Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my wonderful readers! Wishing you a magical and beautiful year to come! All the best! Love you all!
Enjoy the next chapter!
Previously:
Steve & Ed talked after Bucky's fall (finally!) with Ed sharing some secrets with Steve. Also, the two of them sat down with the Colonel who now knows about the automail. All in preparation for storming the final Hydra base!
Colonel Phillips' POV – Outside final Hydra base
Colonel Phillips watched as Elric fidgeted next to him and only just restrained himself from making a comment.
He isn't a soldier.
The Colonel needed to keep repeating those words in his head, just like he had been for over the two-year period he had known the troublemaker of a teenager.
Young adult he had been corrected the other day.
He still refused to believe that though. He couldn't pin the exact reason though as to why but something kept nagging him in the back of his mind. Whether it was Elric's attitude, age, appearance, METAL LIMBS, something made the Colonel hesitate.
It possibly was the look Elric had. From the day the Colonel had met Elric, he had noticed the guarded gaze, the weight on the teenager's – young adult's – shoulders. Sometimes, he had even caught the haunted look on Elric, as if he had been reminded of some distant, horrible memory.
I hadn't been an exaggeration when the Colonel had compared the expression Elric wore at times to that of a weathered soldier, of someone who had seen hell and survived to tell the tale.
What tale that was, the Colonel didn't know and he doubted he would ever know with how damn secretive Edward was.
The Colonel even wondered if that story had been shared with the Captain of not.
Even with the conversation they had had, the Colonel was no where closer to discovering the mystery that was Edward Elric was.
Speaking of…
Elric was fidgeting once more, glancing at the time on his pocket watch. That pocket watch. The Colonel could tell it was made of silver, he had noticed that the first time he had laid eyes on it, and he wondered how Elric could have afforded it.
Or, better yet, why the young adult hadn't sold it to get SOME extra money: he didn't look like he had much to his name.
And the design on it. The Colonel had only caught glimpses of it but he could tell it was elaborate, not like anything he had previously seen on other pocket watches. The significance of the overall design though remained lost to him.
As previously mentioned, Elric was a mystery that only offered more questions that answers.
The Colonel breathed deeply, turning his focus on –
Gun. Elric was carrying – HANDLING – a gun, checking it with all too much ease for the Colonel's liking. He wracked his mind, going through every report the Howling Commandoes had sent in and he didn't ever remember reading about the team TEACHING Elric how to use a GUN. Even though it did not look like Elric was particularly fond of holding the weapon, it didn't excuse the fact that he was going to use it.
Had he already…?
Yes. The Colonel then remembered the instance of Elric saving Sergeant Barnes by shooting a Hydra soldier. That's all that had been mentioned in the report, just that both made it out of the situation. Perhaps the Colonel should have grilled the team for more information, especially considering the fact that Elric had been given and had been using a gun!
Well, there was no time like the present to get SOME answers from the elusive young adult.
"Do you know how to use that? Well?" the Colonel asked, motioning towards the gun.
Elric glanced towards the man, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "You're asking me that now?"
The Colonel really did not like the tone Elric was sing. He clearly needed to learn some respect! Phillips gritted his teeth as he just managed to say, "No one had given me any details on your knowledge on firearms. I assumed you stayed out of the line of fire unless completely necessary."
Elric just stared for a moment, looking even more confused. "No, I use it. Have for a while. I don't like it and, from the look on your face, you don't like it either but it needs to be done. I'm not sitting back and doing nothing. Not again."
The Colonel realized then that his frown had deepened at Elric's explanation but it didn't lessen at the thought of the young adult using a gun. It didn't even begin to encompass the whole idea of somehow Elric LEARNING how to use said weapon. Who taught him? When?
WHY?!
The Colonel looked forward to shutting Hydra down if that also meant sending Elric away from the front lines for good.
"Sir."
A Sergeant handed the Colonel a radio receiver and he returned his attention on the plan, on storming the Hydra base.
There was no use focusing on the enigma that was Edward Elric.
He could wait. Hydra couldn't.
Ed's POV
I was almost too happy when Colonel Grumpy's focus went back to the mission and off of me: he had been studying me all too intently since we stopped our advance and his questions didn't help the situation.
