Chapter Eight:
Unwanted Encounters
Everything was dark. Annora looked around her curiously, her bare feet padding softly over the cold smooth ground as she kept walking through the dark corridors of wherever she was.
"Where is everyone?" she murmured. Nobody answered her nervous question, so the teenager kept walking, every single hair along the back of her neck standing straight up. This place, wherever it was, gave her the creeps. After several minutes, a patch of golden light became visible up ahead, and Annora broke into a run, eager to get away from the dark, suppressing corridor and its unnatural silence. The moment she burst into the room where the golden light was coming from however, she immediately regretted it.
There was nothing in the room, if it could be called that, but a single pair of massive stone double doors with strange carvings etched into their surface. Annora looked at the doors uneasily before she began to back away. Something wasn't right here and everything inside of her screamed for her to run away before it was too late. The sixteen-year old whirled around and sprinted towards the door that she had come through, only to have it vanish right in front of her eyes.
"What… what the hell?" she hissed, now officially freaked out. This time, a low, chilling chuckle answered her, sending tremors down her spine. Annora glanced behind her, her fists tightly clenched, only to find no one there. The creepy chuckle echoed through the room once again.
"Alright, who's there?!" Annora growled as she stood with her legs spread in a familiar fighting stance. "Show yourself before I decide to come after you and kick your ass!"
The invisible chuckler didn't respond this time, and Annora let out an aggravated sigh as she relaxed.
"Coward," she muttered as she ran a hand through her bangs and turned around, only to find her older brother, Ethan, standing only a few yards behind her. Annora stared at him for several long moments before she rubbed her eyes to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. When her brother didn't disappear, she walked up to him slowly, her chocolate eyes wide.
"Ethan?" she asked hesitantly. The twenty-year old nodded as he looked at her steadily with his hazel-green eyes, his hands shoved into the pockets of his denim blue jeans that he was wearing. Annora's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked quizzically at her older brother, a sense of something being not quite right nagging at the back of her mind.
Annora examined Ethan critically, from his messy, short sandy-blonde hair and the navy 'System of a Down' t-shirt he was wearing, to the black combat boots on his feet. Nothing about him seemed out of place to her, at least until she realized that she was still wearing the gray cotton drawstring Capri's and light blue t-shirt that were her pajamas. The teen frowned and rolled her eyes; her brother always did have an annoying habit of catching her in her pj's. The sixteen-year old shoved that thought out of her mind as she went up and hugged Ethan tightly, glad that for once she was around someone that knew her.
"I've missed you so much!" she declared as Ethan returned the embrace. A knowing smile flickered around the older boy's lips as he tightened his grip on her.
"I missed you too," he muttered. "Annora, I have something that I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
"You haven't paid your toll."
"Huh?" Annora looked up into her brother's eyes, confusion evident on her face. "What are you talking about?"
Ethan gave her an unholy smirk as he looked at her; an unknown expression shining in his eyes. "You haven't paid your toll yet, Annora Thomas. You have to give something up to us as payment. It's called Equivalent Exchange."
Realization dawned upon Annora as horror flooded through her.
"You're not my brother!" she raged as she attempted to pull away from the imposter, but he grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her back towards him again.
"You can't escape," he whispered sibilantly as he shed Ethan's form, turning into some large humanoid shaped black thing with violet eyes. Annora shrieked a stream of profanities at him as she tried to break its grip on her, but it was too strong. Panic surged through her veins as the Gate opened and swarms of long black tentacles streamed out and attached themselves to her, dragging her into the dark depths held within the monstrous stone doors as she struggled fiercely.
"No, let me go! Let me go!! Let go of me you bastards! LET ME GO!!"
--
Ed was sound asleep and in the middle of a very nice dream involving Colonel Mustang being roasted on a spit when a piercing scream shook him awake. The Fullmetal Alchemist shot upright, and immediately fell out of his bed in a tangle of blankets with a loud curse. Al snapped out of his own sleep mode at the loud 'thump' that Ed created and stared at his older brother, who was currently lying face-down on the wooden floor with his sheets wrapped around him and swearing profusely.
