Destroying

Timor entered Brunei's apartment. He could barely stand on his feet, and inside him there was a real war. Three innocent people had been wounded at his hands. He ran into his room in tears and plopped down on his bed, burying his face in the pillow. He burst into loud sobs. «What I've done! How could I?! What happened to me?» Timor raised his head, then hit his face on the pillow. He "growled." He felt so bad that he was ready to lose consciousness, just to not feel anything. Along with guilt, memories of what had happened followed him. Indonesia and Malaysia begged him to stop, and he came to his senses only when it was too late, but even later after he tried to kill the Philippines. Timor couldn't contain the pain inside, but he didn't want anyone to hear his cries. He curled up and pulled the blanket over himself. Gritting his teeth, he continued to cry. His tears trickled down onto the sheets in seconds, leaving wet spots. Suddenly, he froze and stopped shaking, his eyes closed, and his pulse slowed. He lost consciousness because of the strain on his nervous system, which wasn't used to this. The door slammed. Brunei returned. He was unsettled by the strange silence in the apartment. He expected to see Timor walking toward him and hugging him with a smile on his face. A feeling of unease immediately struck him. Brunei took off his shoes and went into Timor's room. He knocked and then opened the door, entering the room. He saw Timor lying on the bed under the blanket. Brunei approached the bed and pulled the blanket down to Timor's neck. Timor's eyes were wet. He couldn't hide the fact that he was crying. Brunei became worried. Of course, how can you not worry when something strange is already happening? First Indonesia disappears, then Malaysia disappears, and now the Philippines. Brunei sat on the edge of the bed and stroked sleeping Timor's head. Timor squished his eyes, feeling the touch, and then opened them slightly. The sight of Brunei filled him with genuine fear. He wanted to pass out again, but he could only speak of such things out loud to himself. He raised himself up, then sat up, trying to pretend that he was more or less okay. "Tim, what happened? Were you crying?" Brunei asked, placing his left hand on Timor's right shoulder. "Well... I remembered that nightmare," Timor defended himself hesitantly, looking down. "I see." Brunei slowly removed his hand. "Tim, I have bad news for you." "They're found?!" Timor thought, but asked another question: "W-What happened?" "Phil's gone missing too. Singa called me and said he'd gone somewhere, but he still hasn't returned." "Phil... disappeared too?" Timor barely managed to sound surprised. "Yeah. And Singa was going to call the police. I hope everything works out." «No… no! If the police find them, I'll definitely be charged within a few days! No, I don't want to go to jail or a mental hospital!» Timor began to tremble with fear. «What I've done. What was I thinking?! Why'd I just get mad at 'em? What's wrong with me?!» Timor grabbed his hair with his hands, almost wanting to tear it out. "Tim, what happened?!" Brunei asked, confused. Timor couldn't look at Brunei, much less speak. No... anything but let it slip... "Tim, hush, hush." Brunei hugged Timor and held him close. "We will find them, don't be afraid." «I hope they stay alive and forgive me! I don't wanna be alone. I don't wanna be hated!» Brunei patted Timor on the head. He said nothing because he didn't know what to say anyway. He could never have imagined that the younger one was a criminal. He tried to calm down. He didn't want to make his elder one even more nervous. He wiped the tears from his eyes and sighed. He pulled away from Brunei and pulled his knees to his chest. "Tim, you worried 'bout them? They'll be found. I'll help you find them." "Bruno… Bruno, please just be quiet." "What?" "Please, b-be quiet." Timor looked down. "The police will find 'em themselves." "Tim... why you're saying that? You don't want somethin' to happen to me?" After asking these questions, Brunei began to feel a little afraid. "Yes," Timor lied. Brunei looked away. Suddenly, a ringtone rang out. Brunei pulled out his phone and saw that Singapore was calling. Timor saw it too, and fear struck him. He cowered, afraid to imagine why the starlight one was calling. Brunei picked up the phone. "Singa?" Brunei said. "Phil still hasn't returned. Indo and Mal haven't returned either. I called Britain and he said he'd assign a search squad." "I... I understand. Singa, please don't go outside. If anyone else goes missin', we need to sound the alarm." "I'll be home. I hope no one else goes missing." "Me too. By the way, Tim's still here, but he's depressed." "It's probably due to stress. Take care of him, and I'll wait for a response from Britain." "Okay. Bye, Singa. And good luck." "You too. Bye." The call ended by Singapore. Brunei exhaled and lowered his hand holding the phone. Timor heard what Singapore was saying, and he felt even more afraid. "Singapore has called the police. I hope they're found alive," Brunei