How did he not know I used a gun? Had he really assumed I stayed away during the raids? Had he really assumed I let the others do the fighting?
Whatever the case, he'll get a rude awakening once we get the green light to storm the final Hydra base.
The green light given by Jim who was a part of the third team to infiltrate said base. Steve would be the first to go, solo on top of that, bursting through the main entrance atop the motorcycle that Howard had upgraded immensely with traps and weapons.
Well that was the plan at least…
I had needed to bite my tongue about Steve going in alone because the plan relied on him being the most likely candidate to be brought to the Red Skull directly. Well, apart from me but I doubt ANYONE on the team would allow me to go in ALONE…
Once Steve was brought to the Red Skull, the second team, Dum Dum, Dernier, and Jones, would burst into Schmidt's office to help Steve.
And, because of all those distractions, a team led by Jim and Monty would infiltrate the base, opening the way for the assault team.
The team I was a part of; the one with Colonel Grumpy, nearly a hundred soldiers and, thankfully, Peggy.
I was not sure how she finally convinced the Colonel to let her onto the front lines but I was glad she was there.
I don't think I would have agreed to be split from the rest of the Howling Commandos if Peggy had been ordered to stay behind. Yes, I wanted to try to keep the peace with Colonel Grumpy after our conversation about my automail but that didn't mean I was going to storm the base without SOMEONE having my back.
From the one on one I had had with Peggy before the mission, I knew she'd do just that.
We had managed to speak somewhat before getting on an airplane here, about the previous mission, about this one, about how Steve had found out about my secret, and… about Bucky. The hug she gave me helped more than I thought it would.
At least I still had Peggy and Steve with me. And they both know most of my secrets. It almost felt refreshing honestly.
It gave me some hope for later, for when I would eventually have to tell the others.
At least I had Steve and Peggy.
Speaking of…
Peggy came up next to me, readjusting her grip on her machine gun. "Ready?"
I shrugged, glancing in the direction of the Hydra base. "As ready as I'll ever be. I'll be happy once this will all be over."
"I couldn't agree more," she replied with a sigh. "Hydra needs to be stopped once and for all."
That was true. But… One this was over, the others were going to hear about my secrets. I nearly scoffed at how storming the Hydra base and telling the others made me equally nervous…
And, on top of all that, Howard was going to examine my automail after this mission. We didn't have the time to share that information with Howard because of all the preparations that needed to be completed or the final fight. However, once Hydra was done and gone for good, then… Then I no longer had any excuses.
Besides, if Howard examined them and somehow figured out Winry's designs, then automail could possibly help others like Sousa. It may just be worth it.
If Howard didn't break my automail…
"Move out!" ordered the Colonel loudly.
I jumped slightly at his voice before I shared a look with Peggy. We readied our weapons before following all the soldiers down the hill, towards the Hydra base.
Here went nothing.
I slid behind a tank, taking aim at the Hydra soldiers running towards us and shooting several of them in the leg or shoulder, pushing down my unease at seeing them fall to the floor.
But, if I didn't stop them, then they would disintegrate S.S.R. soldiers with their modified weapons…
I truly did hope this would end soon.
I pushed myself up, continuing to run towards the entrance to the base. I needed to keep moving. Moving was the key to not be an easy target for Hydra. I briefly saw men burst into blue specks after getting hit but I tried to push that aside. I needed to focus.
Or I could end up just like them.
I was nearing the entrance and I began noticing that the allied and enemy soldiers were getting more and more condensed together. That wasn't good. I pocketed my gun, running past a collapsed weapons' rack and slowing down just long enough to break off a rod from the shelving unit. I swung it like a staff, content with the weight before continuing towards the entrance.
No matter how could of a shot I was, I was not risking hitting an ally by accident in this mess.
I swung my makeshift staff, nailing at Hydra soldier in knee and making him buckle, collapsing to the ground. I kicked his head as I ran past, hoping that was enough to render him unconscious.
Another swipe knocked the gun out of another one's hands before the end of the staff made contact with a stomach of a third. Just keep moving forward.
