Bandit- WOW! (looks at reviews) Seems I did okay on the sensory details…
Ed- (turns green) I'll say, you sick minded freak. Bleach?
Bandit- Don't ask. You don't want to know how I came up with that idea.
Roy- Will I finally get to kiss Ed?
Bandit- Be patient! Rome wasn't made in a day.
Ed- And obviously, neither are lemon scenes…
Bandit- (turns red) Let me just get to the story!
Disclaimer- I'm too tired to say anything witty, so no. I don't own them. Thanks for reminding me…
(A/N) This chapter is LONG, so make sure you have time to read it! And because I know the great majority will kill me if I don't hurry and bring Ed in here, I brought him in. And finally we get to see Shayla's power! OH YEAH! ;p
The force of the bullet propelled Hughes forward and he landed on Angie. He literally felt her insides squeeze out, like a child does to a tube of toothpaste. She shifted a bit and then went still under him. His own blood added to the pool of bleach and bodily fluids already on the floor.
"Did you think you could win? I would have thought a man of your field would know better than to leave the gun in the same room as your enemy." Mark kept the gun trained on Hughes even as the severely wounded man struggled to get off of his wife. He hoped the wound wasn't to severe. After all, the man would be no good if he died. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I'd rather not have to knock you out. I'm not terribly fond of headaches." (1)
Hughes managed to struggle off Angela, rolling on the floor and crawling belly down to the side of the wall. Right now he wanted as much space between him and Mark, even if that was asking for a lot. The pain made lights dance in front of his eyes. 'No… not again…'
"Stay still. The bleeding will get worse if you keep moving around like that." Hughes turned his head and attempted to glare, but a fresh bout of pain made him temporarily stop breathing and instead his head fell to the floor with a crack.
"W-why the hell… d-do y-y-ou care?" The man had just shot him a minute ago!
Mark gave the bleeding man a toothy grin that would remind Hughes of a shark, but since he was very close to passing out and had his eyes closed, he missed it. "I need you alive, of course." He strolled over to Hughes, delighted at the recent turn of events. Everything was right back on schedule. Now he just had to keep him alive.
He bent down next to Hughes and inspected the wound. 'A little close to the heart. Probably punctured a lung, but otherwise okay.' (2) Mark then glanced at where his dead wife lay. 'Stupid woman. She just had to warn Mrs. Hughes…' Not that it mattered in the end. He doubted Hughes' wife would take anything Angie said seriously. And all the better for him. He'd have to be careful to make sure she didn't suspect anything, but other than that, he was in the clear.
Hughes groaned and drew Mark's attention back to him. "Still hurts, I presume?"
"W-what is with you?"
"Beg your pardon?"
Hughes tried to sit up, but the acute pain in his chest told him it'd be in his best interest not to. "First, you're a polite gentleman," he took a breath, "then you're a raving lunatic. Are you bipolar or a schizophrenic?"
Mark laughed. It wasn't his raving one, but a pleasant sound as if Hughes had made a particularly good joke. Hughes detested it. "I suppose it would seem that way." Mark waved off the question. "But trust me. It won't be your concern for much longer."
"What?"
"I'm just waiting for you to pass out," he explained patiently. "Then I'll patch you up and get on with the process." Hughes' eyes went wide. Maybe the guy was just playing with him.
"D-doesn't that defeat the purpose of shooting me?"
Mark shrugged. "No, not really. But as I said, it is no concern of yours. So be a good boy and fall asleep."
'It'll be a cold day in hell before I obey you, bastard.' But his body was fading fast, and sleep sounded wonderful. The pain was a dull throb, a bad sign in Hughes' opinion. If he relaxed too much, he'd be unconscious in a matter of minutes.
"I better take this." Mark plucked the knife Hughes had put back in his sleeve. "I know you're in no condition to fight back, but it pays to be careful." He gave the man an evil smirk. "A lesson, I'm afraid you found out too late, Mr. Hughes."
'Great. Now he's patronizing me.' "G-give me another chance and I-I'll get the lesson this time."
"Yes, I see you're going to be harder to copy." Mark's closed his eyes and sighed. "There's no way I'm going to let him take over for a while. His temper will get in the way."
'What the hell is he talking about?'
Mark stood up and walked to the door. "Since I assume you won't be moving, I'll go get the supplies." He paused. "Wait right there." He gave a snort and left.
