Chapter 7

He gently wrapped fresh bandages around Clara's stomach. Just a few hours ago, he had barely managed to escape to a safe underground from Envy and the military. While he took care of Clara with great care, he couldn't help but take in the changes of her body. He could see outlines of muscles all over her. Her skin had in fact gotten healthier. There were few traces of any wounds on her. It seemed as if Clara had been making a speedy, and excellent recovery from her past. He sat next to her, placing a damp piece of cloth on her forehead. His right arm throbbed.

"Dammi... why the hell is it doing that?" He growled. He felt a sudden crawling feeling going up his back. He stood up and quickly looked around. It was completely deserted. He heard a whispering noise in his ear. The crawling feeling slowly crept up to his neck.

"Urgh!! I know someone's there... come out!" He said. The whispering grew louder. He felt a rush of pain in his skull.

"Dammit!" He fell to his knees and grasped his head between his hands. His vision faded to black. Yet he was still aware of his surroundings. The pain subsided. A bright, sunny day filled his senses. He looked around. It was an unfimiliar town. In front of him, a large home. A woman working inside was cleaning dishes, outside, a teen boy and girl played. Smaller children running around them. The streets were mildly busy. It was a dry town. Yet everyone seemed so happy. The woman went outside.

"Gerral? Have you seen Clara?"

"Clara?" Scar murmured. The older boy stopped running and looked towards her.

"No, mom. Last I saw her was a few minutes ago. She was running around the outskirts of town."

"Again?"

"Yeah. She really likes the winds." The woman sighed.

This woman is Clara's mother? The boy... he must be her brother...

"How many times do I have to tell her... she could be blown to the other side of town with her size." She walked past Scar, not noticing him and yelled towards a group of men working along side what looked like a building in the process of being made.

"Honey!!" She yelled. A man with brown hair, put in a ponytail, and wearing dirty pants and a white shirt stopped and looked up.

"What is it?"

"Clara's gone off to play in the Winds again!"

"Again?"

"Yes! Could you possibly go get her? I don't want her to get hurt!" He nodded.

"Alright dear!"

Her father then... This town seems so peaceful...

The man ran past Scar, veering to the right suddenly. Scar didn't see it before, behind the house was a huge wall. Stairs and ramps were carved into it. The wall wasn't man made. He ran after the man.

"Clara!" He yelled, walking up the stairs. Scar saw a small dot running towards them on the ledge of this wall.

"Daddy!! I found a snake!" She yelled. They both ran towards her.

"Clara! You know you could easily fall off of here! And you can't swim either! So don't say the water would catch you." He picked her up and poked her nose. A much younger, happier version of Clara smiled and scream with laughter.

"But it's so fun up here! And when I get my blanket up here, voooom!! I'm a bird! Woooo!" She made soaring motions with her arms.

"Ahaha! You know how mommy and daddy don't like that, sweety!" He said. Clara pouted.

"But... I was gonna show my new wittle creation..."

"Creation?" Clara jumped down from his arms and ran away from him for a few seconds.

"Clara! What are you doing? CLARA!! No!!! No!!" He yelled, running towards her. Clara had uncovered a glider that was hidden under dust.

"Watch this daddy!" She said happily. Scar stared at her, then looked over the ledge. It was a long drop.

"Clara! No! Put it down!! CLARA!" She jumped off the ledge, holding tight to the handles on the glider. She laughed and kicked her feet in the wind. Her father slumped over.

"Not again... Charlotte's gonna kill me... Clara!!" He ran to the stairs and hurridly moved down them. Scar followed him. Watching the flying Clara above him. Suddenly, her father stopped.

"Who... who are they?" He held his hand over his eyes to gaze at something in the distance. A few seconds went by, an explosion went off with a huge column of fire. Her father panicked.

"Dammit!! CLARA!! Clara! Hurry up and get down from there!" He yelled. They ran past his house. The children had ran back to their homes when they heard the explosion. The teen boy, teen girl, and a small little boy were in the yard, staring at their father in confusion.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"I don't know, Reggie, but Clara's kind of stuck in the air!!" He pointed at Clara who was at least three hundred feet above them.

"Oh my god!! MOM!!" Reggie yelled. Charlotte ran out.

"What?" The little boy pointed up.

"Sissy is flying." She gaped at him. Then glared at the man.

"Timmothy!! Why is Clara IN THE AIR?!" She yelled. He waved his hands at her.

"I know I know! I'm trying to get her down! Some guys just came into town and-!" There was another explosion, this one came with screams.

"Oh my god!" She cried.

