International News Report- A month ago today the Berlin wall's construction was completed. Since the construction, Germany has been struggling, staying just above the point of collapse. The sickly nation hasn't been heard from for over three days. In other news, Prussia, more commonly recognized now as East Germany, has been over run with Russian KGB officers. It appears as though they are stationed in this half of Germany for an extended amount of time. It has been recorded that Mr. Alfred of America is unconcerned about the two halves of Germany, saying 'the wall doesn't prevent them from surviving and rebuilding, their hearts do.'

What the rest of the world didn't know, didn't hurt them. They didn't need to know just how bad off Feliciano was doing. They didn't need to know how badly Italy would be failing if Feliciano didn't have is obnoxious brother, Lovino, to basically take control of both North and South Italy. "If you miss the potato bastard so much, go see him! Idiota..." Lovino growled for at least the third time that day. For all the hostility and impatience in his words, his eyes glittered with concern. Comfort was not his strong point... and he was terrified for his brother. The smaller Italian wouldn't sleep, wouldn't smile. He wouldn't even eat! It had Lovino worried sick.

Feliciano sat on the floor of is room, facing away from the door. The light was off and he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Shudders rocked through his frail frame as he cried silently, the iron cross of Ludwig's clutched to his chest in white knuckled hands. "H-He sent m-me a-a-away fratello... I c-can't j-j-just g-go see h-him... I w-want to hate h-him fratello... b-but..."

Lovino sighed and sat down beside his brother and, with a shake of his head, he hugged the sobbing man. "Feliciano, you don't hate him. Many other people might, but you do not. Look at yourself! You're miserable... Italy is struggling because I am running the entire country instead of us doing it together. If you go visit him, you'll feel better... si?" Lovino asked, not particularly fond of the idea of Feliciano going to see the potato bastard Ludwig, but it was preferable for him to go and see the blond than sit here another minute, crying and miserable.

Feliciano sat beside his brother for over an hour, just drawing in his brother's comforting presence. It wasn't often he was able to rely on his brother like this. With a sigh, he put the iron cross on around his neck and stood up, having made his mind. "T-Take me to Ludwig's f-fratello... Por favore"

It took much effort on Lovino's part to get up. He wanted no part of dealing with the bastard, he had never liked him after all, but it was important to Feliciano. He walked down the hall into the kitchen and grabbed the car keys. "Come on fratello. If I must go with you... we may as well get this over with sooner rather than later." He grumbled, leading the way to the car.

Lovino had stayed in the car, much to Feliciano's protest and fear, but once he walked inside and actually took in the state of Ludwig's house, he was grateful for his brother's stubbornness at refusing to get out of the car. He wasn't there to see the flash of pain that brought Feliciano to his knees. What was going on with Ludwig?

The German's house, normally OCD status in it's cleanliness, was a mess. All the lights were off, a thin layer of dust coated just about everything. Dirty plates, empty glasses, and dirty clothing were scattered all across the living room, but perhaps the most alarming change was the overwhelming amount of empty, and sometimes even broken beer bottles. The house smelled strongly of the alcohol, to the point it made Feliciano's eyes water. "L-Luddy?" He called quietly, his voice cracking as he headed up the stairs. He was overly cautious on the stairs, afraid to slip on one of the empty bottles. "L-L...Luddy? Ve... G-Germany?" He called again, softer than before. He slowed as he approached Ludwig's door, until he was completely stopped, hand extended to turn the knob. He just... couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't have the strength to open the door as painful memories assaulted him.

Feliciano sat on Ludwig's lap, leaning back against his chest with a soft, content sigh. Ludwig had his arms wrapped around his Italian's waist and his chin rested on the bubbly man's shoulder. The strong German man was almost alseep as they sat there, but Feliciano didn't mind. He was worried about his Ludwig... He knew the man hadn't been sleeping well at night, if he slept at all. When he was able to sleep, he would wake up screaming from nightmares...often telling people to run away from soldiers... his soldiers.

Feliciano wasn't as oblivious as everyone made him out to be. He knew Ludwig was keeping something from him, but at the same time he knew that Ludwig would tell him what was up when he felt ready. So instead of pressing,Feliciano sat in silence, dozing off against his German's chest. He wasn't able to doze long though, as three SS officers in full uniform came into the room. With angry shouts, the tore Feliciano from Ludwig's protective arms and roughly shoved him against the wall, drawing a cry of pain from him.

