Welcome to Part Two of 'Rebellion of the Weakest'! This part won't be nearly as long, but since it takes place the next day, I thought I would separate it. (Plus, the first chapter was long enough as it was, XD.)

Haha, I don't have much to say other than enjoy~ (Though I don't think this is as good as the first part...)

*Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.*

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Epilogue: Concealment

The three Baltics sat silently as Russia painted their faces with all sorts of makeup. This was the ritual before every world meeting; the cold Nation would groom them and dress them and paint them, all to make sure they looked like dolls and not abused children. She would cover all visible bruises, lighten the bags under their eyes, and give their faces a healthy glow. This time, they all wore matching dresses, though Lithuania's was dark green, Estonia's was blue, and Latvia's was maroon.

While the large bruise on Estonia's forehead was easy to cover up, the gashes on Latvia's head were not, since they needed to be bandaged, especially since both injuries had only been inflicted the day before. After awhile of staring angrily at the white cloth, Russia decided to give up. She left it as-is, narrowing her eyes. "If anyone asks?"

"I was stupid and fell down the stairs," was Latvia's quiet reply.

"Good girl." Russia squeezed the girl's shoulder tightly. She turned her focus to the rest of the trio. "Now, you all know what to do. Sit up straight, stay silent, and take notes. If you can do this, there is no reason for me to punish you later."

"What if people ask about our hair?" Latvia blurted out, much to Lithuania's dismay.

"Say nothing."

"But you said for me to answer if people ask about my head!"

"Shut up, Milda. Now."

The Latvian fell silent, clasping her shaking hands. "Yes, Miss."

Silence fell over the room until it was time to go to the meeting.

"Go to the kitchen; Yaroslav, Nikolai, and Stanca will be waiting there. I will get Julchen."

Lithuania grimaced, looking down. Technically, the country of Prussia was dissolved, but, in order to not die, the personification latched herself onto the newly-made GDR, or East Germany, as it was more commonly called in America. Even though she was only a satellite state of the USSR, Russia insisted on having Prussia live with the other members, since Prussia the country no longer existed. Julchen Beilschmidt did not go down without a fight, though, so she was usually locked in her bedroom all day, food and water delivered to her through a slot in the door. Though the attic room had its own bathroom, Lithuania could never bring herself to be jealous; she would never want to be alone when she slept.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Lithuania stood up, following the other Baltics to the kitchen, where Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova were waiting. As soon as they made it into the room, Moldova moved from her spot next to Belarus, instead standing next to Latvia.

"What happened to your hair?" Ukraine asked, frowning.

"Ah…Miss Russia thought we'd look better without it…" Lithuania looked down, wringing her hands.

"While your hair was beautiful, this puts more emphasis on your eyes," Belarus pointed out. "They're gorgeous."

"I guess…" While Lithuania was flattered by Belarus' obvious liking towards her, she was a bit put-off by it. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the young man (though he did get a bit possessive of Lithuania and overprotective of Russia); the brunette just wasn't attracted to him. Or any male, for that matter.

But she pushed that thought aside when she heard the door slam open.

"Now stay!" Russia barked, pushing the silver-haired woman into the room.

Though Prussia's eyes burned with hatred, she cradled her right hand and stood next to Moldova.

"If you behave at this meeting, I might let you tag along with my Baltics when they work, tomorrow." Russia straightened her coat.

"Ooh, goody! I get to slave around instead of being locked up. Will I get my head shaved, too? I always wanted to make a rope with my hair and strangle you with it!"

Latvia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Lithuania noticed how the short Nation's eyes widened in admiration, and she clenched her fists. No, Latvia. If you act like her, you'll be killed! Her greatest fear was her friend acting like Prussia, and paying for it with her blood.

Instead of lashing out like she usually did, Russia merely grabbed Prussia's hand and squeezed it. While the ex-Nation only hissed, Lithuania could see that she was suppressing most of her true pain. She saw the bandages around the woman's fingers, and was able to guess what happened. Her fingers on that hand are broken.

