Chapter 18-A Shot Heard round the World

Arthur's POV

I sat there dazed.

My whole body felt cold and lifeless.

___________.

No.

No I couldn't let this happen.

Not to her.

Not to the lady with the bright smile on her face. The warm feeling she gave my heart. Her loving and gracious touch.

Antonio didn't DESERVE a girl like her.

Antonio didn't even DESERVE to touch her.

Suddenly the door brushed open as I felt the air touch my face.

"Alright Britain you start moving." A voice laughed sticking his pistol into my back. "Hurry it up I've been waiting for this day ohohohohon~."

It was cold and rich in accent.

Francis.

"You damn Traitor unhand me!" I shouted as loud as I could. Struggling in my captors hands.

France only laughed that stupid grin on his face.

I could see it behind me.

"Two words Britain." He cried rolling my name on his tongue. "Power and Promise." he suddenly rolled back his head and laughed.

"Shut vup France." Another voice rang in my head.

Gilbert.

Prussia.

"Your laughing is like an annoying buzzing in my mind. It viving me a veadache."

I would have smiled at that comment.

If I wasn't only minutes away from death.

Inches away from betrayl.

And steps away from losing the love of my life.

We began to walk the halls I was silent.

And that idiot Frenchie was grinning the whole way as we walked.

But Prussia for once had a solemn look on his face.

Which was very odd.

Because Prussia was NEVER serious.

Suddenly, I felt the cold night air as that damn France shoved me into the open and out of that eerie empty confinement.

My expression only felt more shocked as I realized what stood before my very eyes.

They were all here.

Scotland. Wales. The Ireland Twins...and even....little Peter.

"What the hell are these blokes doing here! You let me out this instant!" I wriggled in my captors hands. As some of Antonio's damned remaining crew laughed at my attempt.

They looked absolutely terrible.

I couldn't even bare to look at them all. But I forced myself to.

"Oi you maggots! Let us go!" Scotland yelled furiously.

This was the first time I felt I actually saw him sober.

And that sounded impossible.

They were all bonded on their wrists. I could see each of them still wincing in pain.

Wales was trying to look away from it all. His arm was bandaged as if he hurt it and his whole body was cut. The Twins winced pain as one of those damn blokes whipped their backs and tears were beginning to emerge in their eyes as bruises battered their whole bodies.

The worst was Peter.

He was pale and limp as if he'd been beaten to death.

I cringed in pain at the very sight of him.

Little did I know....they all had the same thought in their head as I did.

They were all thinking about the same thing.

One thing that kept even the emptiness in their hearts....warm.

_________.

xXxXx

Third Person POV

*Flashback*

"Oi! __________ c'mere and join us for a round of whiskey!" Scotland laughed his voice ringing in the air as it bellowed through the bar of the Black Rose.

They were all clearly drunk and as rambunctious as usual.

"Yeah _________." The Twins laughed merrily their pints in the air as they twirled __________ around merrily. "But watch out Scotland's very perverted when he's drunk." They laughed.

"Why you-" Scotland growled as he reached to ring their little mischievous necks but Wales held him back.

"You two stop angering your brother. Or else he'll resort to music."

The boys faces changed as they thought of Alistair's horrid bagpipes.

Scotland took another swig of whiskey.

"You maggots sure are a handful." He laughed slumping down on a bar chair in the rowdy hall.

The twins laughed. "So are you perv."

Wales sighed as he held a furious fire-spitting Scotland back again once more.

Suddenly, a joyous laughter sounded through the table.

The boys all stopped their bickering and turned their heads.

There stood _________. With a gently genuine laughter.

"You boys are so funny." She chuckled to herself. "But you all should take care of eachother." She said genuinely to each of them. "I care about you all ok?"

And that silenced them.

And replaced their bickering with bashful red faces.

XxXxX

Tears were beginning to well even harder in each of the boys eyes.
Their faces of true sadness.

Arthur only fought in vain as he was shoved into his brothers like he was paper.

Or something meaningless.

Even Peter was sad.

Arthur's eyes softened and turned green once more as he looked upon the gloomy kid.

He looked terrible.

Just terrible.

Beaten.

Stepped on.

Tortured.

He was sobbing. Crying infact.

Down on his knees shielding his sorrowful eyes underneath his blond bangs.

He also had her in his mind.

He only had __________ in his mind.

XxXxX

*Flashback*

"Hahahaha! I got you you dumb girlie!"

