[Fanfic] - while ( true ) - (2/2)
Previous Part
“Incoming!”
It didn’t work, was Germany’s first thought on waking, looking around to see the familiar walls of his living room. And Prussia. Which brought him to his second thought, a split second too late.
Pain burst from his nose as the football connected with a disturbing crack. At least he had sort of seen it coming this time, was his only consolation.
“You were supposed to catch that.”
He tried to concentrate through the throbbing in his nose and the disheartening realization that he was no closer to figuring out how to stop the loop than he was before. Glancing at Prussia, he gave a faint smile. “Any more bright ideas?”
“Huh?” Prussia looked at him in utter confusion.
And then it hit him. Prussia didn’t remember. Germany was suddenly struck by a keen sense of loss.
He was alone again. But he didn’t have to be.
“I’m stuck in a loop,” he said, eyes never leaving Prussia’s, as if he could communicate everything his brother had forgotten by will alone. “The day keeps repeating itself.”
There was no answer for several tense seconds. Germany held his breath.
Prussia bounded across the room and gave him a delighted slap on the back, screeching with laughter. “Nice one. Did Spain put you up to this?” A flick of his hand dismissed the thought. “No, not even that idiot could come up with something so dumb. It was America wasn’t it. Kid’s trying to get back at me for what happened at the shooting range last month, I knew it!”
Germany pursed his lips to keep his emotions in check, all the while searching Prussia’s face for any hint of the understanding and camaraderie they’d shared mere minutes ago. There was nothing-no concern, no support, not a trace of understanding-and though it made logical sense, Germany couldn’t help but feel let down.
“I’m serious,” he insisted. If Prussia didn’t remember his old memories then Germany would make new ones for them. He just had to convince him. “This is the fifth time now. I’m reliving the day and I can’t stop it and you told me-”
“Work on your delivery next time!” Prussia shot back, picking up the football and bouncing it against one knee. He headed towards the front door and left without looking back.
Germany shook his head and stood, throat tight as he watched him leave.
After several seconds, he shook it off. There was work to do.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany tried not to scream as yet another loop ended in searing heat and burns. He was getting nowhere and was beginning to wonder if this would ever end or if he would be trapped forever, living the same morning over and over with no reprieve.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he forgot about the football until a burst of pain exploded across his face.
“You were supposed to-”
“How!” Germany wasn’t sure what exactly he was asking as he jumped off the couch to pace furiously around the room, only that there was an ache in his chest he couldn’t seem to get rid of. He felt trapped, caged, as if the confines of the repeating time were physical walls closing in around him. “How was I supposed to catch it, seeing as I was sleeping when you kicked it! Every time you say the same thing, but you never mention that slightly relevant detail.”
Prussia stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had.
“Well? No answer?” He took a deep breath, frustration turning into familiar despair. “How about this one. How do you stop a day that doesn’t end?”
Not waiting for an answer, he turned and trudged out the door.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany caught the football millimeters from his face.
Ignoring Prussia’s gaping expression, he got up from the couch and entered the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator.
The explosion from the last loop was still fresh in his mind as he took a bottle of beer from the bottom shelf and downed its entire contents in several large, uncomfortable swallows. He grabbed a half dozen more, not bothering with a glass, and took them all back to the couch.
Just one loop, he told himself. One loop to relax and forget. That was all he needed.
He was well on his way towards a pleasant buzz when the phone rang. A sharp jab of his finger sent it to voicemail. On second thought, he picked it up, took out the battery, and threw both pieces clear across the room. They made a very satisfying sound as they impacted with the opposite wall.
He kept drinking until the world slipped sideways out from under him.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany groaned, both relieved and frustrated at his lack of hangover, and turned over onto his side. A moment later a thump impacted with the back of his head.
Maybe two loops, he amended.
“Go away,” he mumbled. Without an audience, Prussia soon wandered off, leaving him alone on the couch.
Next time he was stuck in a time loop, he swore, he would make sure to fall asleep in a proper bed. When this was over, perhaps he would celebrate by burning the hateful piece of furniture to ashes.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany launched himself from the couch, leaping clear over the coffee table and coming down on Prussia in a full-body tackle. Scowling, he ripped the ball from Prussia’s hands and tossed it aside. “If you even think of kicking that thing I’m going to shove it so far down your throat people will think you’re expecting a child! Do you understand?”
He met his brother’s wide, red-eyed stare unflinchingly until Prussia finally nodded. Satisfied, Germany climbed off him with a nod of his own and a clipped, “Good.”
Feeling better already, he leaned in and offered Prussia a hand up. At first Prussia just looked at him, but then he let loose a wild laugh and took the hand, allowing Germany to pull him to his feet.
“That was awesome!” He was barely upright before the words were out of his mouth. “I’ve never seen you move so fucking fast.”
Germany smiled despite himself. He had long outgrown the days of actively seeking praise for his deeds, but the compliment warmed him nonetheless. Especially considering the source; Prussia wasn’t one for false accolades when it came to skills pertaining to combat. In fact, the only times he ever remarked on Germany’s swiftness was to bemoan the lack of it. So Germany didn’t feel too guilty for allowing himself to enjoy the moment.
All too soon, the reality of his situation came rushing back. “I have to go,” he said, turning to leave.
“Hey, wait up!” A hand grabbed his own. “What’s the rush?”
Germany stifled a sigh. He could never tell which way these conversations with Prussia would go. Whether he’d be believed or laughed at. “In approximately-” he checked his watch, “seventy-six minutes a bomb will explode at the Heritage museum and I’ll be flung back in time to when you kick that ridiculous football at my head. Happy?”
“Fine, screw you, don’t tell me.”
Prussia left and shortly after, Germany did too.
Speeding towards the city yet again, he reflected that evacuating the building wasn’t enough to end the loop, and that there wasn’t enough time to diffuse the bomb or move it to a safe location. What he needed was a new plan. Then he remembered the keypad wired to the bomb.
There had to be some type of kill code that would halt the detonation. If he could find the perpetrator he could find the code and stop this entire thing for good.
It took several more loops, but eventually Germany got his first lead.
Every day among the sea of suits leaving the building were the same two technicians from the telephone company. A man and a woman, walking calmly away from the scene. He had learned to expect a variety of reactions from the museum attendees, reactions that changed slightly depending on how events played out. But these two were perfectly calm every time. It reeked of training and Germany was determined to find out who they were.
He tailed the two suspects, and any doubts he had were dispelled when they began to take evasive maneuvers the moment they set eyes on him: shedding the distinctive utility jackets; rounding corners only to break out into a sprint once they were out of sight; purposefully sticking to crowded areas to blend in with the bustle of Berliners going about their day. Even from a distance it was obvious that the woman was the one in charge, and had some sort of military background.
Germany pushed past a group of businessmen, emerging into an open plaza. His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding sidewalks and buildings, but they were gone.
