The Clockwork Stranger
is a dark High School AU fanfiction loosely based on Hetalia: Axis Powers, in which an arrogant Alfred F. Jones messes with exactly the wrong person, and buckets of Nightmare Fuel and Squick ensue.
A short summary: Alfred is a popular, athletic, and fanatically religious student in southern Ohio who becomes rather enraged when the resident strange boy Arthur Kirkland steals his parking space. In a quickly escalating retribution, Alfred winds up turning the majority of the student body against Arthur's bizarre habits and social apathy. Arthur means to take a minor revenge by scrawling an occult symbol on Alfred's hand; however, it seems, he has less control over the demon he's summoned than he had previously anticipated.
Elements of horror, burgeoning romance, and a clash of philosophies combine to what is regarded as a very worthwhile read for Hetalia fans and others alike. It is, however, rated M for a reason.
This fanfiction provides examples of:
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Arthur just wants to spook Alfred. Well, it works... just a bit too well.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Arthur's revenge for Alfred's teasing? It kills him
- Love Hurts: For both Alfred, whose attraction to Arthur triggers a poorly-timed Crisis of Faith, and Arthur, who must leave his beloved to die.
- Prayer Is a Last Resort: Alfred prays for the dawn and Arthur as he dies. His prayers are answered.
- Rasputinian Death: Alfred gets carved up for months without sleep, crashes his car, has his intestines flayed, his eye ripped out, and his ribs torn apart before he finally dies... after another few minutes.
- Shoot the Dog: Arthur leaves Alfred to die, hoping for his pain to end.
