Bandit- This chapter was actually a bitch for me to write. Don't know why, just was.
Ed- It's called Writer's Block, dumbass. About time you experienced it.
Bandit- You keep talking like that, and you'll never get a scene with Roy. I'll stick you with Stanford.
Roy- (glares) You wouldn't dare…
Bandit- You're right. I wouldn't ;p
Disclaimer- (looks in bank account) According to the amount of money I have at the moment, I'd guess that I don't own squat.
"Where… the hell are we, Shayla…"
Shayla just snorted, hiding her fear. "You ask as if I know." She glanced around the surrounding darkness. "I woke up a little before you did, so I don't remember much."
Roy stood up on what he assumed was the floor, but couldn't be one hundred percent certain. As far as the eye reached, there was nothing but infinite blackness. Roy wasn't sure how he was able to see Shayla perfectly when absolutely no light reached them. It madehis skin crawl.
"How about you Roy? You remember anything? I know there's something important we need to find, but…" She scratched her head, but came up blank, "I can't remember. It's like my brain's been fried."
"Let's concentrate on remembering what happened before we ended up… here… wherever this is," Roy suggested. He nodded in some various direction. "Might as well walk. I doubt sitting here will do us much good."
Shayla looked like she wanted to argue, but thought better and just followed Roy's retreating back. "I guess. Even though I doubt we'll find anything here. This place reminds me of something…" Roy glanced back at her.
"Maybe you're starting to remember. In fact, I'm starting to remember a bit…"
"Like what?"
"Red light."
"What?"
"I know. I don't understand it either." Roy shook his head in irritation. "But there was red light… inside me if I'm right, and…" he thought harder, "I think it was coming from you…"
Shayla huffed, looking offended. "From me? I only produce white light, and that's because of my alchemy. It only turns red if…" She stopped walking, "if something goes wrong…" Roy did not like the sound of that, and stopped as well, tuning to look at his companion.
"If something goes wrong? Well, I think something went wrong, Shayla." He gestured with a flick of his hand, indicating their current position. "I highly doubt this is Central." Shayla didn't find his weak attempt at a joke funny.
"No shit… but what was I even using my alchemy for?" She and Roy continued walking through the black abyss, still trying to figure out what happened to their memories.
"I don't know, but like I said, we'll figure it out. No need to panic yet."
"As Shayla would say, we are knee deep in shit, gentlemen." Havoc nodded quickly to Hawkeye before she pulled out her gun. "And ladies, of course."
"Shayla says that? I never heard it before. Even though it does sound like something she would say…"
"… Err… that's not the point Fury." Hughes just laughed to himself while watching the somewhat cute exchange between Fury and Havoc. 'Shayla would love to watch…' This cause the green eyed man to gaze sorrowfully at his friends, all three of them not moving.
It had already been thirty minutes since Shayla's alchemy seemingly malfunctioned (if alchemy could do that) and sent both her and Roy into a comatose state, exactly like Ed. All their efforts to wake them up proved useless. They weren't hurt in any way, as far as Hughes could tell, but that didn't stop him from worrying. People just don't go into comas as they please, even with alchemy involved. And a hunch told him the accident probably wasn't Shayla's fault.
Besides Ed, Shayla was the one he was most worried about. Not because of her condition, but because if Stanford found out about this…
'He'll order her dead, there's no doubt about that. He might even chance it with Roy…' That scared him. Roy was no push over, but there was little he could do now. If the Fuhrer did order their deaths…
"Hughes, what are we going to do? We need to get Roy and Shayla out of here as soon as possible." Hawkeye walked up to Hughes, already knowing what was on his mind. "And we need a plan for Ed. We have until tomorrow, and that's not much time."
"You don't have to tell me that. I'm still trying to process what happened a while ago." Hawkeye let her eyes follow Hughes to the patients before falling back on him.
"May I make a suggestion?"
"Of course. I'm all ears. And you don't have to act all stiff in front of me, you know that." Hawkeye smiled with her eyes.
"I think we should send Roy out for a little vacation time. After all, when Ed 'dies', he'll have a legitimate reason for leaving. He killed one in his own unit. And I know he has at the very least a month to take off when he wants to."
