Death
The one universal fear among humans.
They fight in the name for so many things.
But in the end, they all fought so they wouldn't die. So someone else would take that fate, and they would keep living.
But... So much can change when you watch everyone you love die in an instant.
Sleepless nights
Tossing and turning. The screams filling your head. The images of a horror movie played in front of you every night behind closed eyelids. Stained forever.
You could never look away. Never forget. Never rest while betrayal, grief and blame bubble up inside and coat a person's reality.
Death changes from a fear to an escape.
Because happy endings don't happen. Why would they be in a world where someone treats their life over everyone else's. With the intention to or not.
Happy Endings...
Don't exist...
The whole room went silent.
"I'll go with you." A new voice came from the door.
"Pride," Victoria said with disgust.
There was a child, no older than 9 or 10, wearing the same uniform of the Personnel. A red and white ringed dot sitting on his forehead. His eyes almost entirely black, the slightest slice of white sitting around the edges of the eyelid. Not a scratch sitting on his skin, not a scar.
Victoria took a quick step towards him, only to find Ed's arm in the way, "He's offering you help." He whispered.
"How are you alive?" She asked with venom. The only homunculus she even considered letting live was Greed. But never Pride. Not on her life would she let him live.
"Thanks to your wonderful brother, Edward. He never killed me." A smirk stretched on his face.
Victoria knew what Pride wanted, and he wasn't getting her to snap at her brother. She just sighed and lightly punched his still outstretched arm, muttering "Idiot."
"Why are you offering your help, Pride?" She said as she walked around Ed into Prides full view.
"I help you. You owe me a favour." His smirk was growing further, "To have a God in your debt..."
"No." She said simply, "I don't do favours. Not for someone like you." She spat back.
"You need me." Pride barked
"No. I don't."
"Then who will go with you?"
Roy slammed his hands on the table, "No one is going anywhere!" He exhaled heavily, "Let's take a step back. Now tell me, Victoria, your whole plan. Start to finish with detail." He pulled a map out from the draw in the desk. It showed the Human Rebellion Facility (HPRF) in a dark black pen, about 20km east from the Capital. It was a 20-minute drive in the bulletproof, hulked out Jeeps. The cars were about twice her height, covered in thick metals and glass to prevent inhabiting of the car. A large generator welded on top, creating a shield much like the ones that surround HPRF. Some idiots painted them all. They all looked like they've gone and hit a few hundred people and paraded through a forest. Green and red paint splattered along the metal plates.
They were beasts. But they did the job they were designed to do.
She placed her finger on the base, "I'll take out one of your Jeeps. Go alone the south-west path you've all created," her finger following more drawn on lines which passes through buildings that no longer stand and places that have been burnt to ashes. "I'll come within two kilometres of the Capital, just before the swarm starts," Her finger sitting just outside a thick black line that circled what was labelled, 'The Capital' and in small writing, 'The Dead Zone'. "Then, I'll simply sneak to where Hohenheim is, at the centre and do the same thing he did to me. Impale him. With my arm."
"How are you going to sneak past all of those souls?" Ed asked, raising an eyebrow
"By sneaking..." She said uncertainly. She laughs nervously, "It doesn't matter details details." Waving him off.
"You sound like your brother..." Roy muttered, "Your plan has too many holes. I can't let you go. You're our most valuable weapon against those souls. We can't lose you." He paused, "Plus your brothers would kill me if I let you die... It almost happened once before..." Roy trailing off.
"What almost happened once before?" Victoria gritting her teeth in annoyance.
"Someone tried to unplug the life support..." Roy said weakly
"She's flatlining!"
"Why are you helping her?!"
"Get me the adeline!"
"SHE'S A MONSTER!"
"Quickly!"
"She made this hell we live in!"
"She's stabilised..."
"You've condemned us all..."
"That's beyond the point. I can do this alone! No one else's life is going to be jeopardised because of a plan I made five minutes ago!" Victoria snapped towards Roy
"You're a nutter." She heard Pride mutter from the door.
"I'll go too." Greed slouched into Pride, leaning onto his head with his elbows.
"Oi! Get off!" The frantic ten year old swatted at Greed, who stayed stubborn.
Roy rubbed his eyes in annoyance, "Another homunculus won't change anything." He groaned
"What about a human," Ling said from the now clogged doorway, his arm reaching above the homunculus.
"And her brother," Ed said as he lightly hit her shoulder.
A smile crept onto her face.
"I can't let you all-" Victoria started to rebel against the idea as Roy intervened.
"I can't let you go alone, Fullmetal. You'll get yourself killed. Make that three humans." He smiled at her, his face softened, "Let's fix this plan and take back out country!" Roy said proudly.
