up. Clearly, trouble was brewing somewhere in my territory and I had to sort it out ASAP.
"San Salvador. All aspects, normal. Gate power levels, stable. Expected return in three weeks," the voice in the speaker read out as I stepped up to the swirling vortex with a lump in my throat. The final checks were done and finally, the attendant turned to me and smiled.
"Have a safe trip."
Soon enough, the swirling cloak of energy faded into a sunset sky as I stepped onto familiar grounds. The portal had spat me out in the middle of an alleyway, somewhere in the downtown area. Sloppy graffiti smeared across the crumbling concrete walls that caged me in on all three sides and a dim lamp flickered overhead. The same shudder ran up my spine but this time, it was accompanied with a wave of irritation. Trouble had arrived.
"HEY WHO ARE YOU?! Where did you come from?!"
Three brutes came sauntering down the path with tattoos covering them from head to toe. They looked agitated and I knew that I had just stepped into turbulent waters.
"Well, punk? Who's side are you on?"
"I- I'm on no one's side," I stated as I watched their scowls deepen. They clearly didn't like that answer.
"Well it's either you're on our side or not," the biggest one declared as he folded his massive, beefy arms, "You have a lot of nerve coming onto our turf, uninvited."
At this point, I had backed up all the way to the wall behind me. There was nowhere left to go. A stinging pain ran up my arm, and sure enough, scrawling tattoos crawled up my skin. I grit my teeth in pain as I tried my best to not let it show. Now I understood what was happening to me. Gang activity had ravaged the streets to the point where it could affect my physical form.
"Hey stop daydreaming," one of them spat as they grabbed me by the collar, "Do you know what happens to people who trespass?"
Nothing good, that's for sure. My eyes narrowed as I weighed my options and decided on my next move. I didn't have to worry about being harmed but would it be wise to retaliate? I wasn't exactly looking to get entangled in this gang nonsense but I wasn't about to be humiliated by my own people.
"This is stupid," I muttered to myself as I was about to command them to fuck off.* But before I could do that, one of them noticed the tattoos that had appeared on my skin and stopped the others. They glanced at it and huffed, annoyed.
"Bro, quit playing with us! Next time, just say you're with us," they complained as they wacked me almost playfully on the shoulder, "Watch your ass out there or the cops'll get ya!"
I stood there, watching the three of them waddle out of view, unsure of what the heck just happened. I glanced at the tattoos and frowned to myself, making a mental note to get rid of them once I was out of this area. It seemed to be a feature associated with them. And the fact that they were warning me about the police... I guess there was some effort to control them at least.
*(countryhumans have absolute command over everyone who is regarded as one of their people. Humans must follow everything formal command they give)
That was my first day of summer vacation and for the next few months, I would have many more, less fortunate run-ins with the violent bunch. Slowly I began to adapt to my role on Earth. Though I technically was the greatest authority in the area, I stuck to my cover as a nobody but doing so, I was able to get the full picture of the effects.
People only went where others went, fearing the downtown areas where crimson rivers ran through the streets. The sounds of gunshots only grew more frequent as the summer stretched from July to August. The situation did not get any better so I applied for an extension to the end of the summer. It was granted.
Fear was nothing but abundant, creating a stifling atmosphere of dread from morning to night. The police came in full force one evening and it looked like they were going to war. That night and almost every night after that, the sounds of gunfire never seemed to cease. A sweeping cascade of destruction was centered around those hellish streets and corpses on both sides piled high. It was truly a living nightmare, especially since my body was physically affected by the events.
Splitting headaches, wracked my brain as the tattoos clawed up my face like thorn branches. My mood swings became so drastic that one moment I would be conversing and laughing with the locals and the next, I would be smashing windows and flipping tables in fury. The struggle between the two sides had basically split me in two.
