I'm so sorry that this chapter is about six months late, I was focusing on college and I'm going through loss in the family right now. I'm okay however, and decided I wanted to get chapter 12 out finally. More to say at the end.
"Fuckin'... smartass pipsqueak."
Zack brooded as he stood there, teeth chattering from the cold and securing the wet gauze to his hands, feeling the water squish out and soak his skin, and when he let go, they drooped again. He scowled.
He ruined my God damn bandages!
Oh, if he didn't want to kill that Gold Eyed brat before, he really did now. His bandages have soaked all the way through, and he knew he didn't have the patience to wait for them to dry. Not to mention there was no way for him to go back down to his floor to get more bandages...
He would kill that brat as soon as he was given the chance.
He didn't give a single shit anymore!
Finally giving up with the gauze, he began to unravel it from his hands, revealing his scarred skin and allowing him a moment to gaze at his palms. The scars seemed to pop out at him, despite being years old, and he could still remember the sensation of being burned if he focused on it. It left a sour taste in his mouth.
Gold Eyes looked like he had a nasty scar.
He found himself thinking back to when Gold Eyes- what did he say his name was? Ah, forget about it - rolled up his pant leg to reveal his metal limb. It shocked Zack more than he though it would, honestly. He, admittedly, never met someone who was missing a limb.
Except for suckers I cut up, at least.
The scars where the metal met skin had definitely caused him to stare longer than he intended to. It was just surreal to see it. It felt bizarre knowing that Gold Eyes could just show him without a care, too.
Zack couldn't do it. He felt naked and exposed without his bandages, the gauze almost a comfort for him now. They hid the past he didn't quite want to acknowledge, but followed him everywhere.
But Gold Eyes can lose a fucking limb and not bat an eyelash?
What even is he?
Zack remembered how Gold Eyes faced off with him before. That flame of defiance that burned in his eyes as he fended him off. He just wouldn't give up, and that irritated Zack. He never had someone fight him off, and he definitely knew now he preferred his victims to run away with fear and to cry for him to spare their lives. And he remembered that just when he thought he had him...
He winced, the memory still fresh in his mind, and subconsciously he pressed his thighs together.
At least now I know why that hurt so fucking bad... what a bastard.
His thoughts flickered to when he caught Gold Eye's stare on him, and he had to wonder what that face was for.
Gold Eye's whole expression had softened, and he had a look in his eyes that Zack couldn't place for the life of him, but he felt like he was feeling sorry for him. For him! He had no way of knowing what it was for sure, but it left his chest feeling weird and he didn't like it one bit.
Zack suddenly sneezed, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he noticed his legs have become numb.
"That's it! I'm out of here!" He growled out, turning and wading towards the walkway, hearing the sound of the switch click behind him. He placed his hands on the floor and pulled himself up, water running off him and his clothes. His pants stuck to his legs, and he could feel some water sloshing around his boots. His sweater, still damp from when he initially was submerged, was mostly dry, and he unzipped it to look at the gauze wrapping his body underneath.
Drooping and loose, the bandages looked mostly undone, and he tsked in annoyance.
I'm gonna clobber him, and then when we escape, he's a dead man.
He pushed his hood back, removing his sweater and letting it fall behind him, and he began the process of taking off his bandages. Once he had them all, he wrung them out, watching the water drip with a glare. Once he was sure they were dry enough, he re-wrapped himself haphazardly, itching to catch up with Gold Eyes and give him a piece of his mind.
Ed walked slowly back towards the cemetery, his thoughts occupying him.
How long had it been since he left B7? It was so hard to tell the time here.
Had hours passed? A day? He couldn't tell.
What about... back home? How long has it been since he disappeared from his time? A few hours? A few days? A month? Has anyone noticed he was gone? Was anyone looking?
He sighed, lowering his head and staring at his hands as he walked. This was all starting to get to him. He had to calm down.
Ed looked up, but stopped short, grunting as he brought a hand to his head. An unusual shot of pain flashed through his mind, causing his eyes to shut tight and his brows to furrow. The world around him seemed to sway, and he braced himself against the wall for support.
"What...?" He mumbled, opening his eyes to squint ahead, the stone hallway appearing blurry. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, hoping it would clear up his vision, as he tried to fight the newfound throbbing in his head. Just as he managed to calm his pain to a dull ache, the lights above him flickered, causing him to blink in confusion. They flickered for another moment before staying on, and he frowned, waiting for any other movement. Silence stretched out around him, and he cautiously resumed his walk, entering the cemetery and walking past the rubble, and he stands in front of the hole in the wall. The darkness stretched on beyond it, and he leaned forward, gazing inside. He wondered how far in it went.
