NOTE: To the anonymous reviewer: Michigan, have you been reading my manuscript?

An agent burst into the war room. He thrust a folder of reports into America's hands.

"Sir, we've lost contact with our main base in Juneau."

"Wait, what?"

"He means that Alaska's gone!"

America and the agent tensed. "W-who's there?"

"Ugh! You idiot… it's me. Canada!"

America paced frantically around the room.

"America, what is it?"

The bespectacled nation ceased in his tracks. Britain was slightly taken aback by the bags underneath his eyes. "America, what happened to you?"

"I think we'll have to…"

"Have to what?"

"Have to…"

France entered the room, rolls of blueprints in his hands. "Is there a problem?"

"A… a nuclear solution."

"WHAT!"

"We got nukes." America now regained the speed of his speech. "Let's nuke the place to end this!"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, you bloody git?" Britain screamed.

The blueprints dropped. "You cannot be serious!"

"Nukes. We nuke 'em."

Immediately, Britain and France's hands were on America's throat, their voices screaming deafeningly in his ears. Nuke, nuke, nuke!

Ding! Dong! There was an exchange of rock, paper, and scissors before one of the taller of the two inhabitants went to check on the door.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THREE DOING HERE!"

"Sorry we, like, didn't listen to your whole defensive plan thingy."

"Don't you think you should let us inside?"

"Nein!" The door swung only to be met by a firm hand.

"Wait, Németország!"

Germany peeked, his mood now beyond irate. Hungary had those eyes. Gott verdammt! Not those eyes again! Along with them came a sparkle. And a plea.

"Please! We're sorry we didn't pay attention earlier. We survived, see!" She gestured with her free hand at the ragged uniforms they all wore. "Look, I know you're still not happy about last time. But, please, let us in before General Winter ends us!"

He can end nations? Germany held the door open. Austria eyed the carbine in his hand.

"You know, General Winter cannot be stopped by conventional weapons."

"I already know that! This is against his minions."

"Oh yeah, about them," Poland began, setting his bare feet before the fire. "They're, like, coming in from all sides and from the ground so, like, yeah. They're everywhere."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!"

All heads turned to Germany.

"Ungarn, did you say that General Winter would end you?"

"Igen. Why?"

"General Winter could not possibly do such a thing! He only weakens them."

"Not with the change in climate, West." Prussia's boots echoed off the stairwell. An amateur filmmaker would call it a dramatic entrance but the older nation simply walked down to the living room with a rifle in hand. "You forgot."

He set down a book on the table. "Bruder, have you been reading my manuals?"

"I couldn't help it. You know, you should buy books on domesticated living once in a while."

"I do! Well… on rare occasions."

"Like that time during Valenti—" Austria was quickly subdued.

"Anyway," Prussia continued, "with the change in climate, General Winter's power has been granted an immense boost. Which means he has the means to effectively kill a country… or something like that."

"You're unsure?" Hungary piped. "Did you read the manuals twice? At least to add more ground to your theory?"

Prussia huffed. "I'm too awesome for that. Besides, my awesomeness would dictate the accuracy and correctness of my postulates."

Hungary reached for her back but remembered that she left her frying pan (or whatever remained of it) back in Budapest. Well, there was always one in the kitchen.

"If that is the case," Germany interjected, having released Austria from a stiff arm lock. "We should inform the rest of Europe while fortifying our positions."

"West, you do that. I'll be in charge of making the preparations."

Austria coughed. "Don't you mean 'defenses'?"

"Shut up, Four-eyes." A second later, Prussia was on the floor with a fresh bump on his head and a beaming Hungary on top.

"Is that my frying pan?"

Hungary shrugged. "It's German-made." Istenem! Got him this time.

The blade came down smoothly, ensuring another clean cut. Japan ignored the fact that the bodies of his enemies were so thoroughly preserved in the snow that their blood froze. It was not that he relished the feeling of the warm fluid spraying into his face.

