The Good Son
Part 10

China had the chains unlocked and Canada was glad to be free, if even more determined that one of the older nations was going to teach him their escape tricks. He opened his mouth to speak, but China was up and limping for the door. "Get to safety, aru. Find a phone and call the others, aru."

"Hey, wait - what are you going to do?" Canada's own injuries were aggravated as he stood, and the wave of pain and nausea nearly made him collapse back to the floor.

China's eyes were unreadable to the younger nation as he glanced back at him. "Get to safety, aru." With that he was gone.

Canada hesitated a moment, before forcing his own legs to limp forward. The pain was like the limb was being cut from the inside. He dragged the bad leg, using whatever he could reach to support his hops forward. Ignoring pain and good sense, he slowly followed China's fading footsteps.

America had reached the roof of the hotel. Which, in retrospect, had not been his best plan. In his defense, planning when being chased around by a nation with a big gun was not an easy thing to do. He knew he had to prevent Hong Kong from being around others, though, and so the roof it was. The access door had been locked, but no match for his strength. Dodging to hide to one side of the staircase entrance, he tried to figure out which way Hong Kong would go.

"There is no silver here: three hundred taels." Hong Kong almost sounded like he was singing. "Tell me, America...how do you think you can hide behind a door only you have the strength to break?"

Ignoring the other's taunts, America took a slight step away from the wall, trying to catch a glimpse of the door, to see when the other would emerge.

"Don't you want to know what happened to Canada? Don't you want to hear how I made him bleed?"

He sucked in a harsh breath through his teeth, but remained still. He realized his mistake belatedly when the musket bullet slammed through the flimsy shelter of the wall and into his side. Pain exploded as the bullet tore through flesh and muscle, the force of the blow crashing him onto his back. He felt the concrete roof top scrape his back up painfully, but still managed to drag himself to his feet. Hong Kong was just emerging, lining up another shot.

"I'd offer you last words...but nobody will hear them."

"Indulge me." He slid his gaze along the rooftop, hoping to spot a way out. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I'm the good son. I'm the one who loves Daddy the most. I'm the only one who deserves him." When America laughed in response, Hong Kong's eyes narrowed.

"You say you love him the most, but you only really love yourself."

The other nation's eyes narrowed, finger starting to indent the trigger. "Shut up!"

"You say you love him, but all you've been doing is making him miserable. Hurting the nations he cares about."

"They didn't deserve him!"

"And you do?"

"I do...I'm the good son. I deserve his love, his attention...it should all be mine. England is mine!"

"Hong Kong?" The third voice made Hong Kong turn - gun at the ready. Green eyes met him over the barrel.

"England." For a moment Hong Kong could only stare. Seeing his chance, America dodged forward. Hearing his feet on the pavement - Hong Kong whirled back, firing another shot.

"Hong Kong- No!" England dodged forward, knocking the aim off. The bullet slammed into America's shoulder - sending him flying again. His back cracked against edge of the building's wall. A cry escaped his lips as muscle bruised and bone crunched at the impact.

"Let go, I have to do this!" Hong Kong began to struggle against England's grip on the gun. "He should die for what he did to you! They should all die!"

"I don't want them to!"

Hong Kong's eyes widened, and he released the gun, stepping back. "But...but...how..."

"Hong Kong, I've always loved my colonies. No matter what. Even if they don't listen to me, or argue with me...even if they rebel. In the end, I still love them all."

America pushed himself up on his arms slightly, watching the exchange. "England..."

"But I...you can't..." Hong Kong repeated. "It was all for you. Everything I did - because you deserved better! How can you say this!" He began to laugh, stepping back. "It's not fair. No..no...No!"

Setting the gun aside, England took a step forward. "Hong Kong..."

"I won't...I won't let them have you."

England was too close to see the glint of metal as Hong Kong pulled his hand back, but America wasn't. "England - watch out!"

France, Japan, and India managed to dodge the security that was emptying the hotel. The humans evacuating were whispering about gunshots and possible reasons. But it was obvious nobody knew what was happening. A few of the nations were being escorted to a separate location, but they avoided them as well - making their way toward the rooms upstairs. China's room was empty, but the smell of smoke, and the glass and blood on the floor proved something had happened.

"Where could they be?" Japan asked, face concerned.

A shot came from above them and the three glanced up. "Up it seems." France responded, and the three ran for the stairs.

The wall had broken something in his back. America could only feel numbness from the point of impact down, and his legs weren't responding. He pulled himself forward on his arms, watching as England continued to dodge Hong Kong's knife. Several slices had tattered part of his shirt - and he could see blood staining the white fabric. A new shift caused something in his own jacket to jab at his chest. Wincing, he reached inside to pull the object out, only to find himself staring at the wooden soldier he'd taken from Hong Kong's shrine earlier.

Curling his hand around it briefly, he turned to the two still fighting. "Hey, Hong Kong! Want this?" He held the soldier out.

