AN- tracycoder-...:sigh:...i dont know how to answer this nemore...
unexpectation- YAY, i have a stalker! XD and Teen Titans rocks, lolol
Princess Krystal101- will i indeed...hee.
floOfymikO-...um...cant say anything, dont wanna give it away ;;. oh, and to everyone else, go read floOfymikO's fic she has posted, its rather awsome.
AHEM. in order to get in the mood for writing this chapter, i watched, in quick sucsession, Molon Rouge and Ladder 49. i also went to see RENT for the 4th time, and the RENT soundtrack was on replay at 'Without You', the entire time i wrote this. anyone who's seen those movies would know, based on the endings/middleish (for RENT) what kinda chapter you're in for. well, sorta. it took me longer then usual to write this cause i wanted it to come out as perfict as possible, since it's an importaint chapter. so yeah.
WARNING-CHARACTER DEATH. (maybe more then one, maybe not. heh.)
Mistakes
Sloth eyed the motionless figure at her feet carefully. She hadn't expected it to be that easy, really. The little fool she'd been fighting was hardly as tough as everyone said.
She had to admit, though, that the girl was stronger physically then she looked. Although the force of the water rushing at her was enough to knock half the wall behind her down, the idiot was still in one piece. There was blood trickling down from her hairline, soaking into her uniform's collar, but otherwise she didn't look half bad….for a dead person, anyway.
Still…Sloth frowned. The wall's collapse had freed the lieutenant's arm, and she didn't want to just leave her here if there was even the slightest chance she might get up again. It would be simple enough to double-check, of course….the homunculus kicked her, right in the face. The body sort of crumpled and fell back against the wall's remains. Sloth nodded primly. So…she really was dead. Good. Sloth didn't really like fist-fighting, but she had to admit that had been rather enjoyable.
With one task completed, she wondered how to fulfill the second. Pride had told her to bring back proof that the girl was dead—why, he didn't say, but Sloth could certainly guess. However, she really did not want to have to drag a stinking body behind her for three more blocks…time to improvise.
She reached down, seizing the bloody collar of the military jacket. With a snarl, she ripped the shoulder out, and straightened up. The shoulder was where the epaulettes were placed, and the three stripes hung limply in her hand. There…that should be more then enough evidence for Pride, and this way she could just leave the body there to rot.
As she turned away, something else caught her eye. Lying next to the body was the butt of a small black pistol…probably the same one the girl had been using. Heh…not that it did much. The interesting thing was that the gun was cracked right in half, with the barrel end lying some two feet away in the street. Wasn't it amazing, she chuckled, how powerful water could be?
She looked back at the dead girl, and her smile widened. Sloth didn't usually show much emotion, but an occasion like this always improved her mood. She only wished the girl's skull had cracked open—it was quite fascinating to see someone splattered over the pavement like so much dirt. Ah well, one couldn't have everything in life, now could they. Take this girl here…
Heh…it really was too funny. The look on the Flame Alchemist's face when he found out was bound to be priceless. She half expected him to just drop dead from shock in the middle of his fight.
Sloth turned away from the dead girl again, her interest waning. It was just another day, and another brainless human destroyed—nothing important. Nothing special. An exterminator didn't cry every time he killed a cockroach, did he? And, after all, that's what Sloth was—an exterminator, only the bugs she stepped on weren't cockroaches. Might as well have been though…they were just as stupid. And when push came to shove, and you flicked on the light to their death, they scurried away frantically in circles, just like their insect counterparts. Sloth couldn't stand bugs, and humans were her least favorite kind of bug. So stupid, so short-sighted…they really were just like roaches. Only at least roaches could survive without their heads for a few days. Humans just rolled over and died. Pathetic.
The brown-haired homunculus shook her head, and walked down the street, the gun butt in her hand along with the epaulettes. She turned the corner and vanished from view, leaving Riza Hawkeye's body alone on the deserted street…
"Aaahgh!"
Roy let out a cry born both of surprise and pain as Pride's sword blade cut down into his shoulder. He jerked himself away, biting his tongue to keep from screaming again. Pride smirked and lowered his now-dripping sword. Roy cursed silently, one hand clamped over the bloody wound. God damn, that hurt!
"Very impressive, Colonel. That attack was meant to kill."
Roy didn't bother answering, as his attention was currently on the waves of pain shooting up and down his arm. It felt the way he imagined fire would, hot little licks of agony sweeping past…
Roy Mustang might have been the Flame Alchemist, but he did not know what fire felt like against bare skin. Ashes, yes, smoke, yes, heat, yes. But of actual flames, he remained pitifully naïve…
Damn…that bastard is fast…I didn't even hear him sneak up behind me!
