Wrong Reflection

The Main Difference

Alfred led his counterpart back to his apartment, glad things seemed to have to be smoothed between them. Although touching his jaw, Alfred suspected that he might need ice. His counterpart might not have superstrength like Alfred did, but he could hit hard.

Now, though, he was just silent. America followed Alfred up the steps to his apartment, but he was quiet as if he was lost in thought.

"So, is this your place or New York's?" America asked, breaking his silence as they entered the apartment. Alfred shot him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, is this your apartment, or does New York own it, and you are just staying here," America tried to clarify, but it did nothing to help Alfred's confusion.

"What do you mean, New York?" Alfred asked. The look on America's face could only be described as panicked, worried, and horrified, making Alfred incredibly concerned for him.

"The State of New York's statehuman–personification. My son? Do you not have states? Are they not alive?" America asked rapid fire, his voice pitching upwards in panic. Alfred inhaled sharply as he finally realized what America was saying.

"Your states are personified?" Alfred asked before something hit him, "That's who you were looking for. Those are the kids you mentioned."

America nodded, hand over his chest, "And they don't exist here, do they?"

Alfred hesitantly shook his head, and America crumbled. America's legs gave out, his breathing speeding up. Alfred caught his counterpart, supporting his weight, and moved him to a nearby chair.

"Are you–do you need me to count again?" Alfred asked. America jerkily shook his head, trembling fingers tapping against his chest.

"Ich bin...estoy...I'm fine. I got it." America said before he began counting. At least Alfred thought he was counting. The words he was saying weren't in English, but they were in the same rhyme as someone counting. How many languages did America know? It's not like Alfred didn't know other languages; he could speak French, German, and Spanish, as well as bits and pieces of a few other languages, but America seemed to know more.

That probably wasn't the best thing to focus on. Curse his ADHD.

"I'm good now." America's voice said, cutting through Alfred's thoughts. Alfred turned back to his counterpart and nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.

"What the–?" Alfred exclaimed, trying to wrap his head around what he was looking at. His counterpart no longer looked human. The thing America had shown Alfred before when his hand turned blue with the giant white star on it, now that phenomenon was repeated across his entire body.

Red and white stripes had replaced America's normal skin tone. While one hand had a big white star on it, the other had a circle of thirteen white stars. His freckles had turned into little white and red stars. America's face was now the American flag, and his hair was still black but with the three colors of his flag thrown in like highlights.

"I...didn't want to be in my human form anymore. It's easier for me to...I'm not as tense when I look like this cause I don't have to worry about people." America said, a slight smile on his face. Alfred relaxed some.

"Sorry about reacting like that. It just startled me." Alfred apologized before deciding to try to approach the elephant in the room, "So, your states?"

"Vague question, Alfred. What do you want to know?" America asked.

"How?" Alfred asked. How did America have personified states and Alfred didn't? Was that why America looked older than Alfred did?

"Well, I'm a federal republic, and all federal republics have personified states—me, Germany, Australia, and so on. It's just...it's always something that's just been...I don't really know why. I don't control how states are formed. But...they're my kids. They are me, in a way. Every good and defining thing about me comes from them. I may not understand how we come into existence, but...yeah." America tried to explain before exhaling with a smile, "Sorry, that probably wasn't helpful."

"No, no, it's okay!" Alfred said, "I don't think anyone here knows how personifications are made either."

"Well, at least that's something we have in common," America muttered, causing Alfred to laugh a little.

"Confusion. Sounds about right." Alfred said, "Did you...was the reason why you were so jumpy when I found you, the reason for that panic attack–"

"It wasn't...I...panic attack isn't the word I'd use," America said, a statement that concerned Alfred slightly. Alfred was familiar with what panic attacks looked like, and America definitely had one. For America to deny that...well, it was a bit concerning.

"Okay...but was that because you thought I took your states? Because you said you weren't with them when you ended up here." Alfred asked.

"My states and I are connected. I can always feel their presence and know where there they are. When I first appeared here, that connection was gone. That's why I was a bit...uh aggressive. They, in a way, are me. And when that was severed, I panicked." America explained.

"Why do you mean by 'they are me'?" Alfred asked that sentence concerning him some.

"I'm the United States of America. I am my own person, but their existence and their personalities...oh, how do I word this...uh...they help make up who I am. I'm the Union of all the states and territories, so everything important about them helps make me." America said, shrugging slightly, "It's hard to explain."

Alfred stared at him, unsure of how to react, "That's...weird. Are there like certain parts of your personality that you can trace to them?"

America shrugged, "If I ever actually thought about it, maybe. But that's not something I want to think about. I am who I am."

"Yeah. Fair enough. Sorry that you're separated from them." Alfred said.

"Well, unless you were the person who brought me here, it's not your fault," America said.

"Well, yeah, but I can still be sorry about that. I'm not a dad or anything, but...that's something that I would think sucks, being separated from your children." Alfred said. America nodded.

"It is. But this isn't the first time we've been separated, and I'm sure it won't be the last. We'll survive like we always have." America said, although, from how he clutched at his heart, Alfred thought he wasn't being entirely honest about that.

Alfred decided not to pry. America was dealing with enough right now. He didn't need Alfred prying into his life.