Ludwig pounded on my guestroom door, "America wake up!"

"I'm up, I'm up," I groaned as I rose from my bed at four in the morning. I rushed to the wardrobe and pulled out a green shirt and black jeggings. I tied on my tennis shoes and opened the door.

The day started with breakfast, usually eggs and sausage. After our meal, Ludwig and I ran laps around the island. Twenty laps had to be done in less an hour, which was torture.

"Pick up the pace," Ludwig exclaimed as he slowed his pace to match mine. "Move it or do fifty burpees, your choice."

I panted, out of breath but increased my jog into a sprint. Burpees were the last thing I needed.

When laps were done, we headed down to the basement. First, we stretched to increase our flexibility; I took some pride in that. Thanks to my dancing history I was able to reach certain lengths that neither Ludwig nor Gilbert could. We would then move on to weight training, building our muscles and increasing our strength. Followed by pushups, crunches and basic fighting skills; the dummies were brought out for that part.

"Aim for the gut and head," Ludwig instructed, "that will weaken your opponent."

I held my fists up near my chin and punched the dummy man in the stomach and face. I had some boxing experience thanks to Johnny. He taught me as a kid, hoping to build my strength back up after I recovered from my illness a.k.a the Recession.

"Don't lock your elbows," he called out.

"Practice your uppercuts and hooves," Gilbert added.

Uppercuts were punches aimed under the chin and hooves were hits that aim for the side of the head. The arm had to be horizontal as the fist strikes the cheek in a quick motion.

"Switch to your legs," Ludwig exclaimed.

I jumped back from the dummy and lifted my knees up to my chest one at a time. I repeated this till Ludwig told me to kick. I stepped towards the dummy and kicked forward. I practiced kicks to the side of the ribs, straight into the gut and then moved on to a high round kick to the face. This pattern continued as side kick, straight kick and round kick; this repeated till he told me to go back to punching. Then he would bark at me to switch to my kicks, then back to my punches, etc. etc. (Usually I would go on doing these routines for more than an hour each.)

Lunch came after; mostly I used that hour to rest. Then Ludwig and I would run more laps followed with combat training. I winced at the thought of my first day.

Gilbert and I stepped onto the mat. My whole body was twitching due to the recent day of actives. My limbs were on fire and that lunch was making its way back up.

"Time for you to hit something that will hit back," Ludwig said as he leaned on the wall across from us.

"Don't we get any patting?" I asked.

I was answered with a fist to the gut. I hissed in pain and swallowed back my lunch. "You don't get any patting in real life," Gilbert smirked.

Combat training lasted for the entire afternoon, ending with stretching. After dinner both Ludwig and Gilbert would instruct me in military studies. This course contained battle strategies, weapon and vehicle identification and gun safety.

I haven't used a gun yet, but Ludwig says that after I'm able to take a gun apart and put it back together in less than two to three minutes; I won't even touch a bullet. I wasn't complaining; I didn't like guns.

After my studies, I'm free till lights out; though I was too exhausted to do anything else but shower and sleep.

This routine had been going on for five days straight.

Thank God it was Saturday.

Training would only last from four a.m. to three p.m. with no class. The rest of the day and Sunday belonged to me.

"Work on your defense," Ludwig exclaimed as his fists made full contact to my forearms.

My forearms were protecting my face, "I thought I was."

He threw his arm under and I jumped back to avoid a hit in the gut. I leaped into action when I saw an opening; I supported myself on my strong leg and waved my other leg up to reach his face. My kick would have been epic, unfortunately it didn't reach its mark; only left me open for Ludwig to grab my leg in motion. With a flick of his wrist he flipped me; a loud thud bounced off the walls as I collided into the mat.

I panted, "I yield. I yield."

Ludwig was out of breath, but sure looked better than me. His muscles were taut and defined. He wore a black tank, dark green cargo pants and combat boots; definitely soldier apparel.

Also, unlike him I was covered in bruises. My midsection was batted mess of blue and purple. My face carried purple and yellow marks and both of my eyes were red and violet. Gilbert said that my wounds would heal faster after a week or two of training. I hoped he was right, I was avoiding video skyping with my parents and they were starting to take notice.

I craned my neck up, even though every fiber of my being screamed at me not to move. I checked the wall clock; it was three. I grinned, "Freedom!"

I slowly rose to my feet, my muscles ached and my back was sore and twitching. Gilbert used that moment to slap me on the back, "way to go, you survived your first week."

I sucked in air through my teeth trying to control the urge to cry out in agony. He noticed and smirked, "Aw, did I hit you too hard?"

