Chapter 26 – Unforeseen Calamity
Roy glanced up in surprise as the door to his office opened. Elycia strode in swiftly, a serious expression painted across her features.
"We have a problem," she informed him, coming to a stop in front of his desk. The dark haired man let out a sigh, reaching up to rub his forehead tiredly.
"I'm getting awfully tired of hearing that," he muttered resignedly.
"Dominic is still alive," her tone was blunt. Roy's eyes widened and he lowered his hand.
"How do you know?" he demanded warily.
"I was just talking with Sheska. She says he never showed up for the meeting last night. She was there until just before the explosion happened. Whoever set off the bomb, it wasn't him," she replied grimly. A frown creased Mustang's brow at this news and he sank into thought. There was silence for several minutes. Elycia stood by watching him intently. Finally he shook his head.
"It's possible his entire purpose here has been to gather info and wait for the initial attack to be carried out by someone else. Then once everyone assumed he was dead he'd be able to wait until the opportunity presented itself to get rid of whoever stepped into the empty leadership position. If everyone was under the assumption that the assassin had died in the first attack then they would be less on guard for a second attack, especially with everything else going on," he stated, his expression still thoughtfully serious.
"So you're his next target?" Elycia's tone was alarmed.
"Well, it's certainly a possibility. I'm only speculating though," he replied.
"What should we do?" She demanded.
"I'll put out an alert that if anyone spots him he is to be apprehended on charges of espionage and treason. I don't have the men to spare to launch a citywide search for him. I've already got a small team going over the contents of his house and piecing together what we know about him. Other than that, all we can do is increase security and be on our guard," he replied. Elycia frowned, clearly uneasy with the idea of simply waiting around for him to come to them. Still, Roy was right. There wasn't anything else they could do at the moment.
Wrath's eyes fluttered open. For a moment he was unable to remember what was going on. He was lying face down in the grass, the hot sun beating down on his back. Around him he was distantly aware of the sounds of shouting and the crackling of flames. Smoke was thick in the air. He tried to push himself up slightly and grimaced. His right shoulder lit up with a throbbing protest of pain. He must have landed on it the wrong way when he'd hit the ground. His ears were ringing slightly and everything sounded strangely muted. Ahead of him, not too far in the distance, he could see a number of large devices which he could only assume were the planes. But what had happened…? The last thing he remembered…his eyes widened as the memories came rushing back.
Only moments before, as they had approached the large, flat field in which the planes had landed, they'd heard the sound of what could only be a fight: shouts and cries, and intermittent gunfire. From above them they'd heard an odd, whining rumble. Looking up they'd found that one of the planes was in fact in the air, and the men on the ground who were guarding the landed flying machines had inexplicably opened fire on it. Why they were attacking their own device wasn't apparent, but seeing how Mania had been stirring things up it was doubtful they were in their right minds. While the plane itself didn't appear affected by the haphazard bullets zipping through the air, it was coming towards the field in a manner which suggested whoever was flying it was attempting to land. But it was quite obvious, even to the untrained observer, that they were coming in at the wrong angle and much, much too fast. The next thing Wrath knew Envy had shouted at them to get down and had shoved Wrath roughly off his feet. The explosion which followed as the plane nosedived into the ground at high velocity had been deafening.
Wrath squinted through the smoke filled air and coughed slightly. The explosion had apparently started a grass fire. He could hear people shouting and calling to each other in a disorganized, panicky manner.
"Envy?" he called hoarsely. He pushed himself up and scrambled stiffly to his feet, glancing around. Then his gaze landed on a prone form a short distance off. The color drained from Wrath's face. "Envy!" He shouted, dashing towards the man.
Envy was lying crumpled in the grass, his right leg trapped beneath a large piece of debris which must have flown off of the plane when it had crashed. The dark haired man fell to his knees next to him in the grass, a feeling of panic gripping him. Envy wasn't conscious. He swiftly checked for a pulse at the older man's throat. The faint beating he found there beneath his fingers brought him little comfort. He felt as if he was ten years old again, staring down at the body of a green haired teenager, who he had only recently began regarding as a friend, as the teen lay bleeding on the warehouse floor. Only this time the former homunculus's injury was far graver than a mere stab wound. There was little doubt in Wrath's mind that Envy's leg was completely crushed beneath the large chunk of twisted metal.
