It was one of the most peaceful mornings I've had in months. Gilbert was still asleep upstairs with Kuma, and downstairs a hot griddle sat ready for pancakes. By all means, it should have been a quiet, relaxing morning. We had decided to take a vacation to my cabin just outside of Whitehorse near the Alaskan border. It's always nice to just have some time to be people without some sort of looming crisis that our bosses think we can somehow fix. Then the phone started ringing.

As the first few notes of American Idiot started blaring I knew 2 things. First, Al was calling, and second I never turned down my volume from earlier. Well, if Prussia wasn't awake already he certainly was now. I could only wonder why Alfred would be calling at this hour.

"Hello?"

"...Mattie?" His voice is ghostly and it sounds like a breathy cough "I... I need your help. Please, it's never been this bad…"

RED FLAG. What the hell? He sounds so strained, god what's going on?! "What's wrong!? No, wait, where are you?" I tried to keep my voice steady. I needed information that sounded bad.

"I-I'm in Alaska." ...and, why in the name of maple is Alfred in Alaska?

"Where in Alaska, Al? What's going on, do you need help? " at this point I had already turned off the griddle and Prussia had wandered out. I gestured toward the phone and motioned for him to get dressed just in case.

"…Mattie?" This is not how my overzealous younger brother should sound on the phone.

"Yes?"

"I need help, I'm at my cabin could you hurry, we need help soon. I can't care for her like this. Look, I'm not sure if my battery will hold out but can you just come?" It was at this point that his phone must have died because the call cut out.

My mind started racing as I made it from the car. I looked up long enough to grab Kuma off the floor and tell Gil that I'd explain on the route. He took the wheel and I was grateful for the time to gather my thoughts.. What's going on? Who's we? Al luckily only has one house in Alaska maple help and mountie who even thinks about stopping this car. I set the GPS and tried to figure out what's going on.

One hour later Gilbert maneuvered the car into Al's, curved driveway and I ran towards the house. Mind racing, I had tried to reach out to him mentally the whole ride, nothing. We can normally speak mentally due to our shared borders. Not an uncommon quirk of sibling nations although I'm pretty sure we're the closest to actual twins. What I can't tell is if he's blocking me or if actually in that bad of a shape. Neither thought is reassuring. The front door is unlocked, never a good sign.

I'd only been here a couple of times over the years but I still remembered where the main bedroom is so I started in that direction.

I notice several baby things littering the floor – a purple rattle that's decorated with little giraffes and hippos, an empty bottle, a shredded open package of diapers that are scattered everywhere in a near halo around the empty bag. From a door on the left, I hear a pathetic groan that makes me crumble. I open the door to the master bedroom and am greeted by an iconic superhero t-shirt marinating in red, tossed in a heap on the floor, and move my eyes up to the blood-covered bedding, the liquid soaking in, staining the light blue dinosaur sheets that are wrapped around the now ruined mattress. My little brother Alfred F. Jones is haphazardly stretched across the bed, shirtless, he looks beaten and sickly, holding something wrapped in a clean blanket as if whatever is bundled up will jump up and run away.

The 'Land of The Free and Home of The Brave' looks utterly defeated. He's breathing heavily but at least he seems to be awake. The scent of blood still hangs fresh in the air and I snap into triage mode assessing the situation and walking over slowly. I didn't even hazard a guess on what had happened. I find the gash in his right shoulder. Well, that explains the blood... but what is the clutching like a lifeline? The thing in the blanket turns its sky-colored blue eyes to me, A baby, girl. Who is she? Where did she come from?

Al finally notices me and, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking, says, "Alexie, she's Alexie Aurora Jones." He introduces, voice quiet and shaky.

" What the hell Al? You're literally bleeding what happened, where did the baby come from?" he shrugs and gestures to a bassinet in the corner. "Explanation now" I demand carefully taking the sleeping infant and depositing her in the bassinet after looking her over. "No actually, to moose with that, where's the first aid kit? Bathroom? Bathroom." I stomp towards the ensuite. After a moment of fiddling, I find some gauze and tape under the sink in the small attached bath. He turns to face me, every movement pained and slow, attempts to sit up only for me to push him back down against the pillow. Years of training kick in as I wrap his arm, He'll probably need stitches but it'll do for now."I'm bandaging this first then you're going to explain what the hell is going on here."

"Matt, not now. She needs to be taken care of first." he gestures to Alexie "I have diapers and formula in the next room over. Please be gentle. She's delicate."

"She's also asleep" I finish taping the gause down pleased to see the bleeding has mostly stopped. "And you haven't even told me who she is. What's going on? And why are you blocking me?" I lightly jab his forehead only to receive a look of pain. "Alright fine, block me then but whatever this is you need to tell me if you don't show me" Prussia finally ventured in and I gestured him toward the crib

It was at this point and time my illustrious world superpower twin decided to pass out from blood loss.