said sadly. "So terrible," Timor said in fear, and immediately noticed that his words sounded strange. "I mean! what could've happened to them?" "I don't know. My God, I hope they're okay!" Brunei clutched his head. He was panicking and even more afraid than Timor. Timor began to grow increasingly nervous. He looked at Brunei with horror in his eyes. He couldn't imagine what Brunei was going through or what he was thinking. However, Timor knew that fear would suddenly turn to anger if he confessed everything. Timor's heart began to beat even faster, his breathing became labored, and a herd of chills and goosebumps ran through his body. "I want to find them. I wanna go lookin' for them!" Brunei said. Timor could no longer feel his body. He was shaking with fear. A lump lodged in his throat, making him feel dry, and his stomach was uncomfortably sick. The anxiety was making it difficult not only to think, but even to speak! "We need to figure out where they were." Brunei stood up from the bed, turning towards the door while Timor looked down anxiously. "There has to be some clue. They couldn't have vanished! Tim, where did you see them? Maybe at least Indo?" Timor flinched. He slowly turned his head toward Brunei, his gaze wild with shock and fear, startling the elder. Brunei froze in confusion, then sat down next to Timor. "Tim, what happened to you?" Brunei asked, grabbing the younger one by the shoulders. "Just... tired," Timor said quietly, looking into Brunei's eyes with that strange gaze. The same mixture of fear, shock, anxiety, and fatigue was present in him. "Then you better lie down and rest, and I'll go out for a while." "No!" Timor shouted again in panic. "D-don't go outside! No one knows what'll happen to you!" "I'll be careful, Tim," Brunei smiled reassuringly. Timor clasped his hands, lowering his head with even greater fear. Brunei would definitely find all three. The sequence of events, from the police to the arrest, had led Timor to a dead end, a hole from which there was no escape. Timor could barely contain his loud screams and cries. "Are you sure you didn't see Indo, Mal, and Phil? Maybe you at least saw where they were going?" Timor shook his head in denial, then turned away, closing his eyes. "And where... were you with them last? Or at least with whom were you last? It doesn't matter when, I need to know when you stopped seeing them." Timor gritted his teeth. Answering would accomplish nothing, and silence would arouse suspicion. "I-I... I was with I-Indo," Timor answered feverishly, trying to hold back his tears. "He missed... 'bout two days ago." "Hmm... where were you with him?" It seemed to Timor that this question was no different from the question “have you seen them?” Timor was going even more insane, which's why he gave away the place where Indonesia was actually last before the kidnapping: "In the park!" Brunei patted Timor on the head. Timor turned to Brunei, frightened, and Brunei said: "Tim, you're scared, I can tell. I probably shouldn't fear you." "Yes. L-Leave me." Timor stammered. "Literally? Are you sure?" the elder asked hesitantly, to which Timor only replied: "Yes." "But-…" "You'll say I'm little, defenseless, and weak?" Timor began to get angry. The obsessive anxiety returned. "What? No. You're just nervous and need support!" "No! I... I want to be alone." Timor began to be torn between anger and fear. "Okay. Get some rest, Tim." Brunei stood up. He walked to the door and grabbed the doorknob. "I hope you'll be okay." glancing at Timor, he added and left the room. Timor lay down on the bed. He began breathing rapidly, panicked even more intensely, and then, burying his face in the pillow, he burst into tears. The emotions flew out of him like an arrow from a bow, piercing his very heart. But nothing hurts as deeply as the bitter truth. «I can't do this anymore!» Timor heard the front door close. His heart seemed to stop for a second, and his eyes widened in shock. Timor jumped out of bed as if scalded, ran out of the room, then found himself at the front door and looked through the peephole. He saw Brunei turn toward the elevator. «No... no, he didn't go lookin' for 'em, did he?!» Timor began to nervously bite his fingernails. His mind was telling him to get rid of Brunei, just so he wouldn't find anyone else, but then again, Timor had already done enough and regretted it. He couldn't and didn't want to commit an attempt on freedom or murder, but he also didn't want to let the truth float from the bottom to the surface. Timor opened the door and ran out of the apartment. He took the elevator down to the first floor and was outside in seconds. He saw Brunei walking toward the park. Timor followed him, trying to remain calm. The main thing was to remain undisclosed. After a while, Brunei stopped near the forest. Timor knew that just a little while longer and Brunei would definitely find that house, and inside it, all three wounded kidnapped boys. Timor walked past Brunei, and when Brunei turned around from behind his footsteps, he ran deeper into the forest. «Please