Run Rabbit Run (3a/?)
anonymous
May 14 2011, 22:16:27 UTC
Everyone talked at once, panicking over what the General had said and Austria took a deep breath. Nothing was ever achieved by panicking. Hungary was talking to him about what they were going to do but he tapped her on the arm and she fell silent.
"Sorry for interrupting but please could you get everyone's attention?" Austria knew that he could strain his voice however much he wanted to and he would still be ignored but Hungary had a talent for getting everyone to listen. A few seconds later he was proved right, as Hungary let out a shrill whistle that caused everyone to wince and Veneziano to clutch his ears in pain.
"What was that for?" America asked and Austria sighed.
"Everyone was panicking and not listening to each other. I could have let you go on like that until you'd got it out of your systems but that would be wasting precious time." Austria took a deep breath in preparation in what he was about to say. "We're going to have to work together."
"No shit," Romano said blankly and Austria gave him a stern look. Romano just raised an eyebrow at him and Austria restrained the urge to sigh again. "So what do you think we should do first?" A nation that looked strangely like America coughed in order to get everyone's attention. For once he had it.
"I think we should disable that camera first," he said, pointing at the corner of the hut where a small screen and a blinking red light could be seen. "And then see if there are any others."
"Good idea..." Austria trailed off as he realised that he could not remember the other nation's name.
"Canada," the nation supplied helpfully and Austria nodded in thanks.
"Russia and America, since you two are the most paranoid of the eleven of us, do you think you could search the room wherever microphones and cameras could go," Austria said in the politest voice possible. Russia sent shivers up his spine but he was useful and America, underneath his normal demeanour, knew much more about spy machines than any other nation.
"There really isn't much places in here to put cameras and microphones," America said as he knelt down and crawled underneath the table. He examined the underside before pulling something off. "This is pretty much the only place." Russia was examining the wall, paying special attention to the corners. "Should I destroy it or just disable it?" America asked, holding up the black machine that he had pulled off from the table.
"Destroy it. No chance of it being able to be fixed then," Austria instructed and America clamped his hand around the machine and squeezed. It broke with several loud cracks and America opened his hand and let the pieces drop to the ground. England let out a strange sound and France cast him a triumphant look. Austria ignored them both.
"There are no more bugs anywhere," Russia said with a small smile on his face. He had watched America destroying the camera and Austria could not tell whether he was pleased at the violence or pleased that it was America being violent. "But we still cannot stay here." Austria nodded at Russia's words.
"This will be the first place they look. And we're going to have to split up," Austria said, trying to think as quickly as possible. He was all too aware of the countdown they had.
"Do you really think that's wise? It would be easier for him to... capture us." France's expression when he said the last two words made it obvious what he thought about the General.
"There are too many people, we'll never be able to lose him. If we're in groups of three or four then we'll have enough to fight him off but little enough that it's easier for everyone to escape," America spoke up and France nodded in agreement. Austria was surprised at America's knowledge but it was proving useful so he said nothing about it. Next to him Hungary had pulled out a slip of paper and was scribbling away on it.
"Hungary, what are you doing?" Austria asked and Hungary murmured something which no could catch. A few minutes later she had finished.
Run Rabbit Run (3b/?)
anonymous
May 14 2011, 22:19:41 UTC
"I was just doing the groups which we would travel in. I put them together based on the people that would argue and fight the least," Hungary said brightly and Austria saw more than a few of the nations exchange nervous looks. For most of the nations present, the ones they fought with the most were normally the ones they were closest to. With some notable exceptions. "Plus it will get out of the way so we can start planning what we're going to do." Nearly all the nations nodded.
"So what groups have you drawn up?" France asked the question that was on everyone's minds. Austria stifled a sigh. It was good that they were no longer panicking about their situation but the amount of importance they placed on these groupings was ridiculous. Even if he could not deny wanting to know as well.
"In the first group I put Canada, France, Veneziano and Russia together," Hungary said and as Canada, France and Northern Italy choked at the last name, she carried on, "then it's England, Belarus, Romano and me for the next group. After that it's Spain, Austria and America. Any questions?" The noise level in the hut rose again as everyone started to complain about the decision. The only ones that seemed to be quiet were Austria himself, France and Russia. Again a piercing whistle cut through the noise. "Does anyone have any better groupings for everyone than this?" Hungary asked, looking mildly terrifying as she gripped the piece of paper in her fist. The silence was her answer.
"Belarus," England spoke up suddenly. "Do you have your knife on you?" Belarus nodded, her gaze steady and unnerving as she examined England. America looked like he wanted to step in between them but England's next words halted them. "If no one else has any weapons on them, then the other groups should take the two hunting knives."
"I have my gun," America admitted, putting a hand on his hip where Austria assumed the holster was.
"I have a gun as well," Romano said reluctantly and Spain turned to him with a disapproving look. Romano rolled his eyes and hissed something in Italian that made Spain looked abashed and guilty.
"I have three grenades," England said and everyone stared at him. "What?" He demanded.
"Grenades? Really?" America asked in disbelief. "They're not really the normal weapon you cart around."
