"So, what's the plan?" Havoc asked as he lit up a cigarette, winding down the window and breathing the smoke out, watching the city slowly begin to come in to view. Although he wasn't pleased about this, there was nothing he could do, so there was no use protesting against what had to be done.
"Once we reach the city, we'll split off in to two teams," Mustang began, his eyes focused in front of him, face not showing any emotion. "Hawkeye, Breda and Farman will drop us off at the block where Edward has instructed his friend is before heading off a couple of blocks to the left to raid the gardening store not too far away. Havoc, you and I will protect Edward as he takes us to find his friend," He explained before turning to Ed.
"We'll be in and out in under an hour, understood? Our rendezvous is at the same point we will be dropped off at an hour from now, we have walky-talkies to keep in touch," He said and Ed nodded his head, swallowing past the lump in his throat and gripping the gun Havoc had given him.
"Are we clear?" Mustang asked. "Yes sir," The group replied before the truck remained silent.
It took a couple of minutes for the group to enter the city, Hawkeye driving carefully, making sure not to make too much noise to disturb any nearby infected. Ed directed the team to the exact point before climbing out after Havoc.
The city was in complete ruin. Windows, and doors were broken down, cars parked awkwardly in the middle of the road, litter and other bits of debris covered the streets. Small fires parked where cars had collided, and the streets were filled with an eerie silence.
"See you in an hour," Hawkeye said before she carefully backed up and drove off.
Keeping the gun in his hands, Ed shook a little with nerves as Mustang and Havoc checked the coast was clear, guns at the ready.
"Okay Edward, show us the way," Mustang said in a hushed voice and the boy nodded, looking around for danger before he headed down the street towards a block of what they presumed to be apartments. The door had been kicked open, so there was no need to break in. Ed entered the building and looked around before making his way up the flight of stairs, Mustang keeping close to his side whilst Havoc brought up the rear.
It took quite a bit of manoeuvring around the flats, but luckily they didn't run in to any of the infected. Soon enough, Ed hesitated outside of a door and looked at Mustang. "This one," He mouthed. Mustang nodded and carefully approached the closed door, pressing his ear against the wood and listening. There was a small shuffling sound from behind and he looked to Havoc, nodding his head before looking at Edward and cocking his head to the side.
Ed nodded and gulped before he put his hand to the door. "H-hello?" He asked in a weak voice, turning the door handle and pushing it open. "A-anyone in here?" He looked inside before he took a step inside. His face paled a little and he began to shake out of fright. What if she wasn't here? What if those things had gotten to her? Ed started to feel sick in his stomach and heaved a little before Mustang put his hand on his shoulder and walked in front of him, gun at the ready.
"Hello?" He called out, his voice echoing throughout the apartment. There was a rustling sound from another room and Mustang quickly pointed his gun in front of him, turning to the room and carefully walking towards the room. The door was closed, but he was sure that he could hear something from behind. Hesitantly he reached for the door handle.
"If anyone is in here... alive... please don't be afraid," He spoke gently, grasping the brass handle in his gloved hand. "We're here to help you," He explained, twisting the handle slowly before throwing the door open and stepping inside.
There was a muffled squeak from inside the closet, and Mustang looked to Ed, who had been carefully following Mustang inside. Ed bit his trembling lip and approached the closet, pulling it open and peering inside. "W-Winry? Are you in here?" He asked.
"E-Ed? Is that... is that you?" A quite voice asked, and Ed turned around to watch a small girl with dirty blond hair crawl out from underneath the bed, brandishing a dented frying pan. Her blue eyes filled with tears at the sight of him standing there. "Ed! Ed you came back!" She cried, launching herself at him. A look of relief spread across Ed's face and he ran to the girl, gathering her in his arms and hugging her. "Winry!" He sobbed, trying his best to hold back his tears. "I'm sorry I left... I'm so sorry," He whispered.
"Come on you two, save this for later. We have to get back downstairs now," Mustang said, his eyes peeled for any sign of danger. "Are there any more survivors you know of Miss...?"
"Winry, call me Winry," The girl said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And... I don't know... I'm the only one left here... I think," She stuttered.
