Hey everybody, GHOSTplanetINC here:
Just wanted everybody to know that even though this is labeled as a Romance/Comedy it is going to be a little angst as well in the following chapter. Oh yeah, don't worry about any of the plot twists and turns because it'll all make sense in the end. For now just sit back and enjoy the ride : ). Thanks to everyone who's been commenting on the story so far, especially Sam and Pri. Well here's chapter 4, btw it gets kind of gory so watch out.
BTW… I don't own Full Metal Alchemist so that's my disclaimer.
Oh and don't forget to comment (and be positive!)
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Chapter 4: Nightmare
Deathly heat fell down from the sun and wearing a mask didn't help. Standing in the shadows no one could see you, thanks to your own special blend of alchemy. Narrowing your eyes you watch silently as a group of heavily armed men walk by reciting prayers, loading rifles, and mostly looking ready to kill and be killed. One man's red eyes flash down the alleyway and make contact with yours but he can't see you. None of those men can see you. Not the woman. Not the children. No one can see the inevitable wave of death and destruction about to unfold between one second and the next at your blood stained hands. It's been happening for weeks and so many Ishbalans have now been slain that they are all faceless objectives to be dealt with. Just more blood spewing targets lining themselves up for the slaughter. Twisting the ring on your finger nervously, it's that time again. Unwrapping the bandages from your hands you're ready to send innumerable Ishbalans to meet their god.
Running from the alleyway you're only a blur of the blue military uniform you're forced to wear. Both hands grab the back of two men's necks, breaking the molecular bonds between skin, then tissue and bone and blood. They're dead as your hands are halfway into their tracheas. The next man loses his heart as you create a deep chasm through the front of his chest and yet another's head is cut in two. Move, strike, kill, repeat. Over and over again dead men drop as their blood bathes your hands. Finally there are no more armed men, no more targets, and you get ready to move again when a child appears before you. He won't move as the tears pour from his reddened eyes onto a thirsty ground. Above you the scream of artillery shells marks the imminent destruction of where you're standing. You shout at the kid in front of you to move, to run, to get as far as he can…but he can't hear you. Nor can the woman and children being crushed by debris, or ripped to shreds by the shrapnel, or blown to bits by… NO! It' can't be possible that all this is happening around you. The kid in front of you stops crying as he sees his home collapse in a deafening roar which swallows the screams of the innocence around you. You yell until your throat is beyond hoarse as the child runs toward the falling debris, unyielding to your pleas. Instinctively you reach out and grab the kid around the waist with your…bare hands. Blood soaks your mask as in horror you see the child in your arms break apart into a growing puddle of blood and whatever remains of his body. Taking a ragged breath, one word escapes your mouth as the taste of someone else's blood seeps in…
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jack screamed leaping up from his bed on Captain Riza Hawkeye's couch. Sweat poured out of every pore as stinging tears rolled down his cheeks. Giving in to the sickening pain, he sagged and collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. He could still see the bloody remnants of the little boy in front of him and taste the blood on his tongue… he screams again until his lungs simply are devoid of all air. Falling to his side, he is overcome with gasps for air sporadically interrupting his sobs.
Riza ran into the room woken by the blood curdling screams, pistol in hand with the safety off. Looking around wildly her eyes fell upon the figure curled up on her floor shaking. "Jack!" Riza yelled as she put down her pistol and ran to over to the sobbing alchemist. Instinctively she got down next to his and cradled his head against her chest. "Easy Jack, I've got you…I've got you…" she repeated over and over as his sobs slowly began to die away. Soon his sobs had subsided and Riza helped him into a sitting position, throwing a blanket over his shoulders. She sat down next to him and eyed him with concern. He was still shaking and his breath was ragged. Noting that physical contact seemed to be able to calm him down she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and drew him closer to her. His eyes were still distant as his mouth began to form words. "R-Riza," he whispered in a shaky voice. Riza looked into his eyes although they seemed to be transfixed somewhere far off. "Yes?" she lightly whispered back. He took two ragged breaths and several tears ran down his face, which Riza wiped away with the back of her hand. Shuddering, more words escaped from Jack's mouth. "I-I killed him… I k-killed…him…"he whispered as he slumped to the floor. The strain of the nightmare had completely drained him of energy. Still pretty confused and a little scared by the display, Riza reached over and held the back of her hand near his mouth and watched his chest. Still breathing; he had only passed out. With a sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to report that there was a dead alchemist in her apartment, Riza laid a blanket over the resting figure in front of her. She got up and sat down in an easy chair, watching to make sure nothing further happened. Soon she felt her eyelids begin to fall over her eyes. Looking at the clock on the wall it was just about three in the morning. Slowly, Riza slipped off into a much needed slumber.
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Riza jumped out the chair and grabbed her pistol. What's that noise and where's it coming from? she wondered as she made her way toward her bedroom. Indeed the bedroom was the source of the mystery noise. What was that…beeping? My alarm! Riza ran into her room and switched off the beeping alarm clock. The clock read five thirty in the morning, time for her to get ready for another day of work. Sighing, she laid out her uniform and headed toward the bathroom to take a shower.
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Oddly enough, Riza made it through her shower, getting dressed, and sitting down for a quick breakfast before it struck her. "Jack!" she yelled, mostly to herself, as she jumped up from her chair. Rushing into her living room she looked around wildly for the young alchemist. Wait, was he young? He looked about 24, if you could call that young… Riza snapped back to reality when she realized that she was the only person in the room, or the whole apartment for that matter. Walking through the room, she noticed the blanket Jack had used was folded incredibly neatly on one arm of the couch with a note on top of it. Picking up the note, Riza read it to herself quickly:
Captain Hawkeye:
I apologize for the inconvenience caused by myself last night and my disrespectful informal nature. Thank you for your hospitality.
-Major Jack Alexiv
Riza reread it again. It was like he was attempting to undo the entire evening, as if he was trying to cover his tracks or something. "Weird," Riza muttered as she threw away the piece of paper. Her watch read six o'clock. Leaving Black Hayate some breakfast in his bowl, Riza made her way out of her apartment and off toward Eastern Command Headquarters.
(A/N) Short chapter here cuz I'm burned out right now. Let's get some reviews going on people! Oh and a special thanks to Abby too b/c you've been a tremendous help.