"This is ridiculous, Roy... They all hate me." Victoria whispered to the man as they walked to the common area, full of armed men and women.
"Let's just see." Brushing her off he stood atop a tall box, yelling, "Can I get your attention please?!"
The loud chattered lessened to a low exchange, "Thank you. I've got your attention to discuss a possible mission." the chatter increased, "A dangerous mission." Louder chatter, "But this mission isn't going after humans or finding hoards of Reapers." The voices were overcoming Roy's bombing voice, "We are storming the Capital!"
An uproar of disgust erupted within the crowd.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Didn't you learn?!"
"You lost as much as everyone else the last time we tried that!"
"What has possessed you?!"
Victoria sighed, pulling of Roy's pant leg to get his attention, "Let me try."
Roy just shrugged and jumped down, "Be my guest."
She stood, everyone went almost completely silent, either fear or disgust, who would know, "My name is Victoria Elric, I'm sure you call me among other things," she could hear mutters of offensive names drift around the room, "But that is beyond my point." She barked to quiet them, "You may be scared of me, hate me, envy me, but that is also beyond my point. In the end, I am your only hope of surviving this war."
All was silent but one man in the crowd, tall, rough face, short stubble sitting on his face, bald cut head, wailed, "Hope! HOPE! What bull crap is that?!" He bashed through the crowd until he stood at the base of the crate, "What could a monster like you do to safe us?!" He spat at her face.
She lent down to his face and whispered, "I am the salvation of all the people of this country. And the first step of a person seeking salvation is knowing their own sins... And my friend. I know yours."
"How...?" The man taking in a ghostly breath, his eyes wide in shock, "You can't have..." She grabbed his shirt, holding him back in whispering distance.
"The way my brother looks at you. He doesn't just look that way to any old person. Aside from milk. " She huffed air with a small smile on her face, laughing at her own joke, "He gives that look to people who have hurt those he loves. You unplugged me, my friend... I know your sins. So know your own and go back to where you stood." She dropped his shirt, letting him stumbled backwards before giving her a sacred look, shoving past people back to where he stood.
She straightened up once more and continued, "I come for your help. A king without people is just a lonely, egotistical bastard who wears a crown and hopes people will follow in his stupidity. I cannot save anyone without anyone to save. We storm the Capital as one. We will return as one. We will win as one. Because we can't afford to lose. Losing means death. And death means we gave up when we were too close to see our victory." She paused, "I can't promise victory, and I cannot tell you no one will die on this mission... But I can tell you one thing. We will not lose."
"Eat this!" A woman yelled over the back of the crowd. A large gun, sitting on her shoulder, a white glow coming from the gaps of the gun. Her finger tugged at the trigger, and a single white bullet flew right into Victoria's skull.
The bullet went in, and she fell.
Everything black, her vision gone, her mind quiet.
It took effort and determination but she opened her eyes, her vision swarming and her head pounding, muttering, "Crazy bitch." Before coughing thickly.
"Victoria?!" She heard wailed from her brother, who was holding her head in his lap, tears on the edges of his eyes. Not sure if they were remainders of grief or formation of joy.
Her coughing seised when a bullet bounced on the floor.
She picked it up between her index finger and thumb, standing using Ed. "Where did you get a Reaper from?" She said simply
"How are you alive?!" The same woman yelled.
"I asked first," Victoria said childishly, but when she only got gasps of air from her, she simply stood on the box again, whipping the blood off her forehead with the back of her hand.
"I'm asking for your help. That is all. It is your life. Spend it hoe you wish. I cannot force anyone." She said simply, "So. Who will help save the world?!" She said triumphantly, a small smile on her face. She used this speech on her brothers when she was nine. They were playing knights and dragons. Ed and Al would be the Knights, and Victoria would be the Queen/dragon. She would always win. She was on both sides. How could she lose?
She could see Ed at her side with the same smile on his face. He was about to laugh.
The room quickly emptied, the men and women were not prepared to die quickly. They wanted a slow painful passing. They wanted to peel off the bandage.
As a few man and women stayed and hovered considering their offer.
Ed burst into laughter.
"It wasn't that funny, Eddie." She said with her smile growing. Ed put his hand out and helped her down.
"Yes, madam," Ed said in a horrible English accent. There was a pause. They both ended up leaning on each other laughing.
"Wish, Al could have heard that." She laughed, "He would have loved that."
"What's so funny?" Roy inquired, not looking impressed at all.
"Well... I used a bit of my speech I used when I played Knights and dragons with my brothers when we were little." Victoria said between laughter.
"Straighten up, you two. We're not done here yet." Roy barked at them.
Footsteps echoed towards them.
Victoria wiped a tear away and looked up. Not expecting that many people she opened her mouth and closed it quickly.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, "You did it." Roy whispered, a smile on his face.
