Smoke filled the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe in a full breath of oxygen.
Roy choked on dust. The sandy, desert air made breathing even harder. It wasn't like you wanted to breathe, though. The whole area reeked of burnt flesh.
Bodies were scattered along the streets. Most were burned until they were no longer recognisable even as humans.
Roy pinched his nose as the stench grew stronger. He was supposed to used to this by now, wasn't he? He should be noseblind by now. It shouldn't bother him, but it did. It unsettled him. It disturbed him.
The most disturbing thing about everything though was the silence. It wasn't just any silence. It was a blank silence. It was like time had stopped. No fires could be heard blazing. No wind whistled. Dead silence. A perfect companion to the death and decay that filled the city. Roy only heard his own echoing steps on the empty streets. It sounded like heavy feet on a hard surface. It didn't seem right.
It stayed like this for a while. Silence only broken by his own footfalls, but then in a moment he heard something else. They were more feet, lighter ones.
"Colonel?"
Roy spun, finding exactly who the voice indicated it would be.
"Fullmetal? What the hell are you doing here?"
"Colonel," Edward repeated. This time, though, it wasn't a question. His voice droned dully.
"I asked you what you were doing here?"
"I came to visit." His voice remained dull, but Roy had still not noticed yet.
"It's dangerous here! What are you thinking?"
"Colonel, what about these corpses is dangerous?"
Roy groaned. "It's not them. It's me."
"Tell me why." Edward's facial expressions never changed. Much like a dead man's never changed.
"I just am!" Roy snapped.
Edward didn't even flinch.
"Just get out."
"No." There was finally some life in the voice. "I'm staying here!"
"Fullmetal, you need to go now. That's an order!"
"Nah, I'm not leaving so suck it up."
"I SAID GO!!" Roy didn't mean to shout. He didn't mean to snap his fingers. He didn't try to do it. He hadn't meant to.
Edward's mouth opened to reply but it was filled by Roy's flames.
"No!" It was all Roy could think to shout. He didn't want this. Fullmetal shouldn't go through this.
Edward was screaming. He had collapsed on the ground in a screaming heap as Roy's flames scorched out his tongue. Edward fell completely silent a moment later.
Roughly ten minutes passed in silence.
Edward was stumbling to his feet, his head down. He looked up, blood dripping down his chin, his eyes vacant of any liveliness.
No, that isn't right... He shouldn't be bleeding... The wound should have been cauterized.
Edward choked on the gurgling blood. "Don't kill me, Colonel... Please."
Roy shuddered at the voice. It wasn't Edward's. it was warped and so wrong.
He gasped as his hand started to rise on its own accord.
No! Fullmetal, run! Run! Damnit!! Work, voice, work!!
He snapped. Flames engulfed the child. Screams filled his ears. They weren't just Edward's, though.
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