hellzabeth: (typity tap)
hellzabeth ([personal profile] hellzabeth) wrote2010-04-07 09:48 pm

Family Ties [Part 33]

Title: Family Ties

Characters (in this chapter): France, China, Scotland.

Rating: 18

Warnings: Torture, graphic imagery, gore, me getting carried away.

Summary: Uh, I need to be banned from the kink meme or monsters like this happen? Essentially, Scotland leaves the UK, which gives Northern Ireland an excuse to up and out as well, which leaves England and Wales all alone. Oh yeah, and this somehow leads to World War Three.

He is tied up with his arms spread wide, forced to kneel on the floor, facing the concrete wall. His wrists are aching with rope burn, it's getting harder to breathe every time he inhales, he can taste blood in his mouth and see it on the floor. These are the least of his worries.

A wet sloshing sound is all the warning he gets before his back erupts in agony.

For a few merciful seconds his consciousness whites out, though it quickly returns as the pain re-awakens him. His skin blisters and boils and bleeds, his hair absorbs the heat and scalds his neck in whips. The boiling liquid spreads over his shoulders and down his chest, rivets of pain dripping onto his folded legs and raising skin into angry red trails as it goes. It is not water, it is oil, and every place it touches it stays.

He's only aware that he's screaming once he has to stop for breath.

"Changed your mind yet?" China asks in French, butchering the accent even worse than he does in English. "All it takes is a simple 'yes', aru, and this can stop."

France spits a mixture of blood and saliva at his captor, who neatly dodges.

"Very well."

The sudden ice cold water knocks all the air out of him so fast he can't draw it back in. No, he's not trying to breath air, it's just water, he's dying, drowning, thrashing and gasping and
drowning-!

He's slapped twice around the face and that brings him back from the terror for just a second, heart stopping and starting in fits of fright.

"I will ask again." China asks with zen-like calm. "And as many times as it takes for me to get the answer I want. Do you surrender to the New World Order?"

He can't say anything, he can barely remember his own name around the pain, but rebellion and spirit spark in blue eyes as rioters in the streets march forwards to the government offices just like they had so long ago.

China does not look pleased. "Fine. We shall have to do this the hard way." A pause. "Hard on you, that is."

While the other Nation switches to Mandarin and orders his men about, France gathers his wits for whatever comes next. They have broken all of his fingers, as well as his knee caps, which makes the kneeling all the more painful. His arms are held apart, strapped to a board that is suspended on rope in the air, a mockery of crucifixion that slowly suffocates him, as if he could die that way. At some point he bit his tongue to muffle his own screams, but only ended up with a mouth full of blood.

His knees send stabs of pain racking through his body as the board his arms are strapped to is turned around, ropes twisting. The rest of the room is revealed to him, a hundred instruments of torture waiting for the poor souls they were intended for, China and two assistants watching the door expectantly.

It opens, and swarm of men invade the room. There need not be so many, since the man they are carrying can't exactly attack them with all of his limbs broken like that.

'James...'

As though the Scotsman heard him, green eyes raise to meet his as he is strapped to a metal table far out of France's reach. With a crunch, his jaw, previously broken, heals back into place. The assistants quickly strap his legs to the table as the bones in them pop and click and heal at an astounding rate, bruises blossoming and fading in a fascinating display that would make any biologist faint. He opens his mouth to say something, but is gagged before he can.

"You know why we are doing this to you, aru." China addresses France in English this time, most likely intending for Scotland to overhear. "We cannot afford for you to go running off with all the nukes and supplies we need, aru. Besides which, you are a strategic point to have in Europe."

Two tanks of what smells of gasoline are poured all over Scotland, even as he growls muffled curses into his gag. China takes out a matchbox. France can't breathe for different reasons than before.

"Our reasons for doing this to you are logical, aru." China takes four paces to where Scotland struggles and skillfully strikes three matches at once. "But why would we do this to him?"

Seconds after they leave his hand, Scotland is engulfed in fire. He bucks and archs and yells and screams obscenities in ancient Gaelic, but the iron cuffs hold firm and the table is bolted to the floor so all of his struggles are meaningless torment.

