Dro: Whoa! Sorry this is a little late today compared to usual. This chapter ended up about 3k without the author notes. Don't know how that happened...anyway, enjoy! The plot starts to thicken now!

Chapter Summary: Russian bombers destroy the London base, forcing the resistance to flee to France. Once there, they receive the news about Austria, causing several breakdowns and Hungary to suggest the ultimate-and most dangerous-plan. The only plan that will definitely gain them victory: killing Russia. Meanwhile, in the original world, Arthur realizes there's a problem with his new spell.

Warnings: Um...angst? Not too intense of a chapter besides the emotions...

Disclaimer: I will never own APH (sadly).

The ground shook. Arthur stuffed as many of his belongings as he could into his bag and took off, heading for his office. A tremor nearly knocked him off his feet. He steadied himself, knowing he didn't have much time. They were getting close. He took his keys from his pocket and tried getting the right one in the lock, failing multiple times as the doorknob shook in front of him. Finally, he got the door open and rushed inside, spying all the files in his office that could cause their defeat if obtained by Russia. He couldn't get them all in time.

Having no choice, he stuffed only the immediately important things into his bag—his spell books, the files on Russia's troop movements, and their latest intelligence on Russia's spy ring—and popped open the small can of kerosene he'd brought with him. He splashed it throughout the room and backed out, tossing the can in. From his pocket, he produced a box of matches. He lit it, looking forlornly into the office that had almost been his home for a year.

He tossed the match in. The room went up in an inferno. Arthur ran. The hallways trembled with each bomb from the Russian fighters. He'd ordered everyone to head for the emergency evacuation route that led to a part of London where he'd stored arms and vehicles for an escape. He should have been the last one left in the building. He caught a whiff of the smoke from other set fires, destroying any possibility that Russia could gain something other than a basic retreat.

He rounded a corner, noticing the ceiling looked ready to collapse. Rushing by it, a massive quake sent him tumbling to the floor, his bag sliding away from him. He pushed himself up and ran to it, a grating sound catching his attention. He looked up in terror as the ceiling collapsed inward, heading straight for him. I'll never make it.

A force pushed him out the way, and he lost the grasp on his bag. He slammed to the floor and rolled over, gasping as he realized just who'd saved him. "Ludwig?"

"Come on. We need to leave." Ludwig commanded. When Arthur hadn't arrived in the escape tunnels, he'd been worried. He'd waited behind with Francis and Antonio, but Arthur had never come. He'd decided to head up back to the main level. Good thing too. Gott knows what would've become of him.

"But…" Arthur looked on in horror at the pile of ruined ceiling that covered his bag. "My spell books are in there! I need those to…" He trailed off at Ludwig's expression.

"My return isn't worth your life. Let's go." Ludwig's cold voice commanded. Arthur clenched his fists but complied. They set off in a run toward the tunnels, the sounds of the building collapsing following them. Once in the tunnels, the sounds were subdued, the blasts of exploding bombs dulled by the earth around them.

Antonio and Francis greeted them at the entrance, and the four of the ran the entire way to the safe house. Arthur noticed Francis looked particularly stricken. He'd been hiding in his room for the last few days, feeling ill apparently. Arthur had tried to cheer up. His trip to Egypt had yielded excellent results. Results that were now lost in the debris, of course. But Arthur had managed to get most of it computerized first, and his external hard drive was still on his person. Or so he hoped. He felt his jacket pockets. Good. Still there. We didn't lose everything at least.

Everyone else greeted them at the safe house, armed and ready for a fast retreat. They had tunnels extensive enough to get them close to the coast, where they had boats ready to evacuate to France. Arthur sighed, knowing he probably wouldn't see his country again for a long time. When he found out how Russia had discovered their base, he'd make sure that it would never happen again. He knew Russia's extensive spy network could be anywhere in their ranks. They probably had a rat somewhere.

He armed himself and hopped into an awaiting jeep. They took off through the tunnels, everything dead silent save for the hum of the engines. The drive seemed to take forever, and Arthur started to fidget. Francis, who was next to him, patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry. We'll all be fine, I'm sure."

"Hn…" Arthur wasn't sure of anything anymore. He hadn't been for some time now.

By the time they were on the boats, daylight fading in the distance, Arthur felt a sense of hopelessness begin to overcome him. He'd lost all his work on the parallel world spell. He'd lost his own base. He could only thank God they hadn't lost any lives. No one had seen this coming. He felt like a failure. His network of spies should've contacted him. They had so many informants…why didn't anyone see this coming? He was lost. He started wondering if he was losing it. The last few years had been so stressful, he was starting to second guess himself more often. The constant fatigue was taking its toll on him. Maybe he wasn't fit to be leading this war anymore.

He considered—not for the first time—giving up his post. He had plenty of other capable people. Antonio had shaped up in the last few years, and he was the key factor in some of their most important wins. Francis was…still Francis, but he'd become a lot more serious. He had Mathias and Abel and Berwald, who were currently working with Kiku to keep the Red Army out of Japan. They'd all lost their own countries, and it had become their prime goal to stop Russia from gaining anymore ground.

