A/N: Aw you guys are the best! Thanks for all the support- and happy (late) birthday, America and France!
This shit gets dark. Just saying.


Fear of a Nation
Taiwan's Session

America and Russia were in the middle of an intense staring contest when France and England burst through the door of the conference room. "Amerique! Russia! Gilbert and Hungary are coming back- Hey cut that out! We don't have time!" England, for once agreeing with France, impatiently snapped his fingers in front of the two nations' faces. They both blinked and America groaned. "He was totally gonna blink that time!" He complained. Russia shook his head with a pleasant smile. "I do not think so, America. You-"

England cut him off before they would all become distracted. "It doesn't matter! Listen! The scientists' goons were after Hungary and Prussia, but they stopped! Italy said Germany made some kind of deal." America stopped glaring at Russia to give England a startled look. "They negotiate?" Russia asked. France shrugged. "Wait, why were they going after Hungary and Prussia?" Asked a very confused America.

Five minutes and countless interruptions later, the story was relayed to America and Russia. America stood up angrily. "No way! They attacked our friends?! I won't stand for-" England put his hand on America's shoulder. "There's no point, America. They're safe now, and we don't want to give them reason to attack again." America opened his mouth to vehemently protest before reluctantly closing it. The stony look on his face, however, would not be suppressed so easily.

Someone kicked open the door.

Arthur's considerable eyebrows pulled together in confusion as he recognized the door- kicker: his brother. The Scot was scowling and pinching the cigarette between his lips with his teeth. "And who told these mainlanders that they could come to my hotel?" He snarled at the room. "Mainlan- oh." Prussia and Hungary stalked in after Scotland, looking equally dissatisfied.

"It was just until West could pick us up, I don't see what you're so pissy about," Prussia said with a roll of his eyes. One of Scotland's bright green eyes twitched and glittered- and not in a remotely happy or comical way. "You two-" he barked at them with an accusing finger pointing- "Have got targets on your backs! And I don't need that around me, not now, not ever." Hungary ground out, "They aren't coming after us anymore, Scotland." Allistor snorted derisively. "No? These people are devious, Miss Frying Pan. How do you know they won't go back on their word?" Scotland glared at them all, and his gaze came to America, France, and England, all staring at him.

"And you three! Do you want to get marked? Don't ya know they're watching you all? They don't like relationships between nations!" America's eyes popped wide open. "Relationships?!" He sputtered. "What the hell are you talking about?" Scotland snarled at him in frustration. "Keep up, stupid American! Bloody scientists don't want the nations to have relationships, and they've been watching you and Frog Face here with my brother!"

Arthur finally found his ability to speak. "Allistor, what the bloody hell are you going on about? When did Prussia and Hungary come back, and where is Germany?" His face was becoming a more alarming shade of red with each passing moment. "And what's with all these ridiculous insinuations about relationships between Cheesy Monkey, America and I?" France muttered, "Why does America get called by his name?"

Scotland briefly floundered; in his anger, he had given away more than he had wanted to. It was never his intention to tell his brothers about Milan's offer. He was pretty certain that they wouldn't see his point of view on the subject. "I overheard them talking," he said deftly, but vaguely. "Right before the testing, they were talking about the criteria for passing." Arthur nearly exploded. "And you didn't think that we would like to know those particular details?!"

Bullocks.

"You, Dylan, and Francey- Pants had already taken the test, and Sean and Connor weren't taking my calls. What was I supposed to have done?"Scotland said with a shrug. He took a quick inhale of the cigarette to calm his sudden anxiety. "I have a name," France reminded them. "Shut up, Frog," Allistor and Arthur both said in nearly perfect unison.

"Is that all you heard?" Russia butted in before France could throw a proper hissy fit. Allistor nodded gratefully. "Well, that's interesting and everything, but... What the hell were you saying earlier about a relationship between France, Iggy and I?" America asked quickly. Scotland bit the inside of his cheek before replying. "They seem to think that Arthur and Francis had a relationship at some point, and they don't like that. And they're under the impression that you two-" he nodded at America and England- "have something going on. But that's ridiculous, obviously, seeing as you and France never dated or anything."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Scotland realized that perhaps something HAD happened between his little brother and the flamboyant Frenchman. The first clue was Arthur looking at his shoes, reaching up to rub his neck agitatedly, and turning a light shade of pink. The second clue was France's poker- face. Scotland looked between the two for a moment or so before groaning, "You did, didn't you? Arthur, what the bloody hell were you thinking?" And as expected, England's embarrassment quickly turned to anger. The pink on his cheeks became red. "I was thinking that I was lonely and he was offering himself on a silver platter, so why the hell not?! Besides, it isn't as if there was any real emotional attachment at the time! It was just sex! Right, France?"

