Where is he?

Ivan dashed for the woods, ignoring the gunshot he heard. As he heard footsteps behind him, the tall man just kept moving, fearing for the worst.

Russia would head into a thicket of trees, trying to make his footprints as unnoticeable as possible in the snow by keeping his boots in as much underbrush as possible.

He would stop at a tree finally, trying to catch his breath.

Who was following him?

She did see them run, and so she dashed into America, make him fall and rushed to get to her brother and her sister, running like she can, trying to follow them the best way she can.

He escaped again. She bited her lips. It always happen.

Okay, Alfred admitted he wasn't expecting Belarus to run him down like that. So, after she sped off, he started laughing. There was just something funny about the whole ordeal-- he wasn't sure what it was, but wow. So, he laughed.

Russia would wait there, hidden deep in the woods... in the middle of the snow. It was starting to get late, and so the cold was really beginning to set in. They had to find him up north, they couldn't stop him near the Black Sea...

Having no idea if Belarus would find him, or if she was waiting for him to come out, Russia remained where he was, listening to the world around him. Wind through the trees...

Only now did he start to think about the gunshot, and Ivan wondered who hit might have hit. He didn't hear any screaming, after all. And who shot it was not important.

Ukraine spotted Russia hiding near a tree and quietly rushed over to him, trying her best to not attract attention.

"You need help brother?" [edited by l-d]

She knew Belarus would be looking in the trees soon, so if they didn't move ASAP, she was sure to find them. Ukraine seemed only capable of bravery when she wasn't in front of others. The trees and the cover they offered gave her courage.

[[Note from l-d: Please refrain from coloring your speech anymore. Hang around on a page a bit and make sure you read all the announcements.]]

She ran for a long time, non-stop, almost not thinking about losing breath or something, be she stoped after a time. I was getting black. Nobody did follow her it seems. She did her a laugh or something, maybe Alfred... She was a little sorry for him, but she couldn't do much about it. She looked around to try to spot her Brother or her Sister, biting her lip again.

Ivan quickly looked to see Ukraine. The relief on his face was impeccable, and he felt that he didn't need to say anything. He saw her footprints, and guessed that Belarus was going to be following them.
"Your place is not far. We can go there, da? Just for tonight?" He whispered, nearly inaudible.

They were deep inthe woods, by the border. It seemed to be his only way out... unless...

"Or, you go back. Pretend you couldn't find me, da?" He would go to the Baltic's. Lithuania and Latvia would help him, right?

She would have gladly let him stay at her house, but if he'd rather go to the Baltics, that might be a better idea. Belarus would check out Ukraine's first. And she wasn't a good liar.

"Da, I'll go back. But maybe Latvia's or Estonia's would be a better choice, Lithuania...."

She didn't need feel the need to finish her sentance, she knew Russia was aware of Lithuania's attraction to their violent sister.

Russia nodded, though he held that lets-pretend-it's-not-happening look. Without a second thought, Ivan would start heading for Estonia.
"Spasibo, sister." He would walk at first, to avoid getting any extra attention.

Then Russia began to run, again.

"Nezachto." ((Spelling? Sorry XD))

Ukraine ran back towards the rest of the gathering and ran right into Belarus, falling back into the snow. She looked up at her sister.

"H-He wasn't in there. I c-couldn't find any footprints."

She began to tear up and hoped Belarus would mistake it for fear of her wrath instead of the fact Ukraine just hated to lie.

Canada was definetely having an invisible moment. Hooray.

Russia managed to get to another "safe place".... if such a place existed. He was in Estonia, hiding.

Finally...

Ivan wondered how he could thank America and Canada- but that would just have to wait until later. As for his sisters, he hoped it would be a long time before he saw Belarus again... At least Ukraine didn't betray him. Yet.

She ran into her sister, falling in the snow, almost running on her. She stopped and listen to her. Yes, he was with her a time ago. Her, seeking him like this? Or saying her some info like that? No. She glanced at her sister.

-You lie, and you know it Sister.