"But what about Stanford?" Havoc asked. He and Fury had been listening in. "What if he needs to talk to Mustang?"
"Let me handle that part," Hawkeye replied. She smiled full blast then."I don't think Stanford will have any objections."
"Then what about Shayla? She hasn't been here long enough to have a vacation," Havoc said. "And we all know how much the Fuhrer hates her. He'd want to kill her himself."
"Ummm… I have a plan…" All eyes turned toward Fury and he blushed but continued. "I think we should fake her death…" Hawkeye raised an eyebrow.
"How would we do that?"
"Well," he shifted in his seat, not used to so much attention focused on him, "I used to be involved in plants… before I took in animals…"
"Plants?" Havoc smirked. "You were a gardener?" Fury blushed harder.
"Kind of… but I had to give it up."
"Why?"
"Probably because many types of plants are harmful to animals," Hawkeye stated. Fury nodded at her answer.
"That's the reason… but I remember this type of house plant… I read if you brew the roots, it will create a poison that stops the heart temporarily." (1)
Havoc looked excited at this solution. "Yeah… and we give it to Shayla right before the Fuhrer comes in. We'll just say Shayla was killed while trying to save Ed. He can assume the rest. That might work, Fury!" The smaller man started to resemble a tomato at this point. Still he felt a rush that Havoc actually liked his plan.
"How long will the heart stop beating?" Hawkeye asked Fury.
"About thirty minutes. It actually slows the pulse so much it's basically non existent to everyone but a professional. After the toxins run its course, the heart beat speeds up and the person is fine."
"This might work. The Fuhrer will come in and see Shayla dead, and then we'll insist on taking care of the burial. She was our friend after all. He'll probably be happy not to have some major event in her honor. Then I'll take her to my house," Hughes volunteered.
"How will Gracia feel about it?" Havoc asked.
"I doubt she'll complain. Shayla saved my life, so Gracia will help. I'm sure of it."
"Okay, so that's two down." Havoc looked at the blonde alchemist who slept. "But what about Ed? I don't think the Fuhrer will let his death go quietly, even if he doesn't want to look bad in the public eye. The boss's a pretty famous alchemist. His death would practically be a world wide announcement." His question was met with silence.
"I… I don't know what to do about Ed," Hughes said finally. "But we need something fast… because I doubt Roy or Shayla will be very forgiving if we save them but not Ed." Everyone nodded, agreeing with him. Those two could be fiercely protective of Ed when they wanted to be.
"We'll figure something out," Fury reasoned, trying to lift spirits. "And then we'll deal with Stanford."
"You got that right," Havoc growled. "Stanford won't be Fuhrer for very long. He's over stayed his welcome."
"So we all agree to mutiny?" Hughes grinned at everyone.
"Even though mutiny is a form of treason on the sea, I agree," Hawkeye stated, another smile surfacing.
"Count me in," Fury said.
"I doubt Shayla or Roy will have any objections." They all snickered at Hughes' joke, their moods greatly improved.
Someone else was snickering along with them, a grin playing on his pale face as he listened right outside the door, undetected. This was definitely more fun than he expected to have. He certainly picked the right time to visit. If there was one thing he loved, it was treason. Revolts equaled blood, which made him very happy. Plus, that new Fuhrer pissed him off. No where near as efficient as Bradley was. Who knows? Maybe he'd lend a hand and help out the chibi and his friends… this one time. (2)
"So basically, when I tried to heal Ed, a red light came pouring out of me, and I wasn't able to let go of his forehead?" The duo had made progress with their memories, now remembering just about everything up until the point Roy had grabbed Shayla's arm.
"I tried to get your hand off him, but I blanked out as soon as my hand touched your arm."
Shayla shook her head in disbelief. "I just don't think it was my alchemy. It worked fine when I used it on Hughes, so there must be another reason… It must have been Ed."
"Shayla, what possibly could Ed have done?" Roy sighed in exasperation. The woman was so thick sometimes. "He was in a coma. There's no way he could have interfered."
"But he was attacked by the Dream Alchemist."
"So was Hughes."