At this point, I wasn't even sure if the delinquents would heed my commands anymore, now that they were basically at war with my authority. My fears were confirmed the next day when I ended up getting surrounded by a group of them. I had told them to leave my sight but they only got more pissed and proceeded to attack. My temper had gotten the better of me and by the time I returned home, I was drenched in blood and fourteen new corpses bled the streets red.
"I can't take this anymore," I decided that night as I stared into the mirror I had punched out of rage a few days ago. Clearly, the police were unable to solve the problem so I looked into it on my own. I was going to find a solution myself and I was going to stop at nothing. Even if I had to slaughter every single criminal in the country, I would do it. That was a last resort option so in the meantime, I looked elsewhere.
Eventually, the answer came to me, though, in a different way than I thought it would. It came as a lucid dream.
The landscape was completely dark except for one area where a group of children were sitting. A man sat in front of them but I couldn't quite see his face but it seemed like he was narrating a story for them and to my surprise, it was one that I was familiar with: The story of the Amate Flower.
It was a popular myth, shared amongst the locals but to them, it was just that: a myth. But as a countryhuman, I was very aware that a myth was, more times than not, something that was true. At least some aspects were, though they were most likely the doing of other countryhumans of past generations.
Whatever the case, if there was even a sliver of hope that it could solve my problem, I was going to take it.
"Like a shining star in the night, a mermaid lulling you to your doom, the Amate flower is a beautiful mask of a monster. Sitting upon gnarled branches of a wicked tree, a single blossom, purer than the shining moon, blooms in the stillness of night."
The room swayed and blurred, as a giant, crooked tree appeared before me. Just as the story had told, one flower hung against the black backdrop. It glimmered with a sort of mystical beauty.
Behind me, the story continued, "Legends say that if you manage to catch the flower as it falls, you will be granted every wish and every desire. As you can see, this is where its appeal lies."
Slowly, the flower began to droop before it detached from the branch. My eyes couldn't help but follow as the flower waltzed to the ground in an elegant downwards spiral. I reached out, my fingers outstretched to catch it.
"But be warned, for this miraculous flower is guarded by the devil himself."
Another hand snatched the blossom before I could, his claw-like hands crushing it. I whipped around to see the storyteller peel away the pearly petals one by one. The children had grown up, tattoos pierced their skin like ugly scars.
My heart sunk into the pits of my stomach as the man chuckled. "If you want a miracle, you will have to defeat the devil or he will swallow your soul."
A blade glimmered wickedly in the night and before I could even register what was going on, it had been thrusted deep into my shoulder. My eyes widened in shock and I uttered a soundless scream. This didn't make sense. No earthly weapon was able to harm a countryhuman and no singular human possessed any weapons above the Mortal-Grade. But the blade, it had hurt me which told me two things.
Number 1: This was not a dream, but some kind of ploy. Perhaps I had been caught in an illusion before but I was completely lucid about the fact that I was spurting blood.
Number 2: This person was not to be taken lightly, whoever they were.
I grabbed the hilt of the blade that was stuck in my body to anchor it and with a heave, I managed to push the man off balance. With this opening, I took a deep breath, which hurt like hell, and felt the usual burning sensation fill my lungs. I exhaled and the air became choked with ash and deadly volcanic fumes. This seemed to surprise the man enough for him to let go of the blade. In response, I grit my teeth and yanked the bloody knife out of my wounded shoulder. Before my body could register the pain, I directed all my momentum towards the enemy, and plunged the knife into his face.
At least that's what the plan was. Instead, one of the gangsters had taken the blow and their bloodshot eyes glazed over. I was horrified but my adrenaline carried the blade forward, tossing the boy aside.
"How heartless of you!" the man cooed as he waved away the smoke and dodged my first slash, "I can respect that though."
My second slash was an uppercut and it actually made contact. It cut from his chin to the left side of his head. He stumbled back as he grabbed his face but when he looked back up, I realized it wasn't his face at all. Covering his visage was a mask made of ebony, carved so plainly that the only feature it had was the newly made gash and two slits for his eyes but those were now wide and glowing with a malevolent light.
