**Author's Note: This story takes place after World War II if the Axis Powers had won the war. It is also slightly based off of Philip K. Dick's book "The Man in the High Castle".**

The United States of America screamed. Bloody pain shot though his arms and legs, his muscles tensing and twisting to deal with the new found pain but the reaction only made the sickening torture worse. The nation had managed to keep his breaths cool and even when they had taken England away. Away into another room on the other side of the concrete wall, he hadn't created an opposition when Europe fell under Hitler's iron grip. No, the young blonde man had only uttered a cry of pain when shackles had been placed on his hands. Large chunks of thick iron pinning his frail wrists to an icy concrete wall. He knew that they would never leave such a wall again; such freedoms did not exist in this new world, this better world as his distant brother called it.

"Damn it," The young nation cursed, holding his head down but not allowing his arms to slack inside of their iron restrictions.

"Is it beginning to wear on you?"

The American's head flipped upwards. An icy voice with a distinct northern European accent echoed around the concrete hold. Alfred hadn't even noticed the high security door slide open; no one visited him much these days. Small amounts of light filtered into the once pitch black room, black to keep the nation's spirits down and suppressed, he suspected. Even with this new bit of light America could only see the outline of a broadly built man, illuminated from behind like a twisted deity, the limited light forced the American to realize that his vision had been stolen. The Nazi's had taken it away years ago. He didn't respond to the man's comment, but forced his arms higher in the shackles. He would not be subordinant in front of this man, nor would he show his weakness.

The man seemed to expect this response and let out a soft be of laughter, which even at its low volume was the loudest thing in the silent cell. "No matter," The man moved closer so that Alfred could determine more of the Northern European's features. "I can guarantee," the man hissed moving closer, he was blonde, that much Alfred could tell without his glasses. He was also tall, but not as tall as himself, and then everything became clear, "that this will not come to an end any time soon."

"Keep telling yourself that, you Nazi bastard," the United States hissed under his breath at the blonde German, spitting at the man's feet. It gave a satisfying plunk on the older nation's boot and the American couldn't help but allow a small cocky smirk to creep upon his pale sun deprived face.

A large hand shot forward, wrapping its sausage like fingers around a small malnourished neck. There was nothing Alfred could do as he choked for air. No way he could escape from dyeing on a merciless concrete wall in the hands of a man that seemed to have his heart frozen the day his boss took office. Once again all he could do was watch. "It's time you learned your place," The German sneered leaning forward meeting face to face with the American. "You are no longer a world power," Ludwig's voice growing louder with each word along with his deadly grip on the already weak American.

"Germany sama," A voice so soft and respectful murmured so that it was almost lost in Alfred's chokes for stale air "I believe that this is sufficient." Soft foot falls of the other man continued to echo in the chamber until he had reached the German's side. "Let him go Germany sama."

"But he's not even a Nation." The German responded, a twisted smile grew on his face. It was the same look that he had carried when his boss created concentration camps. Alfred didn't know the last time he had met a Jew or anyone Polish for that matter. All had been killed with no mercy or honor at the hands of Ludwig. "It's not like he has a soul. Just a spineless little…"

"That would be enough Germany sama," The black haired man replied in a slightly annoyed tone "need I remind you that I possess half of this territory." America let out a cry as the German's hand was sharply removed from his throat leaving thick red marks that would eventually turn into dark black bruises, his head falling forward, his throat gasping for each bit to stale dry air in the chamber. All the while he grimaced at the new man's words, vivid memories of the end of the second world war clouding his view of the sternly bickering nations.

The Allies lay in the dust. The three triumphant Axis nations stood over them, their eyes dark with thick greed, eagerly anticipating the spoils that they would receive from the war. Each Allies government and state toppled one by one. Leaving them confused and disgruntled in a metal state of absolute anarchy. The Axis locking the personified nations in the wooden cage, like animals on display at a zoo. Beaten, their souls void of any sort of comprehension of the situation in which they had been placed.

Germany was the first to gaze at the spoils. He barked a strange order in German and several soldiers opened the doors to the cage, pointing their guns inside even though it was obvious that each of the prisoners was more broken than the last. They weren't going anywhere. "We'll divide it like we agreed then?" Ludwig gruffly murmured, Alfred swore that he could see saliva drip from the man's mouth out of anticipation for his new torture subjects, he had already taken Poland and France. Alfred hadn't seen the Frenchman for what seemed like years and he doubted that he ever would see him again.

"Of course Germany sama," the Japanese man replied sternly followed by a stiff bow.

"Ve." Italy responded as a sharp substitute for 'yes' , the once carefree nation's face was now filled with an icy seriousness that had once never existed, as though affiliation with the German had caused the once artistic and enthusiastic nation's soul to catch Cancer. The Cancer of greed and world conquest. The Italian briskly stepping out of the room, off to some promised territory in the middle east, a vastly small empire compare to what his Axis brothers who would receive, the real prize, a split of the Allie powers.

