I slowly regained consciousness, but not opening my eyes. I felt peaceful, like I was free from the worries of reality, I didn't want to end it just yet. I mentally reprimanded myself for not trying to decipher my surrounding as soon as I came to. I open my eyes, half expecting to be blinded by a bright light, but instead found it rather dim. The first thing in my line of sight were my hands which were in a wooden block which was chained to the concrete floor, but other than that I was pretty much the same as yesterday. Looking up, I discovered that I was in a small room. The walls were made from concrete just like the floor, on the wall across from me was a door. I looked to the ceiling, finding that there was no lights. Craning my neck to look at the wall that my back was propped up against, I discovered a small rectangular hole in the wall that had three metal bars running through it vertically, disqualifying it from being a possible escape route at the moment. The only source of light was what the sun allowed through the tiny space in the wall. I lifted my hands to see how much length the chain had, which wasn't much, maybe half a foot at most. The back of my arm was covered in semi healed burn marks, which still hurt whenever I moved it, and the metal one appeared to have bent a little due to the heat. I mentally cursed, I had said that I would take care of the prosthetic limb and it was already damaged. I focused on attempting to find another way out, examining the room the best I could from my stationary position. I found it similar to a jail cell, except for the fact that the opposite wall was supposed to be several metal bars instead of a full wall, and that there wasn't even so much as a bed. The thought crossed my mind that the room may have been constructed through alchemy. The door creaked open, before a man stepped into the room. His face was hidden behind a black cloak like that Vlad guy from yesterday. He held a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. He shut the door, before leaning his back against it.
"So then, why don't you tell me your name?" he requested, holding pen and clipboard ready to write.
"The black cloaks, are they a team uniform or something?" I asked, completely ignoring the question.
"Your name." he repeated.
"So what are you, Anti-Establishment Movement, Aerugoean militants looking to retake stolen land, or just a violent gang?" I questioned. He sighed in response.
"Fine if you won't do this the easy way, I'll be back." He responded, making certain to inform me that he hadn't given up.
"Looking forward to it." I replied, as the door shut.
"Really?" A voice asked. I glanced over, finding a form hiding in the darken corner. I couldn't make out any features, but from the sound of the voice, it was a child, a male.
"Yeah, I'd love to see who it is I get to fight." I replied, sarcastically.
"That's a weird way to think." He commented, letting out a small laugh.
"It worked last time."
"You've done this before?"
"Kind of," I admitted. Before we could continue the conversation the door opened. In stepped Vlad, smiling like a madman.
"So, I heard we had a defiant little-" he paused, before an expression of recognition came upon his face. "Ah, I recognize you. You're um… um…." He informed me, as he snapped his fingers at each attempt to remember me, his eyes glancing between me and the ceiling. Then a wicked smile came into existence. "I remember now, you're the one who was with that blonde girl." He then showed me that glare of his that was capable of melting lead. "You're the one who cut my comrade!" He shouted, kicking me in the face. I recoiled back, only to be stopped by the chains. "I'm going to find that girl, and give a miserable death right in front of your eyes. I promise you that that will be the last thing you see before I kill you too." I leapt at him, the chains jerking me to a stop just before I could get to him. He just smiled and said, "Looks like I found your trigger," before making for the door.
That was the start of my stay in my own miniature nightmare. I was kept in incarceration for nearly two months, during which I was subjugated to brutal torture, they beat me whenever I refused to answer their questions, which was always, or whenever they just felt like it, they gave barely enough food to avoid starving to death. That wasn't the worst part though, the worst part was the screams of anguish that reverberated throughout the building. The captors did as they wish to the hostages without any regard for their humanity. With the sounds of suffering, both physical and mental, pervading the air, it was akin to the inside of a Philosopher's Stone. The only escape I had was talking with the young boy, whom had stayed in the darkened corner, and was left alone for the most part, which made me believe that there was some semblance of humanity left in the captors. He never told me his name and I never told him mine. It was because, "It wouldn't matter anyway," as he had put it. It was saddening to hear that from a young child, who had probably loved life to its fullest, but now viewed the world through a veil of darkness which put every fault and wrongdoing in plain view for him to see. This side of him was rarely shown though, although it appeared every once and a while. I made attempts to try to keep him hopeful, but none of them worked as far as I could tell. Then, on what would be my last day in that accursed prison, he asked me a question, one much different than all the rest.
