Pawprints in DC
is a crossover fanfic between Hetalia: Axis Powers and Young Justice (2010), written by Arumidden on Archive of Our Own.
When Canada's bear gets lost and accidentally kidnapped by a lab, America does what any loving big bro would do and break into said lab to reunite Canada with his pet. Unfortunately, he kinda got caught on camera and now people are curious about this weird guy who appears familiar no matter what you are and doesn't look able to age.
Now, will America succeed to prevent the Justice League and Lex Luthor to blow the lid open on the personified Nations' secrecy?
Beware that spoilers are not hidden.
Pawprints in DC contains the following tropes:
- Adaptational Name Change: Canada's polar bear cub is called Kumajiro in the webcomic, but this story uses the name Nanuq.
- Ambiguously Human: The Team ponders the possibility of their mysterious burglar having high-cutting tech, being a meta with weird abilities, or some nonhuman entity to explain the effects of his presence. As a Nation, America fits in the third slot.
- Ambiguous Situation: The possible existence of alien Nations. Since Krypton has been destroyed and there's nobody close enough to the Martian royal family in the team to tell, the question stays open.
- Bears Are Bad News: When England magically turns Nanuq in a fully grown polar bear to assault Klarion, yes, they are.
- Big Brother Instinct: America just wanted to bring his brother's pet back to him. Even if Canada grouses about the consequences for all the Nations, he nonetheless appreciates the feeling behind the action.
- Does Not Like Magic: As usual for America, magic is rather a sore point. His younger self had the misfortune to meet Klarion who decided he would be a wonderful plaything and tortured him to death several times until he was banished by England. Following the experience, America rather understandably doesn't care for the arcane arts.
- Have We Met?: People will instinctively feel at ease around the Nation embodying the country they belong to, as if they already met a hundred times and are close friends but are unable to remember the name.
- Hero-Worshipper: America is extremely proud of his superheroes and supports their struggles since the original Justice Society made their debut in the forties.
- Irony: Superman identifies as American in spite of being born on Krypton, while Superboy feels like an alien when he was born in the United States. America actually comments on the matter.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: America merely wanted to rescue his brother's pet, but his carelessness when breaking into the lab brought him to the attention of various persons interested by his powers for more or less benevolent reasons and threaten to expose the Nations as a species.
- Original Character: The fictional Nations which exists in DC Comics' Earth-16 for Atlantis (Andome'ia), Themyscira (Philomena), Vlatava (Stoyan) and Markovia (Vasile).
- Papa Wolf: England gets a wee bit upset about Klarion tormenting America, outright turning Nanuq in a grown polar bear to sick him on Klarion's own familiar.
- Pyjama-Clad Hero: When Klarion abducts America, Canada calls England to beg him for help. Courtesy of the jet lag, England was sleeping when he got the warning and comes to rescue America wearing a bathrobe. When the action stops and tempers start cooling, he gets rather ashamed and does his best to cover his undergarments beneath the bathrobe.
- Secret-Keeper:
- A Nation knows everything about every single citizen calling them home, meaning America is entirely aware of his superheroes' secret identities. Fortunately, he refuses to be pressured in sharing them by Amanda Waller.
- Royal families and Presidents tend to be extremely protective towards their Nations and won't even allude to their existence, no matter how much they like you, if you're not already on the level for that kind of secrecy.
- Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: The Team suspect these mysterious immortal advisors from discreetly manipulating Heads of State to further their own goals, but the Nations only want for their rulers and presidents to keep the country safe and happy.
- Sibling Seniority Squabble: Canada claims he's the eldest because he has more landmass than America. Lex Luthor — who was eavesdropping — comments it's an interesting way to determine seniority.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: How America was so successful in breaking into the lab and escaping afterwards, in spite of carrying a polar bear cub.
- Villain Takes an Interest: Unfortunately for America, the lab that stole Nanuq happened to be owned by Lex Luthor, and he's very intrigued by this strange burglar and his nonhuman abilities.
