Author's note: Yo, Hetalians!

... Nothing to say, really.

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Two: Resist

"Vh..." Germany said, eyes wide. "Vha..." Suddenly, anger erupted from within him. "Vhat is ze meaning of zis?"

"I-Itary, I don't sink I understand..." Japan said slowly.

"Didn't you hear me, dudes?" America asked, confused. "I said he's joined the Allies now! Which means you should surrender and stuff!"

"Quite," Britain agreed.

"Den victory will be ours!" China said.

"And we can stop ze fighting and proceed wiz ze loving, non?" France said.

"And the conquering," Russia added.

"Nein!" Germany yelled. "I vant Italy to tell me! Ze rest of you be qviet!"

"Alright, alright, yeesh..." America replied. He shoved Italy forwards. "Alright, shrimpy, tell 'em."

Italy stumbled for a few moments before righting himself. He fidgeted nervously.

"Um, well, you see, Germany..." he replied.

Germany folded his arms. "I'm vaiting!" he yelled.

"Well, they offered-a me world peace by saying we could all be friends if we stopped fighting! Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be friends? Plus, they gave me a lot of free food. China's seafood-a pasta was especially nice."

Germany looked at him in disbelief. "... Tell me I'm not hearing zis..."

"I'd rike to, berieve me..." Japan replied.

"I want us all to be friends!" Italy said. "I mean, I know America's kind of loud..."

"Hey!" America said with a pout.

"And Britain's kind of weird..."

"I say!" Britain yelled angrily.

"And Big Brother France is kind of creepy..."

"Mon dieu!" France cried with puppy dog eyes.

"And Russia's kind of scary..."

"What was that?" Russia asked with a strained smile.

"And China's kind of-"

"Alright, dat quite enough..." China said.

"But they're pretty cool guys really! And I want to be their friend! In fact, I want us all to be their friends! Then we don't have to fight each other and we can have-a many more bon dances! Don't you like bon dances, Japan?"

"Werru..." Japan replied, "hai, but..."

"Then join me on this side! Then there won't have to be any sides anymore!"

Germany stared at him. After a moment, he exchanged a glance with Japan. The Asian looked just as lost and confused as he felt. He looked back at the Allies. America was bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking very excited. Britain, France and China were wearing smirks and Russia was smiling pleasantly.

After another few moments, he felt rage boil from deep within him.

His eyebrow twitched. "So, zis is how it's going to be, is it?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"You're abandoning us. After all ve've been zrough togezer as a team... you're villing to svitch sides... just like zat."

"No, no! Well, I mean, technically, yes... but-"

"Just to end ze var ve've fought so hard for? Ze var ve've vorked so hard to vin?"

"Well..."

"Zis is not a game, Italy!"

Italy winced. Even the other Allies faltered slightly. "But..."

"Hai," Japan said, "I must agree wis Germany. We worked very hard to get sis far. Surrendering now would be unforgivaburu."

"Come on, guys!" Italy flailed his arms, then walked forward a few steps. He stopped in front of Germany, who glared down at him, his arms still folded. "We're friends, right?"

"Vell, I zought ve vere..." Germany replied.

"Right! And friends always stick together!" He pulled Germany's hand out of its folded position and tugged on it. "Right, Germany?"

"... Ja... zey do."

After a few more moments of glaring at him, he slapped Italy's hand away.

Italy looked up at him like a wounded puppy. "G... Germany?"

"But it seems you forgot zis vhen you betrayed ze Axis."

Italy recoiled in horror. "Be... betrayed?"

"Ja. Betrayed. I zought I could rely on you... I zought I could trust you... I..." He couldn't continue. "Tsk." He turned away. "Ve're done here." He began storming off.

"Wait! Germany!" He heard Italy running after him.

He stopped, but didn't turn around. "Don't you dare follow me!" The footsteps stopped. "Like I said, ve're done here. Have fun being von of ze Allies..."

"Germany..."

"Hai," Japan agreed. "As Germany said, we are done here."