"That joke sucked…" Hughes whispered to himself. He felt tired and drained of all energy. Which he was, but right now he just needed to keep his brain occupied. He couldn't lose conscious yet…
'Come on, Hughes. Think of something… anything. You may be down but you're not out yet…Just because luck isn't on your side right now is no reason to give up.'
But he was lucky in some way. The last time he'd been shot he didn't even get a chance to think about those closest to him. That incident still haunted his dreams sometimes, when he would wake up in a cold sweat and couldn't look Gracia in the eye when she asked him why. He knew it was hurting her, and it wasn't like he did it on purpose. The last thing he needed was for his wife to think he was afraid of her. But even with that obstinate fear, his love for her grew. After his misfortune, she'd always been by his side, caring for him when he was bed ridden both mentally and physically. He been such a lucky bastard to have a strong wife who didn't drop his ass. After all the stories from his comrades saying how their wives or girlfriends couldn't stand the waiting and not knowing, how they all left letters on table tops saying farewell and don't look for me. The fact that Gracia was willing to stick by him even when she didn't know all the details about his job made him examine their marriage carefully. He needed to put more trust in her. 'And I will, but I need to stay alive. Then I can tell her I'm sorry and know I won't be lying…'
Then there was Elicia. His pride and joy, how the hell could he leave her alone without a father to grow up with? It wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to him. He might never get to see her grow up and become the good person he knew she would become, and that hurt a spot deep inside of him.
It wasn't just his family either. Roy was by no means weak, but no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he had a soft heart. And he cared so much about his friends. He'd been known to do some rather unorthodox things when his team was concerned. Hawkeye had told him that when he was brought back barely alive, Roy went through his notes on the forbidden notes he'd taken a long while back. Just in case. That bit of knowledge unfortunately didn't surprise Hughes. Knowing that, dying a 'second' time would derail the man if he didn't have something to focus on. And that's where Ed came in…
'That boy means more to him than he realizes,' he thought. Mustang could deny it until he was blue in the face and hell froze over. Ever since the Colonel discovered the prodigy, he'd changed. His actions, for the first time since Hughes had known him, centered on something other than getting to the top. The change refreshed the both of him. Whether it be sending the boy on a meaningless mission or teasing him until Ed blew his lid, Roy always had the Edward's best interest in mind. Roy could fool the entire military with his dates and flirting, but he couldn't fool Hughes… or Shayla for that matter.
'Damn woman. If I live, she owes me a night on the town and a frickin' six pack of beer!'
Shayla actually had been the one taking care of him a year ago when still unconscious. No one knew anything about her past, and nobody cared. Shayla had become the number one mother figure of Central, a person of console to anyone of need. And Hughes needed her right now.
'I need them all… so…'
"I c-can't lo-se… con--"
"Where the hell is everyone?" Ed muttered to himself, a scowl on his face. Despite his nap, he was in quite a foul mood. And what disturbed him the most was he couldn't figure out why. Oh well. He'd just blame the Colonel. That was his number one rule: When in doubt, blame the Colonel. "Damn bastard." His scowl deepened.
"You keep your face like that, then you'll never get a date, regardless of height."
Speak of the devil.
Mustang chuckled evilly at the growl emitting from the young man. "I'll assume I was in your thoughts? I did hear the word bastard after all."
"What the fuck do you want?" Ed didn't feel in the mood for a round. And the Colonel, being himself, would likely not get the fact.
"Just walking to the hospital wing. I thought a nap was in order."
"You mean, Shayla got on your case until you cracked." Ed smirked. The bastard couldn't fool him.
Roy kept his face neutral. "I wouldn't put it exactly like that…" His face now broke out into a slight smile, startling Ed. Even if it was small, that might be the first smile he'd seen Mustang wear, "but the woman doesn't give up easily, I will give her that."
For some reason, Ed felt a blush forming and quickly turned away. 'What the hell is wrong with me? I knew this nap was a bad idea.' (3) It wasn't like the Colonel looked better with a smile on his face… not that he ever looked good… but he didn't look bad either in his uniform… wonder what he'd look like in casual clothes…'Why am I even thinking about this!'
"Something wrong, Fullmetal?" Roy didn't catch the color on Ed's cheek. But someone else did. And these persons were taking great delight at the show they'd discovered, one more than the other. A chuckle almost reached Ed and Roy's ears.
"Gods, will you be quiet, Havoc! They might hear us!"
"Never would have taken you for an voyeur, Fury. Kinky."
SMACK!