At the sound of his cry, Ludwig woke and got to his feet, eyes blazing with a dark, terrible fury Feliciano had never seen before. The expression made him cower in fear more than the rough treatment had. "I told you arschlochs not to touch him! Let him go. NOW!" He thundered, his voice all but vibrating with the strength of his rage, and the power making the officer's instinctivly step back in fear. They let go immediately and watched with confused eyes as Feliciano sprinted to Ludwig's side. He hugged Ludwig tightly, rapidly spewing terrified words in Italian.

The highest ranking officer stepped forward hesitantly. "Sir. You realize that this man is Italian... He could be a spy! Italy joined the allied powers, and yet you have an Italian in your office! How do you know he isn't trying to destroy the German military?"

Ludwig had lost interest in the officer's words as he heard a gasp from beside him and he felt Feliciano recoil from him, backing as far away from the German men as he could. "Q-Que? W-We are at w-w-war? Ve~" He whispered, his eyes flashing with terror, anger and an agony none of them could begin to understand.. The pain in his eyes strengthened further as he caught sight of Ludwig's carefully neutral eyes.

Without turning to address them properly, Ludwig dismissed the officers behind him with a wave of his gloved hand. "Get out of my office. I will deal with you three later." He commanded, voice deceptivly calm. The calm in his voice didn't fool the officers though, as they tripped over one another in their hast to follow the order with terrified eyes. He waited for them to leave before further addressing the hurt, very confused Italian before him. "Feliciano. Italy switched sides in the war months ago. I've tried my best to keep my troops out of direct battle between Italian soldiers and ourselves, though I have to follow my boss' orders." He said in an overly formal tone. He walked over to his desk and retrieved a thick, fancy envelope.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Feliciano demanded, tears streaming down his face. The look of betrayal and the agony in his voice was clear in everything he did at this point. He accepted the envelope, but didn't dare open it when Ludwig left it in his hands.

Ludwig calmly met his eyes, his blue ones burning with some unidentifiable emotion briefly. "I don't like hurting you." He said, voice firm and eyes becoming carefully neutral again. "No go. Get out of here before I am ordered to capture, or kill you. I'd prefer you not read what is inside the envelope until you are alone and safe at home in Italy... Es tut mir leid mein Italien."

Felicaino couldn't believe his ears. Was... This it then? He looked down at the envelope with confused, teary eyes for a moment, and with a heavy sigh, he turned to leave. He wasn't able to get more than a step or two before a gloved hand came down on his shoulder, causing him to linch and whimper softly in fear. He turned and looked up into Ludwig's eyes, looking positivly miserable. His eyes widened in surprise as Ludwig removed his iron cross from around his neck and placed it around Feliciano's neck. "If you get stopped... show them this. I'll... order mein soldiers to grant an Italian with this cross aroung his neck safe passage out of Germany for two days. After that... Don't come back." Ludwig said, voice growing impossibly harsh and bitter as he turned away and left the Italian he had loved behind in his office, not once looking back.

"Don't come back... He said don't come back..." Feliciano whispered to himself, feeling the weight of the still unopened letter in his pocket. He could never bring himself to read what was inside... just like he couldn't bring himself to open Ludwig's door now. He had said to never come back, so what if Ludwig was mad he was there now?

Feliciano jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Wide eyed, he spun around to face the intruder, speaking a mile a minute. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to come into your house uninvited! I just wanted to- Elizabeta!" He said, breaking off on his rambling in surprise. "Ve~ Why are you here?

Eliza smiled sadly. In her arms she held two bottles of beer, something that may or may not have contained soup, and a CD with some German title that Feliciano didn't understand. "It's good to see you dear... I visit him everyday. He isn't doing well at all... He misses his brother and you more than I think anyone could ev-" She was cut off by a sudden blast of very loud, very angry sounding German music. Rolling her eyes, Elizabeta set down the things she had had in her arms and led Feliciano downstairs into the living room. She still had to talk rather loudly to be heard over the thunderous bass of Ludwig's music. "I told him if he ever tried to blast me out with that God awful Rammstein..." She trailed off, still muttering to herself. When she saw Feliciano's worried eyes flicker up the stairs, she sighed. "He isn't doing very well... Ludwig very well might be dying Feli. He doesn't want to live. Why would he? His people are so full of hatred and misery from the wall and the depression, he's lost you and his brother, the two people he trusted and loved most in his life... He's hurting dear. In his eyes right now, all he has is me... But I'm not the face he wants to see every day or two. All he does anymore is lay in bed, alone in the dark with his angry music and a beer... He's chooses not to try and get better, so he has little strength of his own... Please. Tell me you aren't here to yell at him dear... There isn't anything you could say that would make him feel worse than he already is."