"Wrath," Edward called, staggering towards them through the haze. As he spotted the two former homunculi in the grass his heart plummeted. "Oh no…" he breathed. He came to a halt by the body of the green haired man. "Is he alive?" he asked.
"Yes…Although, I don't know how long that will last with the state he's in. He needs medical attention urgently," Wrath replied grimly. Edward clenched his fists, staring down at his half-brother. Where on earth were they going to find medical aid in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by maniacs?
At that moment two figures shimmered into existence a short distance off. Mania stood with his arms around Elmina. For a moment the dark haired girl remained within the circle of the red haired creature's arms, taking in the scene before her with a blank expression. She was shocked to find the air filled with the smell of something burning and the visibility made hazy by the smoke. She spotted Uncle Ed standing next to Uncle Wrath, who was kneeling next to what appeared to be a body. At first her brain simply refused to accept what her eyes were telling her. It just didn't seem to want to sink in. The body was lying awkwardly on its side, the face hidden from her view. It seemed to be partly trapped under something. Then her eyes finally registered the dark green hair splayed around the form. The ground seemed to fall out from under her.
"Dad?!" The shriek felt as if it had been torn from her chest. She jerked out of Mania's grasp and dashed towards the three men. A moment later she fell to the ground by her father's side. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Dad, no! Please, no," her voice broke. She wanted to roll him over onto his back but the chunk of debris on his leg prevented it. His form was limp, his eyes were shut and his face was unnervingly pale. She couldn't tell if he was even alive. Her heart seemed to come to a stand-still as fear and dread invaded her mind. The tears blurring her vision began to slip down her cheeks. Was she actually going to lose her father? She threw her arms around his upper body, resting her face against his shoulder as the sobs she'd been unconsciously trying to hold back found their way out. This just couldn't be happening. "No, daddy please…You can't die!" The heartbroken hysteria in her voice was painful to hear.
Edward's heart clenched at the sight of his niece and he closed his eyes for a moment. This was the last thing the girl needed to see. The blond alchemist turned on Mania.
"Why did you bring her here?" He demanded severely. The red haired creature's expression was more sober than usual.
"I couldn't very well leave her behind for Despair to pick off at her leisure," he replied flatly. "Now you'll have to excuse me. We're running short on time," his tone was brisk. He turned and strode over to the unconscious man. He peered at him a moment before crouching down beside Elmina. He grabbed Envy's arm and managed to awkwardly slide his arm around the sobbing girl's waist. A moment later all three of them vanished from sight.
Wrath and Edward stared at the place where they had been for a moment. The piece of debris had remained behind, so at least no one would have to attempt moving it. Wrath swallowed and shoved down the desperate panic that wanted to rise up in him. Wherever Mania had taken them, they were better off there than here. There was nothing he could do about it either way. He scrambled to his feet, glancing around. There were men running past them towards the scene of the crash, creating a swarm of activity around the burning wreckage. Despite the shouts and loud talking, some of them apparently still had some presence of mind, for they were fighting to put out the fire that had been started.
"Well…I was hoping that the fuel would have been destroyed in that explosion, but something tells me that didn't happen," Edward spoke up, "I can see the containers of it across the field."
"Do you still have those explosives?" Wrath asked. The alchemist nodded, patting the shoulder strap of his backpack. "Good," The dark haired man's expression was grim, "Then we have a job to do."