"Feisty aren't we? I like your spirit!" he laughed and the earth trembled, as if it was shaking with fear. Oh wait, that was me.
He opened his arms wide and suddenly, it went from a duel to a full out dogfight. The rest of the gangsters leaped onto me, pinning me to the ground but I couldn't care less anymore. My temper flared again and my Awakening burst through in a massive volcanic eruption. The ashes billowed through the air in plumes and suffocated the people immediately. My wound stung like liquid fire and my skin began to turn an angry shade of red, itching like hell but I pushed myself to my feet.
Through the plumes of darkness, I saw the silhouette of the man and brought the blade down on him, only to feel the fabric collapse under the swing and a hand grabbing my throat.
The knife was knocked out of my hand, I was slammed to the ground and all the wind was knocked out of my sails.
His coat had been his decoy and he had snuck up on me, turning my own tactics against me. Now I stared up at the crackling mask, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as fear numbed my body.
"You've got such a strong spirit," he smiled under his mask, "Perhaps, I can make you a deal..."
...
(NOBODY POV)
"After that, everything became a muddled blur. I didn't remember how I got back in my bed. I didn't remember when I returned to Aliaterra. I didn't remember going back to school either. My body felt like it wasn't mine to control anymore and by the time America's birthday rolled around, I had completely slipped away.
Perhaps I had died.
I don't know but when I woke up again, I was trapped in this hunk of burning metal, fighting the Superpower to the death. My body was screaming in pain but at the same time, it felt... liberating. I could at least feel something again. Though I can't say for sure, I don't think I will be a threat to you anymore. Now that whoever the puppetmaster is has abandoned me, I won't be able to stay much longer. But I think that's for the best."
As he hesitated to find his last words, what remained of his face began to twitch and his eyes, though made of metal, began to gloss over with emotion. He looked painfully human.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."
He finished his recollection and the bittersweet ambiance settled between them. America squeezed his metallic shoulder and gave him a pressed smile to comfort him but El Salvador didn't need it.
Russia gazed at the ground as his story rang in his head. Compared to the El Salvador who had antagonized him in the halls and locked him in that creepy room, the mellow country before him felt much more sincere. These were his true colors but they were fading fast.
To lose control of one's people.
To lose control of oneself.
Russia couldn't help but look away.
The silent pity party would soon be crashed, however.
Goosebumps suddenly rose all over Five's skin and before he could think, his body acted on its own out of pure instinct.
"GET DOWN!!!" he screamed as he pulled the Headmaster behind him. NATO whisked around just in time to see a figure land soundlessly behind Greece and slam the county's face into the ground.
Before anyone could rush over, four others leapt down from the sky, as if they had been formed from the essence of the night. UN stared at them with crestfallen eyes, as if he knew this was coming but wished it didn't.
"I hoped this day would never come. I gave you a new purpose yet you still decided to follow the past?"
The five Shadow Agents glared at their "commander" with unwavering eyes under their mask.
"Forgive us, but the past does not forgive. Our loyalties lie with another," they spoke in unison, "Agent 10, you were one of us. You were the best of the best. We see you as a brother."
"Sorry, bro," Five spat back mockingly, "But I'm allergic to treason."
The atmosphere suddenly became torturously heavy as UN's presence grew ever stormier. He was pissed and everyone in a 10 km radius had to know it.
The traitors darted into action, knowing that the discussions were over. One grabbed the burnt remains of the previous two assailants. (the Gunner and the Cannon) and leapt into the ravaged forest. Another zipped through the dark and tackled the Japanese siblings, only to barely avoid getting cleaved in half by a wicked scythe, wielded by none other than Nurse WHO.
"Get. Back." she sighed as she whisked the weapon through the air with deadly grace, "I'd hate to have to stitch someone back together."
"Wow. I didn't know she had that in her," Japan remarked as NATO pulled them back.
