France would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried for Kalda and America right now, and especially Britain.

"Zhey aren't here," Prussia claimed, glaring at the remaining Allies.

"Zhat ve know of," Germany firmly replied. "Keep looking. Have you searched zhe attitc?"

"There's an attic?" Veneziano whined, bending over out of exhaustion.

France sighed a little, worried for his little brother and his niece.

"Ja, zhere's an attic," Germany snapped "und a basement, too."

"Hey!" France yelled, standing up and walking up to them. "I won't let you speak to my brozher zhat way!"

"It's okay, big brother France," Veneziano assured him with a small smile. "I can go and look some more."

Veneziano ran off, wanting to make himself useful.

"I don't know who you zhink you are, but I want you to know here and now zhat I will not let you push us around!" France yelled at Germany.

"France, calm down," Britain told the other blonde, but his sad tone told everyone that Britain wished that he had done that sooner.

France sighed, sitting down again with his arms crossed.

"If zhere's even a one percent chance zhat Kalda is still here," Germany bargained, "I might reconsider killing you."

"What's so special about her to you, anyway?" France snapped. "All you want is anozher ally!"

"Zhere's a lot more zhat she's capable of zhan just being anozher ally," Germany answered.

"Like what?" Britain asked slowly, suddenly becoming attentive.

"Zhose dreams of hers," Germany answered.

"You know?" Russia, China, Britain, and France asked all at once.

"You know?" Germany returned their surprise.

Britain took in a shaky breath, sitting down in the nearest chair.

France held onto his hand with one of his own, praying with the other.

"Oh, dear," Britain muttered. "She's as good as dead now. They both are."

"What are we going to do?" China asked.

"I don't know," France answered. "Hope and pray zhat zhey make it out alive?"

"Little Kalda is strong," Russia said. "So is Amerika."

France nodded, hoping that they were right.

France looked at Britain, planting a soft but quick kiss on the top of his hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kalda heard a faint thud upstairs, and she could only imagine what was going on.

"They sound pretty upset," Kalda pointed out.

"That's kind of what they're good at," America replied, bringing her down a long hallway.

"Where do all of these hallways lead to, anyway?" she wondered.

"All sorts of places," America said with excitement. "Down this one, me and Canada found all of these cool weapons from Britain's pirate days. And then down the one we just passed, there's all sorts of paintings from the Elizabethan Period."

"And all of that is down here?" Kalda questioned. "How come you and Canada, and probably Britain, are the only ones who know about these tunnels?"

"Well, Britain caught us down here once and explained the reason to us," America explained. "He said that if anything like this ever happened to him or to us, we had to come down here and hide until Britain either died saving us or it went the other way around."

"Britain can kill?" Kalda asked nervously.

"Dude, he could kill us all if he wanted to," America told her.

"But he won't, right?" Kalda said, hoping that Britain wouldn't do anything rash.

"That's why we need to send him something to use," America replied, ignoring her question as he led Kalda into a weaponry-type corridor. "Oh, and maybe France. He was a pirate, too."

"Don't forget about Prussia," Kalda added on, eyeing the weapons carefully.

"Crap," America said. "Forgot about him already."

"Question."

"Answer."

Kalda rolled her eyes but continued,

"How are we going to give uncle France and Mister Britain these "oh so magical swords" if they're up there and we're down here?"

"I can hear the sarcasm in your voice, and you just have to trust me," America explained, holding out a cutlass for Kalda to take.

Kalda gulped, suddenly super reluctant.

"Please?" he asked, his voice soft.

Kalda sighed, taking the cutlass into her own hands.

"Looks a little rusty," she commented as America handed her a black leather belt to go with the sword.

"All the better," America smirked.

He sighed once he saw her shocked face.

"I was kidding," America assured her with a smile.

He held another cutlass and a white leather belt in his own hands, and Kalda wondered which color went to which person.

"White for Britain, right?" Kalda happily asked.

"Ha!" America laughed. "You wish."

Kalda gasped, looking down at the black leather belt and the silver-bladed cutlass with the gold handle that she was holding in her hands.

"That can't-"

"It is."

"No."

"Totally, Kalda dude."

"I can't believe that."

"Believe it 'cause it's true," America said.

Kalda sighed a little, a worried look on her face.

"Where's the drop off?" she asked, reluctantly agreeing with America's plan that could either make or break their chance of escaping.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mister Germarny, I dorn't berieve Karda irs herr," Japan said.

