"Well look at that," Both engineers turned to look at him. "little alchemist is awake." A smile spread across the deranged engineer's face. "Now the fun can start."
Edward scrambled the rest of the way to his feet. His head felt like it was floating, like his brain was swiming in a vat of molasses.
"C-come at me, I dare you!" Edward tried to sound menacing, but his voice betrayed him. Instead of being menacing his voice was raspy and sounded stained.
Edward was a mess. He sounded like a mess, and he looked like a mess, with his braid falling apart and blood seeping from his wounds. He still stood, though. He stood baring his automail blade and holding his wound.
"Don't be so cocky, Kid. You'll hurt yourself and then it won't be as fun to kill you."
The pinned engineer used this moment to clonk the other engineer in the jaw.
"Aargh! Ow!" The second engineer stumbled back a few steps. He looked up, furious. "Your gonna die for that, Tobias! I'm not letting anyone get in the way of my revenge!"
"Revenge?!" Edward demanded, running towards the two men, a little awkwardly, claping his hands together. "What have either of us done to you -well he just nailed you in the jaw- But what have I ever done to you?" Edward scooped up a pipe transmuting it into a curved dagger.
"Don't flatter yourself, Kid," The not-Tobias engineer spat, as he easily dodged Edward's attack. "It's not you I want to make pay, but the military you work for."
"Geez thanks, I'm so glad I have nothing to do with it but am still being targeted by a creep like you!" Edward remarked with all the sarcasm he could muster.
Edward lunged at the engineer, Tobias, following in suit, attacked as well. The engineer again dodged Edward's weaker-then-usual attack. Though, this time Edward wasn't attacking alone. The engineerer plowed strait into Tobias, causing them both to topple.
Tobias was fast, but The other engineer was faster, he was on top of Tobias before Edward could even react to the sudden change. Edward shook his head, trying to free himself of the fog riddling his brain. Yes, maybe the engineer was on top of Tobias, but that also left his back wide open. Edward lept forward, tackling the man. They rolled together, this causing Edward a great deal of pain in his chest and side.
Blood loss was causing Edward's body to feel heavy; rolling with the engineer was only making him want to be sick.
"I'm sorry, you don't deserve to die like this, Kid," The engineer was on top at that moment.
"I'm not dead! So don't feel sorry!" Edward said through gritted teeth. He tried to roll the man off of him, but the man wouldn't budge.
"Your not dead yet, Kid, yet," He said it like he was already changing his mind about being sorry.
"You know, the way you're talking makes me think you aren't as sorry as you make yourself out to be." Edward said, again, trying to roll the man off of him.
"Wow, you're smart, Kid. I understand why they let you join their group of murderers," The engineer hissed in a calm sardonic way.
Edward felt the weight of the man pulled off of him. Tobias held the man from behind. They thrashed about, fighting against each other. The man pushed backwards, pinning Tobias against the machinery. Edward winced in sympathy as he saw the pinned engineer's eyes widen from pain. Tobias's grip loosened enough for the other engineer to escape his grasp. The now free man moved as far away from Edward and Tobias as the engine's walls would allow. He bent down and scooped up a pipe. The end of the pipe was jagged and already red with blood. Edward knew right away where the blood came from. His injury hurt just thinking about the pipe cutting into his flesh.
"Stay back!" The man yelled. "I'm warning you!"
The engineer smiled; he ran forward barring his pipe as one would a sword. Both Tobias and Edward lept out of the way, niether one sure on who the man was aiming for, seeing as he lept randomly and out of a deep desire to kill.
In reality the attack wasn't what they first believed. He hadn't been aiming for either of the two, just for where they were standing.
"Thanks for this spot. I like it much better." He reached down into his pocket letting his fingers slip around a small lighter. "You are rather annoying, puppy alchemist. I am finding it harder than expected to kill you."
"Ya' know that doesn't bother me much. You can keep not killing me. That would actually be my proffered option," Edward hissed.
The man smiled.
"As I was saying this isn't going quite as planned. So, I guess, I will just have to resort to this." He pulled the lighter from his pocket and lit a hidden fuse. The man had hidden explosives in the machinery a while back. He was surprised, though, that they hadn't exploded given the heat they had been exposed to.
"What did you just do?!" Edward demanded, pointing his arm-blade at the place the man had lit fuse.
"Why, Alchemist, I just signed your death certificate," The man laughed.
