The Things I'd Rather Forget // Countryhumans AU

Chapter 39: Distancing \ The Look In His Eyes

China was looking out the window and sipping some tea when he heard a knock at his door. Setting down his tea, he turned and called for whoever it was to come in. What China didn't expect was for Confederate to come in. Especially not a really short Confederate. Earlier, they were practically equal in height, but now Confederate was a solid 60 centimeters shorter. China gave him a sideways grin, "Well look at you, did you lose territory instead of gaining territory?"

Confederate didn't look all too pleased with that comment, "No, this body just finally adjusted to having territory again. I absorbed a state like you asked. Two, actually."

China hummed, trying to look behind Confederate to see his short companion with a flag similar to Cuba's. That one was short, too. China became a little confused when he didn't come in, "Where's your partner? You know, the Cuba lookalike?"

With an emotionless face, Confederate answered simply, "He got in my way, so I killed him."

If China was still sipping on his tea, he would've choked on it. China felt surprise and maybe even disgust flow through him. Sure, China himself is a bad person, too, but he wouldn't straight-up kill his allies the moment they got in the way. Keeping his cool, China asked, "How did he get in your way, exactly?"

"That's simple, I discovered that he was the final piece they needed to form America, so I killed him so they couldn't form America."

China felt a sudden feeling of unease prick through him. He asked, "You use Brit's method, right?"

Confederate nodded, "I assume so, it was the only method America knew, thus it is the only method I know."

"Didn't you die in the 17th century? How do you have a physical body?"

"Stole it from America."

China felt his mind try to solve what had happened on his own. It just didn't make sense. Confederate was probably taking advantage of the ol' Brit's system by using America's body as a loophole- some biological reason China never really cared to learn. He never really liked biology, anyway. But if Puerto Rico didn't want to merge with the other states or whatever they were called, then it wouldn't have happened. Especially if they all use Brit's methods. To put it simply, Confederate didn't need to kill Puerto Rico.

He had killed an ally for no real reason other than he possibly wanted to.

China immediately frowned. His decision to help Confederate was already risky as it was- it could possibly antagonize all of America. It's not like China didn't trust his wiring capabilities, but it was still a potential risk. But China wasn't so sure he wanted to help Confederate anymore. If China was good at anything, he was great at observing and reading others while not letting them read him. Puerto Rico looked like... Well, he seemed like some sort of lost, angry kid. It looked like he didn't really know what he was doing with himself and like he never really had a place where he felt like he truly belonged. Maybe he did, once, but he probably lost it or it got destroyed. Not to mention, he didn't seem too confident with himself and probably relied on others to make the decisions he didn't have the confidence to make. Also, he seemed to put emotions over his own rational thinking. China figured out all that in the span of an afternoon and an evening. Puerto Rico was very easy to read. China seriously doubted that Puerto Rico would've betrayed Confederate all that quickly based on what he saw. China could be wrong, but he usually isn't.

China glanced at Confederate, quickly realizing what he had to do.

Confederate was different from Puerto Rico, starkly so. There was a curious look in his eyes that China was previously interested in, but now, with this new knowledge, China finally comprehended the severity of that look. He had to distance himself as quickly as possible and give on the front he was never Confederate's ally to begin with. The ground around Confederate was getting too unstable, and China would rather not be around when it crumbled.