Aftermath of Sin: This Machine
chapter 3
Montague Spire
"So, what are you?" Roy asked, still skating on the energy bridge, now close to their destination, a large steel spire, and Matt's jaw twitched.
"I'm human."
"No human can do the things that I've seen you do. I suppose you'll say that K-18 is human as well?"
"He was, at one time. His conscience has since deteriorated." An image of a blood soaked and grinning K-18 surfaced to mind, juxtaposed with a much smaller K-18, wide eyed and terrified as he was being connected to wires, as he was ordered to kill a cat. Kill it or die.
The next time he saw K-18, he had blood on his hands.
E-566...
Matteas...
He shook his head, he had too much to think about, including this... Roy. "You snapped your fingers and created fire; I've never seen that before."
Roy showed him his gloved hands. "These create sparks and I change the oxygen level to combust using alchemy. I was wondering how I can still use it... but... I should be grateful."
"So you're more than human."
"I wouldn't say that... everyone in Amestris has the ability, just some more than others."
"Ah..." Alchemy... what he would give to live in Amestris right now...
"You still haven't told me what the deal is with you," Roy said as he climbed off the energy road and stepped onto the steel spire. The energy still bonded with his shoes sped him forward and slammed him into the wall and he fell back, rubbing his nose. "Owww..." Matt laughed and jumped off the road effortlessly, looking at the spire.
"It's nice... it'll do as shelter for now."
" 'For now'? What'll we do then?"
"Run, if someone finds me. You're free to stay, if you like."
"No way I'm leaving." He jerked a thumb at himself. "I've got quite a name for myself in Amestris."
"Really... let's hear it then."
"I'm the Flame Alchemist, most powerful alchemist in the military, nominated for Fuhrer, and celebrated war hero... though I don't like being a war hero. And I'm credited with overthrowing the Fuhrer, and I'm married to the most beautiful woman... even if she's a bit gun crazy..."
"Pretty tall order for a 19 year old."
"Hey, I'm 30, remember!"
"Oh, right."
"Darn right I am. And I've got great subordinates who'll be... worrying their heads off about me..."
"Tell me about them."
"Well, there's Jean Havoc, he's an old childhood friend of mine. He's like 6 foot 6 or something, bushy patch of blonde hair right here on his forehead," he indicated the spot, "his eyes are kind of droopy, and he's a smoker, always got a cigarette stuck in his lip. And everyone thinks he's lazy, but he's the most dependable, I wouldn't trust anyone else more other than my wife.
"Cain Fuery, shortish, black spiky hair, really nice, sweet kid. He's a walking animal shelter, can't let an animal be wet and hungry in the rain for more than two minutes. He's pretty good with our communications, but's he's a little shy.
"Vato Falman is our warrant officer. He usually goes undercover on a lot of missions, got a nasty dagger arm and a trigger finger, he's good to be with as backup on a mission. He's taller than me, not as tall as Havoc though, got white hair, and he never opens his eyes. Really thin guy. I still think that if he ever opens his eyes the world will explode...
"Heymans Breda... well... really big guy, muscular too, fiery red hair, and he's terrified out of his mind of dogs. But he's also kinda... you know, wide. He's usually one step behind Havoc on his practical jokes, but you can trust him to uphold what you say.
"And then," he sighed longingly, "There's Colonel Riza Hawkeye... she's my wife, by the way. She not as tall as me, bout up to my shoulder, even more dependable and trustworthy than Havoc, even before we were married. She used to be my 'self appointed bodyguard', and she's saved my life a couple of times, actually. She's got the most beautiful brown eyes, so brown they're almost red, and blonde hair down to her back, but at work it's always up in a bun. She's very stiff and formal at work, she won't break a single rule: the role model soldier. She's also very skilled with a gun. In her whole career, I think there have been only two instances where she's missed her target. And God, is she romantic..."
"Just two?" Matt asked disbelievingly.
"Yes... the first was when she shot at Scar, the alchemist killer, and just grazed his temple a bit. The second... well..." he touched his left eye gently. "The second missed and hit me in my eye. It was meant for the man that tried to kill me, but... it missed and hit another mark."
"I see... and you don't blame her for it?"
"No... oh she cried about that to me often enough... but I never blamed her. She was just trying to protect me."
"So... from what you've said... you were in some kind of military setup?"
"Yeah, how'd you guess?"
"Well, you said 'Colonel' Riza Hawkeye, and that Falman was a 'Warrant Officer'. What were you?"
"Before I got here, I was a Brigadier General, nominated for Fuhrer."
"Nice... and she was your wife? Won't she be worried about you?"
"I... I don't know where she is, either..."