"You should have seen her back when we were in school." he chuckled and then shuddered.
The one who still had Greece pinned in the dirt was suddenly slammed to the side by Five who had seemingly appeared out of thin air. The two wrestled and scuffled around, their movements so quick and scattered that it appeared to be a series of flashes to the untrained eye.
"You've lost your edge, Agent 10!" the backstabber jeered, "The shadows no longer mask your presence like they did before!"
"Uh yeah, about that," he retorted with a small smirk, "being in the shadows is so lame. That's a direct quote from the Sun boy over there."
America clawed his way to his feet, only to swoon and faceplant back into the dirt. His body was still shaking from the exhaustion.
"You'll hurt yourself," El Salvador exclaimed weakly as Ame tried to push back onto his feet again.
"I don't care. I'm going."
"No, you are not." UN's stern voice came from above as one of his ghostly hands hoisted the country by the scruff and planted him right next to NATO, NASA, Russia and the Japans.
"There'll be no need for that."
Two of the Shadow Agents lept at the Headmaster from the front and the back, promising a swift and sure victory but that was if they were up against a normal person. UN sighed, unhappy that he had to remove his gloves but he did and reached out towards the incoming attack. It looked like he was telling them, "hold up" but before they could reach him, the air rippled and the dying night shimmered. Two magnificant wings flashed into existence for just a brief second, making one question if they were going insane. But the real show came next.
Ginormous fingers made from celestial lights manifested above the fields and wrapped around them. The hands closed, swallowed them whole before melting back into the sky.
Just like that, they were gone.
Ame stared in disbelief, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to process what had just happened.
He had always suspected UN had something more to him than just being an Awakening version magnifying glass. He just didn't know he could do... that.
As the Prime Power, he was a natural Amplifier so it wasn't his Awakening after all. Which meant whatever the heck that was, was his Awakening.
"Note to self: stop making UN mad," America muttered under his breath.
Five had pushed the assailant up against the treeline but his years of inactivity showed. Greece was also being hauled along and the poor country looked like he was half past done-o-clock. Of course, the giant god hands that appeared from the sky freaked out the Shadow Agents which prompted them to make their escape.
"We're almost out of time! Brat, where is the Thunderbolt?!" he growled as he readjusted his grip to use Greece as a shield to slam Five away. Greece, however, grabbed onto his wrist and locked himself in place. The attacker froze when he saw the face that stared back at him belonged to UN.
"Excuuuuuuse me," Five grinned as he landed a perfect punch square in the jaw while the other was distracted and sent him crashing through the trees, "Nicely done, Greece! Though I must admit, seeing UN's face without having to lift my head is kinda nice."
UN's visage peeled off the country's face like a translucent mask and he grinned. He was just glad he was no longer being dragged around like a rag doll. He was a bit unnerved with how much that one transformation drained him. He truly was out of his place.
A growl came from behind them, like a wounded wolf with a wounded pride, ready to besiege.
There he was, a shadow in the fading night. Everything began to move in slow motion to Five, which he hated. It always happened when disaster struck.
It made it clear that he had made a fatal mistake.
Greece had no time to respond and froze, mid step as he felt a cold, sharp gash bloom from his back. The world began to sway and all motion became sluggish. He saw Five's mouth open as if he was screaming his name but he couldn't hear anything over his racing heart.
The sky disappeared from his view as he collapsed onto the ground. The pain had not been registered yet but he could feel the warm and wetness of his blood. Just the thought of it made him woozy.
"Tch, thank your lucky stars, Agent 10. I was aiming for you but this works too," the assailant huffed as he locked arms with Five. "Now hurry and tell me where the weapon is or I'll finish the job!"
"Oh you'll have to get through me first!"
Greece stared but it was without sight. He could feel his limbs growing numb and his body growing cold. He was hurt, no doubt with an unearthly weapon. If this continued, the prospect of death would become very real.