"But I stopped him before anything could happen! You, on the other hand, got there too late." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Shayla wanted to slap herself. Roy's expression turned sour, his eyes now cold, and he looked straight ahead, refusing to look at her. "Wait. Roy… that didn't come out right. It wasn't your fault."
"That doesn't sound like what you were implying a moment ago." Shayla winced and decided she'd caused enough damage. She kept her mouth shut, guilty of what she'd said. 'I really don't know when to shut up… that's twice I've said the wrong thing to him…'
The walk continued in an uncomfortable silence, with Shayla stealing glances around her, trying to figure out what direction they were heading. But it was impossible to tell. There was only the endless sea of dark; no light, not even a sparkle. It was extremely depressing and Shayla felt her mood sink lower.
And except for the echoing of their footsteps, there was no sound. Like wandering in a sound proof void. Shayla didn't mind quiet, but this was ridiculous. The silence was so loud, she thought her head would explode.
"Roy, I'm sorry. I know we're not the best of friends, but please… If we want out of here, we'll probably have to work together, as corny as that sounds." Shayla looked over at him, hoping for a response, a snort, anything.
She got nothing. Roy's passive expression didn't even change.
"Oh, fine! I won't talk to you either!" Shayla crossed her arms, knowing she looked like a pouting four year old and not caring. 'Stupid bastard… I apologized! How does Ed stand him?'
Roy kept his smirk to himself. He doubted Shayla would find this funny. He wasn't angry, but he didn't have Ed to tease, so she'd have to do until…
"I-- fi-- him--… fuc--"
"Did you say something?"
"Did you not just hear me a moment ago? I refuse to talk to you."
"Then what was that?"
"What was what? Don't tell me you're going mental already…"
"E-- fi-- must fi-- or die."
"Wait… I hear it too." Shayla abandoned her previous plan of not talking, instead listening intently with Roy for the voice. They kept walking in the same direction, hoping it was the right one, since the voice bounced around and seemed to surround them.
Roy stared out into the black ink sea, careful of how loud his feet fell. Shayla followed suit. It could be friend or foe out there, and best to have the upper hand in this place.
"What's that?" Shayla whispered, pointing slightly to the left of them. A shape was beginning to form in the darkness. A man, from the looks of it, bending on his knees with his back towards the duo. He didn't seem to notice their advancement, and continued mumbling to himself.
"Must fi-- him… If I do-- I can-- let him wi--"
The man's features became sharper as they came closer. His red hair shone in the dark, and his blue uniform seemed eerily familiar…
"Wait… is that Mark?" Shayla forgot to keep her voice down, and the man's back stiffened suddenly as he realized he wasn't alone. He turned to look at his visitors, eyes wide with fright.
"No… that's not Mark," Roy stated. The hair was the same, but this man's eyes were a classic green, not unlike Hughes'. The face was also much thinner, almost anorexic, and extremely pale. He looked ready to die from blood loss.
"Who the fuck are you guys?" He growled, scrambling up and showing off his twig like figure. "There shouldn't be anyone else here!" His eyes focused on Shayla an widened. "YOU!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You're the bitch!"
"Don't call me a bitch!" Shayla made her way toward him, her angry stamps pounding in his ears. "And how do you know me? We've never met!"
He didn't bother to answer, instead turning and making a run for it.
"Oh no you don't!" Roy and Shayla gave chase, desperately trying not to lose him. "Get back here!" Shayla screamed.
"Just try and catch me!" The red haired man laughed maniacally. "You don't even know where the fuck you are!" He turned sharply to the right, almost disappearing from their sight.
"Damn he's fast!" Roy huffed.
"No kidding!" Shayla snapped. "Less talking, more running!"
"Yes, slave driver."
"You like pissing me off?"
The two stopped their banter in exchange for air and continued after the laughing man.
'What the fuck are they doing here? They'll ruin everything! I can't let them interfere.' He glanced over his shoulder. He had to admit those two could really run. If he didn't find a portal soon… 'Ah! There's one!'
'Almost got him!' Roy thought to himself. The run was starting to take effect on their guy. He started to slow down rapidly, then turned and grinned at them. 'Wha…'
"I'm afraid it's time to say farewell, you fuckin' alchemists!" With that, he took a giant leap in front of him.
And disappeared.