Hong Kong's eyes went wide, and then he snarled - leaping back from his attack. "Thief! It's mine!"

"It's not yours. England didn't make it for you. He made it for me." America's tone was taunting.

With a cry of rage, Hong Kong ran forward, and America flung the toy away from him. Hong Kong gave chase, managing to grab it on the rooftop edge. But his footing slipped, and America watched with shock as he toppled over it.

"Hong Kong!" England dodged forward, managing to grab one hand, but was immediately pulled over the edge himself.

"England!" America shouted, only for a third form to fling forward from the staircase, grabbing England's arm and the building edge.

"China!" England looked up, noting the pained look on the other's face. Blood was dripping from the arm holding the building. "You can't hold on!"

"I can, aru!" Even as he spoke, his grip was loosening. The wound from earlier ripping wider through muscle and tendon. A scream tore through his lip.

"Hold on! Just hold on." America started to pull himself toward the group, dragging his body over the cement roof. 'Just a little further...just a little further...'

"Daddy..." The hoarse whisper was from Hong Kong, and England glanced down at the other nation, surprised to find him smiling. "I love you."

"Hong Kong, just-" The rest of his sentence cut off in a scream as the knife sliced through his hand, cutting the tendons keeping it closed. It released of it's own accord, and he could only stare in horror as Hong Kong plummeted downward. "Hong Kong!"

China couldn't look, his eyes squeezed shut against the pain of his arm as the wound continued to rip further open. The lessening of the weight he was holding told him what had happened. But he couldn't concentrate on anything but maintaining his grip through the pain of his arm almost tearing in two.

"China, let go." England ordered.

"Hui bu hui!" He screamed out in response.

America flung himself forward the last few inches - managing to grip China's arm as the same time as another pair of hands. Canada's leg was broken, but he had more leverage than the other nation did. Together they dragged the pair back onto the roof. The group was still trying to catch their breath when the door burst open again - permitting France, Japan, and India to charge onto the roof. They took in the scene with wide eyes.

"Sacre Blue..." France murmured.

"Where is Hong Kong?" Japan asked.

As one, the four turned their eyes to the edge of the roof. The other three followed their gaze, and silence blanketed the group again.

One week later...

If he hadn't been told it was Hong Kong, the bandaged form on the bed could have been almost anyone. He was practically wrapped from head to foot, and so many wires and tubes connected him to the machines around him it was hard to believe he was actually alive. England once again found himself in the hospital room, alternating from watching the unmoving form on the bed to the monitor reading the nation's vital signs. So far there hadn't been any dramatic spikes, but the young nation gave no sign of waking.

"I thought I'd find you here, aru."

England wasn't even startled by China's voice, nor did he move from his position by the bed. "There's been no change."

"I heard Seychelles woke up, aru."

"There's no sign of brain damage so far."

"Sealand?"

"Oh, he's as much as a brat as ever. They all are." England sighed. "It's just that they've been particularly clingy brats."

China's arm was in a cast, and he was leaning on a crutch he used to hobble up to England's side. "It's been the same for me, aru. I'm starting to think Korea and Japan have a pact to keep me in one of their sights at all time, aru. And Macau even called - aiyah!" He shook his head.

"Not that I do not appreciate their intentions, but all the same I am starting to feel a bit smothered."

"Agreed, aru." After a moment of silence, the other nation dared to tread on slightly more dangerous waters. "I've thought about it, aru. Where I might have gone wrong, aru."

"I've spent a lot of time contemplating that same question."

"Any answers, aru?"

"None, I'm afraid. Only more questions."

"He'll survive...He's one of us, aru."

England remembered he'd said something similar about Sealand, and he gazed at the still form sadly. "He won't have an easy job. Getting the others to even think about trusting him again."

"Can you trust him again, ahen?"

"...I don't know."

"Let's think about it another day, ahen."

England nodded, turning to offer a sad smile to the other nation, before they excited the room together. For a moment, the form on the bed lay peacefully, then the heartbeat on the monitor seemed to spike - one hand seemed to twitch. As swiftly as it had begun, the heartbeat returned to it's original pace and the form was still once again.

End

Author's Notes: So, I opted to go for the horror movie-ish ending of - Maybe it's not really over. While at the same time leaving you with the thought that Hong Kong can recover from this. (And maybe earn their trust again? On the other hand, he might go on a rampage while under the guise of being comatose at the hospital. You never know. But, no, I'm not writing that sequel. LOL) I had the whole scene with the group hanging off the hotel rooftop in my head from like...part 3 I think. I hope this didn't leave anyone unsatisfied. Writing this fic has been a wild experience for me. Thank-you to everyone who stuck it through til the end.

Oh! "There is no silver here: three hundred taels" is a Chinese proverb. A husband and wife buried three hundred taels to keep it safe, then worried they'd forget and put up a sign that read "There is no silver here: three hundred taels". Of course, they were robbed. So essentially HK was telling America that he was being obvious by breaking the roof door to get up there.

Salmon