I dodged to the side, swinging the staff and smacking my assailant in the face. I took another step back –
The impact with someone made me whirl around, raising my staff and –
The Colonel and I stared at each other for a moment, our weapons raised. I nodded towards him before swinging my staff away and nailing a Hydra soldier as I heard the Colonel's gun go off.
"Why am I not surprised!" he called out as he moved to my left side, shooting down some more Hydra soldiers.
"'Bout what?" I yelled back, using the staff as a support as I kicked a soldier.
"You, your fighting style. Not using a gun!"
"This make more of an impact!"
I barely caught the scoff and the head shake from the Colonel at my response before I elbowed a Hydra soldier in the face. Well, I will take his reaction as a small victory: that may be the closest someone had ever gotten to him even considering cracking a smile!
The Colonel and I remained near enough to each other as we fought our way into the Hydra base. I will give them this: they were not going down without a fight! There were MANY more soldiers in this base than any other one we had infiltrated in the past.
As we turned the corner, a Hydra soldier came running towards us, gun raised and yelling out, "Cut off one head and two more shall take its place!"
He was shot without hesitation by the Colonel and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the over used statement of all Hydra soldiers.
"Then let's find two more," said the Colonel and I choked back a laugh.
I had NOT been expecting any type of humour from Colonel GRUMPY of all people, in the middle of battle none the less!
I caught him glancing in my direction and I cleared my throat, trying to hide my smile. His eyes squinted slightly but he dropped whatever he was about to say continuing down the corridor instead.
With a shake of my head, I followed him and we took care of several other Hydra soldiers in this IMMENSE base of… of…
Wait…
I slowed to a stop at an intersection, straining my ears, trying to pick up the sound I thought I had heard amidst all the gunshots and yelling. I thought I had –
THERE!
I glanced to my left, breathing deeply. That was the sound of Steve's shield. Steve was nearby. The Colonel had stopped further up the corridor, eyeing my carefully. It had been a change fighting alongside the Colonel but I needed to get to someone. I was not going to leave him alone in the middle of this fight.
He was stuck with me anyway.
"Steve's that way, I'm going to him," I stated, already running down the corridor, not waiting for the Colonel's response.
Whether he was going to follow me or not, it didn't matter, I needed to get to Steve. I hadn't been anywhere near Bucky when I lost him, I was not going to have a repeat with Steve!
I stopped at another intersection, glancing left and right, trying to hear any sound over my heavy breathing that could pinpoint me in the direction of…
My eyes widened at the sight of the figure running several feet away.
That was the Red Skull!
I hesitated for half a moment before taking off after him. Steve would be going after that asshole anyway. If the two of us could be together to fight him, maybe, just maybe we would have a chance to beat him!
Oh fuck!
A huge Hydra soldier was looming near the next intersection, covered in armour and… and I wasn't too sure what all that tubing and wiring was for. Instead of focusing on that, I shoved him, trying to get him to lose balance. Hopefully because of all the stuff he was wearing, it would take a while to even sit up straight!
The man staggered and I kept running, spotting Schmidt sprint through a set of doors.
Doors that were slowly closing!
"Ed! Duck!"
That – that was Steve's voice!
I didn't question the order, crouching down, using my hand to steady myself as I continued to run and –
That's why.
Steve's shield flew over me, lodging itself in the closing doorways just in time, keeping them open wide enough for me to pass under the shield and keep going. Steve's voice didn't seem that far away so he will probably catch up soon anyway!
Past the doors was a ridiculously large hangar with an equally ridiculously large airplane sitting in the middle of it. S.S.R. and Hydra soldiers were fighting all around me but my focus was on the retreating back of the Red Skull. He was making a beeline towards the airplane, ignoring the chaos around him.
"Oh no you don't, asshole," I muttered, running after him: he was NOT going to get away! Not now, not ever again!
I dodged past several fights and, when I caught sight of Schmidt once more, he was climbing a ladder, into the airplane and I lost sight of him moments later. That asshole… It just had to be a damn airplane!
A few Hydra soldiers ran up to the ladder as well and I cursed out loud. I did not need more people to –
They each fell to the ground, one after another, and lay there, motionless.
Dead.
Who…?
I spotted Jim lowering his riffle slightly from where it was pointing towards the fallen Hydra soldiers. He caught my gaze and nodded. I returned the gesture, bridging the gap to the ladder and quickly climbing up.