It was a good thing Roy's reflexives were so good—he'd seen the katana blade soaring at him out of the corner of his eye, and had instinctively ducked. Had he been any rustier, it was extremely doubtful he would have moved fast enough to avoid having his head sliced off. As it was, his left shoulder was now totally lacerated, which meant his left arm was little more then useless. God damn…
"This has been very enjoyable, Colonel, I thank you. But I am afraid my interest weakens."
"Yeah, yeah, you can skip the ranting, pal."
Pride's eyebrows rose. "All this, and you have yet to take me seriously?"
Roy grinned. It was a bad habit of his, taunting his opponents even when he was caught rather tightly between a rock and a hard place. "Noo, honestly, I'm taking you seriously. Oh, completely seriously, sir."
"Hm." Pride frowned. "I suppose it's in your nature to be…foolish, seeing as how you are only a mortal."
"Uh-huh, well, you know something, it's too bad you won't be alive to see this 'foolish mortal' take over your position."
"Ah heh heh…" Pride chuckled unpleasantly. "Yes, well, at least I won't be the only one. You know what they say, Colonel Mustang-it's quite lonely at the top. I do hope you're prepared…"
Roy's eyes narrowed. "…And just what the hell do you mean by—"
He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence-Pride chose that instance to go on the offensive with his sword, and it was all Roy could do to keep a step ahead of him. In fact, he couldn't even do that completely- the homunculus was just too damn fast. Every few seconds, his sword would nick at Roy's face, or hands, or chest—not serious enough to do any real damage, but the cuts all bled, and they were starting to add up.
"Nngh…" Roy winced as the sword cut him right across the cheek, leaving a red line in its wake. He snapped his fingers, hoping simply to get Pride to back up and give him some fricken breathing room, but Pride ducked and the flames went right past him.
God damn it! Roy couldn't believe how fast this guy was!
"What seems to be the matter, Colonel?" Pride hissed at him, his sword scratching at Roy's arm. "You haven't touched me yet. Is this a bit too much for you to handle?"
Roy jerked his arm back, but it was too late- he could feel the warm blood trickling down his arm.
"I suppose you're simply inept without that lieutenant of yours rushing in to clean up your messes." He smirked. "It would certainly be interesting to see you try and function without her, if, for some strange reason, she was no longer able to help you…"
"Shut up!"
Roy was suddenly hit by a wave of pure anger. Furiously, he swung at Pride, and this time…he actually hit him. His fist connected with the side of Pride's face, who stumbled back in surprise. Roy, breathing hard, rubbed his fist and glared at the homunculus, whose hand was on his new injury, blocking the side of his face from view.
"Very…interesting," Pride said coldly. "Like all humans, you work better when reacting on blind emotion. It's the kind of stupid impulse that makes you all so laughable."
"Works though, doesn't it?" Roy snarled back. "And, by the way, in the future I would suggest keeping your mouth shut."
"The future…?" Bradley laughed, his voice ice. "Tell me, Colonel, just what do you know of the future?"
Roy paused. What is he babbling about now…?
"You, who is only a miserable human, who can see nothing but what your dim mind allows you to comprehend…what do you know of what the future holds?" His hand moved away from his face…
Roy gasped. What the…what the hell is that?
Roy's punch had apparently knocked Pride's eye patch off, and what was underneath it was enough to make even the hardened colonel flinch in disgust…
An eye…without a pupil. Just a sickeningly white orb, no color, no depth. This wasn't the cloudy milk-like color of a blind man's eyes, this was…different…this was worse. It was worse, because, as Roy watched, his feet rooted to the floor in amazed horror, the eye…rolled. It kind of flipped down in its socket, revealing a part of it that had up until that moment faced the inside of the homunculus's head. And, on that part, instead of only white, there were thin red lines, forming an all-too-familiar design…
The…the oriborus tattoo…? On his…eye!
"Surprised, Mustang?" asked Pride coolly. "Didn't you wonder how I've been able to avoid all your attacks with such ease? Weren't you even the slightest bit curious as to what my powers as a homunculus are?"
Roy didn't answer- his attention was still locked on that hideous orb staring unseeingly out of the monster's head…
"With this eye, I am granted powers the likes of which you could only dream of. It allows me to look into the future…not very far, granted, but far enough for me to see when and how you plan to attack each and every single time. It gives me the ability to know more at one time then you could even begin to comprehend. And it even enhances my speed and skill with a sword. It is truly the Ultimate Eye."
