Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

His knees met the trampled grass below him, staining his pants with a gross green color. His breath was labored, and he could feel that his inevitable surrender was incoming. Despite this, he lifted his head and grinned at the bayonet aimed at his head, showing off his bloodied teeth and grimy face.

“You gonna kill me now, aintchu? Gonna shoot me dead, after all these years of fightin’.” The Confederacy smiled mockingly, goading on his twin even on death’s door. “D’ya have it in yourself ta kill your precious lil’ brother?”

The Union pressed his lips into a thin line, eyes unforgiving yet filled with remorse. “You know I gotta do this. What you’ve done–what you’ve tried to do, I was never gonna let it happen.” He glanced away to the blood-streaken battlefield, then back at his twin. “You brought this upon yourself, Dixie.”

Despite all his bravado, the moment he heard the gun click filled his heart with an unfamiliar feeling: fear. He was going to be bested by his northern brother and reduced to a blip in history. The Confederacy dryly swallowed, breaths getting more unsteady as the gun’s head pressed into his forehead. His vision swam.

Fear. Paralyzing, strong, fear. As he clenched his hands into tight fists, this fear morphed into something else far more malicious: anger. Anger at not himself, but at the pathetic states that formed him.

Why didn’t they fight harder? How dare they slander my image like this and make me appear weak.

His eyes narrowed with hatred as the country standing above him sighed, tensing his arm. “You got any last words? Any genuine, meaningful words to leave behind for your states?”

Last words? LAST WORDS?? No, I will not have any ‘last words’. This…this will not be the end for me. I have things yet to be accomplished, I have revenge yet to be sought–this will not be my end.

Dixie raised his head, looking the Union in the eye. Without warning, he began to laugh. A hysterical, maniacal laugh that shocked his to-be executioner to the core, and sent a chill to his bones.

“Oh, you ain’t seen the last’a me yet. Mark my words, I’ll be back. I’ll be back, whether it takes me 10 or 50 or even 100 gosh darn years, ya hear me? And all the while, I’ll be hauntin’ ya. You n’ my traitorous states–none’a yall are gettin’ a goodnights’ sleep till’ the day I come back.” The country wobbled unsteadily on his knees, caught up in his vigor. “And I’ll kill all yall that’ve done me wrong!”

The Union closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “I’m not gonna feed into your delusions any longer, Dixie. It’s over. You lost. Your states will be mine.” He curled his lip, disgusted by what his brother had been reduced to. “This is goodbye, Dixie.”

The Confederacy in his craze didn’t hear a single word that came out of the Union’s mouth. As the shot rang out, and as the bullet blew through his skull, only one overwhelming thought stayed in his mind:

Revenge.

And the Confederacy’s hatefulness would prove to be enough to tether him to the mortal realm, from his death all the way up to the current era.

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The Union stared at his brother’s corpse, now sprawled out onto the grass facedown. If not for the bullet wound in the back of his head, one could think that he had just fallen asleep in a comical position.

The country cast one last look at their twin before entering the Appomattox courthouse, where the treaty to end the war would be signed. As he entered , he saw that Virginia and D.C. were already seated.

“Well, good to see we can start right away. I’m finished with my, ah, business as well, so do you mind telling me what you’re thinking, D.C.?” America addressed his capital while he pulled up a seat.

D.C. adjusted his glasses, examining the papers he held in his hand before passing them to his country. “We haven’t gotten far with negotiations yet. We were waiting for you.” The capital cleared his throat, glancing at America. “How was your…business?”

Virginia spoke for the first time since America entered the room. “What ‘business’ are yall talking about?” She glared at the other two in the room, eyes filled with wariness. “If it’s got anything to do with the other states, I told you–I’m surrendering. So don’t hurt them anymore.”

“No, it’s not that. I had to kill the Confederacy.” America kept his voice light, and was glad when it didn’t waver. D.C. shot him a relieved look, feeling some stress vanish from his chest.

I’m glad he went through with it. I was afraid I’d have to get involved.

Virginia’s eyes darkened, biting her lip out of habit. “I–I suppose that is necessary. You two can’t coexist, after all.” She crossed her arms, fidgeting with her sleeves.

So it really is over now.

“Did he leave any words?” America looked up, meeting her gaze evenly. “You know, words of advice or some shit like that? We did spend 4 years with him, after all.”