"Brother, did you fall out of bed again?" he asked as he stood up and went over to help Ed get untangled from his 'sheets of doom'.
"No, I just decide to sleep on the floor," the sixteen-year old shot back sarcastically as he unwrapped a blanket from around his legs and threw it back onto his bed. Another panicked cry coming from the room across the hall rang out, shattering the nighttime silence, before both brothers looked at each other and said one word.
"Annora!"
Ed and Al immediately shot out into the hallway between their room and Annora's, where the older Elric burst into the room a good five feet ahead of his brother. Golden eyes scanned the dark room quickly for enemies, and when he found none, Ed looked at Annora, who still lay on her bed, only to find her squirming about under the covers wildly in the obvious grip of a nightmare, something that Ed was all too familiar with. The State Alchemist sat down on the edge of the girl's bed and looked down at her face as she muttered 'no' and 'let me go!' repeatedly.
"Brother, what's going on?" Al asked as he came up behind Edward and peered over his shoulder. A small frown made its way across Ed's face as he looked Annora, who was still tossing and turning.
"She's having a nightmare," he muttered as he reached out and grabbed the struggling girl firmly by the shoulders before he shook her gently. "Annora, wake up!"
"LET ME GO YOU BASTARDS!!"
SMACK!
Ed jerked backwards in shock before he rubbed his left cheek ruefully, golden eyes narrowed as he glared at Annora, who was now sitting up and breathing heavily.
"What the hell was that for?!" he growled angrily. Annora didn't answer him as she continued to stare ahead, and Al noticed something odd.
"Brother, look at her eyes," he pointed out. "I think she's still asleep."
Ed looked into the girl's eyes, and immediately saw that they were unfocused with a wild look shining within them. Just to be sure, he waved his right hand in front of Annora, and was rewarded with absolutely no reaction whatsoever.
"Damn it," he muttered before he reached out and grabbed Annora by the wrists to prevent her from slapping him again. What he didn't expect was for her to start thrashing about again, only more violently this time.
"Let me go, just let me go! You're not my brother! What have you done with him?! Let go of me!!"
Ed gritted his teeth as he released her hands and grabbed the sixteen-year old by the shoulders once more, pulling her close to him. He didn't want to get slapped again, but he really didn't have any other choice.
"Annora, wake up! It's just a dream!"
There was a sharp gasp from the teen as she left the realm of her dreams and was jerked back into reality. She sat there with Ed holding her shoulders firmly for several moments before her entire body began to shake violently and she buried her head in Ed's left shoulder, her hands clenching the front of his black t-shirt in a death grip. The teenage alchemist sat there in a stunned silence before he felt a strange dampness on his shoulder. It was then that he heard the strangled moan that emerged from Annora's throat, her thin frame shuddering not just from the memory of her dream, but from the sobs that wracked her body as well.
Needless to say, Ed was extremely glad that the room was dark at that moment because neither Annora nor Alphonse could see that he was blushing. After about a minute or so, Annora finally got herself under control and straightened up, wiping away the tears that still clung to her face with her right hand.
"So, care to tell us what the hell that was all about?" Ed asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave Annora an inquiring look. The teen ran her hand nervously through her bangs and sighed before she answered him.
"Whatever that stupid thing was, the next time I see it, I'm going to introduce it to a wonderful modern marvel known as C4," she muttered acidly, her brown eyes flashing with anger. "Let's see that bloody door and its damn octopus tentacles try and drag anyone in after it's been vaporized."
Ed froze at the description before he looked at Annora strangely.
"What do you mean by that?"
"In my dream, there was this huge set of stone doors with all these weird carvings on them," Annora explained as she massaged the bridge of her nose. "My brother was there too, and he told me that I hadn't paid my toll. When I asked what that meant, he just smirked and told me that it was 'Equivalent Exchange'. Then he turned into some huge black thing with freaky purple eyes and held me still while the doors opened and all of these black tentacles came out and tried to pull me in."
