Oh my god, this is the second last chapter. I am both excited and sad. I love this story so much. It's like my child is all grown up. *sniffle*
Just kidding. There's going to be a sequel. I'm not done torturing... *coughs* I mean... loving the Elrics yet. ^_^
I'm about 90% sure that this is my favourite chapter (of any story) I've ever written. The beginning is a bit slow, but it's just setting the stage for the climax of the story, fear not.
Now, read on and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter Eight
"If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honour us though dead!
O kinsmen we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!"
~If We Must Die by Claude McKay
Truth and Axiom sat in silence. Axiom was watching Truth carefully, while the white being processed Axiom's request, stunned.
"You want..." Truth suddenly shook his head. "No fucking way, Axiom. No. Fucking. Way."
"Please, Truth? You know it would benefit them!" Axiom pleaded. Truth scowled at him.
"No! How dare you even think about asking me that! You've got some nerve, Axiom!" Truth snarled, jumping to it's feet and pacing, going from Scar's gate to Edward's and back.
"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't best for everyone involved!" Axiom defended, also standing. "Besides, you said your world would be fine for at least another six months without them!"
"Axiom." Truth's tone turned cold. "You're going too far. What you're suggesting is-"
"What if I take Them, too?" Axiom interrupted. Truth paused.
"All of Them?" Truth asked, it's eyebrows raising.
"Not all of Them. One? Two? Just enough to post-pone their plans, not that they can do anything at the moment." Axiom said. Truth sighed and studied Axiom's expression carefully for a moment.
"I..." Truth sighed again. "I suppose, if you really must... But I want something in return." Axiom leaned forward.
"Anything." Axiom said, smiling. Truth took a breath.
"I want..."
...
"Can we have a room for three for one night, please?" Alphonse asked the young woman in the lobby of the small hotel. The woman looked at the brothers curiously.
"Three?" She asked. Edward nodded, leaning against the counter with a look of non-interest.
"Our uncle is outside." He lied smoothly. The woman nodded.
"The only room available only has a queen and a single bed. Will that do?" She asked. The Elrics nodded.
"Yes, that will be fine." Alphonse said.
"Alright, thirty dollars." The woman said, typing into the computer. Edward put some bills on the counter. She put the money away and handed Edward a key. "Room 12. Have a nice stay."
"Thank you." Alphonse smiled sweetly. The pair went back outside to where Scar stood leaning against the side of the building, his hood drawn up and his sunglasses on. Edward stopped in front of him and crossed his arms.
"Come on, we got a room."
...
"We've run out of leads, Hotch." Prentiss said, nursing a coffee.
"I know. Looks like we'll have to broadcast it." Hotch sighed.
"But wouldn't we run the risk of alerting Scar to the fact that they're missing, if he doesn't already know?" Reid asked. Hotch nodded.
"Yes, but it's the only way we'll be able to find them." He replied, taking out his phone and dialling a number quickly. "JJ., set up a press conference."
"What for?" JJ. asked.
"We need to send out an AMBER Alert for the Hohenhiem brothers within the hour. Can you do it?" Hotch requested. JJ. sounded rather smug and oddly Garcia-like when she replied:
"Of course. Be in front of the police station in half an hour."
...
"This is an official AMBER Alert. Two boys went missing at about eight o'clock this morning from police protective custody. Edward Hohenhiem, sixteen, and Alphonse Hohenhiem, fifteen, were last seen going East down Henderson Road about two hours ago. If you have any information about their whereabouts, please contact-" The TV turned off.
"So, the little Hohenhiem boys are on the loose? Scar must have found them by now. He's probably finishing them off as we speak." Janet grinned. GOD nodded. "And once those boys are gone, there will be no one to identify Scar. We will be free to kill as we wish."
"Scar said they are smart, and they saw you at the police station. What if they know who you are?" GOD asked. Janet waved her hand dismissively.
"That won't be a problem when they're dead."
...
Scar sat in the cheap chair at the desk of the hotel room, looking at the Elric brothers as they sat thinking. Edward was sprawled out on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling while Alphonse sat crossed-legged beside him, gazing out the window.
"Janet and GOD will be going out soon. They're heading to the South part of town." Scar commented. Edward's head rolled slightly so his golden gaze fixed on the Ishvalan.
"Are they?" His tone was clam, almost lazy. "Good thing we're in the Southern part of town." Edward flipped onto his stomach and pulled a map out of his pocket, smoothing it out on the bed in front of him.
"We are?" Scar asked, frowning. Obviously the Elrics had a much better grasp of the city's geography than he did.
"Yep. We're right here." Alphonse said, scooting closer to Edward and pointing at a spot near the bottom of the map. "We're actually just outside of the downtown area." Scar walked over and squinted at the map before running his fingertip over a long road not far from the place Alphonse had pointed out.
"Janet said they'd be going there." He said. Edward rolled off the bed and grabbed his jacket from a hook near the door, slinging it over his shoulder. His hand rested on the door handle.
"Well, what're we waiting for? The sooner we take care of them, the sooner we can get home."
...