"Is this... the end?"
The gold amphora lay in the dirt next to him. In his bleakest hour even lustrous gold looked dulled.
"There is one last thing you can do. You've done it before, remember?"
His eyes shot open as he stared at a familiar, smiling face. The surroundings had changed to a cliff my the beautiful seashore. Mediterranean knelt by his side, poking at his back playfully. Yup. He had officially gone insane.
Greece couldn't help but stare as terrifying memories rushed back into his head as he stared at a long forgotten face. Mediterranean was one of his closest allies, one of many who had sacrificed themselves for his sake.
One fateful battle for the meager right to exist, they had been pushed to the edge of a cliff just like this one.
Greece was told to hide on the highest mountain he could find and could do nothing but watch as Mediterranean plunged off the edge below with an entire monstrous army on her heels. Her powers were truly unleashed that day as raging tides and oceans rose from nothingness, drowning nearly a million men along with herself. The waters edge met the peak of the once proud mountain shelf that he had hid on, refilling the Mediterranean sea.
But that had been 5 million years ago. That was far before he had even become a countryhuman.
"Stop staring at me like a goofball and say something! You're making me feel self conscious!"
"S-sorry..."
Greece sat up and took in his surroundings. It was a peaceful little peninsula that rose over vast body of crystal blue waters. The grass was crisp and green, the sky was clear and the wind was mild and cool against his skin. He felt... happy... but it was all wrong.
"Why are you here? What do you mean? What have I done before?"
Mediterranean gave him an annoyed but cheeky glance but her expression faded to one of grave seriousness.
"Your Awakening is special, y'know. You can adopt a hundred faces. Become 100 different people. 100 different forms," she nodded as she gazed down at the waters, "But here you are, about to die so it's time to decide. You've used 99 already so choose your last one carefully."
Greece gazed out into the ocean as well, watching the waves swaying lazily against the shore as he wondered.
What would his next move be. He could restart life, one last time. To become anyone and anything he wished.
He raised his eyes to meet the ones of the countless allies who had sacrificed everything for him. Their lives, their physical bodies, their souls. They appeared to him in their brightest moments, all smiling warmly before heading off. It was the moment before they entrusted all their aspirations to him.
Mediterranean took his hand and pointed over to the fields beyond a river, away from the edge of the cliff where they were going. He glanced at her, then back at that lonely spot on the ground, and then back at her. He had come to the crossroads and after nearly 6000 years of lingering, he came to his conclusion.
It was time to let go.
"Somebody has to go get him!" NATO hollered as he began to move but he was held back by UN. The Headmaster's face was unreadable but his attention was pinned solely on the country who was nearing the end of the line.
"Do not interfere. This is where he must choose his own way out."
"But sir! He's about to-"
"YOU WILL NOT ACT!" UN's eyes flared with unspeakable authority, "That is an order, NATO." He grit his teeth and watched helplessly as the battle ensued. He watched in horror as Five was knocked off balance and the blade was winded back to deliver the executing blow. (though he is still just a statue clone, there are consequences to the real body)
"I'm sorry," he whispered and for the first time of his life, he disregarded orders. He raced out of UN's grasp, ignoring the shouts of alarm as he closed in on the fight but before he could get there, the ground trembled and the air began to sizzle with electricity.
A thunderclap like none ever before blasted everyone out of the way as Greece slowly got to his feet. Except this time, his body brimmed with charged up energy just waiting to burst. Five crawled back to his feet just in time to see the end and beginning.
The molten glow of lightning began to grow hotter and brighter as the scars running across Greece's body began to split open one by one and large fissures broke his form into pieces. Unbearable blazing lights leaked from the cracks, as if his body was made from pure plasma breaking free from his semi-mortal shell.
"I guess, the rest is up to you," what remained of former Greece said with a radiant smile that mirrored countless others. He picked up the amphora and immediately began to melt from the intense electric heat. "In a moment, Keraunos will be finalized as my final form.