"Let's go," Russia barked, finally releasing her hold on Prussia. She led the way outside, to her van. Prussia, Latvia, and Moldova were forced into the very back, while Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine sat in the middle row. Russia herself took the driver's seat, while Belarus sat in the passenger side, looking protectively at the lavender-eyed woman.

The ride to the airport was silent (minus a few scattered moments of tone-deaf singing courtesy of Prussia), as was the flight to Denmark. When the group made it off the plane, Russia quickly walked everyone to the hotel, which was conveniently close to the airport. She ushered them inside, making sure to push Latvia and Prussia with more force than necessary. The former stumbled, but the latter caught her, smiling sadly.

"You're okay, kid," she whispered, rubbing her back. "I got you."

Suddenly, Estonia stumbled, lurching to the ground. She held her head, an expression of pain on her face.

"Estonia!" Lithuania was at her side immediately, helping the tall blonde to her feet.

"'M okay." Her voice was slurred, and she forced herself to her feet, leaning against the brunette. "Head hurts, though."

Lithuania wished she could hit Russia. She knew Estonia was suffering from some sort of head-trauma, though she was good at hiding it.

"Just a few more steps," she soothed, hoping that her friend would be able to stay conscious for the whole meeting. She knew that if she couldn't, the Finno-Ugric girl would be punished worse when they got home.

When they made it to the meeting room, Lithuania sighed in relief. She helped Estonia into her chair and sat next to her. Latvia took the chair on the brunette's other side, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Milda," Lithuania whispered, not wanting to alert the other Nations, who had already started to stare at them. "What's wrong?"

"My head burns! And I can't sit straight; my back brushes against the chair, and it hurts…"

"Try your best, Mil; it'll all be over soon."

Latvia nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"What is up with your hair?" Denmark raised an eyebrow. "Why is it all shaved?"

Not wanting to risk punishment later, Lithuania said nothing. Her face blushed with shame, especially when she met the horrified eyes of America.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" Denmark's voice got louder.

Before she could respond, Prussia winked at them. "Duh, it's because they formed a new group: the Baldtic Trio!" She cackled, seemingly pleased with her own joke.

Denmark laughed a bit as well, before she realized that she was leading the meeting, and should probably start with the official business before people got mad.

Lithuania found herself tuning out the spiky-haired Nation's voice, instead daydreaming of her time with America and Poland. Before she knew it, three hours had gone by, and the meeting was nearly over.

All of a sudden, a tiny gasp from Latvia made her snap out of her daydreams.

"It hurts so bad!" she whispered frantically. "I can feel blood seeping through the bandages."

And she was right. Slowly, a small red stain permeated the crisp whiteness of the cloth. But Lithuania knew there was nothing she could do. She brought extra bandages, but Russia would never allow her to redress the wound, especially not during a meeting. Her panicked eyes swept over the room, looking for any chance to escape, but she found nothing. However, when she met Prussia's eyes, the woman did something unexpected. She nodded.

"Hey, Annie!" she yelled, turning everyone's gaze towards her, as well as Russia. "When we get back, are you gonna throw me in the basement for that hair comment, or are you just going to sit on your fat ass all day and make Ukraine lock me up?"

"I would do no such thing, Prussia," Russia stated, her voice innocent, but with a sharp edge to it. "You're such a good friend to me." With false sweetness, she grabbed the woman's now-gloved hands and slammed them onto the table. "I am so sorry! I wanted to shake your hand, but I slipped!"

While the cold Nation's eyes were on Prussia, the silver-haired woman looked Lithuania directly in the eyes and mouthed, 'Go'.

The brunette nodded. Taking the chance, she quickly grabbed Latvia and Estonia and guided them out of the room. Not really knowing where she was going, she ran down the hallway until she saw the sign for the room she was looking for: the bathroom. Ushering her friends inside, she quietly shut the door behind her.

Estonia sank to the floor, covering her head. "The loud noises… And the bright lights… They're killing me!"

Lithuania suspected that the tall blonde was suffering from a concussion, and her heart broke for her. When Estonia flinched as she put a hand on her shoulder, it broke even more. As soon as she realized that there was really nothing she could do, she turned her attention to Latvia, who had begun to cry.

