Chapter 14

Young Ludwig screamed in pain, grabbing his leg, trying to stop the bleeding.

Gilbert ran out of the house to him. "What happened?" He could clearly see the bone through his little brother's skin. He touched it, causing another scream.

The pipe crashed against Latvia's back. Another scream.

"I was trying… to climb that tree…" Ludwig pointed a bloody finger towards it, shaking, crying.

Again. Another scream.

Gilbert looked up at the tree where a branch had broken towards the top. He looked back at his brother's leg. "Stop crying, be brave. We'll get this fixed up…" He looked back at the bone. "We're going to have to go to the hospital, but-" He tried to touch his brother's leg again, and Ludwig pulled away, crying in pain.

Again. Another scream.

"It's going to be all right. Big Brother's got you." Gilbert whispered as he lifted Ludwig up in his arms, trying to brace the broken leg, carrying him to the care.

Again. Another scream.

"Sh, sh, don't cry. I've got you." He kissed Ludwig's forehead as he set him in the car, laying down, as the boy gripped his legs, still crying, still screaming in pain.

Latvia screamed again, looking up at Russia, crying, begging him to stop.

Prussia looked away, trying to block out the sound. He looked up at Lithuania, who stood, eyes closed and hands clenched into fists, by the door. Their eyes met for a moment before Lithuania looked away.

"Stop…" Prussia whispered, wincing as he heard another cry from Latvia, "Please… please stop…" Another scream. "RUSSIA! Stop!" He looked up at Russia, trying not to let his eyes drift to Latvia's bleeding back. "Please…"

"So, you're ready to join me then?"

Prussia looked down, "You're killing my people… you can't… you can't really think I'm going to just…" Another strike against Latvia's ribs.

"Stop." Lithuania's voice broke Prussia's silence.

Prussia looked up at him as Lithuania took another step towards Russia.

"Let him go." Lithuania nodded to Latvia. "You and I both know he can't take as much as I can."

"You're volunteering to take his place?" Russia was surprised, amused even.

Lithuania nodded, looking back down at Latvia, who was shaking his head.

"No, Toris… don't…" Latvia's voice was choked with tears.

Lithuania looked up at Russia, his eyes flashing with rage, enough to even surprise Russia. "You really want to have fun? You really want to show Gil what you can do?" Lithuania stared into Russia's face.

Prussia watched, shocked. "Liet-"

"Shut up, Gil." Lithuania snapped without looking back at him.

There was silence as Russia studied Lithuania's face. He smiled. He nodded to Latvia.

Lithuania ran to the little blond and untied him. He put his hand on Latvia's cheek, "Go upstairs to Estonia and Hungary. They'll take care of you. Go. Now."

Latvia shook with pain, standing slowly. He grabbed his coat and ran out the door, glancing back at Lithuania, who had already turned to Russia.

Russia sighed, "I can't go easy on you, Myshka…"

"Then don't."

"This isn't yours to take," Russia shook his head.

"I don't care." Lithuania set his jaw, starting into Russia's face.

"I didn't think you had any fight left." Russia's voice grew cold.

Lithuania said nothing, looking back down at Prussia, almost angry at him.

Prussia looked down. He couldn't let Russia kill his people. He couldn't agree to that, or to communism. He couldn't do it. But he couldn't let Russia hurt Lithuania either. He bit back any words he wanted to say as Russia forced Lithuania to his knees, his back to Prussia. He watched as Russia grabbed the back of his shirt. Prussia shuddered.

Lithuania closed his eyes as Russia ripped off his shirt, pushing him forward so Prussia could see in the light. He didn't struggle.

Prussia stared, unable to take his eyes off Lithuania's back. It was covered in deep, ragged, angry scars. They were red and raised, pulling across his skin where they'd been stitched or left open. They stretched across his shoulders and ribs. Deep, jagged marks from Russia's pipe, and long, clean, precise strokes from a whip. He saw Lithuania was shaking, breathing hard, but he wasn't scared, he was angry.

"There," Russia nodded to Lithuania's back, "That's what happens when you don't obey me."

Prussia shook his head, furious, "Are you proud of that?" He still stared at Lithuania's back, unable to look away.

