To Build a Home

Another way out

Feliciano stared at Kiku as he tried to shove a walnut up a vine. The others had left a while ago in search of food, leaving Feli, Ludwig and himself at the camp to 'watch the supplies' as Alfred put it, but even Feliciano knew he meant 'Watch for Arthur to come back'.

Kiku honestly didn't know why he was shoving a walnut up the vine, he just had to do it. He seriously was so bored of  sitting here as Feliciano asked Ludwig questions. Feliciano looked up at Ludwig with a small smile.

"So you have a fratello too? I have one, his name is-a Romano-Lovino but we just call him Lovi because he a-lovi tomatoes. My brother is older than me and grumpy a lot. What's your older brother like?"

Kiku watched as Ludwig furrowed his eyebrows like he was tempted to say no and turn away, but he also saw a light in his eyes. Ludwig explained what his brother was like, and soon Kiku ending up telling the boys on how Yao was a distant cousin and used to be like an older brother to him.

"Really?" Feliciano asked. "It's almost a-like everybody is related somehow!"
Ludwig nodded. "It's a political thing. Most people picked to go here are related so that when get into office we'll be less likely to start wars where people we know and love are. It'll make dating more interesting though, or it would have."

Kiku nodded and looked at the distant treeline where the others would soon emerge.

But back to the walnut.

Kiku was so bored that he thought if he shoved a walnut up the vine, the water that would come out would taste nutty. It was stupid idea he had to admit, but he had plenty of nuts in his pocket. Not a lot, but enough to snack on while he waited. And waited. As he wished, the group was in sight and bad shape. Ivan was bloody and clinging to Alfred as Yao trailed behind supporting Francis.

They had been attacked.

~~

Alfred dragged his feet behind him as he searched the trees in front of him. Strangely, there were no animals thus far, not even bugs. It was unnerving. The trees stretched for what seemed liked miles. Yao led the way, Francis picked flowers that were probably poisonous while Ivan cut down leaves behind Alfred, making a trail of everywhere they went.

The forest was thick and wet, a jungle of trees and vines. Alfred felt like he was suffocating in the tight space. This was the opposite of the open blue skies, the ground was pulling him down, the vines were wrapping around him and the air was so toxic-- Suddenly Alfred couldn't breathe. What if he was trapped here, there was nowhere to run, to go, if they were attacked they couldn't escape. Alfred felt his heart speed up, his hands clamming, the space between the vines closing---

"Alfred...? Are you okay?" Francis glanced behind him.
Everyone was staring at Alfred, even Ivan was now in front of him. Alfred bit his lip and nodded. He couldn't let the others see their leader having a panic attack.

"I just thought we were going the wrong way guys! I mean my hero senses were tingling and telling me to head um..." Alfred glanced around. "Um this way, towards that open field! We could grow shit there! And um it's by that nice calming river..."

Yao narrowed his eyes but stepped aside. "Lead the way then."
Alfred happily skipped along towards the open skies and golden fields tripping over his feet in the process. He smiled and shrugged it off, almost sprinting out of the jungle, not daring to look back at the vines.

~~~~

Yao loved mangoes. Surprisingly he did, there was even a point in life were mangoes would be the only thing he ate. Even though that only lasted three days, it's the thought that counted. It had been years since Yao had a mango, but now as he looked up at the trees around the river he saw tons upon tons of them and even more.

The grove held kiwi plants, kumquat and mangoes. Many varieties of asian fruits valleyed the forest of trees by the river. Food source? Check. It was almost impossible that all this fruit was here. Kumquat did not grow in South America, no matter if dragon fruit could.

Any the less the group was more than happy to stumble on the fruit and gorged it down greedily. Even Francis was eating like a pig. Alfred was monkeying around, climbing the trees. It was weird, in fact he must have been right above Yao. The leaves moved above his head in a careful manner. Ugh, he was so childish. Yao reached out to grab a mango from a nearby branch, and that's when Alfred emerged from behind a bush.

"Dude you will not believe what I found!"
Wait, if Alfred was here then what was above...

Yao put a finger over his mouth and looked up slowly to be met with a dozen monkey's with glowing eyes, foaming at their snarling mouths. Alfred looked up slowly and froze in place, the others glancing over and freezing in horror as well. Ivan grabbed his metal pipe and took a stand. Alfred followed suit, grabbing the wooden knife from his back pocket.

Francis, of course, thought it would be a good idea to feed the monkeys. "Here mon ami, there are enough mangoes here to share..."
Neither of the monkeys took the fruit, so Francis, frustrated, threw the mangoe at one of the chimps.
And the monkey's didn't like that.

And they sprung from the tree like a snapping guitar string, latching onto Francis and Ivan first.

Alfred grabbed a large stick from the floor and readied to fight, swinging at the rabid radioactive monkies one by one, feeling his arm stretch with each strike.

Ivan fared in no better shape as he hit the monkies with his pipe, more efficient than a stick, but did little against so many predators at once.

Yao actually held his own with martial arts and a frying pan, who knew?

Francis on the other hand was getting mobbed by the apes, screaming as his hair was being pulled from its rightful place on the French man's head.

Alfred's hero instinct crackled like lightning in the sky, his reflects moving to protect his friend. Francis grabbed a nearby rock and began to pounce on the apes by Alfred's side until the sound of a whistle rang loudly throughout the woods, freezing the monkies in place and sending them back into the groove.

Alfred instinct ly looked for Arthur to make sure he was okay, and faltured upon realizing he wasn't there, sending Alfred into a short panic before remembering his ex-fiancè was no longer with them.

So Alfred turned around to check on the rest of the group, and nearly shit his pants at the sound of Francis's scream when his eyes laid upon Ivan's ragged and bloodied frame.

"Yao!! Help me get these two back to camp!!" Alfred barked and picked up the Russian.

Ivan looked dazed, as if he was going in and out of consincness. He blinked at the sunny blond in front of him, Alfred's eyes filled with determination and confidence.

Ivan felt a fluttering feeling in his stomach as he looked at the blond carrying him to safety. He never did notice how strong Alfred was, or how blue his eyes were.

"Thank you, Comrade." Ivan sputtered out as Alfred placed him on the ground by...was that a fire?

Ivan felt blond and deaf as he heard Felicano gasp and Ludwig bark orders. The last thing Ivan saw before he passed out was Yao's face hovering over his as the world faded into oblivion.

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