"James...!" France's voice is barely above a whisper, but he can't do any better. Leaning forward, he weakly makes his own attempt at escape, but he has nothing but desperation to fuel him, and it is not enough.

"We do this to him-" China begins, before noticing he doesn't have Francis' attention. He grabs his chin. "We do this to him because he is connected to you, and if he went free you could use him, aru. Besides which, he has already refused to leave you, even under interrogation, aru." Between the flames, Scotland's skin peels and blackens. "You've got yourself a nice little pet, haven't you, aru?"

'He's not my pet, he's his own person!' France tries to argue back, but the only place his voice is heard is in his own head.

Scotland twists one last time, and then lies still, flames still roaring and consuming him, a great beast summoned from the abyss. "This is your own fault." China tells him in his ear, like poison. "Your fault that he burns here tonight, and that he will be killed again tomorrow, and the day after, and until we run out of ways to kill him and start again. Your fault that his people are enlisted, young and old, to die for something they do not understand or support. Your fault that you always drove a wedge between him and his family in the first place, and now he dies for you, again and again, until he breaks."

The flames are doused, and France cannot look away even as the burned and unrecognisable corpse is revealed, and starts to heal, charred flesh falling off as new muscle stitches together.

"I will be surprised if he ever forgives you."


"No!"

Cold sweat ran down France's neck and over healing burn scars. He threaded his hands through his knotted hair and tried to calm his breathing, curling up on his bed roll. His guilt would not leave him alone even as he slept, it seemed. Memories replayed over and over, the hundreds of ways humans across the world had invented to kill people, all played out in graphic detail before him.

He crawled from his corner of the cell, heart racing, and found Scotland, slumped against the wall with hands bound, in case he had a sudden rebellion spell in the night. He was entirely too still for France's liking, and something cold landed in the pit of his stomach.

Hands shackled, France held quivering hands over his lover's face, unscarred physically but hiding something too broken for him to fix in these circumstances. "I'm sorry..." he murmured, voice still not recovered, if it ever would be. "I'm sorry that this happened to you, I'm sorry that I've done this to you..." If Scotland had been in his right mind, he probably would have despaired over how slowly his beard was growing back, France thought irrationally. "But please, don't leave me." He didn't see Scotland's eyes crack open. "Don't leave me..."

"Mmph... why would I leave ye?" he grumbled, shifting slightly against the wall. France withdrew his hands. "I've gotta protect ye... s'what I'm here for, aye?"

Francis sighed and sat against the wall with James, hissing in pain when he hit his injured back a little hard.

"Hey, don't hurt yourself." the red head said. The concern registered on his face but not in his eyes. France had to remind himself not to look there.

"I'm fine, just... go back to sleep, cher."

"... alrigh'."

Notes:
- Never apply ice cold water to third degree burns, much less oil burns that are all over the body. This will cause such a shock to the nervous system that the body will begin to simulate drowning, which can sometimes lead to a heart attack and death.
- No, I do not hate China. He is, in fact, one of my favourite characters, and has his own reasons for being involved like this. That said, if you're going to torture someone, you do it the whole hog.
- Contrary to popular belief, being stabbed in the hands and left to starve for three days was not what killed those who were crucified. Holding a person's arms above their shoulders will render them unable to breathe out properly, thus forcing them to drown on air. Try raising your arms above your head and having a good cough. Doesn't work as well as when they're down, huh?
- Haha, this chapter ended up longer than the rest. I wonder what that says about me?

Part 34

[identity profile] lovelylurker.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
... *shudder*

[identity profile] lovelylurker.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I blame you for creeping myself out when I fry chicken for dinner tonight.

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Flame grilled steak anyone? 8D

[identity profile] lovelylurker.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Are you comparing human flesh to beef?

Cause I always imagined we taste like pork. Especially since our skin and pig's skin are akin to 99% similar.

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
We do taste like pig.

Don't ask how I know that.

[identity profile] lovelylurker.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
This is actually the reason I can't eat ham.

Because I think to myself "This is what a person would taste like if I were to eat them."

Totally serious.

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I think this is fair.

You can't eat anything flame grilled.

I can't eat carrots.

Fair.

[identity profile] lovelylurker.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Once again, that carrot thing totally isn't my fault.

[identity profile] nenamoo.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
...