"It's good to be prepared. Plus I have my switchblade," England retorted and America nodded and said nothing more. Austria was glad that America had said what he was thinking. Grenades were fairly unusual to carry around with you and there was no reason why Austria would even suspect that England had grenades on him. It had thrown him when England had revealed the fact.
"I have my pipe," Russia said and no one dared to make a comment.
"The General must know about the weapons we have. Only an idiot would kidnap someone without searching them," Belarus said scornfully as she put her hand on her knife holster, making sure it was still there.
"Which means he wants us to fight and for us to have a fighting chance," France said grimly and Spain managed to finish his thought.
"He must be very confident that he is going to succeed even with all the weapons and the map." The mood was tense after this was said and all the nations wondered how they were going to be able to fight their way out of the situation.
"But I wonder what he'll do with us. I mean it's not like we stay dead for long," Hungary pointed out. "Does he even know that when we die by physical means, we wake a few hours later?" Everyone turned to England who looked annoyed.
"Why the hell are you looking at me?" He barked at them and America shrugged.
"The guy had an English accent. We were just wondering if you recognised him and how much he could know," America said in what was Austria thought was a very reasonable tone for America. England was obviously surprised by how calm America was being but answered his query.
"I need a face to know him, I can't know who he is just from his voice. And no, I don't recognise his voice from anywhere. He may be rich but he doesn't move in the usual circles," England said and this was accepted by the others in the hut. Seeing an opportunity, Veneziano spoke up.
Run Rabbit Run (3c/?)
anonymous
May 14 2011, 22:23:10 UTC
"Are we going to split up for the whole five days?" The other nations considered this. It was the original plan but now the groups were announced, they discovered that going five days not knowing what was happening to the others would be torture.
"No," Austria decided and the others looked relieved. They were hoping that someone would speak up before they did and say what they were thinking. "Let's choose a place on the island to meet up and then at noon tomorrow, we'll meet there. It's when the sun is highest in the sky so even if something happens to our watches, we'll be able to know." As he was speaking, Canada pulled out the bag from underneath the table and flipped open the top.
"Here's the map," Canada said and spread the map on the table. The other nations gathered around it and examined it closely.
"How about the waterfall? It's big enough and loud enough so we'll be able to know where it is even if we're a long way from it," America suggested and the others nodded in agreement. England looked proud and America blushed at the expression. Hungary giggled silently; Austria felt her body shake and she turned her face towards him to hide it from the others. He sighed but allowed it. This would be the last time they were all together for the next day and there was no telling what could happen in that one day.
"Who is going to have the map?" England asked as the thought occurred to him. "The General is probably trying to force us to stay together with only one map but we're in completely unfamiliar territory. We need the map." The others eyed the paper that rested on the table. It seemed to be their only chance of evading the General for long enough.
"We're just have to memorise it and the group with the worst sense of direction can take the map," Spain said and all eyes turned to Austria. Now he understood why England had become so irritated at it, his fellow nations' eyes were strangely unnerving.
"Fine. We'll take the map," Austria said, defeated in the staring match. Hungary patted his arm in sympathy, but not in apology. Then he realised something. "Is that it? Is everything done?" The other nations fidgeted restlessly as they realised that their time had come, the 'Game' was about to begin.
"Okay guys, look," America started and managed to draw everyone's attention. Austria was startled by how serious he was and saw some of the other nations looking at America with the same surprise. However England and Canada looked smug. "He's an expert hunter so make sure to leave as little tracks as possible. Avoid mud and sand, go onto any water or grass. Try not to break any branches, leave false trails, set traps - anything to stop him capturing you until the time is up. Hungary is right, we have no idea what he's going to do when he catches us and I really don't want to find out." America looked scared but Austria sensed that he was more scared for any of them than himself.
"That's right America!" Veneziano said, nodding rapidly. "We should try and slow him up any way we can and help each other as well."
"We should get moving soon. One hour and twenty-five minutes has already gone by," Russia spoke up, looking at his watch which seemed to be one of those near-indestructible ones that were produced. Everyone tensed and started to say their goodbyes. Austria no longer noticed who was saying goodbye to whom, even though he could hear some of them slipping outside, because he was engulfed in Hungary's arms.
Run Rabbit Run (3d/?)
anonymous
May 14 2011, 22:32:25 UTC
"You be safe. Okay? Don't you dare get captured. Both America and Spain are good trackers and they'll make up for your horrible sense of direction. But use your brain. I know it'll help," Hungary said to him fiercely, trying to hide the fact that she was near tears herself.
"I will. Promise me the same. I don't want you getting hurt," Austria confessed as he hugged Hungary tighter to him. Hungary nodded, as much as she could, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. By non-verbal agreement, they both released the hug at the same time. They joined the others outside. From their conversation, they seemed to be deciding where North was to help the groups without the map. Outside the hut, the island could have been a holiday destination with the untouched length of white sand and the sparkling lagoon of clear blue sea. If it wasn't such a scene of terror, Austria might have enjoyed the peace and quiet. Now everything looked sinister and Austria could see a hundred different things that could help the General to track them or things that could slow them down. Austria was joined by Spain and America who looked gloomy and on edge.