Roy considered all of this new information quite carefully. And then: "You need a better name for it. Greed already took 'Ultimate' for his shield thing."
Pride laughed again, his tone mocking. "You poor, pathetic human. You fail to see what you are really dealing with. Or maybe…you just don't want to see."
"Oh, please," Roy scoffed. "You said that thing lets you look into the future and see when an attack's coming, but it must be broken or something, because I just punched you in the face. Guess your clairvoyance is on strike, huh?"
"Hardly. Every once and a while, an action born out of impulse will escape my sight. It is harder for the Eye to pick up on that which is not thought out before-hand. Harder…not impossible. I can still catch almost ninety percent of all movements, planned-out or not."
"If you're done patting yourself on the back…" Roy yawned.
Pride shook his head. "Perhaps it would be easier for you to understand the situation you have forced upon yourself if you were confronted with some of the…results of your hastiness, shall we say?"
Roy frowned, looking hard at the homunculus with his brows furrowed. There it was again…Pride was hinting at something…but what…? Then he realized that Pride was no longer looking at him, but at the open door behind him.
"You may come in now," the homunculus was saying, smoothly, and Roy's heart skipped a beat as someone walked past him into the room.
Aw shit…! He cursed inwardly as Juliet Douglas approached her superior, a small smile evident on her face. How the hell long has she been there! And how exactly am I supposed to fight both her and Mr. Ultimate Eye over there at the same goddamn time!
"It's finished," Juliet's voice was barely above a whisper. Pride nodded in answer. Roy wondered briefly what she was talking about, but then his eyes were drawn to something she was holding in her hand. He couldn't quite make whatever it was out, but it looked familiar…
For some reason, his thoughts suddenly turned to Riza. He really couldn't see where he'd made the connection, but oh well. Slight tendrils of worry began to drift over him. Where was Riza, anyway? It'd certainly been more then twenty minutes since he'd gotten here, and he knew she'd be the last to show up late in a situation like this.
"Did you bring…?" Pride raised an eyebrow, apparently not seeing what he was expecting to see.
"No sir, I apologize. But I did bring something else…" She pressed whatever she was holding into his hand; he looked at the object and smiled slightly.
"Very good, Miss Douglas—or should I say, very good, Sloth. This will work out perfectly."
"Sorry to interrupt," Roy growled, "But I'd like to end this sometime this year."
Pride shook his head slightly, smiling. "As you can see, Sloth, Colonel Mustang here is still very much in denial."
"How irritating," Sloth agreed quietly, also smiling in a way that really pissed Roy off. It was an 'I-know-more-then-you-do' smile, and it was getting majorly on his nerves.
"Quite. Which is why I was hoping this-" and here he nodded at the thing in his hand-"would bring him to his senses."
Roy gritted his teeth. "I'm not exactly interested in fucking show and tell, homunculus!"
"I think, Colonel, that you will be interested in this."
He tossed the object at Roy, and it clattered at his feet.
"Go ahead, Mustang, pick it up." His lips curved upwards in a nasty grin. "Trust me, it's something you'll want to see."
Roy was suddenly struck by a crazy urge to turn and run, to pretend like he couldn't see what Pride had thrown at him. It was a crazy idea, hell, it was absolutely insane…but it was still there. Something deep within warned him not to look at whatever Pride was so pleased to see. Something deep within warned that he did not want to learn what was destined to be nothing but a devastating truth…
His body moved on his own, though-he found himself bending down to pick the object up even as he yearned to ignore it. His fingers closed around hard metal and softer cloth, and as he studied the object, he realized that it was actually two separate things. One of them, a thin strip of fabric, was wrapped around the other, which was a hunk of black metal. Roy's mind slowed in confusion. What the heck was all this…?
"Interesting, eh, Mustang?" the president sneered. Roy ignored him, his heart already beginning to pound inside his chest. Which was absurd, of course, because what was so scary about a piece of cloth and a chunk of metal…?
Then…he noticed something. The sliver of material was oozing liquid…red liquid…blood. It was so blood-soaked, that little drops were dripping off the edge and hitting the filthy floor. Even as Roy watched, dark red stains ballooned out on his gloves, slowly growing larger and larger. He felt the gloves start to stick to his hands as they became heavier and heavier with blood that was not his…
The colors clashed horribly. White-on-red, red-on-white…it seemed to be an almost nauseating pattern, although he couldn't figure out why. White-on-red, red-on-white…
Juliet Douglas, her mission done, turned and left the room again. She passed right by Roy, but the colonel was frozen and made no move to stop her.