Elycia set a newly sorted stack of paperwork down on Roy's desk before brushing a loose piece of hair behind her ear distractedly. Glancing up at the clock on the wall she found it was just past 5pm. She let out a breath of relief. Finally her shift was over. She'd managed to convince Roy to head home several hours earlier to get some much needed rest. He was no good to them as a leader if he was too exhausted to function. She herself was bordering on exhausted. She'd been running on adrenalin for the last two days. What she needed at the moment was a meal and a full night of rest. But anxiety about the invasion and the men who had gone off to destroy the fuel had stripped away her appetite and made sleeping the night before nearly impossible. She could only hope that sleep would come a little easier this evening. Surely she'd eventually reach a point where she'd simply pass out from exhaustion. But it would be terribly inconvenient if that happened while she was at work.
She turned and grabbed her purse off the coat rack in the corner before heading out the door. As she walked out into the lobby she spotted Sheska from across the room. The other woman spotted her as well and waved, starting towards her.
"Elycia, is everything ok? You sure left in a hurry earlier," The woman's eyes were concerned behind her glasses as she came to a stop in front of the younger woman. Elycia nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just heading home for the day. But thanks to what you told me earlier we now know that an Aerugan assassin is still on the loose in our city," she replied resignedly. Sheska blinked.
"You mean Councilman Angioli?" She asked.
"You might as well just call him Dominic now. He's no longer a member of the Council," Elycia replied.
"I suppose that's true," the older woman mused. "Say, I'm off work now too. Why don't we grab a coffee?" she suggested.
"Oh…are you sure you're up for that? You've had a lot happen over the last two days." Elycia's tone was ever so slightly hesitant. It wasn't that she didn't like the woman. In fact, she enjoyed her company. But at the moment she wanted nothing more than to go home and fall into bed.
"I haven't really had a chance to sit and talk with anyone since the attack," Sheska said, "It'd be nice to have a little company. If you aren't too tired," she added swiftly as an afterthought. Elycia wilted internally. She couldn't very well say no. She could see the hope in the older woman's eyes. Clearly Sheska was feeling lonely. Resting would have to come later.
"No, I'm not too tired. Coffee would be nice," she replied with a tired smile, "There's a shop not far from here that we could go to." At her agreement Sheska brightened noticeably.
"Oh, thank you so much!" She couldn't keep the relief from her tone. Elycia nodded.
"Let's go," she said, turning and making for the front doors. Sheska followed after her.
Not too long afterwards the two women found themselves seated in a cosy little coffee shop. There was a steaming mug sitting in front of each of them on the small table. Elycia's hands were wrapped around hers, enjoying the warmth it was radiating. Sheska had ordered coffee but the blond woman had stuck with her usual hot chocolate. The last thing she needed was coffee before bed.
"Alright, enough about me. How have things be going for you? You look tired," Sheska eyed her, concern returning to her gaze. Over the course of the walk to the shop and then waiting for their drinks Sheska had had the chance to tell the blonde woman all about what had gone on over the last few days, and her worries and regrets regarding what had happened to the Council. She'd obviously needed someone to talk to for a while. She already appeared more at ease having unloaded the burden of her thoughts in the presence of another person. Elycia sighed.
"I just haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately. I'm worried about Wrath," the words came out of her mouth without any thought. She froze, eyes widening slightly as she realized what she'd just said. Where had that come from? Sure…she was worried about Wrath…she'd just…been trying not to think about him specifically…
"Wrath? You mean that dark haired young man that's been hanging around lately?" Sheska's expression grew curious. Seeing the look on the younger woman's face she smiled knowingly. "He's quite handsome."
"Umm….yeah," Elycia was startled to feel her cheeks grow rather warm. "Wait, no, I mean…" she stammered, a little flustered. Then let out and exasperated sigh, wishing she could bite back her words. Good grief. She wasn't a school girl. She was too old for this; and much too tired. Sheska chuckled.
"I see. So I take it you two aren't a number yet," she surmised. Elycia blinked. Yet?
"Well…It's complicated. I don't know how he feels about me. And… now he's gone off on that mission and…" she trailed off, the worry she'd been trying to ignore swarming back into her mind. The older woman smiled sympathetically.
"So he's in danger then?" she asked. Elycia nodded pensively.