"Come on. We should go," America suddenly spoke, obviously not looking at England who was talking with Romano, Hungary and Belarus. Austria and Spain both nodded. With one last wave and Spain clutching the map, they set off through the forest. In the branches of the trees along the line of the beach, a wireless camera moved to follow with the lens.
Thank you so much for the comments, they really make my day. I think this is the most updated WIP so far, there is something to be said about having a plan. Still very busy but managed to get the afternoon off work and posted this. The chapter after next will be action!
Re: Run Rabbit Run (3d/?)
anonymous
May 16 2011, 19:35:44 UTC
Interesting grouping is interesting. I don't think I've ever seen Austria, Spain and America in a group before. Same for England and Belarus.
Speaking of England....a garande really is an unsual weapon to carry, nonetheless 4 of them. You would think he would be worry about it going off accidently.
The Austria/Hungary was so cute at the end.
I am kind of sad that neither Germany nor Prussia is in this. :[
Re: Run Rabbit Run (3d/?)
anonymous
May 18 2011, 16:56:33 UTC
I love your choice of cast and how they play off each other so excellently, at the reminders of their bonds with each other and their previous history. It's positively thrilling to see some of them get on the ball, especially France, who I see dropping the perverted, mischievous facade in favor of the grim ex-soldier that he really is, and America, who is solid and dependable in the worst situations like the hero he strives to be. And Hungary! It's amazing how she and Austria work seamlessly as a team to get the disparate group thinking and together, acting like a pair of generals.
I'm really looking forward to the next installment. I think the General will be getting quite a nasty surprise with his "rabbits."
Run Rabbit Run (4/?)
anonymous
June 5 2011, 20:00:55 UTC
Firstly, I apologise for the tiny update. This will be the last of these short updates and the next update will be soon and very long. I love the comments. I wanted the groups to be strange so that characters that don't normally interact, do. Plus it would be very, very easy for the General to find them if there was eleven of them traisping around. I think all the nations will show an unexpected side of themselves while hopefully still remaining IC. And yes, next chapter the General will get a rather unexpected surprise.
The General watched the three groups split up and felt a moment's annoyance. He had planned for them to stay together in one large group and then pick them off one by one. The moment didn't last as he realised with the head start he gave them, they were getting further and further away from each other but he was still knew exactly where to go.
The familiar restless energy that was always pulsing through the General was starting to disappear as it morphed into something sharper, more dangerous. After all the planning it had entailed, the nations were finally here on his island and playing his game. The General could make them dance if he wanted to, and even when they did something unexpected, the General would still have his Hunt.
"This is so perfect. Their expertise and numbers against my knowledge," the General mused to himself and his large bodyguard looked at him. When he decided that the General was just talking to himself, as he was prone to do, the bodyguard got back to his ever present vigil. The General was a powerful man but still needed someone that was detected to his protection from attempted assassinations - either from his prey or his own staff.
"It's been so long since the Hunt," the General said, with a touch of wistfulness and excitement in his voice. The bodyguard's eyes flicked to him and then away. There was a slight nervousness to his demeanour. The insane clients were always the most unreliable in terms of payment and jobs.
"The Hunt is back on. And I shall pick off the smallest group first." The General eyed the screen where Spain, Austria and America were trudging along. His plan would just have to be altered and so first he was going to test their skills. It was time to hunt the rabbits.
Next part will hopefully be up in the next week or so. Of course there is an exam next week that I do have to pass so don't think I've abandoned this if I don't update. Enjoy!
Run Rabbit Run (5a/?)
anonymous
June 17 2011, 21:26:34 UTC
We're back to the short updates again. I'm glad I'm building the tense atmosphere.
The Hunt had started over two hours and America, Austria and Spain were having a short break at a stream they had reached for. The humid tropical air had them all sweating through their office suits and their first priority had quickly been to find some drinkable water. Everything between them had been silent, their worry for the others and their fear of this unknown General had consumed their thoughts. Now they scooped up the water with their hands and contemplated their next move.
"I don't know about you two but I dislike being chased like a wild deer," Spain spoke, breaking the silence quite abruptly. America and Austria turned to him, America looking questioning and Austria raised one finely groomed eyebrow in Spain's direction.
"What do you propose we do about it?" Austria asked Spain and Spain bit his lip, mulling over his thoughts for a moment before he said them out loud. America and Austria waited for a minute, even though America started to fidget with impatience the longer they waited.
"I don't want to play his game," Spain said, trying to put his need to fight back, to push against the General, into words. America and Austria both seemed to understand though; America actually looked relieved that Spain had said it first.
"Exactly! We shouldn't let this General guy force us around like puppets on strings, he's already made us split up into these groups to try and avoid him. We should do something unexpected." Austria was impressed that America had managed to hold onto this thought for so long without voicing it. However there were several concerns such as how they were even going to even do this and how would they know whether the General was coming after them. "Look, we'll set a trap that will hurt him enough that he won't be able to continue to hunt us and if we annoy him enough, that will draw his attention away from the others." Austria and Spain exchanged looks, they were definitely in favour of that side of the plan.