Maybe I can get to that asshole before he took off on the monstrosity so that… that…
What the fuck…?
This place was HUGE! Where the hell did the Red Skull go?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Why can't I for ONCE have it easy?!
I ran through the corridor, taking an arbitrary right and hoping I chose correctly. If Schmidt went to the airplane, he wanted to fly away and, from past experiences, he was most likely to one wanting to pilot the damn thing. Like he'd trust anyone else with that job…
I needed to find the cockpit of this fortress of an airplane and stop the Red Skull before –
The ground shifted and I stumbled to the side, hitting the wall.
No…
Fucking shit…
I pressed myself against the wall, attempting to take a deep breath. Why was I still not used to airplanes flying?! It's been months – years even! – and nausea still managed to creep up on me, my body tensing.
Why did it have to be a damn airplane?!
I took another breath, pushing myself off the wall. Maybe – maybe if I get to the cockpit in time, I'd be able to keep the airplane on the ground since it hasn't seemed to have lifted off just yet: it was just rolling. Just rolling. I can still handle it.
I can.
Besides, I hadn't seen an exit from the hangar. That meant that Schmidt needed to get this monstrosity somewhere else before it took off. That should give me some time at least.
I just hoped I was right or else this will be the worse airplane ride I will have ever been on…
Continuing down the corridor, I turned a corner and –
"Fuck!" I hissed, bouncing off the body of a – damn it all! – a Hydra soldier!
Before he could recover, I punched him square in the jaw, knocking him back and to the floor. He landed with a heavy thud and I scanned the hallway ahead and behind me, hoping no one heard any of that.
I waited several heartbeats before glancing back at the Hydra soldier. I lifted his arms and began dragging him back to where I came from. I thought I had seen a door and, turning a corner, I had been right!
After kicking open the door, I shoved the man inside. There. That should ease any suspicions that I was on this airplane and I could possibly have an easier time getting to the cockpit.
I suddenly felt my stomach flop and my heart dropped.
No… I – I still had time… I was supposed to…
This monstrosity was airborne.
I knew that horrible feeling anywhere.
This monstrosity was airborne and I was alone.
I was alone on a Hydra airplane, filled with Hydra soldier, the Hydra leader and…
How was I supposed to get this THING back on the ground?!
My breathing was shaky as I processed the situation I was in, that I put myself in. I still hadn't learned to think things through apparently! If I took out Schmidt, who would know how to pilot the airplane?! Yes, I read books about airplanes, more than I cared to admit but that didn't make me in anyway an expert on FLYING them! I knew each component but…
Maybe I should have taken Howard's offer to teach me. That is, if I would have managed to keep the contents of my stomach down long enough for him to show me the controls while he was flying. It's not like he could teach… me now…
Wait.
Howard was at the Hydra base. When the S.S.R. took control of the base, he was supposed to come in and assess the weapons. And, if this airplane was as sophisticated as it looked, it should have a radio to communicate with the base. Howard may be able to help if I can get to that radio and get whoever will be manning it on the other side to get Howard!
Feeling slightly better about this crazy plan, I made a U-turn, heading in the same random direction as before, keeping an eye out for any other Hydra soldiers in the area.
I seemed to have gotten turned around more than once before I came across a large open room. I scanned the area, brushing back my hair that had begun flying around my face and noticed all the many small, one passenger airplanes, each of them had a name painted across the side, a name of a major city in the United States.
That fucker… The weapons they had been building were to attack these cities! And probably even more!
Well, if I can get this airplane back to the base, somehow, then the S.S.R. could take care of these weapons.
Or use them… That dark thought had me frowning deeply. I hoped I was wrong…
I returned my attention to the area, searching for any signs of Hydra soldiers. I came up empty but I did see one the airplane hatches open and the plane missing: that explained the strong winds in this room… But why was it empty? If the pattern remained the same, then that small airplane should be destined for a major city in the United States. And, no matter how I don't pay attention when on flights, I knew we weren't in the air long enough to even possibly have reached the continent yet.
As I approached the open hatch and the wind picked up, my stomach grew queasy as I could now see all too well how fucking high up in the air we were. I quickly looked away from the clouds and the ocean below, taking a deep breath and –
I froze.