The next time the day repeated, Germany knew what was coming, and their attempts to shake him off failed. He caught up with his two suspects outside of a boxy, low-rise office building, but upon seeing him they split up, the man slipping inside the building and the woman sprinting down a side street. After a moment’s hesitation, Germany followed the woman. And ended up in a dead-end alley, alone.
Several loops later, Germany was ready to tear his hair out. Every time he chased down the two perpetrators, they either beat him to the alley and disappeared, or on the occasions Germany went there immediately, never showed up at all. And chasing them down only wasted precious time that he didn’t have.
During one memorable loop he made this mistake of involving the local police; he was arrested as a suspect and was still waiting for his authorization codes to clear when the day reset.
He needed a third option. Or a second person, he amended.
---
“Incoming!”
Over the course of several experiments (the sample size was sadly insufficient for a satisfactory level of confidence), Germany discovered the following things: first -attempting to explain the existence of the time loop to Prussia generally resulted in a sixty percent rate of failure; second-he had a ninety percent chance of catching the football if he remembered to move immediately following the reset; and third- the easiest way to get Prussia to accompany him to the museum was simply to ask for his help.
Rolling off the couch and hearing the impact of the ball hitting the wall behind him, Germany did just that. “I need your help with something. I’ll explain on the way.” He met Prussia’s inquisitive stare. “Will you come?”
Prussia smiled wide, bouncing on his heels. “It’s not every day my little brother asks for help. Course I’ll come!”
Explaining on the way was easier said than done while on a motorcycle, but once he phoned the proper authorities, Germany managed to relay the pertinent details during the stop and go city traffic. (“I’ve been living the same day over and over again.”)
He was incredibly tired of this particular conversation. Both sets of conversations, to be exact. Because sometimes Prussia believed him and sometimes he didn’t and Germany still couldn’t figure out what the deciding factor was. In the end, he’d done both variations more times than he cared to recall.
The benefit of giving the speech while in transit was that it was difficult for Prussia to question him. But the disadvantage was that by the time they pulled up to the museum Germany still didn’t know Prussia’s thoughts on the matter.
They dismounted and stowed the helmets. “I don’t care if you believe me, but I need you to trust me and listen to what I say. Will you do that?”
Prussia tilted his head, assessing. “I never took you for a sci-fi fan, West.”
“I’m serious.”
Whether it was his tone of voice or simply the fact that he was asking for help, it worked. Prussia nodded. “You said there’s a bomb and we need to stop it?”
“Yes.” Germany checked his watch. Half an hour until the day reset. Not much time. He discreetly pointed over to the two suspects. “See those two? That’s them. I’m certain there’s a kill code for the bomb but I can’t get them to tell me what it is.”
“Then that’s all I need to know. Let’s do this.”
Germany felt a wave of relief. “Good. Here’s the plan,” he said, and explained everything.
They went to take their positions. Germany had only taken a handful of steps before Prussia tugged at his sleeve, pulling him back.
“Listen, I’m not saying I believe this time loop thing, but…” He shifted from foot to foot, looking up to meet Germany’s eyes. “But if it happens again, tell me ‘Brother Gerhard’ and I’ll believe you. Got it?”
Germany repeated the name. It wasn’t one he’d ever heard before and the question slipped past his lips before he realized it. “Who is-was,” he corrected, seeing Prussia’s face, “Who was he?”
“Someone I’ve never told anyone about.” Prussia gave a tight smile and jogged away, not giving Germany any time to respond.
It was a visceral reminder that, while Prussia knew everything about Germany’s past, the same couldn’t be said in reverse. There was no time to dwell on such ruminations and so Germany put it out of his mind.
Like they did every time, the two suspects fled the moment they spied Germany through the crowd. The mass of people made pursuit difficult and more than one person shouted curses at them as the brothers flew past. Germany’s heart pounded in his ears as the chase went through buildings and over heavily cobbled sidewalks, past outdoor cafes and rows of shops.
Eventually the man stumbled and Germany launched himself forward, tackling him to the ground. The woman fled with Prussia in pursuit.
Germany patted down the man’s pockets but failed to find any identification “Who are you?” he demanded, impatient. The chase had taken too much time and he felt every lost minute like a barb under his skin.
Unfocused eyes stared over his shoulder in the direction of the fleeing woman. “I’m going to murder that bitch. I knew this was a stupid idea.” He was tall and wiry with neatly trimmed dark hair going grey around at the temples, and wire spectacles sitting askew on his face. Together, it gave the impression of someone more at home in an office building than fleeing the scene of a crime.
Losing patience at the lack of answer, Germany shoved him face down and shoved a knee into his back. “How do I stop the bomb?”
The man twisted around to meet Germany’s eyes, his face a mask of stone. “You can’t.”
“No, but you can. Tell me the code to disable the bomb.”
“You’re too late.”
It was true, and Germany ruthlessly suppressed the flash of rage and frustration at how close he’d come only to fail again. “Next time, I won’t be,” he ground out, already revising his plan of action for the next loop.
The building exploded in the distance.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany’s eyes snapped open, hands flying up and plucking the ball from the air. In the same motion he launched it back with all his not inconsiderable strength, feeling a vicious sense of satisfaction at the high pitched yelp and ensuing crash of limbs that came from Prussia’s direction.
He felt better already.
“I’m stuck in a time loop,” he said, crossing the room and pulling Prussia to his feet.
“If this is your idea of a prank it needs some-”
“You said to tell you Brother Gerhard.”
The smile froze on Prussia’s face. He was always pale to begin with but now he looked as white and as still as marble. “How do you…” he trailed off. In a flurry of motion, he clapped his hands once and seemed to shake it off. “Alright, time loop. I’m listening.”
Germany couldn’t believe how easy that was, and it took him a moment to find his voice. “I’ll explain on the way. Come on, I need you with me for this.”
Prussia followed without protest.
Once they arrived at the museum, Germany finished bringing Prussia up to speed. It didn’t take long; by now he knew every road, building, and corner of the surrounding area as intimately as his own home.
“We’ll both converge on them from opposite sides and flush them down that side street,” he said, discreetly pointing to an area further down the street from the museum. Through a break in the trees a curving of the road could just be seen.
“Wait,” Prussia interrupted with a wave of his hand. “That’s a crap plan. If they see me coming they’ll-”
We tried that last time and it didn’t work. We need to force them to split up sooner.”
Prussia’s face fell. “Oh.” He recovered quickly. “Well then, let’s kick some ass.”
It was almost disconcerting how well it went off, and Germany had to remind himself that it wasn’t a bad omen but merely his foreknowledge proving useful. At the same time, he couldn’t help the rush of satisfaction at a well-executed plan. The two suspects acted exactly as Germany had predicted, running down the side road and splitting up almost immediately when it let out onto a cross-street.
Prussia and Germany split up as well.
For Germany, the chase was a familiar one. The fact that he was wearing dress shoes and that the sun was constantly in his eyes barely even slowed him down as he dodged road obstacles and pedestrians alike.