"How long did that one take you to think of?" Edward said, trying to sound sarcastic and not a little fearful. He was sure, though, that he sounded more appalled by the man's laughter then he intended to sound.
"Aw, Kid, it's okay to be scared. I don't want to die either." The man smiled
"I'm not scared! Now, tell me! What are were you doing?!" Edward yelled
"Gunner Pierce. Thats my name I want you to know it as you di-" His words were cut off by an ear shattering explosion. Edward's eyes opened wide, as he was tackled to the ground by Tobias, who was protecting him from the explosion.
Edward could feel his head slam against the ground, his eyesight blurring as he felt pain shoot through his damadged head and body. Another explosion sounded, as Edward, with ringing ears, dropped off the edge of contiousness and into a void of blackness.
Alphonse held a small child. She had been too terrified to move, paralysed from fear. She had cried and cried, and no matter what he tried Alphonse couldn't get her to stop. That was how he had ended up carrying her.
The little girl's crying and the groaning of the walls were the only noises, besides the sound of Alphonse's foot falls, that could be heard from this, now abandoned, train car. This car had been the last one he needed to check the other few closest to the engine had been checked by another person, who had deemed them as empty.
Alphonse ducked out of the door and into the sunlight. The girl's crying died down to wimpering as she realized that she was now safe from the creaking, groaning train walls.
"Sophie! Sophie!" There was a man running towards Alphonse; his hands outstretched to take the child. The little girl turned to the voice.
"Daddy!" She squeaked, reaching out for the man, who pulled the girl out of Alphonse's arms holding her tightly. He dropped to his knees sobbing for joy.
"Thank you! Thank you!" The man repeated the phrase again and again. Alphonse wasn't sure if the thanks was for him or for the little girl in the man's arms. He didn't have time to consider it anyway.
The horrible sound, like a bomb going off, filled the air. The sound of, yet, another explosion split through the air followed by another and another. The sound of the explosions began to die down, but the sheer panic filling Al's hollow chest only grew.
Mustang was close enough now to see the wreakage of the train through his window.
The train had landed on it's side and skidded across the earth, digging a furrow in the soft ground. Even from the distance he was faced with, Roy could see people milling about, helping the others around them. From this distance he also heard the deafening series of explosions.
"Step on it, Lieutenant!" Mustang shouted, tensing as he watched black smoke rise from the engine of the machine.
Hawkeye pushed harder on the gas, speeding the car up. The time it took to reach the derailed train wasn't long at all, but to Mustang it felt like hours had passed. He practicly jumped out of the car as it came to a stop at the site.
Mustang began running in the direction of the smoke billowing engine. He saw, twenty or so feet ahead of him, Alphonse Elric running as well, but-
Mustang's heart stopped for a moment.
Where was Edward?
No! No! No! Please, no! Don't be there Fullmetal! Don't!
"Alphonse!" Roy shouted, chasing the child-armour.
Alphonse turned back at the familiar voice stopping for a moment. "Colonel?" The posture of his armour body showed his evident worry. "What are you doing here?"
Mustang ignored the question, asking one of his own "Alphonse, where's Fullmetal?!"
"H-he's- he went-" Alphonse's voice cracked. Mustang was sure that if the child could cry he would.
Roy's brain put two and two together; he wanted to be sick.
No!
As if needing to confirm the horrid truth he knew to be correct he cocked his head in the direction of the smoking engine.
Alphonse nodded.
Nothing could have stopped Roy. He ran like mad, not wanting his fears be proved right.
What if Edward was dead? Or dying?
The loud clanking of metal footsteps followed him. Alphonse.
Please don't die, Edward! Alphonse can't see that! I can't see that!
Roy knew that was the truth; he wouldn't have been able to stomach the sight of his youngest subordinate lying dead. He had recently begun to feel a change in his relationship with both of the Elric brothers. Roy wasn't sure if Edward had noticed how he felt about them, but that wasn't important at that very moment. What was important was finding Edward alive.
(A/N): I'm sorry this is later then I wanted again. I had a long, hard week. Some of my family came to visit, I had to deal with an online stalker, and more.
Also for those who are confused Gunner Pierce was planning on setting a trap for the State Alchemist. He wasn't planning on being around.
disclaimer: I love fullmetal alchemist but sadly it is not mine. (cries in backround)
I will write more soon, but I'm getting a bad headache and am stopping for now.
I Love all of the readers! Thank you for reading and putting up with me, and now my life problems. I love all reviews even bad ones! Thanks for reading! And tell me what you think Edward lost!