"Shut up."

He chuckled as his eyes glanced to my shirt, "Team Heracles? What's that about?"

My eyes widened as I looked down, it was the green Team Heracles tee that Jamie gave me for my birthday. I yelped; I didn't even pack this. Then I quickly remembered that I had left Michel and Jamie alone with my carry on. They must have packed their team t-shirts while I wasn't looking. Those sneaky bitches, they're so lucky they have an ocean protecting them from me.

"Um," I stuttered, "This is for," then an idea came to mind, "for the Heroes of Olympus series. It's the book series after the Percy Jackson series. This shirt is for Heracles, a character in the book." It wasn't an all-out lie, but there was no way I'd root for Heracles, I'm Team Leo all way.

Gilbert nodded, "Oh, I remember they tried to make those books into movies."

I groaned, "Don't even start, the movies were bad. Stick to the books, they're always better." Before he could ask any more questions, I found my second wind (more like fourth) and ran up the stairs.

I ran into my room and locked the door. I searched through the wardrobe and found the Team Toris shirt folded in a drawer. How could I miss this? I tried to think back to the day I unpacked, the day Ludwig had to analyze my skills as jet leg took its toll on my body. I remembered that I was too tried to even pay attention to my clothing. I slapped my forehead, I'm such an idiot. I even wore it.

At least it was the Heracles shirt, if it was the Toris shirt they would've known it was about Lithuania.

I took off the green shirt and grabbed the blue one and threw them both back into the carry on. I kicked the bag under the bed, hoping that no one would ever find them.

I grabbed the black shirt that Johnny gave me, along with skinny jeans and clean underwear. Ludwig and Gilbert each had rooms on the first floor, with their own bathrooms. Leaving the bathroom across from my room free for me; the room was simple, with white tile, white walls, white shower, sink and toilet. The shower was on the left with a clear glass door, and the sink and toilet were on the right. A large window was in between the shower and toilet, with an old fashion white bathtub raised on silver stands in front of it. I've only used the shower, so I figured I'll spoil myself with a bubble bath. I blasted the faucet with warm water and squeezed in some soap that Sofia got me from Bath & Body Works. It was called French Lavender and Honey and it smelled amazing; sweet, light and simple for everyday use. She gave me the whole set, lotion, body cream, shower gel, and body spray.

I discarded my work out clothes and slid into the tub. The warm water slipped into my sore muscles and I hissed and sighed in pleasure. The bubbles had formed quickly and completely covered my body. The sunlight streamed through the window and I was finally able to see what lies outside (it was always night when I showered). The field was open with a few scattered trees. The edge of the island was green with no sand. The lake was dark with light glittering off the surface.

I laid my head back on the rim and hummed a song from Lorde. This was the first time I was able to relax since I got here. Now I had the energy to think. The only downside to it was that I was homesick. I pondered on how my family and friends were doing as I twirled my sapphire pendent with my fingers. It was six in the morning in Summerland; Mom and Dad would be up by now, along with my second cousins. They would be planning a day of fun actives followed by a camping trip at the national park. Grandma would run the shop with Kupunawahine as Kupunakane surfed outside. Michel and Jamie wouldn't do anything till the afternoon, most likely hang with Ella, Daniela and Sam. Heisuke and Dimitri would have gone back to their countries by now too.

I wondered: what did Dimitri want to say to me back at the party?

I shook my thoughts away as I plunged myself underwater, pushing my nagging thoughts to the back of my mind.

After my bath, I got dressed and dried my hair with a towel. I headed down stairs for a glass of water. The front door ringed and I looked around for Gilbert or Ludwig, it wasn't my house, it would be rude to answer it. But whoever was behind that door kept ringing. I swallowed the rest of my water in one gulp, set the glass on a side table and opened the door, "Yes?"

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around me and pulled me in for a hug. "Amy! I'm so happy, you're still alive!" Feliciano squeezed as he nestled his face into the nook of my neck.

I winced at the soreness of my body and gently pushed him away, "And why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, I love Germany, but when he gets into his general mode he becomes a bit of a-"

"Hard ass," I finished.

"I heard that," Ludwig announced as he came up from behind. He was wearing casual clothes with a towel draped over his shoulders; he must have just gotten out of the shower.

"Speak of the devil," I grinned as I let Feliciano in, "you have a guest."

He sighed, "Italy what are you doing here?"

Feliciano gave him a big smile, "I came to visit you and Amy. This would be our chance to spend time together before the meeting."