She didn't move, just trying to think where they were, to know where her Brother have could run. If it was not with her Sister, he could have run to his minions. She looked at her sister again.

-Where is he gone now?

She was cold, cold glance that really want to know.

Russia ran into Estonia's home, opening the door without knocking, then closing it without a second thought behind him.

Ivan sat down on the floor, catching his breath and regaining his composure.

Ukraine began to cry again, scared to death that Belarus would get violent with her if she kept lying. But she couldn't sell out her brother.

"I-I told y-you! I c-couldn't find h-him!" she choked out between her sobs

She put her face in her hands, clearly distressed from the threat her sister posed right now.

Russia stayed in Estonia's place, which was eerily empty. He would start some teawater on the stove, trying to keep himself occupied for the time being.

Canad and Tai were probably back at home by now.

Alfred didn't feel quite right, leaving Russia to fend for himself like that... Especially since Belarus seemed so determined to hunt him down. He pulled out his cell and sent the ruski a message to go to Alaska, or maybe even California (he put a little sunflower emote by this) and kip there-- any of the Baltic nations was really too obvious, after all...

He really wished he could do more.

Russia answered his phone, swallowing hard. Was he really going to consider this?
... America wouldn't have sent him this if Bela had given up on him... but what if it was a trap? Sometimes, Ivan still had trouble trusting other nations, even when they were trying to help him... Especially when it wasn't face to face.

Ivan sighed, and sent a text message to America;

I'll try to get to Alaska. Don't let Bela get your phone C:... this better not be a trap

Dude, I swear it isn't. I'm gonna destroy this phone now, don't worry.

After sending the text, Alfred immediately cracked the plastic shell in his hands, taking out all the circuitry. He smashed it under his steel-toed boots, making sure there was no part of it readable by any computer, then scooped up the pieces and stuck em in an old Mickey D's paper bag. He'd trash it later. Meanwhile, he turned on his second phone-- the one he kept in case this ever happened.

Russia took a breath after reading the text from Alfred. Only he could text like that... right? Before he let himself get as paranoid as his old boss, Ivan headed out, going back into his place.... cutting through siberia.

He HATED the cold weather there.

...

Russia was making his way to Alaska, as fast as he can...

"Da, uncharted territory...?" Yulian sat down, crossed his legs, and leaned back against the couch. He was on the phone, smiling madly. "I could've sworn we had all of it... Guess not, da? Ah, well, chart it!" He cackled. "I want--"

He paused and glanced up. He looked around, set the phone down on the couch, stood. The wind was raging outside, and he shivered. He turned the heat before going to the window. There was a figure...

But it wasn't ghostly. He knew who it was.

He smiled, unlocked the door, and picked the phone up again, heading for the kitchen. He got out several bottles of vodka. No glasses.

Russia, being himself, let himself into Yulian's house without much warning. He closed the door behind him, hastily, too keep out the bloody cold... He rubbed and clapped his hands, trying to warm up.

"Pryvet, Yulian." He said, not bothering to really explain why he was here. Not yet.

He knew he didn't suprise the young man, after all. Ivan stood out in the snow much better than any ghost.

She took another step toward her sister. She know that she let her brother go away, trying to protect him. She was a crybaby, and cried even more when it come to lie. She continue to look at her.

-You let him go, and you will help to find him.

She almost took her by the arm to get her up, but still, just waited.

She didn't stop crying completely, but she wasn't sobbing anymore. Rather than get in a fight with Belarus that she was sure to lose, she decided to give in. She stood up and wiped her eyes.

"Da, o-okay."

She knew that her brother had gone to either Latvia or Estonia's house, but she figured she would lead Belarus to Lithuania's first. Maybe if he was home it could slow her sister down. She knew how much Liet liked Belarus, and she was counting on this one-sided affection to buy Russia some extra time.

"H-He went this way." and she started walking towards Lithuania, pausing to look back over her shoulder tearfully at her sister.

((It's a good thing Ukraine still thinks Russia is at either Latvia or Estonia's house. She doesn't know anything about the text message America sent.))