Oh no! Britain sobbed in his head. This is all my fault! I never should have opened up that door!

"Have you searched everyvhere?" Germany questioned as Prussia came into the living room, Veneziano following in his footsteps.

"Vest, she isn't here," Prussia stated in anger. "How many times do I have to say zhat?"

Britain could tell that the Axis were getting impatient, and to be quite honest, so was he.

"I checked the attic, but all that was there was a normal bedroom!" Veneziano whined. "Even the floor was normal!"

Suddenly, something set off warning bells in Britain's head.

The corridors! he thought in happiness and shock. Of course! Ha, ha! You're so smart, Alfred!

He tried to hide his smile, but he couldn't.

Britain looked to France, and the other blonde seemed confused.

"What is it?" France whispered softly.

"I know where they are," Britain answered, his voice a little too loud.

"Vhat vas zhat?" Germany asked, looking at the Allies.

"Well, way to go!" France scolded, glaring at Britain.

Britain didn't know if France was stalling or not, but something in his blue eyes was telling Britain to play along.

"France, what is it?" Britain answered as casually as he could. "I don't understand."

"Is zhere somezhing you're not telling us?" Prussia interrogated, staring at Britain.

Britain gulped, not really sure if he should tell the truth or not.

Suddenly, before he could even open up his mouth, two cutlasses fell onto the floor in front of him.

Black and white leather belts quickly followed, and so Britain picked them up before anyone else could.

"Zhose look oddly familiar," France commented as he and Britain slowly moved their eyes from the swords to each other's.

"Vhere did zhose come from?" Germany demanded.

Britain sighed, already giving away the answer.

"Veneziano, go check zhat attic again," Germany ordered, "und make sure you check zhe floorboards zhis time, ja?"

"Right away, Mister Germany!" Veneziano happily saluted, running up the stairs.

Japan, Germany, and Prussia looked at France, China, Russia, and Britain again, and they didn't look happy.

Britain handed France his old cutlass and white leather belt, keeping his own.

Britain held up the cutlass like he used to in his pirate days, France following his actions.

Germany growled, putting his hand on the handle of his pistol.

Britain chuckled nervously, trying to buy Kalda and America some time.

"Uh," he drawled awkwardly, "en garde?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kaldy?" Veneziano called happily, carefully skipping down the stairs that were hidden under a trap door that he had found in the attic floor. "Where are you, little Kaldy?"

He reached the bottom of the stairs, walking down a long corridor.

He breathed in the dusty air, getting a hint of perfume as well.

Veneziano followed the perfume trail for quite a while, finally hearing some metallic clanking as he neared another hallway.

He hid on the outside of the door, hearing some voices inside the room.

"I hope they got their cutlasses and belts," he heard Kalda say.

"I'm sure they did," America assured her. "There's no way that they couldn't have. All of these corridors lead to every room in this house."

So that's how they got the swords! Veneziano thought in realization. They used secret tunnels!

"Yeah, but if you can recall, those four are going against two Germans with pistols, one katana carrying Japan, and my brother who could rip your head off just to get to me," Kalda explained in worry. "They don't stand a chance, especially since Russia and China are currently unarmed!"

"You have a point, actually," America admitted awkwardly.

Veneziano realized that he had a pistol with him as well, so he quietly grabbed it out of his belt.

He took out a bullet as well, putting it inside the gun.

Veneziano closed his gun, getting ready to cock it.

He cocked it too loud, however, and he heard everything go silent.

"Get down," he heard America firmly order Kalda.

"What?" Kalda yelped, and Veneziano could only guess that America had pulled Kalda down with him.

"I said, get down, now shut up," America said. "We're not alone anymore."

Veneziano decided to make himself noticeable in the doorway, hoping that they could see him as he pointed the pistol at America's face, and he noticed that Kalda was hugging onto America for protection.

She used to do that to me! Veneziano thought in pure betrayal. What have they done to her?

"Kaldy?" he asked, still holding the gun at America. "Is that really you?"

"Y-yes, Feli," Kalda whimpered in fear.

Veneziano could see Kalda eyeing his pistol with fear, so he set it down at his side.

"Come on," he answered as he nodded his head to the side, showing her that he wanted her to come with him. "Germany is freaking out right now."

"She's not coming with you," America snapped at Veneziano. "Especially not after what your brother did to her face."

Veneziano gasped as he ran up to them, taking Kalda's face into his hands as he looked at the cut on her cheek.