There were only five of them. But five was more than she could ever hope of getting.
A man with a scar that ran down the left side of his face, disappearing into his long brown hair and down his neck.
A man, blond, missing a finger... Or two... He was missing four fingers across his two hands.
A woman, natural red hair, short, just below her chin. A scar running through her eye. A milky gaze shot through her as she looked stone cold wherever she gazed.
A man, the only odd feature was how scarless his face was until he turned his head to reveal a missing ear under brown hair.
A child... A boy... His eyes would tell you other wise. He was no older than thirteen. He was just like Ed... Long brown hair was hanging over his eyes.
But they all held guns and showed their scars proudly. Because they were done with the world, they live in. They wanted their lives back.
"I just want to see the sun..." The kid squeaked, "I hear it's beautiful... But Reapers are always coating the sky... I-I... I want that right back."
Victoria smiled and nodded. He was just like Eddie.
Four years ago
The huge doors squeezed open with a mighty howl. Gun planted towards the gap, shaking and fearing. Scars rare among the newly recruited soldiers.
Men, women and children come spilling through the gap. Crying, wailing and frantically following the directions of the commanding men who came in with them.
The swarm of incomes lessened, no more entering, a blond woman standing frantically looking out of the crack.
"Closing! Stand by!" A loud voice announced.
"NO! Wait! Roy's still out there!" The woman wailed
"He has ten seconds! Can you see him!" A loud snap triggered the door to begin to slowly close
"No! But you can't- Wait! There he his! HURRY! ROY!" Her arm extending out to the man. Their fingers interlocked and she pulled the man into the hanger.
Sprawled under the man, her blush increasing when Roy said, "Thank you, Riza." Laughing quietly, "You've saved my life more times than I can count."
"You're welcome, Roy."
Four years ago
Ling ran, stumbling over rocks, the dead and useless gear. A child sat in one of his arms as he shot widely at the Reapers following him.
He wailed and screamed, tears escaping his eyes as he covered the child who clung to his chest copying his actions.
"Greed! Greed! Where the hell are you?! Greed! Greed you bastard!"
"Mummy! Take me back to my, Mummy! I want my Mummy!"
His feet pulsed and begged for him to stop running, Reapers nipping at his heels, how could he stop.
His ankle turning sideways as he stepped into a hole, he fell, covering the child.
They fell, waited to die. Huddled in a sharing ball, a child surrounded by a praying man for death to come quickly.
Death was delayed, delayed... Delayed.
Ling peaked his eyes towards where the Reapers were.
"GREED!"
"Can you walk?" His hand extended down towards them; a large gun slung over his shoulder.
"How...? Our... Our guns don't work..." Ling noticed scorch marks along Greeds body, "What did you do?"
"That wasn't what I asked..." Greed avoided the question
"Yeah. I can. Now answer mine." Ling took his hand, the child still in his arm.
"All you need to know is they're gone. The end. Be happy you and the kid are alive, Ling."
Four years ago
He shock nervously as he briskly walked through the halls of the HPRF.
He couldn't do it.
But he knew he had to.
Plastering a fake smile as he walked past others, greeting them happily, commenting on how quiet it was today, keeping conversation show and about the weather.
His footsteps echoed heavily in the empty hanger. His eyes landing on a child that stood at the gate, his hand placed on the cold metal, starring like he could see to the other side.
He approached the child, placing his hand on the child's shoulder, "What are you doing, son?"
"Dad hasn't come back yet... Dad always comes back but... He always does! He promised he would." The little boy said with quivers in his speech.
A resistance force squad had been killed, due back three days ago, not a word on the radio after reporting finding a nest of Reapers.
This was why he had to do it.
No more pain.
No more suffering.
They will be in control!
He silently moved from the child over to the control panel.
He pulled the plastic cover off, brushing his finger along a button that read 'open doors'.
The child sobbed.
He slammed the button, "To freedom!"
The door creeped open and reapers rushed in, a white cloud engulfing the area.
Present
"Get some M-60's loaded, and an HK-416 each! Don't forget canisters. We're dead without them." Roy demanded to the five volunteers who ran frantically to load the two Jeeps.
"I don't see why we can't come!" Al reclaimed to herself and Eddie.
"Because you're still healing," Ed explained.
"I'm fine!"
"You're really not." I reinforced
"That doesn't explain why I can't come." Winry pouted
"Your voice."
She opened her mouth to complain, but Ed interrupted by hugging both her and Al, "Just stay home. And stay safe." Ed pleaded
"Fine." Winry sighed, "Only if you both stay safe," Her arm extended to myself.
Joining the hug hearing, "Yeah, you better come home." From Al.
"We promise," Ed replied, I simply nodded.