"W-what about Grandma?" Ed asked, blinking rapidly. Winry hesitated and fell silent, looking at the floor. "Sh-she went out to get some food... but she never came back," She whimpered.
"Chief!" Havoc said, coming through the door and looking at the two teenagers before at Mustang. "We need to go. Now," He said, his expression slightly worried and his face pale, as if something happened.
Mustang didn't question his subordinate, but nodded his head. "Come on," He said to Ed and Winry, waiting till they exited before he followed closely behind.
As the four of them exited the building, a horrible stench began to fill the air and they all froze still. Each one knew what that smell meant, and it wasn't good. They were coming. Winry began to cry gently and huddled in to Ed, who put an arm around her protectively with his gun at the ready whilst the two officers looked around.
Suddenly, from a distance, they heard a couple of gunshots firing and the sound of an engine speeding down the road. Watching as the Honda skidded in a halt in front of them, Mustang stepped forward as the passenger door flew open.
"Get in! Now!" Hawkeye yelled, looking around behind her and waiting for the four to pile in to the truck before she sped off back to the bunker.
"What the hell happened?" Mustang demanded as the woman gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles went white. He turned around and watched as Farman aimed behind him with his gun, every now and then firing off a couple of shots.
"There was a horde," Hawkeye explained simply as they whizzed through the streets. Mustang's face went white.
"A-a horde?" He stuttered, looking around frantically.
"We managed to get the stuff, but as soon as we got out of there... there were thousands of them!" Breda explained, leaning out of the window and taking a couple of shots of his own. "We don't know how they got there without us noticing!"
Mustang growled and slammed his fist on the dashboard. "If they find out the bunker..." He whispered to himself, looking at the floor.
But Winry's shrill scream tore him from his thoughts and he looked up, gasping in horror. In front of them was a wall of people. Their clothes were torn and bloodstained, their skin dirty and pale with parts rotting away. Some had missing limbs; some had open wounds with entrails spilling out. There were at least two hundred of them, and they were standing right in front of the exit to the city.
Slamming on the breaks, the Honda skidded to a halt in front of the horde. "How the hell did they get there?!" Mustang demanded, staring in horror as his officers began to shoot at the things, leaning out of their windows.
"What are we going to do?! There's no way we have enough ammo to shoot them all!" Ed demanded frantically, holding a sobbing Winry in his arms.
"Drive through them!" Mustang commanded Hawkeye, who looked at him with shock.
"But sir! There's too many of them! Even if we-"
"Don't argue back Lieutenant, just do as I say!" Mustang barked, holding on to the dashboard and glaring at the hoard. "Everyone, strap yourselves in," He said as Hawkeye pressed down on the accelerator and shifted gears, speeding towards the hoard.
The truck smashed through the first wave easily, sending the infected flying as they tore through the wall, making a path out of the city and towards the bunker. Farman managed to cap a few of the ones in front, and Breda and Havoc helped keep the infected from climbing on to the truck.
Suddenly, the engine stalled and cut out, leaving them in the middle of the horde, who were slowly advancing towards them.
"Come on Hawkeye!" Mustang shouted in panic as the woman tried to kick-start the engine again. "Come on! Come on!"
The engine then sprung in to life and they zoomed off through the rest of the hoard, finally making it out of the city and down to the bunker. The truck was now covered in blood and bits of the infected. Once they were sure they were out of danger, Breda whistled and began to laugh.
"Phew! That was a close one!" He said as the group slowly relaxed. "For a moment there I thought we were goners!"
Even Mustang cracked a smile, wiping the sweat from his brow as they all chuckled, the adrenaline slowly leaving their veins. Grinning stupidly, he turned around and leaned his arm on the seat, looking through the back at Farman.
"You are there Farman?" He asked.
The silver haired male nodded and saluted, flashing a grin of his own. "Never felt better sir," He said until he felt something move behind him and turned around, yelling and firing a shot. The others turned around to see what the problem was and Winry, Havoc, Breda and Mustang screamed.
"FARMAN!"
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Authors Note: =ooo I love cliff-hangers w Sorry for being so evil~ oh noes Farman! What happens to him?? Find out next chapter x3 R&R
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Fullmetal Alchemist characters used in this story.