"Ouch! I was kidding!" Havoc rubbed his now tender skull. Fury didn't have to get so defensive…
Fury blushed. "Shhh!" The two continued their activities unnoticed around the corner, peeking with growing interest.
"NO! I-- was just wondering where Shayla was!" Yeah, that's what he was wondering. Of course. Havoc snickered until he was shot a warning glare from Fury.
A serious look formed in Roy's eyes. "She left." Ed glanced at Roy. He didn't like the tone used. It made him worried.
"And why did she leave?" he inquired.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Roy teased. It was too good to resist. Besides, it's not like Ed needed to know. He'd just go and do something rash and stupid.
Both Fury and Havoc groaned silently. Stupid move.
Ed fumed. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?" Okay, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. "I'M SEVENTEEN! I'M NOT SOME CHILD ANYMORE!" Why did he have to bring his age into this?
"You do yell like one." Havoc closed his eyes and said a quick prayer for their soon-to-be dead Colonel.
"Oh, hello Mr. Elric and Colonel, sir!" Havoc's eyes shot open. He watched with horror as his secret crush walked right in the middle of a forming nuclear war. "I just heard you guys down the hallway."
Roy raised an eyebrow. "You seem oddly perky today, Fury."
Ed gave him a cynical look and frowned, his arms folding. "And where were you going?"
Fury almost visibly shrunk from the gaze. "Ummm… I…" Every good excuse fled and left him to defend for himself in front of Ed. Roy felt enormous sympathy. He'd seen grown men seven feet high and 300+ pounds tremble around the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist. The poor man didn't stand a chance.
"He was going to take me to the hospital wing." Havoc walked around the corner with a sheepish look on his face. He ignored the grateful look on Fury's face, (and the knowing look on Roy's) but it did send a warm chill down his spine. 'This is my good deed for the day.' "Shayla got on my case, if you know what I mean."
"But you two felt the need to spy in on my conversation with the Colonel?" Ed didn't seem convinced by the tale.
"Hey! You are the one shouting down the hallway. I'd have to be deaf not to hear you!" Havoc said in their defense. "Besides, it's not like we saw anything important…" A smirk crossed his lips, one that would do the Colonel proud. Ed turned beet red.
'Damn, they saw the blush!'
"So what do you say, boss? Let's forgive and forget." Roy and Fury had the distinct feeling they were missing something. They observed the other two men with interest.
Ed gritted his teeth. "Sure," he agreed. "It's not important." The both of them knew Ed would get his revenge later.
"Well then, me and Fury will be off." Havoc grabbed his surprised comrade's and made a dash for the end of the hallway. Better to retreat while still in one piece. "Try not to kill each other!"
Roy watched them go and then turned back to Ed. He still had a blush on his face. "What were you two talking about?" If it could make Edward red, he wanted to know… for educational reasons of course.
"Oh it was nothing," Ed said dismissively. The blush diminished and he walked past Mustang. "I'll tell you when you're older."
Roy smirked. 'I should have seen that coming.'
"Thank you, Havoc."
He shrugged it off even when his heart started to do summersaults in glee. "Don't mention it. It wasn't like I was gonna leave ya in the lion's den." The two, now a safe distance away from Ed, continued on their way through the halls of Central.
Fury smiled shyly to himself. Havoc was so nice to him, always looking out for his best interests, but then…
'He's nice to everyone…'
The smile vanished.
Havoc immediately noticed this and wondered what Fury was depressed about. 'I bet it's not what I'm depressed about.' But he ignored his inner voice. Right now, it was Fury who needed cheering up. A sad Fury equaled a sad Havoc, and so a happy Fury would equal a happy Havoc. That was his theory anyway.
"Well, let's go to the hospital." Fury looked up in confusion.
"You were serious? I thought it was all a bluff."
"Now that I think about it, a nap would do me some good." 'Especially if you join me…' (4)
Snort. Like he'd have the balls to bring up that suggestion. "Besides, what if those two come looking for us? I don't know about you, but I'd rather stay on Ed's good side for a while." 'Especially after that stunt I pulled a moment ago.' Havoc chuckled out loud and the sound put Fury at ease once more.
The two walked in silence, occasionally stealing glances when he thought the other wasn't looking. Other than that, the rest of the walk continued in silence. But one of them began to plot.
Fury and Havoc entered one of the smaller rooms with three beds in them, and their secret delight, no one else occupied the room.