Red. White. Blue.
A shield.
Steve's shield. Next to the open hatch.
Steve…
St – Steve was… He…
Come on, breathe… Each inhale was shaky as I spun around, searching for any signs of… of Steve. He needed to be… to be…
SOMEWHERE!
He didn't fall. He didn't fall.
He didn't…
Not like Bucky…
But where was Steve…?
My body was shaking as I reached for the shield and I was damn thankful I grabbed it with my automail hand. I don't know if I would have had any grip on the shield with my left hand.
Steve… Where the hell –?
I jumped, tumbling to the ground at the loud crash that resounded through the area. My gaze flitted everywhere, searching for any sign of what had happened.
Airplanes? Hatches? Doors? Hydra soldiers?
What was that?
I shakily managed to stand just as footsteps echoed nearby, getting closer. I pulled out my handgun, aiming it forward as I lifted the shield to protect myself from –
"St – Steve?!"
He skidded to a halt upon seeing me and his entire body tensed, his eyes wide and fearful. I quickly holstered my gun and lowered the shield, jogging towards him, relief washing over me. Was he alright? Had he been hurt? How was he on the airplane? What had happened?
"Steve, you're okay, I thought –"
I didn't have time to finish my sentence before Steve engulfed me into a tight hug, holding me close and nearly crushing me against him. I choked, not having expected that reaction and confused by the sudden show of affection. I thought he had fallen out of the hatch! What had he thought had happened to me?
"What's – what's wrong?" I asked softly, just managing to lift my arms to return the hug.
I felt Steve take a shaky breath, his hold increasing just slightly before he released me, taking a step back.
"Sorry," he mumbled, taking another deep breath, this one steadier than before as he massaged his head. "Sorry, it was the way you were. He… Bucky was standing almost exactly like you were… Gun, shield, an opening behind you and I just picture you falling…"
Oh… I sighed, my shoulders slumping at the mention of Bucky and of that day. And, hearing more details about it… I don't know how I felt about it.
"Well, to be fair," I began softly, wanting to move the conversation away from Bucky, "I thought you were the one that had fallen when I found this." I held out his shield.
Steve slowly grabbed it and we stared at each other for some time and I was sure we both were trying to get our wits back together after that horrible scare.
I knew I was.
And neither one of us could take on the Red Skull if we weren't 100% focused on that task and that task alone.
"This needs to end," said Steve, hooking his shield onto his arm. "Today."
"I couldn't agree more."
Steve and I shared a look, nodding at the same time before he slowly and quietly opened the door. When I thought I was looking for the cockpit, I was wrong: I should have been looking for a full-blown control room.
Of course, there was a damn control room on this so-called airplane.
My gun was ready as I followed Steve, both of us scanning the area as we quietly moved forward, searching for the elusive leader of Hydra. He must be somewhere seeing as it didn't look like anyone was flying this damn airplane.
That didn't help with my anxiousness…
Where was that asshole?
The distinct sound of a Hydra weapon charging behind us was the only warning we got. Steve and I whirled around, spotting the Red Skull walking towards us, gun raised.
And he fired.
I dove to the side, rolling several feet away as I heard an impact on Steve's shield and glass shattering.
Wind began whipping around us but I still managed to catch Schmidt's words.
"You don't give up do you?"
"Nope!"
I glanced over some machines in time to see Steve charge towards Schmidt, shield raised to block another shot.
I needed to do something!
Raising my gun, I aimed it at the Red Skull as that asshole fired once more at Steve. I shot quickly, wanting to at least try to make an impact before the two of them collided.
They did collide.
But my shot missed.
Fuck!
I stood, noticing for the first time the blue glow from the machine I was crouching behind. That glow was the same as the one from Hydra's weapons.
The blue glow that still looked all too familiar…
I shook my head. This was not the time to think about that.
I ran around the machine, towards Steve and Schmidt, raising my gun once more. There! An opening happened and I squeezed the trigger to –
Click.
DAMN IT!
I tossed the empty gun to the side, cursing some more. Steve had thankfully managed to knock Schmidt's weapon away but… his shield went flying too. As Steve got punched in the gut, doubling over, I vaulted over him, aiming a kick to Schmidt's chest. He dodged just in time and I flew past him.