Slowly, very slowly—his actions were approaching the pace of a snail in his desperate desire to remain in the dark about all of this—he turned the strip over. Somehow, it didn't come as a great surprise to see the three stripes hanging limply on the other side. Three stripes…the insignia of a first lieutenant…
Dazed, his movements that of a sleepwalker only just awakened, he looked at the other object clenched in his hand. It took him a moment to realize what it was.
A…gun?
Yes, a gun…or at least what was left of one. The barrel had been snapped off completely. There were little scarlet drops on this as well…they stood out in stark contrast against the clean metal.
Wait…clean metal? Roy frowned in confusion once more. That didn't make sense…he knew from his experiences with Riza that guns never stayed perfectly clean like that…this looked like a brand-new gun, or at least one that was never used…but…
Wait…his eyes widened.
This….this is my gun!
It was such a huge thing, that it took several moments for him to fully grasp what he was dealing with. And even then, denial took hold and he told himself that it could not be true…
Riza told me she would take good care of my gun. She promised. And Riza never breaks her promises, not ever….not ever…
He looked back up at Pride again, swallowing hard. He sorted carefully through the myriad supply of emotions currently keeping him company, and decided that that safest one—the one that would require the least amount of acceptance about something he refused to believe—was anger.
"What…the hell is this?" he demanded. "What the…hell…is this?"
"You have eyes, don't you? I suggest you use them."
Roy shook his head, although he instantly wished he hadn't-it only made the dizziness enveloping him more distinct. It wasn't true, it couldn't be true…what Pride was suggesting was nuts, was madness, was…was…it couldn't be true!
"I don't believe you," he snarled, but the effect was ruined when his voice cracked. "I-I don't! I don't!"
Pride snorted. "Oh, come now, Mustang. Is it really so hard to accept?"
"It's not true!"
He stood there, clenching his fists, the sharp, jagged edge of the gun cutting into his skin. He was furious with this homunculus for toying with him, for making him confront this most dreaded fear, this nightmare that kept him up at night. It was…it couldn't be…how absurd….of course it wasn't true. Riza had promised him…it wasn't true. Roy was sure of this. Really. He was. It couldn't be true…
"I'll always protect you, Colonel…I promise…"
Pride chuckled. "You see, Colonel, this is exactly what I was talking about. Humans become blind as opposed to facing something they're too weak to handle."
"No!"
Roy was filled with an insane desire to convince Pride that it really was impossible for Riza to be…no…no, it wasn't true…he had to convince the homunculus! He had to!
"Riza isn't…she can't be…!"
"Really, and why is that?"
"Because! Because she promised me…" He realized that he was breathing so hard, with such wound-up alarm, that his chest was beginning to ache. "She promised me once, a long time ago, that she'd always be there. And Riza Hawkeye doesn't break her promises. She promised me that she'd always be there to protect me, whether I wanted her to or not, until—"
He stopped suddenly. His throat closed up. Something big and rough and terrible had just occurred to him. The one little loophole that would ruin everything…
"Until…?" Pride smirked. Apparently he had figured it out too. "Finish your sentence, Colonel. Until…?"
"U-Un…until…until she…" Roy was floundering in the muck, the words trapped in his throat and strangling him. He felt light-headed, faint, destroyed… "Until she…she…"
"Until she died. Isn't that what you are trying to say, Colonel? Hmm?" Pride laughed, a sharp sound that offended the ears. "That silly girl promised to stand by you…until the day she died. Isn't that the truth?"
"No…no, it isn't….it….it isn't…"
"It is," Pride said flatly. "And you know it is." He snorted, eyeing Mustang with obvious scorn. "Look at you. Who was that girl, that you should care so much? And yet, here you are, so determined to ignore the truth that you would deny it all."
"Shut up!" Roy yelled. "How…how dare you! How dare you—"
"How dare I!" Pride looked at him incredulously. "Are you really that blind? Can you not see what has really happened? Let me tell you, Mustang, you can play pretend all you want, but in the end you know the truth. There's no confusion or guesswork in a situation like this-death is death. It's final. It's the end. Death is a mistake that can never be set right. And rest assured…your first lieutenant is dead."
The gun dropped from Roy's hand. It hit the stone floor with a crack. The noise echoed in his ears, over and over…it sounded like a gunshot being fired….it sounded like his very life snapping in two…
The epaulettes wafted slowly down to the ground after the weapon—Roy's trembling hands could no longer keep a firm enough grip on them. Even now, deadly burgundy leaked from them to the floor…
"I'll always protect you, Colonel…"
No…
"And would you like to know why she died?" Pride's voice was frigid and disdainful. "You'll blame me, of course-you'll pin it all on an 'evil homunculus trick' or some amazing power of mine. But you're wrong. I didn't kill that girl…you did."