Heart thudding from adrenaline and exertion, he ran after the woman. Like she did every time she split from her partner, she lead him into an alley that he knew from previous loops contained a hidden fire escape ladder up to the roof. But this time Prussia was already there to meet them, blocking the way with his own suspect who he had restrained in a headlock. There was a cut on his temple staining a patch of white hair a pinkish red color, but he didn’t seem to mind, if the grin that stretched from ear to ear was any indication.
He caught Germany’s eye. “You take me to the nicest places, West.”
Triumph hummed beneath Germany’s skin. He was close this time. He could feel it.
He turned to the woman. She was short, with brown curly hair and soft features. If he hadn’t had the displeasure of chasing after her over several loops, he would be sure there was some sort of mistake. Then again, as he had seen many times, looks were no indication of what a person was capable of.
“It’s over,” he said, taking several slow steps further into the shadowed alley.
She tensed, hair whipping around as she assessed her options. By the way her eyes narrowed it was clear she’d realized she was trapped. Spinning in a burst of motion, she barreled into Prussia, pegging him for an easy target while he had his hands occupied keeping her partner subdued.
It was an uneven fight from the beginning. Prussia ducked and pivoted, using the arm already restraining his own suspect to elbow her in the face. At the same time he kicked at the large bone of her ankle. She dropped to the floor, Prussia’s foot on her back keeping here there.
The entire fight had taken only a few seconds.
Germany jogged over, unable to keep the grin off his face. He’d never admit it aloud but watching Prussia fight-the uncanny blend of brutality and elegance-was something he never got tired of seeing.
“It’s over.” Germany spoke to both downed perpetrators.
The woman under Prussia’s heel gave a laugh that quickly turned into a cough. A glint of metal near her ankle flashed in the poor lighting and Germany bent to retrieve what turned out to be a knife hidden under her pant leg.
She stared hard at him, and he returned it. This was new territory for him, and the thought exhilarated him. Never before had he caught the two together with so much time to spare.
He shifted his gaze to look at the man still trapped in Prussia’s grip. “You have two choices,” he explained, idly turning the knife over in his hands. “You can both cooperate and tell me the code to disarm the bomb. Or-“
He never got a chance to finish, as the woman rolled out from under Prussia and rushed at Germany, brandishing another hidden knife.
Germany jumped backwards, barely avoiding the sharpened edge as it cut into his suit jacket, deflecting the next strike with his own confiscated blade. Moving fast, he grabbed her knife-wrist with his other hand and twisted.
Metal clattered against asphalt as the weapon skidded away. Not stopping to enjoy his victory, Germany backed the woman against the nearby alley wall, a forearm across her throat and the point of his knife over her heart. From the corner of his eye, he saw Prussia getting to his feet, having regained control of his own suspect
The woman snarled, trying and failing to break Germany’s grip on her. She was good; exceptionally well-trained in combat, but Germany had taught most of those courses at one point or another, and easily countered her attempts to break free.
“That was rude,” Germany said to the enraged woman. “And uncalled for.”
She raised her chin to meet his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. It’s done, and you’re too late.”
Germany felt a strange calm descend over him. “You always say that,” he replied, “Yet here we are again.”
That earned him a confused look but Germany ignored it. “Tell me the code to disarm the bomb,” he said.
They stared in silence until Prussia approached, the gait of his footsteps made uneven by the weight of dragging another person with him. “She’s not gonna talk. Are you?” he interrupted, giving the stoic looking woman a once over.
She said nothing.
“See, like I said,” Prussia continued. “I know her type. Hell, I am her type. Anything for the cause, right?”
Germany startled, looking over at his brother.
“Come on, West, it’s plain as day. This is personal for her. You’d see it too if your head wasn’t so fucked by this looping shit.”
“What do you propose?”
“Here, take my guy.”
Before Germany could protest, he was dealing with eighty kilos of flustered suspect flung in his direction. He felt a tug on his hand, heard a scuffle, and when he looked again Prussia was on the floor straddling the woman’s back, one of the woman’s hands twisted painfully behind her and Germany’s knife tucked into his belt at the small of his back.
Face deadly serious, Prussia bent back her little finger, holding it steady in his grip. “You’ve got ten tries to answer my brother’s questions before I get serious, got it?”
Germany stared, throat tight with dread. “Prussia, you can’t.”
“I can and I will, West.”
Prussia looked up, and Germany could see a coldness is his eyes that wasn’t there before. It was the ruthlessness of an empire, of a kingdom, and he was suddenly reminded that not all of the reasons behind his brother’s dissolution were completely unfounded. That harshness was a part of Prussia, he realized, lodged at the core and refusing to be softened by the passing of time, no matter how many pictures of baby birds Prussia bragged about posting on his blog.
“What-what are you doing?” The shout came from the man Germany was currently detaining, a noticeable tremor running throughout his body. “You can’t do that!”
“Watch me,” Prussia replied, flippantly. “And if she doesn’t talk, I’ll move on to you.”
“You can’t be serious. This-this is a joke right? You can’t do that!”
“Shut up!” That came from the woman on the ground. “You useless piece of shit. I knew it was a mistake involving you in this.”
“A mistake! How dare you. You’d have gotten nowhere without me. My connections, my funding, my-” he cut himself off, straightening in Germany’s grip and twisting around as much as he could to look him in the eye. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m not going down for her. I tell you the disarm code and you cut me a deal. Agreed?”
Germany nodded, relief coursing through him. “You have my word.”
---
The moment they had the code, Germany sprinted back to the museum with Prussia. “You weren’t really going to do it, were you?” he asked between heaving breaths.
“What, torture them?”
Their footsteps slapped loud against the pavement for several uncomfortable strides.
“Nah, course not. Knew the guy would cave,” Prussia answered, a beat too late for Germany to be truly convinced. They turned a corner, the museum finally in sight. “Why, you didn’t think I was, did you?”
“No,” Germany lied. “Of course not.”
Entering the building, Germany was relieved to find it empty. The atrium seemed even larger with no people inside, and their footsteps echoed eerily across the floor and walls, making it seem like an invisible army was on their heels.
The suitcase containing the explosives was sitting open on the marble floor, no doubt from when the bomb disposal team was inside earlier. Germany hurried over to it, quickly entering the 12-digit code from memory.
A hand clasped his shoulder once he was done, nearly making him jump. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“No.”
“What!”
Germany turned to face him. “We have no way of knowing if the code worked.”
“Yeah, all the more reason to leave!”
“And if the bomb still detonates? I’ll need to know if it was a bad code, or if the bomb was tampered with. And the only way to do that is to stay here.” With that, Germany settled down to wait.
“Fine then.” And to Germany’s surprise, Prussia sat down right alongside him.
He shifted to look at Prussia. “You don’t have to stay.” Somehow his hand had made its way to rest on Prussia’s knee, belying his words, but Germany couldn’t bring himself to remove it.