Promise me, this choice won't be one I would regret."
Five did not look up but he gave the country a solemn salute as the lightning grew brighter, hotter and finally, a tree-rattling explosion ripped through the dawn like a supernova erasing all the shadows of the past and granting them all a new start in the hands of someone else.
All that was left was a sizzling crater and a smoldering weapon, the only one of its kind.
Lying in the middle of the ruined ground and imbued with incomprehensible power was the Cosmic sniper rifle, Thunderbolt Keraunos.
After a full minute of silence, for everyone to comprehend what just happened, NATO and the traitor were the first to react as they made a mad dash for the Cosmic grade weapon. NATO dug his feet into the ground and sprawled forward, nabbing the weapon out of the way mere milliseconds before the enemy.
"Son of a-" the Shadow Agent growled as he pulled out the dagger and began to slice but to no avail. The last remaining enemy and ally forces converged on NATO, all desperate for the weapon and through the chaos, it was knocked out from his hands and dead centre of the battleground. It only took a second for all hell to break loose. People trampled and grabbed onto each other to reach the gun first. UN's celestial hands descended from the heavens once more and all eyes were drawn in with suspense.
All of their fingertips were mere inches from the divine Thunderbolt when the air began to shimmer and warp around it before vanishing in a glimmer of hexagonal grids.
What ensued next could only be described as chaotic scrambling and loud, barbaric scuffling as they struggled to comprehend how the Thunderbolt was swiped from right under their noses. Literally.
"This is ridiculous!" Five's exasperated shouts rose over all of the anarchy. The Shadow Agents barely dodged UN's frustration manifested against them. But there was one last open opportunity to at least, wound their ranks somehow before retreat.
The wicked blade was hidden through the mess but now, it had a clean, decapitating path towards NATO and when he realized it, it was too late.
"Not on my watch." A condensed streak of energy tore through the crowd and slammed onto the hilt of the blade before exploding with a gusto, disintegrating the entire knife along with the attacker's hand. His harrowing cries quickly overtook Five's as the smell of burning flesh and intoxicating vanilla rose into the air. America had regained partial strength and in his hand, another Sunbomb waited.
"That's it. We're done," the remaining Agents decided and dashed towards the trees, hoping to retreat to fight another day. They were in no shape for round 2 with the infamous USA.
"STOP THEM!" UN hollered but a small spark beat them to it. Tendrils of electricity jumped up from the ground and tagged the enemy forces with a brief glowing symbol of an eye.
A target on their backs.
Without warning, three divine bolts of lightning struck the ground where they stood, annihilating everything in its wake. Thunder that rattled their eardrums boomed in the distance before fading to a disturbing silence.
"Wha... what just happened?" Ame stuttered, awestruck as his Sunbomb fizzled out in his palm, "That... was freaking..."
Everyone stared at the new steaming craters and turned to trace where the shots had come from. Beyond them, the morning sun should have risen by now but instead they were greeted by a grim, grey sky
The clouds parted just enough to let in a ray of light and the air near a decapitated statue of an angel began to shimmer. Tiny hexagonal grids seemed to manifest and finally, a familiar figure stepped forward with coils of electricity jumping off of him.
"Oops. I killed them." Finland sighed.
EASTERN CITY: APPROXIMATELY 7:34 PM
As the crack of dawn climbed over the western skyline, the fine threads of crimson slowly faded to inky darkness, broken only by lights leaking from the city. In fact, these artificial stars had already wiped out the true ones in the sky, earning the eastern capital the moniker of, "Starless City." Only those who got out of the hustle and bustle could catch a glimpse of the pure celestial dome. That was exactly the luxury that South Korea had as he stood out on his balcony, hundreds of meters above the ground. The illustrious pagoda stood at the top of the forested mountains, overlooking both the city on the west and the sea on the east. The stars took refuge in the dark corners of the world such as this one.
