Some good old angst in this chapter! :)
Liz: Oh hooray...
Was that sarcasm?
Liz: uh... how would you like me to answer that question
Envy: I suggest running and hiding...
Ed: Or pleading for mercy...
Al: Both are good suggestions.
MWAHAHAHA!
Liz: I'll take the first option!
Wrath: Review everyone (cute smile)
The sun was already dipping low in in the sky when Ed and I began our walk back to the inn. Gracia was going to get worried if I didn't return soon. These days, it wasn't wise to wander the streets at night.
...Especially if you're me if you know what I mean.
"We should take a short cut." I suggested leading the way to one of the shorter back ways that cut straight through to where the inn was.
"Hmm" Ed placed a hand on his chin with a smirk. "Who was it that once said, shortcuts always end up not being short cuts at all due to life threatening occurances that needlessly prolong the trip? I know I've heard it somewhere before..."
I frowned. "Don't go using my own words against me pipsqueak. I was right the last time remember?"
"And I don't trust going through an alleyway with you." Ed sighed. "Call me crazy."
"Whoever might attack us wouldn't stand a chance" I muttered. "Come on."
We were getting close to the inn, but the sun had sunk fast in the sky and it was almost pitch black now.
"Gracia's gonna kill me" I groaned. "Ok no she won't she's too nice but she's going to give me the I-was-so-worried-where-in-god's-name-have-you-been-Liz lecture... and I really hate that lecture. It makes me feel all guilty."
Ed grinned and shook his head but said nothing.
"It's not wise to wander all alone at night." I raspy voice said. I had a feeling it was trying to be intimidating. "Especially not for pretty little girls."
From the shadows stepped a bulky, muscular man with a gun. He looked like one of those I'm-gonna-knock-your-skull-in thugs. You got alot of those at night.
"Oh great Liz." Ed groaned. "You're uncanny ability to attract criminals has screwed us over again."
"Quiet lover boy." the man growled. "I'm talking to your girlfriend."
Ed and I looked at eachother for a minute before jumping as far apart as the alleyway would allow.
"Ugh! That's disgusting! I'm not his girlfriend! Ew!"
"Thanks Liz" Ed muttered rolling his eyes.
"Oh no problem."
"Hey can it both of you!" the man yelled, evidently getting annoyed at our lack of trembling in fear, pleading for mercy, etc. "Now give me what you have on you... and after wards" he looked at me with a sick smile "Maybe we can have a little fun."
"...That's absolutely revolting" I stated bluntly.
The man began to stalk twoards me. Ed moved to stand in his way but I held up a hand in an "I can handle this" gesture.
"You know I'd really hate to shoot ya." the man purred. "You really are a pretty little thing."
My eyes narrowed "You're not."
The man made a sort of growling noise in his throat and decided to try a different tactic by pointing his gun at Ed. "Why don't you shut it before I shoot the boy."
"You press that trigger you'll regret it for the rest of your short life." I said evenly, a deadly edge creeping into my voice.
Ed glanced at me, unsure of what I was doing.
"Prove it" the man grinned and there was a bang.
Ed's right arm had come up, effectivly blocking the bullet but I still siezed the hilt of one of my knives and stabbed it into the thug's leg. With a moan of pain he slumped to the ground, clutching at his injury.
"Y-you... bitch!" he sputtered as the gun slipped from his fingers and onto the ground.
"You asked me to prove it" I said tonelessly, staring blankly down at the man.
"L-Liz?" Ed was staring at me wide eyed.
"Come on Ed, time to go." I yanked my blade from the man's leg and began to walk swiftly away.
"D-don't you walk... away!" I heard the man growl and a sound of a click.
"Liz!" Ed yelled and I whirled instinctivly sending the blade in my hand soaring through the air. It hit the man in the chest with deadly accuracy and he fell back to the ground, the gun slipping from his hands.
I stared coldly at the man "Bastard... trying to kill me when my back was turned? You coward."
Ed opened his mouth several times in an attempt to speak but the words never came. I started to turn and walk again but a sudden pain coarsed through my torso. I dropped to my knees, clenching my fists and gritting my teeth in pain as an anguished cry managed to slip from my throat before I could stop it. The pain slowly intensified and I keeled over onto the ground, my vision becoming blurry.
"Liz!" Ed seemed to have found his voice again. The last thing I saw was a flashlight shining in my eyes and Ed's worried face before I blacked out.
When I woke up I was lying in my bed back at the inn. My abdomen still throbbed painfully. It had been a bad one. Slowly I managed to turn my head to the side to see Ed standing at the door next to the familer silloet of Hoenhiem talking in a low voice before his father placed a hand on his shoulder and left.
Ed turned back to look at me and relief washed over his face upon realizing I was awake "Liz... are you ok?"
"Fine" I muttered. "I'm used to it." with great effort I tried to force myself into a sitting position but Ed quickly stopped me.
"Just rest Liz" he said soothingly. "It's fine."
"What happened" I asked.
"Officer Hughes came right after you passed out and we brought you back here" Ed explained. "You've been out for a few hours."
"Sounds about right" I murmured.
There was a pause before Ed asked "You get these alot?"
"Yeah, they suck." I nodded. "Too much adrenalin, too much stress, or too much exertion. All can trigger these attacks. It's one of the prices I payed for living."