"Fullmetal! Victoria! Let's go!" Roy wailed from the Jeep.
"Stay safe!" Al proclaimed
We simply waved back, sad smiles on all our faces.
Roy debriefed us all of a final time, "If someone dies... Keep going." His statement harsh but truthful, "More will die if you stop."
"Let's go!" The eight loading into two Jeeps.
The large doors crept open slowly, the old joints screening in protest. The sound of souls shaking their hearts and welling up fear. The young boy brought his gun closer to himself but kept his face dull. He was brave or at least trying to look it.
Just like Ed.
The road became arid quickly, the path disappearing and Roy drove faster, throwing the contents and persons off balance.
"Ow!"
Victoria's head spun towards a box of guns, which just exclaimed in pain, "AL! Winry?! What the hell!"
"What do you mean 'Al', 'Winry'?" Ed wrapping his head around the seat in front, his eyes laying upon the box they were crawling out of.
"What are you thinking?!" Victoria protested, "Do you know how dangerous this is?"
"That's why we did it. We can't let you guys die!" Winry insisted.
Roy simply laughed.
Then she sighed, "You die. I'll kill you."
"It's gonna get real bumpy ahead. Take a seat on someone you two." Roy insisted.
Victoria reached for Winry and let her arms act as a seat belt; Ed took Al in the front. After an awkward shuffle over the centre console.
Victoria's eyes hardened when she saw the swarm of souls circling and screening endlessly.
"Brace for impact!" Roy wailed as we entered the edge of the swarm. The Jeep shook and rocked violently as souls surrounded the shield.
Roy blurted commands over the radio, and the came to a sudden halt.
This is as close as we're getting on the road. Roy tinkered with the switches, "I'm expanding the shield," the generator on the roof buzzed unpleasantly, "It may explode. Which will also keep Reapers away." shrugging his shoulders.
The generator rattled and clicked as Roy pushed a large button, "That should do it."
Truth be told, the shield began to shift the souls further outwards unmasking an uprooted ground. The soil and concrete from the city pointed dangerously outwards, forming a rose like creation if looked from above.
It was beautifully heart breaking.
"No time to stand around. Time to go!" Roy ordered as he threw me a gun.
"I don't need this."
"Someone else might," Roy said without looking at her, his eyes looking off to the city.
"I'm sorry. I know what you're thinking... I just can't bring people back from the dead, Roy. It doesn't work like that." My hand rested on his shoulder.
"Move out!"
In reality, we should have made it out of the shield to the walls of previous central command... Without losing someone... Anyone...
Tears leaked from my eyes as those she didn't want to follow fell around me. But she kept going. Because more would fall if she stopped and grieved for each.
Red hot fear surrounded me, flowing between us all. We all just ran.
Victoria saw him. In the middle of it all.
His body fallen to his knees. His arms limp at his side.
He was killing himself.
But she couldn't get close enough to release him.
She stood a metre from him, a barrier of souls swimming in the air, acting as a barrier in itself.
She pressed her hand onto the wall to try to absorb the souls, only to have them replaced instantly.
"Damn it!" Victoria punched the barrier. Screams bouncing off the wall in response, "LET ME IN! LET ME IN OLD MAN!... Please... Just let me in..." She rested her head on the wall in defeat.
Her body seemed to feel hot as gravity acted upon me, she fell forward for a moment before catching myself.
He had let her in...
She felt his hot skin as my hand brushed his lower back, hesitating as she heard a dry, distant, echoed voice say, "... I'm sorry..."
"I know." She closed her eyes, "I forgive you. You stupid old man." Her eyes burned and her throat raw as the two of them wailed in pain as the souls drifted from one vessel to the next.
3rd Person selective - Ed
Victoria looked angry. Something must have gone wrong...
He looked away for a moment to focus on his brother's order. The moment he looks back. She's gone.
Then a wave of energy knocks everyone off their feet, stirring the dust and debris.
Once the dust cleared, silence filled the air. The souls scream so constant, so loud... Gone.
She'd done it.
Ed heard Roy and the young boy yell in victory.
But the Brothers... We're losing someone they didn't want to lose.
She stood upon a small mound. The purist white coating her body.
A smile crossed her face, and she simply said, "I'll always be looking after you. I'll never leave your sides." Her warm smile seeping into the brother's memories.
Then she was like dust in the wind, gone but always in the corner of your eye.
A/N: I'm not dead!
Sorry, it took so long to update DX I've been so busy!
Not sure if you people wanted more with this or not. But I feel like I would drag it out too much and ruin it. So here's the end.
Hopefully, I've not left anything hanging in the air. Everything is cool and such
If you want an Epilogue drop a review or PM me!
Hope you all enjoyed XD
Thanks for reading XD