South Korea sighed as he gazed mindlessly over the landscape. The days were warming up but the nights were just as frigid as always.
A slightly curt knock yanked him out of his own head and he turned just in time to see the door swing open with his brother standing on the other side.
"May I?" he asked, though it felt begrudging. South rolled his eyes and motioned him to take a seat on a couch before closing the door behind him. He wasn't a very frequent visitor. The only time he really ever interacted with North Korea was during training sessions in the morning. After that, he just... disappeared into his own little world.
"What is it?" South asked but immediately winced with how hostile it sounded. He didn't need another fight to break out between them.
North's face twitched like it was about to tug into a scowl but he decided to let it slip this time.
"China's been bothering me more than often lately. He's been scrambling around and keeps trying to drag me along," he sighed as he sank into the silky cushions.
"And so you came here to hide away for a bit," South finished with a smirk which immediately fell off his face as North narrowed his eye, "Well can you blame him? We're supposed to submit the official roster by tomorrow morning."
The most important event in a countryhuman's life was only three days away now. The greatest, grandest spectacle that would seal one's fate for the next four years was just over the horizon and South Korea had earned himself a spot in the Tournament.
"It's gonna be interesting," he chuckled, "For once, we'll be fighting together instead of fighting each other. I'm pretty excited actually..."
North Korea stared at his younger brother's smiling face and a shard of warmth jabbed his chest.
'Where did that glassy-eyed crybaby go?' he thought to himself as the past flashed before him. To protect the one bestowed with the Great Spirit, no matter how little he deserved it. That was his duty before he had turned his back.
Now there was no one left to protect.
No one but himself.
"About that," he trailed off, his voice much more soft than usual, "I was never going to join the tournament-"
"YOU WHAT?!"
He shot to his feet with a confused and agitated air to him. His voice reverberated in the air as a tense, stunned silence fell over them. For once, it was South Korea who snapped first and frankly, it had startled the both of them.
"What... do you mean? You're joking, right? I mean... it's the Tournament!"
"Yes, and whoever goes will have to face the USA and Russia. You, of all people here, should know that."
South tried to argue, "Yes but-"
"And eventually, if we manage to get through to the final individual battles, all will go to hell," North Korea murmured, "Allies will become foes. I can't stand next to China and believe that I ever had a chance of going far."
All the words had fallen out of his mouth, leaving South Korea speechless no matter how badly he wanted his brother to stay. North Korea rose to his feet and walked to the door, knowing that the night was growing ever deeper. South's hand itched to grab him and knock some positivity into him but... he was right.
The country hesitated as he placed his hand on the doorknob and eventually said, "I may not be going..." he chose his words carefully, "But... you are.
And I believe you may have a chance."
(CHINA POV)
Just as I was about to knock on the door, it swung open and North Korea nearly ran into me on the way out.
"Oh so this is where you've been hiding-" I began but he marched past me without a word. I glanced back and watched as he leapt down the stairs, like he always did. I turned my attention back on South Korea, who was standing in the doorway with big fat tears welling in his eyes.
"Sorry, was I... interrupting something?"
"No no. It's fine," South answered with a bit of a stutter as he quickly dried his eyes on his sleeve, "Can I help you?"
I made myself comfortable on the rug as I leaned against the base of his bed. I pulled a folder out of my coat and slapped it onto the ground.
"Well, buddy, I hate to tell you this but you and I are the only ones finalized in our roster." South's expression fell and he went even paler, if that was even possible.
"You have to be kidding me. I thought the teams were due tomorrow morning."
I sighed as I picked up a few pages from the folder, "Well let's see... I asked Vietnam a while ago if he was interested but the moment he got his tortoise back, he was out the front door. And I'm going to assume North Korea explained he wasn't going to participate either, seeing that you two had a small argument."
"How did you-"
"He didn't say anything like, 'fuck off' when he passed me," I shrugged as I placed those files down and retrieved new ones.