"The G9 meeting won't take place for another week; it would be a waste for you to show up now." Ludwig lectured.

He glanced to his shoes, "I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with you."

"Feliciano, I'm busy training America."

"Technically, I'm free till Monday so if he wants to hang that's fine with me," I proclaimed.

"I actually want to stay till after the meeting," Feliciano added.

"Even better," I shrugged.

"No," Ludwig said firmly, "you can't stay for two weeks. Think about your work."

Feliciano gave a sad, pleading look, "please."

"Dear Lord it's like saying no to a puppy," I said.

Ludwig spared a warning look at me till he caved, "Fine, you can stay."

"Yay!" Feliciano squealed as he kissed Ludwig on both cheeks and moved to do the same with me. "I'll unpack my things and then we can go sightseeing."

Downtown Berlin was like no city I ever seen. Massive, unique buildings were scattered throughout the city, along with beautiful stone brick town homes aligning themselves beside the roads. It was architect's dream. Reichstag, the building for Parliament stood tall, with a large glass dome at the top where the German politicians work and so happens to be the place with the best view of the city.

Hundreds of people walked the streets, 'summer tourists' Ludwig said. Crowds ventured into the museums, the memorials, the flea and food markets, and the East Side Gallery. Which was the world's longest open air gallery; where over one hundred paintings were drawn on the Berlin Wall. It sat along the Spree River and was about a mile long. Feliciano pulled me along the wall, asking what my thoughts were about each painting.

I enjoyed art, but I wasn't an expert. Michel would be the one to be in awe. When new art pieces were being shown at our local museums, he would already have our tickets purchased and have the back story ready for each piece, prepared to be my personal tour guide. Feliciano was the same way, his auburn eyes gleamed and his smile was dazzling as he introduced me to every piece.

"This is the famous kiss of Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev," he announced.

I looked up to see two middle aged men kissing. The men were extremely detailed, almost like someone took a photograph and pasted it on the wall.

"What do you think?" he asked.

I nodded my head in approval, "It's pretty cool, I bet it shocked some people to have two men kissing back then, which makes it even cooler. And I have to say, their kiss is pretty passionate." I took out my digital camera and asked Ludwig to take our picture.

He nodded as Feliciano, Gilbert and I took our place in front of the painting. Feliciano wrapped his arms round my waist in a friendly hug as Gilbert placed a hand on each of our shoulders and put on his most charming grin. I sighed and hooked an arm around Feliciano's neck and gave my brightest smile to Ludwig.

He took the shot with a flash and Feliciano ran over to take the camera, "Go stand with Amy," he exclaimed.

Ludwig was resistant to it but the Italian only kept pushing till he was standing beside me and his brother. Ludwig had his arms crossed, waiting for his picture to be taken.

"Ludwig," Feliciano cried, "you have to smile."

"Feli, I'm not really in the mood," he proclaimed.

I rolled my eyes, "shocker."

"Come on West, give us a smile," Gilbert put his fingers at the corners of Ludwig's mouth and perked them up.

I grinned, "Take the picture or else we're gonna be here all day." Feliciano nodded as the flash went off.

We walked back to the Spree River where the Museumsinsel stood, also known as Museum Island. The UNESCO World Heritage Site contained five museums, the Pergamon, Bode, Neues, Alte Nationalgalerie and Altes Museum.

We visited the Neues first where the bust of the Egyptian Queen of Nefertiti was on display. Several Egyptian artifacts were shown, like stone coffins and urns with the Egyptian gods faces crafted on the lids. Along with pieces of wall paintings with the iconic drawings and holographics, "I sure wish Gupta was here, he might be able to translate them," I said.

Gilbert scanned the room, making sure that we had a safe distance away from any humans that could listen in. He answered, "Probably, but don't expect him to know too much about it. He was just a kid when his mother's empire fell. After that he was taken in by Sadiq and was part of the Ottoman Empire."

I nodded, "Were you there when it happen?"

"Yes."

I lifted an eyebrow, "How old are you?"

He took a moment to think. "I was part of the Teutonic Knights and before that I was a nomad, wondering around till I was taken in by an orphanage run by some nuns. I'm thinking, somewhere between seven and eight hundred years."

"You were knight?" I asked skeptically of him.

"Most of us were back in ye olden days."

"Who was 'most of us'?"

"Let's see, Francis was one and Antonio, even though he used an axe most of the time. All of Europe really; even that bastard Lithuania." His face took on a sour look as the name passed through his lips.

"I'm guessing there's some bad blood between you two," I proclaimed.

