AN: This is the prologue to my first fic, Snapped. You do not have to read this one first to understand the other. I hope you enjoy!

It was cold outside the day that Canada and Russia met together to discuss the fall of America. The leaves had changed and fallen off the trees, leaving them bare to the freezing weather snow fell onto the grass, killing it off slowly and painfully, crushing it under its weight. As the young Canadian stared at the ground, he realized that's how he wanted his brother to die…painful and slow. Being forgotten all of the time ate away at his insides like a disease, killing him and driving him to the brink of insanity. And after all of those years of it eating away at him, it finally happened.

Matthew Williams had cracked.

This was why he sat in an empty park in the cold, frigid air, bundled up in a red coat and scarf, waiting for the arrival of a certain Russian who was going to help this plan go into action. Ivan had been very eager when Matthew called, asking if he called to finally become one with him. When Matthew responded negatively, Ivan had been more reluctant to listen, but he quickly got excited again when the boy said he wanted to talk about Alfred. All that was said after that was a place to meet before the call was ended.

He didn't look back when he heard heavy footsteps approach him from behind, just merely continued to watch the grass suffer under the weight of the cold frost. "…Hello Ivan." He greeted softly, waiting a moment before he looked up into similar violet eyes with a small smile. "It's very nice of you to meet up with me about something so…important. I was starting to worry that you wouldn't show..."

The Canadian received a childlike grin in response as the Russian took his place on the bench beside him. "It was my pleasure, Matevy. How could I refuse such a meeting when you sounded so serious over the phone?" he asked, voice speaking in the always happy tone that scared most. "What is it you'd like to discuss with me?"

"I want to destroy my brother. I want to take him out, wipe him off the Earth." Matthew responded almost immediately, a frown pulling at the corner of his mouth, voice dripping with venom. "He keeps forgetting about me…I'm his shadow. I've always been his shadow and I am sick of it. I'm losing my mind and whenever I'm with him, I just want to…to kill him!" He hadn't realized how loud he had shouted those words until he heard nothing but a suffocating silence. The birds had stopped chirping, the wind had stopped blowing, and everything was still.

"It seems Matevy has a lot of anger." Ivan stated simply after a few moments. "If someone treated me that way, I would not let them get away with this. I would punish them for treating me in such a way…slowly and painfully. Then they would never treat me badly ever again." It was always the quiet ones, he decided. He always had a feeling that Matthew would crack one day and he had waited in the wings until it had happened. And now that it had, Ivan simply had to urge him along. Then they would both get what they wanted. The fall of a nation. "I suggest you do the same…"

A small smirk pulled at the corner of Matthew's mouth which was barely visible beneath the scarf, eyes sparkling in delight at the suggestion. "I think that it's a splendid idea." He said excitedly, only imagining the number of things he could do to Alfred to make him regret everything he'd done. But after a moment, the light in his eyes dulled and he looked at the Russian coldly, suddenly suspicious. "I suppose you want some part of this, Ivan? It's not like you to just help people without receiving anything in return. What do you want? Money? Weapons?"

Ivan smiled that childlike smile once more before shrugging his shoulders. "I want nothing in return, Matevy. The fall of America is all I really want in life and I will leave all of that in your very capable hands. If you could accomplish that, then I will personally make sure that nobody will ever forget your name again and if they do, I will punish them myself." He said, standing up from the bench and offering his large hand to the smaller nation, keeping the smile on his face.

He hesitated a moment, looking at those promising violet eyes then to the outstretched hand then back again. "This is a serious offer? Never again? I'll be able to arrive at a meeting and be known? Nobody will ask who I am again? Ever?" When he received the nod of confirmation, the boy reached out and took the hand, pulling himself up with a firm smile of his own, eyes twinkling with delight.

"Of course Matevy…You have my word…"