Chapter 1, redemption:

all he could see was the bright crimson light all around him. He didn't even make an attempt to move, dispite the cloth binding them, the wounds where his arms were supposed to be, continued to spew blood in torrents, he could feel the one...two...three bullets still lodged in his chest and back... and the one in his knee just for spite

he knew what was coming and, well, didn't have the energy to care. He could hear his heartbeat growing more and more faint with each passing second. soon even the light began to grow dark and his lips curled into something of a derranged smile as images flashed through his head... he'd always wondered if your life really flashed before your eyes or if that was just writer's embelishment. he calmly watched and frowned a little, how dissappointing, the movie of his life was out of order and poorly directed.

hey, maybe they WOULD make a movie of his life someday... who would play him? Dameon Clarke? nah, too good-looking and well groomed... that guy who was always the back-stabbing ninja in samurai movies? nah, too graceful... that guy they had to put a muzzle on or he'd literally eat people... spewing religious proverbs the whole time? bingo...

it was amazing the things he thought about in desparite situations like this... they did him practically no good and probably made him stupider... oh well, not like it mattered now.

the images continued...

his brother who abandoned him, the woman he couldn't escape, and finally the girl he was leaving behind... the last three pictures that came into his head didn't even move... it kinda dissappointed him, he'd hoped that the last scene of his life's story would have at least have special effects ...

Rose would be allright, she was smart and would find a way to support herself... how would she react when she found out he was dead? would she cry?... she cried for everything she loved and loved everything... right down to the mice thathawks snatched up to feed their young. oi... she was too soft for her own good...

he felt his body tense up for a second then go totally numb, "sayonara..." he said. then his eyes unfocoused and the world went black...

would she cry for him?

a Gypsy settlement in Siberia

A small house waited expectantly in the tiny village. it was a wonder the thing still stood, really... it's shingles were falling off in places, it's support beams were all but splinters now... a lone tiny house stood on the battle-scarred land, all aroundit was rubble... as of ten minutes ago, it was all that was left of the once lively town. snow began to resettle over the debris. the world was already forgetting them.

in the basement, the people all huddled together and looked to the ceiling with fearful eyes and dreading ears. the raids had come again. they were coming so often that few were the reasons urgent enough to go outside. the children didn't even go to school anymore. one woman looked around, taking inventory on where everyone was. shesuddenly realized something, "the kids...shit, WHERE'RE TH-" her friend quickly covered her mouth and shushed her, she nodded her head towards the corner.

they all huddled against one man who had somehow managed to keep them calm. the woman recognised the man's thin frame and grungy light brown hair that stuck out in a messy mane on top of his head, she let out the breath she'd taken to call for them... much more releived now. They were all in good hands.

the littlest one, a boy of maybe six or seven,clung to the man's shirt for both comfort and warmth... in case you didn't know, it was very cold in Siberia. the older man patted the boy's blonde head, "It's okay Ric, we're safe down here." he whispered. Ric wasn't convinced... he was young but not stupid... he knew anything that was bad enough to wipe the usual goofy grin off Mr. Lee's face was most definitely NOT okay. but the boy nodded and clutched the fabric tighter... no, things were probably not okay... but he could always act like they were anyway, he didn't want anyone else to worry either...

another five minutes passed and there was no sound. the woman from before cautiously stood, "I'm going outside to check, everyone stay here." Ric turned and began to follow but a hand pulled him back, "no! I wanna go with Sezja!" the little boy protested. Sezja turned to the little group, "Dave, I'm counting on you to keep everyone inside, alright?" she said in a commanding tone. The man pulled Ric back into a headlock so he couldn't wriggle freeand nodded, "we'll be waiting for you." he said. Sezja nodded back then turned and walked out the door.

Ric looked up at Dave with an angry look, "oh, don't give me that look, you really don't wanna go out there anyway... you'll get hurt." Dave said.