Feliciano felt guilt and confusion course through him. Ludwig couldn't miss him, could he? "You... No that can't be right. Luddy told me to leave... To leave and never come back. Why would he miss me?" He asked in a small, scared voice as he looked back towards the stairs. He wanted very much to believe Elizabeta, but he remembered what Ludwig had said, and that had been not to come back.

"Stupid child... He loves you Feliciano. He told you to go away to protect you. Not because he hated you, or truly wanted you to stay away, but because he wanted to make sure you stayed safe. Don't you think it would have been extremely difficult for him to protect you here, when Italy had just hopped ship? His troops thought of any and all Italians as the enemy. It would have been next to impossible. The only reason you made it out of here alive in th first place was because he convinced all his soldiers, all his citizens, even his boss that you didn't know. He convinced them of your ignorance... And took your punishment... So that you could go home safely..." Elizabeta explained desperately, her voice low and urgent. She had to try at persuade Feliciano that she was telling the truth, it would help Ludwig.

Shock swelled in Feliciano's warm brown eyes. "Ve~ Wh-What? That... No it... It can't... Is that true?" The samll Italian man looked terribly confused and his eyes burned with a foolish hope. Could Ludwig really have been so cold to him to save his life? It certainly sounded like something his Ludwig would do.

Elizabeta's eyes flickered faintly with hope. "Go upstairs!" She pressed, gently pushing him towards the stairs. " Go upstairs and talk to him! See what he has to say for yourself! But..." A wary, almost terrified look dulled the Hungarian woman's eyes. "Be gentle with him. If you bring up the wrong thing... He snap..." She warned in a whisper. Her face had paled and she looked nervously up the stairs as she warned of what could happen.

Feliciano's eyes grew fearful, but he was determined to speak to Ludwig, to see the German man this time. He raced up the stairs and down the hall to Ludwig's room. Before he could lose his bravery, he opened the door and took a step inside, going half deaf from the volume of the angry German music. He stopped after he had taken a couple steps inside, confusion in his eyes. The withered looking man in his German's bed didn't look at all like Ludwig. The man had very brittle, paper thin, ashen skin that clung to the bones in his face and chest in a grotesque fashion, his bones showing prominent. Grease, grey-blonde hair covered the man's head, sticking up in random directions looking disheveled. His breath rasped harshly in his throat and rattled sickeningly in his chest, sounding almost as though fluid was trapped inside his lungs. With the realization that he could hear breathing at all, he shivered. That meant the music had turned off. He stared at the man's face as he began to speak. "V-Ve~ Sorry... I-I th-" He cut off with a choked gasp as the man;s eyes opened and fixed themselves on him.

There was no mistaking those clear blue eyes, even in the lifeless, dull, miserable state they were in. This withered, sickened man was Ludwig. "Oh Luddy..." Feliciano whispered in a shaken, grieved voice. He ran to the German's side, forgetting everything but his care for this man. His throat was tight and thick with emotion and tears streamed down his face as he took one of Ludwig's skeletal, trembling hands.

The entire time Feliciano had been moving to him, Ludwig's blue eyes had followed, looking desperate as if he was afraid the Italian, the man he loved more than just about anything, would disappear. "Feliciano..." He whispered in a painfully weak whisper. "Es tut mir leid... Es tut mir leid... I know you hate me. I know. I... tried..." He trailed off and was silent for a moment save his harsh breathing, eyes half closed. "I tried to protect you... Everything I could do to keep you safe, I did..." He finished after a while

With a small whimper, Feliciano sat on the edge of Ludwig's bed, his eyes were bright with sorrow and confusion. "Why did you tell me to never come back? Why... did you seem to not even care when I had to leave? I would have come to see you all the time despite us being on opposite sides in the war..." He whispered as he pressed Ludwig's frail hand to his tear streaked face.

Ludwig made a strange, low and raspy sound that could only be described as a laugh. "That's why I had to send you away...Why I had to make sure you thought I didn't want you here. I wasn't risking the loss of your life just to see me Feli... I just... didn't realize it would hurt as much as it did... As much as it does..." He rasped, trying hard to find his voice instead of whispering. "Elizabeta thinks that I'm dying... Not that I'd mind it much. I don't really have a desire to live without mein bruder... Or without you."

