Before long Russia makes contact with his enemy. To gloat over his victory Prussia assumes. Prussia still feels strangely calm after drinking all Russia's vodka. It's a good thing, otherwise he might have embarrassed himself in front of his brother.
"Hello Germany," Russia says. "Everything is fine and just as it should be. Stalingrad is still mine and you will be chased away from my country."
"Let my brother go," Germany says with barely contained rage. "Give me back my field marshal and my soldiers."
"But they came to me. I think that means they all want to be one with Russia. We can talk about that and more when I come and visit you. Isn't it going to be great to see me again?"
Germany goes quiet as he realizes what Russia actually is saying. Prussia thinks he should be glad he can't see Russia's expression of giddy anticipation. It's so much worse than some sadistic smirk would be.
"You are not welcome here," Germany eventually says, probably supported by some unseen friend. "You will never, ever, cross my border."
"How cute you are when you think you can decide that. Don't worry, I'll be just as polite as you and your brother were when you visited me. See you soon."
Russia tugs Prussia closer and turns off the communication.
"He didn't even try to make a deal to get you back," Russia whispers in Prussia's ear.
It's stupid and pathetic when Prussia lets Russia comfort him. He lends against Russia while he runs his hands through Prussia's snow-white hair. Russia never made any comments about how his albino-like complexion would make him genetically inferior, rather he always seems to have found it fascinating.
"I'm not albino you know," Prussia says. "Even if I have red eyes."
"I know," Russia says. "And I'm not inbreed royalty for having violet eyes."
"I'm tired," Prussia says and slaps Russia's hands away when the touches begin to move beyond mere comfort. "And I could be albino if I wanted to, it shouldn't matter."
Russia accepts this as if they were just playing around the way they did back in days when they were kind of allied and messed with Poland. Prussia misses those days. It's so tempting to pretend along with Russia that things aren't that bad.
Prussia asks several times to see Paulus and to see for himself that what remains of the troops are alright. Russia says they are fine but doesn't let him go anywhere.
"We are finished here," Russia explains. "The rest is for the humans to sort out."
Prussia does manage to exchange a few words with some of his other generals when they are moved. They seem to be unharmed but look about as happy as he feels and know just as little. The soldiers were whisked away and no one has any answers.
"Now we're going to see my boss," Russia says. "I think he's going to be really pleased with me this time."
He smiles brightly and he is already almost healed. Prussia isn't and he knows that does not bode well for his country.
Moscow is a center of war just as intense as Berlin. Except that Russians must be better at doing as they are told because things move at a frightening speed. Perhaps not in the direction Prussia would have directed them in but still.
"We have to give everything or your brother is going to destroy us," Russia says, so proud over his children.
Prussia never wanted to destroy Russia, just own it. Which he tells Russia.
"But you're not in charge, are you?"
Russia's boss is really nice. Instead of the incarnation of evil Prussia expected he finds a charming old man who brings him and Russia to dinner and shares anecdotes about a surprisingly colorful past.
If Prussia's own boss was half that awesome he probably wouldn't have ended up in this situation. Prussia finds himself offering opinions on the Soviet war strategy before he can stop himself. For the rest of the night he is very quiet, not trusting himself to say something he shouldn't again.
Russia is unexpectedly sullen. He appears to to be unable to appreciate hos lucky he is to have such a cool boss.
The temporary Moscow apartment is depressingly empty. Russia must not care very much. Except for the kind of disturbing detail that he has a windowless room perfect for locking someone up in. It's almost a good thing, Prussia is tempted to try to make a run for it despite that he is worried about what it might do to Paulus and the others. When he isn't locked up Russia clings to him so intensely that he has no opportunities at all. Like now, when Russia is cheerfully waking him up.
"Come, come, I want to show you something."
Prussia why Russia drags him along everywhere. Perhaps because he's lonely now without his sisters and the Baltics. Prussia might be a bad replacement but at least he is a nation too, unlike the agents who constantly shadow them, supposedly for Russia's protection.
They get into a building that looks exactly the same as the others around it except that it is filled with people. In this empty building they have set up a temporary church and people are standing tightly pressed together to listen.
"I missed this," Russia says and looks over the room in awe. It's an orthodox church, Prussia notices in distaste. Better than nothing through. Probably better than nothing.
Russia puts his large hands around Prussia and pulls him close enough to put his head on Prussia's shoulder. For once Russia's breath doesn't smell of vodka.
They watch the ceremony together in silence from the shadows.
Russia happily chirps on about how happy he is over the churches being open again until Stalin silences him with a glare of pure disgust.
"The workers and soldiers need all the motivation they can find but I expected better from you. Do you remember anything about what we talked about?"
Russia looks chastised and tries to hide his disappointment. Prussia would like suggest there are much better alternatives to the Orthodox church but usually he wins arguments by being louder and having a bigger stick than his opponents. That isn't going to work this time so he says nothing.
"But we have much to do. Did you read the reports I send you?"
"Yes... Most of them..."
It would be kind of funny to see Russia act like a schoolboy caught not doing his homework if it isn't for the fact that Prussia managed to glance over those reports. The little he saw did not look promising.
"You have to wait for a while," Stalin tells Prussia. They exchange a look of what the hell, Stalin is just as puzzled as Prussia over what he is doing here in the first place. Prussia starts to think about how he could get some alone time with Stalin to try to convince him to not do the things those reports hinted at. It isn't going to happen right now as he gets dismissed without interest from Stalin's side. Russia miserably watches him leave.
Prussia tries to chat up the NKVD agent that get the job to guard him without much success. He must have gotten the job because he's the new guy new, he is very young and his disgust is obvious. It was most likely his idea and not Russia's to chain Prussia to a chair. Now he is both uncomfortable and bored to tears, because the meeting takes forever.
"I'm going to get shoot if you run away," the guy says after Prussia complains for about ten minutes straight. "And I'm not going to risk that just because some fascist is slightly uncomfortable. Do you know what we usually do to people like you?"
"I bet you would love to tell me."
And Prussia really, really wants to know because all Russia says everything is going to be fine. He's not stupid enough to actually believe that.
"You'll find out eventually. I could find something to gag you with if you don't shut up."
Prussia shuts up, Germany would be amazed to find out he is actually able to. He slouches as much as it's possible in the chair and tries to read the what he can see of the agent's newspaper.
Russia returns much happier after what must be hours and hours.
"Now I'm going to save everyone," he says with childlike innocence, like he can make everything alright again just by willing it. "This time I'll be the hero."
I have no problems believing that Stalin could charm Prussia if he wanted to. The guy was a charismatic sociopath.