"I hate her!" she spat. "I hate her so much! What gives her the right to hurt us? To make us work without rest? To humiliate us?"

"Shh, Milda!" Lithuania hoped that no one was out in the hallway.

"No! Do not 'shh' me! I'm tired of living like this!"

Lithuania suspected that Prussia's outburst was what made Latvia so…vocal.

"She went too far yesterday! Not only did she shave our heads, but she groped Esti! Now I can't even touch her without her flinching!"

"Shut up!" Estonia's face went red. "I just hurt all over, that's all…"

Before Latvia could respond, Lithuania jumped into the conversation. "Let me see your head."

Nodding, Latvia unraveled the bandages, wincing when she peeled off the part stuck to her wounds. As soon as she tossed the bloody mess into the garbage, the door opened. Estonia scrambled to her feet and tried to stand in front of her friends, though her legs shook from the effort. They gave out completely when she realized who just walked in.

"Latvia didn't fall down the stairs." America's eyes were filled with disgust. "Anya did this to her, didn't she?"

"Ameli—Miss America! What are you doing in here?" Lithuania practically squeaked, surprised by her lover (former lover, she reminded herself) being in the room.

"After Prussia started one hell of an argument with Anya, I noticed you three were gone. And considering that two thirds of you looked like you were about to drop, I figured you came in here to get away." She stepped closer to Lithuania, looking her up and down as she finished washing and bandaging Latvia's wounds. "What happened to you, Tori?" Her eyes filled with sadness.

It was at that moment that Lithuania broke. She threw her arms around America, sobbing into her jacket. When she was calm enough to talk, she pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Yesterday, we all cut our hair shorter to show Miss Russia that she couldn't control us. She got mad and shaved our heads. But…but she thought Milda planned it all, so she used the hair clippers to cut her head open! And when Esti tried to fight back, Miss Russia beat her senseless!"

"Milda was innocent," Estonia added, her voice cold. "It was my idea; I told them that I would take the fall for all of us. But Russia wouldn't have it. She used Milda's pain to get to me! Manipulative bitch…" The last part was muttered.

"She also assaulted Estonia."

"Why do you keep bringing that up, Mil? It's no big deal! It didn't bother me! It didn't do anyth—" When Latvia's hand got near the taller blonde's chest, she hissed, stiffening.

"I…I think it did." Lithuania gently took Estonia's hands in her own.

"Her hands were just so cold…and they hurt…" the bespectacled Nation muttered, blushing. "It's no big deal, really. Once the cuts heal, I'll be fine."

Something in Estonia's voice was off, to Lithuania. She's trying to be strong for us, but this hurt her more than she will ever admit. The brunette recalled back to when Russia dressed them that morning. Esti just…froze…when Miss Russia put the dress on her. I don't even think she knows that she's doing it… The fact that her friend was in so much mental pain from something that Russia did made Lithuania hate her even more.

"What did Anya do to her?" America asked, confused.

Lithuania opened her mouth, but before she could talk, Estonia cut her off. "She doesn't need to know. Please…don't tell her. It's not important!"

The shame in the younger girl's eyes almost made Lithuania cry again. "I'm sorry, Estonia. But she needs to know."

"Fine." Estonia's eyes were icy, and she turned away. "But I'm telling you, it's stupid. I was more worried about you than myself."

"Well… Before Anya shaved our heads, she, ah, she made us all strip."

"Go on." America's voice took on a hard edge, like she was trying to keep herself from punching the nearest wall.

"She…humiliated us. When she got to Estonia, she…she groped her, for awhile."

"Oh, Esti…" America knelt down, pulling the younger girl into a hug.

"Don't pity me; like I said, I'm fine." She wriggled out of America's grasp.

"None of you are fine!" America stood up again. "She's denying you basic human rights, and you're forced to take it without a complaint! That's not right! To hell with my boss's orders! I'm gonna go back into that room and finish what Julchen started!"

"Amelia! Don't." Lithuania gripped the front of the taller girl's jacket. "You'll only make things worse. Please! I don't want you involved, too!"

"But don't you want a happy ending?"

"This isn't a book, Amelia." Lithuania hated the words that spewed from her mouth, but she knew she had no choice. "There's not going to be a happy ending."

