Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine.


"You really don't have to do this," England muttered, sending a glare in America's direction.

"I do," Canada said. "Now close your eyes, it'll just take a moment."

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe you two." But rather than have the twins bitch at him all day, England closed his eyes and waited. Soon enough, a pair of soft lips pressed against his.

"You can do better than that," America scoffed from the sidelines. "Let's see some tongue."

It was really disturbing that America was enjoying this. But at least with Canada it was easy enough to just pretend it was America. His brain decided to ignore the creepy fact that they kissed alike.

"That's enough," England said, pushing Canada away. The boy's face was flushed; great. "Leave me out of this from now on."

"Well, your turn again," Canada said, turning back to his brother. "Truth or dare?"

"Nations are dying out there," England said to himself, turning away in disgust as America chose truth that time. But, he supposed, it was probably better that they occupy themselves to try and stay sane. Couldn't they occupy themselves with a less stupid game, though?

"Of the nations here," Canada said slowly, "who all have you slept with?"

Okay, England was officially tuning out. He snatched up a book he had borrowed from whoever the homeowners were and tried not to hear the list. It was kind of hard, what with Canada exclaiming over various revelations. Especially with the alarmed cry of "Seriously, Russia?"

"If you two don't stop, I'm going to take my chances outside!"

"But I want to hear Canada's list," America protested.

"Fine, just do it quietly." England focused intently on the book and tried once again to ignore them. It was almost strangely peaceful, bringing back memories of him trying to ignore them when they were playing some annoying game as colonies. Thus the afternoon passed in relative peace.


"Like, this is totally the wrong way. Oh my god, let me pick the direction."

Lithuania ran a hand through his tangled hair. They had been wandering aimlessly through the woods, running at the slightest noise, for what felt like a month. They had barely slept the previous night, too scared to even take turns watching over one another. They just kept on the move, hungry and exhausted and paranoid.

"We are not going in the wrong direction," Lithuania croaked. He needed a drink. He would have to pause for at least long enough to dig in his bag. "We can't go in the wrong direction. We don't have a destination."

"Tch." Poland crossed his arms. "You have been so much meaner since we got here."

"I'm sorry," Lithuania mumbled. "I'm just...stressed." Was Poland really wondering why he wasn't in the best of moods?

"Well hey! It'll be okay. I mean, we've survived this long running away!" Poland grinned. "It's, like, the Italy survival guide! We just keep running away until there's only one other left!"

"And then?"

"And then... I'll blow his head off!" Grinning, Poland paused. "Huh..."

"What?" Lithuania's heart leaped into his throat. "Did you hear something? We should keep moving..."

"I thought I heard something," Poland agreed. "So, like, run!" He grabbed for Lithuania's hand, and the pair took off through the trees, narrowly avoiding branches and other such obstacles. The only sound was the crunching of leaves and twigs beneath their feet, and the harsh panting of their breath. Poland nearly went down, but Lithuania hauled him to his feet and they continued on. He himself was not so lucky, tripping over a stupid log and tumbling to the ground, taking Poland down with him.

"Oww..."

"Dude, Liet, not cool, man." Poland rubbed his knee, then plucked a leaf from his hair. "Ew!"

"Oh no," Lithuania breathed.

"Nah, it's okay, I got it out." Poland held the leaf up. "See? All better now. Oh, hey, you look freaked..." Poland turned back toward the log that had tripped Lithuania and gasped. It wasn't a log at all. It was a body. "Estonia!"

"Estonia..." Lithuania repeated, crawling closer to the body. "Eduard..." His bloody hair was plastered to his head, more blood staining the grass around him. So much blood...

"Latvia, too," Poland groaned, pointing. The smaller Baltic was sprawled not far away, his head in much the same state as Estonia's. "Who did this?"

"Who else?" Lithuania breathed. "It was him. It was him!"

Poland nodded. "Well, like, with the male to female ration, it stands to reason it was a him, so-"

"It had to be Russia!" Lithuania went on, ignoring Poland, voice rising a few octaves. "He would be playing. He would use a blunt object..."

"That doesn't mean it had to be him," Poland said, eyeing Lithuania nervously.