Damn it! I rotated my body to try and land faster. I couldn't – neither of us could – let the Red Skull get the upper hand in this fight, not for even a moment!
As I landed, Steve threw a punch. It didn't connect but the dance between the three of us continued, not letting up. The moment Steve got shoved away, I was there to take his place, swinging with all my strength to try to even faze that asshole!
If Steve's punches only seemed to inconvenience him, mine were but mere mosquito bites…
I guess I'll be using my automail then.
It's not like he didn't know about my limbs anyway: I'm sure Zola mentioned something. If he hadn't hesitated with Colonel Grumpy, he must have been all too happy to tell his boss.
"You'd betray your own people?" snarled Schmidt as I ducked under a punch aimed at my face.
"You're not my people," I spat out, ramming into him, trying to trip him to the floor.
"Pest," he growled, pushing back for a moment before intentionally moving aside.
I lost my footing at that, gasping out.
That motherfucker!
I twisted my body, throwing my hands in front of me to stop my fall and –
I was yanked back, my right shoulder pulling suddenly and painfully. What had –?
"Ed!"
A knee impacted my back and I cried out, pain flaring through my body.
"You have been a pain in my side for far too long, brat," growled Schmidt as I fell to my knees, my right shoulder pulling even more.
I glanced up, squinting through the pain, my breathing laboured as I… I…
Schmidt snapped my automail at the elbow.
Steve slammed into him, sending both of them flying away.
My… My automail…
My arm fell heavily next to me, my elbow bent in a horrible position, my hand twitching sporadically.
It was still connected but… barely.
Fucking shit…
My breathing was shaky as I continued to stare at… at my arm.
Wait.
Steve.
Another shaky breath got me to pull my gaze away from the automail and search around the control room for –
Steve and Schmidt crashed into the airplane's controls.
It barely took a moment before I noticed the horizon shift all too quickly UP.
And I went up too!
Holy fucking shit!
I felt weightless for several seconds, trying to grasp at anything near me to keep me closer to the ground. I already didn't like flying in an airplane, I definitely didn't want to fly MYSELF!
But it was too late. I saw the floor grow further and further away from me all too fast. Crap, I was going to –
My back solidly hit the roof of the airplane.
I groaned out, having seen that coming but I wasn't fast enough to do anything about it…
This was NOT going well.
I briefly spotted the Red Skull pulling himself towards the controls but I couldn't see Steve from my position. Was he alright? Was –?
Wait.
If Schmidt got this airplane back to a stable level, I was going to feel the effects of gravity first hand. Either this airplane would hit the ground or I would hit the floor. Neither option sounded appealing…
I shifted, swinging my arm to reach the nearest beam and, just as I grasped it, my body jerked down, gravity taking over.
"Damn it," I growled out, my left shoulder pulling awkwardly as I tried to hold on to the beam with just one hand. "Fuck…"
My grip wasn't going to hold.
I barely managed to scan what lay below me as I swung my body towards an empty spot on the floor, my grip giving out. I fell several feet, landing heavily and rolling painfully a few times before coming to a halt against a railing.
I groaned, my body throbbing in pain as I lay there, trying to catch my breath.
I faintly heard gun shots somewhere further away and I gasped out.
Steve.
I needed to get to Steve.
I could not let him get hurt, or worse, die here. Not when I could do something to stop it.
I couldn't help Al when his seal broke.
I wasn't anywhere near Bucky when he fell.
I was NOT going to let Steve down.
Never again!
"You could have the power of the gods!" Schmidt's voice echoed through the room as I painfully rolled onto my stomach and pushed myself up. That asshole was distracted, aiming his gun towards Steve.
A defenseless Steve.
Well, that was about to change.
"Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations! I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags!"
"Not my future!" called out Steve, angrily.
And I threw the shield as hard as I could in Schmidt's direction. It had been laying nearby and neither of them had noticed me moving. The shield connected with the Red Skull, knocking the gun away and making him stumble heavily back.
Steve jumped down from the higher level, grabbing his shield in midair and throwing it right back at Schmidt.