"That's getting infected," he told her. "We need to get you to Japan. He'll know what to do."

Veneziano tried to help Kalda stand up, but she refused by hugging onto America even more.

"It's healing fine on its own," Kalda told him, "and I am not coming with you. I don't know what your sudden obsession with me is, but I am not coming."

"That's your cue to leave now, dude," America told Veneziano.

Veneziano let out a small breath, attempting to make Kalda part ways with her newfound friend once again.

He eventually pulled them apart, but Kalda kicked and screamed in her brother's embrace.

"I'm not going with you!" she argued. "I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!"

Her brother sighed, setting her down.

He saw America attempt to stand up, so he pointed his pistol at him again.

"It's loaded," Veneziano warned him.

"Feli!" Kalda sobbed. "Why are you doing this? I thought that you were better than this!"

Seeing her cry like that hurt Veneziano to the core, so he knelt beside her while still pointing his gun at America.

"It's okay, little Kaldy," he said softly. "All you have to do is come home with me, and then Germany will let your friends go."

Kalda started to calm down, but the look on her face told her brother that she still didn't want to come with him.

"W-what if I make a promise with you?" she asked, and Veneziano heard America open his mouth.

"Kalda, don't-" America started, but Veneziano shot the bullet just far enough over his head so that he didn't hurt him.

America shut up immediately, cowering in fear.

"Told you it was loaded," Veneziano answered, putting in another bullet into his gun for good luck.

He looked at his sister, wanting her to continue.

"I'm listening," Veneziano told her cautiously, aiming the pistol at America again.

Kalda took in a deep breath, calmly exhaling.

"I'm not going to come with you now, but what if...what if America and I stay down here for a little while longer?" Kalda asked, gesturing to America and herself.

"Meaning?" Veneziano wondered.

"Well, you go upstairs and tell Germany that we told you that we are escaping and are never coming back," Kalda explained. "Then, once you tell him to let uncle France and the others go, you four leave and never come back."

"What does this have to do with you joining our side?" Veneziano questioned a little too harshly.

"That's where my promise comes in," Kalda answered, holding up her pinkie finger. "If you tell them to leave and let our friends go, I'll find some way to come back to you."

"Kalda, no," America said sadly. "You belong here with us."

"She never belonged here!" Veneziano yelled at America, his hand shaking which caused the pistol to shake.

He fell on his knees in defeat, tears falling down his face as he dropped the gun onto the hard floor.

"Oh, Feli," Kalda said in a choked up voice, hugging him. "Please, don't cry."

Veneziano hugged her, too, taking one of her hands in one of his own.

He put his pinkie up as he helped Kalda put hers up.

Venenziano looped her pinkie with his, holding them in that position as he kissed Kalda's forehead.

"You better promise me that you'll come back to me, okay?" Veneziano softly warned her.

"I promise, Feli," she agreed, her voice also soft.

Veneziano nodded and helped Kalda stand up, picking up his gun and putting it back and into his belt.

He put his pointer finger slightly above his thumb, almost squishing an invisible object as he looked at America.

"I was this close," Veneziano firmly told him. "Don't test me like that again."

He walked up to the door, stopping himself.

"Oh, and America," Veneziano began as he looked at the man from over his shoulder, "keep my sister safe for me, okay? Also, tell Britain and big brother France that if anything happens to her while I'm gone, I'll kill them myself, got it?"

Then, with one more look of goodbye from Veneziano to his sister, he ran away to tell Germany the "bad news."

He ran with every little piece of strength he had, hoping to somehow make this right.

Veneziano opened up the trap door in the attic room and quietly closed it, not wanting anyone to know the reason on why he was running so fast.

He calmed down as he walked down the staircase, regaining himself.

"Vell?" Germany asked.

Veneziano just shook his head in sadness, silently telling Germany the lie: that Kalda and America had, indeed, escaped.

He could see that the other four Allies were tied up in the middle of the living room, a very proud Prussia standing beside them with the cutlasses and belts in his hands.

This has gotten out of hand for one day, Veneziano thought to himself.

Germany just nodded, his cold, blue eyes going from Veneziano's to the Allies.

He cocked his pistol, aiming the first shot at Britain.

"I told you vhat vould happen if I found out zhat you lied," Germany said, staring Britain down.

"Please, Germany," Britain pleaded. "This wasn't my fault, I swear! America was the one who took her away while we were talking at the door! I had no idea that he was going to do this! Please, believe me!"