"Come on! Let's go!" He waved at his family, they all ran after Clara's shadow.

"Clara! Clara! Can you get down!?"

"Daddy! I'm scared! There are men running into town! And they looked scary!" She cried.

"Men?" Charlotte whispered.

"Clara! Trying turning back towards the house! Point down!" Gerral yelled. Clara suddenly turned right, then pointed straight down.

"Oh crap!! Not a nose dive!! Stop! Stop!!" He yelled. Scar gazed down the street. Blue uniformed soldiers walked towards them.

"No!" He whispered.

"Clara! You're in danger!" He yelled. No one heard him.

"Why doesn't anyone hear me!? Am I invisible or something?!" Clara's glider turned upwards. Her scared face facing the world. Scar could hear people running from the military.

"We have to get out of here! These guys are massacreing people!" Someone screamed.

"What?!" Gerrel growled.

"Damn Military... Clara!!"

"What?!" She cried.

"Try to just... uh... trying gliding towards the ramp! That one!" He pointed to the closest ramp.

"Ok!"

They're going to catch her...

"C'mon! Let's go!" The family ran after Gerrel. Clara was coming closer and closer to the ramp. They ran up it and positioned themselves in a circle.

"Try landing here!" Her father yelled. Clara was a few feet above them. They grabbed her legs and pulled her to the ground. They threw the glider away.

"Let's get inside..." The little boy pulled on his mother's skirt.

"Mommy... why are... why are they holding guns?"

"What?"

"Everyone! Please stop running around! We are only looking for whoever matches our descriptions! If you cooperate, your town will be released. You will not be harmed. If all of you will just stand outside your homes, this will go quickly!" Someone yelled, standing on a tank.

"We'd better do what they ask..." Clara's father muttered. Everyone lined up outside their homes. A few scientists came around with kits.

"We just need to take your blood. That's all!" They repeated. Clara was scared. Her mother held out her hand.

"Don't be afraid Clara, mommy will do it with you..." She whispered. The scientist took a drop of Clara's blood and slid it into a small box. He read through the glass; he gasped.

"Captain! We found it!" He yelled. A man with tan skin and dark moustache walked over. He read what the scientist read and nodded.

"Alright..." He grabbed Clara's arm.

"Come here, brat."

"No!! NO!!"

"Hey!! Let go of my daughter!" Her father snapped. The captain punched him in the face.

"Quiet. If you resist, you'll be killed.''

"We're cooperating, you never said you'd take our child!" Charlotte cried. The captain grinned.

"Lady... there is only one in this entire world. We have it now. There is no use for any of you anymore." He snapped his fingers. The soldiers came out with their guns, loaded and pointing at the people.

"You said you'd let us go!"

"Quiet!!" The captain yelled. A soldier shot them down.

"No!"

"Now listen up! We have what we've come for! And Furher Bradley doesn't want this getting out to anyone. So say goodbye to your lives!" The people panicked.

"No! Damn you!!" A man ran at them with a shovel. He was shot down. Everyone scattered. Gunshots rang through the air. Scar could only watch as Clara's people were killed. She was struggling against the grip of the captain.

"Let go!!" She cried. Her older brother ran up to the Captain and gave him a swift kick to his ear. His grasp weakened. He picked Clara up in his arms and ran off to an allyway. Scar followed him.

"Clara... listen... if they're after you, then you get out of here... I've heard stories about the military..." He wiped her tears away, tucking her out of the sunlight and into the shadows of the homes.

"If they do something like this... if they just take someone away, they torture them. For life. It's a horrible thing. And usually they don't live. I can't let that happen to my sister. You have to escape. Just get out of here. Run!"

"No! No brother! Not without you and mommy and daddy and si-"

"Shh! You escape. We'll be fine. They won't kill us if you're gone. They'll keep us alive. Trust me!" He smiled. Scar shook his head.

They won't...

"Gerrel!" The little boy ran towards them. He had a bruise on his cheek.

"No way! Thort! What happened?"

"A soldier hit me..." He sniffed.

"Is sissy ok?" Gerrel tucked him under his arm, next to Clara.

"Yeah, she's fine... you two run off. The military shouldn't be hurting little kids like you."

"But... brother-"

"I see one in here!" Gerrel pushed them down the allway.

"Get out of here!" Thort listened and ran. Clara stayed with him.

"No! Brother!" He pushed her into a small crevice. He looked over his shoulder and ran. He was tackled to the ground before he made it anywhere.

"No! Let go of me!!" He yelled. They kicked him and smacked his body with the butts of their guns.

"Quiet you!!"