It hit him again and I followed right after with a kick, throwing my whole body into the attack.
The combination caused him to slam into that contraption in the middle of the control room, sending him flying over it and… breaking… it…
What was that…?
A blue cube popped out of the machine. What the hell? That – that was the source of the glow we had seen in all the Hydra weapons. It came from that cube? What type of energy did it possess? Where did it come from? Why –?
And then that cube began emitting sparks.
Blue, electric sparks.
Was – was…?
Schmidt grabbed the cube, loudly growling out, "What have you done?!"
The sparks grew more frequent reminding me all too much of my alchemy. Was that cube the answer? What the fuck was it?
It didn't even look like it was a part of this world…
A large wave of blue sparks erupted from the cube, bursting over Schmidt and…
And…
A portal…?
Over Schmidt spread the vast expanse of… space? Stars splattered the entirety of the other side of the portal with darkly coloured clouds.
I had never seen anything like that.
If that cube could open a portal to the universe, could it –?
Schmidt's surprised growl pulled my gaze away from the portal and onto his disintegrating hand. What the…?
That brought back horrible memories of THAT night.
Schmidt's body was being pulled apart piece by piece, getting sucked upward, through the portal, faster and faster until…
He was… gone. Just gone.
The cube fell to the ground and I beelined towards it.
It could be the answer, my way home after all this shit I had been through. If it could open a portal to… to somewhere then it could maybe open one back to Amestris! I needed to at least try to get it, to study it, to –
The cube burned a hole through the wire walkway and through the steel of the airplane itself and… then – then it was gone…
I fell to my knees, staring at the hole it left, at the water zooming underneath the airplane.
I – I fucked up.
My only possible lead to alchemy, to being able to actually use the transmutation circle Edward and Mustang had given me…
To get home.
It was now in the ocean. Somewhere. Probably sinking to the bottom of it, sinking just like the feeling in my stomach.
"Ed, are you okay?" wondered Steve, kneeling next to me.
I only just managed to pull my gaze away from the hole, turning towards him and I caught him staring at my right arm. It was hanging uselessly at my side, thankfully no longer bent in a horrible angle… But it was still broken and, even worse, I was unable to move it.
If Howard couldn't figure out how Winry made my automail, I was in trouble…
I finally shrugged to answer Steve's question. "You?"
"Happy that Schmidt and that cube are gone, to be honest," he replied, grunting as he pushed himself up and held out a hand to me. "Let's take care of this plane so we can get your arm fixed."
I didn't voice my doubts about my automail getting fixed as I took his offered hand and he easily pulled me up.
As I followed Steve to the airplane's controls, my body was protesting at the beating it had endured but I tried to hide it as much as possible, not wanting Steve to worry about me any more than he probably was.
As Steve sat down, I scanned over the controls, leaning against the chair, taking in the engaged autopilot, the radar screen showing the position of the airplane somewhere over the ocean. Steve fiddled with buttons near the radar and it zoomed out, showing that, if the airplane kept its present heading, we would pass right over New York and continue through to the continental United States.
Where the small airplanes this one was carrying could easily reach their destinations…
"It's broken, I don't know if we'll be able to fly this," murmured Steve, moving the airplane's steering control, the yoke, and I took a shaky breath as I watched it wiggle uselessly from side to side. "I think only the pitch will work…"
"Pitch," I repeated slowly as I played through several different ideas of what to do to fix this. "But that means –"
"I saw some parachutes and an inflatable raft to the right, down two corridors," said Steve, still staring at the yoke. "I'll get in touch with the S.S.R. at the Hydra base and give them our coordinates and heading while you take those things and jump –"
"NO!"
He still wasn't looking at me and I got closer, grasping his arm tightly. Only then did I notice how much I was shaking. He couldn't possibly be suggesting…
"Ed, there –"
"NO! I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself!" I didn't care if I was yelling at that point, this could NOT happen! "You get on that damn raft and I'll push this FUCKING airplane down."
"The controls are broken as is your arm! You won't be able to!"
"I'll manage! You need to survive this. You NEED to!"
"And you don't? This isn't up for discussion; you need to go!"