Prussia shrugged a shoulder. “I’d be a shit older brother if I let you face this alone. Besides, it’s not like I’ll remember it if it doesn’t work.”
But I will, Germany didn’t say. Even knowing it couldn’t permanently harm either of them, he didn’t want to watch Prussia get hurt. But at the same time he was grateful for the company.
Prussia’s hand brushed his own and Germany took it, squeezing lightly.
A stilted laugh came from beside him. “Hey, nothing to worry about. Neither of us is dying here, you know.”
He was right and Germany felt his face flush. Regardless, he steeled himself to speak. The day might reset in moments, but Prussia deserved to hear it. “Thank you. For staying, I mean. Even if you don’t remember, I-” he searched for the right words, settling on, “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Like I’d be anywhere else.” Prussia gave a soft laugh but the emotion in his eyes was plain to see.
They sat in silence, hands clasped and shoulders pressed tightly together.
“So, um…” Prussia broke the stillness, “what time is it?”
Germany checked his watch. And laughed. It took him several tries to get the words out; each time he tried to speak he ended up doubling over, entire frame shaking as the rush of relief and exultation ran through him.
Prussia seemed to understand without words. Letting out a delighted cackle, he launched himself at Germany in an embrace that knocked them both flat to the floor.
“It’s done,” Germany said, in wonder. Saying it seemed to make it real, so he said it again. “We did it.”
Disbelief still clinging to the edges of his mind, he let Prussia pull him to his feet and didn’t protest when a strong arm wrapped itself tightly around his waist. Together, they made their way out of the building.
It had taken so long to get to this point, but now the day was truly just beginning.
---
It wasn’t until days later that Germany finally had time to come up for air. He and Prussia had taken joint control of the resulting investigation and had been so busy they’d barely been in the same room together, let alone had time to talk about anything outside of work.
So when they both ended up in the break room at the police branch office they agreed it was high time to sit down and talk.
“I keep wondering why,” Germany said, pouring two cups of coffee and handing one over.
Prussia took the cup and sipped, grimacing at the taste. “Why they did it? We may never know.”
Germany paused. “You mean you haven’t heard yet?” At Prussia’s raised eyebrow he continued. “We found out about an hour ago. It turns out that one of the notebooks found with the recovered art implicated our two suspects’ family - did you know they were brother and sister - in a number of crimes during the Second World War, most notably the theft of priceless heirlooms from families who were imprisoned. They were attempting to destroy the evidence before it could be uncovered.”
“Working alone?”
“Yes, fortunately.”
Prussia was silent, and Germany didn’t need to ask to know why. On days like this it seemed that no matter how far forward they had come, they would never truly escape their past, and their past mistakes. Germany brought the steaming cup of coffee to his lips, the resulting grimace having nothing to do with the poor quality of the beverage.
“This wasn’t your fault,” Prussia said finally.
Germany had no response so he said nothing, changing the subject and continuing with his original question. “What I meant was why me?” It had been weighing on his mind since the beginning. “Why was I the only one who remembered?”
Prussia blinked, lowering the cup and pursing his lips. “You’re Germany. This is your city, your people. Why wouldn’t it be you?”
There was a wistfulness in his voice that brought Germany to a halt, and he took a moment to really look at Prussia. To anyone else there would be nothing to see, but Germany had learned to read his brother so long ago that he could see the old hurt as easily as if it were spelled out in words. He put his free hand on Prussia’s shoulder, watching as distant eyes shifted to look at him.
“It’s yours, too. You’re as much a part of this city as I am,” Germany said, shifting his hand down to rest over Prussia’s heart. “You know that, right?”
Prussia rolled his eyes and batted his hand away. “Jesus, West. What kind of sappy shit has Italy been subjecting you to!” But his face was lighter and when he laughed it was without that bitter edge.
Germany felt something loosen in his own chest. “Well, as you’re so fond of telling anyone who will listen, there’d be no Germany without you.”
That earned him a wide smile.
They finished their coffee and were walking down the hallway back to their respective offices-Germany to further review the evidence collected from the museum and Prussia to track down the materials used in the explosive device - when Prussia spoke up unexpectedly.
“You know, I started out as a religious order.” He cocked his head, hands deep in his pockets and looking like the picture of innocence.
Germany wasn’t fooled for a moment. He knew that expression. Prussia was building up to something; it was only a matter of what.
“I’m aware,” he replied, lips twitching as he fought to keep his expression neutral. He’d heard many stories of Prussia’s younger years, not all of them from Prussia himself. There was one in particular that the other nations were scandalized to discover Germany had never heard, and took great delight in regaling him. “In fact, I recall hearing a certain story about you Poland where you cornered him and demanded to touch his-”
“West!” It was Prussia who sounded scandalized now, the faint tinges of pink staining his normally pale cheeks. Mentally, Germany filed the moment away as something not to forget.
“That’s not-” Prussia sputtered, hand coming up to wave wildly in the air before running it through his hair. “That was not the point I was getting at.”
“Oh?” Germany asked, arranging his face in a way he knew looked a little too guileless to be believable. “My mistake, then. Go on.”
If Prussia recognized the parody of his own I didn’t do it face staring back at him, he gave no sign. “The Teutonic Order was Catholic but I’ve always done my homework when it comes to my enemies. Even when I wasn’t supposed to. The pagans, for example. Remember the statue in the museum’s atrium?”
Germany nodded.
“It was found near the Baltic coast. Pagan god of grain,” Prussia continued. “Don’t look so surprised, it was all on the descriptive plaque. What isn’t on there is that he also presided over meal times. Sunrise and sunset. Beginnings and endings.” He paused, head tilted slightly as he looked up at Germany. “Wasn’t that one of the statues that took damage? Probably got hit every loop, right?”
Something stirred in his gut at the words. Beginnings and endings. And Prussia was right about the statue likely being damaged at every loop. “You don’t think…” he trailed off, not sure he was ready to put his suspicions into words.
“Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t seen your share of strange shit. You’re young, but not that young.”
“Do you think it will happen again,” he asked in lieu of agreeing. “The looping, that is?”
Prussia laughed. “Don’t you watch movies? You already woke up and saw tomorrow. It’s over. Enjoy living day to day like the rest of us!”
It was likely the best answer he was going to get, so he put it to the back of his mind and took Prussia’s advice, slinging an around his older brother’s shoulder and letting those particular worries fall away. “I believe you owe me a game of football when this is over.” He looked over and smiled. “And I hope you’re prepared to get your ass kicked for all those days of waking up to a ball in the face.”
“It was only the once!” Prussia protested, making no move to throw off the embrace. “And the way I remember it, you hit me.”
“You had it coming. I, on the other hand, had to endure that damned ball every single time! And I fully intend to settle the score.”
“No way - you’re the one who’s going down!”
They were still laughing when they parted.