Lithuania shook his head vigorously. "It was him! And now they're a part of him, just like he wanted!" He finally tore his eyes away from Estonia's crushed skull. Poland backed away slightly. "I don't want to be with him again..."

"We won't!" Poland said. "I told you. I'll totally shoot anyone who tries to kill us!"

"I won't let him get you, either!"

"Oh, hey, awesome." Poland backed away further. His eyes flicked down to Lithuania's hand, which was tightening around the knife that had lay in the grass near the bodies. "Yeah, if we see Russia, we'll waste his ass. Um, so, stay back, Liet, you're freaking me out..."

"He won't have Lithuania!" He gripped the knife and pounced, wrestling Poland to the ground. "He won't have Poland!"

"Get off!" Poland shrieked, shoving at Lithuania. "Oh my god, get off, he won't have me, you don't have to-" His screams cut off with a choked gasp when Lithuania dragged the knife across his throat. He opened his mouth to scream in pain as he watched the blood from his own severed arteries spray into Lithuania's face. All that came out was a weak gurgle. Eyes wide with shock, Poland went limp in the grass.

"You're safe," Lithuania murmured, tossing the knife aside. "Poland's mine. Soon they won't belong to anybody..." He took the gun from Poland's bag and pressed the muzzle to his temple. "Nobody will have us!" The gun went off, and Lithuania crumpled to the ground.


Their raft was looking good, China decided. He gave it another once-over (if it could be called a once-over after the hundredth time), and nodded his approval. Once they succeeded in removing their collars, they would be able to safely leave. He glanced over his shoulders at the rest of the group. Taiwan and Thailand were taking a nap, while Hong Kong and South Korea worked on each other's collars, along with their newest ally.

China pursed his lips as he watched the trio. He did not trust the newcomer too much. He had just wandered in, looking innocent and lost, begging to join them, looking like he was about to cry as he described the other nations shunning him, not trusting him.

And China, too, found it hard to trust him. On the other hand, was Russia that good of an actor? China watched a bit longer, at Russia peering closer at Korea's collar, lips pursed in concentration. He tentatively touched it, said something to Hong Kong, who shook his head.

It was almost... peaceful. A day at the beach. China was almost ready to join the napping pair, to stretch out in the early evening sun and fall asleep. He wandered closer to the others to see how everything was going.

"I do not think they can be removed," Russia said with a sigh, unfolding his long legs and standing. "Ah well..."

"We aren't giving up!" Korea said, folding his arms. "We're going to stay here and keep working on it."

"You do that," Russia said. "I'm going to win." He reached into his coat, and China knew he had been right. They were screwed.

Taiwan and Thailand, still peacefully asleep, had no idea what hit them. One moment they were napping, the next they had bullet holes in their heads. Korea and Hong Kong scrambled to their feet, screaming, but another couple shots from the gun sent them both tumbling to the sand. Hong Kong clutched at his leg, wailing, trying desperately to keep moving, to crawl away.

"It was a good effort," Russia said calmly as he stepped closer, kneeling down and wedging the muzzle of the gun into Hong Kong's mouth. "I'd have taken an alternate route to get out of here. But I do not think it's possible." He pulled the trigger, and China looked away. But why couldn't he run? He was frozen to the spot. The only sound now was Korea's whimpering. China didn't even see how Korea met his end. There was a solid, meaty thunk, and the whimpering came to an abrupt end.

China was the only one left. He had to get out of there! He finally forced aside the paralyzing shock, turning and running for it, adrenaline fueling him on. He had to run. But why? The others were dead! What would he do now?

There was another gunshot, behind him. Mercifully far behind, Russia wasn't closing in on him. China stumbled, burning pain searing through his shoulder. He picked himself up, and didn't stop running. He was moving on instinct alone, the images of his companion's dead bodies seared into his eyelids whenever he tried to close his eyes.

He didn't have a plan, a destination, or anything. He didn't even stop to tend to his bleeding wound. China just ran.


"Did you hear that?" Canada's eyes had grown even wider.

"We're not deaf," America mumbled. The announcement had said twenty five left. How had they dwindled so quickly? Lithuania... he had been so nice to America! And so many of the Asians... but not Japan? Had Japan been the perpetrator? Wait, that bit of logic made no sense.