"But how do we get him to follow us and not one of the other groups?" Austria asked, seeing a flaw in the plan. It was no good if they set several traps and the General went after the others as well.
"Simple. We'll leave a trail, not a really obvious one, but one that the General won't be able to resist," America said happily. He was definitely felt much better doing something apart from running away. Even tactical retreat grated on him. "Alright, here's the plan." As America explained, Austria and Spain started to feel a growing confidence. This plan, unlike many of America's other plans, could actually work.
A little while later Austria was winding a strip of cloth from his suit, now covered in mud, along the floor. Without any string and vine not being suitable, they had to improvise. However Austria didn't see why they had to rip up his suit. At least it was already ruined when the General had dumped him on the floor of that hut.
They had chosen their setting carefully, next to a small hill. Austria was setting up the trap, Spain was in charge of disguising the trap and America was covering the bottom of the ditch with sharp-edged stones. America's idea had been simple, to trip the General and cause him to fall down the hill into the ditch, hopefully damaging himself on the stones. The actual execution of it was more difficult, they were not aware of how good the General was and whether he would spot the trap.
"Done," America stood up and now Austria and Spain could see him clearly. America was drenched in sweat, as they all were, and there was dirt smeared across his forehead where he had obviously rubbed it with one of his hands. But his smile was blinding and it was clear that he did not mind the tiredness.
"So am I," Austria announced and Spain moved over to double check that the trap was hidden before covering up their tracks around the trap. "It is getting dark soon, we should find somewhere we can stay for the night," Austria said and although America looked a little downcast, he could see the reasoning behind the plan and agreed.
Run Rabbit Run (5b/?)
anonymous
June 17 2011, 21:31:14 UTC
"Where will we stay?" Spain asked as he finished checking the trap.
"We know the General can trap people on the ground... but what about up a tree?" America asked thoughtfully, staring up the trees which towered above them. Austria and Spain followed his train of thought and stared up at one of the suitable trees.
"That sounds good, but not here," Austria said, moving away from the trap. "Far enough away so if the trap doesn't work, it becomes easy for the General to find us but not so far away that we can't hear whether or not our trap worked."
When the three nations had settled in one of the trees for the night, America keeping watch at first and making sure that Austria and Spain did not fall out of the tree during their sleep, the General reached their trap.
It had been easy enough to track the three of them, even three people left marks that one person wouldn't, and it had been easy enough to spot the line of cloth designed to catch his feet as it lay innocently on the ground. It would have worked if the General had been a lesser man but as it didn't, the General just chuckled in amusement and sidestepped the trap. He was well aware of the ditch and carefully stepped so that he would not slip into it.
However, he was unaware of how America had slicked the edge of the ditch with sticky tree sap and water. This had the effect of oil on the ground and as the General stepped over the trap onto the oil, he was only balancing on one foot at the time. Already precariously balanced, the General slipped on the oil and started to fall head-first towards the stones at the bottom of the ditch.
On the way down he managed to throw himself backwards and grab hold of one of the vines. It did not help him regain his balance but it prevented him from knocking against the sharp edges of the stones. His head was saved from injury but his shoulder was wrenched and twisted by the vine and gravity combined. The General acknowledged the pain and knew that he had to get the wound dealt with. He alerted his bodyguard to his coordinates before speaking out.
"Well done America, Austria and Spain. A simple trap but an effective one. I have to tend my wound so enjoy your sleep tonight. I will be resuming the hunt tomorrow." The General's voice seemed to echo over the noises of the insects and birds in the forest to the three nations frozen in the night. The words thrilled and unsettled them at the same time. Whatever sleep they had tonight would definitely not be restful.
Back at his house, the General mused over his next movement while his shoulder was being seen to. To get all the nations in the five days he would have to force them together and as the General looked over the CCTV images he started to get an idea of how he could do that. All over the island cameras were fixed and hidden so they could catch everything that went on (the General enjoyed reliving his hunts) but in certain strategic points on the island, the General had also laid several small bombs. They would create an explosive force, with as little fire as possible, that would knock someone out if they were standing near it.
England and Belarus were sitting in a tree that contained one of these bombs.
Run Rabbit Run (5c/?)
anonymous
June 17 2011, 21:35:55 UTC
The explosion ripped through the night air and every single bird and animal in the vicinity took off. Belarus let out a gasp as the tree she and England were in started to fall sideways and both of them gripped tighter to the tree trunk. There was no way of stopping it, they would just have to hang on until they reached the ground. As they reached the ground Belarus was smacked around the head by another tree's branches and England was thrown off into another tree violently enough to knock him unconscious.
The dirt stirred up from the bomb filled the air. It became impossible to make sense of anything, the dirt clogging eyes and obscuring the group memembers from each other. This meant that Hungary and Romano were oblivious that England and Belarus were now unconscious. Romano was desperately rubbing at his eyes while Hungary was coughing, desperately trying to rid herself of the dust in her lungs. Through the noise and the confusion, the General and his bodyguard moved in silently and carried England and Belarus off.