no!» Timor thought as he ran a few meters. «Bu-ut…» Bieyed suddenly stopped. He looked around. Everything was quiet and gloomy. Timor quietly caught his breath, trying not to get nervous or give in to negative emotions. It seemed to him that Brunei'd followed him and was about to find him, but these thoughts didn't disturb him as much as the thought that he had done wrong by running away from the scene of the crime. «They're in pain. They're suffering, and I remain silent, so ' they wouldn't be found. This is wrong! They could die, and then life'll be even more changed. I need to let them out... if they're still alive.» Tim went looking for the abandoned house. The sky was covered with leaden clouds, faint thunder was heard, and the wind began to sway the leaves and grass, the trunks of the thin trees and bushes, but there was a sense of unease. It was as if nature itself was agitated along with Timor, harbouring a storm somewhere within and attempting to contain it. Timor reached the house and entered through the open door. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines sat on their chairs and... were silent. Indonesia and Malaysia had their eyes closed and looked like they were barely breathing, while the Philippines looked like he was still trying to get out for a long time. Timor approached his victims, feeling a deep sense of guilt. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Timor said through tears and pain. He walked over to the chair where the Philippine was sitting and removed the textile from his eyes. "I'm the one who's blind, Phil. I didn't see that I was a monster." Timor wanted to untie the rope, but as he began to do so, he heard someone trying to get out of the bushes that they'd caught on. Timor was scared. He realized who it was. He looked out the window and confirmed he hadn't been mistaken, and that it was Brunei who'd come to this house. Timor hid under the table in fear. Brunei entered the house quietly and hesitantly, and immediately gasped. He saw the sight before him and froze in shock. "Mal, Phil, Indo?" Brunei said quietly. "No! What happened?! How?!" Timor held his breath, even though he wanted to cry. Hearing Brunei's shocked reaction was terrifying. "Indo!" Brunei ran up to Indonesia. "Indo, wake up! Please, open your eyes. You're not dead, right? You're alive?!" Brunei reached out to touch Indonesia's shoulder, but Timor didn't want to leave any extra fingerprints that could lead Brunei to be seen as an accomplice, so he crawled out from under the table and called out to him. Brunei turned around in shock and confusion. "Tim... it's not what you think," he said a little nervously. "I know." Timor looked down. "We need to tell Britain that they’ve been found," Brunei took his phone out of his pocket, "and then we’ll find out who did it." Brunei dialed the number he needed. The beeps sounded, and with each new one, Timor's breath caught in his throat, but he remained silent. The phone was picked up quickly and Britain's voice was heard on the other end of the speakerphone: "Hello?" "Britain, I have important news! I've found them! I've found Mal, Phil, and Indo!" "You did?!" "Yes, but they're wounded and unconscious. Someone tried to kill them!" "Tell me where you are, I'll come with a police squad and an ambulance." Timor has retreated. That's all. It's time to face the consequences.

***

Police officers and concerned passersby were already visible near the forest. Britain stepped forward into the forest and saw Brunei and Timor. The former was hugging the latter. "Brunei, lead me. Show me that house," he said. "Timor, you better go home." "No, I'll stay," Timor said. "I don't want to be alone." "Tim, go home, I'll be back soon," Brunei said, running his right hand over Timor's head. "No, I... okay." Timor ran away. All he could do was go to Brunei's apartment, which is where he headed. The whole way there, he was overcome by terrible feelings. He barely remembered how he ended up in the entrance and how he went up to Brunei’s apartment. Timor threw open the apartment door, sobbing. He took off his shoes and ran to the bathroom, where he locked himself in. He became hysterical. He slammed his right fist on the door, closing his eyes again, then slammed it again, slowly sinking to his knees. He hit his head on the door, hissing softly in pain afterward. Timor opened his eyes through the pain, and then tears quickly streamed down his cheeks, breathing rapidly. «I'm a monster! I'm a bastard!» - Timor thought to himself, clenching his palms. He lightly scratched the bathroom door with his nails, but didn't react. He stood up and turned on the water in the sink, to burst into loud cries. He screamed, releasing even more powerful emotions into his bondage. He slapped himself on the cheek, then looked at his reflection in the mirror. Black eye. His right eye was the source of bullying, and hence, aggression. Timor covered his eye with his hand, a hint of madness and inner anger. «Why was I born like this? What do I need this hell eye for?!» Timor frowned, itching to rip his eye