Noo…
"You are such a hopeless soul, Mustang. Why should you be so surprised at where the guilt truly lies? You knew that she would follow you to Hell and back if you asked her…you knew that, in the end, she would stand by you, no matter how crazy you acted. You knew all this…and yet, you go and insist upon this risky little venture. You fool." The homunculus was starting to sound angry himself. "You couldn't wait another few years. You couldn't mind your place. You just couldn't see past your damn morals. Ideals are for the weak—it's time you realized that. If you want to get anywhere in life, you have to give them up. That's all you had to do, Colonel…all you had to do, and the power you're so frantic for would have been yours. But no…that wouldn't do for Roy Mustang, oh, no. Roy Mustang must be the hero. He must flirt with danger and always be in the thick of everything. If there aren't any problems, he'll make some, just so he looks good."
Roy wavered on his feet. Every word coming out of Pride's mouth was like a knife, cutting him open, leaving gashes along his heart and soul that hurt so much, they had to be visible. And still, the president did not let up…still, the never-ending waterfall crashed down upon his head…a waterfall of, not water, but of blood, and of tears…
And of death…
"So, here we have Colonel Roy Mustang. He's a celebrated war hero who uses his angst to make him sound like some kind of god damned saint. After all, why not? It's easy enough to hide your bloody hands from the world, right?"
No…Riza…
"And then, when because of his idiocy he finds himself being beaten down, he stands there like a simpleton and asks why. You stupid, stupid man. Did you honestly think it was only your life to throw away?"
Pride would never know how much his words at that point mirrored Hughes's.
"Did you not realize, when you first decided that you were too good to wait your turn, that you would be putting others in danger as well? Did you even care? That girl would still be alive if you hadn't stuck your nose where it didn't belong. The only reason she is dead…is because of you."
I never meant…for you to die…
"Don't try and pin the blame on anyone but yourself, Mustang," Bradley said harshly, "because it rests on you, and you alone."
Riza…
"Lieutenant Hawkeye trusted you. She willingly risked her life for you. And this is how you repay her? By allowing her to die for your selfish cause? She probably had no idea that you were using her, did she?"
"I have faith in you. I will never give up on you…"
Riza!
Roy stumbled backwards, his body slumping against the wall. There was a terrible roaring in his head…he was going numb…oh, god, this was worse then any physical wound….this was…unbearable…
I shouldn't have let her get involved…I shouldn't have put her at risk…
"N-No…"
"Sir, I'm not afraid…I understand you want to protect those under you, but…"
Oh god! Riza!
"No…!"
"I'll be careful…"
"I never…I n-never wanted…" His voice rose pleadingly, as if by begging his case he could somehow erase everything, erase it all.
"What you wanted and what you got are two different things, Colonel," Pride answered coolly. "As they say, actions speak louder then words."
All I wanted to do was love her…
"I'll be fine…"
A-Actions speak louder then words…I…I killed her…I let her die…first the Ishbalans, now Riza…I killed them…all of them!
"What is it about you? You claim to hate death so much, and yet it follows you everywhere."
"I'll protect you. I promise."
You lied…
Roy suddenly gagged, and doubled over. The room spun around him, faster and faster. Pride's words—he's right! Oh, god…he's right!—thundered in his ears. He couldn't escape them. He couldn't fight them off. He couldn't stop from trembling…he was shaking so hard he thought he might break in half….
Not that the idea was so horrible. Why shouldn't he snap? Why shouldn't he just lie down and waste away? What was left? What was left?
Someone's voice in his ear—Riza's?—sang softly in his ear, telling him, the mission, the mission…
Who cares about the mission! He wanted to scream—or maybe he did scream. What's the point of the goddamn mission anymore! He cried—or maybe he only thought he cried.
Riza would want you to keep fighting…
I can't! There's nothing left! She's dead…Riza's dead!
She would want you to defeat Pride…she would want you to make something useful of her sacrifice…
Riza…why did you ever support me? Why did I ever have to fall in love with you?
The pain was simply too much--another second and he would crumble.
I never deserved you…why did you let yourself die for me? I'm not worth it! Oh my god, Riza…Riza…I don't want you to go…
And still Pride would not back off, would not leave Roy Mustang to wither away in peace.
