It was shameful, simply lame. They forced us on our knees, like we were criminals. They broke into Sweden's house, it seems they search through everything inside, as if they really believed for a second he could have had something to do with the darned movement. We were there to celebrate the New Year and we didn't even want to, we only did that so he wasn't left alone with his thoughts and try to relieve the feeling of seeing Sealand's chair empty. And in the meanwhile Russia watched. He smirked. This had nothing to do with the movement.

"Russia!"

Sweden turned his head and tried to stand up, but the soldiers didn't let him.

"Mr. Minister!"

It was him, the head of State of his house, and he was with ours. I called my prime minister and she approached me, horrified.

"Lukas! Did he do something to you?" she asked me, as if having me like that wasn't bad enough!

Sweden's boss faced Russia.

"We never authorized an intervention!"

"I've took some liberties" Russia just said.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Minister."

Just what we needed! That voice belonged to China, who walked towards us with his hands behind his back, wearing that black uniform of his, and a tiny part of his vast army behind him.

"We have to move quickly if we want to corner the terrorists."

If China had joined the party...

"Is there any problem? The kids are behaving."

Yeah. There was the third participant: America. Casual but walking with martial air. Like the cocky guy he was. And also accompanied by a small troop.

"Where are your superiors?" the Swedish prime minister asked.

"Aren't we enough for you?" America asked.

"No. I want to speak to your superiors."

"We will have to do" China shrugged.

"Do I have to take this as an act of rebellion against your bosses?" Denmark's prime minister asked.

"You can take it however you want" America replied blatantly.

"You can't just take the army of your country and..."

"Ah, don't you know?" Russia laughed. "We are the country."

"If it was for you, the politicians, we would act when there's not a freaking city left standing" America said. "Too many nations and too many people have died already. I've lost a little brother. And I'm done."

A little brother, he said...He, who cared so little about Sealand's existence!

"The movement justifies its violent actions with the excuse that we repress them when they are being pacific, and you three with your searches are proving them right!" Finland's minister said. Defying Russia's soldiers he helped our friend stand up.

"It doesn't matter what they think of us as long as..."

"Yes. I know you don't care what people think of you, America" Estonia's president replied. "But sometimes you should listen."

"Listen..."

Russia giggled and approached the lady. I saw her forcing herself to stay where she was without shying away, but I saw her cringing in front of such an imposing man, and I saw Estonia look at them with alarm, like ready to save her at the smallest gesture from Russia.

"I listened to Nikolai when he told me he was being severe for the common good, and the took my people to desperation, and with that, to revolution. When the Bolshevists took him and his family away they told me they wouldn't hurt them, and I believed them, and they killed them like dogs. Vladimir, then Iósif, told me they would bring peace, equality, everything would get better, and...do you remember, Estonia? Did you have a good time? Do you think someone had a good time? Did Ukraine have a good time while her people starved to death and had to eat each other?" Russia giggled like a child again, and I forced myself not to be intimidated by him. "Listening to others is what made me the bad guy. But it doesn't matter. I have it well assumed. If I have to be the bad guy, I want it to be for something I chose to do..."

America and China approached Russia.

"Well said, man" I thought I heard wrong. America complimenting Russia? He touched his back in a friendly way, without a knife in his hand or anything? The movement had really changed things.

"All of you have decided we were the bad guys" China stared at everyone present. "You are afraid of us. You made many people fear us...Good."

It seemed he was going to say something else, but there was a new unexpected apparition. The Triumvirate's soldiers ran to someone who approached, I didn't see who with that human mass in the way.

"Let us through, bloody hell!"

I recognized that voice. So did America, that is why he made a gesture with his hand so the soldiers dispersed.

Who was it but the man who raised him, England, along with France?

"Only that fucking Dalai Lama is missing here" I heard Denmark complain by my side.

"Are you going to start nagging, as you always do?" America asked, crossing his arms and doing that face he always does, of a brat.