"I'm not letting you do this! You –"
"Ed! Please…"
I shook my head, fighting back my tears. "You don't understand. I don't belong here! But you have the others! You have Peggy!"
Steve stood suddenly, engulfing me in a hug, holding me tightly. "So do you, you have them too. Please, Ed, just go and live a good life, okay? Be happy."
Those words hit me hard. I had told Al the same thing… Probably the last words I had told him before – before all this… It seemed so long ago… I had lost him with those words.
And now, I was losing the closest person I had to a brother on this side with nearly the same ones.
"Ed, the autopilot is stuck. I'll need to use all my strength to put this plane into a nose dive. No matter how stubborn you are, you know you won't be able to do it." Steve explained all this softly, still holding me tightly. "I'm sorry."
I buried my face in his chest, my breathing shaky as I wrapped my arm around him.
Why… Why do I keep losing people?
We stayed like that for a moment before Steve slowly lowered his arms, taking a step back. "You need to get going, Ed. Please make it out of here and I'll do everything to make sure the S.S.R. finds you."
I slowly nodded, squaring my jaw as I studied him, taking in all the details possible. He didn't deserve this… Why did my automail have to be broken?! Now of all the shit I've put it through, now the moment I would have needed it the most to save the person I had promised over and over that I would stay with, that I would watch his back. I…
Steve reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box, stopping my thoughts as I stared at it, confused. He gripped the box tightly, breathing deeply before grasping my left hand and placing the box into it.
It was for me?
"Bucky had wanted to give this to you," he explained, closing my hand around the box.
Bucky… What had…?
"Now go," urged Steve, turning me towards the exit.
Go…
My feet were moving automatically as I tried to process what I was doing: I was leaving Steve. My heart was hammering all too heavily in my chest. I was leaving him to sacrifice himself, to fly this airplane into the ocean to stop all the weapons on board from being used.
I was leaving him.
The pounding was almost painful.
Once again, I was losing someone I cared about and I… Could I not do something for Steve?
"Ed, go, please. Don't regret this."
I turned back, staring at Steve as he gripped the chair tightly.
"This is my decision," he continued. "I just want you to make it out alive, can you do that for me?"
I squared my jaw and nodded once, gripping the box tightly in my hand. He smiled softly at me before taking a seat at the controls.
I kept walking, reaching the doorway out of the control room and I finally realized that my body was trembling. I lost Bucky the other day and now…
I looked back at Steve. I faintly heard Peggy's voice and my heart clenched. She'll be losing Steve too. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the tears away. I needed –
I froze, tense. I knew that feeling. I knew that feeling too well and it never meant anything good. I slowly turned around, prying my eyes open. Please, please not…
The Gate.
The fucking Gate was standing in the middle of the control room, facing me. Why was it here? I didn't summon it, I know I didn't.
Did someone…? Was it someone on the other side? If so, they had fucking horrible timing!
The Gate opened and I ran towards Steve. If it was going to grab me, at least I can try to take Steve with me instead of having him die out here, alone, in the middle of the arctic!
I only got halfway when the tendrils grabbed me, stopping my movement. I briefly saw Steve glance behind him but…
It was as if he couldn't see me. He looked right at me and nothing registered.
What the fuck is going on?!
I pulled at the tendrils, trying to reach him. "STEVE!" I yelled out but he didn't seem to hear me either. What the FUCK?! "NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GET TO HIM!"
The tendrils yanked me back, lifting me off the ground. I thrashed, yelled, cursed… everything! "I CAN'T LEAVE HIM! PLEASE! SAVE HIM TOO! TAKE HIM INSTEAD! DON'T LET HIM DIE!"
Of course, It didn't listen to me. Why would the Gate listen? What was I offering for this?
Nothing…
No… I realized as Steve was still at the controls and Peggy's voice tried to comfort him, I was losing something.
I was losing them.
I was losing Steve and there wasn't any hope of getting him back.
"STEVE!" I wailed just as the tendrils pulled me into the Gate and the doors slammed shut.
And everything went dark.
Wow, did I really just end it there? ;P Well, I think I'll keep this story faithful to something Marvel fans have grown very used to and look forward to when the movie screen starts rolling credits!
Let me know what you thought! I love reading your reviews!
Happy holidays once more! Love you all!