Fünfundzwanzig [Action]

[reluctantnanny]

[Ever since the flood of distressed and appalled calls began Christmas morning, Germany threw aside the psychological warfare he found under the Christmas tree at his own home and took to the streets, checking in on many of his friends in person. One of them hadn't answered their phone when he'd picked up their public call

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[armywithcountry]

[Whenever Germany gets back to his house, he'll probably notice the unfamiliar car parked haphazardly in the middle of his lawn, its passenger door torn off. There's a blood trail in the snow leading from the driver's side of the car to a body collapsed against his front door. On closer inspection, said body reveals itself to be Prussia, eyes closed, skin even paler than usual, nearly every inch of him soaked in blood . . . and judging by the slowly increasing scarlet puddle he's sitting in, some of it's his.]

[1/2]

[reluctantnanny]

. . .

[The car, he can't tell whose it is. The form on his front porch... Rushing forward, Germany ignores how familiar the hair looks, many other people have silver hair in Mayfield. Many others. This is just another unfortunate victim to--]

Bru... Bruder. BRUDER, OY! BRUDER! BRUDER, NO, H-HANG IN THERE, OY!! BRUDER, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! BRUDER! [Panicked wailing as he stumbles and collapses to his knees next to Prussia, pulling him up and looking into his face. How long has he been here. Whose blood is that. Where had he been.]

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[reluctantnanny]

[He sees the blood pooling. He shuts up, though it takes biting hard into his lip, as he searches for the wound. He needs to wrap it before he moves him inside. He needs to keep the blood from coming out. He needs to keep the blood inside him.]

Re: [2/2]

[armywithcountry]

[The open wounds are easy enough to find, even under all the blood. Four long, deep gouges decorate Prussia's back, looking almost like knife marks, except jagged. His right foot's also a bloody mess, the ankle completely clawed up. It says something about the shape he's in that he manages to stay unconscious through all the shouting. It's not until Germany touches him that red eyes snap open, one hand instantly bringing up a gun to point at his forehead, the other tightening around the hilt of the sword that he's yet to let go. There's a brief moment of dizzy disorientation as he tries to get his bearings, before stark relief shows up on his face.]

Germany. Thank fucking god. [The gun clatters to the ground as Prussia clumsily pats his brother down, looking for injuries.] You okay? Town try to pull any shit on you? Where the hell have you been?

[reluctantnanny]

[Germany's a bit...crispy after putting out a flaming Italian earlier; his face and hands are faintly singed here and there, but no more.

Relief at the movement (he's alive) overrides fear as the gun presses against his forehead, and Germany's wide eyes squint shut as he hear's his brothers voice.

But-- goddammit, with those wounds--] Stop moving. [He restrains Prussia's worried hands firmly, a tight throat making it difficult to maintain a commanding tone] All I received was war propaganda, and I don't believe I've been brainwashed. I went out to check on others in person, after hearing so many distressed calls.

No more questions or talking. [The ankle, the torn-up back, blood that he can only assume is mostly Prussia's...] I'm going to bring you inside.

[He turns his back against Prussia's front and pulls the blood-covered arms to sling over his shoulders, a piggyback but leaving his legs to hang. Germany's strong enough, and he doesn't want Prussia to curve his back..]

[armywithcountry]

[He makes an incredibly indignant sound as he's hoisted onto Germany's back, and really, his little brother should know by now that the words 'Prussia' and 'stop talking' do not belong in the same sentence together.]

I'm fine, I can stand on my own. Like these little scratches could ever bring me down, ahahahaha!

[He's blatantly lying though, and it shows in his voice and in the fact that he doesn't struggle against Germany's attempts to move him inside. Instead, he falls uncharacteristically silent, before poking gently at Germany's cheek.]

What happened to your face?

[reluctantnanny]

[Germany might not have been able to handle Prussia struggling right now, so it's definitely met with unvoiced gratitude. He knew he was asking for a bit much on the 'no talking' bit, but it couldn't hurt.

He fishes a key from his pocket with one hand to unlock the front door, stepping over the threshold and kicking the door closed behind them. The trek to the master bedroom is quick, and Germany deposits Prussia on the bed as carefully as he can.]

You're losing too much blood from the wounds on your back. [Makes Prussia lie face-down, pulling the bloody rags of his shirt aside and turning on the light to see better.

They're deep.]

I had to put out a fire. They're just minor burns, I've already treated them. What happened to you? [Has he ever seen Prussia this torn up before? It looks so painful. The fact that Prussia went quiet earlier is enough to make Germany lose it right then and there, but he holds it back to focus on the task at hand.]

[armywithcountry]

[On his stomach and with his shirt off, the full extent of his injuries come into light; along with the gouges in his back, Prussia's chest is one massive bruise, and a good chunk of the flesh on his lower calf has been torn away by Vietnam's claws. If he notices the pain though, he gives no sign of it, instead stiffening at the word 'fire' before trying to turn around to face Germany, the images of his brother being burned alive still fresh in his head.]

What kind of fire? You're all right, though? Is it just your face, or did you get burned anywhere else?

[His expression darkens at Germany's own question.]

Vietnam. Gave as good as I got - hell, gave more, but . . . listen, until whatever the town's doing wears off, don't go near her, yeah? If you see her, shoot to kill. Aim for the head, and don't hesitate. [He licks his lips, battling his pride before he reluctantly lets out his next order, one he never thought he'd give.]

Then run. Don't look back, just get as far away as you can.

[reluctantnanny]

Just my face and hands; my clothes protected me. I was putting out Seborga, he was set aflame.

[Grabbing some extra sheets, Germany tears them into sections and begins bandaging gauges on his back, immediately stopping Prussia from turning with a strong hand grasping his shoulder.] Don't move, Bruder. Please don't move even an inch.

[The description Prussia then provides is...haunting. Unfathomable. Run away?]

...I talked to a young boy who was granted real, working wings. He acted like a drone, though. Was Vietnam...?

[armywithcountry]

[He grumbles when Germany stops him from moving, but lets his brother bandage him up without further protest. The wounds are deep enough that he'll probably need stitches, but right now, the priority's to stop the bleeding.]

She's not droned, but it's like she's been possessed or something - I think she wanted to eat me, it was fucking creepy. And she's got these fucking demonic powers . . . I put half a clip into her head at point-blank range and she came back good as new in a few seconds. Hell, I cut her arm off, and she just stuck it back on like it was nothing.

[There's another long silence - two in one day, a record for Prussia - before he speaks again, his voice cold.]

She killed Hungary.

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[reluctantnanny]

[Stop the blood from coming out. Germany's hands are nearly on auto-pilot now, and his face is stiff.]

Mayfield's magic at work. Where did you last see her?

[The silence surprises Germany.

The sentence that follows it shocks him to his core.] . . . .

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[reluctantnanny]

She will...return.

[That is all he can manage to put forward. What can he say?] In the morning, in her own bed.

[armywithcountry]

Dunno, about ten, twenty minutes ago? Haven't really been keeping track.

[He scowls.]

No shit, I knew that! I'm not upset about it or anything! [Judging by how loud his voice is, he's clearly lying.] But Vietnam's obviously too far gone to hold back if she's going around murdering other countries and even her own allies. So you shoot to kill, got it?