out with his fingers. «How do I get rid of it?» Timor lowered his hand. He put both hands under the stream of warm water. He began to come to his senses, and instead of anger, a strong fatigue appeared. He washed his hands, washed his face, and left the bathroom. He walked to his room. Opening the door, he stood in the hallway for a few seconds, staring into space. Having finally crossed the threshold of the room, he closed the door and leaned against it. Outside the window, he could see that the sky had grown darker and somewhere below, the sunset was already fading. Timor walked up to the bed and literally fell onto the soft blanket, then grabbed it with his hands and pulled it over his head. He closed his eyes. There was silence and darkness, nothing more. The gloomy atmosphere of a sleepless world. It wasn't a nightmare, not even the semblance of sleep, just emptiness. If there had been a dream, Timor would hardly have remembered it. Timor woke up in the middle of the night due to touches. He found himself in his room in complete darkness. He was cold, scared, and unsure what to expect. Suddenly, he saw Brunei. "Bruno, I-…" Timor sat down and fell silent. He wanted to say, "I didn't mean to," but he realized that would reveal his complicity in the crime. He had to say something else, even though it was also true: "I'm afraid." "Are you scared? Did you have a nightmare again?" Brunei asked worriedly. "Uh-huh. It's just a nightmare. And it's dark here," Timor said, lost in his thoughts. "Tim, here’s the thing…" in the darkness Timor saw that Brunei had looked away. "It's... Indo, Mal and Phil are alive, they're just unconscious, but the police found the drawings and also... a knife. They want to fingerprint everything, but Britain wants Indo, Mal and Phil to tell who's the killer. I don't know if this is bad, but... I think it's better for us to stay home for now. I hope they find this maniac and put him in jail! I'll never forgive him for what he did! Timor shook. Brunei had no idea he was the one being talked about. Timor shrank and began to cry quietly. "Hm? Tim!" Brunei moved closer, then hugged Timor. "Everything's fine. Don't be afraid." "How could I not be afraid when-...mh!" Timor couldn't even hint at what had really happened, because he was afraid of losing support. Brunei continued to reassure him, speaking softly to him as he trembled with fear. "I hope they wake up quickly and tell who did this." these words from Brunei further stressed Timor. "Be quiet! Please be quiet! I'm scared!" "Shhhh... I'm sorry, I'm just worried." «He... he won't be as kind if he finds out 'bout everything. I don't wanna be abandoned. I'm afraid to be alone!» Timor couldn't calm down for about twenty minutes, and Brunei was getting more and more worried with each passing minute. He didn't understand why Timor was so hysterical, but he didn't stop trying to calm him down. When Timor had calmed down and was able to sleep, Brunei carefully laid him down and covered him with a blanket, then left the room.

***

Several days passed. By then, Timor was completely exhausted. The pain was overwhelming, fear tormented his heart, and guilt gnawed at his soul. Over the course of several days, he gradually went crazy, silently and quietly, without even showing aggression. Naturally, his behavior couldn't help but cause concern in Brunei. Being around someone acting strangely would be uncomfortable for anyone. Brunei couldn't figure out what was going on for a long time, but it didn't take long. But it was still too early to figure that out. The day came when Indonesia woke up. He was the first to wake up, which's why he was the most shocked by what was happening. When he opened his eyes, he didn’t realize from the first seconds that he was in a hospital. He sat up with a soft groan and looked around. There were bandages or plasters where Timor had left the wounds. With his gaze he caught France, who was nearby and looking at him with surprise. "Woke up? Finally." France lowered her head in relief. "Indonesia, how are you feelin'?" - Fine. And what happe-... "the red-white gasped, he remembered that Timor had tried to kill him." Oh... and how am I still alive? "Indonesia, who kidnapped you?" France was a serious and confident woman. Indonesia froze. He didn't want to hand over his brother. There were several reasons for this, but one of the main ones was the simple fear of losing him. Timor and Indonesia had a hard time getting along, and Timor's loss of freedom could've driven Indonesia back into isolation. Indonesia clasped its hands. "Indonesia?" France became worried. "You... remember who kidnapped you, right?" "Yes, but... there's a dilemma here. What to do if the kidnapper's important to you?" "Excuse me, what?" France moved towards the door. "I mean! I mean I was kidnapped by someone I don't want to lose. Believe me, I'm sure he regrets it. The last time I saw him, the Philippines was telling him somethin'... somethin' 'bout reasons." "The reasons for such sadism?! Indonesia, no one I know personally could've inflicted such