In the Jungle

Bulgaria let out a cry as he tripped over a root and fell face first in the mud. Vietnam, who had been running in front of him quickly turned back around and ran to his side.

"Are you okay? Come on. Get up! They are right behind us!" she whispered harshly as she tugged him to his feet.

Bulgaria grunted as he stood upright again. His ankle felt twisted but she was right. They couldn't stop now. "I'm fine. Let's go!" he said.

Vietnam nodded and took his hand as they continued to run through the jungle. The sound of stomping boots and gruff voices followed them and soon they were in front of them as well.

Vietnam gritted her teeth. She hasn't had to think so quickly on feet in so many years. She took a deep breath and calmed down to think about the situation.

'Okay. The enemy or who I assume is the enemy is in front of us and behind us and is moving in quickly. From what I was able to see of them before we both ran into the jungle, they have guns and we have no weapons. Bulgaria has a busted ankle now and there is no way we can outrun them,' she thought.

Vietnam quickly looked around them and spotted a small den that could fit both Bulgaria and her. "This way!" she whispered as she pulled Bulgaria to the cave. Once she got him inside she quickly dashed out again and began to grab some of the dead foliage that was on the ground and erased their tracks.

Running back to the den, she began to use the dead leaves and and branches to block the entrance. As soon as she had finished and had also hidden herself inside, the men chasing them had arrived to where they were standing just minutes before.

"Oi. Where did they go to?" said one of the men.

"I could have sworn I saw them right here."

"They aren't human you know. Maybe they have special powers?"

"Grr. Special powers or not, spread out and find them! We mustn't let them escape!" said another. The men grunted in agreement and ran off in different directions.

Vietnam and Bulgaria let out the breath they didn't know they were holding.

"So, how long do you think we have to wait until we can move from here?" asked Bulgaria.

"Let's wait thirty minutes, then we will make a mad run to the bunker where everyone else is having the meeting. We need to warn them that somebody found out about it and is coming to get us!"

The Meeting

Germany adjusted the camera and cleared his throat. "If I may, Lithuania, I shall take control of this meeting for the moment to address what has happened. I thank you for setting up this meeting. I know that this must have been very hard to do."

"It was no problem. Really," said Lithuania humbly and with a nervous smile before he sat down in his chair.

"Last night, the major news networks and newspapers in our respective countries were given proof our existence. We must found out how and where they got this information. There is no way that every single one of our countries had a security breach at the same time. Something else is at work here."

"Like what?" asked Norway, "You think one us of told?"

"That could be a possibility."

"But why?" asked Belgium. "What is there to gain from that?"

"Maybe recognition? They want the world to know that their country exists?" said Canada.

"If that was true, you would be the first suspect Matt," America joked.

"Y-You shut up! You know I wouldn't pull something like this!" yelled Canada angrily.

"Chill Matt. I was just joking," America nervously smiled back.

"This is not a time to joke around America!" exclaimed England. "Our people and our lives could be in grave danger!"

America dropped the smile and looked away. "You don't think I know that? I said I was sorry."

"Anyway, if it was for recognition then Taiwan, Sealand, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus would be suspects," said Austria.

" And Sealand is automatically cleared of suspicion since he has been with us for the past few weeks," piped in Finland and Sweden nodded in agreement.

"So could it be someone who isn't here?" asked Iceland.

"That's right. Who isn't here that received one of your emails Lithuania-aru?" inquired China.

Lithuania thought for a moment before speaking, "Well, I sent emails to Tibet and Mongolia, but with Tibet, I got an email back saying that he was up in the mountains training his mind and had been for months. He is due back in Lhasa in a day or so."

"So we can cross Tibet off then," said Thailand.

"What about Mongolia?" asked Australia.

"His aide sent me an email saying that Mongolia disappeared weeks ago but told me that's normal for him to leave without telling people where he is going. He likes to wander around on the steppes or something like that," said Lithuania.

"Any word on when he would be back?"

Lithuania shook his head. "The email went on to say that he will just come back when he wants."

"So who else is missing?"

"Netherlands is vacationing somewhere," said Belgium with an exasperated look on her face. "He wouldn't tell me where just in case someone was listening in. He said he would try to get here without being seen."

"Okay then, what about Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Cameroon and Botswana and the others?" asked Cuba. "Any word from them?"

"Ah well, they said would try to make it here when they could. They said they all had to find ways to escape their countries with people noticing," said Seychelles, "If they couldn't make it, I was supposed to tell them what happened."

"That just leaves Turkey, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Bulgaria who didn't reply back," said Lithuania.

"So, like, should they be considered suspects or what?" asked Poland.

"Suspects is a strong word," said Spain, "I think we should wait until they reply before jumping to conclusions about them."

"Spain is right," said France. "They could just be unable to check their emails."

"They still should have found a way to contact us," said Russia.

"What motive would those four have anyway?" asked Ukraine. "They would have no reason to out all of us."

"Taiwan might have one since she wanted to be independent from me for years-aru," China said softly.

"But China," started South Korea, "I don't think she would ever resort to-"

"Everybody stop," interrupted Norway. "Do any of you hear that?"

The nations who were in the room and the ones on the screens fell silent and listened.

It was footsteps. Two pairs of footsteps were quickly running down the corridor to where the room was.