'Time to get this plan into action.' Havoc stretched his arms behind his back and bellowed a painfully fake yawn. Fury stared at him.
"Well, I'm sure tired now," Havoc remarked. He walked to the nearest bed by the left wall and sat down. He slyly looked at Fury. "You comin'?"
The expression was priceless. Havoc had a fleeting moment where he wished Hughes was there so he could borrow his camera. Fury defined cute with his jaw hitting the floor. "W-what?"
Havoc tsked and shook his head. "See? You're so tired you can't even hear what I'm saying! You need a nap, too."
Fury gave Havoc a flabbergasted look. "But you know I already took one! Shayla wouldn't let me fix the radio until I took a break."
"Well you need another one, I think." He patted the bed. "Come on! I don't bite. Plus, I could use the company. I won't fall asleep right away."
Not for the first time, Fury wasn't sure how to handle the situation. He really wanted to join Havoc, but he was afraid he'd do something around the man he'd regret later. He felt torn. "I don't know…"
"Please?" Havoc set the puppy dog eyes on him and large blue eyes blinked at Fury. He swore he'd melt into a puddle if he didn't stop soon. "Just for a while."
Sighing, Fury resigned and decided to give Havoc what he wanted. He timidly walked over, knowing his face resembled a bright tomato. It felt like he were floating to the bed instead of walking. He sat down next to the blond man and didn't look his crush in the eye.
Havoc sensed he'd put the shorter man on edge, and being Havoc, he did what he thought would put him at rest.
He hugged him.
Fury stiffened like a tree limb and all his thought derailed and crashed. Havoc was… hugging him. HIM.
'Ohgodohgodohgodohgod!'
"I'm-" Havoc wasn't sure what to say at this point. He hadn't thought out all of his plan. And right now he wished he could take the action back. "I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable…" He began to take his arms away.
"NO!" The outburst startled them both and Havoc immediately tightened his hold. Now Fury tried to come up with some excuse. "I… didn't mean to seem ungrateful…" He lowered his eyes. "I'm just kinda nervous…"
"Don't be," Havoc stated. "It's not like it means anything. I don't want you to shut yourself out from everyone, that's all." 'I really like you, Fury. I just don't know how to tell you without you hating me…'
Fury twisted around and sighed contentedly in Havoc's grip. "I don't mean to come off that way…" Maybe Havoc had been right. He felt exhausted for some reason. "I guess, I'm just shy…" 'Really shy.'
Havoc began to rock his body back and forth in time, humming some nonsense melody made up on the spur of the moment. Fury fell himself drift off and smiled. "I'm glad he's so nice to me…", he thought.
Havoc stopped his humming and gazed down at Fury. "You're glad what?" But Fury was fast asleep, his head laying against Havoc's chest.
"Sweet dreams, Fury." Havoc whispered a planted a soft kiss on his bare forehead. (5) Might as well steal a quick one now, because he might never get to later…
Mark walked back inside the white room and discovered a knocked out Hughes. "Seems he couldn't hold out for long."
'It's about time. I was starting to wonder when the little fucker would finally give up.'
/Hush. I need to concentrate. /
He bent down next to Hughes and took out the supplies gathered from the bathroom. He ripped off his shirt first. Then using a pair of tweezers and a damp cloth, he carefully extracted the bullet wedged in his body. Hughes didn't move at all, and if Mark didn't see the rise and fall of his back, he'd assume the worst. Most of the bleeding had stopped, but from what he could see, the complexion was pale and clammy. He'd lost a lot of blood.
"Hmmm… I might have aimed a bit too close…"
'I told you to let me do it!'
"Fool, you would have killed him." Mark grumbled. "The last thing we need right now is for you to screw up everything I'v- we've worked so hard for." Robert would have trembled at the tone Mark used now if he controlled the body. "Now, if you're done arguing for the moment, let me finish this." He heard silence. Satisfied there would be no more distractions for the moment, he carefully began to wash the wound and clean it with alcohol solution to prevent infection. He didn't want his new body to get sick on him.
Next, he took out a few fresh bandages he'd bought for just this occasion. He repositioned Hughes so the man appeared to be sitting, with his back leaning heavily against Mark. Reaching around, he grabbed the wrappings and unrolled them. 'For such a wiry looking man, he is quite heavy…'
'Are you sure he's such a good idea? I mean, they'll all get suspicious if he starts acting strange.'