"I actually ordered Sloth to bring back her dead body, but I suppose it was simply too much of a mess to be dragged all the way here. She does have a tendency to get a bit…messy."
"No….no…!" Roy didn't want to listen to this. He fell to his knees, in mortal agony. "No…!"
"What a shame…knowing Sloth, that unfortunate, naive little girl probably didn't even have the saving grace of a peaceful death. It was probably excruciatingly painful. But that's ok…she is in the military after all. It comes with the territory." He smirked. "Oh, pardon me…I should have said was."
"No….stop…stop it!"
"I wonder," the homunculus continued innocently, "if she regretted her choice at the end. Do you think she accepted her fate? Or perhaps she wailed against it…and against the man who caused it."
I would rather that…I would rather she hate me…god, let me just die. Let me just end it here and burn in hell. I don't care any more…I don't…I don't…
Roy thought of Riza, of her beauty, of the world that from here on in would be only grey…
He thought of how it all should have ended….
He thought of how he had killed the greatest thing in his life…
He thought of how she was the only person in the world who could really look past both his tough veneer and his sins and into a part of him that he had never known existed…
And he thought of the sneer on the face of the monster standing in front of him….
And he broke.
"You bastard! I'll kill yooouuuu!
He lunged at the homunculus, wild with rage. His fists lashed out at Pride—and connected.
"Nngh…!" Pride reeled back, but had no chance to fall. Roy's fists were flying-they were nothing but a whirling blur. It was then that Pride discovered, to his surprised horror, that his Eye was affording him no help in this fight. This was impulse…this was wrath…this was nothing Pride could ever predict. How could he have predicted that a mere human could move so fast, with so much speed and hatred and, above all…with so much desire to kill?
Pride began to fall back, Roy's insane rage pushing him all over the room. Little flashes of light sprung up, as the homunculus started to heal the damage Roy left behind. Still, the onslaught was so fast, and so brutal, the president's healing powers were beginning to have trouble keeping up…
Roy himself didn't notice when the beast he was currently pounding into oblivion weakened ever-so-slightly. He didn't notice how his hands were by now awash with blood. He didn't notice when what had to be the first look of concern Pride had ever worn appeared, flickering over his face before he could hide it. He didn't notice any of that…
Had he noticed, he would not have cared.
With a sickening crunch, his next punch broke the homunculus's nose. Pride, for his part, only winced slightly—already, the bones were crickling back together, so there wasn't much time for pain. Still, that was the second time his nose had been broken in less than two minutes…if he didn't know better, he'd say he was starting to get a little worried.
Roy just kept punching-he was too angry to remember to use his alchemy. To his horror, though, he found that no matter how fast or hard or lethal his blows were, he couldn't escape that freezing, deadened sensation slowly crawling up his legs, all the while threatening to dive much, much deeper.
He was afraid his heart might freeze next…
He never had gotten around to apologizing to her, although he'd certainly planned to. He'd intended to, one day, go back and apologize for all the grief he'd caused her over the years…all of it. And he really did have a lot to apologize for, too. He'd decided that every stupid thing he'd ever done would be set right--dating other women instead of her, driving her away because he couldn't figure out how to show he truly needed her, being such a weak coward that she even had to be his bodyguard in the first place. He was going to say he was sorry for all the times she'd found him trying to hasten his entrance into the next world, for all the times she'd had to hit him to bring him back to his senses, for all the times he'd given up…he was going to apologize for everything. Even all those times when he took naps instead of doing his paperwork. Everything. And, most of all, he was going to apologize for never telling her that he loved her…for ignoring her advice solely because of a thing called pride…but the words had never come. The time had never been right. And now his chance was gone…
There was a noticeable lag now, in the time it took Pride to heal himself. He was, in his now-blatant desperation, ignoring some of the smaller cuts and scrapes in his effort to mend the larger ones…
Riza was beautiful…from the first time he'd seen her, Roy was amazed by her beauty. Everything she did, even the most basic of movements, seemed to be enhanced to total perfection…the way she swung her hips when she walked, the way Roy could get lost in her eyes without even trying…the way one single glare from her was enough to make his heart sink to his shoes…she was so beautiful. And maybe it was this ethereal beauty that made things seem just a little bit better, as long as Roy could look up and see her there…
Another punch, and another…there were so many little flashes of light around Pride's face, he was starting to resemble a light bulb. And still, Roy fought on…
Roy was like most guys—he was obsessed with 'saving face', with always looking nice and manly to the world around him. Like most guys, he rarely if ever cried, because to cry in public would be an open admission of weakness. He, like the majority of the male species, felt that shedding tears was a pathetic thing to do, something to avoid if at all possible. Which is why the tiny part of him that was focusing on such things, found it weird that there should be tears in his eyes….