He began walking away. When he caught up to Germany, the two of them left together.

"No... No! Germany! Japan! Wait!"

Neither of them waited.

Italy stared at the place his friends had been just a moment ago, tears pooling in his eyes. After a moment, he felt himself grow faint.

"Oh, steady yourself zere, mon ami," France said before a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders.

"... Aww, man..." America said, "I thought for sure that would work..."

"I told you," Britain said. "Bloody stubborn gits."

"You no kidding..." China agreed.

"Aww..." Russia said, "no conquering today..."

"They hate-a me now!" Italy wailed. "Japan and Germany hate me!"

"Non non," France replied, "zey are just a little pissed off wiz you is all. Zey will come around, I'm sure."

"Noooo, they hate-a me and we'll never be friends again!"

"... Well, now what are we supposed to do?" America asked.

"Prepared a Plan B, I see..." Britain said sarcastically.

"Per'aps little Italy should take a break for now..." France said.

"Aiyaa... dis so troublesome..." China said.

"You should lock them in the basement 'til they surrender," Russia said. "If it was me and the Baltic nations, that is what I be doing."

"Alright, listen up," Britain said. "If we want this plan to work, we'll have to extend it a bit."

"I'm listening, my bro..." America replied.

"Step three of the master plan..."

Italy knocked frantically on Germany's door. "Germany!" he cried. "Germany! Come on, open up, Germany!"

It was a full five minutes before the door swung open. A very tall and very muscular German was glaring down at him.

"Vhat did I tell you about following me, Italy?" he asked.

"I know, but we're friends! Please don't hate-a me, Germany! I mean, I know I switched sides and really upset you, and I guess that was kinda warranted, but we're friends, right?"

"Nein! Ve are not friends!"

Italy faltered. "We... we're not?"

Germany looked away. "Nein. Ve are not."

"But... but... what about our alliance? Our pact? We pinky-swore the Pact of Steel! Remember?"

Germany pulled a face. "Ja, I remember..."

"And remember? You wanted to call it the Pact of Blood... but then I said..." He flailed his arms around. "'Wah, but Germany, that sounds too scary! Can't-a we call it something else?'" He stopped flailing his arms. "And then you said 'Okay, fine' and then we called it the Pact of Steel!"

Germany was silent for a minute, staring off into the distance.

"And Germany? You said you'd be my best friend forever..." He held out his pinky finger. "Right?"

After a moment, Germany looked at him. He held the gaze for a while.

Eventually, he grunted and turned away, facing the door. "You made your choice, Italy... you picked your side... Ve can't be friends anymore."

Italy felt his eyes water again. "What?" He lunged forward and grabbed Germany's arm. "No! Germany!"

Germany spun around, pointing a gun at his head. Italy froze.

"As I said, stay avay from me. Bumping into each ozer at vorld meetings is fine, but if you come near me anyvhere else, you vill be treated as mein enemy."

The gun shook slightly, but he held it firm.

"G... Germany..."

The gun lowered. Germany turned away again. He chuckled dryly. "Hey, at least now you von't have to attend training anymore. You alvays hated it, anyvay."

He walked inside and slammed the door.

"Germany..."

Italy knocked solemnly on Japan's door. After only a minute or so, the door slid open. The moment Japan saw him, he wordlessly slid the door shut again.

"Come on, Japan!" Italy cried, banging his fist on the door. "We're friends!"

"... I am sorry, Itary..." Japan replied, "but you have chosen your side."

"Germany said-a the same thing! I don't get it! Why can't we just stop-a the fighting and all be friends?"

"You sink it is sat simpuru?"

"Well, I don't see why not! End-a the war, become friends, eat pasta, take siestas and have bon dances together!"

"... You are such a fooru..."

"I don't understaaaand!"

"... Sat's the probrem. You never do."

"What?"

"Now, prease reave."

"But Japan!" The door suddenly slid open and a blade was at his throat in seconds. "Yipe!"

"... Prease reave."

Italy felt himself shaking. "O... Okay..." His eyes were starting to water again.