Truth sighed, rubbing a hand over it's face. Axiom shrugged.
"Far enough. I owe you. Besides," Axiom paused, watching the Amestrian trio walking together, seeming almost friendly. "I think he's learned his lesson. He should be fine to commence with the next stage of the plan in your world. As soon as they dispose of the targets, that is."
"Thanks, Axiom." Truth murmured, watching his alchemists as well.
"No, no, Truth. I thank you." Axiom replied with a grin. "You have no idea how much this will better my world. It's something I've been meaning to clean up for a very long time."
"I know." Truth was silent for a moment. "Wait. They will get to keep their immortality, right?"
"Yes. No one will be able to spill their blood. Or, at least, more than a drop." Axiom replied cheerfully. Truth rolled it's eyes.
"I don't see why you don't just make them completely invincible. Why let the little things like a pin prick or a stubbed toe hurt them?" Truth asked.
"Where's the fun in that, Truth? Besides, sometimes humans need a slap in the face to set them straight, and I'm not taking that away from them." Axiom said, smirking in a slightly sadistic manner. Truth snorted.
"Whatever, Axiom. As long as they are safe."
...
As Scar and the Elric brother's were leaving, the woman, a slim thirty-something with brunette hair who's nameplate read Natasha, at the hotel desk suddenly sat up straighter and watched them with sharp eyes. The trio, in somewhat of a hurry, didn't pay her any mind.
Once they were gone, the woman picked up the phone and dialled 9-1-1.
"9-1-1, what is your emergency?" A monotone voice droned.
"I have a tip about the AMBER Alert for the Hohenhiem boys." Natasha replied.
"Just one moment." The monotone voice answered. Natasha waited while her call was redirected.
"Please state your name and information." A new voice said after a moment.
"Natasha Kentway. The Hohenhiem brothers booked a room at the Gregory Hotel, 736 Elliot Road with their uncle earlier today. They just left the hotel a few minutes ago." Natasha said.
"Thank you for informing us. Have a nice day." And the person on the other line hung up.
...
"There." Edward hissed, looking down at Janet and GOD, who walked down the street below. He, Alphonse and Scar were crouched on the edge of a roof over-looking the rather run-down looking street. "Here's the plan, Al and I will confront them. Scar, you wait here. We don't want to let them know you aren't on their side unless we have to, in case they escape. Only join the fight if we really need it. Also..." He took out a sleek black phone and handed it to Scar. "After I'm done, call the police."
"Where did you get this?" Scar asked, looking at the phone curiously. Edward frowned and shifted guiltily.
"I... borrowed it." He muttered. Scar's eyebrows rose, then he shrugged.
"Alright. GOD definitely has a gun. Janet has a knife, and she might have a gun too. I'd be careful of that... Not that they can kill you..." Scar warned. The Elrics nodded and dropped off the edge of the roof of the two-story building. Alphonse landed in a crouch in front of the homicidal pair, while Edward landed silently on his feet behind them, like a cat. He went unnoticed by Janet and GOD.
"So I take it you're The Siren and The Judge?" Alphonse asked. It was obviously a rhetorical question.
"What a pleasure. It's one of the Hohenhiem brothers." Janet said smoothly. GOD drew his gun, pointing it at Alphonse. The young blond straightened, watching at the pair of killers calmly.
"Hohenhiem? Never heard of it. I'm a Elric brother." He said. Janet ignored his comment.
"You're the one Scar calls Fullmetal, aren't you?" Janet questioned silkily. She walked forward with soundless footsteps, stopping two feet in front of Alphonse, who seemed completely unfazed.
'Funny, how people assume I'm the older brother even in my own body.' He mused.
"Fullmetal? I have no idea what you are talking about." He replied, his lips twisting into the ghost of a smirk. Janet frowned slightly and slid a long, sharp knife out of the sleeve of her blouse. She trailed the tip of the blade along Alphonse's jaw. The younger Elric held back a shiver at the light touch of the cold metal.
"Are you sure, kid?" Janet whispered, resting her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it painfully. The tip of the knife dug into Alphonse's skin just below his right ear. He felt a drop of warm blood run down his neck and smiled ruefully.
"Positive."
...
GOD, who stood behind Janet, his gun still trained on Alphonse, suddenly turned on his heel as a flash of gold disappeared around the corner of a building. GOD glanced back at Janet. The blond boy was making no move to fight her. After a moment of thought, GOD turned back and rounded the corner. In front of him was Edward, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and sporting a cocky grin.
"Hey there, Judge." Edward pushed himself off the wall and dropped his arms to his sides. "The court is yours."
"Hn." GOD took aim and let off three rounds.
...
"Do you know what direction they were going?" Morgan asked the woman at the hotel, Natasha.
"West. Definitely West." She replied, blushing under his gaze. Morgan nodded.
"And what did their 'Uncle' look like?" He questioned.
"His skin was a lot darker than theirs. I couldn't get a very good look at him because he had a hood and sunglasses on." Natasha said, shrugging.
"Sunglasses? At night?" Morgan asked, eyebrows raising. Natasha nodded vigorously.