Riza had always been there….she was always by his side, even during times when Roy would have rather been left alone. There's one time in particular that stands out in his mind…it had been a bad night, a bad week, a bad month…hell, it had been a bad year. He had only recently been made a colonel, but already he found that this much-longed-for promotion didn't mean shit to the demons of his dreams. And, honestly unable to take another night like all the nights before it, he had found himself the seediest, most rundown bar imaginable, and had planted himself on a bar stool, fully intent on drinking himself to death. And then, just as it seemed he would achieve his macabre goal, she had appeared. With hands that were deceivingly light, and a voice that couldn't quite drown its worry in anger, she'd pried him away from his seat, and half-dragged him by his collar out the door, ignoring the cat calls and wolf whistles from all the other boozed-up idiots around them. Once outside, she'd proceeded to berate him, furiously, while he wavered on his feet and tried not to pass out right then and there. He hadn't given her much thought, not in the state he was in. All that crossed his mind was the dim wish that he could find some place relatively soft to lie down…
And then, her voice had cracked a bit—just slightly, but enough for Roy to snap out of his drunken stupor and look at her in concern. God only knew how long she had been looking for him, how many bars she had blazed into, how worried she had been…
Finally, he managed to stutter out a slurred apology (just one, although in truth he should never have stopped apologizing, because he sure as hell didn't stop doing things to apologize for), and Riza seemed to accept it, more or less. She even smiled slightly. It was then that Roy realized it was snowing.
Although later on, he would blame the alcohol roaming through his system for thinking such nonsense, at the time, the thought crossed his mind that it was an awfully romantic scene, and that some day he'd have to try and see if they couldn't recapture it…
"You…bastard…you…bastard…you…"
Roy was slowly but surely running out of steam. Pride was able to dodge his next punch, and, rubbing blood off his chin, he smirked once again at the destroyed colonel in front of him.
"Is that it?" he sneered. "Is that the best you can do? Is that how you choose to end this, Mustang?"
Wait…
Roy looked at him, hopelessly. It hurt, not having anything left to hold on to. It really did…
"I'll always protect you…"
Wait…Riza…
"Your first lieutenant is dead."
"I'll always…"
Her voice was becoming fainter in his ear…
Riza! Wait!
Pride didn't even have time to wipe the smirk off of his face. Roy's fist smashed into his jaw, breaking it. But before he could heal that, the enraged colonel kicked his legs out from under him. For the first time ever, the homunculus found himself on the ground.
He moved quickly to get up, but Roy was faster. He stomped savagely on the president's fingers, hearing with bitter satisfaction the crunching of bones. Then he kicked him right in the face. Pride's healing powers were simply overwhelmed…a part of his Ultimate Eye was torn away, but Roy was too distraught to care…there was a glimmer of red…
It was then that Roy Mustang remembered his alchemy. Just as the president, the flashes of light around him dim, was climbing back to his feet…he snapped.
It was an explosion the likes of which even Roy had never seen.
His anger, his misery, his downright helplessness to change what had beset him—all of these emotions and more collided with one another to produce, not mere flames, but a fire storm of power. Fire rushed from his hands, leaped at Pride, devoured him hungrily. The homunculus shrieked and twisted, but by the time the flames had died down, most of his face had been eaten clean away…
He turned, slowly, back to Roy. It was a horrific sight, one the old colonel would have flinched at in repulsion. The new one couldn't care less. The new one, after all, was not a man, but an empty shell…
The empty shell stared blankly at the homunculus with the face of a twisted skeleton. Flesh was slowly creeping back to cover some of the revoltingly pale bones, but not nearly as fast as usual. Old, burned shreds still hung from the cheek bones. The homunculus—the skeleton—opened his mouth to speak, but the slight movement was enough to knock something that had been, up till that point, dangling from the remainder of his Eye, loose…
Something red and round fell to the floor, and rolled, finally halting by Roy's feet. Pride's healing powers immediately stopped, although the job was only half done. For a second, man and monster simply stood and stared at one another.
And then…
"You fool! Give that to me! Now!"
Pride lunged, his fingers—which were a charcoal black from the flames—outstretched. Roy looked down at the small stone he now clutched in his gloved, filthy hand. How strange…there was something very important he was supposed to do with this stone, he thought. Something very, very important…
Fortunately, his mind remembered even if his heart didn't. His fingers moved on their own, and squeezed…Pride roared with panicked fury and leapt at him again, but his movements were laughably slow without the stone to boost them. Roy applied more pressure. The stone cracked…cracked…cracked…
The stone broke neatly in half, and crumpled into red powder.