"I still have yet to hear from any of Headmaster ASEAN's 'special' students but honestly, we don't get along too well anyways. I do have a few people from the Middle East that I could ask. And maybe I should pay India a visit..."
We continued to burn midnight oil and finally, a manageable number of students were picked out from the bunch. It was a bit frustrating because the Central Branch had yet to decide their final roster so I had no concrete intel on their other members other than the high and mighty American-Russian duo.
I exhaled and pinched the bridge of my nose to stifle a yawn. South Korea was draped over the edge of the bed. He looked terribly tired so I decided to take my leave.
"Tomorrow promises to be a very busy day. Sleep well tonight," I smiled as I stepped back into the shadowy corridor. South yawned and nodded goodnight before closing his door and flicking off the lights. I was left alone in the dark with the faint swishing of the wind.
My steps echoed as the rosewood stairs creaked ever so slightly. The moonlight from the open pavilion cast eerie shadows along the walls.
"It's quiet," I murmured as I glanced out the window.
"Too quiet..."
A cold steel barrel suddenly rammed against the back of my head and by breath hitched in my chest. I hadn't sensed anything until the very last second.
In a flash, I had retrieved the silver and gold needles from their sheathes strapped to my bicep. Their gleaming tips whistled through the air but they only pierced cloth and empty air where the person should have been. Instead, a hand grabbed onto my arm and the base of my neck, using my own momentum to slam me against the ground. Cold bands of metal latched onto my wrists. Restrictors no doubt.
I grit my teeth, my fangs digging into my lower lip, as I began to run through hundreds of scenarios on how I was going to make this motherfucker pay. He spoke in an eerily soothing, though slightly grated voice,
"Now now, China. Let's not create more commotion than we have. I just need you to listen very closely."
"And what would I possibly gain from doing that?" I growled as I tightened my grip.
"It would be in your best interest to-"
The air shimmered as moonlight glided through the air in a delicate line. His eyes widened.
With a small tug, thousands of invisible threads unraveled and pulled the needles they were attached to. Before he could react, the deadly rods zigged and zagged all around him until they eventually struck home, shooting through his limbs and nailing him against the wall like a butterfly in a display case. His hood had been ripped to shreds, revealing a plain white mask with two wide-eyed slits and many new scratches and chips.
"You were saying? I drawled as I picked up a needle and poked it against the mask right between the eye slits, "Something about my best interest?"
"Settle down now, the night is still young..." his voice came from behind me and a cold, gloved hand was placed on my shoulder. Immediately, a shot of fear coursed through my veins. I couldn't help but stay as still as a statue.
My gaze edged back to the person pinned on the wall and slowly, the mask slipped off his face and clattered to the floor. They were human so no wonder I had my guard down before. A human decoy... and whatever he is.
"What do you want?" I sneered, my hands shaking from the indignity.
"Now you're singing the same tune," he laughed lightheartedly, "Let's go somewhere a bit more... secluded. You see...
I'm here to make you a deal."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
EYYYYY 2/3 COSMIC WEAPONS
And finally a semi completed design for China and Finland
So did Greece cease to do the existing thing or not? Hmmmmmmmm.
Some notes about this chapter that I found interesting at least:
The title, "Diamond Eyes" can refer to a number of things. One being the holy explanation of being able to witness new and clear perspectives to see the true colors of people and the world or something g along those lines. It also was a term used for soldiers who had excellent vision and marksmanship.
The last and my personal favorite being that someone has pretty eyes. Finland does have pretty eyes ngl-
ALSO BEFORE I FORGET: I HAVE A DTIYS/FANART/DESIGN CONTEST COMING SOON!!!
I will probably post the details on my Instagram @onyxxcrow and on the Artbook if you want to take a look :)
Thank you for reading! And see you whenever I come back I basically threw the schedule out the window byyeeeee
7500 words ang my chapters are getting longer and longer >:(