Sealand curled his head back in triumph and joy.

His rope trap had worked well.

And now ___________ was hanging by her foot upside down like a monkey.

"HAHAHA! I'm strong enough to capture _________! That's right everyone I can be a country!" Sealand laughed joyously jumping up and down like he had just won the lottery.

"Peter please let me down!" __________ yelled swishing in the air. Hanging helplessly.

Sealand only stuck out his tongue like a brat.

He caught her fair and square.

Sure she wasn't expecting it. Sure she was only coming to get him and tell them they had docked at another port.

But he did it fair and square so this was a win for him.

"HEAR THAT EVERYONE! YOU CAN MAKE ME A COUNTRY NOW! I CAPTURED __________!"

___________ only blinked her eyes once more and rolled it.

"Yup. You captured me."

"THAT'S RIGHT EVEN SHE ADMITTED IT!" Bellowed Sealand. "SO YOU ALL BETTER MAKE ME A COUNTRY NOW!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, ________ spoke.

"Why do you want to be a country so bad Peter?"

Peter froze.

Nobody had ever asked him why.

"Haha....that's a ridiculous question _________."

But she wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"Why Peter? Tell me the REAL answer."

Peter at first didn't respond.

He could feel himself trembling.

He was shaking like nuts at the upside down lady he had just 'captured'.

"W-Why?" He repeated his head low so that his eyes were blanketed by his bangs.

His fist was clutching a wooden sword.

Suddenly, he snapped it quickly as it cut through the thin rope.

And then causing __________ to crash into the wooden floorboard below.

"Why?" Peter repeated once more. "WHY? Because everyone doesn't believe in Peter that's why!"

His fists were trembling even more violently still back turned to her. Tears starting to flow out of his sky blue eyes.

"Nobody thinks I can be a country! Hell if they even consider it! Nobody believes in Sealand. Nobody believes I can do it! I-I-"

Suddenly, Peter felt the warm embrace of a motherly hug. He was tugged into a hug as he felt her kindness wash over him.

It felt good.

It felt nice.

It felt loving and passionate.

"Peter....I believe in you....."

XxXxX

Arthur's POV

Suddenly, the wedding bells from the Old Montgomery Cathedral rung into my head.

___________.

It was going to happen soon.

I saw it.

All the way there at the far side of town.

The wind from ontop of the hill my confinement rested on.

The wind blowing into my hair.

___________.

Suddenly, I felt a gun barrel pressed onto the behind my back.

"Keep moving Britain. Can't be distracted am I right ohohohohon~"

Stupid Frenchie.

He had the creepiest laugh in the world.

I felt my eyes glint red again and tears forming in my own eyes.

The Crewman began to push us.

One by one.

Trying to make us go down the hill.

Suddenly, it was almost my turn...

when an abrupt voice bellowed behind me.

"Get up you damn kid." I turned.

Peter.

Prussia and I turned our heads. Francis kept his creepy grin.

Our faces paled like ghosts.

We could see it in eachother.

Prussia swept his hands through his cloak.

Peter.

What the bloody hell was he doing?

"I said MOVE you damn rat!!!" The Crewman bellowed at Peter his voice gruff.

I watched both in horror and awe.

He was either brave...or completely idiotic.

I had to stop him.

"No."

My eyes widened.

Did he just say...no?

Antonio's crewman just angered even more.

"Why you-"

"No." He repeated. His bangs still covering his eyes.

He wiped it with his sleeve.

He was no longer trembling...or sobbing....

I saw....

passion in his eyes.

"No. I won't move." He lifted himself up. I watched him.

He winced in pain and he was cut and battered.

"No. I won't move. I won't move for anyone. This is for __________ you git! And you can't make me!!!"

His eyes shone with ferocity like a lion. Even though he was crying.

Even though he was in pain.

"Peter..."

Then I saw it.

The man had a pistol behind his back.

And it was loaded.

I saw it.

"No wait-"

But I was too late.

The man fired the pistol...

and struck it right into the poor boy's heart.

Peter's heart.

I watched him crunch to the ground hearing his final words.

He was....smiling.

"Arthur save _________...and tell her...thank you for believing in me...."

Suddenly, he fell limp his body growing cold.

Peter...

had died.

And Prussia then stole the moment.

He whipped the edge of his blade into France and through my old arms.

I felt tears now in my own eyes.

I would save _________.

I would do this for Peter.

____________.