Solving of the Countries (Book 2)

Chapter 72

        South Africa skidded to a stop. A wall was in front of him. A black Skryna was just rounding the corner. He stopped moving. What should he do?
      The Skryna was hissing now.
It shook its head, its eyes glaring with the all-too-familiar venomous hatred. South Africa's heart skipped a beat. Then he remembered his training.
     He tapped into the inner energy of his Spirit Animal, but only using a tiny amount. The Skryna charged. SA did not use the tiny energy yet, he stayed where he was as the Skryna ran towards him.
      Then when it was a few inches from ramming into him he twisted out of the way and then using the energy he jumped high. Landing on a ledge on the wall that he spotted just in time. The Skryna crashed into the wall with a thud. Then disappeared.
     SA jumped of the ledge.
Brazil whooped with excitement.
    "You did it SA! You passed!"Brazil ran over, throwing an arm over South Africa.
     India leaped after. "Careful, don't suffocate him!"He joked. Brazil gasped.
    "I would never!"
It was test from both UN and BRICS. There were various challenges and for South Africa the last one was the Skryna.
     SA watched as the hologram around them, an old Skryna cave, disappeared from the top down. The entire BRICS was to take this test, for whatever reason, they had no idea why. Despite their excitement at passing, the three of them, Brazil, India, and South Africa were concerned as to why Russia hadn't come.
      China didn't come for the very reason that he didn't have to.
     UN teleported next to them, spooking all three.
     BRICS merely walked over to stand next to him. South Africa caught his disconnected look. BRICS didn't seem to hear what UN was saying.
     "You've guys done an amazing job. We will tell you why you took this test soon.
   "Right BRICS?"UN asked, now directing his question at the other Organization.
     "Yes,"BRICS answered absent-mindedly, looking away.
     "Are you alright?" UN asked, tapping him at the shoulder.
     "Yeah."
Brazil, India and South Africa looked in worry. BRICS' attitude was way too similar to Russia's. It had been going on for a few days, but a couple of weeks after Russia started acting the same way. The complete mystery of this made them feel troubled.
      UN looked unconvinced, he turned to the others, "I think I should take him back."
     Brazil nodded, he did his best to not look worried.
     UN teleported away. BRICS did the same thing right after.
    "You're choking me,"SA said to Brazil, who instantly released him.
    "Sorry,"Brazil apologized, then looked anxiously at where BRICS had been earlier. "But don't you think that BRICS acted... a little odd?"
     SA nodded.
"He's been acting more and more like Russia,"India added. The three of them looked at each other.
     Brazil crossed his arms, "Then what should we do? What's up with them?"
    South Africa shrugged, then looked towards India for an answer.
     "I've no clue,"India answered, sounding depressed. "Russia didn't tell."
     The three of them continued talking.
Then they walked out of the Arena. Other countries exited their classes as well. India searched among the crowd for Russia but of course he wasn't there.
    South Africa did the lenny face when he saw Argentina wave at Brazil and he waved back with a rather bashful expression. Argentina spotted Brazil's shy face and giggled prettily.
     Brazil immediately threw up his hoodie above his head and drew the strings. India laughed as Argentina walked past.
     "Maaan, she is sooo pretty,"South Africa teased. Brazil felt his face heating up.
     "We're just friends!"He said, his voice muffled from the hood. Brazil threw his hood off and glared at his friends in a defensive way.
    "Suuuure."
Brazil looked at Argentina and turned towards the two. Then sighed.
    "Just... don't tell her ok?"
South Africa and India looked at each other and then at Brazil.     
    "Of course we won't dude,"India said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "We will wait for you to admit your undying love to her on your own."
     Brazil felt uneasy at that.
"Ummm... Ok."
     

     North Korea sat on the bed, contemplating. Questioning all of his life choices. Wondering why fish talked in bubble form. Ok, he didn't do that.
        He had watched enough memories. North had to admit it. He was convinced. Memories don't lie, right? It took the two a while to figure out who the memories belong to. It turned out that the memories belonged to both of them. He looked at the Memory Orb, now glowing his flag's colors and at his side.
    North looked at Martial Law who was located at his chair, sitting there and watching the outside through a rain-dripped window. North Korea had mixed feelings and the rain outside thundering loudly made it harder to think.
   
     Did he forget to mention that he was in Martial's room?

       That might be another factor as to why he was finding it difficult to think. He kept on looking around, Martial's room was not what he expected. Well, it was almost what he expected. Organized, clean cabinets. A desk cleared of clutter, various uncompleted homework assignments in his backpack. A paper filled with drawings that would've been frowned upon by controversial people (a comic of someone putting milk before cereal and a horrified bystander screaming no at the background).
      The last one was unexpected. He didn't think Martial was the comic kind of person. In fact, there were a bunch of comics visible through a cabinet that was slightly open.
    North stared at them until Martial reached an arm down and shut it.
     "So... any questions?"
They told UN what they found out. The Organization was really happy about it and said that they should talk it out more.

    Martial's room was decided as the appropriate location, also North didn't want to have Martial see the mess his room was in, courtesy to South Korea and Japan unleashing cats everywhere in there.
       "No..."
Martial let out an impatient snort.
    "You're a terrible liar."
North glared. "How would you know?"
     "It's just plain obvious, you look like you have a million questions in your head,"Martial Law railed off, tossing a pencil up in the air and catching it, then looked at him. "See?"
    North Korea rolled his eye in exasperation.
     "Fine, what about I don't want to ask?"
     "That's fine by me,"Martial shrugged and placed the pencil down, then picked it up again and got out a piece of paper and began doodling. North watched in surprise. He didn't foresee that Martial was going to go deep into his hobby right in front of him.
     But that was one of the memories they saw.
       North Korea watched and Martial let him. He felt odd, usually they'd fight over everything. Based on the memories he went to at least 4 different schools. 1 in Pangaea and 3 in this world. His mind was whirling with questions, he wasn't going to admit that to Martial though.
     He was trying to untangle everything on his own. North Korea still felt uneasy around the Law himself. He knew Martial's aggressiveness from first-hand experience and it was not fun when you were the target of it. The sky began to darken.
      "You should probably get back,"Martial said, still drawing and looking at his paper. Then he started erasing.
     North didn't know what made him say it but he did.
    "Uhh.....actually can I stay here for the night?"
    He immediately clamped his mouth shut as he watched Martial stop erasing and look up at him. He wanted to swear at himself for saying something so stupid.
     "Why?"
North hesitated for a full minute.
     "Umm.... there's literal shi# everywhere and there's a cat colony inhabiting my room right now. And uhh..... I have no clue how to get them out. They start hissing at me once I even appear at the doorway."
     He felt his face redden from embrassment. He couldn't even look at Martial anymore.
     He could feel Martial staring at him. He didn't add the fact that he didn't want to blow up his room to rid it off the cats.
     Also, South and Japan had skedaddled once they pulled off the atrocious act. And he didn't want to bother China. Or Russia. And he definitely wasn't going to tell the other Commie Homies or the other three I's.
    Then Martial did something unexpected.
   
   He laughed.

Not a mean one. Not one full of spite.
    But one full of amusement.
North looked at him surprise.
     "What's so funny?!"
He waited for an answer and it took a while to get one. Martial's five second laugh was an eternity for North.
     "If I only knew you were afraid of cats! I'd beat you in an instant in a Duel."
     "I'm not afraid!"North protested, ready to leap up. He stayed where he was as he watched him. Martial looked back.
     "Alright, you can stay. I guess. But,"Martial looked at him rather quizzically. "What are you gonna wear to sleep in?"