America wrapped one arm around the shivering girl, who now cried silently, the other arm gently rubbing her head. "I just want to help! You three are going to die in there if she keeps treating you this way. I know you'll come back, but still."

"I know. But this isn't your fight." As much as Lithuania wanted America to whisk her away, she knew it wouldn't work. "Please… Just… Tell your people that mine, that ours—" She gestured to Latvia and Estonia. "—are being oppressed. I know it won't do much, but I just want to spread the word."

America looked at Lithuania with more pain in her eyes than she'd ever seen before. "Okay. If that's what you want."

No! Lithuania wanted to scream. It's not! I want you to take us away, and we can live with you, and it'll be warm, and safe, and not this hellhole of a life! I want you to make sure Esti understands that touch doesn't equal 'bad', and that Milda can read and write and play and have a childhood. I want to share your bed and talk about jazz, and films, and clothes, and not pain!That is what she desperately wanted to say, but she she didn't. What she did say was, "Yes."

Before she could blink, America tightened her embrace and kissed her, with a juxtaposing gentle ferocity that Lithuania had come to know and love. And that is what made this hurt more than ever before.

Once they pulled away, America let Lithuania sink to the floor next to her friends. "I will never let this go," she warned, her eyes ablaze with many emotions. "I will continue to fight this. I won't go after Anya now, but believe me. I will. I'm sorry, Tori. But belligerence is in my nature."

Without another word, she left. As soon as the door shut, Lithuania sank to her knees, sobbing.

"You did the right thing, Viktorija." Estonia embraced her. "If Russia knew about this, we'd be punished worse."

"I know. But what if she was able to free us?"

"Then the Cold War would go from a war fought with technology to a war fought with soldiers. Do you really want to put our people through that? Or America's? Or even Russia's?"

Lithuania just shook her head. She watched as Estonia pulled Latvia into an embrace, then pulled her into it, as well. Pull yourself together, Tori! You're the eldest! Do not make Esti comfort you all the time!

It was at that moment when the door slammed open again, this time, revealing Russia.

"Did I say you could leave?" she coldly inquired.

"I'm sorry, Miss Russia." Latvia clenched her fists. Lithuania could see she was trying to keep the bite out of her voice. "My head started bleeding, and I asked the others to help me change my bandages. You said you wanted it to be as unnoticeable as possible."

"I did say that. But, Miss Milda, you and the others broke the most important rule for world meetings." Russia narrowed her eyes. "You didn't ask for permission. Dolls can't move on their own, after all…"

Lashing her arm out, she grabbed the front of Latvia's dress, yanking the girl towards her. "The meeting is over; we're going home. The others are waiting by the entrance. Poor Julchen's hit her head and is being held by Yaroslav, but she'll be in her nice room, soon. You three will join me in the basement tonight, as well."

Feeling sick, Lithuania stood up. As she watched Latvia being dragged, and Estonia's muscles stiffening, she knew what she had to do. I need to be strong, for their sake. Shaking all of her regrets out of her mind, she silently vowed to focus on only the wellbeing of her two friends. I will protect them; they are my life, now.

/

I hope this wasn't too horrible of an epilogue. I know the ending isn't happy, but I couldn't see it any other way.

Haha, since this is Nyotalia, I thought that Belarus would like Lithuania, and not the other way around. Also for his character, I thought that he would be overprotective of Russia, but not romantically in love with her.

'Stanca' is the name I use for NyoMoldova. (Her full name being Stanca Iliescu)

I really hope Estonia does not seem 'unnaturally wimpy', here. Not only was she humiliated and beaten, but her chest was also grabbed without her consent, while she was naked. I don't see how that wouldn't affect her, X'D. So that is why she acts the way she does in this chapter. (Also, like Lithuania states, she doesn't even know she's reacting this way; it's all involuntary.)

Milda is developing as a character as well; she is getting sick of being treated like trash. (However, her demure nature won't let her comments go as far as Raivis' do, X'D.)

Finally, Tori is also beginning to develop, too.

I hope her scene with America was all right; that was the most difficult part of this chapter to write…