Shayla and Roy stopped short.
"Umm… that did not just happen…" Shayla bent over, trying to catch her breath. "Where is he?"
Roy had already recovered from their impromptu exercise, and walked cautiously over to the spot where the red haired man had vanished. "I don't see anything different… just black." Shayla made her way over to Roy.
"Well, actually…" She circled around the area. "It's not exactly black… it's more shimmery." Roy stared at her, then back to the spot.
"Shimmery? Whatever you say…" He stuck his hand out. It disappeared as well, and Roy pulled it back out quickly. The spot did waver in the air before it stilled. "I guess it does shimmer."
"Should we jump in?" Shayla asked.
"I don't think we have a choice right now. Staying here won't help, and this guy obviously knows where we are." Roy stuck his whole hand in this time.
"Do you feel anything at all?" Shayla questioned, wondering if she should copy Roy's action.
Roy shook his head and pulled his hand out."Nothing. We'll probably find more darkness or something similar, so no point in staying here." Shayla nodded in agreement.
They both stood there.
"You're welcome to go first, Roy."
"What happened to ladies first?"
"Do I act like a lady?"
"Good point, but you're still a woman."
"So?"
"I'm stronger than you, so it's natural to let the weak ones go first. Then if you die I can escape."
"…. That's not funny."
"It wasn't meant to be."
"I'm not going first."
"Do you want the big, strong man to show you how it's done?"
"You're not strong, I seriously doubt you're big in any department, and I don't need you showing me shit."
"So you're jumping?"
"Nope."
Roy sighed. "This isn't getting us anywhere. We'll both jump." Shayla grinned smugly.
"Sounds good."
"Ok. One… two… three!"
Neither of them moved.
"Why didn't you jump!"
"I'm not some stupid woman! I knew you wouldn't jump before me." Roy rubbed his temples in exasperation.
'I just had to be stuck with her. At least with Hawkeye I'd know she'd hold me at gunpoint until I did as she told me…'
"Come on, Roy. Let's just go. I'm tired of standing here." Shayla took at step, watching her leg disappear. She peered up at Roy. "You coming?" And with that she launched herself into the shimmering hole.
'Well, can't let a woman outdo me…' Roy smirked and followed the brunette, mentally telling himself that if anyone asked, he'd won their little argument. Shayla had gone through first.
Hughes decided he'd rather walk home than catch a ride with Havoc. He had too much on his mind, and needed a clear head if he was going to tell Gracia they'd be keeping Shayla at their house for a while. 'Maybe I shouldn't have volunteered…' Too late for second guessing. He'd just have to hope Gracia didn't throw him out… not that she would, but still. 'This is one those weeks. I almost die, my friends are in a coma, and someone's following me… great.'
Hughes continued to walk though, going to the park so that his new friend couldn't hide from him. Hopefully no one would be there, just in case there was a fight. No point in any innocents dying.
He could feel the presence getting closer, as if it knew Hughes wouldn't do anything about it yet. It was slightly unnerving. Hughes felt like he knew this stranger. He walked a bit quicker.
By the time he'd reached the park, his companion was walking close behind him, and Hughes still didn't turn around. Not yet.
"I'm sorry, but I don't like being followed. Bad memories." There was no playfulness in his tone. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually, I want to help you." The owner of the voice was definitely female. She sounded a lot like Gracia. "Overheard you were having some problems with the new Fuhrer." Hughes stiffened.
"So you were the one listening by the door?"
"Mmmm… so someone did hear me? I must be losing my touch."
Hughes finally turned and sucked in his breath. 'No…' "Gracia! What are you doing?" His wife just smiled deviously, toying with a lock or hair. "Wait… you're not Gracia."
"Oh, darn. What'd I mess up? Is it the hair?" Gracia ran a hand through it, it changing from a sandy brown, to a light blonde with a flash of light. "Or maybe the eyes? You're going to have to tell me."
"Yes, it's the eyes," Hughes said dully, his entire body numb. A thousand nightmares resurfaced in a heart beat. "Her eyes are brown, not blue." Gracia closed her eyes and rubbed the lids. When they opened, they had turned a dark brown.
"Thank you. I'll change the hair later."