Mark mentally groaned. That idiotic man… Why couldn't he stay quiet for more than two seconds?
/I'm confident I can mime his attitude and expressions. There's no need to worry. No one will notice. /
'Angie noticed. And look what happened because of it. This body is damaged, and a damaged body means more questions. You're getting sloppy…' Robert sighed. 'I just don't think it's a good idea to use him.'
/So you're telling me you would let the military get away with everything they did to you just because of cold feet/ Mark smiled coldly. "I thought you had a backbone, my friend. I guess I was mistaken…"
'NO! I'll never forgive those god damn fuckers for what they did!' That was the response Mark had hoped for.
/Then this is necessary, Robert. Trust me… / He could hear the doubt and uncertainty Robert released. And also the eagerness for revenge.
'All right. I trust you. Do whatever you feel is best.'
"Oh, I intend to," Mark said to the still air. Now that the conversation was over, he went back to the task at hand. "Now, let's get this over with, shall we Hughes?"
"Yeah. Let's, bastard."
"Colonel sir, where are Hughes and Shayla?" The raven haired man looked up from his book (the one he hid from Hawkeye just in case he 'forgot' to sign his papers), surprised to see the teenager so soon after their impromptu meeting in the halls.
"That's classified information, Fullmetal." He smirked. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because it's been a while since he's attempted to show me pictures of his 'angel'. He always bugs me when I get back from a mission." Ed stressed the word angel to make a point. "And Shayla told me she would tell me about what's been happening while I was away." Roy's eyes sharpened.
"I see. I forgot you don't know anything."
"What? What's going on?"
Roy groaned inwardly. He didn't really want to explain this now. But it would give him a better excuse than the book should Hawkeye walk in unannounced (not mentioning he'd have more time with the blond alchemist… where did that thought come from?) "Sit down, Fullmetal. This might take a while."
Ed grunted and walked over to the couch, plopping down on it. "I'm listening."
"The team has a new assignment, given directly from the Fuhrer."
"That imprudent, dim-witted jerk?"
"Is there another one out there we know?"
Ed sighed and shook his head. "I haven't heard much and I already don't like where this is going."
"You won't. I can guarantee that. But anyway, we've been ordered to take down the Dream Alchemist." Ed snorted at the name.
"The Dream Alchemist? Let me guess, Stanford picked the name." 'God, he's got shitty taste.'
"Yes. Now there have been a series of murders in Central for the past month." Roy saw Ed stiffen on the couch. "All the dead were either alchemists or persons close to them. The means of death was the same for every person." He paused for a little bit.
"… And what was the cause of death?" Ed asked impatiently.
"We don't know."
"What the hell do you mean?" Ed jumped out of the couch and proceeded to glare at his superior. "If they all died the same, then you have to know what they died from!"
"Think for a moment, Fullmetal," the Colonel said calmly. "We do know the same person is killing all these people because we don't know how to explain any of the deaths. Shayla did an autopsy on all the bodies, and there was no evidence of poison, knife or bullet wounds, not even suicide attempts."
"So it's a mental death?" Roy smiled slightly. That was along the lines of what he'd been thinking.
"Like I said, we don't know. There's no way to prove a mental disease is killing people. And besides, what disease do you know of that picks out military personal and alchemists?"
Ed sat back down and nodded. "Good point."
"Our other clue is the victim's eyes…" Roy shivered a bit despite himself. Those images still disturbed him greatly. "The eyes appeared to have exploded." Ed jumped right back off the couch.
"WHAT?"
"From the inside, if I'm not mistaken."
"Now I know you're shitting with me."
Mustang waved it off. "If you don't believe me, and it's apparent you don't, have Shayla show you when she returns from Summer's house."
"Who's Summers?" Oops. He wasn't supposed to hear that. But it was too late to take it back and Ed was tapping his boot waiting for an answer.
"He's an alchemist, the Nightingale Alchemist actually, who was attacked last night. Maybe by our killer. Hughes is already over there. And before you decide to stick your nose where it doesn't belong…" Roy could already see the teen inching toward the door, "Don't. We have Hughes and Shayla working on this, and they're as good as it gets." The short alchemist kept moving. "That's an order, Fullmetal."
Edward grumbled but moved away from the door. "Fine, but I don't understand something."
Roy chuckled at the face Ed was currently making. "Of course. I didn't tell you everything. Shayla will do that when she gets back."