.....


Words... kinda fail me.

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I nom nom nom your delicious torture ideas and this is what comes out, darling. <3

[identity profile] nenamoo.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
...

>>


<<


...

No more torture ideas for you aru.

[identity profile] tuulensisko.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
... jkghalkjvkjhs

Sorry, I don't know if I can comment on this one. ^^;;; I'll see if it's easier tomorrow or something. (Don't worry though, you didn't break me or anything. |D;;)

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 11:24 am (UTC)(link)
(Oh good, because the way everyone's akjdkdsgjhd-ing is starting to make me nervous. >>)

[identity profile] tuulensisko.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry for possibly scaring you. xD;; I shouldn't have read that in a sensitive mood (I did know what was coming since I always read warnings but I'm a huge masochist like that). Especially after that Iraq-video... *sob* Actually it was more about the Iraq-video and less about the chapter.

A bit more on topic... I really wasn't sure if it was a good idea for you to actually write the torture scenes, since often these kind of things are actually more horrifying when they are only mentioned and never actually shown... But I'm not sure anymore. :D; I think this chap did give a better idea of what Scotland and especially France had to go through...

I realized a bit belatedly how damn lonely France must be feeling... I mean seriously, half of your former friends are on the OTHER SIDE in the war. The guys who are on YOUR side ended up being paranoid psychos who torture you and the only friend you have left. And then that only friend you have left gets brainwashed, turns pretty much as psycho as the others and you have to stop him from killing his family/your adoptive sons who are on the enemy side. Holy shit, that's depressing. I was going to say he must be getting wasted every possible time he can but then again, if he's locked up as it seems, he probably can't. Well he could hit himself or something, pain can work as an intoxicant too. Seriously, I know it sounds weird but it actually CAN make you feel better. You can even get addicted to the feeling.

Anyway, I reaaaally hope you're going to let them get saved at some point... >___>;; Because I'll be so depressed if they're not.

Btw, if I got it right... Russia used that new tech Estonia invented for him on Scotland right? But why not on France?

[identity profile] fallenxembers17.livejournal.com 2010-04-07 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
The sadist in me was grinning the whole time, but my love for Scotland and France kinda drowned it out.

Burning alive, oh my... poor Scotland! D8 His eyessssss. ;_______;

Jesus Christ you are an incredibly fast writer. I'm impressed. (And jealous.)

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 11:26 am (UTC)(link)
I had Beethoven's 5th on repeat while I was writing it. 8D

Waa, thank you? Years of practice makes me speedy. (Don't be jealous of the fact I have no life.)

KOLKOLKOLKOLKOL

[identity profile] lovelylurker.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
hellzabeth, dear, your fic has become such a highlight of my Hetalia life that I swear to God, I saw this icon, and got it specifically for you.

And do you even know how much of my headcannon is all your fault now?

So, congrats. You are now a permanent fixture in my brain.

Just as planned.

I think you mean ARUARUARUARUARUARU

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 11:27 am (UTC)(link)
ajlkfdjhgkdfkkshds!!

Luuuuuurkerrrrrr do you exist to make me blush?! *bright red*

I'm pretty sure you can operations to remove that sort of tumor.

98% sure you're Kira.

[identity profile] alianorethecat.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
*sniffle* They need saving. Things turn out well for France and Scotland eventually right? Right?

[identity profile] tuulensisko.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 02:37 pm (UTC)(link)
^This. .__. *w-wibbles*

*Björk-puppyeyes* no wait maybe I shouldn't use a Dancer in the Dark icon for this >_____>;;;;

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Suuuuure it will, honey, suuure. As long as you ~*~believe!~*~

[identity profile] alianorethecat.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
*concentrates* I believe in England's fairies! I believe in England's fairies! Now go, fairies. go save France and Scotland!

[identity profile] candesceres.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 03:32 pm (UTC)(link)
DDDDDDDD: omg omg aaaaaaaah China why so bamf. War crimes, think of the war crimes~ SO BAMF OMG. I LOVE IT.

I just - I don't even ;sdlfkf. You are so good at this; making them suffer I mean. Ouch. I was shuddering the entire time. Scotland's super healing is love as usual idek but it's just that awesome and I love how you've abused it orz I'm a terrible person.