And then there was Matthew. Arthur swallowed, taking a deep breath of the cool air that had settled on the water. Matthew had changed so much. He'd been so shy before this ordeal had started back when…back when Alfred was…still there. After it had happened, he'd changed. The loss of his brother had been too much, and with Russia moving in on Canada, he'd morphed into a powerful leader. The boy Arthur had known just a few years ago was gone. A strong, determined, and serious military commander was in his place.

Matthew was back in his homeland now, fighting on a particularly nasty battlefront. He had Russia coming at him from two sides, but he'd managed to fend for himself. It helped that a large portion of the American population had fled to Canada in the wake of the nuclear strike. They had a powerful army now. It also helped that Matthew had managed to reclaim Alaska. The resources the former American state had were innumerable.

Arthur had been hoping to hear from Matthew for the past couple of weeks, but the lines had been silent. He tapped impatiently on the railing, shaking his head. Please just let things start going right. I can't take anymore tragedy.

Ludwig heaved another box of ammunition from the boat. He'd been helping them unload weaponry from the boats for the last two hours. After they were done, he'd been told, they'd be heading to the French base, which had already made preparations for them. Gilbert stood next to him, a clipboard in his hand as he checked off everything.

"You know, West, you really don't have to help us like this."

Ludwig looked up at him as he passed another crate to the man next to him. "Why wouldn't I? This is a war, bruder, and you obviously need all the help you can get."

Gilbert glanced at him with a deep frown. "This is a war for our world. You shouldn't feel obligated to be involved in it."

"I'm involved whether I like it or not, Gilbert. I'm here, and that's enough. I'm at risk of getting shot at and caught in bombings just like you. So I might as well help out if it's in my power to do so."

Gilbert shook his head. "I thought being from a parallel world meant you'd be different. But you're the same West I used to know."

Ludwig shrugged. "Parallel also means I should be similar."

"True."

An hour later they were on the road again, this time above the ground. It was already the middle of the night, and everyone was exhausted from the long trip. Gilbert was starting to nod off when they arrived at the base, and Ludwig had to shrug his bruder off his shoulder. Then they had to unload all over again. Ludwig's arms were aching by the time they were finished. He didn't want to dare attempt to count how many boxes he'd moved.

The lingering people headed inside, and Ludwig found himself thrust into the middle of an angry frenzy. He and Gilbert stared, confused, as Arthur and Francis and Gilbert and Elizaveta yelled back and forth. Elizaveta was crying, and Antonio and Francis looked read to crack any minute. Arthur seemed to be the only one holding it together, but he looked ready to drop dead from exhaustion.

"What is going on here?" Gilbert yelled over the shouting.

The room went silent. The other nations stared at him, Arthur biting his lip. "We…we just got the news in…it's…you see…Roderich…" Arthur struggled to get the words out.

"Roddy what, Arthur?" Gilbert's voice dropped to a dangerous low. Ludwig raised his eyebrows. His brother was rarely like this.

"Roderich…" Arthur started, but he couldn't finish it.

Somehow, Antonio managed to pick it up. "Roderich is dead."

Gilbert's punch hit Antonio in the cheek, sending him backward and onto the floor.

"Gilbert!" Ludwig jumped into the fray, pulling Gilbert back.

"Don't you dare say that!" Gilbert screamed. "Don't you dare!" He struggled wildly, repeating it over and over and over again. Ludwig held on tight until his bruder finally gave up and sank to his knees. Ludwig released him, worried. "Don't…don't you dare…" A sob broke from his throat.

Ludwig bent down next to him, pain flashing through his chest. Roderich had always been a good friend to him and Gilbert over the years. And now this world's Roderich…He met his brother's pained eyes and realized. More than friends. A lot more. "Bruder, you…"

"Just…just shut up!" He grabbed his hair, pulling on it. "How…how did this happen?" He screamed at the others, who looked like they really didn't want to tell him.

Antonio rubbed his sore cheek, eyes downcast. "I don't think we need to tell you. You already know, don't you?"

Gilbert's voice hitched as he tried to respond. "No…not…not like that."

Ludwig felt like he was missing something. "What're you talking about? I don't understand. How…?" He let it go, knowing his friends couldn't handle it. He couldn't handle it. The thought of Roderich…dead…wasn't something he wanted to wrap his head around.

Arthur finally got his voice back. "Sorry, Ludwig. You probably don't want to hear this, but we've pretty much grown accustomed to people dying like this. It still hurts. Every time. Of course it does." He lips turned up in a bitter smile. "But…it's a pretty frequent occurrence for the Italy brothers to kill one of us."

Ludwig felt the world drop out from under him. Feliciano had killed Roderich? "No…"

"Like I said before, Ludwig. The Italy that you know is not the one we know. Our Italy and Romano are killers. And if they have their way, we'll all be dead by their hand at the end of this war."

