Prussia leant against the window and stared mournfully out of it. Hundreds of other colossal buildings dominated the landscape, stretching up to the sky, lit up by the city's constant glaring lights, distorted by clouds of smog that rose and hung ominously in the air below him. He looked down towards the streets where humans lived out their feeble lives. The sun shone behind a construction site in front of him, creating distinctive rays of light, one of them hitting him, and illuminated the mostly empty room he stood in, his presence by the window created a long shadow.

Gilbird perched beside him on a desk. "You really don't care for them any more, do you?" Gilbird asked. "Not any more," replied Prussia without turning around. After a long pause he finally continued, "even the last few people who kept me alive on the power of belief are dying out. Shit, it's all because of him. He left me to dissolve."

"Germany?"

"I hate him. I know they don't care what happens to me."

"He was only there to slow you down. To keep you in line," agreed Gilbird.

Doctor Schäfer, one of the few humans privileged with the knowledge that the human-countries existed, stood watching him from behind a mirror, her blonde hair was tied back, and the lid of a Biro poked from the top of her lab coat's breast pocket. She watched as he talked to his non-existent pet bird, perceiving it to be talking back to him. (There was a 'Gilbird', but it died a long time ago.) She knew that over the centuries Prussia had shown signs of schizophrenia, depression, an extreme case of narcissistic personality disorder and even obsessive-compulsive disorder. Doctor Schäfer kept standing there, observing him. He's talking to that 'bird' again, thought Doctor Schäfer. She also noticed Prussia's unkempt hair, which was longer and more greasy than usual. He still wore the same blue uniform as he ever did, which looked dirty and worn out, despite the amount of times it had been washed and ironed. The shirt he was wearing was slightly stained with blood, and he hadn't lined the buttons up properly, but he didn't seem to notice.

"The ground that they walk on used to be you," said Gilbird. Upon hearing this, Prussia closed his eyes, his hands formed fists and he banged on the window. Much to his resistance, a tear escaped his left eye. He turned around, and punched Gilbird, but it had no effect. "You are redundant, that is why you are fading away." Prussia resumed staring out the window. Then began staring at his right hand, which was mutilated almost beyond recognition; flesh and bones were ripped away, reminding himself of what was happening to him. "I'm decomposing away," he mumbled to himself, "I don't want what happened to Germania, or all the others, to happen to me" he declared, "my new function will stop me from disappearing! Thanks to...these people."

"You have a new purpose," agreed Gilbird, "your body has become frail. But not for long, they're all against you, and you know who I'm talking about."

"Their science has overcome the relentlessly cruel laws of physics, and nature. So I can sell my flawed-self for scrap, then surpass all safeguards the 'overlords' have set up for me," said Prussia, smiling slightly and looking towards the sky, "I'll be free to live autonomously."

"Do you think this will help?."

"I have no choice. As I fade away, I have to keep on replacing myself piece by piece," replied Prussia, with a hint of aggression in his voice.

"You keep believing that."

"Are you doubting me?!" Prussia turned around angrily and stared at Gilbird.

"You doubt yourself."

"Huh?"

"You are doubting that you are or were even a human, that you're being controlled by an external force, and you think these new benefactors will protect you. How do you know that they are not working to the same end?"

"They're not. They're not! THEY'RE NOT!" Shouted Prussia, over and over again.

Prussia walked away from the window and sat on the bed, pulling his legs close to his body. Half a minute later, Gilbird asked, "are you human?"

"Even if my thoughts and emotions are pre-programmed...I mean, even if I am pre-programmed to act the way I do, how would I know a difference? It doesn't matter anyway."

"What emotions?"

"Huh?!"

"You are resolute, always fighting to your cause..."

"Yeah, well, I was created to fight, wasn't I...!" Prussia gasped, realising fully what he had just said, he began to cry again.

"But whoever did create you, and the rest of our species, the countries, have set us in place to watch over them..."

"It was the humans," said Gilbird, "after all, you are nothing but a figment of their collective imaginations, and those emotions you have felt, they were only the ones you were made to feel by what was happening in the society that is their domain, you didn't feel them of your own accord."

"What emotions?" Asked Prussia, "have I ever experienced empathy? Or love?"...That's right, I have: Hungary."

"She's still alive, even in this century," said Gilbird.

"I know, but I'm not going to see her. Not for a while anyway. Anyway, she probably hates me by now anyway."

"How come?"

"I was a complete ass to her, wasn't I. I don't think she's forgotten about that. She's probably much happier without me."

"I don't blame her," said Gilbird. Prussia disavowed what Gilbird had just said.

"Loneliness? No, that's right, being alone is better," finished Gilbird.

"Hm," nodded Prussia.

"And Germany? Did you ever feel love towards him, you are his brother after all,"

"I...I used to be happy for him. Proud of what he accomplished. But he pushed me aside, and it's him that's trying to kill me. He's taking over my territory and people. Damn it, it's not just the humans, it's him! I'm going to kill him."

"Are you?"

"Yes." Prussia looked down at the rest of his body, "it's obsolete," he declared, "Titanium and carbon fibre will make me whole, I don't need Hungary anymore!" Then Prussia began laughing menacingly. Gilbird said nothing, and as Prussia's attention was drawn away from Gilbird by the sound of footsteps coming towards the room he was in, Gilbird de-materialized.

The door opened, and Doctor Schäfer entered. "Mr. Beilschmidt, we're ready now. Shall we begin?" she asked. Prussia stood up and wearily walked towards her, "yes," replied Prussia.