You set him on fire. I can't believe you set him on fire oh my god ffff. Poor, poor France. Not enough that he had to see Jeanne burned at the stake, but Scotland too? He's got such a great track record of loving people who would die for him orz. China sees all. Man if I could draw a burning scene and do it justice I totally, totally would omg.

And the angst at the end aaaah so touching. ;A; You broke him orz. I love it I need moar of it France was so bawwwww. I think they both need a good long hug after this. Ne me quitte pas~ <3

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-08 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
China is baaaaaaamf. <333 OH MY GOD SO MANY WAR CRIMES YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT I have a list~ I've started writing up events like they would be in a history text book. You know, to be put up after the story's done.

I begin to wonder about my mental condition sometimes. I mean, why is making them suffer and hurt and cry so damn easy? *shot* I'm more of a terrible person for writing it than anything else >>

Burn baby burn Oh yeah, I forgot about Jeanne. That's two people he's had burned alive for him. The flames of passion consume them Dude, do it. I wanna see more of your pretty arts. my sex is on fire-- okay I'll stop.

I said I would. Good because I intend to write moar too. Big hugs for everyone when this is over. Oh, and you can thank yourself for that ending scene. <3 I wasn't going to put that in originally.

[identity profile] candesceres.livejournal.com 2010-04-10 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
He's so delicate and pretty though aaaaaah China ilu. ;A; OMFG A LIST OF WAR CRIMES I MIGHT BAWWWWW OH GEEZ. I love historical timeline-like things though, that's awesome. And great for planning! \o/ XD

Because they make the most beautiful faces when they cry. /shot orz But I love it, don't stop. D:

;sldkff all of these tasteless puns I don't even WRRRRY I don't think he ever quite forgave England for Jeanne's fate, but srsly France this has to stop. ;sdlfk too much passion omg l-lol okay well I'll try, but it's such a raw scene, I can't even. ;A; That's so hot - I mean, what.

L-Leave him that for a little bit, I want to feed off the angst and his sleeper!mode. Silent killer omg. Well it's only like the best thing ever so I totally approve A-Awwww really? lol I am such a sap like I don't even know. But I'm glad you put it in because it's nice to see France outwardly caring every now and again orz. |D

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-10 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Not so pretty when you are fiddling with torture equipment aru. DUDE CHINA WILL NOT BE THE ONLY ONE, TRUST ME. I would be so lost without my sheet of events.

So pretty and I wanna make them cry moooooore. /shot shot shot Who shall I make cry next hmmm.

I'M SORRY I CAN'T HELP IT. Probably not, England doesn't expect forgiveness for that, but he also doesn't regret it because he's a dick. overflooooowwwiiiing No pressure or anything but I am totally stalking you. No pressure. whut I don't even

It'll take a while to fix that's for sure. I shall write you drabbles if you want. XD Since I do love my angst and all. I swear to god I will eventually write something not UK-centric. Yeeeessss really, you're awesome deary. <3 Fraaaance stop pretending you're only in it for the sex when you love him.

[identity profile] candesceres.livejournal.com 2010-04-10 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
sob well not unless you're Russia, but then I think only he could have an appreciation for China and his torture devices orz. I BELIEVE YOU, DON'T WORRY. OH THE DRAMA. Event sheets are my lifeblood, no joke. I spend more time on them than fic itself orz.

Yes do it their tears are always worth it. \o/ /I'M NOT SORRY I - I can't choose, there are too many of them omg.

IS THIS BRITISH HUMOUR sob I bet he probably got some level of satisfaction out of it, knowing him. And she was such a badass girl too orz, what a waste. WH-WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY THAT. D: Well stalker I think it should please you to know that I made a fanmix of their awesome relationship, and here's another sketch to tide you over. :|a

I would expect nothing less. You can write me anything you want, I love it all. XDDD I am such an angst!whore sob. But why they don't get written nearly enough! ;AAA; bawww thank you bb. <3 Pfft he's a romantic at heart, of course he does. 700 years and it's only just sex? I'M SURE. NICE TRY.