"What was that?" Canada asked France in worry as the four of their group froze as the sound of the explosion.
"Do not worry Canada, England has probably thrown one of his grenades at the General," France answered confidently. The English nation had been more than a little annoyed that this General, who seemed to be one of his citizens, was playing this cat and mouse game with him.
"I hope he manages to blow one of the General's arms off," Russia said cheerfully and although the other three nations looked disturbed, they could not help but think the same thing.
"How good is England with grenades? He won't hit anyone else, will he?" Veneziano asked, obviously worried about his brother and to a lesser extent, Hungary and Belarus.
"England does always hit his target, unless he purposely misses," France said wryly, remembering clearly how England had thrown a grenade at him and tried to play it away as an 'accident'. Canada somehow managed to guess his thoughts and gave him a look. France could just feel the sarcasm. "Anyway, I agree with Russia. The more damage England causes the General, the better."
The other group had similar thoughts even though they worried slightly more since they knew the General had said he was going back.
"For all we know, the General guy could be lying," America said hopefully, shifting slightly in the tree and nearly falling out of it. Austria rolled his eyes.
"Or England could be trying to warn off some hapless animal. He has always been violent," Spain remarked and even though America threw Spain a glare, he could not refute the truth of this statement.
"Both are possible," Austria commented. "But we can assume that both groups are okay, the General is the most worrying thing and we injured him. Go to sleep you two, I'll keep watch." There was silence after that between them.
Back at the house the General slept soundly, knowing that he had turned the tables in his favour.
I've been feeling in a creative mood this past week so hopefully that will continue. Hope everyone likes.
"Sorry for interrupting but please could you get everyone's attention?" Austria knew that he could strain his voice however much he wanted to and he would still be ignored but Hungary had a talent for getting everyone to listen. A few seconds later he was proved right, as Hungary let out a shrill whistle that caused everyone to wince and Veneziano to clutch his ears in pain.
"What was that for?" America asked and Austria sighed.
"Everyone was panicking and not listening to each other. I could have let you go on like that until you'd got it out of your systems but that would be wasting precious time." Austria took a deep breath in preparation in what he was about to say. "We're going to have to work together."
"No shit," Romano said blankly and Austria gave him a stern look. Romano just raised an eyebrow at him and Austria restrained the urge to sigh again. "So what do you think we should do first?" A nation that looked strangely like America coughed in order to get everyone's attention. For once he had it.
"I think we should disable that camera first," he said, pointing at the corner of the hut where a small screen and a blinking red light could be seen. "And then see if there are any others."
"Good idea..." Austria trailed off as he realised that he could not remember the other nation's name.
"Canada," the nation supplied helpfully and Austria nodded in thanks.
"Russia and America, since you two are the most paranoid of the eleven of us, do you think you could search the room wherever microphones and cameras could go," Austria said in the politest voice possible. Russia sent shivers up his spine but he was useful and America, underneath his normal demeanour, knew much more about spy machines than any other nation.
"There really isn't much places in here to put cameras and microphones," America said as he knelt down and crawled underneath the table. He examined the underside before pulling something off. "This is pretty much the only place." Russia was examining the wall, paying special attention to the corners. "Should I destroy it or just disable it?" America asked, holding up the black machine that he had pulled off from the table.
"Destroy it. No chance of it being able to be fixed then," Austria instructed and America clamped his hand around the machine and squeezed. It broke with several loud cracks and America opened his hand and let the pieces drop to the ground. England let out a strange sound and France cast him a triumphant look. Austria ignored them both.
"There are no more bugs anywhere," Russia said with a small smile on his face. He had watched America destroying the camera and Austria could not tell whether he was pleased at the violence or pleased that it was America being violent. "But we still cannot stay here." Austria nodded at Russia's words.
"This will be the first place they look. And we're going to have to split up," Austria said, trying to think as quickly as possible. He was all too aware of the countdown they had.
"Do you really think that's wise? It would be easier for him to... capture us." France's expression when he said the last two words made it obvious what he thought about the General.
"There are too many people, we'll never be able to lose him. If we're in groups of three or four then we'll have enough to fight him off but little enough that it's easier for everyone to escape," America spoke up and France nodded in agreement. Austria was surprised at America's knowledge but it was proving useful so he said nothing about it. Next to him Hungary had pulled out a slip of paper and was scribbling away on it.
"Hungary, what are you doing?" Austria asked and Hungary murmured something which no could catch. A few minutes later she had finished.
Reply
"So what groups have you drawn up?" France asked the question that was on everyone's minds. Austria stifled a sigh. It was good that they were no longer panicking about their situation but the amount of importance they placed on these groupings was ridiculous. Even if he could not deny wanting to know as well.
"In the first group I put Canada, France, Veneziano and Russia together," Hungary said and as Canada, France and Northern Italy choked at the last name, she carried on, "then it's England, Belarus, Romano and me for the next group. After that it's Spain, Austria and America. Any questions?" The noise level in the hut rose again as everyone started to complain about the decision. The only ones that seemed to be quiet were Austria himself, France and Russia. Again a piercing whistle cut through the noise. "Does anyone have any better groupings for everyone than this?" Hungary asked, looking mildly terrifying as she gripped the piece of paper in her fist. The silence was her answer.
