"No ones' disappearing. Go get packed, we're leaving at sixteen hundred hours."
Chapter Three-Cold
White flakes drifted in through the broken rear window, coating everything they touched. It's soft looking texture and slow dance to the ground concealed it's dangerous intentions. The degrees was dropping noticeably now as the sky darkened. The west side of the mountain was quiet. A serene picture of nature's beauty as dusk began taking over. And considering how much snow was falling, it wouldn't be long before the one object that was out of place, would be covered. By the first rays of sunlight, the car would no doubt be completely concealed. The stillness around the crashed vehicle made it all the more real that no one was coming. No one even knew they were here and by morning it would become all the more impossible to find them. This fact made it difficult to stay calm however after facing death so many times in war and otherwise, General Mustang had not given up just yet. Perhaps someone would drive up the pass that he so recently destroyed and see the car off to the side or at least the tire tracks that indicated where they swerved off. Of course he also knew that time was ticking and soon there would be no tracks. He tried to open the door only to find it frozen. He would have to get his other arm free but as much as he struggled, his shoulder was still pinned. There was of course always the unlikely event that the tree could miraculously pull back and release him from it's hold. The idea made him sigh heavily. Highly unlikely. He was an alchemist after all and knew the laws of the world quite well. He couldn't even bring his hands together in order to dissolve the metal prison around them. Trying to think around the headache claiming his logic coming up with a plan seemed an even larger challenge. Glancing back, he confirmed his arm was not only pinned at the shoulder but was twisted backwards, pressed between the seat and large stump that was occupying the tight surroundings.
Letting out another tired sigh, he realized that even if he could get free, he wouldn't be able to lift Edward, considering his injuries. As much as he tried to get him to wake up, there had been no response. Although he really didn't have any medical experience, he assumed it had to do with that hit he took to the head. As much as he thought Edward was so hard headed, he also knew how easily he tended to overdue things and get injured. But this seemed different. The lack of his ranting away at the situation made his condition something to be concerned about. A shiver ran it's course through the General's body, agitating his own condition. The pain coming from his ribs was enough to stop his breath. The small puffs came out stifled now as he had to concentrate on breathing normal. Deciding he needed to remain still, he realized that was going to be difficult due to the temperature dropping. If only Ed would wake up, maybe he could get out and go for help. Of course he also wasn't sure how much further down the mountain the next town was. They were definitely too far away from Northern Command right now.
The cold seemed to go all the way down to General Mustang's core. In a feeble attempt to stay warm, he brought his coat tighter around his midsection, hissing from the pain that accompanied the movement. He wished the pain would subside even a little from the cold, but as numb as he felt, he could still feel the dull throbbing in his side. The constant discomfort cause him to break out in a cold sweat which only made him feel even more miserable. The wind howled outside, coming in through the back window. Just when he thought it couldn't get any colder, the wind managed to prove him wrong. The frame around them shifted from the sudden gust causing the crushed vehicle to creak in response. It was loud enough that he held his breath in. He didn't think the car could move however the way it rocked back and forth made him worried. After everything settled again, he slowly released his breath. This predicament was so abnormal, he wasn't sure what to expect next. Perhaps an abominable snowman would appear and save the day. After everything he had seen in his life, nothing would surprise him. A slight shifting in the uncomfortable seat caused his side to throb louder and he could feel the warm blood sliding down his side, soaking his uniform even more. He brought his free hand over, clutching the injury and growling at the intensified pain as he applied more pressure to it. Guilt plagued his mind, in the silence around him, There was no distraction here other then pain and he knew the obvious accusation would eventually surface from his thoughts.
'This whole thing is your fault. It would be one thing if you had come alone, but you dragged Edward into it as well, out of spite and now you both might die and no one will know. They may never even find your bodies.' The thought was like a vice, gripping him by the chest and crushing him. He had to remind himself to breath. Ed had a family, hell he had a family now and if they didn't make it back what would happen to the people they held so close to them. He couldn't help but smile at the irony. Perhaps this was what he deserved all along. For his sins on the battlefield. Even though he had made sure there would never be another Flame Alchemist after him, perhaps this was just the world's way of saying that he shouldn't even be trusted with such a powerful weapon. That this was the world's way of getting rid of him completely. 'It's just like what happened to Hughes all over again. You got someone else involved and now they're paying with their life.' Although no one would ever replace Hughes, over the past couple of years, he and Ed had gotten closer. Once the kid stopped acting like a kid and settled down, he was actually someone that Roy didn't mind spending time with. And where Hughes had been lacking in knowledge of alchemy, Ed made up for. He found himself smiling again, thinking of his old friend. Even though he managed to get more work done with Ed around, he would admit and only to himself that he missed the interruptions, where Maes would proudly proclaim his love for his daughter and wife. To a degree now, he actually understood it more since Riza and he had been married for well over a year. He dragged his onyx gaze back over to the driver's side of the vehicle. Ed's breath was coming out in small puffs indicating his breathing had become shallow. Worry worked it's way up from the pit that had been forming in Roy's stomach and choked him by the throat. He had to think. Had to keep fighting. Had to figure this out.
'I can't just let us die! Not like this!'
A/N-Now reviews not only come with a faster update but a free puppy...that talks...he says roof...a lot. Still pretty cool and you should review :)