Suggestion: Listen to Hurt by Johnny Cash while reading this
It was based off that song...
It's been a while since I've written a One-Shot so ENJOY!
Ivan stood in his office, watching the snowflakes outside fall and cover his beautiful land. Perhaps his land would be considered less beautiful, at the moment at least, considering the large number of piled up dead bodies and the blood tainted snow. Nevertheless, the battled that occurred outside was still on going and Alfred and his troops were closing in on him. He knew it was futile to fight back and would simply not.
Instead, the Russian tyrant closed his eyes and thought back of how he had gotten to where he was now.
The same snowflakes decorating his land in the present were drowning his sisters and he in frost in the past. The earliest memory he could recall was the one of being huddled under a blanket holding his last family. Natalya was shivering but desperately clinging to his arm; as for Katyusha, she was as cold as ice and barely seemed to be alive. Ivan, he was blessed with the remaining warmth emitting from his sisters bodies and felt horrible knowing that he was the only one that wasn't as cold.
He closed his eyes, "I promise…" he growled his voice shaking, "When we're grown up…we'll be super rich and never be cold ever again…"
When he opened them, a hand of a man clearly up to no good was extended to him. Thinking of his sisters' well being, he grabbed the hand without thinking and followed the man to a warm, rich house. Katyusha and Natalya had been taken away from him by the maids to get the cleaned up and dressed properly as he followed the man into his office.
"You want to change, you don't want a life of poverty no more, da?" he asked.
"Da." Ivan answered.
"You do what is necessary, da?"
"Da." Ivan answered again.
"Then I will teach you what is necessary." The man concluded taking a seat at his desk and gesturing the free chair facing him, "Sit. Let us talk about equivalency."
Ivan returned to the man's office every day for three hours to learn about the wonders and positive ways of a political view called: Communism. He was told that no one would be hungry anymore, that there would be no leader dictating the populace, that everyone would have a roof over their heads, that they would be warm and cozy but most of all happy. Ivan had loved hearing of the stories of what would happen when the communism would be absolute and couldn't wait to feel how life would be then.
The rest of his childhood remained a blur. Immediately propelled into adulthood, the next memory is that of receiving a black uniform. The man who saved him was still present and had installed absolute communism within the lands. He had just revealed to Ivan and his sisters what they truly were and the reason of why they couldn't die, the secret of them being the essence of the country.
"You must be proud, Soviet! This is you and you are the greatest power the world has ever known!" He told him as he stared at himself in a body mirror wearing the black uniform.
"Da…call me Ivan…" He mumbled not liking the fact that his name was replaced.
"Het, I will call you what you are and you are our beloved Soviet Union," The man retorted firmly, "The greatest country to ever exist and the supreme ruler of the world…in due time of course…"
Ivan had learned not to respond to this man when he had declared him to be wrong. It only resulted in a stern beating and threat of sharing the pain to his sisters. He thanked the iron man, as he had taken to calling him, for the gift and left his presence.
The memories blurred once more and advanced to the end of that year. Katyusha had confronted him about the outside world Ivan had yet to experience ever since arriving into the home.
"They're dying…they're suffering like we used to…" she told him.
"He told me it wasn't that bad sestra." Ivan replied tiredly staring outdoors at the falling flakes, "Besides, I can't take your word for it…"
"Why not?"
"Because I haven't been outside to see for myself…" Ivan answered absent minded, "Food rations are supposed to be higher than ever, you can't convince me without proof that these people are starving and dying."
"I guess…perhaps you are right Vanya…" Katyusha agreed with a melancholy smile.
She had stood there for a little longer as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to say it, not without a little encouragement from her brother. Ivan knew this but was in no mood to speak to anyone and ignored her until she left.
The most recent memories were the last ones Ivan could remember for it marked the end of his life. At the beginning of the day he had been confronted by his sisters with their luggage.
"Keep warm." Katyusha wished slipping a pink scarf made of silk around his neck and kissing his right cheek.
"Keep safe." Natalya wished slipping a pistol into his hand and kissing his left cheek, "Times will get rough, keep it close."
It had been the last time he had seen his sisters. He had mourned their departure the whole day, that is, until that man returned beating some sense into him.
"The Soviet Union shows no weakness, you will not falter! Not in our most important hours!" He roared sticking a solid blow to Ivan's jaw.
In the following days, a missive was received from the United States declaring war against the Soviet Union for the reason of a dictator abusing the populace.
Twelve days before prior time, the United States, led by an Alfred F. Jones, marched in Berlin and freed the half of the city under Soviet occupation. Six days after, the enemy militia was heading for Moscow at great speed. Not much of a fight had been put up by Natalya or Katyusha for they were tired of the act of tyranny practiced on the civilians. They wanted this oppression to end as soon as possible.
No one had put up a fight anywhere but at Moscow, the pile of dead bodies were those of loyal Soviets who still believed in communism although it was evidently dead. Finally ripping his gaze from the outside world that he still had yet to experience, he opened a draw of his desk and pulled out the pistol given to him.
He examined it carefully as the door was busted down by Alfred and four other men armed to the teeth. "Freeze tyrant!"
Russia ignored, he wasn't afraid of what the American could or would do to him if he didn't obey.
"Everyone I know goes away in the end…" He mumbled almost to himself.
Ivan looked behind at his land, his empire and stretched his arm pointing the pistol at Alfred.
"Drop the gun!" An American soldier ordered.
"You can have it all." Ivan ignored and continued, "My Empire of dirt." The Russian's arm slowly lowered, "I let them down…I hurt them…"
Alfred signalled his men to move forward.
"If I could start again, a million miles away…" Ivan paused raising the pistol again having the soldiers halt, "I would keep myself…I would find a way…"
"Hey wait—" Alfred yelled as Ivan pushed the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger.