You know how ages ago I put up a poll about whether or not to do an alternate history story? Well… here it is. It's not perfect historically speaking, but I thought it would make for an interesting story. Enjoy!

I don't own Hetalia! End/AN/

It wasn't the whole of Australia that had been conquered. Just the edges, the ports, the big cities… and yet it was all Japan needed, because soon enough he had found Australia himself and dragged him out of his barricade like a dog on a leash.

Australia fought him hard. Very hard. His hand was already thoroughly burned, and his stomach swirled in his gut, setting off nerve endings like a match lighting the tips on fire.

He only saw cold eyes from Japan himself, who looked on like he was some mutt that had just been pulled off a pile of refuse. It was as though he didn't even appear human to Japan.

He got slashed across the face for staring, with the warning, 'Next time, it will be your head.'

England had to know about this. He had to be sitting in his bomb-wrecked home and bemoaning the loss of Australia, and soon New Zealand as well. The Australian troops abroad must have had their hearts shattered like movie glass.

He didn't remember a lot after that, since he lost a lot of blood. It felt feverish and dark, the desperate cries of men trapped in Hell filtering in through his ears; the smell of fear and death coming through his nose.

When he truly woke, he was sprawled on a concrete floor, and someone was dabbing at his forehead.

His eyes opening caused a gasp from the person, who uttered, "He's awake! China, he's awake!"

"That's what you thought yesterday," came the calm and utterly dead voice, and Australia couldn't believe it was China; he had some history with the man, and he could still recall the heated arguments they'd got in over immigration.

His vision cleared, and he saw a bruised Hong Kong kneeling in front of him. Hong Kong had a split lip, whether split from dehydration or being hit, it wasn't clear. His dark eyes were on Australia, lit up just a little, like an oil lantern with the wick turned down.

"Hong Kong…?" It came out gravelly, like his throat had something in it trying to block him from speaking. Yes, Hong Kong… he had been taken on Christmas. Canada had been there, and he had told the story with his head hanging low.

'I couldn't save him. I couldn't hold off Japan. And now, that bastard is going to tear Hong Kong apart.'

He looked torn apart. His hands were trembling as he pushed back Australia's hair from his face, and he gave a mirthless smile. "Yes, I'm Hong Kong. Australia, we thought you were going to die!"

"He's going to die anyway," China said helpfully.

Hong Kong's lips trembled, and he pressed them tightly together.

"Hey, there was no call for that!" Australia protested, sitting up. "Of course I'm not going to die! Have you even seen the wildlife at my place? If they can't kill me, neither can Japan."

China met his gaze, eyes flatly devoid of fire for the argument. "We're the three of us going to die. All they have to do is figure out how."

Hong Kong looked even more trembling, so Australia pulled him close with his good hand. They weren't the closest of siblings, but they had both been trouble for England in one way or another. Hong Kong pressed against his chest, and his trembling seemed to spread into Australia.

Australia glared at China, stating, "Well, with that attitude, of course you're going to die. The only way to survive is to believe that you can. And damnit, we can!"

China looked at him like he was stupid. "You don't even know where you are, do you?"

"Well, no—"

"You're in a laboratory. The entire goal of this laboratory is to find out what kills us, and the easiest way to do it." China was in a ragged uniform, red armband around his upper arm. He had no shoes, his feet instead bound up in rags.

"Well, they're not going to win. I'm not going to die here," Australia insisted, holding Hong Kong tightly. The boy appeared to be all of twelve years old.

China looked over at him darkly, stating, "When they're through with you, you'll wish you would die."

Australia didn't know what to say to that, so he just held onto Hong Kong tightly.

It had been only a few hours before men in white coats turned up, each holding a syringe in hand. Hong Kong had whimpered, hiding his face in Australia's chest.

"Hey, the fuck do you think you're doing?" Australia said, trying to shield him, but a pair of guards started shouting at him and pulled them apart.

Hong Kong sat frozen, fear in his eyes, as Australia was held back.

"What are you doing? China, what are they doing?" Australia turned his head to look at China, seeing the nation with his face buried in his hands.

"Salt," China said simply, refusing to look up.

They injected him, about 10 injections of what appeared to be salty water. Australia watched in horror, until they were done and they released him. He dashed to Hong Kong's side, where the boy was lying like a rag doll.

"Hong Kong? Hong Kong, you have to be all right! Answer me!" Australia lifted him up into a sitting position, holding him there.

The doctors filed out, as though they had simply given an injection for a vaccine or something.

China crawled over, feet not touching the ground, and started to stroke Hong Kong's hair.

Hong Kong let out a scratchy whimpering noise, and it looked like he was trying to cry, but couldn't. His face crumpled up and got red, but no tears came out.

China began to stroke his hair, singing a song that Australia didn't recognize. It sounded like a lullaby. Hong Kong wracked out dry sobs, sounding like a dying animal.

Good god, Australia hoped he wasn't dying. He took Hong Kong's hand in his, not knowing what else to do.

Japan couldn't possibly be this cruel… could he?

/AN/ This is an alternate history where Australia gets captured by Japan because America never entered the war because Pearl Harbor didn't happen.

Expect some historyish stuff, like there was some pretty sick stuff going on in Imperial Japan, but a lot of this is fantasy as well.