"Have I ever told you how much this sucks?"

Ludwig gritted his teeth as he set down a large crate and cast an angry glare to his brother. "Yes, you have. Now help bring these in."

Gilbert gave a mock salute as he marched outside to help unload the shipment wagon. Ludwig watched him leave, wiping some sweat from his brow and taking a moment to catch his breath. Who knew clothing and accessories could weigh so much?

He couldn't take too long of a break, and soon joined the albino in helping to unload the many boxes and stacking them inside the back of the large building. Times had been hard for the brothers. They used to be part of family blacksmith that was owned and operated by their grandfather. The man had single-handedly raised them since they were small following the death of their parents, but things could not last forever.

It had been a few years since their grandfather's passing, but he had barely taken his last breath when the debt collectors came calling. In a relatively short space of time, the brothers had lost the last of their family, their business, home, and all of the money that had been meticulously saving over the years. And still the collectors came to their door demanding more. They were now in more debt than they could ever feasibly pay back. But they were trying.

Finding jobs was difficult, and they would take anything that came their way. This included today's task of unloading a shipment for one of the local merchants. It paid very little, but gave the possibility that they would be able to eat.

Soon all the crates were unloaded and they leaned against them to catch their breath and stretch their sore limbs. Gilbert fixed his brother with a red-eyed stare. "We should figure something else out."

Ludwig rolled his blue eyes to him. "What are you even suggesting?"

"Hell if I know. But we can't keep doing this!" Gilbert threw his hands up pacing away. "Look at us! We are better than this. There has to be another way to make up the money."

Ludwig stood to his full height, looking down at his brother with a stern look. "There is no other way. No one else will take us."

The albino tsked, crossing his arms to glare at the street beyond the open door. The sun was beginning to fade, but as long as they hurried they would be able to take the money from their work to buy some bread and possibly some cheese. Both of them lapsed into silence, waiting for the store owner to arrive, neither feeling willing to speak and simply falling into their own private thoughts.

The door crashed open as the eccentric owner strode through it. "Look! It's all the stuff, like, exactly where I want it!"

Gilbert scowled, refusing to look as the man with a smug expression stuck to his face. Ludwig straightened, his face carefully masking any feelings he may have had towards the owner. "Everything is here, Feliks."

The shorter man nodded, quickly inspecting everything. "Yup, looks like everything. I suppose the two you did pretty well." An image fluttered across Gilbert's mind that included what it may look like if he were to punch the man. "I guess I should give you something for your troubles."

"That would be appreciated." Ludwig watched patiently as Feliks pulled out a pouch of coins and handed them over. His green eyes looked up the tall blonde before him, clearly not afraid of him. "If I had anything else for you to do, you could stay. It's so totally terrible that you won't be part of the display for my store. I think you could, like, totally pull it off."

Ludwig grimaced slightly, while Gilbert snarled a 'no' from across the room. Feliks seemed unaffected, simply shrugging and continuing on. "Well, too bad. I suppose your problems are not getting any better and my offer will always be open to you. Especially since it's not like you two will be getting out of debt, like, anytime soon. Seriously, you would have to, like, rescue the Romana heiress or something."

"Who?" Gilbert suddenly seemed suddenly aware of the conversation and Feliks quirked an eyebrow at the albino. Gilbert shrugged, turning away again and pretending he hadn't cared, though he remained attentive.

"You know? Like, some maiden that is heir to the Romana empire?"

"She's not real." Ludwig frowned. "It's a story used to lure travelers to the southern country."

"Oh, she's real." Feliks looked smug, placing his hands on his hips and looking up with an amused smirk at the blonde. "I met her once." He grinned at the shocked expressions of the brothers. "Had, like, the best fashion chat with her."

"Thank you for everything Feliks but we really should be going." Ludwig ignored the protesting face of his brother as he headed outside. The market would be closing soon and they were wasting time on ridiculous stories. With nothing else to do and unwilling to be left alone, Gilbert followed his brother's example and left Feliks to his inventory.

"What was that all about?" The albino protested when he had caught up to his brother and were far enough away from the shop, fixing him with an angry glare. "He was actually suggesting something useful."

With a sigh, Ludwig cast a cool glance towards the shorter. "She doesn't exist. It's a thing for tourists."

"Then, let's go be tourists! It can't be any worse than staying here." His brother scowled but didn't answer. "Really, West? Let's go. It's better than staying in this nothing town when we have nothing."

