A Product of War [Hetalia]

Chapter 1.

~Date: March 14th, 1948~
It was another World Conference, but it wasn't a pleasure to be there. Not in the same way as the Nations were used to, either. Actually they were used to it, but they didn't like being used to it.

They got things done, which was a plus, but the air was thick with tension, built up exhaustion and emotion were held far too close to the edge to tip over. Every single Nation in the world had to be careful with their words. Most younger Nations passed when it was their turn, too afraid to mess up and cause a chain of blind rage. After all there was no way to please every single nation in the room.

A few Nations didn't care at first, and since they had some anger and exhaustion built up themselves, they would purposefully say something to rile everyone up. But those only happened at the beginning, and after one particularly violent incident, nobody dared cause another fight.

Three long wars. Three exhausting wars. Two that were over with lingering effects. One that was still happening.

The Nations were getting restless, they had not one moment of relaxation in a long time. Many stayed up awake for hours and hours due to fear. Many lost productivity because of fear. Some Nations implemented safety drills for their schools, had homes install bunkers, all in case of a nuclear war.

Every single moment of every single day, was now overtaken by fear and paranoia, and it was beginning to get into everyone's heads. The slightest thing would tip them off, and a fight would break out, a violent, bloody fight that had to involve physical intervention.

Many Nations no longer cared about who won or lost the war, just as long as it was over. However, key Nations involved, the USSR and the remaining Allies, were determined to win. Knowing that if they failed, in their eyes, the world could get even worse despite the war itself being over. They tried paying no mind to their exhaustion and emotional and mental strain. They just wanted their side to win, once and for all.

Those were the worst to anger, their emotions and restlessness were the most built up out of everyone else's. Even the sweet, quiet, and caring Canada, would simply space out, or would lose focus on topics. After all, he knew what they were about at least a month before the meeting was called...

Even Alfred began to get worried about angering the Nations. It was beginning to border on paranoia like the other nations who were to afraid to go to the conferences.

Alfred had set a Nation or two off so a couple of times, almost exclusively on accident, and once walked out of the meeting hall with a bruise on his face and a limp. Every once and a while, he would see another nation getting picked on, and would purposefully rule the perpetrator up so that the injuries and insults were directed at him rather than the other nation, usually Japan.

Matthew was too paralyzed by all this to do or say anything. And for once he was actually grateful to almost never be seen or recognized by the other Nations. However this didn't always work, and he himself would occasionally leave the meeting hall with a black eye or a cut at best. This was part of the reason Alfred would sometimes rile people up on purpose, or at least alert them that they were going after the wrong person. Every time Matthew got hurt during the meeting, Alfred would help with the injuries and apologize profusely. It usually happened when Alfred wasn't in the conference room.

Every Nation outside of the loop was unsure of what could tip off a potential bloodbath. Would it be caused by a use of the wrong gesture? The wrong wording? The naming of a disliked or generally liked Nation?

However, there had been one thing that every single Nation knew about. One line, that was never to be crossed for the sake of a violent brawl never occurring.