"What do you want? Killing me once not enough?"
"Oh, don't sound so bitter. It wasn't personal. You're just too god damn nosy… and smart." She strolled toward him, acting completely unaware of how uneasy she was making Hughes. "But I have no reason to kill you now. I just want that idiot of a Fuhrer dead, and your pathetic group does too. Besides, I owe chibi a favor, even if I hate to admit it." She stopped in front of him, staring right into his eyes.
"You mean Ed?"
"Who else would it be?"
"And how do you plan on helping us?" Gracia grinned, the look in her eyes entirely out of place.
"Don't worry. I think you'll love my plan."
"It's so… beautiful." They were standing on a tall cliff. Shayla looked around in awe at the rolling green hills and pastures, stretching on for what looked like forever with houses dotting the land. There were also a few farms, and to the left a lush forest.
Roy agreed with Shayla, eyes drinking in the scenery. It certainly was beautiful, and tranquil as well. So much different from the hustle of Central. And it seemed familiar to him, like he'd been here before…
But he couldn't dwell on it now. His eyes searched for the red haired man, coming up blank. "I don't think he's here."
"He has to be. There's nowhere else for him to go," Shayla said, but she couldn't find him either. "I guess one of us could go back to that black abyss real quick and check." She turned around, waving her hands in front of her to look for that familiar shimmer, but came up with nothing. "Roy? Where's the portal?"
Roy rolled his eyes discreetly while moving to help the woman. "It's right here." He took a step forward, but didn't disappear, didn't vanish. Nothing happened. "Well, it should be right there." Shayla walked the whole length of the cliff, still finding nothing.
"Does this mean we're stuck here?" Shayla asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know where we are." Roy walked back to the edge of the cliff and peered down. Not too steep… They both could probably make it down safely. "But then that man won't be able to leave either."
"I guess. And this place is better than walking through ink." Shayla joined Roy and looked down. "We gonna jump?"
"That's the plan."
"That's a long way down… You go first."
"We are not going to start again," Roy muttered. She just laughed.
"Kidding." She gracefully jumped off, landing on her feet and sliding down rapidly. "Race ya!"
Never one to back down from a challenge, Roy jumped as well and began his decent. He already knew she would win; she had an unfair start, and she weighed considerably less than him, but why not? Might as well keep himself and her entertained.
By the time he hit bottom, Shayla was gazing woefully at her boots. "Damn. That was stupid of me. They won't last for long now." Roy just shrugged and began walking.
"You can buy new ones when we get back to Central. Right now we need to find that man. He's our only lead." Shayla sighed to herself and trailed after him.
The two walked in silence, Shayla gazing around her longingly at the beautiful place. She acted as if she'd never been to the country. Roy glanced at her.
"This your first time out of the city?"
"You could say that…" She folded her arms behind her back. "I didn't get out much as a child. Always too sick, I guess."
"You guess?"
"I don't remember much about it. In fact, the first fifteen years of life are a blur to me." Shayla just shrugged it off. "It doesn't bother me. I'd rather concentrate on the present and future."
Roy looked at her for a bit more, then turned back to the front. He'd never heard Shayla talk about her childhood. In fact, he didn't know much about her at all. Not even a last name. The first time he'd seen the woman was a year ago, when she seemingly appeared out of nowhere and acted as a doctor for the recovering Hughes. 'I should at least make an effort to get to know her better.' She was now apart of his unit, whether by choice or not didn't matter. And Roy made it his business to know virtually everything about the people under him.
A loud scream broke through his thoughts, and he could already see Shayla running off towards the yell. He took off after her.
"What was that!"
"Don't know, but it sounded like a kid!" Shayla ran straight into the forest they'd seen from the cliff, dodging trees and fallen twigs better than Roy was. His height wasn't helping him with the lower branches, and he kept ducking to prevent a nasty head injury.
Another scream was heard, louder this time. They were getting closer.
"Roy, there's a clearing up ahead!" Shayla shouted back to them. She broke through the lining of trees, momentarily disappearing.
When Roy arrived, he observed a small lake, more a pond actually, and the first thing he noticed were two little boys. One was leaning over the other, crying miserably while shaking his friend. Roy and Shayla made their way over.
