Snow swirled around me and I shivered. Somehow I thought it was a bad idea now, thinking back on it, to leave without a jacket. However, I didn't care that the frigid air was cutting through me- I was burning with hatred and vengeance. The bastard would pay for messing with Alfred.

"Ivan!"

I screamed once more into the late evening air, fists clenched and fingernails digging into my palms, cutting my skin and stinging. The anger coursing through me was an intense one, one that hooked its ugly, elongated nails deep into the pit of my stomach. My mood was dark and fierce as I peered into the darkness, snow swirling around in front of me just beyond the yellow electric pools of the airport's fluorescent lights. Slowly, a silhouette came into view, scarf blowing in the wind as the person became more and more visible.

Clenching my teeth, I ground them slightly, fingernails cutting deeper and drawing blood. I was filled with hatred for the man- Alfred was and is mine, and for him to take him from me, even more so hurt him... It set me off. "Ivan."

The Russian stood, stoic, in front of me. "Arthur," he murmured in reply. "I think you have reason to be here, da?"

He tilted his head, reminding me of a dog. A sick, twisted, half-starved dog with mange. I fought the overwhelming desire to kick him (like he was one) back down to the beast growling in my core. "Let 'im go."

"No."

The simple word set me off and I flung myself at him in a tackle, a snarl falling from my chapped lips. He easily flung me aside and I growled, getting back up and lunging at him again. "Where is he? You fucking soviet bastard! Let Alfred go you sonofabitch!"

A chuckle sounded through the air at my efforts and he grabbed me, pulling me close in a painful restraint, my arms fully pinned beneath his. Flexing his arms slightly, he forced me to arch my back painfully and I gritted my teeth, squinting my eyes. There was no way that would make me give up. "Ah, but if I told you where he is, that would be no fun, Arthur."

He forced me to arch my back further and I made a small, pained sound, trying to kick out of the position blindly. "L-let me go you twat!"

This just earned me another pleased giggle and lips brushing against my ear and whispering dangerously in his native tongue, "You're funny. You think you can win?"

I growled back, kicking up and hitting a rather painful place between the legs, "I can win!"

The Russian behind me frowned, I felt his lip corner turn against my ear and shuddered slightly. "You will be punished, Arthur," he murmured, words sharp in the Russian sentences pushing their way into my ear. "Rather, Alfred will be punished. This will teach you both."

I struggled again, retorting quickly, "Don't you dare touch a hair on his bloody head or I'll--"

He talked over me, chuckling, lips tickling the skin of the ridges on my ear as I shuddered. "Ah, but his head is covered in blood already. Such a pretty color, da?"

I blinked, shock settling in slowly before the ugly, beastly rage flared up again, setting a fire in my heart deep within my chest. "I'm going to murder you!"

"Da?" He chuckled lowly, murmuring in the same low, calm voice, "No, no. You will become one with Russia. Then comrades Alfred and Arthur can be together again, da."

I gritted my teeth, kicking further up at his stomach this time. "Never going to happen!" Flailing, I felt my determination grinding in my stomach as I landed another kick to his abdomen. "Let Alfred go!"

The situation was becoming dire. I quickly came up with a plan, going limp to relieve some of the pressure on my joints as he murmured his next statement. "You do not want to be one with me and Alfred?," he asked gently, his voice lilting upwards in a soft question. "But the world will be so much better if you do. And, all will become one with me in the end. Now it's your turn, Comrade Arthur."

You must understand, I was gauging his statement and how to respond in getting to Alfred the easiest, rather than considering my own safety. I let out a hiss of air as he forced me into the position I was in before, my back cracking painfully. "I.... Dammit!" I cursed, mind whirring. If I got my troops together, I could easily beat him; though then I'd never find Alfred. Quickly thinking things through and happy I had thought of hiding my cell phone and laptop on my person, I continued, pretending to be reluctant. Oh, what an actor I was! "If... If Alfred will be happy... Then... I will become one with you."

The Russian dropped me in the snow, happily chuckling. "Excellent! I knew you were smart, Arthur. You did well in choosing to become one with Russia."

I groaned under his words, rubbing at my sore shoulders. "It's not like I had a bloody choice."

"Well," the insufferable arse replied, "People always seem to think that there is a choice." He sighed, a slightly sad look on his face. "They always seem to choose wrong." The smile reappeared quickly as it had done. "But you've eliminated a terrible mistake! This is a great step towards the great future."

I glared, huffing and crossing my arms. "So what now?"

The Russian just smiled. "Silly Arthur." His smile became menacing and I shivered slightly as he pulled a small laptop from his coat. "You make it public."

I glared, though took the computer all the same. In all my quick thinking, I hadn't counted on making my 'surrender' public. I wasn't really surrendering in the slightest- Brits never back down, least of all me! However, I had to play the part as seamlessly as possible, so I sighed and began to type in the web address for deviantArt.

He stood and watched from a few feet away, head tilted curiously. Once to the website, I immediately clicked 'edit journal' and began to type out my 'surrender' statement.


I can't fucking believe I'm doing this...

**ahem** I, The Royal British Empire of England and Northern Ireland, surrender myself wholly to Russia, in form of land, property, peoples and wealth. I surrender not because I am forced, but because I am willingly giving myself over to the bloody nation. Please, do not take this the wrong way, friends and allies. I am not doing this for myself nor for Ivan, but for Alfred.

I trust many of you would do the same for someone you care for.

It's so cold. I can feel my breath freezing in the night air, and I'm shivering... God, this isn't what I wanted. This isn't what I planned for. But I've always fucking promised that I would go to bloody hell and back for those I care for, no matter the toll on myself.

I apologize tonight for those I've let down. I apologize tonight for not being strong enough to save Alfred from this nightmare, and I apologize mostly to my people. For now, they shall suffer a fate worse than death. I can hear the blasted thing we dare call a man approaching.

He is laughing, jovial even.

No matter what, I've always said that I'd go in front of a speeding train for my friends. And so here's that speeding train. I've always told you, Alfred, that no matter what you'd become, you'd always have me. I'd always stand beside you...

And so here I am, standing beside you....

Comrade Alfred.


To my surprise, the computer was wrenched from my hands. I watched wearily as he sat in the snow, typing a few small sentences.


As a reward for Comrade Arthur, I shall give English a try, da?

What he says is truth. He has become one with me, da.

Да здравствует Россия.

Станьте одним с Россией, да?


He handed the computer back to me and I read what he had written, hair standing up on end even more than it had from the cold. The Russian text read, 'Long live Russia. Become one with Russia, da?'