"I'm not afraid of them" the little boy insisted stubbornly, pulling his head free andcrossing his arms over his chest.

Dave leaned down "they aren't the one's that'll hurt you..." he muttered in Ric's ear, "Sezja would destroy anyone who came near you up there... but she's the one that'll pummel you for disobeying her."

Ric turned his round, little face up to him, "sh-she would?" he stammered, horror-stricken.

"oh yeah, you see this?" Dave said, rolling up his sleeve and pointing to an old scar on his upper arm, "she told me not to eat that cookie but I did anyway, boy, did I regret it..."

"b-but that looks like a dog bite..."

"well..." Dave said thoughtfully rolling his sleve back down, "you haven't seen her really angry yet... she turns into a real bi-"

"everyone, Hurry!" came her voice, "our ride's here, they won't wait long... c'mon, people, what are you waiting for? MOVE!" she barked as she came down the stairs and immedeately began nudging people out.

"see what I mean?" he smiled. Ric blinked then smiled back... so long as Mr. Lee was smiling, that ment they would be allright.

Dave stood and started herding the kids out as well, he smiled to keep the kids' morale up... but in truth, he knew it would be a miracle if they all survived this war.

The truck was only barely big enough to fit everyone, and the journey was sure to be a long one. oh, the headache... the simple thought made him want an asprin already.

They loaded the older people first, it was easier for the little ones to snuggle themselves into the tiny open spaces that were left. once the last of the elders were in, Sezja hopped in the back and gave the smaller ones a hand up while Dave did the same from the ground, counting as they went in. "6...7...where's 8?" he looked behind and saw the tiny boy still at the house, he was examining something that looked like rubble, "oh, God, what's he doing?" Sezja murmored under he breath.

"hey, Ric... we've got to go, buddy..." Ric didn't move. Dave looked at the object in the boys hands for a moment... it must've been very shiny for it reflected light brilliantly- no... it was blinking... "it's a bomb..." he ran foreward, "RIC, DROP IT!" he yelled. the boy only blinked in confusion.

on instinct, Dave wrenched it from the child's hands, threw it as hard as he could away from them, and wrapped his arms around him, shielding him as best he could.

there was scilence for a split second before the deafening explosion shook the ground and sent fragments whistling through the air.

Dave didn't wait for silence. he heard the bomb hit the side of the wall before exploding... the house didn't stand a chance... not to mention the fact that the noise couldn't have gone unnoticed. the raiders would undoutbly be back to investegate soon. so he picked Ric up under the arms and ran to the truck, "START DRIVING!" he yelled within a second of jumping into the back, and landing clumsily on his shoulder. but the driver finally started the car and sped off as fast as he could. behind them, the tiny house shifted, then crumbled... the last piece of their town was reduced to the same rubble as all the others... within a few hours, the snow would cover even that, and any passer-by would never guess that any people ever made that land their home.

Sezja turned her eyes away fromthe place that had been her home for so long andlocked the back up hastily, she didn't have the time to mourn her loss, other people needed her.

She went toDave's side, "are you allright?" she asked urgently. Dave handed Ric to her and groaned as he pushed himself off the floor, "don't mind me, what about him?" he said nodding to Ric. The boy shook with lingering fear but swallowed hard and nodded, "I...I'm okay..."

"good...that's good" he said, more to himself than anyone. His back felt like it had been burned, but he didn't care so long as Ric was okay. "Jesus, you're bleeding!" Sezja yelled.

