Fall, falling, fallen

All right, so I've decided to continue though I changed the title to suit the new storyline more. I've made up some new alliances and fractions so just ignore the WW2 alliances that I said the countries are in, in the previous chapter.

The Great Northern League (GNL): America, Canada, England, France, Spain, Italy, and Ireland

The Asiatic Confederation (AC): The Asian countries excluding Singapore

The Non-allegiance Bloc (NAB): The Nordics, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, and Singapore

The Southern Sphere (SS): South America, Mexico, Portugal

The Central Coalition (CC): Middle East, Turkey

The Oceanic Partnership (OP): Australia & New Zealand

The European Allied Union (EAU) [Former]: Eastern and Central Europe with the exception of Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Austria

The European American Allied Union (EAAU) [Now]: America, Eastern and Central Europe with the exception of Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Austria

Chapter 2

Alfred sat, resting his elbows on his lap, as he clenched and unclenched his fist. Sweat rolled down his back despite the coolness of the room and occasionally, he would reach up to wipe away the beads of sweat that had accumulated on his temples and brows. He kept his gaze firmly to the ground and, from time to time, his tongue would dart out to wet his dry chapped lips. He turned his wrist once again to check the time and closed his eyes when he realised that the meeting would start in minutes. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he pushed arms off his thighs and stood up, before walking to the head of the table.

The doors flung open and he flinched, not looking at the newcomers for a moment before, forcing his lips into a wide and painful grin, whipping around to greet the rest of his – no, not his anymore – allies. "You guys are late!"

Arthur rolled his eyes as he plopped onto his seat, crossing his arms across his chest. "Well, some of us have important matters to attend to, unlike others who have enough free time to arrive early."

Alfred laughed as obnoxiously and loudly as he could as he waved for the other nations to hurry their way to their seats. "Yeah, I know you're all busy so thanks a bunch for making it here on such short notice."

"You said you wanted to tell us something, Al?" Matthew whispered as he 'materialised' on his seat.

"Man, Mattie! When did you get here!" Ignoring his brother's barely audible – 'I've been here since the beginning!' – Alfred, scanned the table, at the nations seated around it. Matthew, Canada; Arthur, England; Francis, France; Antonio, Spain; Lovino and Feliciano, Italy, and Eily; Ireland; all part of the League he created, a league he was about to – have already – leave.

"Alfred? Well? What do you want to tell us?" Eily asked softly, her grass green eyes sparkling with concern. "Did something happen? Do you need help?"

Alfred looked down and bit his lips. The words just could not leave the tip of his tongue. He took another breath and looked up, only to have his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the worried and concerned looks in everyone's eyes.

Minutes ticked by and still, Alfred had not said a thing. Irritated by the silence, Arthur frowned and asked, "If you're not saying anything, then I have a question. Why are we holding one of our meetings here, in one of the N.A.B countries when we can just do so in our countries?"

Alfred's eyes widened at the question and hesitantly opened his mouth to answer when a voice, belonging to neither one of the nations in the meeting, answered the question, "Because it's hostile territory da?"

The nations tensed; all, bar Alfred, reached for their weapons and turned to glared at the intruder, though they know they cannot attack him here. "Russia" Arthur snarled, "what are you doing here and what do you mean?"

Ivan giggled and walked towards where Alfred stood, ignoring the wary looks the League shot him. "There is nothing keeping me from being here, da? I am not breaking any international agreements." Finally stopping a few paces from Alfred, he turned to face the rest of the nation, glee apparent on his face. "And what I mean? Why don't you ask Alfred here, da?"

Eyes turned and Alfred took a step back. "I-I'm sorry…" He could not look at them. He has betrayed them all.

"What are you apologising for, Al?"

"Oui, why are you apologising?"

Alfred wetted his lips again and swallowed the saliva collected in his mouth. His fingers drifted to his holster before reluctantly drawing the gun. A tear rolled down his cheek as he aimed his gun at his former allies. "I'm so sorry."

The others stood up frantically, shocked by his actions. "What on earth! Alfred, what is wrong with you! You are aiming at the wrong side!"

Russia giggled even harder before placing a gloved hand on Alfred's armed hand to steady it. "That's where you are wrong, da~" He wrapped his free arm around Alfred's waist and brought Alfred's back to his chest. "Tell them, Alfred."

More tears spilled from Alfred's azure eyes as he choked, "T-The United St-States of… Ame…rica…" Alfred turned away and Ivan hummed his displeasure before turning the younger nation by the chin back to face the others. "… Hereby with-withdraw from The Great… Northern… League and… and… and would henceforth be a… part of… The European Al-Allied… Union… now known… as the European… A-American Allied U-Union."

"How…"

The American sobbed even harder, his grip on the gun shaking even more. Matthew slumped onto the floor, knees weak in disbelief as Francis covered his mouth in horror. Antonio, along with the Italy twins, stared in mute incredulity while Eily exploded in rage. "You betrayer! You bloody traitor!" She screamed as she whipped her own gun out, pointing it at Ivan and Alfred, her hands shaking badly from anger. Arthur himself was numbed with shocked as he, leaning heavily on the backrest of his seat, simply stared at Alfred unblinkingly. "We trusted you! Believed in you!"

Ivan giggled before, in a flash, knocking the pistol out of her hand with his pipe. "We do not want to break our promise to Switzerland, da?" Switching his grip around Alfred's waist to grasping Alfred's hand, he pulled the younger out of the room like one would do to a child, with Alfred stumbling and sobbing behind him. Stopping by the door, Ivan just could not resist the final jab. "And soon, all of you will become one with Mother Russia, da?"

The door was closed before the vase crumpled against the hard, ebony wood.