The homunculus howled, and grabbed at Roy's sleeve in a last, desperate effort. Roy grimaced and jerked away, not noticing in the confusion that Pride had managed to yank his katana back out. With a final angry yell, he whipped the sword down…
"Aaaah!"
The sword bit deep down into Roy's face, through his eye, almost to his cheek. A vicious wave of agonizing pain overtook him—he lurched away, almost convulsing in his distress. Blood poured from the wound at an alarming rate, until his vision was half hidden by smears of crimson…
"Aaah! Aaaagh!!"
Roy screamed in pain for all the times he hadn't screamed, had wanted to scream but didn't, had longed to yell but couldn't bring himself to. He knew, deep inside, that his screams were not only for the physical pain, but for the internal agony, which was still much, much worse...
The world was going dark—it was red on black now, no other colors. Nothing else could get through. Already, Roy felt himself growing faint, and struggled against the urge to pass out.
Even when they can not find a reason to live, humans oftentimes still do not want to die.
Pride latched on to the moaning man's sleeve, his own body beginning to shrivel away. Half dead, and quickly loosing control of his few remaining senses, Roy brought his arm up, and with a nauseating snap, Pride's neck flew back. His torched and ruined body fell against the wall, but his fingers remained tightly fixed around Roy's sleeve. The empty shell tugged, but he could not shake them loose.
"H-Heh…heh…" Pride rasped, his bony lips only inches away from the bleeding colonel's face. "Y-You've...won...Colo...Colonel Mustang…" He paused for a moment, to gather the fleeting bits and pieces of his strength. "You…you have…destroyed me. B-But loo…look around you, Colonel…look at…what you have…won..."
Roy gave another feeble tug, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything. His face and uniform were stained and slippery with his blood and his suffering.
"A-An emp…empty position…and…a dead…lieutenant. Was it…worth it, Colonel?" Pride laughed, one last time, his voice almost too quiet to be heard. He still, however, managed to smirk.
"Are…are you…satisfied now…?"
The homunculus's head fell back. His body went limp. The fingers loosened their grip on Roy's sleeve. And, as the last traces of life left him-it-the bones crumbled into dust, mixing with the red residue from the stone…
Roy stumbled outside. He could not remember how he got there. One hand was still clamped futilely over his mangled eye. Even the red was starting to fade from his sight. His thoughts were confused and disoriented, jumping from one thing to another.
Good….I'm glad…death…Riza…
He had no hopes of going to heaven, but maybe god—if there was such a thing—would be kind and let him see Riza one last time before the devil claimed him as his own…
It…it doesn't hurt any more…
That was true-the pain was starting to numb. The physical, that is. Not the rest. No, this would not be one of those deaths where everything was peaceful and the person smiled as their life left them. There was too much Roy hadn't done, too many regrets still clinging to him…the feel of Pride's fingers digging into his torn skin was still there. So were his last words.
How…strange…underneath, Pride…he looked…just like everyone else…he really….wasn't so different…from humans….after all….
Blood splattered to the ground, a crimson trail.
J-Just like….my nightmare…only here, I can….I can die…but…I don't…I don't want to…Riza still won't….be there…in hell…
Darkness finally overtook him. He pitched forward, swallowed up by the endless nothing, by bitter winds and frozen rain, and by the howls of all those he had murdered, as his long-suffering demons dragged him down with glee…
R-Riza…I don't…Riza…I'm…sorry…
He gave up and allowed his sins, victorious, to pull him down…he faded out…there was nothing….just…blackness…
AN- :SIGH:. i'm so evil. roy might be a bit OOC at points, sry. did my best, lol. Pride's probably COMPLETLY outa character, but him i dont care so much about. cause he sucks. lmao.
i saw last saterday's episode, where Bradley kills mar...uh...shit, forgot her name o.o;;. you know, the snake chimera. ;; i have no short term memory, its sad -.-;. ANYWAYS. when he killed her, i was so pissed i decided to make him an even bigger asshole in this chapter. grrrrr i dislike him intensly after that! and the fact that his eye...ROLLS...is just...nasty...erlgh. for story purposes, i made up his powers. are those the right ones? could be. no clue. hah hah.
ok then, review! dont kill me for the sadness, tho! ;;
and, finally, i would like to leave youwith one last word of wisdom-> don't belive everything you read. vague? yes. is there a point to that? yes. heh, see you.