"In fact, you've never told me how you got here! So spill, what's your story?"
"In alchemy, there is this thing called 'human transmutation'. Normally, you can take anything you want and turn it into something else, but you can't bring the dead back to life. We had a daughter... she was just three years old and... she went out to play with her friend Elysia, my friend Maes's daughter... when she came back she was in a bodybag. Hit by a car.
"We tried to bring her back, even though we knew what would, could, happen, tried to bring back her soul to her body... it... our souls must have passed through the Gate. I was rejected from the first couple of gates, and the next thing I knew I fell off that pedestal down in that park."
"Geez, I thought it was something I did. I was going to lay flowers at the statue- it was the statue of Windsor Montague- and it just kind of... moved and twitched... and the color started coming into it, and you just flopped onto the ground. Needless to say, I was scared out my wits for a few seconds, I mean, you look just like Windsor Montague. When you started looking around like everything and everyone was crazy, though, I knew you weren't him."
"Windsor Montague?"
"Yeah, he's part of the old Montague family that lives near here. This is the Montague Spire we're sitting on, built entirely by the Montagues as a tribute to the city. Windsor was against the new technological advances that they've made in Queens, but he wasshot trying to stop it, and he's been a bit disabled since. I've not been able to visit him, security wouldn't let me in if I tried.
"But now..." a mischevious gleam came into Matt's eyes and Roy recognized that look. It was the same look Maes used to get when he had an ingenious idea that would somehow involve Roy and his handsome face to get to some end or the other. Damn that Maes.
"You look so much like Windsor...you could say you're a relative and request an audience with him!"
"I don't know..."
"Believe me, you look exactly like Windsor, it'll be like looking into a mirror!"
"What'll I say though?"
"What's your full name?"
"Roy Mustang."
"Just say you're Roy Montague, and you've been... abroad!"
"Abroad... it's not a lie, in a sense."
"They won't doubt your word, it'll work."
"I suppose... I could try."
"Excellent! Now can you change your clothes?"
"Maybe... got anything for me to model?"
"No... maybe if we can get in the Montague Spire... there are bound to be any number of things in there."
"What does this spire contain?"
"Any number of things, it a national up-to-date information collector. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but the Montagues store data inside of it. We'll find some fashion catalogues I'm sure. We'll need something if you're going to pose as a member of the Montague family."
"But how do we get-"
Matt held his hands against the glass and a circle flashed purple on the glass, and a circular hunk fell out onto Matt. He picked it up and put it down, and Roy whistled. "Man, that's got to be a foot thick..."
"The Montagues don't take much chance."
Roy vaulted inside and landed on the floor lightly and waited until Matt landed next to him. "You look just like my friend Maes."
"Really? What was he like?"
"Absolutely insane; he would always try to get me hitched, he's obsessively doting on his wife and daughter, carried pictures in his wallet (his wallet was the size of my head, I swear), and he would go on and on about how cute or adorable they were, then switch and try to catch me off guard about getting married to someone. He never gave up... not until he was murdered."
"So... he's dead."
"Yes. It got to the point to where the military thought he knew too much, then they sent someone to kill him. And they succeeded."
Matt got onto a computer and typed into it's databanks. "There we go, traditional Montague family apparel, 3020." A hologram flashed in front of Roy and Roy jumped back, ready to fight.
"Ah, cut it out, it's just a picture."
"Oh... well... got any chalk, or a pen or something?" The inside of the Montague Spire was all shiny floor, ceiling, and wall, decorated by bookshelves that looked ancient and untouched, and held a congregation of computers. He supposed that no one needed books when you had... holo... thingies. He was interested in the computer however, and poked it experimentally, tapping it's screen and punching at the keyboard keys. Matt tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a marker that was lying on the floor. Roy drew a circle on his clothes and took one long last look at the the floating picture, then transmuted.
He turned for Matt to inspect. "How close is it, then?" he asked, and Matt nodded, impressed. "Alchemy is a wondrous thing. It's very good, an exact copy."
"Good... I wasn't ever very good at alchemy on clothes... are there any tags or anything in this?"
Matt went over to the computer and typed some more in the computer. "Just 'Montague' sewn into the sleeve cuffs."
"Are there any birth marks I'm supposed to have?"
"Oh yes... the mark of the Montagues... a running horse."
"Any place in particular?"
"No. But how will you-"
Roy rolled up his sleeve and looked at his forearm, then at the picture of the running horse, and snapped. He hissed in breath quickly as the flame burned into his skin, leaving the exact shape of the burn he wanted, a horse. He held up his arm shakily for Matt's inspection and Matt nodded. "Perfect, again. But how could you..."