"I just…don't know what I'll do if he doesn't come back…And I don't know why I feel that way! It's absurd," her tone was pained, "We've been working together for close to a month now, but I can't say we really know each other. He's so guarded…trying to get to know him is like trying to have a conversation with a brick wall," her tone was exasperated. Sheska laughed softly at the description.
"Well if anyone can get a brick wall to soften up, I'd say it'd be you," she informed the younger woman. Elycia shook her head slowly.
"I'm not so sure. Like I said, I don't know how he feels about me. I mean…I kind of blew up on him the other night," she flushed slightly in embarrassment. Sheska raised an eyebrow.
"If he managed to make you blow up, I'd say he had it coming to him," her tone was dry. Elycia sighed.
"I don't know… Even if he makes it back safely…I just…don't think he's ever going to open up to me," she sounded resigned.
"How do you feel about him?" Sheska inquired. The younger woman hesitated.
"I…don't know…" she muttered finally.
"I think you do," Sheska's tone was faintly amused. The blonde woman's expression remained uncertain. Sheska reached across the table to rest a hand on Elycia's hand. "You're always so confident. I don't think you have any reason to change that. If this man is worth his salt, he'll make up his mind and come to you. If he doesn't, then he isn't worth your time. You deserve better than to be constantly shut out in the cold," she advised. Her expression was serious but her tone was kind. Elycia swallowed. She wasn't sure whether to believe the older woman or not. But in any case, whatever happened was out of her control at this point.
"Thanks Sheska," she said finally, a grateful smile pulling at her lips
Elycia strode down the street towards her apartment, thoughts still swirling from the conversation she'd had with Sheska. She had just walked the older woman back to her home and was on her way to her own apartment. While she'd done her best to put on a brave face for Sheska's sake, worry and fatigue were weighing heavily upon her. So much was at stake with the war and the mission Wrath was on. It was more than she could bear to think about at the moment. She shook her head. She just needed a full night of sleep. Then she'd be fine.
She reached her apartment a short time later. She let herself in and wearily trekked up the stairs to the second floor where her apartment was located. Coming to a stop by the door, she dug in her purse for the key. A moment later she had unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. She let out a tired sigh and hung her purse on the hook before proceeding into the small living room.
She was about to head to her room to change out of her work clothes when something occurred to her. The apartment seemed unusually fresh. It was usually rather warm and stuffy when she got home. It was an old building and it usually heated up on hot summer days. Odd… she never left the windows open when she was gone. Glancing around the room her gaze landed on the sliding door which led out onto the small balcony. A cold feeling of shock settled over her before adrenalin shot through her veins. The door was partly open, the slight breeze ruffling the curtains on either side of it. If it was open then that meant…
At that moment she was grabbed from behind. Before she could cry out a cloth was pressed against her face. The last thing she was aware of was the strong smell of what could only be chloroform. Then everything went black.
-Author's Note-
*hides under desk* ...Please don't hurt me...*very sheepish*
I know... I'm a horrible person... This is one of the worst, if not the worst cliffhanger chapter of the story. I cringed a little when I reread it. I umm...yeah... Here's where I deliver some possibly bad news. There's a very slight chance that you'll have to wait longer than a week for the next chapter...I'll be on vacation next week and while I fully intend to stay on top of things one can never predict whether or not the wifi will cooperate in a strange environment... But I will do my best! Although, the plane could always crash...in which case...perhaps my best friend will take over the story... but I make no guarantees. X'D
I would love to converse further on the events of this dramatic chapter but I'm still typing with one hand. *resignation* I suppose I should be grateful given that for a few days there I couldn't use either of my arms at all. When your mother has to cut your food up for you and help you get dressed it is not cool. I'm just saying. x'D I promise to eventually explain the convoluted series of events that lead to my rather crippled state. I'll likely be staying away from any real typing till the end of the month though.
Thank you to my reviewers! It's killing me not being able to properly respond to you! x.x Though, I can't imagine any of you are terribly happy with me after this chapter...*cringe* You'll get a bit of resolution sometime soonish, I promise! (...unless my plane crashes...in which case...you have my sincerest apologies... x'D)