"you don't say-OW!" he said as the woman pushed him, face first to the metal floor of the truck, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

She ignored his complaints, "someone get me bandages, NOW" she demanded. he heard people moving about hurredly to carry out her orders. in a matter of seconds her felt whatever remained of his shirt pulled up and her quick hands plucking splinters of rubble out of his skin. "stop moving, or I'll knock you out!" she barked as he squirmed in pain... he bit his lip and forced himself to stop moving almost instantly... he wasn't sure if she rally would or not...and didn't much feel like testing it out. so he folded his arms in fron of himself and rested his chin on his forearms. trying not to wince as chunks of rock and wood was plucked from his skin

he hadn't noticed how bad his eyesight was before... everything kept moving in and out of focous, his head felt light, and his limbs felt heavy. he glanced behind himself and saw nothing but red... was that all blood? his blood? he suddenly remembered that he didn't like blood... he really, really,REALLY didn't like blood. he felt sick, his vision went black around the edges... he put his hands on the floor and tried to push himself up out of the thick red liquid, the smell made him sick, "Sez...ja..." he said slowly. he could only see a small circle in his vision that wasn't blackened out.

the woman got mad, she didn't notice how pale his usually tan face had gotten"hey! what did I tell you about moving, you moron. Do you want me to knock you out?"

he kept trying to get away, "I...I don't feel so..." he couldn't balance, his arms shook from holding him up and he wavered dangerously as the stupid truck moved jerkily.

"fine then, I guess I AM gonna have to knock you out!" she said, still only threatening. No sooner had she finished the sentance did his arms give out alltogether and he fell to the ground, unconcious...

"Dave?" she asked... "Dave? This isn't funny!" she yelled, "I...I was just kidding...you can move now!" she said almost pleadingly... he didn't so much as twitch.

Ric gaped open mouthed at her, "wow...you killed him with your mind!"

"He's not dead! he's still breathing, look! he's only knocked out! But...but...it was only an empty threat! I didn't mean for him to REALLY pass out! Come on, wake up, move,say something, ANYTHING! I won't even tell you to shut up!" everyone knew this guy was famous for saying stupid things... and whimpering like a puppy being kicked when Sezja yelled at him to shut up.

Dispite the fact that Sezja insisted that she didn't do anything to the poor guy, the rest of the people in that truck vowed never to oppose her again...

They drove the rest of the night strait on till noon the next day before they reached the first safehouse. Dave still didn't wake up... but he did twitch every once in a while and kept breathing so they figured he wasn't dead. thankfully, Dave happened to be a fairly light guy... and Sezja also happened to be very strong. so she put his arm around her neck and half-carried, half-dragged him inside and laid him down on a matress. she sat at the foot and rested for a moment. she looked at him, still bloodied and bandaged, but alive, at least. she shook her head, she had to admit, he had a big heart but his brain was another story.

"such a moron..." she murmored to herself then stood to leave when suddenly she heard him shift a little. She whirled around, sure enough, his face screwed up a little then the muscles in his neck tenced as he tried to lift his head, "no! don't try to move yet... Jesus, you had us pretty worried there, my friend... at least try to give me a warning or somethingnext time before you just pass out on me, Ric thinks I killed you." she laughed a little and took a seat on the bed beside him. His eyes opened finally and looked around the room in mild confusion, "wh-where am I?" his voice was clogged and raspy.

"oh, you were out for a while, we reached the first safehouse already." she said. He didn't smile like he usually did... actually, his expression got worse, "Dave? what's wrong?" she asked.

for the first time, he looked at her and stared for a long moment, studying the details of her face, clothing, hair...like he'd never seen her before.Then his expression hardened, "why do you have that face?"

ALO! people, this is Aoshi on speed. yes I know, I do have a story that I SHOULD be working on but... this one kinda chewed it's way out of me first. and yes, I do know that the last line is Scar-sans famous line... I MENT to put it there... why?... it's a secret, HA! you're just gonna have to wait untill the second chapterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! and yes, this does ACTUALLY have something to do with full metal alchemist, I'm not just rambling... don't worry... it all comes together and makes sence...eventually

so, in the meantime YOU ALL SHALL REVIEW BECAUSE I SAY SO!

IF YOU DON'T, I SHALL SICK SCAR-SAN ON YOU!

:threatens to unleash his royal scariness:

ta!