injuries. Moreover, since you say that you need this "person", then it is one of your friends, right?" "France, this is my personal matter. I'll decide everythin' myself. If you or Britain or anyone else figures it out, please don't attack. You don't know him as well as I do." "You don't mean to say that... Indonesia..." There was a knock on the door, and then the door swung open. Malaysia burst in, shaking all over. "Indo!" the moonlight one even smiled, seeing that his friend was okay, but then he fell and lost consciousness. "Mal!" Indonesia shouted, trying to get up, but France stopped him. A couple of doctors came in and Malaysia was carried to the room from which he'd escaped. "I see he just woke up and decided to make sure you were okay," France said. "He shouldn't be making such sudden movements, especially since he was on life support!" "He didn't die?" Indonesia worried. "I hope not. But he'll have to be resuscitated." France stood facing the door. "Tell..." the red-and-white man looked down uncertainly, then back at France. "Tell him not to give up the kidnapper." "Indonesia, I understand that you are worried about him, but the police will figure it out from the fingerprints anyway." "I know. But it'd be better if it happened when I could protect him." "Indonesia, this is a criminal case, but... if you want to resolve this, then I won't interfere." France meekly lowered her head, closing her lavender eyes. "Thank you, France," Indonesia smiled tenderly. "I promise nothing serious will happen." "Better let it be so, Indonesia." France turned to the patient. Indonesia nodded. Deep down, he harbored a deep sense of resentment. He'd cared for Timor, worried about him, shown him love, but it had all backfired. But was this really the only thing that provoked hatred? "I'll tell Malaysia and the Philippines to keep quiet. And I suppose they'll want to keep quiet themselves," France said. Indonesia turned to the window. He thought even more deeply, looking at the azure sky. "By the way, some of your wounds are almost healed, despite their severity," France said. "Some were small, so they healed quickly, but I wouldn't advise makin' any sudden movements." "So I won't be stuck here for long, right?" Indonesia asked without turning to France. "That's right. I'd say you could be discharged in a couple of days, if you keep an eye on your wounds." "I will. I've been discharged many times before my wounds had even healed, heh..." The two-colored one smiled, watching the clouds float by. "at home, I processed them myself and all that. Don't worry about me, better take care of Mal and Phil." "Don't be so confident in your abilities, Indonesia." "Just like you're not sure I'm a child." Indonesia turned to France, pointing his finger at her. France was perplexed, but remained silent. She nodded. Indonesia lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. It was the first time he'd truly felt genuine concern for someone who had hurt him. He knew and understood that Timor was driven to this by something more than his obsessive care and Malaysia's jokes about age. He tried to think and go through the options, in one of them he even briefly thought about bullying, but he couldn’t believe it. In any case, talking to Timor and finding out everything was the only right decision. So, it was time to wait. "Indonesia, you thinkin' about-..." France began, but Indonesia interrupted a little loudly: "Yes. I wish I could be discharged sooner and talk to him." "He won't kill you, right?" France asked, narrowing her eyes in mistrust. "I know why he wanted to kill me, so I'll try not to provoke him," Indonesia answered calmly. "Provoke... wait, provoke?" France took a step forward in shock. "Does he have emotional issues?" "I suppose." Indonesia looked away. "Don't worry, everythin' will be under control." Indonesia turned his head to France with a calm face. France was still worried. It was understandable, 'cause sometimes emotional issues and the words "everything will be under control" didn’t go together. The door to the ward opened again. One of the doctors entered. "The Philippines woke up," he said. "Really? Wonderful!" France smiled. "Then I'll go see him now. And you keep an eye on Indonesia." "Yes, ma'am." France withdrew, and Indonesia became worried. He didn't want any unnecessary interrogations or problems. "Since you've woken up and, as I see, are feeling well, can you tell me what happened to you? Britain wanted to hear from you first." "I... I can't tell you anythin'. Tell that to Britain. I need to pull myself together." "Fine. But I see you know who the criminal is. I don't advise defending sadists." "It's none of your business!" Indonesia suddenly raised himself up on his elbows. "It's not ours, but it's a police business. Even if it's not you, the evidence will show who's guilty." "Well, so be it." "Malaysia's awake again!" came a voice from the hallway. "He wants to see Indonesia." "Am I even allowed to go out?" Indonesia asked. "I don't think so. It'd be better if you two talked after you're discharged from the hospital."