"Keep fighting!" he urged. By now, their numbers had dwindled and the idea of having to fight against your own comrade was ruining his soldiers' morale. A corporal used the last bullet in his pistol against his temple because he (murdered) killed his own brother, upsetting the nation.

Their full battalion was reduced to scattered units. Japan had long since been deprived of his ammunition. Now he took to slicing blue grunts and peasants.

There was a man in the familiar lacquer armor charging headlong into him. Japan's reduced visibility offered him no assets and the nation parried the former samurai's strike. From underneath the damaged helmet, he could see the tinted skull of his assailant.

Japan pushed the warrior off him. He grabbed the window of opportunity and thrust his weapon deep into his opponent's chest.

He heard a heavy moan before the body cracked into large chunks—crimson rocks that shattered underneath his boots.

This is mildly disturbing. Japan checked his surroundings. He could see some of his own men—distinguishable by the intelligible dialogue and the accuracy of weapon fire.

"Hold on! I'm coming!"

He was wise enough to see the ground on which he set his feet on. And it saved him the trouble of stumbling over a collapsed road sign that bore an arrow the kanji letters that read Tokyo.

This was something no one had expected. The doctor was too shocked to explain how this could have occurred. China's flesh wound had evolved into a crest of frost that continued to slowly expand to his lower leg.

"What do you mean you do not know how to treat this—"

The doctor moved a mirror to the gurney and slightly angled it to off the end. China could see what the physician tried to explain. Even he couldn't find the words for it. And it scared him.

All he could see was darkness. Then a piercing light broke through the black veil and he found himself bound to a chair. No wonder he couldn't lift up his hand to cover his face. Or at least, wipe it.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and drenched his suit. France and Britain were busy analyzing the plans. At least they didn't argue this time.

"Hey…"

They ignored him.

"Hey… wha… happened?"

The two older nations shared a look. "You were about to do something stupid."

"Oh yeah… where's my nukes?"

"Yeah, that stupid thing."

"Come on… nuke 'em. We gotta!"

Britain sighed. "America, have you learned anything from the Cold War?"

"Yeah… build better nukes."

France cleared his throat. "The very idea, Amerique, of using radiation to eliminate a natural threat—"

"Natural threat? We can just melt the snow off General Winter's a—"

"Don't you read your textbooks?" Britain snapped. "Radioactive energy is different from thermal energy! Russia knows that better than you do, even. Everybody does… right, France?"

"Eh?"

Britain whispered into his ear. "You understand CERN's reports better than I do, right?"

"Idiot! How am I supposed to digest every single word written on those physicists' papers?"

"Aha!" The two nations turned to see a confident America grinning from ear to ear. "You both want to use a nuclear solution! Better put that nuclear lab of yours to good use."

That was quite rude. Once again, Britain and France were on America's throats mainly over his insulting comment on the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Unbeknownst to them was the fact that General Winter's offensive could shut down the sites that were located in Central and Western Europe.

Outside, the soldier standing guard wondered just how similar were the three countries' ways of personally discussing methods to world crises in comparison to their respective diplomats hurling chairs at each other during similar meetings.

Downstairs, in the mess hall, Canada gulped down his coffee in frustration. America was so stubborn no matter how much went down the drain just to prove to him that nuclear weapons were futile attempts at resolving issues. Now, he couldn't even get his attention so he could cover his flank.

"Well, Kumajiro, I guess that leaves us with no other option."

"Who, me?"

Canada smacked his fist against his palm, a determined smile on his face. "We muster the troops!"

A big question mark popped over his bear's head. "Who are you, again?"

"I'm Canada. And I have a state to defend."

He felt a tug on his sleeve. "I'm hungry."

The nation opted to postpone the next meal but decided against it. His stomach was agitated enough to start a coup; it was a loud growl. "Maybe we do that after we find something to eat."

"You're weird."