He snorted, "You don't know the half of it."

"Then tell me, I want to know."

He mumbled under his breath and I narrowed my eyes at him, "fine, I'm in a museum, I can find it on my own."

After some twists and turns through the halls I was able to find the section assigned to the Teutonic Knights. The hall was empty, leaving Gilbert and me alone as I read every article that was displayed on the walls. These articles were placed beside polished armor, sturdy cross designed shields and sharp blades. I grinned when I came to a certain piece of written history. "You lost to Lithuania and Poland in 1410 stopping you from expanding east, ha. I'm really starting to like those two."

He rolled his eyes, "they might have been powerful back then, but now, heh. Poland would rather decorate than fight and Lithuania, he's pathetic; trembles every time someone even mentions Russia."

A cold chill washed over my spine. The memory of Toris and Ivan on the balcony came flooding back. The scene of Ivan holding Toris close as he forced an unwanted kiss on him. His blue-green eyes filled with horror and humiliation.

"Maybe for a good reason," I said, refusing to look at Gilbert, "How about you stop being a sore loser and shut up."

I practically heard him smirk, "I'm not being a sore loser. I'm merely speaking the truth."

Then the memory of Toris trembling in the secret passage way came next; how he refused to look at me as he gave me a vague description about his time at Russia's house. I didn't push for details back then, it seemed too painful and frankly I didn't want to know.

"Then just shut up, you don't know what went down," I glared.

His smile fell, "I actually do. At one point of my life I had to live with him. He was a sick fuck but I stayed strong. Lithuania on the other hand, did nothing. Just laid there and took it like a bitch."

I smacked my hand across his face. The echo of the hit bounced off the walls as he stepped back and rubbed his cheek. He took this as a cue to continue taunting me. "Aw, what's wrong did I crush your little fantasy about the mighty knight Lithuania?" He chuckled harshly, "sorry to disappoint you but the country was never the same after Russia had his way with him."

"At least he is a country," I hissed, "you are just some piece of shit left over from the Prussian Empire. Which doesn't even exist anymore, how about you get the memo and disappear already. You don't seem to offer anything but hurtful statements and stupid antics."

His blood red eyes took on a darker shade, "Listen little girl, you should learn to keep that mouth of yours shut."

"Oh, but I'm merely speaking the truth," I mocked him with his words. "You're an asshole and the world would be better off without you."

He laughed; it was filled with hate and anger. "Are you any better? America doesn't do much except sit on its big fat ass and expect everyone else to praise it. The only pride you can take, are the achievements of the past generations. What exactly can you offer?" He answered his own question, "Nothing."

I threw my fist, ready to land at his face but he grabbed it smoothly. I tried to pull away but his hold was strong. "Really, another face hit? I know it's been a week, but didn't you learn anything?"

I swung a fast kick to his side. He grunted and lost grip on my hand. "I didn't ask to be a nation!" I screamed. "All I wanted was to live my life; I didn't give a flying fuck about the government as long as I did what made me happy."

He sucker punched me and heat exploded through my cheek. The pain washed over my nose and forehead, causing my vision to blur. "Selfish, aren't you?" he said cruelly.

I cried out for him to shut up and tackled him to the floor.

"Would Ludwig Beilschmidt please come to the security office of the Neues Museum please," a male voice proclaimed over the intercom.

Ludwig knitted his eyebrows together in confusion and worry. Why would security need to see him? Then a thought came to mind, he hasn't seen America and his brother for over an hour; he prayed that this incident didn't have anything to do with them. But knowing his luck and his brother, his prayers would be wasted.

And he was right.

He and Feliciano walked to the head desk of security, where a man dressed in a formal navy blue uniform was lecturing two young adults. Both had bruises on their faces and their wrists were tied together with plastic cuffs. Gilbert's right eye was slightly swollen and his nose was once again broken. Amy's foundation was running, revealing her old wounds along with the new.

Ludwig sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose and walked to the desk. "I'm Ludwig Beilschmidt."

The security guard turned to face him. He was middle aged with graying hair and hazel eyes. "Hello Mr. Beilschmidt," they shook hands as the guard gestured towards Amy and Gilbert. "They say they're with you."

"Yes, they are." Ludwig glared at them, but his look quickly softens when he faced the security guard. "What did they do?"

"They were fighting in the Teutonic Knight hall, luckily they didn't damage any of the artifacts but still," he side glanced to them. "I believe that it's best that you and your party leave."

Feliciano's mouth opened, about to protest, but Ludwig stopped him with a firm look. The German turned back to the guard, "I understand. I am terribly sorry for the trouble they have caused."