***

"You can go now, but be careful," France said on the day of Indonesia's discharge, which came two days after he woke up. "Great." Indonesia smiled. "Finally, I'll see Timor!" "And the others?" "Them too. But you know, Tim's my brother and I'm sure he was the most nervous of all!" "After everything he's done, he couldn't help but be nervous." France narrowed her eyes, looking Indonesia in the eyes with a stern gaze. "You shouldn't just be confident, you should feel it." the tricolor placed her right palm on her chest. "I know." Indonesia frowned. "But I already said I'll handle it myself." he closed his eyes, lowering his head. Indonesia was released from the ward. In the hallway, he met the Philippines and Malaysia. They hugged him. "Good that you're okay," the Philippines said. "Yes," Malaysia agreed. A few seconds passed. Through the tenderness of his two friends, Indonesia felt a stirring of emotion at the thought of Timor. "Well... let's go home," Indonesia said quietly, stepping away with an uncertain expression, but a smile on his face. As luck would have it, Timor was acting especially nervous that day. He didn't know about Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, but he sensed he'd soon have to meet them. And he couldn't hide his condition from Brunei, and he, in turn, thought about it again. Various images and situations played in his head. He recalled everything from the moment he realized something was wrong with Timor. It was the day when the Philippines disappeared and when later he, along with Indonesia and Malaysia, were found in an abandoned house. He remembered how Timor tried to dissuade him from going outside, which seemed like an attempt to hide everything. He remembered that Timor had been in great pain all these days, was nervous, talked about nightmares, and did not want to hear about MaFilindo and the place of the abduction. And in the end, only Timor behaved so withdrawn and panicked, so quiet and thoughtful. It was then that Brunei realized everything, and also remembered that it was Timor who was last with Indonesia, and therefore with Malaysia and the Philippines as well. The puzzle was complete. To say that Brunei was shocked is an understatement. He needed to talk to Timor as soon as possible and find out the reason for his sadism. As luck would have it, Timor had left, but in reality, he was trying to hide. He went into that forest to catch his breath and hide his stress. He was afraid, he felt so bad. Every now and then, something rustled and cracked around, making Timor feel like he was going completely crazy. The trees and the leaves with them swayed in the wind, small branches, blades of grass and fallen leaves on the grass were blown away, and they clung to the bushes, rustling; something was falling from the trees deep in the forest, maybe acorns, maybe pine cones, maybe nothing at all and it was paranoia, but there were sounds. And then came the rustling of grass, now resembling the footsteps of a person or an animal. Timor chalked it up to paranoia, to leaves or grass; he believed to the very end that he was alone. There was a thunderstorm overhead, and the sky turned from pale, almost white, to a more leaden color with hints of blue-gray. Timor's body began to tremble. The wind grew stronger, sweeping away all lightness from its path. Somewhere there was a soft cracking sound, as if someone had stepped on a branch, then a rustling sound, as if someone had accidentally touched fallen leaves. Fear consumed Timor, but he stood there motionless, not knowing where he was. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the bushes behind and a rather stern, clear and loud voice of Brunei was heard: "Hiding from me, Tim?" The wind suddenly stopped blowing, the trees stopped swaying, and the air grew much quieter, as if the elder's words had frightened not only Timor but also nature. Timor turned in shock and looked at Brunei. "I know it's you kidnapped Indo, Mal and Phil." "Bruno... Bruno, wait, I can explain everythin'!" Timor clenched his hands in fear, stepping back. "Why did you do this?" Timor, hearing this question, replayed in his mind all the reasons for his anger: Indonesia's obsessive tutelage, Malaysia's jokes, and the fact that the Philippines was simply a bystander. Timor was angry again, either at his own thoughts or at Brunei. "Just guess!" Timor yelled. "Tim? Timor, what's wrong with you?" Brunei took a step back. Just a few moments ago he saw that his friend was afraid, trembling, and then suddenly this fear was replaced by anger and madness. "This intrusive care, these jokes 'bout my age and not even bein' a necessary witness!" Timor said, growing angrier with every word and step he took toward Brunei. His gaze darted from side to side, his hands were clenched into fists and the desire to beat him to death only grew. "You can't understand me 'cause ay're an adult! Ya didn't see, hear, or understand what I felt. And ya're an idiot if ya didn't realize my problem." Timor stopped in front of