"Done it before... cauterized my entire side to keep myself from bleeding." Roy tapped the side of his head.
"Pain is relative considering the hell I've been through."
Matt laughed humorlessly. "It seems I have a powerful ally then, who understands pain as well as I do."
"Perhaps. What do we do now?"
"I suppose we could just wait until the Montague Spire reopens to the public... oh! I've got to... cover up this blasted number..." he reached into his pocket and unscrewed the top of a container, revealing something gooey and... skin colored.
"What's that?" Roy asked.
"It's like women's make-up, except thicker and... it's like rub-on skin." he rubbed it across his brow, completely oblitering the incriminating letter and numbers. "Unless it rains, no one will know the difference."
"K-18?"
"Oh, he will. Him and the rest of the K series will know exactly who I am."
"Great..."
"Right now we'll focus on getting to the Montague place, alright? Just pick a spot and go to sleep." Roy sank down next to the computer, then thought better of it and started to type awkwardly, pecking at the keys.
He checked that Matt was a sleep and typed 'K-Series' in to search.His search was interrupted when he heard something squeak in pain in the darkness, heard something move... Roy looked up and a dead mouse bounced by his feet on the marble tiles, leaving blood stains where it bounced and rolled, then lay still by his feet.
Matt's eyes flew open and watched as a tall man with a puff of blonde hair on his forehead stepped out, droopy blue eyes watching them with a gaze that could be likened to one of a hawk. A cigarette dangled from his mouth and he blew out a stream of smoke, tossing the cigarette to the ground and stomping it underfoot. His fingers were coated in blood but his gaze was fixed on them, the intruders.
"I see there's more than one rat up here," he said, and Roy was on guard.
"Jean? Jean Havoc?" The man gave him a second glance, an unfathomable one, but that gaze registered no familiarity. "K-666 at your service." Matt looked disturbed, disturbed and thoughtful.
"So they made a 666..." Matt murmured, and 666 grinned, putting his bloody hands behind his head and leaning back on a wall, one leg propped up on it.
"Indeed they did, I'm K-666."
"So even K-18 cannot boast to be the best of the K series."
"Well, that would all come down to fighting, but I have no will to start internal conflict. However... I know an E series when I see one; they're always rough jobs. What say you, 566?"
Roy grunted. So Matteas was right, they could find him out anyway.
"And who's the kid with you? Called me Jean Havoc?" he seemed to pause thoughtfully, and Matt again looked disturbed. "Jean Havoc... nice name."
"Aren't you ordered to kill me, 666?"
666 sighed and stopped leaning. "Ah well... it's not as if I'd be jumping to do it, not like 18. The Killer series can't be stereotyped. Well, they can, but that's beside the point.
"My point is, what are you doing in Montague Spire?"
"To see Montague, tomorrow."
"Thought your buddy looked like a Montague. He is, however... somehow... different."
"Why does that bother you?"
"You see, I was made to protect the Montagues and their Spire. So of course an unidentified Montague would bother me."
Roy shivered. Not 'ordered'... 'made'...
"In order to protect the Spire, you'll have to go, E-566. It would be wise to just leave, I'm not keen on a fight."
"Aren't you afraid you'll be destroyed, 666? You'll be deconstructed if they find out you let me go."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. I have direct access to the Spire's databanks... I can't be incriminated, not here. But if you insist on meeting the Montagues... if you simply will not leave..." 666's eyes narrowed and his hand whipped out fingers firing silver beams at Matt. "Then you will have to be destroyed." The silver exploded and Matt dove to the side, cursing as his sleeve was ripped open. That had been too close. Roy huddled as another blast caused his clothes to whip crazily around; he would be of no use in this fight, his blasts were dangerous in such a close space.
666 and Matt exchanged blows and 666's fierce swing at Matt's face sent him slamming into a wall, shaking the shelves of books. 666 raised an arm and clenched his fist, and the wall erupted, making a hole into another room. Matt charged out of the smoke and into 666, locking hands with him, and 666 grinned, amused.
"It's been awhile since I've had a good match..." his arms glowed white and Matt yelped, his eyes widening, but 666 refused to let him go. Matt felt as if his arms were on fire, as if his fingers were melting and the bones in him were wasting away in his body, like all of his energy was being fed into 666. Roy transmuted a steel sword from the ground and picked it up, and ran towards them, swinging it at 666's neck, but his other arm let go of one of Matt's and seized the sword; the sword shone blue for an instant and exploded, sending Roy careening down the hall. Roy, injured, tried, struggled to work up the energy to lift himself up, and Matt sank to his knees in front of 666, behind him. Then there was someone right in front of him, leaning in front of him, picking him up by the shoulders and pressing his face against the person's chest. She smelled familiar... he was sure it was a she, she smelled feminine...