The guard pulled apart the plastic cuffs, "you're free to go, keep in mind you two are banned from our museums."

Gilbert snorted softly, "for how long?"

"First time offenders are banned for six months," the guard proclaimed.

Amy rolled her eyes, "whatever."

The car ride back was quiet. Ludwig was driving his silver BMW with a tight hold on the wheel. Gilbert sat in the passenger seat, his face at the window. Feliciano sat behind him, nervously glancing at everyone, as if second guessing himself if he should speak or not. I turned to my window and plugged myself into my iPod, listening to Adele's 'Skyfall'.

I tapped my forehead to the glass and bit my bottom lip to hold back my cry. My head was throbbing, my jaw and cheeks were marked with fresh welts and my midsection was on fire from the recent marks I received from Gilbert.

I mentally cursed myself; I made a promise to not get into any trouble. Now I've screwed it up and got myself thrown out of Museum Island. And for what, all because Gilbert was being an ass; I thought I had tougher skin than that. I even had the combat wounds to prove it. But deep down I knew it wasn't all about me. His comments about Toris hit a nerve.

Gilbert didn't see the fear in Toris's eyes when we were at Austria's house. He also didn't see how brave he was when he came to my rescue. If what Gilbert was implying was true, (and I've seen enough Law & Order SVU shows to figure out what he meant) then what Toris did took guts. I had to admire the guy for that, and I wasn't about to let a total jerk like Gilbert under mind that.

I smiled to myself, if only Michel could read my mind, he would be ranking in some points right now. I tried to laugh at my joke but my ribs ached every time I did.

Once we got to the manor, I leaped out of the car and speed walked to the doors. I still had to wait for Ludwig to unlock it, but I was ready to sprint up the stairs and lock myself in my room.

He slid the key into the lock and turned. I forced the door opened and headed for the stairs. I didn't get far. Ludwig grabbed my arm and pulled me back, "where do you think you're going?"

I sighed, defeated. "Listen, I know I screwed up. Just let me go to my room and I won't come out till Monday."

He shook his head, "That would be too easy."

I mumbled a curse and watched Gilbert as he tried to sneak away into the living room. Ludwig didn't even turn to face him, but he must've known his brother would try something. "Don't you even think about walking away," Ludwig pointed at Gilbert and he froze in place. He then turned to face his older brother, "What on earth possessed you to fight in the museum?"

Gilbert grumbled, "She started it."

"Is that your excuse?" Ludwig glared, "She's a child, you are hundreds of years old, act like it."

"Fat chance," I said under my breath.

"And you," he turned to face me. "What exactly we've you two fighting about?"

I exhaled through my nose, "He was being an ass so I slapped him."

He cursed in German as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "America, you have to control your anger. For when you're angry, you're irrational. And when you're irrational, you will die on the battle field."

"Last I checked we're pretty durable," I remarked.

"Don't be a smart ass with me," he shouted.

His voice bounced off the walls causing Feliciano to flinch slightly. Ludwig continued, "Even though you're a nation, we can't have you dying then coming back to life every time you enter in a fire fight."

I shook my head, "Then how about we agree that I'm just not cut out for the military."

"You're a nation," he repeated harshly, "you're military is part of you, it is your strength, your will."

"Then why do I have to be part of it?"

He sighed, "Has anyone ever told you, a good soldier doesn't ask questions, simply follows orders."

"I don't know if you've noticed or listened but I'm not soldier material."

"Ain't that the truth," Gilbert commented.

"Shut up," Ludwig and I exclaimed in sync.

He turned back to me, "America, in times of war not only do your people fight; but you fight as well. Your people are a part of you, and what they do affects you. For a nation is nothing without its people."

"This is coming from the guy that represents the nation that killed thousands of his own citizens," I crossed my arms.

His brilliant blue eyes widened as the vein of his forehead throbbed. I've gone too far, but I was too irritated with his superior attitude towards me to even care.

"Maybe it's a good thing I question you," I should've kept my mouth shut, but like Gilbert said, I don't seem to have that alarm in my head that says 'shut up' when I needed it. "It proves that I have freaking mind of my own, unlike you. And maybe, just maybe if you bothered to question authority, you and this entire country wouldn't have been swept away by some charismatic psychopath-"

Ludwig slapped me across the face.

Feliciano gasped as the air grew silent. My cheek was once again on fire but I refused to show any reaction. I said nothing, only glared as he placed his hand to his side in a tight fist and walked away.