Annora paused for a few moments and shuddered. "Man, I never want to see that thing again."
"The Gate," Ed muttered suddenly. "It's called the Gate."
Annora and Alphonse both gave Ed a strange look as the former raised her eyebrows in question. Ed gave a loud sigh before he explained.
"The Gate is something that an alchemist encounters when they attempt to perform a human transmutation. Sometimes they survive the encounter, and sometimes they don't. Not everyone is as lucky as Al and I were," he pointed out. The entire time he was saying this, Annora had a funny look on her face. She waited until Ed had finished his statement before she piped up.
"So, I take it then that seeing this Gate is not a good thing?"
Ed nodded, and Annora swore profusely under her breath.
"Great, just great. All I need now are the Three Horsemen, and I'll be all set for doomsday," she muttered sarcastically.
"The Three Horsemen?" Ed and Al both asked in obvious bewilderment.
"They're supposed to be the three signs that the Apocalypse, or the end of the world, is coming. Like this Gate of yours, you really don't want to see them."
Ed nodded in agreement, even though he still didn't really understand what Annora was talking about. The teenage alchemist let out a jaw-cracking yawn as he stood up and stretched his arms out.
"Well, I think that we should probably go back to bed," he pointed out before he looked at Annora, his golden eyes serious. "Are you going to be all right?"
The sixteen-year old smiled at him, although it was slightly strained.
"Yeah, I think I'll be okay," she admitted. Ed nodded in agreement as he stood up and headed for the door behind Al, only to be stopped by the girl's next words.
"Ed, it… it won't come back, will it?" Annora asked nervously as she stared down at the hardwood floor. Edward looked at her in surprise before he gave a small smile. Even though she acted like it was no big deal, the teenage alchemist could see that Annora was scared. It was a little surprising, not to mention weird, to see someone that gave the impression that they weren't afraid of anything reduced to tears from a single dream. Although, Edward silently admitted, he'd had some pretty bad ones himself, and they weren't just from a guilty conscience. The night that he and Al had tried to transmute their mother still haunted him, even though it had happened five years ago.
"Nah, I don't think that it will."
Annora shot the boy a grateful look as he closed the door behind him before she lay down and pulled the covers up to her neck. She didn't know it, but neither she nor Ed would get much sleep for the rest of the night.
--
Annora stared at the plate in front of her drowsily, her eyes drooping lower each time as she tried to jerk them open. The teen was on the verge of falling asleep in her seat when she suddenly had the photo of a four-year old girl riding her tricycle shoved in her face.
"Isn't she so adorable?" Hughes enthused as he moved the picture of Elysia closer to Annora's face. "Pretty soon she'll be able to ride a bicycle without my help, maybe even without training wheels! This weekend when I was working out in the yard, she kept following me around, like my own little escort of cuteness!"
Ed watched in interest from where he was sitting as Annora glared daggers at the picture, grateful for once that he wasn't the one being badgered with an endless array of photographs. That morning when both he and Annora had managed to drag themselves out of bed, he had suggested that they eat breakfast in the military mess hall instead of at the rented apartment that he and Al were using. Annora had agreed, which was why they were now being forced to endure a lecture delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, or as Annora called him, the human slide show.
"Mr. Hughes, I'm sure that your daughter is adorable," Annora muttered as she tried to keep a lid on her rapidly rising temper. "But I didn't get that much sleep last night and I'm really tired, so-"
"Oh, is that all?" Hughes asked as he put the picture away in his jacket pocket. "Then why didn't you say so?"
Annora let out a sigh of relief as she began to finish her hash browns, only to find herself looking at another picture, this one of Elysia in a bathing suit with a too-big hat over her head.
"I've got the perfect thing for you, then! This picture is entitled 'In the kiddy pool with Mommy's hat on'! Isn't she the most adorable thing ever?! Don't you just feel the exhaustion melt away as you take just one look at her cute little face?"