"Jean! Wait! Stop!" She cried out, and Roy was then certain that the person was a female. His eyes were only half-open, but all he could see was white anyway. His cheek was pressed against soft fair skin and blonde hair brushed his dark hair. K-666 released Matt and Matt collapsed onto the ground to look behind him.
"Milady Montague... are you not busy choosing your husband?" he seemed to realize something and bowed at the waist. "Forgive my error, Milady Hawkwing, you have not yet chosen your husband, and therefore cannot be referred to as Montague. I have forgotten myself. What brings Milady to the reference area of the Montague Spire?"
"It was the noise, Jean... and you're up here hurting these poor people..." she looked down at Roy and gasped. "A Montague! You're harming your own charges, Jean!"
"But Milady..."
"I will hear no more. Help me bring this poor Montague to the resting areas, and the other one too. Be civil to them, Jean."
"As Milady wishes." 666 waved his hand, supporting Matt on a blue energy stream and following the girl with Roy in his arms.
"Ah, but true does he look a Montague..." 666 sighed. "Milady, do you wish them to be put in-"
"In my room will be fine," she said, and 666 hesitated.
"But Milady... they are-"
"I'll be fine, Jean... I promise." She turned in her white nightgown and gave him a smile, and 666 sighed.
"As you wish. But if anything is needed... you will call?"
"I will."
"Good." 666 laid down Roy on the large bed and lowered Matt down hesitantly into a chair.He bent by Matt's ear and whispered, "Do anything to Milady and I will have your head for it, 566."
"Good night, Milady Hawkwing." 666 bowed again and left the room, and the girl bounced over to the bed and started showering Roy's face with kisses.
"Ah hey, hey, hey! What're you-" he grumbled, flailing around. He opened his eyes and stopped, letting the girl kiss him on the lips. "Riza," he breathed, kissing her back and putting his arms around her. She pulled away from his mouth and kissed his forehead, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Roy... Roy..."
Matt groaned from the chair and looked at the two of them. "Oh come on, don't eat his face off... God. Next you'll be pulling each other's clothes off like there no tomorrow! Aw man, this is like a battle of cannibals... stop trying to eat each other's faces!" Roy and Riza pulled apart at last and Roy looked at Matt sheepishly. Matt rubbed his face with his left hand, his right still feeling like it had been liquidated. "Damn, 666 is so strong..."
"Matt, this is my wife, Riza. Riza this is Matteas."
Matt raised an eyebrow. "No wonder she was trying to eat your face off."
Riza looked at Roy. "No wonder you aren't dead... he was going hand to hand with Jean!"
"That wasn't Havoc..."
"I know... but he lets me call him Jean, he calls himself Jean in my prescense. But around the other people with numbers he goes back to calling himself 'K-666'."
Matt looked up. "He's adopted a name?"
"Um... I suppose you could say-"
"He refers to himself, lets others call him, something other than K-666?"
"Yes..."
"Hmm... then this could turn to our advantage. You see," he explained when he got confused looks, "When someone... someone like K-666 and I adopt actual names... it symbolizes freedom and... normality. If we do, it is considered treason and the result is being hunted like me.
"Since K-666 has thought about adopting a name, it means he could be persuaded to turn traitorous. Seeing that he didn't want to fight so readily was another indication of this. K-666 might just be convinced to be our ally..."
"Someone like you?" Roy asked. "What are you?"
"I am..." he began, but the door was thrown open and a man who looked to be in his mid forties, the very picture of Roy in his thirties, came in. He was young but had a pronounced limp. K-666 came in by his side, a high power rifle in his hands. Then the man looked at the two of them in each other's arms, and he inclined his head slightly.
"Milady Elizabeth Hawkwing..." Riza inclined her head in greeting and Roy got up from the bed, bowing at the waist before the other man. He stayed bent at the waist until the man smiled and bent at the waist as well, returning his bow. A frown quirked at the edge of K-666's lips and Matteas surveyed him.
"Do you have a name?" The man asked.
"Yes, Roy Montague."
"I see. I am Windsor Montague, it is good to meet you, Roy. Now, tell me, what caused you to get on the ill-tempered side of our good Jean here?" K-666 straightened stiffly, the gun shaking momentarily in his hands, then stilling as he looked dead in Matt's eyes. He did not correct Windsor.
"Lord Montague, this is E-566. He is wanted for return to the labs; I am sure you are familiar with him. He goes by the name Matteas."