"I'm telling you, it's time we do it."

"We don't have the resources for that and you know it, Elizaveta!" Arthur snapped.

The woman glared at him. "We have every resource we need. You're just too scared to risk it."

"Because it's a major risk!"

"And if we actually do it?"

"Then…well...we win."

"Exactly." She huffed. "You know as well as I do that we're fighting a losing battle here. The only way we can win is by taking him out. Without him, the entire empire comes crashing to the ground."

"Um…" Ludwig stared. "What're you talking about?"

Elizaveta's tear-stained face looked down at him. "I'm talking about killing Russia."

Arthur paced back and forth. He'd finally done it, finally fixed the damned spell. He'd spent the last few days tweaking it, and then he'd tested it on another apple, which had promptly disappeared, no smoke, no explosion. He'd jumped for joy at that, realizing he'd actually done something right magic-wise. He could remedy his stupid mistake now and get Germany back where he belonged.

Then he'd realized there was a complication. He'd sent the apple to the parallel world, but he couldn't get it back. He realized he would need another person to do the spell, one on the other side. He'd have to have someone in the parallel world working the magic. Either that, or he'd have to go there himself. But that wouldn't work either. He realized this particular spell couldn't be performed on the caster because the caster acted as an anchor and point of reference, so he would have to have a another person performing the spell or he'd get stuck in the parallel world.

For him to get a second person to the perform the spell on the other side, someone from his world would have to go there and explain the spell. And there was always the off chance that the parallel world didn't have anyone adept in magic. Then the person he sent to the parallel world on purpose would get stuck there too.

Arthur collapsed in his chair. So close…and yet so far. How could he risk another person in an attempt to get Germany back? He put his face in his hands. He couldn't. It was as simple as that. He couldn't ask someone to risk their life for this. He'd failed again! And the brothers were coming back tomorrow for an update! How could he break it to them that it couldn't be done?

"What happened?"

He jumped at Alfred's voice. The younger man was still hanging around. He stood in the doorway looking concerned.

"Um, it's nothing."

"You sounded so happy earlier, so obviously something happened."

"I just realized I failed again. Back to square one. That's all. I'm disappointed."

Alfred frowned. "I fixed food. Come down for lunch?"

"Hamburgers again?"

"Nope, fish and fries! Isn't that what you guys like to eat here?"

"It's 'fish and chips,' Alfred."

"Oh…so I was wrong to cook the fries?" He pouted.

Arthur sighed. "No, Alfred. You were right."

"Okay…well, come on then!" Alfred grabbed him and pulled him up, tugging him toward the stairs. Alfred's antics usually got on his nerves, but they were a welcome reprieve from the impending disaster he'd knew he'd be facing at the next world conference. He could see the topic now.

'Let's discuss how England snuffed out Germany by sending him to a parallel world!'

He sighed. He was doomed. And so was Germany. I'm sorry, Ludwig. Please forgive me! He tried to drown his sorrows in tea, but it didn't really help. He munched on his fish, surprised that Alfred had actually cooked the meal fairly well. He noticed Alfred staring at him about halfway through his chips, a look of concern on the boy's face. He had been taking more breaks like Alfred suggested, so he wasn't quite as tired. It was just hard to keep his spirits up knowing he was such a colossal failure.

"So, what exactly happened with the spell stuff now?" Alfred ventured to ask.

Arthur sipped his tea. "I thought I had it this time. But I realized the spell I have now won't work."

"Why not?"

Arthur explained the problem of having to send another person. "The risk is too great. I'll have to try again."

"No, you won't."

"Huh?" He set his cup down. "What are you getting at?"

Alfred's expression hardened into one of sheer determination, a serious gaze that Arthur rarely saw settling over his eyes. "I'll go."

"What?" Arthur knocked his glass over.

"I said, I'll go. To the other world. Send me there."

"But...but…absolutely not! It's too dangerous! I won't risk you like that!"

"It's not your choice to make. We have to get Germany back, Arthur. That's not up for discussion. If you have a way to send me there, then do it. I'll find Germany, and I'll find someone to perform the spell there. It's a parallel world, remember? There's probably another you running around there somewhere."

"That's possible…but…" He couldn't send Alfred! What if…what if never came back?

Seeing the stricken look on Arthur's face, Alfred rounded the table and cupped the man's face, resting his forehead on Arthur's. "Don't worry about me, old man. I will come back. I'm the hero, remember?" He brushed his lips against Arthur's.

Arthur's face heated up, and he felt tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't let Alfred go like this! "And…and what if you don't come back?" He whispered.

Unwavering blue eyes met his own. "That is not an option."

Dro: D'aww! I couldn't resist throwing in some USxUK. It's just too cute! Plus, it's important in the parallel world. Anyway, this chapter has effectively set up the entire rest of the story! (With some awesome plot twists thrown in, of course.)

Next Chapter: Russia informs Italy about the other Germany, causing painful memories to resurface. Meanwhile, America arrives in the parallel world and goes in search of Germany.