Brunei, standing only half a meter away from him. Brunei was already looking at Timor in bewilderment. Timor had long been a kind, sweet person, and his sudden mood swings frightened and stunned them. "You didn't say what happened to you. If you'd said that you didn't like it, I would've solved everythin'." "Of course! You'd say Indo did all right, that Mal was just "jokin'," and Phil did the right thin' by bein' a witness!" "Wait, you kidnapped... right... the drawings." Timor chuckled, then frowned with a brighter flash of anger. He punched Brunei in the face and then pinned him to the grass. He swung his left fist. "Tim, what's wrong with you?! Is this really you?" "Yes, it's me. It's me - your friend." Timor smiled madly, squeezing his hand tighter. "You... you're not my friend! You're not my friend as long as you behave like this." The smile faded, and his gaze filled with shock. Timor stared silently into Brunei's eyes for several seconds. "I thought you'd understand! But you turned out to be a bast-…" "Tim, stop!" the Philippines' voice suddenly rang out. Timor looked to the right. Along with the Philippines, there were Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia was the most shocked. Was "everything under control" just a misguided reassurance? Had he reassured himself and others? "How ya'll find me?!" Timor asked with bewilderment and anger. "We saw Brunei coming here. It seemed quite suspicious," Malaysia replied. "Oh, how smart and stupid." Timor stood up. "Calm down, Tim! I know this isn't the real you," Brunei said, sitting up. "I'm real, Bruno," Timor muttered. "Tim, you're insane," Malaysia said. "You ran away and abandoned us out of fear, right? Were you afraid of justice or yourself?" Indonesia asked, with a hint of hope and pain in his soul. He still couldn't believe his younger brother was a madman in and of himself. "I..." Timor stepped back. Malaysia ran up to Brunei and helped him up. Brunei looked at him, then at Timor. "Did you get hit hard?" the moonlight one asked quietly, but Timor still heard him and said loudly: "Ya'll get it worse, believe me!" "Just calm down. We're not going to fight you, we're not going to argue. Why don't you just explain everything to us?" the Philippines said. To explain everything meant to talk about the past. Timor didn’t want to, he was terrified of losing his status as an honest brother. And even now, after he'd attempted assassination and deceived Brunei, Singapore, and Asean, he couldn't even talk about bullying. Timor backed down and then ran away, saying: "You won't hear anything from me." Timor ran away from the forest, aimlessly, wherever his eyes led. Eventually, he came to a street and small two-story houses. Near one of these was a solid, burgundy-colored fence, without any gaps. Timor stopped right next to it. But, on his bad luck, Singapore and Asean were right there. Timor wasn't sure if he was angry or scared, but he was definitely nervous. Singapore noticed Timor, and with him, his exhausted expression. "Timor, what happened to you?" the star asked, coming closer. Asean turned to Timor with a questioning look. Timor grew even more nervous. "I'm fine, Singa," Timor tried to lie. Apparently, his condition didn't allow him to be believed. "Timor, are you sure? You look like you're about to faint," Singapore said, eyeing Timor. "Yes, something happened. Can you tell us?" Asean said. Timor felt he was at a dead end. Somewhere now, MaFilindo and Brunei were looking for him; here, Singapore and Asean, to whom he couldn't lie. "I, um… it's just I-I… well… uh…" Timor turned away, feeling even more lost. He lowered his head and gaze, staring off into space. "I… it's… oh, fu-…" "Timor!" Indonesia and the Philippines shouted from behind. Timor turned around apprehensive. He saw all four of them, who, judging by their appearance, had emerged from a small patch of forest behind them. Timor wanted to take a step back, but he realized that Singapore was behind him and that escape might be impossible, although there was the option of running across the road and escaping. Timor became angry, clenching his palms, but this was already because he desperately wanted to run away from prying eyes. "Chill, Tim, let's not fight?" the Philippines said. "Yes, let's say you don't get angry and we won't?" Malaysia asked. "We'll see," Timor answered sternly. "Guys, what's going on?" Singapore asked, confused. "Tim, you acted terribly, but let's not get… aggressive?" Brunei said. "Ya wouldn't talk about such things in front of others, would ya?" Timor asked even more sternly. "Congratulations, ya gave me away in front of Singa and Asean, what else?" Timor smiled hysterically. "Gave away? Oh, wait." Asean winced. "Yes, Asean. He's the one who tried to kill us." Philippines lowered his head. Timor clenched his palms even tighter, gritting his teeth. He was angry again, only even worse than when he had tortured. He walked up to the Philippines and slapped him on the cheek, then grabbed him by the collar (turtleneck). The Philippines