"And it is because we have nothing, we will not be leaving this town." Ludwig returned, turning towards one of the still open market stalls. Gilbert gave a playful wink towards the girl standing there and she blushed when she told them the price for their items. Ludwig carefully counted out the roughly shapen coins and gave them to her and not giving a second glance to his flirting brother as he strode towards their home outside of town. The albino had to run to catch up.

"I think having nothing should be all the more reason to leave." Gilbert tried again, falling into step beside Ludwig once again.

"Then the collectors will not have their money and they will hunt us down." Ludwig paused long enough to give a look of disapproval to his brother. "You may as well accept that we are never leaving this place."

"We cannot stay here." Gilbert argued, causing the blonde to scowl at him.

"What would you have me do? We sold everything we had. We have nothing left to bargain with." Ludwig turned so he faced his brother head on. The other stopped in front of him, a frown set in place. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"I might."

Both brothers jumped at the sound of someone else nearby. Their eyes searched the gathering darkness finally residing on the shadows of a building not far from them. "Who are you?" Gilbert snarled into the gloom.

A quiet giggle echoed back to them. "Just someone passing through. And I believe I can help the both of you out. I couldn't help but over hear you have a little money problem and I would be willing to help."

"The offer is tempting, but I doubt such things come for free." Ludwig stood up straight, squaring his shoulders at the shadow. It was an intimidating posture to most, but not this stranger who seemed unnervingly calm.

"You are right. This is not for free. I would expect something in return. A bit of tit-for-tat. If you were to help me, I would help you."

Ludwig and Gilbert glanced at one another. "What is that you would want?" Ludwig cautiously asked.

"I am traveling to collect a certain item. I will assure that the collectors leave you alone and in return you will travel with me and aid me. It is always safer to travel in groups, da?"

Ludwig stood his ground. "And after we help you and you have your item? What then?"

Even in the darkness, they could see the stranger shrug. "Well, then I suppose you would be free to go."

"Hey! Get out here in the light! We don't deal with nameless strangers in the dark!" Gilbert hissed as he was elbowed sharply in the ribs. Wincing, and rubbing the sore spot he shot a glare at his younger brother.

"You are quite right." The brothers' eyes widened as the largest man they had ever met stepped from the shadows and looked down on them. He smiled sweetly at the pair. "I will give you one day to make up your minds. You can find me at the inn under the name Ivan Braginsky."

"We will see." Ludwig pulled his brother by his elbow, leading them away from the tall man. "Thank you for your offer."

Ivan quietly watched them leave, the small smile never leaving his face. When they had rounded a corner and were out of sight he let out a small sigh. "You heard everything?"

A blonde stepped out from along the building, his eyes focused on the ground before him. "I did."

Ivan's eyes continued to be fixed on the spot the brothers had last been seen while he went over the exchange that had just occurred. "Any thoughts on them?"

It was quiet for a moment as the blonde sorted through everything. "They seem very strong. They could be useful."

"Useful?" The tall man hummed as he considered it." Yes, I suppose they are."

"Do… do you think they will accept your offer?" The blonde asked hesitantly.

Ivan gave a shrug and started to walk towards their accommodation; the blonde quickly followed behind him, matching his pace. "I suppose we will see, though it may help to find a way to convince them that they should join. Did you gather all the supplies I asked you to?"

"Of course." The blonde replied shifting the large sack of traveling supplies on his back.

Ivan paused, turning back to the blonde and resting a large hand on the other's head. "That's what I appreciate about you, Matthew."

Matthew frowned as he pulled his head out from beneath the hand. "What exactly do you appreciate?"

There was a giggle as Ivan started walking again and ignoring the question. "Come, I will treat you to dinner." Matthew stood still for a moment more before groaning and following after the other. There was no use arguing with him like this. They hadn't been together long, but it was long enough to know he would never understand the man. Perhaps it would be a good thing to have others there with them as they travelled. At least there would be someone else to talk to.

But only time would tell if they would accept the offer, Matthew reminded himself before he gave a half laugh. Knowing Ivan he would make sure that they joined. After all, he had seen firsthand how the giant man seemed able to coerce someone into doing something they hadn't wanted to. Or as he tried to tell himself, Ivan and he were just two travelers that had met along the road and teamed up because they were heading in vaguely the same direction.