"Forty to twenty five in such short time," Canada said, staring at the floor. "Are we so easily capable of killing each other?"

America stiffened. "Sometimes it can't be avoided."

"Oh!" Canada's hand flew to his mouth. "I wasn't talking about you! No, no, self-defense is understandable... But I don't think all of those murders were in self-defense."

"No. They're playing." America sniffed at the air.

"What is it?"

"I smell..." His nose wrinkled. "Oh lord. I smell food. And since you and I are both here..."

Canada grimaced. "I'll go help him." He raced off to the kitchen.

America dropped onto the couch with a groan, letting his eyes drift closed. He wasn't even especially hungry, it was probably late enough to be bedtime. And then, come noon tomorrow, they would be down to the final twenty four hours.

He shifted, reaching for the bag he knew was near his feet. There was an abrupt whumpf, and America jerked around to find a water pipe planted in the pillow he had been resting his head on seconds before. "Oh, damn..." He snatched up his bags, no time to dig in them for a weapon as Russia brought the pipe up again. "How the hell did you even get in?" America made a face. "Sneaky bastard. I'm losing my touch..."

"Seems so," Russia agreed. He swung, and America dodged again.

"As are you, though! Seriously, sneaking up on me?" America shook his head as he backed away. "Bad, Russia."

"My apologies." Russia sprang forward like a snake.

"Intruder!" America hollered, scrambling away. "Get the hell out! Now!" He heard the kitchen door (thank god for kitchen doors!) slam shut. With a grin of relief that at least those two had escaped, America turned and ran for it, flinging the front door open and tearing out. Luck continued to favor him, as he encountered England and Canada shortly and they ran together.

They didn't stop running until they were quite certain they had lost Russia (assuming he had chased after them in the first place). By then, they had no idea where they were, or what the hell they were going to do next.


"Who's there?" Hungary demanded. She felt naked making such a demand unarmed, but it had been Austria's turn to guard them so he was the only one aiming a weapon at the potential intruder. The bushes close to the entrance of their cave were rustling in a way that definitely seemed to suggest someone was causing it. "Friend or foe?" she added.

"Please..." a weak voice wheezed from the bushes, as a figure crawled out. "Please... water? I'm thirsty..."

"Who is..." Hungary peered closer, trying to make out the injured nation in the dark. "China?" She stepped closer, not fearing the poor thing in his state.

She probably should have. China spooked, and Hungary found herself facing a gun. How had he moved so quickly, weakened as he was? "Wait!" Hungary protested. "China, it's okay. We have water. And we can get you patched up. How long have you been hurt?"

"How can I trust you?" China demanded.

"Weren't you the one who came to us?" Austria said, his own gun aimed at China, who moved slightly to point his weapon back at Austria. "You're the one who pulled a gun on Hungary when she went to help you. How can we trust you?"

"We can't trust anyone!" China said, voice growing stronger. "It was a mistake trusting him, aru. You aren't like him... are you?"

"I don't know. Probably not."

They remained still, guns wavering slightly but never leaving their target. Hungary looked back and forth between the two, biting her lip. "Drop them. Both of you. We aren't enemies here."

Austria flicked a glance toward Hungary, quickly focusing his gaze back toward China, and the barrel of China's gun. "Yes. Of course." He slowly lowered his own gun. They both did. Sort of. They clearly did not trust each other, hesitating.

Hungary stared at them, licking her lips as sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades. Did nobody trust anybody anymore? No, of course not. Why would they? "Drop the guns. On the count of three, okay? One..."

That was as far as Hungary got. She had no idea who made the first move, what caused them both to instantly lose whatever miniscule trust they had gained, but two shots rang out. They were fired so close together as to be nearly simultaneous. Both nations went down.

With an anguished cry, Hungary rushed to Austria's side. "Hold on! Just hold on!" She rolled him over, hunting frantically for the wound in the dark, to see how bad it was. But it didn't take long to discern that he was already dead.

Hungary collapsed onto Austria's chest, shoulders shaking with her sobs. She might have stayed there all night, had she not heard another sound in the nearby bushes. Hungary temporarily pushed aside her grief, fueling herself with rage as she snatched up first their gun, then yanking the other from China's grip. Eyes narrowed, Hungary stalked off, away from their cave.


23 nations remaining