"Well, I want to know why she left later than Hughes." Roy stopped laughing. "Knowing her, she'd have gone with Hughes at the first opportunity or not at all." Of course he'd pick up on that. Damn, the boy was sharp. 'He's not a boy anymore,' he corrected. And having to remind himself was far more annoying than Edward picking up on the hint.
Ed didn't miss Roy's silence. "You're keeping something from me," he growled and strode over to the desk. "Damnit, I want the truth, Colonel."
Telling Ed about the phone call from Gracia bothered Roy. It wasn't about Ed's age or naivety, but more about safety. The teenager would undoubtedly wind up at the Summers home, whether to check up on Hughes and Shayla, or just an investigation. He'd been like that for as long as Roy could remember. 'I don't want to see him get hurt, or end up like Hughes almost did,' Roy admittedto himself. (6) The very thought made him sick. Taking care of Edward was his responsibility, almost as if it were actually part of his job description. Even if Ed one day left the military, though highly doubtful, Roy decided he would continue to look out for his well being… without Ed knowing, of course.
But then, maybe he didn't trust Ed's judgment. He was known for being a bit of an insurgent… And his temper was something else (he was a walking time bomb, for Christ's sake).
'Oh, why the hell not?'
"Gracia called not too long ago and basically asked Shayla to go help him. I don't know why, but she sounded very troubled. Almost scared." The man rose from the chair and walked over to the window. Ed watched him quietly. "I've known Gracia almost as long as I've known Hughes, and she's not one to be scared easily," he told him. 'And when she is, it's with good reason.'
"Are you worried?" Roy didn't answer, and that left a sick feeling in the pit of Ed's stomach. He wished he'd never asked.
Seeing that Mustang was now lost in his own thoughts, Ed moved for the door again and glanced at the man's back. "I'm sure he's fine. After all, not much can go wrong when Shayla's with you." Unfortunately, this brought little comfort to either of them.
Hughes drove the knife into Mark's side with as much strength as he could muster, twisting it up and down to do the most damage. Mark's scream rang in his ears, but he didn't pay attention. He pulled out the knife and buried it a second time. Blood squirted out by the gallons, it seemed, and Hughes took it as a very good sign.
Mark hurriedly pushed Hughes off, slamming the man into the wall and scooted away. But the damage had been done. The wound was deep and had hit something inside. It would be fatal if he didn't get help soon. Mark continued to scream, but words now formed from the noise.
"YOU INSOLENT COWARD! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU HEAR ME?"
"Not my fault." Hughes grinned weakly. " I would have thought a bastard of your mental capacity would know better than not to check for more than one weapon. Guess we both need to go back to school."
Hughes got for an icy glare for a reply. "Because of your defiance, I will make sure you feel nothing but pain in your last moments!"
"Fine, but you'll die with me." Hughes showed him the knife he'd held on to in his bloody hand. "I dare you to come near me with this. I may not be in tip top shape," he grinned sourly, "but I've got plenty energy left to take you out."
Mark smirked, not buying the bluff. "You ignorant maggot. Have you forgotten what alchemy I specialize in?" Hughes tried to jar his memory, but came up blank. "I can take away your feelings for fighting. You're too weak to dodge a direct hit." He struggled to his feet, holding his side while chuckling to himself, the blood seeping in between his fingers. "And even if you did have enough energy to take me out, you would have already used it to give me an instant death blow. Since I'm still here, it's obvious you don't have any energy left."
Now Hughes glared. He hated dealing with smart villains. They adapted too damn well. Like a cockroach.
The array marking on his left forearm began to glow and pulse a white light, keeping its shape and rising out to the ceiling. It meshed together, forming what looked to Hughes like a single lightning bolt. He could feel the alchemic power with the way it crackled and twisted in the air.
"And now, Hughes," Mark began, "I'm afraid our game of possum must come to an end. But you will live, even if you don't realize it." He snickered at the expression on Hughes' face and began to concentrate on the bolt's direction.
'No! I can't die yet!'
The bolt stiffened and detected Hughes' presence. It sped toward him with unrelenting speed, and Hughes squeezed his eyes shut. The light hit the man head on, right in his chest. His body jolted with the force, but he felt no actual pain. In fact, a pleasant buzzing sensation filled him. 'Wow, if I weren't scared shitless I'd be enjoying this massage…'
Something about that thought struck him as funny, and he began to chuckle loudly, all senses disoriented. He saw Mark wearing an odd grin on his face and broke into fits of laughter, no longer caring. 'I might as well be fuckin' stoned the way I'm acting.' He began to howl, tears streaming in rivers down his face. He heard only his laughing, and some part of him insisted he'd stop, but he pushed it rudely to the side. He couldn't breathe, feel, or think for that matter. He didn't care.