The large inn came into sight around another corner and Matthew was glad as the pack he was carrying was starting to dig into his shoulder. A hot meal and warm bed sounded pleasing to the nights of sleeping on the ground along the roads they traveled by day. And Ivan in a fit of generosity was paying? Well, Matthew was already planning on eating as much as he could.

The room was bustling with people and it took a few minutes for the pair to locate an empty table. Matthew dropped the sack on the floor beside a chair and sank into it with a sigh, closing his eyes and letting his head hang back. The chatter of many conversations made it difficult to focus on any one in particular and the blonde simply let the noise become a background ambiance. Relaxing didn't last long, and uneasiness made his brow crease in irritation. Carefully lifting one eyelid he found the reason to be caused by amethyst eyes watching him with a small disturbing grin.

"Um… Do you need anything?" he asked tentatively, hating how the other seemed to watch his every move and shifting restlessly while caught under his gaze.

"Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking, but if you are offering then perhaps you could go order dinner for us?" Ivan answered him and smiled a bit wider. Matthew opened his mouth to argue back but at the last-minute changed his mind and closed it, pushing back the chair and trying to find a way through the crowd to get to the bar. Ivan watched him go quietly and used the free opportunity to turn around in his seat and address a group of men that he had listened to for the past several minutes. "Excuse me, "he asked politely, turning up his biggest smile, "I was wondering if you would help me."

The group all shuddered and drew back, glancing at one another and silently trying to delegate a leader among them. "With what…?" one finally answered.

"Who do people go to when they wish to gain loans on money?" he asked sweetly.

The man's eyes drifted to his friends who shrugged in return. "You mean, other than through more reputable means…?" He flinched slightly when Ivan nodded and drew in a breath before continuing. "There's a gang of thugs in town that tend to loan out money indiscriminately, but they are not the easiest people to work with…"

"Oh, don't worry! It sounds like they are who I'm looking for." Ivan grinned. "Where would I find them?"

Another one of the group gave him directions and he thanked him, easily memorizing the building he needed to look for and turned around to find Matthew watching him curiously with two large mugs in his hands. "Hello again, Matthew." He greeted him.

Matthew raised a blonde eyebrow and eyed the group of men that were relocating away from their table. "What happened?"

"We are going on an errand after dinner." The large man informed him, pulling one of the drinks out of his hand and bringing it to his lips. He grimaced at what he tasted and passed a hand over it, muttering a few word before sipping it slowly and with a much more pleased smile.

Matthew groaned at the news, all hope of slipping in comfortably into a warm bed quickly fading. "Where are we going?" Ivan didn't reply to him, and the blonde could already feel the frustration at never being able to gain a straight answer from him. Instead, he found himself pushing his ale across the table at the large man. "Then at least make my drink vodka too."

"No, I cannot have your skills be weakened by strong alcohol." The man denied him, and instead just licked his lips of the substance while he waited patiently for their dinners to arrive. Matthew frowned, but pulled the mug back without arguing which pleased the violet eyed man. He giggled quietly into his own drink, deciding at which point he would actually share what it was that they were going to do. It would be much more fun just to wait and surprise him, Ivan decided as someone brought food to their table. The blonde wasted no time digging, and Ivan followed suit shortly, both eager for to fill their stomachs.

It was much too soon for his liking that Matthew was once again outside following the large man down the quiet streets of the town. His pack had been replaced with a bow which he had already strung and quiver of arrows that he had grabbed out of habit when he was unsure what lay ahead; a feeling that had become increasingly more familiar in recent times. He pulled the edges of the cloak he had also thought to bring along closer against his frame to keep out the chill that had descended with the setting of the sun and eyeing with envy the woolen jacket and scarf that the platinum blonde man in front of him wore. At least the brisk pace the man set was helping to keep some warmth flowing through his body.

The building they arrived in front of hardly stood out amongst its neighbors on the street and Ivan wasted no time pushing open the door and letting himself in. Matthew stepped in behind him and came to a stop beside the man to take in the scene around them. Their presence had alerted the several men that filled the room, all of which stood to attention at the sudden appearance of the two intruders. One of them , the head from the looks of it, eyed the duo with wary suspicion. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"Yes, you can." Ivan cheerily replied, happily noting that one or two of the men shuddered from his presence. "I met two men today who were discussing that they had money issues. I was wondering if you knew them."