"It didn't work?" America asked, incredulous.

"Blast..." Britain said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"It seem like our master plan not so masterful after all..." China said.

"What great pity..." Russia said, looking unhappy for once.

"Mon dieu..." France said, "we knew zey were stubborn, but... zis is beyond ridiculous, non?"

"Germany and Japan aren't my friends anymore..." Italy whined, rocking back and forth on his chair. "Germany and Japan aren't my friends anymore..."

"Cheer up, old chap..." Britain said.

"Yeah, dude!" America added. "I mean, it looks like we're stuck with you now, so we all might as well get used to it! Yeah, it's a total bummer that our master plan didn't work, but hey!"

"It not like we can just throw you back, anyway," China said.

"Yeah, they not take you back anymore," Russia added, smiling again.

Italy wailed in dismay.

Italy ran into his house, flailing his arms. "Romano!" he cried. "Fratello! Oh, it's terrible!"

Romano turned the corner, looking irritated. "Oy, oy..." he grumbled, "what's-a with all the yelling, ah?"

"I-joined-a-the-Allies-because-they-offered-me-food-and-world-a-peace-but-mainly-food-but-then-Germany-and-Japan-got-really-pissed-off-at-me-and-threatened-me-with-weapons-until-I-left-them-alone-and-now-they're-not-a-my-friends-anymore!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Romano smacked him on the back of the head. "Slow down, ya bastard!"

"Sorry..."

"Now, try again."

"Okay..." Italy took a deep breath. "I joined-a the Allies... and now Germany and Japan hate me..."

Romano stared at him. After a few moments, he laughed. "Wow... I never thought I'd-a be saying this..." He slapped a hand on Italy's shoulder. "But I'm so proud of you, Veneziano!"

"Huh?"

"You finally grew some balls and left that potato-loving bastard! I never thought-a you had it in you!"

"But Germany's my friend! And so is Japan!"

"Apparently not, if you were willing to turn-a your back on them!"

"But Romano-!"

"You're better off on-a the winning side, fratello. Besides, wasn't it the German bastard who started this war in the first place?"

"Well, si, but..."

"You did good. For the first time in-a your miserable life, you did good."

"G... Grazie, but..."

"Why did-a you become that bastard's ally anyway, ah? That's something I never really understood."

"Because I never-a had any friends before I met Germany... what with-a being a hopeless coward and everything..."

"You had-a me! And those bastards, France and Spain!"

"Si, but they weren't-a really friends." Italy paused. "And I dunno. When Germany took-a me prisoner, he took-a really good care of me! He gave-a me food and never picked on me! He treated me nicer than anyone I've ever known! Even though he's-a really strict and military... and can scare-a the crap out of me when he gets angry... he has a really big-a heart..."

Romano stared at him in surprise. "Fratello..."

Italy started wailing again. "But now I've-a ruined our friendship, all because I was-a really hungry! I knew I shouldn't have skipped-a breakfast, but I was already late-a for training and Germany had threatened me with a chainsaw if I skipped another day and oh, Romano, I screwed up! I screwed up-a really badly!"

Romano smacked him again. "Calm down, ya bastard!"

"Sorry..."

"Jeez... getting worked up over that potato-eating bastard... I really don't know what-a you see in the guy..."

"It's called-a 'friendship', fratello..."

"Tch. Maybe you need to pick better friends, ah? You always were way too soft. It's-a no wonder the other countries picked on you so much."

"They picked on you, too..."

"Si, until I started-a kicking their asses!"

"... By running and hiding?"

"Sh-Shut up!"

"And you don't have any friends, either!"

"I have-a Spain!"

"... He's-a your friend?"

"S-Si! Kind of! Maybe! Though don't-a you tell the bastard that, or I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Si, si..."

After a few moments, Romano heaved a sigh and turned around. "Don't-a let this get to you, okay, fratello? You can do better than those Axis bastards, anyway." He walked off.

Italy lowered his head and stared at the floor, saying nothing.