A/N: Sorry that it has been so long! This is Antonio's chapter, with his team. There will be two more chapters after this, one from the Asians team and one into how the nations got away all those many years ago as a sort of epilogue.

Manon is the name for Belgium that I am using, Tim for the Netherlands and Nate for Luxembourg.

Chapter 6 - Tomato squad, unite! (Or, please shut up Antonio)

Antonio was less bouncy than usual, but really, it had been a very trying day, what with the act and his precious little Lovi being so close to getting hurt…

The Spaniard had retreated to the rooftops with the rest of the teams, listening half-heartedly to Tim berate Manon and Nate for throwing themselves in there to which Manon was constructing a very strong argument against. Lovino and Feliciano were sat together, Feliciano fussing over the bruises that his brother had received in the fight. Most of the other teams were milling around and the group of recruits stood huddled together, but they didn't look as frightened as recruits usually did. Alfred stormed over, Francis and Arthur in tow, the latter of which covered in blood.

"Where's Levi?!"

"His group are still out. We've not seen them in ages," responded Antonio smoothly, looking Arthur up and down with a frown. Before he even asked the question, Arthur grunted,

"Not mine. Alistair's and Eduard's."

"Are they okay, ve?" asked Feliciano fearfully.

"They'll live…" muttered the Brit and sighed. "Come along, Alfred, we need to check with the other squads." The two left, leaving Francis with Antonio.

"What about you, mon ami? No injuries?"

"Some bruising, but we're fine. Nothing serious."

"Bien… Gilbert is fussing over his brother and Roderich."

"They are okay, si?"

"Roderich smacked into a building and is pretty out of it and Ludwig is just bruised. They'll be okay." Antonio nodded and sighed.

"So much pain…"

"Oui, it was heart rending to see poor Tino after he heard about Eduard. He's refusing to speak to Berwald and Matthias…"

"Si? Why not?"

"Ah, I do not know but it probably something to with them belittling him. He is a truly terrifying fighter..." Antonio chuckled at the thought and nodded eagerly.

"Tino has saved my life a few times. A devil in the air and pretty remorseless to his enemy…" Francis smiled, part wistfully, part ruefully.

"We have not changed very much, have we all? Gotten a little colder, a little braver but, we have not changed really…" And as Antonio thought about it, Francis was right. They were still the nations of one hundred years ago. Gilbert and Roderich still affectionately argued. Tim was still over protective. Feliciano still burst into tears at the drop of a hat. Lovino still called Antonio filthy things and then clung to him like a lost child.

But to be honest, it was the way it had always been and Antonio was glad of that. Glad that they were still the nations.

"Ah, we should go check on the new recruits…"

"Si, si. I will just check with my team."

"B-Belgique is okay, oui?"

"Si, she is fine, barely bruised."

Antonio led Francis over to the rest of his squad, carefully checking on Feliciano and Lovino, but they were both completely fine.

"We're fine, bastards! Leave us alone and go help someone who actually needs it!" snapped Lovino when Antonio and Francis came over. Not wanting to upset the little Italians, they quickly hurried away, towards the rest of Antonio's squad. Nate, Manon and Tim were stood together and before Antonio could argue with Tim about anything, Nate engaged the Spaniard in conversation, whilst Francis argued with Manon and Tim. It was all so ordinary that the Spaniard almost grinned. Really, truly, very little had changed within the nations. It is just outside of their little groups that everything had changed.