America pretended to read over the draft of the treaty, avoiding the question for a few seconds.

”I’ll kill all yall that’ve done me wrong!”

“Well…no. No words.”

Virginia leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. “Of course. I suppose we really didn’t mean all that much to him in the end.” An arm came up to cover her face while the other dangled by her side. “So this is it, isn’t it? The end of the war?”

D.C. nodded briskly. “Yes indeed. Now, if you’ll be so kind as to read over these negotiations for rejoining the union…”

His voice faded into the background as America closed his eyes, feeling years of strain seemingly evaporate from his body. The war has been fought, the winner determined.

So why does a lingering feeling of doom still haunt his mind?

The Confederacy was as dead as you could get. America had checked for a pulse, and found nothing. He was gone.

“...and we’ve decided to allow you all to rejoin with these conditions. Us northern states have talked this through, so it’ll be official once you and your comrades accept the terms.” The country blinked his eyes open, reentering the negotiations once again. He watched as Virginia pondered the treaty, scrutinizing every line with a judgemental eye. He watched as the two debated over conditions that were either too cruel or too lax. He watched as eventually, Virginia gave a reluctant nod and passed the papers back to D.C. with her signature on it.

What was there to worry about?

Those were the rantings of a madman, that was all. The last words of a maniac.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Chapter Text

The sweet scent of syrup and pancakes awoke South Carolina as he groggily blinked his eyes open. A few minutes passed by in tranquil silence before his twin, North Carolina, came knocking on his door.

“South! Are you still sleeping, at this time?” North Carolina barged into his room impatiently, shoving his wristwatch in the other’s face. “Seriously, even Alaska’s up–and you know how much of a heavy sleeper he is!”

South Carolina resisted the temptation to hurl a pillow at his brother’s face before dramatically groaning and kicking his blankets off. “I’m up now, so stop yapping…plus, it can’t be that late–I can still smell breakfast going.” The sugary scent drifting in from the kitchen was admittedly, waking him up.

“Well yeah, but no one wants to eat soggy pancakes. Just hurry up and join the rest of us, ‘kay?” North Carolina waved before shutting the door, exiting as quickly as he entered.

South Carolina sighed before pulling himself up and making a beeline to the restroom. A few minutes later, he was feeling more refreshed after brushing his teeth and combing through his hair a bit. He glanced in his closet before carelessly putting on a casual home fit, then headed out to the kitchen where most of the south had gathered.

The layout of the states’ mansion was sprawling and covered several acres, which was reasonable considering it housed 50 states. It mainly consisted of a semicircle rooming area which was divided up into the main sections of the United States: the Northeast, the Midwest, the West, and of course the South.

There’s always been a bit of debate as to where each state actually goes, but ultimately most just go with their favorite room that still aligns with their general geographic position.

Each region’s states usually share the same common areas as well: the game room, the media room, and the kitchen. These areas are quite big, since each region holds 10 or more states, give or take.

As South Carolina entered the kitchen, he was immediately spotted by his friend Georgia who closed off her conversation with Alabama and turned his way with a smile.

“Sup South! Ya got some good beauty sleep?” She teased, walking toward him with a plateful of pancakes as he rolled his eyes.

“Buzz off, Georgia–I only overslept a little…” He soon became distracted by the heavenly aroma coming from the plate she was carrying, and looked towards her with pleading eyes as hunger suddenly hit him. “So…that plate’s for me, right?”

She snorted and nodded her head, twin braids swinging behind her. “Yup. I already ate, so I saved ya a plate before Florida could eat it all, that greedy gremlin.”

“Aw thanks, G! You’re the best!” South Carolina happily took the plate from her and began digging into the syrup-covered pancakes, marveling at its buttery flavor and fluffy texture.

“Who was on breakfast duty today? This shit is awesome.”

Georgia leaned against the countertop and took out her butterfly knife, absentmindedly twirling it around her finger. “Texas and Oklahoma, though I reckon breakfast was mostly Texas; Oklahoma likes making ham and eggs.” She shrugs, catching the blade masterfully. “I guess we’re gettin’ some good’ol OK style lunch today then.”

South Carolina nodded, mumbling around his mouthful of pancake, “Man, we gotta make Texas cook more. His food is pretty darn great.” He swallowed and looked towards Georgia with a smirk. “I bet those other regions don’t have food as good as ours.”