A burning emotion blazed inside Feliciano's eyes as he glared down at the fragile German man. "No! You can't die Luddy! You are not alone! I am here now and won't go anywhere, no matter what you say! You-" He was cut off by a surprisingly firm hand on his shoulder. After a second he realized it wasn't Ludwig's hand on his shoulder, it was Elizabeta's.

"Enough Feliciano." Elizabeta warned, watching Ludwig cautiously as she caught the spark of anger that flashed in his dull blue eyes. "He does have a point though I suppose. You are not alone. I am here for you as well. Why else would I put up with your disturbing music?" She teased with a faint smile on her lips, though the light expression quickly faded as Ludwig just sighed and looked away.

"What's done is done... Nothing can change that now. You both might be here for me, but the rest of the orld hates me and I can't see mein bruder. Nein... I'd rather just die. Save everyone the trouble." He whispered, sounding absolutely defeated and broken.

Felicano felt his heart break and the tears streaming down his face fell faster and thicker than before. "Giving up is my job! Not yours. You damn well better hang in there Ludwig. Don't you dare give up now." The Italian insisted, his voice stubborn and firm, very unlike him. With determination, he locked his eyes on Ludwig's. "You will not just give up. Promise me." His voice held such a strong convection, both Ludwig and Elizabeta looked surprised.

Despite his surprise at the power in Feliciano's voice, Ludwig couldn't promise that he wouldn't give up... He already had. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, the same defeated look on his face. "I... can't. Es tut mir leid Feliciano... But I can't."

Feliciano frowned, getting both angry and scared. He let go of Ludwig's hand and left the room with a nearly silent "Ti amo."

Elizabeta followed after Felicaino with distressed, worried eyes. "No... You can't leave! You can't give up on him when he's already given up! No..." She begged him desperately. "You can't give up on I'm alre-"

" I'm not giving up on him Miss Eliza." The Italian said, eyes full of a strong determination. Today was a day full of surprises apparently, as Feliciano just kept on showing uncharacteristic qualities. "I'm going to bust Gilbert out of Ivan's control, and you are going to help me do it." Feliciano said, speaking right over Elizabeta impatiently.

"What? You... You want to... what?" Elizabeta stammered, staring at Feliciano uncomprehendingly.

"I'm going to bust Gilbert out of Ivan's control and bring him home... And you are going to help me." Feliciano said again, looking determined.

Elizabeta's eyes widened and she sighed heavily, not really sure what to think. "This is suicide. Feliciano you don't have any idea how... Ivan won't take a raid well... I'm sure he's keeping Gilbert at his house in Russia to keep him from getting any ideas of hoping the wall...The two of us won't be enough t-"

"So you're just going to let Luddy give up and die because you're too afraid to try and fix it? I expect that from myself... Not from you though." Feliciano accused, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Elizabeta looked annoyed and she glared at the Italian with furious eyes. "I wasn't done Feliciano! Don't interrupt or I won't help you! If you would have let me finish, I was going to say the two of us won't be enough for what you want to do, so we are going to have to ask around to try and find some people to help." She growled, relaxing only because Feliciano back away from her apologetically.

"Ve~ Sorry... I'm just so worried for him... I've never seen him weak before... ever... I'll talk to Kiku... He might help us... Antonio too. He's been Gilbert's best friend for years... Go home and prepare... I'll tell everyone to at your house in three days. I know that isn't long... but the sooner e gather, the sooner we leave... others come or not though, I will be going to Ivan's in three days." Feliciano said firmly, not a trace of fear in his eyes. As Elizabeta turned to leave, he caught her arm. "Tell my fratello to go home and come back for me tomorrow... I don't want to leave Ludwig alone tonight." He said before turning without another word to head back up the stairs to his broken German. You can't give up on me now Luddy... Ti amo! I don't want you to die... especially not when it is partially my fault. The small Italian thought to himself as he re-entered Ludwig's room.

The German hadn't moved at all since he and Elizabeta had left, though his eyes had closed once again. Feliciano moved to his side with a soft, sad smile on his lips and gently he placed a trembling had to Ludwig's ashen face. Slowly, Ludwig's eyes fluttered open, though it might have been easier if they had remained closed with all the depression and self-loathing in their dull, cerulean depths. "I should have fought back against them. I should have insisted that Germany was mine and no one else's. I should have... I should have stopped them from killing all those people... I... I-" But he was cut off by a hand against his lips.