“Incoming!”
It didn’t work, was Germany’s first thought on waking, looking around to see the familiar walls of his living room. And Prussia. Which brought him to his second thought, a split second too late.
Pain burst from his nose as the football connected with a disturbing crack. At least he had sort of seen it coming this time, was his only consolation.
“You were supposed to catch that.”
He tried to concentrate through the throbbing in his nose and the disheartening realization that he was no closer to figuring out how to stop the loop than he was before. Glancing at Prussia, he gave a faint smile. “Any more bright ideas?”
“Huh?” Prussia looked at him in utter confusion.
And then it hit him. Prussia didn’t remember. Germany was suddenly struck by a keen sense of loss.
He was alone again. But he didn’t have to be.
“I’m stuck in a loop,” he said, eyes never leaving Prussia’s, as if he could communicate everything his brother had forgotten by will alone. “The day keeps repeating itself.”
There was no answer for several tense seconds. Germany held his breath.
Prussia bounded across the room and gave him a delighted slap on the back, screeching with laughter. “Nice one. Did Spain put you up to this?” A flick of his hand dismissed the thought. “No, not even that idiot could come up with something so dumb. It was America wasn’t it. Kid’s trying to get back at me for what happened at the shooting range last month, I knew it!”
Germany pursed his lips to keep his emotions in check, all the while searching Prussia’s face for any hint of the understanding and camaraderie they’d shared mere minutes ago. There was nothing-no concern, no support, not a trace of understanding-and though it made logical sense, Germany couldn’t help but feel let down.
“I’m serious,” he insisted. If Prussia didn’t remember his old memories then Germany would make new ones for them. He just had to convince him. “This is the fifth time now. I’m reliving the day and I can’t stop it and you told me-”
“Work on your delivery next time!” Prussia shot back, picking up the football and bouncing it against one knee. He headed towards the front door and left without looking back.
Germany shook his head and stood, throat tight as he watched him leave.
After several seconds, he shook it off. There was work to do.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany tried not to scream as yet another loop ended in searing heat and burns. He was getting nowhere and was beginning to wonder if this would ever end or if he would be trapped forever, living the same morning over and over with no reprieve.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he forgot about the football until a burst of pain exploded across his face.
“You were supposed to-”
“How!” Germany wasn’t sure what exactly he was asking as he jumped off the couch to pace furiously around the room, only that there was an ache in his chest he couldn’t seem to get rid of. He felt trapped, caged, as if the confines of the repeating time were physical walls closing in around him. “How was I supposed to catch it, seeing as I was sleeping when you kicked it! Every time you say the same thing, but you never mention that slightly relevant detail.”
Prussia stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had.
“Well? No answer?” He took a deep breath, frustration turning into familiar despair. “How about this one. How do you stop a day that doesn’t end?”
Not waiting for an answer, he turned and trudged out the door.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany caught the football millimeters from his face.
Ignoring Prussia’s gaping expression, he got up from the couch and entered the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator.
The explosion from the last loop was still fresh in his mind as he took a bottle of beer from the bottom shelf and downed its entire contents in several large, uncomfortable swallows. He grabbed a half dozen more, not bothering with a glass, and took them all back to the couch.
Just one loop, he told himself. One loop to relax and forget. That was all he needed.
He was well on his way towards a pleasant buzz when the phone rang. A sharp jab of his finger sent it to voicemail. On second thought, he picked it up, took out the battery, and threw both pieces clear across the room. They made a very satisfying sound as they impacted with the opposite wall.
He kept drinking until the world slipped sideways out from under him.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany groaned, both relieved and frustrated at his lack of hangover, and turned over onto his side. A moment later a thump impacted with the back of his head.
Maybe two loops, he amended.
“Go away,” he mumbled. Without an audience, Prussia soon wandered off, leaving him alone on the couch.
Next time he was stuck in a time loop, he swore, he would make sure to fall asleep in a proper bed. When this was over, perhaps he would celebrate by burning the hateful piece of furniture to ashes.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany launched himself from the couch, leaping clear over the coffee table and coming down on Prussia in a full-body tackle. Scowling, he ripped the ball from Prussia’s hands and tossed it aside. “If you even think of kicking that thing I’m going to shove it so far down your throat people will think you’re expecting a child! Do you understand?”
He met his brother’s wide, red-eyed stare unflinchingly until Prussia finally nodded. Satisfied, Germany climbed off him with a nod of his own and a clipped, “Good.”
Feeling better already, he leaned in and offered Prussia a hand up. At first Prussia just looked at him, but then he let loose a wild laugh and took the hand, allowing Germany to pull him to his feet.
“That was awesome!” He was barely upright before the words were out of his mouth. “I’ve never seen you move so fucking fast.”
Germany smiled despite himself. He had long outgrown the days of actively seeking praise for his deeds, but the compliment warmed him nonetheless. Especially considering the source; Prussia wasn’t one for false accolades when it came to skills pertaining to combat. In fact, the only times he ever remarked on Germany’s swiftness was to bemoan the lack of it. So Germany didn’t feel too guilty for allowing himself to enjoy the moment.
All too soon, the reality of his situation came rushing back. “I have to go,” he said, turning to leave.
“Hey, wait up!” A hand grabbed his own. “What’s the rush?”
Germany stifled a sigh. He could never tell which way these conversations with Prussia would go. Whether he’d be believed or laughed at. “In approximately-” he checked his watch, “seventy-six minutes a bomb will explode at the Heritage museum and I’ll be flung back in time to when you kick that ridiculous football at my head. Happy?”
“Fine, screw you, don’t tell me.”
Prussia left and shortly after, Germany did too.
Speeding towards the city yet again, he reflected that evacuating the building wasn’t enough to end the loop, and that there wasn’t enough time to diffuse the bomb or move it to a safe location. What he needed was a new plan. Then he remembered the keypad wired to the bomb.
There had to be some type of kill code that would halt the detonation. If he could find the perpetrator he could find the code and stop this entire thing for good.
It took several more loops, but eventually Germany got his first lead.
Every day among the sea of suits leaving the building were the same two technicians from the telephone company. A man and a woman, walking calmly away from the scene. He had learned to expect a variety of reactions from the museum attendees, reactions that changed slightly depending on how events played out. But these two were perfectly calm every time. It reeked of training and Germany was determined to find out who they were.
He tailed the two suspects, and any doubts he had were dispelled when they began to take evasive maneuvers the moment they set eyes on him: shedding the distinctive utility jackets; rounding corners only to break out into a sprint once they were out of sight; purposefully sticking to crowded areas to blend in with the bustle of Berliners going about their day. Even from a distance it was obvious that the woman was the one in charge, and had some sort of military background.
Germany pushed past a group of businessmen, emerging into an open plaza. His eyes quickly scanned the surrounding sidewalks and buildings, but they were gone.