"How is it that you can be so hopeful?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Because I know that we'll escape." I answered. "Because, I've always had someone to help me when needed."
"Who?" He urged, me to specify.
"She's the one that saved me. Well actually she saved me several times." I admitted. "When I first met her, I had intended to disappear from the world, to give up on my goals. I was alone before then, I used to be shy when I was young. Even when I got up the courage to actually try to make friends, I would end up being made into a fool. Eventually, I stopped bothering; it seemed like too much trouble to try to change it; I stopped caring. I hid behind a stoic mask in public and pretended to be their puppet. Then I met her that day, when I intended to leave everything behind for the sake of no longer being tormented, she saved me. She pulled me free of the ocean of solitude I threw myself in. She taught me how to be happy again. She's saved me countless times since then. She helped me find my place in the world. That place, I'm certain, is beside her, helping her to find her own as she has me. That is why I know we'll get out, because she's been there for me, and I'll be there for her. Even in this torn up, twisted world, I have hope because of her. In a sense, it's like she's my guardian angel." It was a bit embarrassing to say out that out loud. At this response, the boy's demeanor changed completely. From the silent, sullen figure, he gained an angry presence, as though he were emitting pure malice. A gunshot rang out drawing my attention for a moment, I hadn't heard a gunshot while I was in there before.
"Humans are selfish, they'd leave you to drown if they thought it beneficial to themselves." He spoke, his tone doing little to hide the pure wrath. "They have no shame in causing pain to others, not as long as they can avert their gazes. Even in acts labeled as 'kindness' they are just satisfying some selfish desire to disillusion themselves from the truth, to make themselves feel better about the pain they inflict the rest of the time. They form governments meant to help the masses, but those very facilities will always fail because they're run by mere humans, who let their own greed lead them. Tell me, why is it that you fight while following the rules of those who conspire against you? What makes you thinks that you'll have a chance of success when all possibilities are stacked against you? Wouldn't it just be easier to do away with their rules and make your own, to face them head on, on an even battlefield where a victor can truly be decided? If you want out do away with abiding by their rules, discard your care for your enemies, if you truly wish to protect your 'guardian angel,' do it. Don't let others so much as attempt to stop you, just get up and do it!" By the end of his rant, his voice was beginning to grow coarse. At this time, a man entered the room and looked about. As he did this, the boy stood up from his eternally dark corner and stepped into the middle of the room.
"He wasn't chained up?" I did a mental double take at seeing him clearly for the first time. His black hair grew long as though it hadn't been cut in years, but he didn't look disheveled at all. In fact aside from the long hair, he looked as though he were never here to begin with. His tan shirt and pants were clean, he didn't seem to show any sign of starvation. He glance over to me, and I was almost certain that his eyes glowed red.