Britain sighed and closed his eyes in defeat, waiting for the bullet to go straight through his head.

Veneziano quickly put a hand under Germany's arm, pushing it up so that the bullet went through the window instead.

The group cringed at the sound of the gun going off and the window shattering, but at least it was better than seeing Britain's blood and brains go flying everywhere instead.

"Vhat zhe hell vas zhat for, Veneziano?" Germany yelled in anger. "I had zhe perfect line-up!"

"Kalda made me pinkie-promise that we wouldn't kill her friends before they escaped," Veneziano told him, "and since she's my sister and I love her with all I have, I'm going to see to it that my promise to her is met."

Germany sighed, putting his pistol back and into his belt.

He put a hand on Veneziano's shoulder, his expression neutral.

"You're becoming a fine soldier," Germany told him before looking at the Allies again.

He saw their nervous looks, and that Britain still had his eyes closed.

"Let zhem go, Prussia," Germany ordered softly.

"But Vest-" Prussia tried to protest, but Germany turned to him.

"I said, let zhem go!" Germany repeated, and Prussia looked scared as he dropped the cutlasses and belts onto the floor out of fear.

"Vell, by golly, just shut up, vill ya'?" Prussia muttered under his breath, untying the four Allies.

"Now, let's go," Germany demanded the other Axis, looking at the Allies, "but if I ever have zhis happen again, vell, consequences vill have to be given."

The Axis walked out of Britain's house, and Germany slammed the door shut.

Veneziano walked ahead of everyone, wanting to give them their space.

He was quiet the whole ride home as well, too afraid to speak.

I guess Germany and I were both unable to kill someone today, he thought to himself.

Veneziano had also realized that this was the first time that he had ever lied to Germany.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

America heard the door slam upstairs, a gun shot and a window shattering only moments before.

"What do you suppose happened up there?" he asked an upset Kalda, who in turn didn't answer his question.

America sighed, picking her up bridal style to carry her up the stairs.

She's had a rough day, he told himself. She's just upset.

That, or she didn't like him.

America had always thought that he was a pretty unlikeable person.

"You're likeable, so shut up," Kalda muttered in his arms.

America looked down at her, freaked out that she might have had read his mind.

He mentally sighed with relief, though, once he saw that she was sleeping.

She talks in her sleep! America snickered to himself. Ha! Wait until I tell Britain!

America thought what Kalda did was cute, and he even thought that Kalda herself was cute.

I mean, not that I like her, or anything, America mentally denied.

He opened up the trap door in his attic room, so many memories flooding into his head.

Stories for another time, he thought, walking down the stairs and into the living room.

He saw his four friends in the living room, all in the worst shape that he had ever seen them in.

Britain had his eyes closed, France looked like he was going through some guilt, China was blanking out, and Russia was just staring at the door and probably thought that the Axis were going to come back.

America sat Kalda down on her feet, and she instantly woke up from her sleep.

"Uncle France!" she sobbed, running up to the blue-eyed blonde.

"Kalda!" France sighed with relief, hugging her as Kalda fell to her knees.

She started crying, and America couldn't believe the sight.

Out of everyone that she could have ran to, Britain especially, she went up to France.

If that's not family love, then I don't know what is, America thought with a smile.

"Big Brother!" America instinctively yelled, running up to Britain and tackling him in a hug as well.

"Alfred!" Britain laughed as he opened up his beautiful, green eyes, tears streaming down both of their faces. "Big Brother, hm? That's a new one."

"I just thought that it was the best thing to say right now," America smiled, hugging him more.

"Just don't make a habit of it, okay?" Britain replied, squishing his little brother in an embrace.

"I won't," America promised Britain.

The two brothers sat up, everyone either kneeling or sitting in the middle of the living room.

"How's Kalda?" Britain whispered to America.

"Not good," America answered. "All of this is too rough on her, you know?"

Britain nodded, agreeing with America.

"Yes, I know," he said. "I almost lost my head to Germany."

"I did, too," America admitted.

"What?" Britain asked, shocked. "To whom?"

"Veneziano," America awkwardly replied.

"That little rat," Britain muttered. "No wonder why Germany congratulated him earlier."

"Say what?" America replied, confused.

"I'll explain that later," Britain told his son. "Right now, we need to protect Kalda with our lives."

America nodded, agreeing with Britain's words.

"You're right," he said. "We do."