"Luddy... Luddy stop. That is all in your past. Stop dwelling on it... si? I didn't come here to see you beat yourself up over things you can no longer change. The other nations will come around eventually." Italy whispered in a soft voice, reluctant to speak louder than Ludwig seemed capable of. After a few minutes of miserable silence, the Italian's eyes narrowed slightly and he laid down beside Ludwig, head resting on his alarmingly bony shoulder, and hand resting against his concaving chest. The position was one he was very familiar with... but the feeling of how slender the usually strong, muscular nation was terrified Feliciano. I will make you feel better Luddy... I promise. He thought as the German wrapped frail, shaky arms around him in response.

"Es tut mir leid, Italien." The looking in his eyes, so void of any sign of life, as he whispered was heart breaking to say the least. It took more strength than Feliciano thought he had not to turn from the German and weep. Instead, he reached up and kissed Ludwig's next, the closest thing to his mouth that he could reach. Slowly, after a stretch of silence, his brown eyes grew heavy and he found it hard to stay awake.

Ludwig didn't realize the slender Italian in his arms had drifted off into sleep until he heard Feliciano's gentle snores against his chest. He tried desperately for sleep, but no matter what he did, his brain taunted him with haunting memories, preventing him from even shutting his eyes, fearing the pictures his mind would conjure up. He couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time Feliciano had been at his house.

Ludwig watched as his tawny haired, ditsy Italian left out the back door of his two story home. There was do doubt, judging by the way his shoulders shook, that he was crying as he went. Why wouldn't he be though? Ludwig had just told him to leave, something he swore he'd never do, and on top off it all, to never come back. Even knowing he had saved the small Italian's life, Ludwig's heart felt mangled and broken in his chest. He hated admitting that weakness, even to himself. The only reason he was able to function after Feliciano had left, was because of the letter he had written. Hopefully... Hopefully that would show his Feli that he still... Still loved him.

It was as he struggled over that thought when the Nazi officers from before barged into Ludwig's office for a second time, this time slamming the door back against the wall so hard, the plaster cracked where the knob hit it. Ludwig's boss, Adolf Hitler himself, was leading them forward, a dark, calculating scowl on his face. Ludwig knew he was in trouble before the man even had a chance to speak, knowing he didn't usually openly show his anger, or punish his people himself. "You are to report to the prison hold immediately to carry out the punishment of treason. A punishment of 50 lashes." The charismatic dictator of Germany said in a voice that held no room for argument, even though the maximum amount of lashes was 40. "After such punishment has been carried out, you will be assigned a soldier to accompany you wherever you go. Try to shake your guard, you will be immediately murdered by a firing squad." The man commanded, motioning for the officers that had accompanied him to chain the grieving German and lead him to the truck outside that would transport them to transport them to the military outpost in the outskirts of southern Berlin. With an ever prideful, commanding, intimidating posture, Ludwig allowed himself to be lead from his own home in shackles without a fight.

Whispers raced through the bas on arrival once the nation was escorted through the base and detained in a detention cell. Many of the soldiers' faces held looks of livid fury. Many brave souls attempted to rise up and free their nation, but all were quickly shot down by grim faced SS soldiers. All of them, murdered without a tear or second thought.

It didn't take more than half an hour before Ludwig was marched from the cell, head high and refusing to show fear, or any emotion, even as his people were gunned down around him. He was forced to his knees in front of the whipping post, old blood dried on the wood and caked in the dirt on the ground. "Ludwig Beilschmidt is charged with 50 lashed for being caught in the act of high treason against the Vaterland." Hitler's voice sounded behind him, tone cold and uncaring. As he spoke, Ludwig's military jacket and black tank top were cut from his skin, leaving his muscled back exposed to the world around him. He felt the gloved hand of a Nazi officer hold him forcefully to the post as he was chained to it to prevent him from trying to fight back. The officer moved back to carry out the punishment when the Fuehrer took the whip from him, causing a startled wave of whispers to sound through the crowd that had gathered.

The cold hearted dictator raised the whip and with a furious sounding "Eins" he brought it down across the exposed flesh of Ludwig's back with all his strength. White hot pain exploded across Ludwig's back, blinding him with it's strength as his back arched at a sever angle from the blow with a jerk. He refused to make a sound, even though the agony refused to fade, but strengthened as the leather was dragged through the gouge mark and raised above Hitler's head, blood droplets cascading like crimson tears to the dusty ground.