"Belarus," England spoke up suddenly. "Do you have your knife on you?" Belarus nodded, her gaze steady and unnerving as she examined England. America looked like he wanted to step in between them but England's next words halted them. "If no one else has any weapons on them, then the other groups should take the two hunting knives."
"I have my gun," America admitted, putting a hand on his hip where Austria assumed the holster was.
"I have a gun as well," Romano said reluctantly and Spain turned to him with a disapproving look. Romano rolled his eyes and hissed something in Italian that made Spain looked abashed and guilty.
"I have three grenades," England said and everyone stared at him. "What?" He demanded.
"Grenades? Really?" America asked in disbelief. "They're not really the normal weapon you cart around."
"It's good to be prepared. Plus I have my switchblade," England retorted and America nodded and said nothing more. Austria was glad that America had said what he was thinking. Grenades were fairly unusual to carry around with you and there was no reason why Austria would even suspect that England had grenades on him. It had thrown him when England had revealed the fact.
"I have my pipe," Russia said and no one dared to make a comment.
"The General must know about the weapons we have. Only an idiot would kidnap someone without searching them," Belarus said scornfully as she put her hand on her knife holster, making sure it was still there.
"Which means he wants us to fight and for us to have a fighting chance," France said grimly and Spain managed to finish his thought.
"He must be very confident that he is going to succeed even with all the weapons and the map." The mood was tense after this was said and all the nations wondered how they were going to be able to fight their way out of the situation.
"But I wonder what he'll do with us. I mean it's not like we stay dead for long," Hungary pointed out. "Does he even know that when we die by physical means, we wake a few hours later?" Everyone turned to England who looked annoyed.
"Why the hell are you looking at me?" He barked at them and America shrugged.
"The guy had an English accent. We were just wondering if you recognised him and how much he could know," America said in what was Austria thought was a very reasonable tone for America. England was obviously surprised by how calm America was being but answered his query.
"I need a face to know him, I can't know who he is just from his voice. And no, I don't recognise his voice from anywhere. He may be rich but he doesn't move in the usual circles," England said and this was accepted by the others in the hut. Seeing an opportunity, Veneziano spoke up.
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"No," Austria decided and the others looked relieved. They were hoping that someone would speak up before they did and say what they were thinking. "Let's choose a place on the island to meet up and then at noon tomorrow, we'll meet there. It's when the sun is highest in the sky so even if something happens to our watches, we'll be able to know." As he was speaking, Canada pulled out the bag from underneath the table and flipped open the top.
"Here's the map," Canada said and spread the map on the table. The other nations gathered around it and examined it closely.
"How about the waterfall? It's big enough and loud enough so we'll be able to know where it is even if we're a long way from it," America suggested and the others nodded in agreement. England looked proud and America blushed at the expression. Hungary giggled silently; Austria felt her body shake and she turned her face towards him to hide it from the others. He sighed but allowed it. This would be the last time they were all together for the next day and there was no telling what could happen in that one day.
"Who is going to have the map?" England asked as the thought occurred to him. "The General is probably trying to force us to stay together with only one map but we're in completely unfamiliar territory. We need the map." The others eyed the paper that rested on the table. It seemed to be their only chance of evading the General for long enough.
"We're just have to memorise it and the group with the worst sense of direction can take the map," Spain said and all eyes turned to Austria. Now he understood why England had become so irritated at it, his fellow nations' eyes were strangely unnerving.
"Fine. We'll take the map," Austria said, defeated in the staring match. Hungary patted his arm in sympathy, but not in apology. Then he realised something. "Is that it? Is everything done?" The other nations fidgeted restlessly as they realised that their time had come, the 'Game' was about to begin.
"Okay guys, look," America started and managed to draw everyone's attention. Austria was startled by how serious he was and saw some of the other nations looking at America with the same surprise. However England and Canada looked smug. "He's an expert hunter so make sure to leave as little tracks as possible. Avoid mud and sand, go onto any water or grass. Try not to break any branches, leave false trails, set traps - anything to stop him capturing you until the time is up. Hungary is right, we have no idea what he's going to do when he catches us and I really don't want to find out." America looked scared but Austria sensed that he was more scared for any of them than himself.
"That's right America!" Veneziano said, nodding rapidly. "We should try and slow him up any way we can and help each other as well."
"We should get moving soon. One hour and twenty-five minutes has already gone by," Russia spoke up, looking at his watch which seemed to be one of those near-indestructible ones that were produced. Everyone tensed and started to say their goodbyes. Austria no longer noticed who was saying goodbye to whom, even though he could hear some of them slipping outside, because he was engulfed in Hungary's arms.