"Yeah. I think he had some kind of scar on his face." She answered. Morgan straightened.
"And they were with him willingly?" He murmured.
"Yep. Actually, it seems like they were leading him around." Natasha said. Morgan nodded again.
"Thank you for your help." He said, walking out to the rest of the BAU, who waited in the parking lot. "Things just got even weirder."
...
Janet ground her teeth in frustration. It took everything she had not to just kill the calm boy where he stood. "Listen, kid, I know you're one of the Hohenhiem brothers. Stop lying."
"My name isn't Hohenhiem. My name is Elric." Alphonse replied, slightly amused. Janet growled and suddenly her foot lashed out, catching behind Alphonse's knees, making him fall onto his back. Janet sat on his stomach and held her knife so it hovered over his heart.
"I do not like to be lied to." Janet hissed. Alphonse just smiled slightly.
"I'm not lying. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't do that if I were you." He replied, looking pointedly at the knife.
"And, why not?" Janet asked angrily. Alphonse's smile turn into a very Edward-like smirk.
"Because I'm immortal." He mock-whispered. Janet paused a moment before her face twisted in rage and she reeled the knife back and plunged it into his chest.
...
Edward cried out slightly from the pain that tore through him as the bullets hit him. One in the head, two in the chest. However, after about a quarter of a second the bullets rebounded as if Edward had been wearing Alphonse's old armour. Soon after the pain also faded.
"What the-" GOD cut himself off with a grunt as one of the bullets hit his leg, and another his shoulder. His injured leg gave out and the man fell to his knees, dropping the gun. Edward walked over to him with his lips pressed into a thin, grim line and picked up the gun and transmuted it into a useless hunk of metal.
"That was easier that I had thought it would be."
...
Alphonse let out a gasp as pain radiated through his chest. Janet grinned maliciously but then she was blown back, landing on the ground a few feet away. Alphonse sat up as the pain faded.
'That was pretty painful considering the knife didn't even touch me. I almost miss that armour... No, wait, scratch that. Pain is great. Awesome. Better than being a soul bound to armour... Yeah.' He thought, getting to his feet.
"What... What just happened?" Janet murmured, pushing herself off the ground. She certainly looked worse for wear, her hair tangled around her face and her clothes rumpled.
"I told you, I'm immortal." Alphonse smiled. Janet growled, obviously finding his expression patronizing.
"Like hell you are. I'm going to gut you like a fish." She hissed. Alphonse stood still as she got up and advanced toward him. He was not very keen on the idea of the pain brought on by the knife, but it did not harm him, so it was not really any trouble.
"You're the one who will get hurt if you try to kill me." He replied. Janet grinned.
"Want to bet?" She sneered and grabbed the front of his shirt and pushing him into the wall behind him. She then laughed before thrusting her knife into his stomach and dragging it across his body.
Alphonse couldn't help the scream that ripped itself from his throat.
...
Edward whipped around as Alphonse's scream pierced the air. He quickly transmuted a pair of handcuffs out of a garbage can lid and put one cuff on GOD's right wrist, then fastened the handcuffs around a fire escape. He then ran around the corner.
"Al?" His eyes widened. Alphonse sat propped against the wall, his breathing uneven and his horror-filled eyes resting on Janet, who was a crumpled heap about ten feet away. Scar knelt beside Alphonse, murmuring something to him. As Edward hurried past Janet he noticed the odd, twisted angle at which her neck rested. His stomach flipped.
"She's d-dead? B-But..." Alphonse looked distraught.
"She was thrown back and she landed awkwardly. Her neck snapped like a twig." Scar explained bluntly. Alphonse looked like he was going to be sick.
"So I killed her?" He whispered, seeming unable to tear his gaze away from Janet's body.
"Technically-" Edward cut off Scar by harshly elbowing him in the ribs before kneeling in front of Alphonse.
"Of course not, Al. She did it to herself." He murmured, grabbing Alphonse's hand and pulling him to his feet.
"I told her she'd be the one who got hurt if she tried to kill me." Alphonse whispered. Edward nodded.
"I know. Don't worry about it. Come on, we've got to get out of here before the police show up..." He glanced at Scar. "You called them, right?"
"Yes. They'll be here soon." Scar replied. They could hear police sirens in the distance.
"Well done. Edward, Alphonse, Scar. You have completed your task." Axiom's voice seemed to be carried on the wind, surprising them. Then an eye opened up under the Alchemists and white hands dragged them out of the foreign world.
OH NO! WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? I know. Do you? I certainly hope not, or all the mystery I've been trying to put in is for not...
I don't know why, but I really like to pick on Alphonse. Seriously, it's a bit discerning. I think (hope) it's just because I like looking at things from his point of view...
Or I'm just a sadistic bitch. Either or.
Anyway, please review. I've decided not to post the last chapter until I get up to at least 55 reviews (6 more, I believe). This is only because I only got three reviews last chapter, and I know a lot more than three people are reading this.
Seriously, I don't bite. I'm all for constructive criticism. ^_^ (shameless self-promotion, I have it)