Arthur turned to Francis for some backup- and found himself shouting at empty air. The door to the conference room was hanging ajar, and a draft that smelled faintly of roses wafted in.

"France?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Taiwan's heavy breathing was loud as thunder in the total quiet of the field of dead grass. One particularly loud hiccup, and she was certain that whatever was chasing her would find her. If something was chasing her. She still wasn't sure. She finally stumbled to a stop. Her whole back and chest heaved with her lungs, and she rested her palms on her knees for support. Her legs felt like lead, heavy and dense, and her feet vaguely reminded her of the time she had stepped on a nail, except all over the soles of her feet.

Feet padded quietly behind her. She gulped back a sob. The... Thing that had been following her was here.

Every instinct screamed at her to run, just run, don't look back. Don't turn around. Run. But her feet were in pain, her legs were numb, and her mind burned with curiosity. Who, or what? She needed to know, pure and simple. So she ignored her instinct and looked. And coughed back a sob.

What she saw made no sense.

Two panels, side by side, about eight meters apart. A screen above each one, flashing the sign: "target locked". One was labeled, "China," the other was labeled, "Japan".

Nukes.

She shrieked and rushed toward the panels, ripping the hem of her kimono on the way. It was all happening so clearly in her mind's eye- Kiku, or Yao, doubled over, clutching their hearts. Screeching in pain until a vein in their neck pops. Falling, shivering, but not dying. Just agonizing, prolonged pain.

Which panel was she running to?

She would have to choose.

Six seconds.

Five seconds.

Four.

Japan's nuke was disarmed, thanks to Mei's rapid location of the abort switch.

Three seconds and six meters.

Two seconds and four meters.

One.

Cherry blossoms bathed her face, raining down from the heavens. Soft, silky petals thy caressed her skin.

And left red streaks behind that rapidly dried.

The blood from the most populous country in the world was enough to water the dead grass and bring it back to green life.

It was also enough to drown Taiwan, plug up her nostrils, congeal in her throat, and choke her until her eyes rolled back.

Payment for her sin, much like Canada's.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"She and Canada aren't so different. They both seem to believe in paying for their mistakes."

"Right. This sequence had more of a nightmarish quality to it than the others, though."

"Definitely."

"I vote that she stays."

"Seconded."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

France absently twirled the rose around in his palm, paying no heed to the twinges of pain that appeared as the thorns cut his flesh. "Seychelles, ma chèrie, why is Angleterre so mean to me?" He grumped.

She glanced at him. He looked so sad, it made her heart melt. "Maybe because you provoke him so much?" She tried an attempt to tease him and lighten the mood. France continued to sulk.

She watched him twirl the rose around for a few moments before laying a hand on his arm and taking the rose away. "Francis, please, you're making a mess of yourself." She pulled a pocket- first aid kit from nowhere and started to clean his cuts.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gilbert, Ludwig, and Elizaveta sat in the dining room with a thick air of tension hanging over them. Ludwig calmly ate his dinner (acutely aware of the other two, i might add), Gilbert toyed with the rim of his glass while glowering at Ludwig, and Elizaveta was about to crack from the pressure of it all. She was grateful that Ludwig suggested that Feliciano eat at Romano's house, because she had the feeling that this was going to get very ugly, very quickly if someone didn't say something.

Ludwig brought the last forkful of potato salad to his lips and swallowed it. He coolly asked, "Would anyone care for seconds?"

And Gilbert lost it.

"LISTEN HERE LITTLE BRUDER I RAISED YOU FROM WHEN YOU WERE TINY AND UNAWESOME SO DON'T FUCK AROUND WITH ME I KNOW WHEN SOMETHING'S UP AND SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY UP VERDAMMT! YOU OPEN YOUR GODDAMNED MOUTH AND TELL ME WHAT THE HELL YOU DID TO GET THOSE PEOPLE OFF OUR BACKS OR SO HELP ME I WILL KICK YOUR ARSCH BACK TO BERLIN WITHOUT A DROP OF BEER! WEST ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"

Ludwig calmly wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I'll assume that means you don't want seconds," he muttered. Hungary quickly closed her mouth, since it had fallen open during Prussia's rant. "Ludwig," she tried appealing to the more level- headed of the German brothers, "I think you should tell us what we missed."

Ludwig spooned more potato salad onto his plate. "Very well," he shrugged.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Brother! Russia! It's my turn next!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx


A/N: Because I can't resist teasing you guys. Follow me on tumblr? #roxannanova