"Nyet." Russia shook his head, "Don't think I enjoyed a second of it. I hated it. All of it. But he deserved every mark, isn't that right, Myshka?"

Lithuania nodded, "Yes." He held back tears. He was too angry to cry.

Prussia looked up at Russia, "What are you?"

Russia sighed, "I don't like to hurt you. I'm trying to help you, both of you, understand that this is the best way. Please, Prussia, just agree to what the Soviet Union says, agree to communism, and I don't need to add any more scars," he motioned towards Lithuania's back.

Prussia closed his eyes, trying to force himself to answer. His thoughts were cut off as he heard metal crash against skin.

Lithuania didn't make a sound, only winced.

Prussia looked away again.

"Watch," Russia ordered, pulling his head up by his hair, leaving Latvia's blood dripping down the side of Russia's face. He let his pipe strike Lithuania's back again.

Prussia tried to force himself to watch, his mind swirling. He couldn't kill his own people, he couldn't. He couldn't join Russia and agree to be a communist. What about West?

Another strike. Still, Lithuania didn't make a sound, but Prussia could hear his breathing growing harder.

Prussia's chest burned, the feeling of bullets tearing through him. He couldn't breathe. It was another child, from the same family as earlier. They couldn't make it. They weren't going to make it. He couldn't do this to them. He couldn't. He had enough blood on his hands, no more… he couldn't be responsible for any more death. He looked back at Lithuania. So much blood. He winced as another blow struck Lithuania's ribs, this time hearing a soft grunt of pain from the dark-haired country.

"Russia…" Prussia shook his head, whispering the word.

"Are you ready to listen to me, GDR?" Russia paused, dropping his pipe for a moment.

Prussia bit back tears and shook his head. "I can't… I can't… please… please stop… do whatever you want to me, just please…"

"As you said, you didn't learn when I hurt you…" Russia smiled, seeing his tears, "But I think you will learn this way, da?" He took a hard swing at Lithuania's back.

Lithuania screamed, falling forward, shaking with pain. The pipe left a deep gash, hot blood dripped down his back. He felt lightheaded, pain tearing through his body. He breathed hard, gasping.

Prussia tried to block out the sound, looking away, eyes closed. Russia pulled his head up again.

"I said, 'watch'."

Prussia looked up at Russia, "Please…"

"You're the only one who can make this stop, GDR. Anytime you'd like. It wouldn't be hard, would it?" He struck Lithuania's back again, drawing another shriek of pain.

"How could not know what your boss was doing? How could you just look away? Why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you do anything? Do you know how many people's deaths you and your brother are responsible for?" Hungary was crying, her voice angry.

Another cry of pain.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!" Poland screamed, begging, crying. "PLEASE! STOP!" He sobbed, wrapping his arms around his head in self-protection.

Another scream.

"I take care of what is mine," Russia smiled.
"I'm not your little bird!"
"Don't you like your cage?"
"You're killing my people!"
"They're my people. You belong to me."

Prussia tried to fight tears as Lithuania screamed in pain again, falling forward, trying to hold himself up.

"He was my best friend when we were kids, I would have done anything… anything to keep him safe, and when he needed me…" "You couldn't have protected him…" Gil shook his head. It was painful to say out loud. Torus turned to him again, "You would know, wouldn't you?"

Another strike. Another scream. More blood.

"I own you, Ptitska."
"I am not your bird!"

Another scream.

"I choose the hard way"

"Then I will have to break your wings…"

Prussia looked up, his throughs interrupted by another cry of pain from Lithuania. He looked at the dark-haired country. His arms were shaking with pain, and Prussia could see he was having trouble staying conscious. He winced as Russia grabbed Lithuania's hair, turning him so Prussia could see his face. His mouth dripped with blood.

Prussia looked away, hearing Lithuania cough, more blood falling from his lips. He couldn't betray his people. He couldn't.

"Russia…" he whispered. "Please… please stop…" He looked up at Russia, pleading. He wasn't above begging, not now.

"So, GDR," Russia was out of breath, "Have you learned your lesson?" He still held Lithuania's hair, pulling his head up.