"If I may go first Germany sama?" Kiku asked motioning to the cage door, the German gave a quick nod and the Asian man proceeded. He stood at the wooden opening to the pitiful world of the destroyed Allies and smiled a sickly sweet grin which quickly vanished behind his monotone mask. "China kun, please come with me." The words seemed fairly plain but it was obvious that the Japanese man cloaked his extreme pride. He finally owned his older brother; he looked down with merciless brown eyes as China was pushed from the Allie's pit of despair, guns trained on each move he made even though his arms and legs were shackled. Even if he had wished to escape the nation simply didn't posses the strength, his body covered with scrapes from the World War along with bruises from a more recent civil war, limping as his younger brother led him to the corner of the room with a triumphant skip in his usually perfectly postured step.

Alfred knew that he should have felt something. He should have wished to assist his fallen comrade; he was The Hero, after all. But these feelings were void. He didn't give a crap about some Chinese man's problems. He couldn't save anyone. He couldn't even save himself. He wanted to scream, scream and kill the Axis powers that stood just feet away smirking down at him. But he simply couldn't, none of them could. They were all dead in the eyes of nations.

Ludwig stepped stiffly up to the front of the torture chamber not attempting to hide the smug pride in his blue eyes as he stared down at the fallen brothers laying bound on the floor, that was the difference between the Axis, one hid his joy and emotions, while the other allowed them to show across his face like a melancholy mosaic for all to see, taking pride in the hatred and cruelty he felt for others. For in his mind it was just. "England please come with me."

This time America found himself pushing his brother hastily out of the pit. Not one tear or one scream left his mouth as Arthur looked back at his former colony with pleading eyes. Just like Italy, America's heart had grown cold, if his heart even existed. He pushed harder on his older brothers back; it was better the English man than himself. Better for another to die rather than himself, for in his mind that was just, since he was no longer the hero I guess that that's Germany's job now, He thought in dismay as his older brother was forced at gunpoint into the custody of the German.

"Brother please…" The English man pleaded, staring back at his brothers hard blue eyes as a gun was forced up against his neck. Arthur glanced upward at the German, whose expression was as cold as the gun in his hands.

"No talking, you damned Englishman." He grunted, glancing downward at the pit, seeming to lick his lips at the two greatest prizes of the war. The United Soviet Socialist Republic and the United States of America sat wallowing in self pity on opposite sides of the cage. Their bodies covered in a thick layer of dirt along with blood. Blood that of their own and of the other, and of nations that no longer existed thanks to the deadly hand of Germany. Ivan's face was covered in burns and bruises from Germany's bombs that whipped out his capital city, America could still hear the Russian's screams echoing, filled with the agony of thousands of men and women dying instantaneously. Many more would die in the years to come from Cancer, more agony, more pain, more suffering, why wouldn't it stop?

"Well this is a strange equation," Kiku murmured, stepping up to the cage, leaving is newly acquired brother in his boss's capable hands, "How do you reason we should split these two?"

"Down the middle," The German responded hastily "I will receive the eastern coast of the one existent nation of the United States and the Western territory of what was once Russia. You may have the rest," Ludwig finished quickly before motioning for the guards to close the gates. America felt tears come to his eyes. He was no longer a nation; he was no longer a colony. He was a spoil of war, to be divided between two blood thirsty jackals. He was no longer one state, just two divided down the middle of one body. Hot tears fell in his eyes as he was shackled to the side on a concrete wall. Never to see the light of day.

"But I can't hurt the damned American if you own half," Germany murmured unhappily, turning away from the Asian man, who gave Ludwig a very stern look before murmuring a brief comment about youth.

"You betrayed me," Alfred murmured, staring weakly up at Japan, he could feel blood trickling out of the corner of his dry mouth, "After all I did for you…" The American whispered tears welling up in his eyes. "After I helped you…." His breathing was heavy and thick as though he were trying to reach for inexistent air, his chest tightened and twisted into a thick knot "I let you have them," He sobbed as the two ruling nations stared at him darkly, as though the voice of the nation was blasphemy towards their will "I let you kill Iggy," He sobbed out, "I'm the only one left." More tears fell down is face, sobbing tension moving through his back as he allowed his body to hang in his shackles mounted to the wall, his body falling in the shape of a cross. "I led them to the slaughter house," He glanced up at the two nations, their faces covered in shadows and Germany pulled out an antique gun "I now I will be slaughtered along with them."

"That's right." Germany hissed, Japan staring at America in shock his mind too caught up in memories of his periods leaving isolationism with the young nation's help to realize the events that were unfolding. "And I'll enjoy each moment of your death."

***

One gun shot rang out.

***

An agonizing scream rippled out of Alfred lips, disturbing the terrifying dream that shook his very soul, caused by the deep sleep while recovering from the influenza the Great Depression had caused. If his body wasn't erupting in pain when he was awakened he may have screamed anyway from the very horror of the events.

His eyes burst open, tears flowing from their bright blue irises as fire pulsed from his leg. There was blood everywhere, flooding onto the flannel sheets of the bed, the bright red color contrasting with the gaunt paleness of his skin. Pale in horror and in pain. He forced himself to sit up in his bed and pull a gun from the side table, pointing it at his attacker. "Get the hell out of my house!" He screamed, not looking to see who it was that had fired a single gunshot into his leg.

"Welcome to World War II America sama" Kiku murmured before in a composed manner, leaving the nation's bedside with his gun still smoking, allowing the American to howl in pain. Japan knew that this would not be the end; Alfred F. Jones was finally involved in World War II. Nothing could stop him now.