Work Text:
The door slammed open with so much force that the whole room shook. In stormed Prussia, fresh from the trenches, judging by the mud and blood stains on his military uniform. Austria merely observed as he stomped angrily on his carpet floor, leaving mud in his wake.
"What the fuck is this?" Prussia snarled at them, all feral teeth and fury, as he brandished what seemed to be a messenger dove's note.
"A note?" Austria answered him flippantly.
Prussia slammed it on his table angrily, making his table shake and a little bit of his tea spill on the table cloth. "Who said you could send Ulyanov to Russland? I didn't authorise this!"
Austria gave a sideways glance at the German Empire, a sturdy looking teenager now, who seemed to be a little perturbed at Prussia's anger. "Your emperor has--"
"How did Wilhelm know about any of this?"
"I told him," the German Empire said, voice steady, but hands shaking slightly. "It was my idea."
Prussia set his infuriated glare at the German Empire, who looked back at him, still calm. Rather reminiscent of Holy Roman Empire's aura.
Prussia exhaled, frustrated, closing his eyes. "Didn't I tell you not to tell him anything?"
"It was the most logical step--"
"I didn't ask you," Prussia spat venomously at Austria, before turning back to his charge. "Answer me."
The German Empire gulped. "You did."
Prussia straightened up, crossing his arms on his chest, fury still emanating from him. "Explain this."
The German Empire took a deep breath. "I wanted to be able to help our war effort."
"So you went against my orders?"
The German Empire was quiet for a few moments, obviously thinking of a way to calm his superior. "Russisches Kaiserreich has become more aggressive--"
"Did I say I needed any help?" Prussia snapped.
The other looked down at his lap and shook his head. "Nein."
Austria sighed. "Preussen--"
"You were behind this, weren't you?" Prussia growled, turning his attention back to Austria. "You encouraged him."
Austria narrowed his eyes at him. "And why shouldn't I? It was a sound plan."
"Sound plan?" Prussia cried, looking as though he wants to choke Austria with his bare hands. "Sound plan? You didn't need to do this! Everything was under control! I made him back off from Transylvannia and Bukarest when your pansy-ass army couldn't!"
"And a great victory, natürlich. I am thankful that you've taken the matter so generously in your own hands, I assure you. Deutches Reich and I, however, deemed it to be much easier for you should Russland be decommisioned from the war. Who knows? Perhaps a new Russland might be able to keep Amerika away while you destroy England's supplies."
Prussia ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "That's what you were fucking afraid of? Amerika? He's nothing but a fucking merchant!"
"A merchant with money," Austria corrected him.
"Amerika won't be able to gather a strong enough army in time. I would have already starved the Inselaffe into surrendering before that happens."
"And what if he does? What if Amerika has by some miracle churned out an army before England surrenders?"
"He won't. I've worked with him before. The brat drags his ass. Even if he forms an army, they'll be too incompetent."
"That was more than a century ago. Amerika has industrialized. He is bigger now. If he joins the Entente, you will lose."
Prussia glared at him. "What the fuck do you know about war?"
"Enough to know that you can't handle this by yourself," he retorted. "Ulyanov has promised to pull out of the war and form an armistice with us when he has fully taken over. He will release all of our captured soldiers."
"And you think this will help? You think this will just magically solve all our problems?"
Prussia was being sarcastic, Austria knows, but he won't back down. "Ja."
"Amerika would be more than willing to attack us if he finds out about what you tried to do with Russland."
"He will never know. Ulyanov's transportation was a covert operation. Most of our ranks don't know. Even Schweiz doesn't know about it. You wouldn't have known we interfered if we hadn't discussed it with you the year before when you shot the idea down."
Austria watched as Prussia merely stood there, seething in rage. He knew that the latter couldn't stop this anymore. He was powerless to overturn it now. It was just like him to be so old-fashioned when it came to warfare.
"Preussen..." the German Empire started, looking earnestly at his superior.
Prussia turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, punching down the guard outside.
The German Empire stood up, fully intending to go after Prussia but Austria stopped him. "Leave him be. Once he cools down, he'll see the advantages of the plan."