The next time the day repeated, Germany knew what was coming, and their attempts to shake him off failed. He caught up with his two suspects outside of a boxy, low-rise office building, but upon seeing him they split up, the man slipping inside the building and the woman sprinting down a side street. After a moment’s hesitation, Germany followed the woman. And ended up in a dead-end alley, alone.
Several loops later, Germany was ready to tear his hair out. Every time he chased down the two perpetrators, they either beat him to the alley and disappeared, or on the occasions Germany went there immediately, never showed up at all. And chasing them down only wasted precious time that he didn’t have.
During one memorable loop he made this mistake of involving the local police; he was arrested as a suspect and was still waiting for his authorization codes to clear when the day reset.
He needed a third option. Or a second person, he amended.
---
“Incoming!”
Over the course of several experiments (the sample size was sadly insufficient for a satisfactory level of confidence), Germany discovered the following things: first -attempting to explain the existence of the time loop to Prussia generally resulted in a sixty percent rate of failure; second-he had a ninety percent chance of catching the football if he remembered to move immediately following the reset; and third- the easiest way to get Prussia to accompany him to the museum was simply to ask for his help.
Rolling off the couch and hearing the impact of the ball hitting the wall behind him, Germany did just that. “I need your help with something. I’ll explain on the way.” He met Prussia’s inquisitive stare. “Will you come?”
Prussia smiled wide, bouncing on his heels. “It’s not every day my little brother asks for help. Course I’ll come!”
Explaining on the way was easier said than done while on a motorcycle, but once he phoned the proper authorities, Germany managed to relay the pertinent details during the stop and go city traffic. (“I’ve been living the same day over and over again.”)
He was incredibly tired of this particular conversation. Both sets of conversations, to be exact. Because sometimes Prussia believed him and sometimes he didn’t and Germany still couldn’t figure out what the deciding factor was. In the end, he’d done both variations more times than he cared to recall.
The benefit of giving the speech while in transit was that it was difficult for Prussia to question him. But the disadvantage was that by the time they pulled up to the museum Germany still didn’t know Prussia’s thoughts on the matter.
They dismounted and stowed the helmets. “I don’t care if you believe me, but I need you to trust me and listen to what I say. Will you do that?”
Prussia tilted his head, assessing. “I never took you for a sci-fi fan, West.”
“I’m serious.”
Whether it was his tone of voice or simply the fact that he was asking for help, it worked. Prussia nodded. “You said there’s a bomb and we need to stop it?”
“Yes.” Germany checked his watch. Half an hour until the day reset. Not much time. He discreetly pointed over to the two suspects. “See those two? That’s them. I’m certain there’s a kill code for the bomb but I can’t get them to tell me what it is.”
“Then that’s all I need to know. Let’s do this.”
Germany felt a wave of relief. “Good. Here’s the plan,” he said, and explained everything.
They went to take their positions. Germany had only taken a handful of steps before Prussia tugged at his sleeve, pulling him back.
“Listen, I’m not saying I believe this time loop thing, but…” He shifted from foot to foot, looking up to meet Germany’s eyes. “But if it happens again, tell me ‘Brother Gerhard’ and I’ll believe you. Got it?”
Germany repeated the name. It wasn’t one he’d ever heard before and the question slipped past his lips before he realized it. “Who is-was,” he corrected, seeing Prussia’s face, “Who was he?”
“Someone I’ve never told anyone about.” Prussia gave a tight smile and jogged away, not giving Germany any time to respond.
It was a visceral reminder that, while Prussia knew everything about Germany’s past, the same couldn’t be said in reverse. There was no time to dwell on such ruminations and so Germany put it out of his mind.
Like they did every time, the two suspects fled the moment they spied Germany through the crowd. The mass of people made pursuit difficult and more than one person shouted curses at them as the brothers flew past. Germany’s heart pounded in his ears as the chase went through buildings and over heavily cobbled sidewalks, past outdoor cafes and rows of shops.
Eventually the man stumbled and Germany launched himself forward, tackling him to the ground. The woman fled with Prussia in pursuit.
Germany patted down the man’s pockets but failed to find any identification “Who are you?” he demanded, impatient. The chase had taken too much time and he felt every lost minute like a barb under his skin.
Unfocused eyes stared over his shoulder in the direction of the fleeing woman. “I’m going to murder that bitch. I knew this was a stupid idea.” He was tall and wiry with neatly trimmed dark hair going grey around at the temples, and wire spectacles sitting askew on his face. Together, it gave the impression of someone more at home in an office building than fleeing the scene of a crime.
Losing patience at the lack of answer, Germany shoved him face down and shoved a knee into his back. “How do I stop the bomb?”
The man twisted around to meet Germany’s eyes, his face a mask of stone. “You can’t.”
“No, but you can. Tell me the code to disable the bomb.”
“You’re too late.”
It was true, and Germany ruthlessly suppressed the flash of rage and frustration at how close he’d come only to fail again. “Next time, I won’t be,” he ground out, already revising his plan of action for the next loop.
The building exploded in the distance.
---
“Incoming!”
Germany’s eyes snapped open, hands flying up and plucking the ball from the air. In the same motion he launched it back with all his not inconsiderable strength, feeling a vicious sense of satisfaction at the high pitched yelp and ensuing crash of limbs that came from Prussia’s direction.
He felt better already.
“I’m stuck in a time loop,” he said, crossing the room and pulling Prussia to his feet.
“If this is your idea of a prank it needs some-”
“You said to tell you Brother Gerhard.”
The smile froze on Prussia’s face. He was always pale to begin with but now he looked as white and as still as marble. “How do you…” he trailed off. In a flurry of motion, he clapped his hands once and seemed to shake it off. “Alright, time loop. I’m listening.”
Germany couldn’t believe how easy that was, and it took him a moment to find his voice. “I’ll explain on the way. Come on, I need you with me for this.”
Prussia followed without protest.
Once they arrived at the museum, Germany finished bringing Prussia up to speed. It didn’t take long; by now he knew every road, building, and corner of the surrounding area as intimately as his own home.
“We’ll both converge on them from opposite sides and flush them down that side street,” he said, discreetly pointing to an area further down the street from the museum. Through a break in the trees a curving of the road could just be seen.
“Wait,” Prussia interrupted with a wave of his hand. “That’s a crap plan. If they see me coming they’ll-”
We tried that last time and it didn’t work. We need to force them to split up sooner.”
Prussia’s face fell. “Oh.” He recovered quickly. “Well then, let’s kick some ass.”
It was almost disconcerting how well it went off, and Germany had to remind himself that it wasn’t a bad omen but merely his foreknowledge proving useful. At the same time, he couldn’t help the rush of satisfaction at a well-executed plan. The two suspects acted exactly as Germany had predicted, running down the side road and splitting up almost immediately when it let out onto a cross-street.
Prussia and Germany split up as well.
For Germany, the chase was a familiar one. The fact that he was wearing dress shoes and that the sun was constantly in his eyes barely even slowed him down as he dodged road obstacles and pedestrians alike.