"It certainly would be nice to know why our friends are surrounded by soldiers with rifles" France observed with a frown.

"We were just talking" Russia replied.

"We wanted answer, that's all; they got cocky and we had to take them down a peg. That is the reason" China said. I wanted to punch him so bad.

"I see you use the no-aggression pacts to wipe your behind when you go to the toilet" England looked at them with severity. "And the movement got to set you against the whole world."

"You're wrong" America replied. "We want to do something. That's all we've done against the world. We've broken up the American and the Oceanic branches. We're going to get those who are left before they keep killing. Whatever it takes."

"Even hurting your allies, friends and family?" England took a step forward and stood face to face with him.

"If for some reasons they don't have the balls to go get them, if they show mercy on those who have been hurting our people...Yes. And we'd rather do this in a different way, but they leave us no choice..."

"By God, Alfred, are you listening to yourself?"

"I know very well what I'm saying. My people is the most important thing for me. I'm going to free them of this threat. And if someone stands in my way..."

"In other times you wouldn't have hesitated in annihilating them without caring about who was in your way" China intervened, gazing at England.

"But now is now. I have understood that is no way to act."

"You are scared" France said. "You are terrified. And the movement is taking advantage of it."

"And what do you propose to do?" China asked. "Let them poison the minds of our people and keep killing?"

"We have to start from admitting we have our part of blame about all of this. If our people have been seduced by the ideas of the movement, it is not a matter of silencing brutally those who have taken the loudspeaker. We have to do self-criticism and talk to our citizens. Recover their trust. Then, they will get rid of it themselves by not listening to them."

"You can imprison and execute the members of the movement" England continued. "Many of them deserve it for crossing the line and defending their ideas doing harm. But you simply can't destroy ideas. That way you only reinforce the bad image you have, of oppressive imperialists. Can't you see?"

"England" China approached him. "Kazuki Ogura is here, in Europe. He was the leader of the Asian faction. He gave the order to get Sealand killed by massacring his people. Don't you want him to pay for what he did?"

There was a small pause. I couldn't see England's expression from where I was, but I could hear his voice, determined.

"He will pay for what he did. But following the rules. That is why we're here."

"We come from the Europol. We're going after them. But we're doing it right" France remarked.

"Right...I know what concept you have for 'right'" China disdainfully said. "You will put them on a trial, sentence them for hundreds of years, maybe for life, but they will find a good lawyer, or you will approve a lay of human rights, and in twenty or so, or as soon as they get sick, you will set them free. That kind of justice doesn't convince me."

A melody interrupted us. It played right by my side. It was Iceland's phone. Since it was surely someone who wanted to say happy new year to him, he let it be. But they called insistingly. Eventually he picked up the phone, despite the warnings of the soldier by his side.

"...What...?"

Iceland looked at me, then removed the phone from his ear and clicked the loudspeaker button..

"Repeat what you just said to me."

"Eh? Oh, well...Uh...I-I'm in your place, Iceland, in...okay, I don't know how to pronounce the name of this place, but we got Igor Greszczyszyn, the leader of the movement in America. And..."

"Canada?" France exclaimed, approaching.

"Wh...?" America muttered, running to come closer too.

"France? It's me, Canada! It's a bit long to explain, but we got to arrest Greszczyszyn, the fugitive member of the American section, and we have Ogura and Ughetti too! And Wafula, from Africa! They were here, holding an emergency meeting, the leaders of the continents remaining! There are still a few members around, but they got to escape! I need you to order the closure of airports and control all exits from the island before they escape!"

Iceland is so far away many don't even consider him European. Just...an island in the middle of the sea, isolated, mysterious. Something irreal. He had never had so much attention on himself. When I saw him I though he suffered stage fright. He glanced around him.

Finally he looked at me. I tried to calm him down grabbing his hand and looking at him to the eyes.

He nodded. Then he looked at both the Triumvirate and England and France.

"All together. And as if has to be done."

The determination in his voice made me prouder of him than ever.