I could feel the hot flames against my face. The heat was becoming unbearable, and I couldn't see through the smoke.
I swore that I could hear my heart beating.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

This was it, wasn't it?

I was going to vanish… yes, there wasn't anything I could do about it.
People would notice, but would anyone honestly care?

I'd pretty much been the jerk of the world.

I was a terrible ally, I never went through with my promises, I joked and made fun of the other nations, when I most likely had secrets worse than theirs.

I'd always been terrible to Francis, though he'd always attempted to be my friend. One of the only people I'd ever known who stuck with me for years on end, even though he was probably growing tired of how selfish and cruel I acted.

I was a terrible friend to Japan, and I never remembered Canada's name.

Of course, I was hated by The Axis. I was their enemy, after all.
I shook my head, thinking about how they'd celebrate when they hear the news that I'm gone.

I never realized it, but I'd always been completely alone. I'd grown so content with it, that I never realized it.

I couldn't do anything right. I hadn't even been able to hold onto my little brother, the only one who had truly, at one point, loved me.

I wanted more than anything to have a second chance.
To escape the flames that were surrounding me, and forcing me towards my death.

But I felt weak.

I was afraid, and I couldn't see a thing.

"England!" I heard a voice shouting among all the loud spreading fire.

For some reason I ignored it.
I was becoming light headed, and didn't feel like I could respond.

The voice got closer.
"England!"
I heard someone making their way through all the smoke and rubble towards me.
And suddenly, I was being shaken.

"England! Bro? Come on, you have to wake up…"

The voice startled me out of my near-sleep.
Through the smoke, and my dizziness, and I caught a glimpse of the one who'd come to my aid.

My former little brother, America.

"A-America..?" I barely managed to utter the name of the nation.
The nation who had betrayed me.
The whole thing.
I'd held it against him for years, but it had been my fault. I wasn't fair. Why did I have to figure all these things out in my last moments on earth?

"England!" America's face was instantly relieved when he saw me open my eyes.

He grabbed my hand, and pull me to my feet, yanking me forward.

"Dude! We have to get out of here, before the fire and rubble totally closes all our available exits!"

I coughed, hard. The smoke had totally consumed the once majestic building.
I couldn't see a thing, but America seemed to know where he was going.

He pulled me behind him, making his way through the fallen book shelves, and chairs.

He held onto my hand tightly, not letting go.
It hit me..
America hadn't been in the building last I checked.
He had come in here…
He'd actually taken a stupid risk, and risked his bloody life to come in and get me.

We were nearing the exit, when the building started coming apart.
The ceiling began caving in, and it dropped right in front of us, the large chunk of building blocking our last possible exit.

No…
No, no, no, no..
My eyes just stared in horror... I couldn't think. All I could think of the hot fire consuming us.

I had actually believed… that we were going to make it. I thought my little brother had saved me.
But no.
The world just had to get back at us, by blocking the door, and ending our last possible hope to live on.

America let go of my hand.
I covered my mouth and eyes, coughing, still.
The smoke was completely unbearable and it felt as the flames were getting hotter, and closer.
Oh wait.
They were.

"No…" America muttered.
"No, no, nooo!"
He started pounding on the huge chunk of mixed woods, and metal, that was once a part of the building.
Yanking it.
Burning his hands.

He was losing it, now.

"Move, damn you! Move!"
He gave it another yank, but it wouldn't move.

"Move!" He shouted again.

I felt hot tears streaming down my face.
I wasn't sure if it was from the smoke, or if I was actually crying. Or both…

America was shaking, trembling.
He knew he couldn't unblock the exit, he just wanted to keep lying to himself.

I couldn't take it.
Then I looked to the right and left seeing if there was any way to get out, any way at all.
There wasn't, and the flames were getting even closer to the both of us, by the second.

"America…" I whispered.
No answer.

He continued to bang on the chunk that was blocking the exit.
Shouting at it.
Cursing at it. As if it could understand.

"America…"

No reply.

"Alfred!"
I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"I-it's no use..."

He struggled, trying to pull away.

"England!" He shouted my name, trying harder and harder to pull away, but he stopped, struggling.
He was trembling, and I could hear him weakly choking on a sob.

"No… I-I'm supposed to be the hero! I-I'm supposed to rescues you, this wasn't supposed to happen. I can still do it!"

With this statement, he threw himself at the blocked exit again, trying to push the rubble away from it, but he couldn't.
He tried.
And he tried again.

But he failed.

He wrapped my arms around him hugging him again.

And this point, tears were streaming down his face.
Angry tears.
Disappointed tears.
Scared tears.
So many emotions, that I couldn't even explain.

"I-I'm supposed to be the hero…" He cried, again.

He gave up, and turned to face me.
He looked me in the eye, as the flames continued to inch closer, coming at a faster pace, nearly closing in on the both of us.
Anyway minute now…

"I-I'm sorry…" I choked.
"You didn't have to come here for me, but you did…"

"Don't apologize." Alfred shrugged.

He looked at each other for another moment, and this time he wrapped his arms around me.
"I-I'm sorry…" I choked out the words again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

He continued to hold onto me.

"It really is...okay… I chose to do this on my own." Alfred informed me.

"No, not for this you git…for everything." I screamed.

"For everything… the war, all the feuds between us over the years. I'm so sorry.. I only wanted to protect you. I didn't… mean for it to go as far as it did."

America said nothing in reply, but he tightened his grip around me, holding me tightly.

"I-I love you, America…" I told him.

He said nothing for a moment.
"I love you too…" He responded softly.

The flames were inches away from us.

I was shaking from fear.
From regret.
From everything.

The flames were so hot, I could now feel the heat against my skin, as I had previously.

My voice was trembling and so was America's
I closed my eyes, tears running down my face, as I held on tightly to my younger brother, and he held onto me, twice as tightly.

"London bridge is falling down…falling down…falling down…London bridge is falling down… my fair…..lady….."


A/N: It's been awhile since I've written this, but I decided to go back to correct some typos, and spelling errors on my part.
This is one of the only fanfictions that I've remained proud of. Most fanfictions I look back on, and think "That was the stupidest idea I've ever had..." but I have no regrets with this one. Which is rare for me to say.
Thank you for reading! Just as a side note. This is not a UsUk fanfiction. They're here together as brothers. Nothing more. Sorry to shatter the hopes of the UsUk fans.
Thats all I have to say. Until next time.