Heart thudding from adrenaline and exertion, he ran after the woman. Like she did every time she split from her partner, she lead him into an alley that he knew from previous loops contained a hidden fire escape ladder up to the roof. But this time Prussia was already there to meet them, blocking the way with his own suspect who he had restrained in a headlock. There was a cut on his temple staining a patch of white hair a pinkish red color, but he didn’t seem to mind, if the grin that stretched from ear to ear was any indication.
He caught Germany’s eye. “You take me to the nicest places, West.”
Triumph hummed beneath Germany’s skin. He was close this time. He could feel it.
He turned to the woman. She was short, with brown curly hair and soft features. If he hadn’t had the displeasure of chasing after her over several loops, he would be sure there was some sort of mistake. Then again, as he had seen many times, looks were no indication of what a person was capable of.
“It’s over,” he said, taking several slow steps further into the shadowed alley.
She tensed, hair whipping around as she assessed her options. By the way her eyes narrowed it was clear she’d realized she was trapped. Spinning in a burst of motion, she barreled into Prussia, pegging him for an easy target while he had his hands occupied keeping her partner subdued.
It was an uneven fight from the beginning. Prussia ducked and pivoted, using the arm already restraining his own suspect to elbow her in the face. At the same time he kicked at the large bone of her ankle. She dropped to the floor, Prussia’s foot on her back keeping here there.
The entire fight had taken only a few seconds.
Germany jogged over, unable to keep the grin off his face. He’d never admit it aloud but watching Prussia fight-the uncanny blend of brutality and elegance-was something he never got tired of seeing.
“It’s over.” Germany spoke to both downed perpetrators.
The woman under Prussia’s heel gave a laugh that quickly turned into a cough. A glint of metal near her ankle flashed in the poor lighting and Germany bent to retrieve what turned out to be a knife hidden under her pant leg.
She stared hard at him, and he returned it. This was new territory for him, and the thought exhilarated him. Never before had he caught the two together with so much time to spare.
He shifted his gaze to look at the man still trapped in Prussia’s grip. “You have two choices,” he explained, idly turning the knife over in his hands. “You can both cooperate and tell me the code to disarm the bomb. Or-“
He never got a chance to finish, as the woman rolled out from under Prussia and rushed at Germany, brandishing another hidden knife.
Germany jumped backwards, barely avoiding the sharpened edge as it cut into his suit jacket, deflecting the next strike with his own confiscated blade. Moving fast, he grabbed her knife-wrist with his other hand and twisted.
Metal clattered against asphalt as the weapon skidded away. Not stopping to enjoy his victory, Germany backed the woman against the nearby alley wall, a forearm across her throat and the point of his knife over her heart. From the corner of his eye, he saw Prussia getting to his feet, having regained control of his own suspect
The woman snarled, trying and failing to break Germany’s grip on her. She was good; exceptionally well-trained in combat, but Germany had taught most of those courses at one point or another, and easily countered her attempts to break free.
“That was rude,” Germany said to the enraged woman. “And uncalled for.”
She raised her chin to meet his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. It’s done, and you’re too late.”
Germany felt a strange calm descend over him. “You always say that,” he replied, “Yet here we are again.”
That earned him a confused look but Germany ignored it. “Tell me the code to disarm the bomb,” he said.
They stared in silence until Prussia approached, the gait of his footsteps made uneven by the weight of dragging another person with him. “She’s not gonna talk. Are you?” he interrupted, giving the stoic looking woman a once over.
She said nothing.
“See, like I said,” Prussia continued. “I know her type. Hell, I am her type. Anything for the cause, right?”
Germany startled, looking over at his brother.
“Come on, West, it’s plain as day. This is personal for her. You’d see it too if your head wasn’t so fucked by this looping shit.”
“What do you propose?”
“Here, take my guy.”
Before Germany could protest, he was dealing with eighty kilos of flustered suspect flung in his direction. He felt a tug on his hand, heard a scuffle, and when he looked again Prussia was on the floor straddling the woman’s back, one of the woman’s hands twisted painfully behind her and Germany’s knife tucked into his belt at the small of his back.
Face deadly serious, Prussia bent back her little finger, holding it steady in his grip. “You’ve got ten tries to answer my brother’s questions before I get serious, got it?”
Germany stared, throat tight with dread. “Prussia, you can’t.”
“I can and I will, West.”
Prussia looked up, and Germany could see a coldness is his eyes that wasn’t there before. It was the ruthlessness of an empire, of a kingdom, and he was suddenly reminded that not all of the reasons behind his brother’s dissolution were completely unfounded. That harshness was a part of Prussia, he realized, lodged at the core and refusing to be softened by the passing of time, no matter how many pictures of baby birds Prussia bragged about posting on his blog.
“What-what are you doing?” The shout came from the man Germany was currently detaining, a noticeable tremor running throughout his body. “You can’t do that!”
“Watch me,” Prussia replied, flippantly. “And if she doesn’t talk, I’ll move on to you.”
“You can’t be serious. This-this is a joke right? You can’t do that!”
“Shut up!” That came from the woman on the ground. “You useless piece of shit. I knew it was a mistake involving you in this.”
“A mistake! How dare you. You’d have gotten nowhere without me. My connections, my funding, my-” he cut himself off, straightening in Germany’s grip and twisting around as much as he could to look him in the eye. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m not going down for her. I tell you the disarm code and you cut me a deal. Agreed?”
Germany nodded, relief coursing through him. “You have my word.”
---
The moment they had the code, Germany sprinted back to the museum with Prussia. “You weren’t really going to do it, were you?” he asked between heaving breaths.
“What, torture them?”
Their footsteps slapped loud against the pavement for several uncomfortable strides.
“Nah, course not. Knew the guy would cave,” Prussia answered, a beat too late for Germany to be truly convinced. They turned a corner, the museum finally in sight. “Why, you didn’t think I was, did you?”
“No,” Germany lied. “Of course not.”
Entering the building, Germany was relieved to find it empty. The atrium seemed even larger with no people inside, and their footsteps echoed eerily across the floor and walls, making it seem like an invisible army was on their heels.
The suitcase containing the explosives was sitting open on the marble floor, no doubt from when the bomb disposal team was inside earlier. Germany hurried over to it, quickly entering the 12-digit code from memory.
A hand clasped his shoulder once he was done, nearly making him jump. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“No.”
“What!”
Germany turned to face him. “We have no way of knowing if the code worked.”
“Yeah, all the more reason to leave!”
“And if the bomb still detonates? I’ll need to know if it was a bad code, or if the bomb was tampered with. And the only way to do that is to stay here.” With that, Germany settled down to wait.
“Fine then.” And to Germany’s surprise, Prussia sat down right alongside him.
He shifted to look at Prussia. “You don’t have to stay.” Somehow his hand had made its way to rest on Prussia’s knee, belying his words, but Germany couldn’t bring himself to remove it.
Prussia shrugged a shoulder. “I’d be a shit older brother if I let you face this alone. Besides, it’s not like I’ll remember it if it doesn’t work.”
But I will, Germany didn’t say. Even knowing it couldn’t permanently harm either of them, he didn’t want to watch Prussia get hurt. But at the same time he was grateful for the company.
Prussia’s hand brushed his own and Germany took it, squeezing lightly.
A stilted laugh came from beside him. “Hey, nothing to worry about. Neither of us is dying here, you know.”
He was right and Germany felt his face flush. Regardless, he steeled himself to speak. The day might reset in moments, but Prussia deserved to hear it. “Thank you. For staying, I mean. Even if you don’t remember, I-” he searched for the right words, settling on, “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Like I’d be anywhere else.” Prussia gave a soft laugh but the emotion in his eyes was plain to see.
They sat in silence, hands clasped and shoulders pressed tightly together.
“So, um…” Prussia broke the stillness, “what time is it?”
Germany checked his watch. And laughed. It took him several tries to get the words out; each time he tried to speak he ended up doubling over, entire frame shaking as the rush of relief and exultation ran through him.
Prussia seemed to understand without words. Letting out a delighted cackle, he launched himself at Germany in an embrace that knocked them both flat to the floor.
“It’s done,” Germany said, in wonder. Saying it seemed to make it real, so he said it again. “We did it.”
Disbelief still clinging to the edges of his mind, he let Prussia pull him to his feet and didn’t protest when a strong arm wrapped itself tightly around his waist. Together, they made their way out of the building.
It had taken so long to get to this point, but now the day was truly just beginning.
---
It wasn’t until days later that Germany finally had time to come up for air. He and Prussia had taken joint control of the resulting investigation and had been so busy they’d barely been in the same room together, let alone had time to talk about anything outside of work.
So when they both ended up in the break room at the police branch office they agreed it was high time to sit down and talk.
“I keep wondering why,” Germany said, pouring two cups of coffee and handing one over.
Prussia took the cup and sipped, grimacing at the taste. “Why they did it? We may never know.”
Germany paused. “You mean you haven’t heard yet?” At Prussia’s raised eyebrow he continued. “We found out about an hour ago. It turns out that one of the notebooks found with the recovered art implicated our two suspects’ family - did you know they were brother and sister - in a number of crimes during the Second World War, most notably the theft of priceless heirlooms from families who were imprisoned. They were attempting to destroy the evidence before it could be uncovered.”
“Working alone?”
“Yes, fortunately.”
Prussia was silent, and Germany didn’t need to ask to know why. On days like this it seemed that no matter how far forward they had come, they would never truly escape their past, and their past mistakes. Germany brought the steaming cup of coffee to his lips, the resulting grimace having nothing to do with the poor quality of the beverage.
“This wasn’t your fault,” Prussia said finally.
Germany had no response so he said nothing, changing the subject and continuing with his original question. “What I meant was why me?” It had been weighing on his mind since the beginning. “Why was I the only one who remembered?”
Prussia blinked, lowering the cup and pursing his lips. “You’re Germany. This is your city, your people. Why wouldn’t it be you?”
There was a wistfulness in his voice that brought Germany to a halt, and he took a moment to really look at Prussia. To anyone else there would be nothing to see, but Germany had learned to read his brother so long ago that he could see the old hurt as easily as if it were spelled out in words. He put his free hand on Prussia’s shoulder, watching as distant eyes shifted to look at him.
“It’s yours, too. You’re as much a part of this city as I am,” Germany said, shifting his hand down to rest over Prussia’s heart. “You know that, right?”
Prussia rolled his eyes and batted his hand away. “Jesus, West. What kind of sappy shit has Italy been subjecting you to!” But his face was lighter and when he laughed it was without that bitter edge.
Germany felt something loosen in his own chest. “Well, as you’re so fond of telling anyone who will listen, there’d be no Germany without you.”
That earned him a wide smile.
They finished their coffee and were walking down the hallway back to their respective offices-Germany to further review the evidence collected from the museum and Prussia to track down the materials used in the explosive device - when Prussia spoke up unexpectedly.
“You know, I started out as a religious order.” He cocked his head, hands deep in his pockets and looking like the picture of innocence.
Germany wasn’t fooled for a moment. He knew that expression. Prussia was building up to something; it was only a matter of what.
“I’m aware,” he replied, lips twitching as he fought to keep his expression neutral. He’d heard many stories of Prussia’s younger years, not all of them from Prussia himself. There was one in particular that the other nations were scandalized to discover Germany had never heard, and took great delight in regaling him. “In fact, I recall hearing a certain story about you Poland where you cornered him and demanded to touch his-”
“West!” It was Prussia who sounded scandalized now, the faint tinges of pink staining his normally pale cheeks. Mentally, Germany filed the moment away as something not to forget.
“That’s not-” Prussia sputtered, hand coming up to wave wildly in the air before running it through his hair. “That was not the point I was getting at.”
“Oh?” Germany asked, arranging his face in a way he knew looked a little too guileless to be believable. “My mistake, then. Go on.”
If Prussia recognized the parody of his own I didn’t do it face staring back at him, he gave no sign. “The Teutonic Order was Catholic but I’ve always done my homework when it comes to my enemies. Even when I wasn’t supposed to. The pagans, for example. Remember the statue in the museum’s atrium?”
Germany nodded.
“It was found near the Baltic coast. Pagan god of grain,” Prussia continued. “Don’t look so surprised, it was all on the descriptive plaque. What isn’t on there is that he also presided over meal times. Sunrise and sunset. Beginnings and endings.” He paused, head tilted slightly as he looked up at Germany. “Wasn’t that one of the statues that took damage? Probably got hit every loop, right?”
Something stirred in his gut at the words. Beginnings and endings. And Prussia was right about the statue likely being damaged at every loop. “You don’t think…” he trailed off, not sure he was ready to put his suspicions into words.
“Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t seen your share of strange shit. You’re young, but not that young.”
“Do you think it will happen again,” he asked in lieu of agreeing. “The looping, that is?”
Prussia laughed. “Don’t you watch movies? You already woke up and saw tomorrow. It’s over. Enjoy living day to day like the rest of us!”
It was likely the best answer he was going to get, so he put it to the back of his mind and took Prussia’s advice, slinging an around his older brother’s shoulder and letting those particular worries fall away. “I believe you owe me a game of football when this is over.” He looked over and smiled. “And I hope you’re prepared to get your ass kicked for all those days of waking up to a ball in the face.”
“It was only the once!” Prussia protested, making no move to throw off the embrace. “And the way I remember it, you hit me.”
“You had it coming. I, on the other hand, had to endure that damned ball every single time! And I fully intend to settle the score.”
“No way - you’re the one who’s going down!”
They were still laughing when they parted.