Matthew tensed when he realized what their mission was and began to quietly asses the room. Damn it, why couldn't Ivan give him more warning than this? There were six that appeared to be more dangerous besides the two men sitting calmly at a table in the middle of the room. All of them appeared to be carrying assorted blades that they proudly displayed at their hips.

The boss gave a sly smirk. "I know many men with money issues. Care to be more specific?"

"The one was a large blonde and the other appeared to be an albino, a little shorter and less muscular." Ivan recounted, "And they appeared close, like close friends or family."

The man gave a short laugh. "Sounds like the Beilshmidt brothers. What about them?"

"They will be working for me, so I need you to release them from whatever it is that they owe you." Ivan stated in a mockingly polite manner. A few men stiffened at this and Matthew's hand twitched inside his cloak while he listened to the conversation.

"Why would I do that?" The man chuckled, a dark look forming in his eyes as he continued to gaze at Ivan. "They still owe me a great sum of money; I cannot simply release them from their debts. That is," the leader's eyes narrowed, "unless you are willing to pay their debt for them."

Ivan stood stone still doing little more than smile his eerie grin at the collection of men before him while the shorter blonde beside him watched him from the corner of his eyes. There was little warning before the large man dropped the floor muttering a few phrases as he pressed his palms against the cool wooden boards. Ice seeped from between his fingers and spread across the floor capturing four of the large men's feet and holding them fast where they stood. The other two paused just outside the ring of strange conjured magic though the momentary lapse in action found them both with an arrow protruding out of their chests.

With the same sickeningly sweet smile that was normally found on the tall man's face, Ivan rose slowly from the floor and brushed past the helplessly trapped men to approach to two seated at the table. The one beside the leader attempted to scramble away and found himself in the line of sight of the blonde archer and froze beneath the serious gaze directed his way. Ivan snagged the man in charge by the front of his shirt and easily hefted him up out of his chair so that his feet stretched searching for the ground while he tried to claw his way free from his grasp.

"I am thinking that there will be a different deal." Ivan stated coolly, looking directly in the man's terrified eyes. "You will go to these brothers in the morning and tell them they are released from their debt to you, da?"

The man continued to struggle against his captor, uttering curses when he couldn't work himself free. "You are a monster!" he spat out in a fit of rage that only seemed to make the platinum blonde smile wider as he lifted the dangling man higher.

"I could not hear you." He laughed as he threw the man to the floor and quickly grabbed him again by his neck before he had a chance to recover. "What was it that you were saying?"

"Fine!" he finally gasped, glaring reproachfully at being coerced into losing money. "They are yours. They will be informed first thing tomorrow."

"I cannot thank you enough for letting them come with me" Ivan told him as he released the man who crumpled beside his feet. "Your kindness if appreciated."

"Kindness?" The man growled as Ivan turned away. "If I ever see you again I will be sure to kill you."

"If you think you can." Ivan informed him as he easily traversed the room and swept through the door in a giddy mood. The ice he had created would melt in a few hours, but until then he found it amusing how they would be trapped in their current positions until then.

"Ivan, you ass!" Matthew called to him as he stormed angrily up to the large man when they were far enough away from the building. "Why didn't you tell me what you were planning?" the blonde demanded, glaring up into the tall man's violet eyes.

"You seemed aware enough of the situation to bring along your weapon." Ivan replied smoothly, nodding towards the bow that had been replaced on the blonde's back and continuing his steady stride in the direction of the inn. "And are you not glad that I made sure your wits would be about you and not hindered by a stiff drink?"

"You still should have said something, you enormous-" Matthew's mouth froze as the sound caught in his throat. He seemed to quietly reevaluate the situation and slowly lowered his head as he fell into step beside the taller man. "It would have been more helpful had you shared what you were planning beforehand." He whispered while he glared at the ground they were crossing. "This was your plan make the other two join us?"

Ivan hummed quietly. "Yes, the Beilshmidt brothers…" His violet eyes drifted lazily while he considered it. "They will make a nice addition to our group."

Matthew didn't bother arguing. In fact, he mostly now just wanted to get back and slide into his bed.

AN: Just a quick note in case it wasn't clear: although there may be a few similarities, this really won't be a Hetalia Fantasia story. And as such, I can absolutely guarantee that there will not be some Lost-style ending where just when the things get interesting, they will all log off. Nope, this is a real world for the characters, so America can't shutdown the server and save them all.

Also, even though I absolutely love Russia, I've never written him before. Hopefully I got him right...? Reviews would be appreciated! :)