Prussia closed his eyes, looking down, fighting tears. "I…" He couldn't say it. He couldn't. "Ja." He set his jaw, tears spilling over his cheeks. He saw Lithuania close his eyes, though whether it was relief of disappointment he wasn't sure. He looked up at Russia, "I'll do it. I'll do whatever you want. Please… please stop…" He looked down again, closing his eyes, "Please...stop…"

Russia smiled, letting go of Lithuania's hair and turning to Prussia's bound wrists, untying them. He looked down at Prussia, completely calm, all traces of rage gone. "I'll be waiting upstairs to you, Ptitska. Bring Lithuania, Estonia and I will be waiting for him.

Prussia nodded, watching him leave. He ran to Lithuania as soon as the door closed behind Russia.

"Liet?" He touched his face, holding his head up, "Liet are you all right?"

Lithuania nodded, falling forward, unable to hold himself up anymore.

Prussia caught him, "I'll carry you…" He bit his lip, "Are you angry with me?"

Lithuania didn't answer his question. He opened his eyes, looking up into Prussia's face. "Welcome to the Soviet Union, GDR." He whispered, almost sarcastically.

"Liet…?" He saw the country wince in pain, struggling not to cry out again.

"Knock me out?" Lithuania looked up at him, pleading.

"Are you sure?"

Lithuania nodded. "Please…"

Prussia searched for and found, the pulse in Lithuania's neck. He pressed hard, closing it off until he felt the country's body go limp. He struggled to lift him, his own arm throbbing with pain, and still bleeding. He practically dragged him out of the door and looked up the stairs. He needed help.

"Belarus?" He called, hoping she would be in the kitchen. If she was, she just might hear him, "Natalya, please!" He called up to her. He saw the door open, slowly, and her blond hair peek out.

She screamed, running down the stairs, kneeling beside Lithuania. She touched his face. "Toris…" She whispered, looking up at Prussia, "What did you do?"

"I fought your brother and-"

She slapped him. He said nothing. He felt like he deserved it.

"Help me carry him upstairs?" Prussia whispered, keeping his head down.

She nodded, helping him lift Lithuania.

Together they carried him up the stairs, and towards his room. Estonia and Russia were already waiting for them. Russia seemed surprised to see his sister. They laid Lithuania on the bed, and Estonia pushed Prussia away without a word. He stepped back, watching as they both started cleaning the blood off Lithuania's back and sides. He stepped outside of the door, leaning against the wall. Belarus followed him. She stopped in front of him, looking down. She grabbed his arm, and pulled him away from Lithuania's door, into the corner of the hallway.

"Why did you call me to come and help?" She put her knife, which she seemed to pull from nowhere, to his neck, pressing him against the wall, her arm against his chest.

"I…" He wasn't sure how to answer her.

She pushed the knife closer into his neck, "How long?"

"How long… what?" He asked.

"How long have you known?" She glared at him.

"A few days," he confessed, trying to push her knife away from him.

She stopped, and closed her eyes for a moment, sighing, "You caught us dancing… didn't you?"

"Well, technically you refused to dance with him… so…" Prussia shrugged as Belarus pulled her knife away from his neck.

"Tell no one. Ever. If you do, I'll kill you myself, over and over, and over again, until you actually die. It may be hard to kill a country, but I know how."

He nodded. He believed her. "So you love him?"

She nodded back, with a sigh, "Yes… For a long time… I still do." She didn't know why she told him. "Don't. Tell. Anyone. Especially my brother!"

"I won't. I promise."

"Good," she nodded again, then looked down at his arm, wrapped in a blood-soaked tee shirt. "You need medical attention too."

"I can wait…" He looked towards Lithuania's door.

"I'll do it."

"Um… I'm not sure I… uh…"

She sighed, "Who do you think bandages Liet? Not Estonia. He doesn't want him to know about the scars. I suppose that'll change now…" She sighed.

"You did?"

She nodded, "Yes. Now, come with me, I'll take care of your arm."

He followed her, wincing as he heard another cry of pain from Lithuania's room.

A/N: So, as is historically accurate, Prussia has given up. He's become GDR. He's agreed to become Communist. We'll see how this goes, won't we?

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