"That's not the only thing" Ed said quietly. "Liz... you killed that man back there."
"He tried to kill you" I pointed out dully.
"That's not the point Liz!" Ed's grip tightened on my shoulders and he shook me slightly. "You never used to kill! You hated it! Every time you accidently did you freaked out and back there you killed him without so much as a second thought!"
I winsed as a sharp stab of pain came back to my wound and Ed let go of me flushing "S-sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you..."
"It's fine" I looked at him. "I know what you must be thinking of me right now... but what happened when I died is I lost the fear of killing... I found this... balance you know? If it comes down to killing to survive or death I have to kill. So I can't really afford guilt. My own death kind of helped me comes to terms with that..." I bit my lip. "I'm not a psycho now... if I hadn't moved fast I would've been shot, end of story."
"I know" Ed sighed. "I know Liz... it just threw me off... your lack of emotion."
"Sorry..." I murmured. "I haven't really been myself ever since I came here... but it hasn't been so bad you know? Uh... there's alot of nice people here and I've been getting along just fine. I mean everyones been real nice."
"Idiot" Ed muttered. Pulling me into a hug. "You don't have to be so strong you know... it's been hard for you hasn't it?"
I froze for a second before letting out a shaky breath "Y-yeah... it has been..." I felt my vision blur and I closed my eyes letting a few tears slip down my cheeks. "...hard."
It was an understatement... hard barely covered it.
No words really could...
Later that night when the pain had subsided I decided to go down stairs to see if I could scrounge up any food. Yawning, I flicked on the kitchen lights and began to rummage throught the cabnets for some left over poridge.
"Good to see you're up and about"
I whirled at Hoenhiems voice, banging my head on the cabinet in the process. "Ow." I muttered, pressing a hand to my forehead. "You startled me old man. What are you doing down here this late at night?"
He smiled "Yes, sorry... I've been having a little trouble sleeping."
"Oh..." I stared down at the counter top, avoiding his gaze "Hoenhiem... I wanted to ask you... about your son."
"Edward or Alphonse?" Hoenhiem asked confused.
"Not them" I gripped to edge of the counter top. "Your other son."
There was a long silence from behind me before Hoenhiem sighed "You mean William..."
"Huh?" I turned to look at him.
"His origional name... before I turned him into what he is now." the man murmured.
"Oh..." I thought that was a little ironic. Back when I first met Envy in Lior that had been the cover name he used. "Yeah... him." I took a deep breath. "After you... turned him into what he is now... why did you leave?"
"Four hundred years ago I was much younger and foolish man" Hoenhiem smiled sadly. "I was selfish in the sense that I wanted to get away from Dante... and the guilt I felt after turning my son into a monster... I couldn't bear it so I left."
"Monster" I echoed. "That's what you believe he is?"
"I took away his soul and his humanity." Hoenhiem's voice was soft and sad. "I gave him a hatred and animosity twoards the world and even more twoards me when I left... therefore dooming my younger sons to be in danger as well."
"Do you ever think you made it worse when you left?" I asked cautiously.
"Looking back... yes... after four hundred years he was so twisted by the stones..." Hoenhiem trailed off.
"I disagree." I stated. "I think Envy... still has humanity left."
Hoenhiem flinched slightly when I said the name. It was the first time it had been spoken during the conversation "Edward told me about the circumstances of your death and what happened afterwards Liz... I find it incredible that Envy could turn on Dante after so many years of serving her..."
"It wasn't really ever for her... he just wanted to kill you if you came around again" I said before I could stop myself.
"Who told you that?"
"He did... he told me lot's of things."
"Hmm..." he absently stroked his beard. "You remember the conversation we had back in Risenbol?"
"Yes" I nodded. "When I asked you about the homunculi, and them still haveing some humanity in them."
"All I can say is that maybe you are right" he said. "When faced with the right person... maybe they do have a kind of humanity left with in them... and I all I know to say is... thank you for finding that humanity within my son..."
I flushed "Uh... no problem. You know it's odd. Everyone else has refused to believe that the homunculus is actually the one they tried to bring back to life but you seem to accept it, still calling him your son and all."
"A matter of perspective I suppose." he mused, but he looked like he was hiding something from me. Still I decided to drop it.
"Uh... if you don't mind me asking... what was he like as a human?" I asked cautiously.
Hoenhiem smiled "Daring, bold... a bit rebellious... actually, very simaler to Edward... then he died when was eighteen..."
"How?" I dared to ask.
"Mercury poisoning." he sighed. "It was a common ingredient in my experiments... he was exposed to the fumes and he became sick. With in a month the toxin took him. Dante never actually seemed to sad... I was though..." a bitter smile flitted on his face. "Obviously..."
"Right" I closed the counter, a little to much on my mind to eat now. "Thanks for telling me..." As I headed back to my room I caught a shadow hurrying up the stairs and I heard a door closed. Ed must've been listening...
I wonder how much he heard... but if he had heard anything he never let on the next day. I would let him keep his thoughts secret though.
I kept enough of them myself to allow him to keep a few.
Yeah angst/ insight!
Envy: I wasn't in the chapter but they talked about me alot...
Liz: Meh, maybe that'll satisfy the fans...
Ed: Yeah, as you can see, I still hate Envy's guts.
Al: It's pretty obvious...
Wrath: REVIEW!