Mark watched with bemused interest. He was acting much differently than Angie had. She'd sat quietly in the safe while he'd poured bleach down her throat and over her body, while Hughes convulsed in agonized laughter. Interesting…
His vision blurred and the pain in his side ripped through him. The bleeding had slowed down, but judging from how much blood was on the floor, he had a few pints left. Stumbling toward the man rolling on the floor, he attempted to force him still, but to no avail. Not only was he weakened from the knife, but Hughes' body now had a mind of its own. At this rate he'd die from exhaustion.
'Hurry! We don't have all fucking day!'
/Like I'm not aware of that/
"God damn you! Stay still!" Hughes' fits were starting to diminish, meaning the effects were dimming. But the eyes were glazing up. He quickly began to draw the invisible array over the general vicinity of Hughes' head. Any other time he couldn't afford to be careless, but too many setbacks and surprises had changed his views for now. He needed that body. Even if entry was more painful than usual.
With the array drawn, he grabbed Hughes' hair to hold it still. Mark smirked in triumph. "Adios, Hughes. I hope your soul rots in hell."
A painful crack sang through the air and hit Mark square on the back. He screamed and shuddered, the throbbing letting him know there would be a large welt growing. He turned around.
'FUCK!'
/FUCK/
The array shimmered and vanished.
"Oops, did I interrupt?" A young woman, just barely five foot two, stood in the doorway and cracked her whip again, smiling at Mark, but her orange eyes blazed with suppressed fury. "Do you want me to leave while you finish off my friend?"
"If you know what's good for you, bitch, you'll leave right now." The smile disappeared and another snap sent Mark howling. She'd gotten his arm with the array on it. Bleed seeped to the surface and she knew it'd be extremely painful if he tried any alchemy. Not that Shayla cared at the moment. She could see Hughes on the floor and he wasn't moving.
'Hughes, don't you die on me…' Her eyes fell on Mark as soon as he began to move again.
Mark slinked his way to the wall, using up much of his energy to climb to his feet. The pain was terrible, but his rage was indescribable. He wanted nothing better than to kill them both, consequences damned, but he'd worked too hard. He leaned against the wall, practically a walking corpse if he didn't find a suitable body.
/Hughes is now out of the question, and that girl won't do either. I have to escape now. /
"Don't move again, or I guarantee you won' be walking for a long time." She cracked her whip in his direction. "Might as well give up. It's a lot less painful."
"My dear lady," Shayla narrowed her eyes. The way he said that… it was too calm and sure of himself. "I'm not one to give up. In fact, you're going to let me leave here, no strings attached."
She laughed heartily at that. "Nice one, but I'm afraid that won't be happening anytime soon."
"If you want Hughes to live you will."
"… What are you talking about?"
Mark smirked evilly. "He's lost most of his blood. In fact, he might not even be alive right now. You can't help him and take me in at the same time. You're the Angel Alchemist."
"How the hell do you know me?"
Mark's smirk got wider. "I'm a State Alchemist." Shayla's eyes grew huge in shock. A State Alchemist was the killer? "Even if it takes you seconds to heal him, I'll be long gone." Shayla glared at him and readied her whip. "So you must choose, my dear. Me or Hughes."
Shayla didn't have to think twice. She moved from the doorway. "Get the fuck out."
Mark moved as quickly as possible, sliding through the doorway and down the hall. Shayla listened until she was positive she heard the front door close. Then she made her way to Hughes and knelt beside him.
He was in terrible shape. His breathing was shallow and irregular, and after checking his pulse, the heartbeat started to slow.
"Come on, Hughes. Don't die on me now." Shayla dipped her index finger on the floor, knowing there was plenty of blood to make an array. With that finger she traced a delicate pattern of circles and waves along his bare chest, and then drew a few triangles in the middle. They looked like a pair of wings. "Okay, just hang in there."
She placed her small hand on the array, breathing deeply and exhaling. Orange eyes stared blankly at the wall, and the array began to shine brightly in the room. A searing heat filled both of the occupants.
From the array a gentle light flew out. It flowed and rippled like a white sheet of water with a mind of its own. It spread over Hughes first, then flew to the ceiling and fell back down to place itself on Shayla's back. Her breathing started to get faster, but she did not move her hand from Hughes' body. She kept her eyes on the wall.