"This is her brother. Let's take him out of here." A soldier kicked his cheek. Clara screamed.

"Brother! No!!" She ran out.

"No! Clara, you idiot!" He gasped. The captain grabbed her arm.

"Got you... ya little brat..." He hit her cheek with his large, rough hand and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Let's go... I'll show you what happens when you run..." He growled. Scar followed them, mad as Hell. The remaining townspeople were put into a group, their hands tied behind their backs. Clara's family was seperated from the rest. The little boy was bleeding from his forehead now, his leg bent awkwardly under him. Tears were running down his face. The Captain threw her to the ground in front of her family. Then a pistol fell in front of her face.

"Get up." He snapped. Clara shook all over, tears running from her eyes.

"Move it!!" He yelled. Clara scrambled to sit up. He kicked the firearm at her.

"Pick it up." She grasped it in her hands, afraid of it.

"Please... I'm... I'm sorry for anything!" She cried. He kicked dirt into her face.

"Quiet! Now..." He motioned for a soldier. Two men pushed forward her mother. Clara froze.

"M... mommy?" She whispered.

"Clara.. you should've ran..." She whispered. The Captain roughly grabbed her hair.

"Now shoot her! Right here!" He placed a dirty finger on Charlotte's forehead. Clara shook.

"W...w...what? No!!"

"Do it!! Or you'll die!"

"Just do it... sweety... I don't want my baby... to die!" She whispered. Clara cried.

"Soldier!!" The captain yelled. A soldier roughly grabbed Clara's hands and pointed the gun at her mother. He moved her finger to the trigger.

"Now shoot!!" The captain roared. Clara's eyes were wide with fear. The soldier forced her finger to push the trigger. There was a loud shot. Scar watched, horrified for Clara, anger filling his heart against the Military. Her mother fell to the ground, blood pouring from her skull.

"MOTHER!!" Clara screamed.

"Quiet!!! Or do you want to die!?" The captain yelled.

"Now, do this one in on your own!" Her little brother came forward next. Clara closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No! I can't!" She whispered. Two guns were pointed at her head.

"Do... it... brat..." The captain growled. Clara shakely pointed the gun at her brother.

"I'm... I'm sorry!" She whispered. A shot rang out. Her little brother fell to the ground, dead. Scar saw something glow on her forehead. Clara dropped the gun and held her head in her hands.

"Ahhh!!" Her father kicked and yelled.

"Let her go! She's only a child!"

"Shut up! She's a weapon of destruction! A murderer made to massacre! She will do as she's told! Pick up the gun!" He yelled. Clara shakely grasped the gun in her hands again. She kept one hand over her eyes, tears streaming down her face. Her sister was put in front of her.

"Clara... just close your eyes... remember what mom said... be calm... everything will work out..." She whispered. Clara let out a cry as she fired the gun again. Her sister was dead now. Her older brother was put in front of her. His face covered in blood. His eyes on fire. They turned to love as soon as he faced Clara.

"Clara... tch... I told you to run... heh... at least... eh! At least they won't take me... you will... my loving sister..." He whispered. Clara closed her eyes and shot him.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. Scar turned his face away from the horrible image. Her father was set in front of her now.

"Daddy...!"

"Clara... just do it quickly... don't satisfy them with your misery..." He whispered. Clara nodded.

"Daddy loves you... Clara..." A shot rang out. Clara let out a scream. She threw the gun away and grabbed her head between her hands. A scientist ran up to the captain.

"Sir! The levels are getting dangerously high! We should hurry up and restrain her!"

"No... we'll let her kill them..." He muttered. Scar growled.

"You're making her kill her own friends!? You damn monsters!!" He yelled. The spot on her forehead grew. Three scar like lines grew on her cheeks, leading from her jaw line. Her hands were claws, her teeth were fangs, and her eyes went white. She let out a roar of anger.

"Clara!" She turned her attention to the Captain, she snarled at him.

"If you want revenge... those people are the ones who hurt you... we tied them up just for you..." He smirked.

"I see... she's confused so she'll listen to what anyone who speaks first!" The scientists whispered. The Captain grinned.

"Yes..." Clara got to her feet and glared the crowd of frightened villagers.

"Clara no!"

"It's us! Your friends!"

"Don't you recognize us!?" She cracked her hands and leapt into them. Screams erupted. Blood sprayed from the crowd. Clara tore off arms and legs, throwing them to the side. In a few short minutes, the remaining townspeople were dead. Clara stood in the middle of the corpses, covered in blood. She licked her fingers and grinned.

