In the end, Canada had to call the Italian government to alert them of what had transpired so that someone could come collect the body, much to Romano's fury. He wouldn't let the men touch his brother, despite reassurance they would preserve him until the funeral could be arranged. He clung to Feliciano as though for dear life, throat raw from screaming and crying.

Finally, Canada took him by the waist, and pried him away, apologizing for doing so with every breath. "There's nothing more you can do."

"Bullshit! Get off of me! They can't take him away!"

"I'm so sorry Lovino."

Finally, the Italian went limp in his arms, and slid to the floor as the men loaded Feliciano onto a gurney, which they rolled out the door to the van parked out front.

"Arthur's expecting us back, isn't he?" Lovino said lowly.

Matthew nodded, even though the other couldn't see him. "We don't have to go right away if you don't want to."

"No." He stood up, wiping his eyes against his sleeve. "We can't afford any delays in telling the others what's going on. Let's go."

Lovino took a final, longing look around his brother's home, before grabbing Canada's hand, and shifting them back to England.

{}}{{}

Between the entire group in Arthur's home, they were able to get in touch with just about everyone, explain the situation, and establish meeting points for everyone to get to in order to avoid anyone being caught alone by their double. The only ones who didn't answer their phones were Greece, though Turkey agreed to head there first and check on him, and Japan, whom China noted was probably with Greece anyway.

France decided to join the group at Germany's house, along with Belgium's brothers, despite expressing concern over leaving his 'petit Mathieu' with the 'heathens'. The Nordics and Baltics were assigned to meet at Finland's place, while Russia's sisters would meet him at Arthur's. All of China's siblings would go to his place, and Turkey also decided to bring Greece and Japan there if he found them.

"Well, I think that's the last of them." Ivan said, hanging up his phone. "Spain said that he will join us here as well."

"He's probably worried about Romano." America pointed out. Just as the words left his mouth, the front doorbell rang, which he ran to answer.

"If I were one of them, you'd be dead now, moron." Belarus snapped, shrugging a duffel bag, likely filled with knives, higher onto her shoulder.

"Well I'm the hero! And heroes can't be-"

"Whatever." She muttered, brushing past him into the house. "брат! I'm here!"

Behind her, Spain shifted into view, also quick to run past the American, calling for Romano.

"Nice to see you guys too!" Alfred shouted after them, shutting, and locking the door. "Assholes." He turned to follow them, but a loud pounding made him spin back on his heel to the door.

"Why'd you go and knock so loudly? Now they probably think we're doubles too!" A familiar voice spat on the other side.

"Oh shut it, would you Z? I barely touched it."

"Says you! I bet the people living down the hill heard that!"

"Well they're more likely to hear your bloody screaming!"

"I can't believe I'm related to you sometimes!"

"Tell it to someone who cares."

Australia and New Zealand turned with a start when America swung the door open mid-bickering. "Alfred! Good to see ya mate!"

"Hey guys! I think you're the last ones here."

"Al! When you're done out there, Arthur wants to see the two of us!" America turned at the sound of his brother's voice from the sitting room, and led the way into the house.

"Make yourselves at home then. The master of the house beckons." He sighed dramatically.

England stood at his desk in the study, leafing casually through some scattered notes when the twins walked in. "I've just gotten off the phone with Japan. He's been on a plane for the past few hours, on his way here."

"Is Greece with him?"

"I'm afraid not. He said something about being approached by two strange women near Athens, and that Heracles sent him away, assuming he wouldn't die…"

"Oh no." Matthew half-whispered, dropping into a chair beside him.

"Now, now. Let us not be hasty in assuming that Greece is dead. There is hope for him yet. But that is not why I've called the both of you here. Now, Japan is already catching a cab to this house instead of going to China, seeing as he was in Heathrow before he knew about all of this. That will make eleven of us in this house."

Alfred could see exactly where the older nation was going with that point. "There are too many of us here. We'll attract the attention of every single one of them if we all stay."

"Exactly, Alfred. And I want Peter as far away from here as possible too if there's going to be a fight." The Brit sighed heavily, and turned to the scrambled mess of books lying around his desk. "But I can't leave here. If there's even the slightest chance that I can construct a portal that will send these doppelgangers back, then I have to pursue it, for all our sakes."

"Peter's here? Since when?"

"He's been keeping to himself upstairs since the meeting. I think Japan's mood after learning of Elizaveta's death rubbed off on the poor lad."

"So we ask somebody to take care of him." Canada offered. "I could take him to Baffin Island or something. Stay off the grid for a few weeks?"

"No. You stay here Mattie. I want to make sure you'reokay. And I'm sure Lovi feels the same." Alfred insisted.

"Well I won't trust that ice queen Belarus with the boy, and Spain just isn't responsible enough to deal with him. They'd both be dead before they left the house."

Canada started ticking off names of those left in the house on his hand before coming to the only one left who Arthur would agree to. "What about Z? She gets along pretty well with him… Sometimes."

England paused to consider the option. "Well… not that I don't trust her alone, but I'd prefer it if Steven went as well. The two of them could certainly keep Peter, and each other safe."

"It's decided then!" America declared.

"I suppose so… Who wants to tell them?"

"No it!" Both twins shouted in unison, making England roll his eyes in exasperation.

"Neither one of you ever grew up, really. I'll go tell them."

"We only do it because you're so much of a softie that you let us get away with it." Matthew pointed out, though not without grinning cheekily.

Arthur walked back into the sitting room, where the two, now-appointed guardians were already starting another spat. "Zoë, Steven! I want the two of you to take your younger brother somewhere to hide for a few weeks."

"What?!" New Zealand shrieked, launching to her feet. "A few weeks with that brat prattling on about technicalities, and this ass on my case? No thank you Arthur!"