"What's wrong?" Shayla asked kindly, kneeling next to the sobbing boy. He looked up at her with wide eyes, backing up away from her.
"Who aw you?" He took one look at Roy and tried to pull his friend along with him. Shayla put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay. We just want to help you and your friend. Is he alright?" The little boy with sandy brown hair started to cry harder, and launched himself in Shayla's lap.
"We wur playin', and I tode him not to jump, but he did and," The boy wailed in misery. "My bwother's dead!" Shayla patted him on the back, and nodded at Roy to take a look.
Roy looked down at the boy laying on his stomach, and from the way his back moved up and down it was obvious he was alive. He reached out to pick him up, and was met with an outcry from the brother. He turned and looked to see him try to scramble out of Shayla's arms, thinking Roy would hurt the boy.
The orange eyed woman held on fast. "Shh! It's okay! He's a nice man and he's going to help your brother." She pulled him back into an embrace, cradling the boy and trying to reassure him. She nodded for Roy to continue.
He picked the boy up and held him against his lap, almost like Shayla was doing for the brother. He checked the pulse, just in case. But aside from being extremely wet (his jacket was starting to soak) the boy was fine.
Roy now took the time to actually look at the boy. He had fine golden hair, cut short, and a pouty face. Put that was to be expected. He was only five, six at the most from what he could tell. He looked strangely familiar. 'Please. This whole place is giving me dejavu.'
The blonde boy began to come around, mumbling something in Roy's chest before pushing away, his dazed eyes focusing up at Roy. Roy sucked in a breath as he realized why he recognized the child.
His eyes were golden.
(1) Believe it or not, I remember reading something about a plant that could slow your heart down to the point you were pretty much dead, then after it wore off you were fine. So I'm not bullshitting for once in my life:p
(2) WTF! That came out of nowhere! Lol
Yes, another cliffy, but you should have expected that! (dodges random foods) Hey! If you've been reading this long, you knew it was gonna happen! But I have no comment on this chapter. I'll let your reviews do the talking. ;p
arynna- BUTTMONKEY? (rolls on the floor laughing) I garentee that's the next name Shayla's gonna call Stanford! Ohhh… I likey chocolate cookies! (grabs cookie and runs)
Elain Elric- OH YEAH! I got another one! Thanx for adding me to favorites! I feel all warm inside!
Torii- I'd love to tell you, but that would ruin it for ya, and we can't have that… :p And I'm not evil!… just different (snickers)
Cat- Don't worry, I update so soon it's almost scary. Especially for how much I right per chapter… (grins)
Angi- I know. I need to bring Ed back in since he disappeared for the moment… well he is back, just not in the way you guys are expecting it. :p And almost all my chapters are unbelievably long, don't worry about that!
Asphalt Angel- Darn. I got gram errors? (growls) I hate errors, but I never seem to get them all. I actually hate OC's unless very well written, but I do love writing them myself. And I will definitely keep writing. I might even read a few of your stories.
anonymous- I can't help it! The cliffys just keep on popping up! I have no control!
yinan- I will tell you they didn't enter Ed's mind, but you're so close it's scary! You'll just have to keep reading! And I'm glad I make you so happy! Writing this makes me happy, and so do reviews!
Loki and Co.- Hehehehe… Roy wishes he could get Ed laid…
Roy- Damn you! I want that lemon scene!
Bandit- Quiet, idiot! You get nothing til I say you can!… Oooo.. Pocky! (runs after it while Roy sneaks to see Ed for a late night visit)
Uniasus- Oh, Stanford won't be in control for long, I can tell you that! I can't believe I actually hate one of my own characters… (shakes head) Oh well. HAIL KING MUSTANG!
Seeker Carter- Very close on the thinkers. All of them were right except for the last. That one was Stanford, because he'd been listening in on the groups conversation. Very good, though! And Roy's not getting any for a while as punishment.
Roy- WHAT! Haven't I had enough torture yet?
Bandit- Keep talking and I'll lock you in the closet again!
LegacyRBlueSummers- Heehee. I couldn't help it. Sorry I startled you!
You know the drill. Reviews make me write freakingly fast! And FLUFF alert for the next chapter!