"Zwei!" The snarl echoed around the base, eerie as it was the only sound. The soldiers all seemed to hold their breath as the whip as brought down across their nation's back again. Foolishly, many felt as though their hearts were enduring the blows even as Ludwig was. It was apparent to all that the blows strengthened instead of weakened, crimson blood pouring from the strong man's back in sheets, staining the band of his pants and splashing to the ground in puddles of red. As the watched Ludwig suffered silently through the whipping, there wasn't a single soldier, SS or Wehrinacht that didn't feel a sense of pride as Germans, staring in disbelief, but satisfaction that Ludwig didn't utter a single sound, not even when the Fuehrer snarled out a livid "Funfzig" and that tip of the whip clipped Ludwig's cheek.

Ludwig was very near a state of unconsciousness, only the fact that he was a nation having kept him awake and feeling the bone jarring agony of each biting lash to his back. He was all but blinded with the strength of his pain, head spinning nauseatingly. His wrists were mangled from straining so hard against the shackles, cut to the bone in gaping, mouth like trenches, and his back was nothing more than an abused, shredded slab of torn meat, not a single piece of flesh escaping the blows of the whip. Just when he thought he was finished, his boss's livid eyes scored his bloodied frame. "Turn him around." He growled, shooting randomly into the crowd to silence the uproar of indignant, corybantic voices.

Without announcing his plans, he raised the whip once more and sent it lashing from the base of Ludwig's neck, to the opposite hip, creating a deep gouge diagonally across the German's front. Ludwig had had no time to brace himself for the unexpected blow, and as his agony reached unparallel heights, he unleashed a whimpered cry through his clenched teeth, causing a satisfied smirk to form on Hitler's face. "Take him away." He commanded before sliding the blood off of the whip with his hand and winding it up.

A group of Nazi commanders hailed and unchained Ludwig, forcing him to walk under his own power. The German man made it half way across the bas before his legs gave out under his weight and his sight tunneled from blood loss and his tortured suffering. Angry voices screamed at him to get up and steel toed boots slammed against his sides brutally, breaking multiple ribs. Unable to hold on any longer, Ludwig finally slipped into a state of unconsciousness, oblivious to the pain that held his body and heart in a vice like grip.

As he remembered, Ludwig brushed his bony fingers along the ropey scar on his chest, trembling out of the fear and pain the memory had brought on. Subconsciously he tightened his hold on Feliciano, who, in his sleep, mumbled "Ti amo Luddy" With the small Italian's words, Ludwig was eventually able to relax as a feeling of peace washed through him. That all had happened because he loved this man, and now he was trying to just give up. Maybe he could live just a little longer while he still had him. With that decision, Ludwig slipped into a restful sleep with the first smile he had expressed in months.

Feliciano was pacing Ludwig's living room as the eyes of the people who came to help stared up at him, waiting for him to share the plan. At first he had thought only five people were going to make up the rescue party; Elizabeta, Lovino, Antonio, Kiku and himself, but when the Spaniard and his brother had arrived, a furious Brit had been in toe with them. "I didn't realize we were here to break out the Prussian you bloody git! I know sending him with Ivan was wrong, but I'm not letting you risk your life for that wanker! If I wanted to get killed by the Russian, I'd invade him myself!" Arthur fumed. The only reason he was against the idea, was because it had such a great potential to fall and get them all killed.

Antonio sighed, looking a bit apologetic, and wrapped an arm around the seething man. Slowly he leaned in to him and whispered something inaudible to the others in Arthur's ear, hugging him in a reassuring manner. To everyone's surprise, worry flashed across the Brit's face before he buried it against the tanned neck of his Spaniard. "It's not me I'm worried about love. I was a pirate and the leader of the British Empire. I can handle Ivan... I'm just thinking it impractical to..." Arthur just shook his head and sighed, pressing his reddening face against Antonio's neck more firmly. "I'm just worried for you... That bloody German bombed the hell out of me. I don't think an attempt to save his life is worth risking yours... Even if that means Gilbert is lost to him, and us as well."

A flash of something close to irritation crossed Antonio's eyes, but it disappeared before Arthur had a chance to look up and see it. "Iggy... You forget I was a conquistador as well. I promise you, we'll all be fine. He's my friend. I can't just let Ivan overtake him. If you aren't willing to risk my life for the German, then risk my life for me. Si? It will be alright. Wel'll go and get Gilbert without Ivan even realizing he is gone." Antonio assured with a smile, the expression turning into a full blown grin when Feliciano nodded in agreement.

"Si. Antonio is right. I have a plan! Ve~ I'll explain..."