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-04-10 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Excuse me just one moment as I gape at those links/

jdhuyghesgzfcfgjoxhjkgzhkszgr/h 78 gv2u9ty9 p 9odiofgbcjlfdpocmphjhj

AJDIESJGHUERJKGJISHZB,DHGL6555763.5GJIUE7

CDFUGHFDTHLOX

XKH

GUH

YOOOOOOOOUUUU

MAN I LOVE YOU SO HARDCORE I DON'T EVEN.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled response.

Russia is totally into China when he's being all... like that. I don't even. DRAMAZ O NOES. orz me too, I'd die without them and the fic would lose all coherency.

Hahaha you are such an enabler of my evil you know. I've picked. >] You'll have to wait a while because events omg.

YES DO YOU LIKE IT WE'RE SO DRY AND DARK HOHOHO. England's a meanieface. This we have learned. WE ALWAYS SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE AWESOME. Please see above response to both links. (Also me and Nena d'aww-d)

Aww, shucks. We can be angst whores together since yeah, I love it too. Then I shall take this as incentive to write even more! you're welcome sweetheart <33 Lol a romantic Romantic. *shot*

[identity profile] candesceres.livejournal.com 2010-04-11 08:18 am (UTC)(link)
THIS INCOHERENCY IS AMAZING. THANK YOU OMG, AHAHA. XD I do my best~ /o/

Russia and China does things for my size kink in the same way Scotland and France does orz, what even.

Ahaha yesss that's what I'm here for. I enable for the sake of great justice. <333 s;dlfk events, timelines, curses. BUT I WILL BE PATIENT.

I LOVE IT, YOU'RE SO SNARKY AND WITTY I swear he just does it because they all used to bully him in the past and it's payback time orz. Innocence, what is that? He stopped being cute ages ago baww. NO I'M NOT WHAT I JUST FANGIRL RIDICULOUSLY OVER THE SLIGHTEST THINGS orz. They need more d'awww in their relationship. Just saying. I intend to do more. \o/

Ahaha awesome. Let's do it. /brofist man If you don't say it twice, then you're not a true Romance nation. Grandpa Rome would be proud. ;3;

[identity profile] leyyn.livejournal.com 2010-08-05 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
................ wow..........
i must say, i really love this fic, your writing style is great, the ideas and the plot are awesome and everything!.... but this chapter.....
i didn't expect that! XD
(you almost made me cry, which i don't do often!!)
but thanks a lot for writing it!
i know this is awful and i'm a bit disturbed now, but a part of me is really happy! XD
poor France (my country!!), poor Scotland....
i want to hug them now! XD
oh! i have a (maybe stupid) question!
when the countries are hurt like this, what happens to their people?
anyway, bravo and thank you for this fic, it's REALLY awesome!! (though i feel a bit sorry for Russia as he is one of my favorite characters XD)
(i hope it will end well ;_;)

[identity profile] hellzabeth.livejournal.com 2010-08-05 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm so sorry for what I did to France! Scotland got it just as bad, if not worse... sorry!

Answering your question: try not to think about it too hard, it'll summon Greece. But I always thought it might be to do with the countries going through what their people are. So, say, if many Scottish soldiers were tortured in the same way, Scotland would symbolically do the same. Though I suppose humans couldn't handle being killed over and over again, but you get the point, right?

It's all very loose and unsure, I'm not fully understanding of it myself. XD I hope that it doesn't hurt your reading of the story.

Keep reading, you're only half way there! (Though I'm not done writing.)

[identity profile] leyyn.livejournal.com 2010-08-05 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Haha don't be sorry, he kinda looked for it in the first place! (choosing Russia as an ally implies risks! XD), and yeah, i'm not sure which one of the two has the worst share...

Mh, yeah, my question was a bit hard, sorry XD and thanks for your answer! i understand what you mean! The countries feel what their people feel, but i think that maybe what the country feels is also felt by the people in some way...? maybe, in this case, the french and scottish population are a bit down, on a general scale... eh, i'm not sure if this is clear...
(oh! i think i can hear a cat in my cupboard.... did i accidentally summon Greece? hoho....!)
(oh wait! does this mean that if we eat too much junk food it'll summon America? And if we try to do too much magic, England? now that's interesting!.... XD)

oh yes i WILL keep reading!! i'm really looking forward each next chapter!!