By now the array was gone from Hughes' chest and only the flowing light remained. It filled the woman with its powerful alchemy and flowed through her hand to the bared chest she touched. If another person had been there to witness it, they would have seen two people with light radiating out of their bodies as if entities or superior beings.
Where the gunshot wound and any other scrapes were, the light shot out of these places like beams. As Hughes' breathing became deep and even, the beams shrunk in diameter until they were non existent. Any light left now came solely from Shayla and her body gleamed. Her eyes sparkled with the extra power and she truly did seem to be an angel.
All this happened in the span of a minute, and the light went out with one last pulse from in Shayla. Her eyes refocused and she limped to the side, exhausted.
'God, I need to practice more.' She smiled to herself and looked at Hughes. His chest rose and fell in even breaths. Not too shabby of a job, actually.
Hughes groaned and shook his head from side to side, as if willing his brain to awaken. His eyes opened slowly and fell on the woman sitting next to him. "Shayla…"
"Hello, sleepy head. Your wife sent me to bring your ass home." She sighed. "Good thing, too."
He smiled at that. "Shayla…" She looked at him and nodded her head to show she was listening. "Shayla, you owe me a six pack…" With no more worries, Hughes passed out, leaving Shayla to stare at him in amazement.
"You are something else, you know that Hughes?"
Never talk to strangers. That was what his mother always told him. But his dad told him to always help out a human in need. And since he'd gotten in trouble yesterday for not picking up his toys, he decided his dad knew much more about the world than his mother. Boys were much smarter than girls, after all. And picking up toys off the floor was stupid and boring.
The man with freaky red hair had been bleeding everywhere, and he knew this was his chance to prove to everyone he could be good. He could make his parents proud, even his mother, though she complained about toys on the floor. She was a girl, and they always nick picked. (he learned that word from his dad.)
He took the man by the hand, telling him he'd take him to a good doctor. Actually, he didn't know where one was, but his dad said it was best not to startle the weak and wounded. And his father knew best, because he didn't complain about toys on the floor.
So taking this poor unfortunate man by the hand, he lead him down the alleys (the boy didn't think the stranger would like to be seen in his condition. He got that from his mother, one of the few useful things she told him) to his house so maybe his mother could fix him up. Girls were good at that.
But the stranger never got to the boy's house. And when the boy returned to his home and the mother asked him where he had been, he told her he was going to pick up his toys. Mothers knew best after all. The mother beamed proudly at her son and patted him on the head.
He looked back with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
(1) I wonder how many of you got that sentence….
(2) I'm no doctor, so I don't know how severe a punctured lung is. I just know it probably hurts.
(3) Yeah Ed, blame it on the nap… Denial, I say!
(4) Ed- (chanting) LEMON! LEMON! LEMO-- Bandit- Pervert! I didn't mean it that way!
Ed- I bet Havoc did… Havoc- (tries to look innocent) Who, me?
(5) The yaoi girl in me is gushing "OH! That's so cute it's a sin!" ;p
(6) It's about time we got somewhere with one of them!
I hate the ending! But so… tired! (falls over) I have school tomorrow, but decided getting another chapter was by far more important, so here I am! This is the end to the chapter 5, and the story will really start moving now! I hope you all loved the Fury/Havoc fluff (I know I did) :p And now the shout outs!
Akumako- Thanx! I was going for lots of sensory details! Hmmm… Nope. I'm afraid I don't know a Freedom or Liberty Highschool. Sorry!
LegacyRBluesummers- Yes. Ew. I have a sick and twisted mind. (cackles)
Basser- I know she's dead! But I loved that ending part so I bent the laws of life and death a bit… so ha! And I read your story! It rocks my face off! Teehee! Update girl!
Dea Lunae- YAY! I love it when my reviewers get into it! I hope you love this one just as much! You encourage me to right another chapter right now! (starts typing)
diamond-princess2006- Ooo… I scared ya for a moment there? Don't worry, I kinda scared myself when I wrote it… ;p Yes, we all know Roy would be insanely jealous! But that's what makes it so cute! (grins)
Kylie- Yes, I'm evil. But Ed is here in this chapter so be happy, my dear:p
I know you guys can't wait for the next chappie! (Neither can I!) So go and drop me a review! They keep me alive and sane! (well… maybe not sane) XD