Annora ground her teeth together as she gave Ed a look that plainly said 'I will kill you for this'. The teenage alchemist gave a helpless shrug in response as he continued to bolt down his breakfast, while Al watched their silent exchange nervously. Annora was dangerously close to the point of committing murder right then and there when she caught sight of a certain pyro sitting a few tables away from her and Ed, nursing a cup of coffee. The sixteen-year old smirked as a plan suddenly began to formulate within her mind.
"Lieutenant Colonel, you're absolutely right; your daughter is positively adorable," Annora said in an encouraging tone as she smiled sunnily at Hughes, who beamed in delight at the complement. "And while I love looking at her pictures, I don't want to be selfish. Other people should get to see them too. Besides, I don't think that Colonel Mustang has seen that picture that you're showing me right now, and he looks like he desperately needs something to get him going."
"You're right!" Hughes agreed as he stood up. "Roy does look like he needs an energy boost!"
And with that comment, he went off after the next poor victim to unleash his endless supply of pictures upon. Annora, Ed, and Al stared after him before the girl began to hurriedly clean her plate.
"That was so sneaky," Ed said in a mock scolding manner as he grinned at the other teen. "I didn't think that you had it in you."
"Yeah, well let's get out of here before he comes back," Annora remarked as she gathered up her plate and dumped what was left of her breakfast into a trash can. "I think that I've suffered enough for today."
Ed smirked as he and Annora dropped off their plates at the dishwashing table; it looked like the girl had forgotten all about the incident the night before.
--
"So, what was in that package that the Colonel Bastard gave you yesterday?" Ed asked conversationally as he flipped through a particularly old alchemy book that he had already finished taking notes from. Annora glanced up from the sketch that she had been finishing up and raised an eyebrow in interest.
"I don't know. I didn't look," she admitted as she set down her pencil. Ed sent her an inquiring look, and she rolled her eyes in response. "Look, I had other things on my mind yesterday besides what might happen to be in some dumb package that the Colonel gave me, okay? Why are you so interested in it anyway?"
"Because Brother's jealous," Al interjected before Ed could say anything. Annora winced as Ed promptly smacked his younger brother upside the head with the alchemy book that he had been reading, knocking off Al's helmet with the force of the blow.
"Shut up!"
"Jeez, how old are you, Ed?" Annora scolded as Al got up and retrieved his helmet. "That was so immature."
"Oh, and you're one to talk!" The Fullmetal Alchemist shot back, his entire face red. "What was it that you said the other day?"
"Maturity is overrated," Annora muttered sarcastically. "Yeah, I know. But at least I'm not mean enough to knock my brother's head off because he teased me."
"You heard what he said!"
Annora closed her eyes and sighed in obvious annoyance. "I say this at the risk of sounding like my brother, but you seem to be making a big deal out of nothing. Maybe the reason why you reacted the way you did is because Al is right."
"Fine, see if I care what the hell that bastard gave you!" Ed growled as he flipped his book open to some random page. Annora raised an eyebrow as she looked at him skeptically before she pulled the cardboard box out of her backpack and set it down on the table. The sixteen-year old smirked inwardly when she saw Ed watching her closely out of the corner of his eye before she began to undo the tape holding the lid shut: he was so predictable.
The teenager opened the lid and stared at the contents for several moments in shock before she scowled darkly.
"That bastard," she spat, her eyes flashing with anger. "May God have mercy on his worthless excuse for a soul, because I sure as hell won't!"
Ed and Al both looked over at her curiously.
"What's wrong?" Ed asked. Annora looked at him before she removed one of the contents of the box and held it up for both brothers to see. Al stared in shock at it for a few moments while Ed's jaw came close to hitting the ground as they both gazed incredulously at the turquoise blue pair of thong underwear that the girl was holding up.
"Does the Colonel have a death wish?" Ed finally managed to ask after he had partially recovered from his shock. Annora scowled in response as she replaced the lingerie back in its box.
"There's a matching top, and a note as well," she remarked stiffly as she removed a scrap of paper from within the box and read it out loud.