"You've seen the hell human society can be to those abandoned by it. Is this the humanity you wished to preserve for yourself? If you don't change yourself, you'll not just end up getting yourself killed, but those you care for as well. Yamato," he spoke, smirking when he caught sight of my reaction. I never told him my name so how did he know. "I'm certain that you will do little more than cause Felicia pain." He paused, his grin growing far wider. This boy had grown extremely creepy. I never mentioned Felicia by name before this point either, it was terrifying. I felt exposed being by this boy who knew so much about me, but I knew little about him. "Or, perhaps she's already decided to abandon you." He added. That last statement was too far, and I leapt at him. The man who had entered the room, kicked me to the side before I could pull the chain to its full length. After this, they filed out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts for the first time since I had gotten there. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
-Felicia's POV-
I managed to get to Central Command a few weeks after being separated from Yamato. It was late afternoon by the time I was actually inside the fortress and sky had turned orange bathing all that the light shined upon in a similar color. I stuck my head out past the side of the Fuhrer's residence. Having been positioned in the corner of the courtyard, I could remain invisible to the rest of the area as long as I stayed between the building and the wall. My plan was to simply wait until Mustang headed to the residence and then meet him when he was alone. I quickly grew tired of waiting for the man, and even considered charging in to get him myself. The sky had begun to turn dark by the time he finally showed up. At least he was alone for the most part, save for Hawkeye, which was expected of him. I mentally berated myself for what I was about to do. I took a deep breath before speaking.
"Hello Mustang." I beckoned, taking a step into his view. I could see both of them tense up immediately. Hawkeye immediately reached for her guns, while Mustang had his hands less than an inch apart to allow for quick transmutation.
"What are you doing here?" Mustang asked, not dropping his guard.
"Good to see you too." I sarcastically replied. "But if you must know, as much as I hate myself for doing this, I'm here because I require your assistance." I added, slowly putting up my hands in an attempt to ease their tensions.
"Why should I believe that?" He questioned.
"For one, while I'd rather be a continent away from you, I'm actually here and I haven't done anything that could be considered hostile, unlike a certain someone." I answered. He narrowed his eyes, before dropping the stance. He reached into his pockets, before donning white gloves, the ones that were most likely used for flame alchemy.
"Alright, I'll hear what you have to say." He relented.
"Sir-" Hawkeye protested.
"But, should you try anything even remotely suspicious, I won't hesitate." He added, not needing to continue that statement for me to understand what he meant.
"You've heard about what happened in Fius, haven't you? A group has just taken over the city." I asked. Upon hearing this, Mustang seemed to grow more suspicious.
"How would you know about that? That information wasn't released to the public." He responded.
"For your information, I was just there." I answered, crossing my arms. "So tell me, why isn't this information being released?" At my question, they both exchanged glances.
"If the information is released they'll kill all the hostages." He replied. I normally would have thought him to be lying, but the tone in his voice sounded far too serious for that.
"I see…" My thoughts went back to Yamato, wondering if he was okay. Who knows what they have done to him, or even if he'd been killed already. I mentally slapped myself for losing myself in the worries that I had pushed away. "Wait, what am I worried about? He may not be good for much, but he's capable of avoiding death. Still, I shouldn't be this worried about him. Regardless, if he dies I'm going to make him pay for convincing me to trust him not to. I will." I returned my attention to the two before me. "Have they specified conditions for their release?"
"They want me." he answered bluntly.
"So, how do you intend to react?" I pressed.
"I don't believe that concerns you." He replied. If I had any patience for the man, it was then gone.
"I believe it does, since I want in." I stated, catching him off guard. I didn't take a genius to guess what his next question would be, so I decided to answer it for him before he could ask. "They have Yamato. He still hasn't repaid his debt to me, and I still require his assistance." I added. He narrowed his eyes.
"And if I don't accept your offer?" He asked.
"Then I'll break in myself and slaughter everyone inside. The people's view on the military will deteriorate and you lose any information from the people inside." I replied. We were at a stalemate, each holding a metaphorical knife to the other. "Don't even bother threatening me with your Flame Alchemy either. You wouldn't want to have a full scale battle here, would you? Or maybe you'd want me to play the helpless victim? I'm sure the sight of the Fürhrer burning a little girl to death in the middle of Central Command would invoke some reaction in the populace. Well, how do you respond?" I questioned.
"It's not like I have much of a choice." He remarked, pulling up his laid back guise. "I'll allow you in, but I want answers, not just from you but Yamato too." He added, a serious face peeking through his guise.
"Good."