Windsor seemed to suddenly go very far away and his hand went almost imperceptibly to his leg. "Matteas? Matteas Hughes?"
Matteas inclined his head. "Lord Windsor Montague..."
"You have been..."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry... I couldn't..."
"It's alright... you were wounded and it has dealt you permanant damage. I am the one who should say sorry," Matt said softly.
"But are you not also permanantly damaged, Matteas...? And your parents..."
"...I know... but it's not your fault."
"You are wanted?"
"For escaping. Before I was meant to be released."
"I see. And now?"
"I am trying... trying to live."
"Mm-hm... planning an overthrow, I daresay?"
"Yes Sir."
"Then... you will need help. Jean."
"Yes, Lord Montague?"
"You were also hoping for an overthrow."
"Yes I was, Sir. I have told you of my feelings."
"Accompany Matteas, then, Jean. Perhaps you two will do what we normal people cannot."
"But Sir, who will defend the Montagues while I'm gone?"
Windsor smiled and turned. "Oh, I think I can manage myself for a bit, Jean."
"Sir... I don't know-"
"Jean, I'll be fine... I'm sure my son will miss you... and the lady Hawkwing as well, but... it is for the best after all. It is about time that something changed. Go do what I could not all those years before, Jean."
Jean bowed. "Yes sir, Lord Windsor Montague. But you know I will come back," It was a statement rather than a question.
"Yes, I do. You were ever faithful to me."
"I do not take the fact that you gave me life lightly."
"Jean, Jean... my dear Jean..." Windsor shook his head slowly, his eyes seemed to be glistening and he bowed his head, trying to hide the beginnings of tears. "You say that mechanically, but it is emotion, Jean, the one thing I've been trying to unearth from you all these years! I've always considered you my son... now go! Make something of yourself!"
"Windsor... I will, but I'll come back! Mark my words!"
"And I await your return, son," Windsor said, still facing the other direction, emotion in his voice.
Jean smiled and turned to Matteas. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow, Jean."
"Windsor... can I... talk to you outside, Sir?"
Windsor nodded and walked out and Jean followed behind, closing the door gently.
"Why are you letting me leave?" Jean asked, and Windsor sighed and shrugged, running his hand through his dark hair.
"Call it father's intuition... I have no idea why I'm letting you go. My conscience is screaming not to let you go, but... it's for the best. I always wanted you to feel what emotion was like."
"But I know what it's like..."
"Do you? You may have felt other emotions, happiness, joy, sorrow, pain, hatred, anger, loneliness, content, hope... but there's still one more. Love."
"But I've felt that too."
"A love different than the kind that you have for me and Lady Montague, and our little son. I speak of real love, of love between two people, like Lady Montague and I." It was difficult to explain. For all of Jean's looks as a man, he was still akin to a child at heart. His time in the real world had been very short.
"Love between adults?"
"I suppose so."
"But..."
"You'll find someone, Jean, but I doubt you'll find them confined to the wall's of the Montague Spire. Go out and live."
"But I want to stay... this is my home."
"Why do you want to stay?"
"It's home... it where the people I love are."
"It would be death to say so, you realize."
Jean nodded. "But I would say it anyway, because it's true. I was trapped in that machine for far too long, but you... you were family. I don't want to go!"
"Now you're being childish."
"But I don't want to go! Don't make me go!"
"Jean..."
"Please don't make me go, Windsor, please-"
"K-666!" Windsor roared, and Jean flinched. "Do you remember what you were made for?"
"To protect the Montagues and obey their will," he mumbled.
"Now you have to obey me, and I'm telling you to GO."
"But Windsor..."
"Jean... you arepart of the Killer Series... with all the emotions you carry, your penchant for sentimentality... another K Series could, and would, easily destroy you. You need to learn to keep your priorities in order, and your main priority now is to stay alive. Stay alive and initiate an overthrow, do you understand me, Jean?"
"Yes, Father..."
Windsor put his hand on Jean's head and ruffled his hair. "I know it's... difficult for you to kill, but...to keep alive, to do what must be done, you will have to do it. You were never afraid to kill if that was what it took to get the job done, were you?"
"No."
"Treat this the same way, but don't, don't, don't, let go of your humanity. Don't."
"I won't, Father. And you, you have to keep safe, okay?"
"Of course. One more thing..." Windsor bent his head and removed a thick silver chain with a pendant hanging from it; a running horse, the symbol of the Montague family.
"Take this, just to remember us by. It might help out a bit too, you never know. The Montague influence does spread rather widely. Keep yourself safe, and don't falter."
"I won't. I will fight alongside Matteas, and I will overthrow the government. My objectives are clear."