Wasteland Madness: Chapter 1

Wasteland Madness: A 1983 Doomsday Tale through a Nation's Eyes.

Chapter 1

Outskirts of Vaduz, Alpine Confederation. 2013.

For Matthew Williams, it was but another impromptu meeting. Of course, that in itself wasn’t really unusual. Neither was holding these in Liechtenstein’s house, let alone anywhere in the neutral Alpine Confederation. But why did it have to be on Halloween? the Nation of Canada, lately the Canadian Remainder Provinces sighed to himself. Meanwhile, the other members of the Atlantic Defense Community went about yet another shouting match. A tired smile crossed the Canadian’s face though, knowing that much of that wasn’t aimed at him.

“Why don’t we just beat Romano’s arse and be done with him, laddies?!” he heard Scotland sneer. “That bugger and his Mafia dons have been giving us nae but a constant mess!”

“What?!” A clearly frail yet frustrated Spain snapped, fresh scars still visible on his skin. “Mierda, we’re supposed to free my little Lovino, not kill him!”

“I mean no disrespect, Antonio,” Ireland cut in. “But on behalf of the Celtic Alliance, Tá tú go hiomlán dÚsachtach! Have you seen the poor sod lately? We wouldn’t be in this situation if he just makes his bloody leaders sleep with the fishes!”

“I was told that this is supposed to be a civilized meeting. Not a film club,” a young lady in uniform named Hilda Beilschmidt quipped dryly in crisp if stilted English. For Matthew though, the Survivor-Nation of North Germany very much resembled and acted like her dead predecessor. “Perhaps we may need more discipline. But Bitte, aren’t there other matters to attend to?”

“Just wait your turn, lass. We’ll get to East Germany – I mean, Prussia soon enough.”

“Dame un respiro. We just fought Romano a few years ago! Why can’t you give him the same treatment?”

“Look here, boyo. We’re just doing mankind a service here. Just fixing up Alfred and Ivan’s mess on our own backyards wasn’t a walk in the bloody park...”

Mon Dieu. Some things never change, Canada sighed as he let his eyes wander about the simple yet elegant hall. While it was irritating at times that some still mistake him for the late United States of America despite a Survivor-Nation taking Alfred’s old name, at least people remembered him now. Aside from the Celtic Alliance, Spain and North Germany, not everyone was present. The Nordics were apparently busy, with Berwald and Tino clearly having thoughts involving each other rather than the agenda. Greece meanwhile, while present seemed to have fallen asleep again, which betrayed just how far that Nation turned his fortunes around since Doomsday. Sitting there, Matthew found it hard to believe that it wasn’t long ago when they were all just trying to survive the atomic fires. How times flies…wait, hold on a minute!

His attention soon turned to Austria, sitting at the far end of the table. Although the Alpines weren’t part of the ADC, either Switzerland or Liechtenstein were usually around to observe every time the alliance met on their territory. But not this time. Why him? Despite Roderich’s impeccable if outdated appearance, Matthew heard many rumors about the former aristocrat. That he never recovered from the Soviet invasion after Doomsday. That he supposedly fathered a child at some point. That he was so obsessed with finding his beloved Hungary that the Nation lost his mind upon finding her corpse. As the Canadian quietly slipped out and walked towards him, he wasn’t so sure whether to feel sorry or keep his distance. Only one way to find out...

“Can I help you, Herr Williams?” the bespectacled Nation asked stoically in German-accented English as he turned towards him. It was almost a miracle at all that Canada could hear him over the shouting contest behind him. “For if you intend for me to break up this rabble, then my neutrality cannot help you.”

“It’s not that,” Matthew sighed. “I just haven’t had seen you in quite some time.” It was then however that he saw a young girl in an old yet clean dress sitting beside the Austrian. As the child turned with a grin, it startled the Canadian just how much she resembled both Roderich and a long-dead Elizaveta, right down to her green eyes. No…must be a coincidence. “Um, is that kid related to you? I don’t remember ever seeing her, eh?”

Austria smiled slightly, though something about it seemed oddly unsettling for Canada. “An understatement, though I believe you could say that. Isn't that right, Julia?”

“Ja!” the girl beamed before sliding into a thickly accented English that sounded like a mix of Austrian and Hungarian. “It’s nice to meet you, Herr Canada!”

“Oui, it’s great to meet you too! What do you think o-”

All of a sudden, he heard the doors and windows inexplicably locking shut, one by one. It was enough to actually cause the other Nations to stop bickering as it became clear what was happening. Matthew, of course knew along with the other allies that Liechtenstein had taken up her brother’s penchant for being absurdly prepared for anything. But this is just too much.

“Um, Austria?” The Canadian asked. “You do have the keys right?”

“End up locked inside?” the former aristocrat finished for him nonchalantly while standing up. “We already are. And I’m afraid the keys are with Vash at the moment. I do not know if he or his sister will be here today.“

“You're not serious, Herr Edelstein!” Matthew heard Hilde snap. “For what reason are you holding us here?!”

“If this is some joke, Roderich…Dios Mio, this has gone too far!” Antonio blurted out with growing concern over the growing commotion, only for the Scotsman to outstage him in even more blunt terms while dragging Ireland closer to him.

“You tear those bloody doors open, ye ken?! Or Lord knows what I’ll do, ye German bastard!”

Just then, unsettling sounds seemed to fill the air all while Roderich and Julia remained as calm as they could possibly be. At that moment, Canada wondered if he inherited England’s supposed talent for seeing the supernatural. He brushed it off with much difficulty. That can’t be it…can it?!

“I would say this was my idea, but that would be giving myself too much credit,” Austria sighed as he held the young girl’s hand as a fog slowly began to obscure them. An unnerving and unnatural cold grin crossed his face. “For this plan - is also hers.”

Matthew suddenly found himself being thrown back as a fog seemed to fill everything in front of him. Neither he nor the other allies could see Austria or the child. Instead, a female figure stepped out. Her body and military uniform were horribly decayed, a spear and frying pan on her hands as she hummed a distorted version of some song. But it was the rotted flower on what remained of her hair that caused the Canadian to gasp in shock. Once upon a time, he welcomed her people. He knew her. And yet he could only mutter one word.

“H-Hungary?”