"Alright men! Restrain her!!" The soldiers attacked Clara. They punched her and kicked her, tied a tight rope around herneck and choked her. Scar ran to the soldiers, trying to pry them off of her. His hands slipped through their bodies as if they were nothing but fog.

"What the hell is going on!?" He yelled. He blinked. The normal room he was in before appeared again. Clara was laying next to him. She was completely calm. Scar lightly touched her cheek. Her temperature was normal again. Her breathing was fine as well. He shook his head.

"I must have... I must have fallen asleep..." Clara's eyes snapped wide open. She grinned. Her eyes were a bright yellow.

"No you haven't!" She said. She sat up and licked her lips, glaring micheiviously at Scar.

"What? Clara... what's wrong? Your eyes-"

"You seem to be a bit feverous! Here... let me cool you down!" She tackled him and forced him to the ground. She clamped his arms down on the floor. Scar was confused. Something was wrong with Clara. The spot on her forehead was glowing again.

"Hey Scar~~~! You know those tattoos you have on your arm?" She sang.

"Well... I have something similar... it's all over my body but you can't see it because it's sealed away! Tehehee!" She licked her lips.

"I'll show ya what's on my face!" She hissed. The symbol on her forehead grew brighter and spread down her face. Three slash like marks went acrossed her cheeks and two zig zag lines went from the symbol on her forehead down to her eyes, surrounding them in a black liner.

"Heheheee... this is my seal for my mind... there's more on my back and neck and all over! It takes a lot of power to contain so many of us! Tehehehee!" She giggled. Scar could only stare.

"You're not Clara... Clara isn't like this!" She moved her face right next to Scar's, resting on his shoulder. She smiled.

"Oh? I'm not Clara? That's so mean... and here I thought we were friends! Oh! Wait!" She ran a finger along his chin.

"Maybe... more than that? Neh? Nyu!! How cute!! Ohohoho!" Her eyes changed to red.

"Yes... cute indeed... how was that little memory for you, Scar?" She hissed, still grinning.

"I'm so happy I could share it with you! It makes my blood boil whenever I dream! It's always that... always! I hate it!!" She yelled. She sat up straight, still on top of Scar.

"Then again... it fuels the bloodlust in my heart... Tch! That makes it more fun. You see Scar..." She tapped his nose.

"When you have over a thousand people trapped in one body and they're all fighting for dominance of that body, it makes the host body look insane! It's strong over the weak! Rule of thumb... weak loose... Hmm... It's strange Clara won... I guess it was her mentality... You should consider youself lucky, Scar..." She stood up, towering over him.

"Lucky?" She grinned. She raised a hand to her face and pulled down the bottom lid of her eye and pulled on the edge of her mouth.

"Oh yeah... if Clara didn't win... she'd be as crazy as a hellhound! She's be just randomly striking out left and right! You wouldn't be able to tell if she was human... she'd be covered in blood!! HAHAHAA!!" The room around Scar began to waver.

"Wait! What the hell do you mean!? Where the hell is Clara! Tell me what's going on!!" He yelled.

Clara lightly pushed on Scar's shoulder. He had been making noise and rolling around in his sleep. A hot sweat had broken out all overe his body. She was beginning to panick on his condition. She lightly tapped his cheek.

"Scar? Are you ok? Scar? Will you please wake up? Scar!" She lightly pushed his shoulder again. A worried look was across her face.

"Oh! Please wake up!" She pushed him a bit harder. Scar's eyes snapped open. He looked around the room, gasping for air.

"Scar? Are... are you ok? You were having a bad dream." He sat up. A slight hint of fear was in his eyes. He stared at Clara, still gasping for air. He touched her face.

"Uh! Oh... Scar... What're you....?" She stared at him.

"It's not fake this time..." He whispered, still staring at her. Clara lightly took his hand.

"What? What do you mean?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No... it's nothing..." He rested his head on his hand and looked down at the floor.

All of that... it was all Clara! She... something... it has to do with that symbol on her forehead! What she said... the one with red eyes... Hundreds of them? How could there be hundreds when she's referring to Clara? Are they sealed somehow? Does that explain the markings? Why did she refer to my brother's arm...? It was made from human lives... and hundreds of them- no... That can't be! There's no way!! If that's true then that means... No... Clara isn't one of those monsters... she's different... But... why would those homunculous want her so badly? They want her restrained... but why? Because of what happened when she was younger... she may... go insane...? Dammit! I don't want to ask her but... I have to find out... He glanced up at her. Clara blinked, then smiled happily. He smiled a bit back at her. He lowered his gaze.

No... not now... I'll let her recover... I need to wait for the right time... It's definatly not now...