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"I will. Promise me the same. I don't want you getting hurt," Austria confessed as he hugged Hungary tighter to him. Hungary nodded, as much as she could, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. By non-verbal agreement, they both released the hug at the same time. They joined the others outside. From their conversation, they seemed to be deciding where North was to help the groups without the map. Outside the hut, the island could have been a holiday destination with the untouched length of white sand and the sparkling lagoon of clear blue sea. If it wasn't such a scene of terror, Austria might have enjoyed the peace and quiet. Now everything looked sinister and Austria could see a hundred different things that could help the General to track them or things that could slow them down. Austria was joined by Spain and America who looked gloomy and on edge.
"Come on. We should go," America suddenly spoke, obviously not looking at England who was talking with Romano, Hungary and Belarus. Austria and Spain both nodded. With one last wave and Spain clutching the map, they set off through the forest. In the branches of the trees along the line of the beach, a wireless camera moved to follow with the lens.
Thank you so much for the comments, they really make my day. I think this is the most updated WIP so far, there is something to be said about having a plan. Still very busy but managed to get the afternoon off work and posted this. The chapter after next will be action!
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Speaking of England....a garande really is an unsual weapon to carry, nonetheless 4 of them. You would think he would be worry about it going off accidently.
The Austria/Hungary was so cute at the end.
I am kind of sad that neither Germany nor Prussia is in this. :[
Oh well, can't wait for the next update!
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I'm really looking forward to the next installment. I think the General will be getting quite a nasty surprise with his "rabbits."
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The General watched the three groups split up and felt a moment's annoyance. He had planned for them to stay together in one large group and then pick them off one by one. The moment didn't last as he realised with the head start he gave them, they were getting further and further away from each other but he was still knew exactly where to go.
The familiar restless energy that was always pulsing through the General was starting to disappear as it morphed into something sharper, more dangerous. After all the planning it had entailed, the nations were finally here on his island and playing his game. The General could make them dance if he wanted to, and even when they did something unexpected, the General would still have his Hunt.
"This is so perfect. Their expertise and numbers against my knowledge," the General mused to himself and his large bodyguard looked at him. When he decided that the General was just talking to himself, as he was prone to do, the bodyguard got back to his ever present vigil. The General was a powerful man but still needed someone that was detected to his protection from attempted assassinations - either from his prey or his own staff.
"It's been so long since the Hunt," the General said, with a touch of wistfulness and excitement in his voice. The bodyguard's eyes flicked to him and then away. There was a slight nervousness to his demeanour. The insane clients were always the most unreliable in terms of payment and jobs.
"The Hunt is back on. And I shall pick off the smallest group first." The General eyed the screen where Spain, Austria and America were trudging along. His plan would just have to be altered and so first he was going to test their skills. It was time to hunt the rabbits.
Next part will hopefully be up in the next week or so. Of course there is an exam next week that I do have to pass so don't think I've abandoned this if I don't update. Enjoy!
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The Hunt had started over two hours and America, Austria and Spain were having a short break at a stream they had reached for. The humid tropical air had them all sweating through their office suits and their first priority had quickly been to find some drinkable water. Everything between them had been silent, their worry for the others and their fear of this unknown General had consumed their thoughts. Now they scooped up the water with their hands and contemplated their next move.
"I don't know about you two but I dislike being chased like a wild deer," Spain spoke, breaking the silence quite abruptly. America and Austria turned to him, America looking questioning and Austria raised one finely groomed eyebrow in Spain's direction.
"What do you propose we do about it?" Austria asked Spain and Spain bit his lip, mulling over his thoughts for a moment before he said them out loud. America and Austria waited for a minute, even though America started to fidget with impatience the longer they waited.
"I don't want to play his game," Spain said, trying to put his need to fight back, to push against the General, into words. America and Austria both seemed to understand though; America actually looked relieved that Spain had said it first.
"Exactly! We shouldn't let this General guy force us around like puppets on strings, he's already made us split up into these groups to try and avoid him. We should do something unexpected." Austria was impressed that America had managed to hold onto this thought for so long without voicing it. However there were several concerns such as how they were even going to even do this and how would they know whether the General was coming after them. "Look, we'll set a trap that will hurt him enough that he won't be able to continue to hunt us and if we annoy him enough, that will draw his attention away from the others." Austria and Spain exchanged looks, they were definitely in favour of that side of the plan.
"But how do we get him to follow us and not one of the other groups?" Austria asked, seeing a flaw in the plan. It was no good if they set several traps and the General went after the others as well.
"Simple. We'll leave a trail, not a really obvious one, but one that the General won't be able to resist," America said happily. He was definitely felt much better doing something apart from running away. Even tactical retreat grated on him. "Alright, here's the plan." As America explained, Austria and Spain started to feel a growing confidence. This plan, unlike many of America's other plans, could actually work.
A little while later Austria was winding a strip of cloth from his suit, now covered in mud, along the floor. Without any string and vine not being suitable, they had to improvise. However Austria didn't see why they had to rip up his suit. At least it was already ruined when the General had dumped him on the floor of that hut.
They had chosen their setting carefully, next to a small hill. Austria was setting up the trap, Spain was in charge of disguising the trap and America was covering the bottom of the ditch with sharp-edged stones. America's idea had been simple, to trip the General and cause him to fall down the hill into the ditch, hopefully damaging himself on the stones. The actual execution of it was more difficult, they were not aware of how good the General was and whether he would spot the trap.