Georgia met his smile with a grin of her own. “Probably not. I-”

“Georgia!! Where’d you go?” Alabama’s voice cut through their conversation abruptly. South Carolina glanced at Georgia questionably, to which she responded with a shrug. “You promised me you’d join me and Loui upstairs for some girl talk! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?!”

Georgia smacked her head before waving at South Carolina. “Right. I did promise them that. See ya at lunch, South!” She then turned around and started making her way to Alabama and Louisiana, who were waiting by the kitchen’s second entrance. “I’m coming, you two–be patient!”

“See you later!” South Carolina called after her before resuming his meal. A few minutes passed in comfortable silence as he observed the other states bustle about in the kitchen.

There was Texas and Oklahoma in the cooking area, and judging by their actions it seemed they were tidying up after making breakfast.

His brother was chatting with Florida and seemed to be plotting another prank by the looks on their mischievous faces. He’d better keep an eye on them today.

A couple of states sat at the long dining table, which had enough seats for all of them but the states rarely ever dined together with the exception of a special occasion. Virginia was sitting at the head of the table, which was quietly agreed upon by everyone that the seat belonged to her. To her right were Kentucky and Tennessee, and to her left were Arkansas and West Virginia.

Mississippi seemed to be the only southern state South Carolina hadn’t seen this morning yet, but that was quite normal since he was an early riser and sometimes even got to the kitchen before the states on meal duty.

As South Carolina sat in relative peace absentmindedly chewing on his fork, a sudden bolt of splitting pain struck his head, causing him to double over, grasping the countertop for support.

The feeling receded almost as quickly as it had come, and the state found himself feeling just as regular as he did earlier. Distracting himself, he shakenly brought his empty plate to Oklahoma who greeted him with a cheerful ‘Good Morning!’ to which South Carolina responded in kind. The walk back to his room was a blur, and it was only until he closed his bedroom door did he start processing that strange pain.

What the hell was that? A headache? Did I accidentally bump my head somewhere?

He reached his bathroom and looked into the mirror, examining underneath his hair for any signs of injury.

“There’s nothing wrong with me physically…” He muttered in confusion. “But there’s no way I just imagined that.”

That pain had almost knocked him off his feet. It felt like something, or someone was ripping his head in two.

South Carolina stared, disgruntled, at his reflection. “So what was that? There has to be an explanation.”

...

...-ting, testing–

“What was that?” The state quickly looked over his shoulder, glancing around for any sign of an intruder. His dark blue eyes darted across his bathroom walls, finding nothing. A sense of apprehension filled him.

I know I heard someone’s voice just now. I’m not going crazy, am I?

No you ain’t, kiddo. Ya heard me right!

South Carolina’s eyes widened as the gruff voice filtered in, clear as day. He once again looked around him, but there was no other state to be seen. He frowned at himself in the mirror.

What is going on? Who are you? How are you talking to me?

...

That ain’t nuthin’ you needa be concerned about. Forget this ever happened, yea?

What–no! Who are you? How are you…talking to me through my thoughts?

South Carolina stared at his reflection in the mirror before sighing, seeing that he wouldn’t be getting a response.

“Goddamit. What the hell’s wrong with me? Hearing voices, seriously…” The state splashed some water on his face and glanced up at his reflection’s eyes–dull, tired, and sleep deprived. A sudden chill ran down his spine as an ominous feeling filled him, leaving him rushing to exit his bathroom.

South Carolina flopped down onto his bed thinking of the terrible sleep he’s had the past few days.

“There’s been those nightmares, but I can’t remember what happens in them. I keep waking up in the night for no reason, and I always feel like someone’s watching me when I try to go to sleep.” He counted the reasons off on his fingers in a listless tone, hand held up to the ceiling.

“Damn. I thought it was just typical sleep issues, but maybe I should talk to Massachusetts about getting some medicine. I mean, hearing voices?” He scoffed, dropping his arm to his bed with a thud. “Now that’s a sign to catch up on sleep.”

Despite oversleeping this morning, South Carolina slowly dozed off once again as his tiredness caught up to him. Comforted by the hearty breakfast he just ate and the morning light filtering through his windows, he was lulled into a sense of false security.

Unfortunately for him, someone else had very different plans.