Denmark and Cuba, who were closest to the door, quickly stood up and stood in front of the door with chairs in their hands. The nations on the computers got posed to cut off their computers and Estonia was ready to cut the feed. The ones at the table slowly started to stand up so they could join the fight as well.

The footsteps got louder and closer. Denmark and Cuba got posed and ready to fight who ever came through that door.

The door flew open and two figures burst in and fell on the floor. Cuba and Denmark raised the chairs and were about to bring them down on the two intruders until they noticed who they were.

"Vietnam and Bulgaria?" they all said in unison. The pair looked worse for wear. They were covered in dirt and scratches and mud and leaves were caked in their hair.

Both nations sat up and tried to catch their breath. Norway handed them bottles of water.

"Like, what happened to you two?" asked Poland.

"W-We a-all need to get out of here!" said Vietnam breathlessly.

"What?" asked Lithuania. "What do you mean?"

"Men...Men in the jungle!" gasped Bulgaria. "They chased us-wheeze-They somehow knew about this meeting!"

"We both thought we lost them but they found us! We might have 10 minutes at the most."

"WHAT?!" everyone collectively yelled.

As soon as they said that, there was a distant but loud boom from the corridor. The nations in the room looked down the corridor.

"That's them! They're coming!" Bulgaria cried out in fear and scrambled to his feet, forgetting that his ankle was twisted and he collapsed back onto the ground in pain. Vietnam quickly got him back up to his feet and moved him away from the door.

France quickly slammed the door shut while Norway, Lithuania, and Poland flipped the conference table over and with Denmark's and Cuba's help pushed it against the door. They started to pile the chairs against the door as well.

"This barricade isn't going to hold them for long once they get here," said Denmark with a grimace, "We need to get out of here before they get here." Lithuania nodded in agreement and looked back at the monitors.

"America! Is there another way out of this room?" he asked.

America snapped to attention and put on a serious look. "Yes there is. Behind you and to your left there is a secret panel on the wall. Pound on it five times and it should open."

"Okay!" Lithuania went to go open the door.

"Estonia," America started, "I'm going to need you destroy these computers. I can't have anyone access the sensitive information on them. So I am going to tell you how to do it."

Estonia quickly sat down in the chair and started typing while America spoke to him.

While this was going on, Belarus muttered something which made Ukraine cry out, "Sister! What's going on?! Tell me!" But before she could get an answer, the screen which showed Belarus fizzled out.

"Sister!"

"It seems there has been a breach and they might know where all of our current locations are," said Austria. "We must all log off and contact each other when it is safe."

"Agreed," said Iceland.

"Of course," said Finland and Sweden in unison.

"Yes," said Seychelles, "And Egypt and I will try to contact the others and tell them this."

Egypt nodded.

"Ciao, everyone," said Romano.

The screens began to fizzle out one by one as the nations logged off.

The Hong Kong remembered something. "Wait everyone! Someone broke into my home and stole the locations of-" but his screen fizzled out before he could finish.

Then the sound of many heavy footsteps echoed on the other side of the barricaded door.

"Please tell me you are almost done Estonia!" asked Cuba.

Estonia began to type faster. "Almost...There! I'm done!" He pressed one final button and quickly backed away as the computer began to fizzle and pop. Smoke began to come out.

"And, like, that is our cue to go!" cried out Poland as he pushed Lithuania through the secret door.

The other nations quickly went through the door as well and it slammed and locked shut behind them.

France looked around and saw that they were in a dark and rock tunnel.

"Are there no lights in this tunnel?" he said as he felt along the wall and walked. The others walked behind him.

"It seems like it," said Norway, "Let me try something."

He began to whisper something and then a bright green light appeared in front of them and illuminated the passageway.

"There. That's better, isn't it?"

"Much better. Thank you Norway," said Vietnam as she shifted Bulgaria's weight.

Cuba noticed this and said, "Here, let me help." He put an arm around Bulgaria and took him off of her shoulders. "You've been helping him all this time. You must be tired."

Vietnam let out a weary sigh. "Yes I am."

"I'm sorry for being a burden on you Vietnam," Bulgaria said softly. He looked down in shame.

"No! You weren't a burden at all! It's just been a long day."

"It's been a long few days for all of us," said Estonia. "I wish I could just go home and sleep until this whole thing blows over."

"If it ever does blow over," retorted Denmark. He ran a hand through his hair. "Man, this was supposed to be my day off to fish and relax."

They all fell silent after this and kept walking down the tunnel. After about thirty minutes of walking, the tunnel shook with an explosion. The group of nations looked behind them in shock.

"Either that was the computer exploding or it is whoever is chasing us," said Lithuania.

"Well, America didn't tell me that the computer would explode," said Estonia. "So it must be..."

Estonia trailed off and the others looked at each other in anxiety.

'Who are those people? Why are they after us and who do they work for?' Lithuania thought to himself.

"I think it may be time for us to walk a little quicker, non?" France said with fear in his voice.

The other nations nodded and quickened their pace to almost a run.

"Do any of you know where this thing ends?" asked Bulgaria.

"No. But it totally doesn't really matter right now," said Poland as he practically sprinted. "As long as it like gets us away from them, I don't care!"

"I smell salt water," said Cuba. "We must be near the ocean."

Denmark pointed ahead. "I see daylight!"

Up ahead and around a bend, there was light shining on the tunnel wall. The nations hurried around the bend to see...

An empty grotto.

There was nothing in the grotto except a few wooden boxes and some things covered in tarp.