"Done," America stood up and now Austria and Spain could see him clearly. America was drenched in sweat, as they all were, and there was dirt smeared across his forehead where he had obviously rubbed it with one of his hands. But his smile was blinding and it was clear that he did not mind the tiredness.
"So am I," Austria announced and Spain moved over to double check that the trap was hidden before covering up their tracks around the trap. "It is getting dark soon, we should find somewhere we can stay for the night," Austria said and although America looked a little downcast, he could see the reasoning behind the plan and agreed.
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"Where will we stay?" Spain asked as he finished checking the trap.
"We know the General can trap people on the ground... but what about up a tree?" America asked thoughtfully, staring up the trees which towered above them. Austria and Spain followed his train of thought and stared up at one of the suitable trees.
"That sounds good, but not here," Austria said, moving away from the trap. "Far enough away so if the trap doesn't work, it becomes easy for the General to find us but not so far away that we can't hear whether or not our trap worked."
When the three nations had settled in one of the trees for the night, America keeping watch at first and making sure that Austria and Spain did not fall out of the tree during their sleep, the General reached their trap.
It had been easy enough to track the three of them, even three people left marks that one person wouldn't, and it had been easy enough to spot the line of cloth designed to catch his feet as it lay innocently on the ground. It would have worked if the General had been a lesser man but as it didn't, the General just chuckled in amusement and sidestepped the trap. He was well aware of the ditch and carefully stepped so that he would not slip into it.
However, he was unaware of how America had slicked the edge of the ditch with sticky tree sap and water. This had the effect of oil on the ground and as the General stepped over the trap onto the oil, he was only balancing on one foot at the time. Already precariously balanced, the General slipped on the oil and started to fall head-first towards the stones at the bottom of the ditch.
On the way down he managed to throw himself backwards and grab hold of one of the vines. It did not help him regain his balance but it prevented him from knocking against the sharp edges of the stones. His head was saved from injury but his shoulder was wrenched and twisted by the vine and gravity combined. The General acknowledged the pain and knew that he had to get the wound dealt with. He alerted his bodyguard to his coordinates before speaking out.
"Well done America, Austria and Spain. A simple trap but an effective one. I have to tend my wound so enjoy your sleep tonight. I will be resuming the hunt tomorrow." The General's voice seemed to echo over the noises of the insects and birds in the forest to the three nations frozen in the night. The words thrilled and unsettled them at the same time. Whatever sleep they had tonight would definitely not be restful.
Back at his house, the General mused over his next movement while his shoulder was being seen to. To get all the nations in the five days he would have to force them together and as the General looked over the CCTV images he started to get an idea of how he could do that. All over the island cameras were fixed and hidden so they could catch everything that went on (the General enjoyed reliving his hunts) but in certain strategic points on the island, the General had also laid several small bombs. They would create an explosive force, with as little fire as possible, that would knock someone out if they were standing near it.
England and Belarus were sitting in a tree that contained one of these bombs.
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The dirt stirred up from the bomb filled the air. It became impossible to make sense of anything, the dirt clogging eyes and obscuring the group memembers from each other. This meant that Hungary and Romano were oblivious that England and Belarus were now unconscious. Romano was desperately rubbing at his eyes while Hungary was coughing, desperately trying to rid herself of the dust in her lungs. Through the noise and the confusion, the General and his bodyguard moved in silently and carried England and Belarus off.
"What was that?" Canada asked France in worry as the four of their group froze as the sound of the explosion.
"Do not worry Canada, England has probably thrown one of his grenades at the General," France answered confidently. The English nation had been more than a little annoyed that this General, who seemed to be one of his citizens, was playing this cat and mouse game with him.
"I hope he manages to blow one of the General's arms off," Russia said cheerfully and although the other three nations looked disturbed, they could not help but think the same thing.
"How good is England with grenades? He won't hit anyone else, will he?" Veneziano asked, obviously worried about his brother and to a lesser extent, Hungary and Belarus.
"England does always hit his target, unless he purposely misses," France said wryly, remembering clearly how England had thrown a grenade at him and tried to play it away as an 'accident'. Canada somehow managed to guess his thoughts and gave him a look. France could just feel the sarcasm. "Anyway, I agree with Russia. The more damage England causes the General, the better."
The other group had similar thoughts even though they worried slightly more since they knew the General had said he was going back.
"For all we know, the General guy could be lying," America said hopefully, shifting slightly in the tree and nearly falling out of it. Austria rolled his eyes.
"Or England could be trying to warn off some hapless animal. He has always been violent," Spain remarked and even though America threw Spain a glare, he could not refute the truth of this statement.
"Both are possible," Austria commented. "But we can assume that both groups are okay, the General is the most worrying thing and we injured him. Go to sleep you two, I'll keep watch." There was silence after that between them.
Back at the house the General slept soundly, knowing that he had turned the tables in his favour.
I've been feeling in a creative mood this past week so hopefully that will continue. Hope everyone likes.
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Loving the updates!
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