He wished he had a way to tell time, because now he wasn't even sure how much time had passed since Rachel set off. He wondered if he would go mad from it for a moment.
Ed shook his head and stepped back, dropping his gaze to to the floor. The silence made him uncomfortable, and he couldn't place why, but he vaguely wished for something to disrupt it.
"Oi!" Ed heard Zack shout behind him, and he winced, the dull thump in his head spiking at the volume, and he rubbed at his temple as he turned around. I take that back, the silence was better.
He watched as Zack stomped towards, his bandages fixed and his clothes damp, and very clearly pissed off.
"What? And keep it down." Ed asked in annoyance, dragging his finger slowly across his temple. The headache was weird to begin with, and he didn't need Zack making it worse.
Zack growled at him, and once he was close enough, he shoved him. "How many times do I have to tell you to not tell me what to do?"
Ed ignored him in favor of dealing with his headache, and instead asked, "Why did you move?"
"Because my legs were going fucking numb." Zack answered, starting to pace impatiently, and he gestured at Ed vaguely. "I don't wanna end up like you."
Ed realized that he was referencing his lost limb, but decided to jab at the killer. "You don't wanna be smart?"
Zack stopped to glare daggers, and Ed had to stop himself from laughing like an ass.
"You know what I fucking mean." Zack snarled out, and then decided to change the subject. "Where the fuck is that girl? I'm getting annoyed."
"She has a name, you know." Ed muttered, and looked towards the hole once again. "She should be back soon... Hopefully you didn't trap her somewhere by leaving the switch."
Zack stood beside Ed, a grimace on his face. "...What happens if she is trapped somewhere?"
"Then, looks like you're going back into the water, buddy."
"There's no fucking way I'm going back in there, it's freezing! You go next!"
"My automail will rust if I do that, dumbass. I can't afford that!" Ed lifted his left knee to gesture at his leg.
"Yeah, and you can't afford my scythe getting shoved up your ass, either." Zack threatened, smirking at the disgusted look on Ed's face.
"Well, aren't you creative?" Ed rolled his eyes at the killer, crossing his arms. "Let's just hope she isn't stuck, okay?"
"Fine." Zack relented, shifting his weapon around so it was resting comfortably against him.
It was silent between the two for a long moment.
"Hey." Zack spoke up.
"You're not done talking?" Ed asked, glancing up at him. Zack scowled at him.
"Hah. Anyways," Zack turned to face Ed fully. "You lied earlier, didn't you?"
At Ed's silence, Zack sneered. "I knew it, you fucking liar."
"I only lied because I don't quite understand the situation yet, okay?" Ed turned his head to stare at Zack, and the look he gave him must have made Zack pause, so he continued. "Once I've figured it out... I'll tell you. I promise, okay?"
Zack stared at Ed, mismatched eyes searching for deceit in Ed's features, and he seemed content when he couldn't find any. "...Fine. But I'm holding you to that promise."
Ed smiled a little, and he looked ahead, ignoring the fact that he could feel Zack's gaze lingering on him. He was content with letting the conversation drop, when a thought occurred to him.
"Zack, will you really kill her?" Ed asked tentatively.
"If that's what she wants by the time we get out of here. That was the deal, and I ain't plannin' on changing that. I know you don't agree with that, but it's not your choice, Gold Eyes. In the end, it's hers."
Gold Eyes? Is that what he's been calling me? Ed could have snorted, but he held back. He had to admit, he was a little impressed that Zack seemed to put value in promises and deals like that. "Then I want you to know that you'll have to kill me before you can kill her." He turned his head to look at Zack again, a determined glint in his eyes. "You won't claim another life while I'm alive."
Zack did snort, and he returned Ed's determination with simple amusement. "Would love to see you stop me, pipsqueak."
Before either of them could say another word, the lights flickered.
Hi everyone, I hope you've all been well and like this chapter. I was struggling with it quite a bit, but I liked the direction I ended up taking it in. I'm sorry if it's short and not as good, however.
I'm going to be removing my little update note, as during my absence I did some thinking about the rewrite/editing, and just decided that that can wait until after I'm done writing this fic.
I'm not going to make promises that I'll update this soon, but I'm remembering the fun I had with writing this fic, so I hope I can get another update out soon.