pushed Timor in fear, but he remained on his feet and tried to hit again. "Timor, what's wrong with you?!" Singapore shouted. Timor punched the Philippines and kicked Malaysia in the stomach when he tried to pull him away. "Hey!" Brunei shouted, going to grab Timor by the shoulder. Timor responded by slapping him and grabbing him by the throat. "Kh! M-m! Mgh!" "Timor, stop!" Indonesia shouted. Timor pushed Brunei back to the Philippines and Malaysia. Brunei coughed loudly, and the Philippines hit his shoulder against the fence. "Tim, no! No, don't!" Indonesia shouted, almost in tears. "Y'all should've kept quiet and given me time to think it over." Timor tapped his right palm on his chest. "Y'all could've found a better place." Timor rolled up the sleeve on his left arm. "Tim, we made a deal!" Malaysia said. "I said 'we'll see', not 'okay.'" the bieyed one turned his head towards Malaysia with the same anger. "I'm sorry, Tim," Indonesia said, looking away. "Huh?" Timor looked at Indonesia in shock. "I already told you why I was restrictin' you, Malaysia also had his say. The Philippines turned out to be… much more reasonable, yes. Maybe we shouldn't ha-…" "'Maybe'?" Timor frowned again. "Uh..." Indonesia pressed himself against the fence, confused. "Maybe I shouldn't have opened my mouth at all." "Exactly. You've noticed correctly." Timor smiled. "I'm going to call the police if you don't stop!" Asean shouted. "No! Don't you dare!" Timor shouted, half-fear and half-confusion. Brunei suddenly pushed him, and he fell backwards. Timor wanted to get up and continue the fight, but he saw Brunei's hands clenched into fists. The Philippines and Malaysia stood by his side. They began to dissuade him from fighting. Brunei had never fought before, and if he was provoked, a fight would cost him someone's consciousness. "Brunei, don't," said Malaysia. "It'll only make him angry!" "What if he gets badly hurt?" the Philippines grabbed Brunei by the shoulders. "Indo, don't be silent, do somethin'!" Malaysia turned to Indonesia. "Ugh! Just die already! I'm tired of this crap!" Timor grabbed his head. Indonesia suddenly blocked Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines, causing them to freeze in shock. Indonesia looked at Timor. He stepped forward fearlessly. "Timor, that's not you... the real Timor's kind, understandin', solves everythin' with words, doesn't like to argue. What happened to you?" Indonesia looked into his brother's eyes, which were suffused with fire. "I'm sorry for hurt feelings, but come to your senses! There's no need to solve everythin' with violence! You... you're our beloved little friend: sweet and kind, honest and sincere." Timor's eyes widened at these words. He shook his head. Madness consumed him, depriving him of the goodness he had lived with for so long. All the good qualities, all the feelings that everyone he knew was used to, were destroyed under the pressure of anger. But the worst thing was that it was Timor's fault alone. Because of his silence, because of his secrets, he allowed hatred to penetrate and take over his body. Timor began breathing loudly, nervously and raggedly, as if all this negative black smoke was coming out of him. Timor looks to Indonesia who saw no longer anger and madness, but fear and regret. Timor clasped his palms together, as if it wasn’t his brother or his friends in front of him, but something from above, and through the tears that welled up he shouted: "I beg you, forgive me! Please forgive me! I don't know what happened to me. I was drawn to such things, and I don't know what it was! I'm so ashamed of it! Please don't leave me! Brunei covered its mouth with its right hand, while the Philippines and Malaysia exchanged glances. "So, come to senses?" the Philippines said quietly. Indonesia, however, wasn't at all flustered. He wanted this reaction from Timor, even if he didn't expect it to come. He was convinced that his brother was simply overcome with anger and that he truly regretted everything. Indonesia sat down in front of Timor and hugged him. "Hush, Tim. Everything's okay, I'm here," he said softly and gently. Timor trembled, but accepted Indonesia's embrace. Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines soon joined in. Timor felt warmth, but still felt bad about what it had done. "What. Was. That?" Singapore asked. Timor shuddered. Brunei slowly stood up and looked towards Singapore and Asean. Malaysia and the Philippines also distanced themselves from Timor and stood up, uncertain. But Indonesia remained firm in its reassurance. "Singa, it's a very long story," Brunei said. "Let's talk about this at home?" the Philippines suggested, raising his right hand. "Okay," Asean said. "But no incidents," he added, looking a little sternly at the Philippines. Indonesia helped Timor up. Timor's legs were shaking and he couldn't hold on. Indonesia put an arm around him to keep him from falling. Timor looked down with fear and anxiety. He didn't want to look at the others; he was ashamed and hurt.