"I second that." Australia added.

"This is really not the time for you two to get childish. You're the only ones I trust with this."

"Don't start on that again. What you really mean is we're the only ones you think you can dump this on."

"This is not a matter of what makes you the most comfortable! It's about doing what's best for this family, and at the moment, that is taking Peter into hiding until this whole mess blows over!"

New Zealand huffed, and flopped back onto the couch with her arms crossed. But she nodded all the same. "Fine, I'll look after Pete. But I'll leave him behind if he starts whining!"

"No you won't Z!" Steven laughed. "You're a right softie with the kid!"

His sister glared back at him icily, about to pounce again. "I said I'd take Pete. Not this slime."

"Oh for heaven's sake, this will never work out with you two fighting all the time."

"Perhaps, then I should go with them?"

Most of the room's occupants jumped at the sound of Japan's voice in the doorway. And all would vehemently deny such a reaction afterwards. All except for America's tactfully-placed-as-always, 'Dude! You scared the shit outta me!'

"How the hell did you get in?" Z howled, hands still not moving from their defensive position.

"So sorry. The door was unlocked, and I thought it best to stay outside as little as possible, given our circumstances."

England took the opportunity to round on America, who quickly pointed to New Zealand, who had already pointed at Australia, who missed only a beat before pointing straight back at his sister.

"Oh never mind. Just go and collect Peter. Tell him to pack lightly. That means the barest necessities, and one action figure, but only if he's being a complete brat about it. And Alfred, call them a cab." England huffed.

"You got it."

As Z disappeared up the stairs, the attention flickered once more to Japan. "Children, the lot of them. Honestly, Japan, if it's not too much of a bother, going with them might be for the best."

"I would be honoured to protect them."

"Do you remember the emergency radio frequency, Steven?"

Australia, who still looked a bit disgruntled, nodded. "You've used the bloody thing for ages. Of course I remember it."

"Alright already, don't get in a tizzy over it."

"Relax, both of you." Alfred interjected. "It's already 'old-married-couple-ish' enough in here. You've got company dude." He added, pointing to Russia and Belarus. "Pretty rude."

"Oh shut up."

The heavy pounding footsteps announced the arrival of Sealand, trotting down the stairs. "Z's throwing together a bag for me. She said I'm not allowed to." He complained as soon as he was within earshot.

"Time is of the essence Peter. We cannot afford to be idle."

But still, the micro nation pouted stubbornly until New Zealand ran down the stairs, taking two or three at a time. "Well, let's be off then. I think I spotted a cab heading this way from Pete's room. They're pretty fast."

"I'll get us flight tickets on the ride there." Australia sighed, pulling out his phone. "Waste of money, that is."

"Do be careful, all of you." Arthur added, giving both nations a stiff hug. "And keep in touch."

"Don't worry about a thing!" Sealand shouted, snapping a playful salute. "I'll take care of all the bad guys with one hand tied behind my back!"

"I'm sure you will. Good luck then."

The four hurried out the door to catch the cab as it pulled out in front. "So, seven seems more manageable for a hiding place, yeah?" America asked, watching the vehicle disappear down the road.

"I hope so. Too bad an estate outside of London doesn't precisely scream 'discrete'. But it will have to do."

{}}{{}

"Feliks, please can we just go to Finland's house with the others?"

"It's, like, totally safer here." Poland insisted. "I've got guns, so the last thing we need is going out in the open."

"Two. You have two guns. Hand guns, at that. There's no telling what arsenal these doubles have! We don't stand a chance in such small numbers!"

When his friend still didn't budge, Lithuania sighed in defeat, and slouched back in the couch. Locked in Poland's house was not the way he had ever planned on dying. But even with Toris urging him to reconsider, Poland remained as stubborn as ever.

"What makes you think we're safer here?"

Feliks pressed his knees even tighter to his chest, and glared out the window. "We already know that they only want to kill their exact counterpart. More of us means, like, more of them. And that would get so totally chaotic and stuff. Plus, they'll expect us to gather."

"Fine then. We stay here. But I'm calling Ravis to let him know we're alive so he won't worry."

"NO!" He swatted the phone out of Toris' hands, a look of terror on his face. "Are you crazy?! What if they try to torture him for information about where we are? He would totally give us up in a heartbeat!"

"Stop being so paranoid! He'd never do something like that!"

"You don't know that!"

Before Toris could reply, someone knocked quietly on the front door. "I'll get it."

"Oh no you won't! It could be one of them!"

He rolled his eyes, and headed for the door anyway. "Yes of course Feliks. I'm sure that some evil doppelganger coming to kill us is just going to knock on the door."

"They might! They're crafty like that."

But when he swung the door open, it was Ukraine who stood meekly on the other side, swinging a rather heavy-looking duffel bag in one hand. "Sorry to bother you Toris. But I was just on my way to join Ivan and Natalya, and wondered if you'd like to come along."

"Safety in numbers, I suppose. I'd love to accompany you. But…"

"But?"

"It's Feliks. He won't leave. And I can't just abandon him here."

The woman smiled understandingly, and glanced behind Lithuania to see Poland. "Would you like some company? I have several guns." She indicated the bag in her hand. "And there is safety in numbers, right?"

"Absolutely. We'd love to have you stay here." As she slipped into the house, he shut the door again, making sure to lock it, as his companion was more than likely to ask him.

If Poland was annoyed that Lithuania had just invited Ukraine into his house, he didn't say it. He was too preoccupied with something outside. A lone figure in a dark hoodie, staring straight back at him from across the street.

{}}+{{}

Thanks for reading!

Translation:

Брат – Brother (Russian)