I saw these in a window and thought of you immediately. I believe that they are in your color as well.
Enjoy.
Roy Mustang.
Annora folded up the note and placed it back in the box before she pulled out a pencil and scribbled a transmutation circle onto the lid, re-sealing the tape so that it looked as though it had never been opened. Ed and Al watched in bemusement as an unholy smirk crossed the girl's face.
"Fool," she muttered as she set the box down on the ground next to her backpack. Both brothers now looked thoroughly confused as they stared uneasily at the deceptively harmless looking package.
"What are you going to do with that?" Al asked nervously. Annora gave them both a satanic grin in response.
"Oh, I'm just going to re-gift it to someone who will appreciate it more than me," she responded casually. Al began to shake violently while Ed just shook his head.
"Just as long as it doesn't involve us getting shot at," he muttered as he returned to his research. For some almost inexplicable reason, he almost felt sorry for Mustang. Almost being the key word.
Whatever Annora was planning to do with the incredibly skimpy panty and bra set, he just didn't want to know. Somehow, he had a feeling that it was safer that way.
A few hours later, all three of them had enough of researching for the day. Annora had just finished putting away all of her drawing materials when she glanced down at the re-sealed cardboard box that lay at her feet. Ed and Al, who were gathering up the books that they had been looking through, both noticed the malevolent smirk that momentarily crossed the girl's face as she shouldered her backpack and picked up the box.
"You guys are going to drop those back off at the library, right?" she asked, pointing at the huge stacks of books that both brothers were arranging on the table.
"Yeah," Ed answered hesitantly, unsure as to where this conversation was going. Annora smiled at him as she headed out the door.
"Okay, I'll be right back then. I just have to go drop something off," she said as she went off down the hallway. Al looked over at Ed nervously.
"Brother, what is she going to do?"
"I don't know, but I don't want to be here when it happens," Ed muttered fervently. After a few minutes, and no explosions or other sounds of mass chaos, the Elric brothers began to relax just as Annora came back into the room, minus the package. Ed stared at her almost uneasily as he watched the girl grab a stack of books and head out the door after Al.
Crowded streets all cleared away, one by one.
Hollow heroes separate as they run.
You're so cold keep your hand in mine.
Wise men wonder while strong men die.
"What did you do with the box?" he asked as the three teenagers left Central command and walked down the snow-covered street in the direction of the library. Annora glanced back in his direction and grinned.
"I told you already, I gave it to someone who would appreciate it more than I do," she explained in a deceptively innocent tone. Ed made a disbelieving noise in the back of his throat in response.
"Yeah right. Why do I find myself not believing you? With your warped mind, I think that you doing anything with something that the Colonel gave you will end in violence."
"O ye of little faith," Annora said with a laugh. "You know, I've developed some bad habits since I've met you two. I used to be such a sweet, innocent girl, but now I think I've developed a violent streak."
Ed just sighed and shook his head while Annora laughed at his response. Her amusement was cut short however when she collided right into someone who was walking at a rapid pace in the opposite direction, sending books flying everywhere.
Show me how it ends, it's alright.
Show me how defenseless you really are.
Satisfied and empty inside.
That's alright, let's give this another try.
"Shit!" Annora muttered as she dropped to her knees and began to gather up the fallen books. "I am so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was…"
The teenager glanced backwards to see both Ed and Al staring at the man that she had bumped into in absolute horror, the former looking like he was about ready to throw up.
"Annora," Ed gritted out through clenched teeth as he glared at the man, who was looking at both boys in obvious distaste. "Get over here, now."
"What… Ed, what are you talking about?" Annora asked as she looked at the other teen. She was surprised when the man actually spoke for the first time, although the comment wasn't directed at her.
"So, this girl… is with you, Edward Elric?" he asked in a cold tone. Ed scowled as he dropped the books he had been holding in the snow and assumed a fighting position.
"Don't you dare touch her, Scar," he snarled, his golden eyes flashing with fury. "She isn't a part of this."
"She is if she's a State Alchemist," Scar shot back. Annora had gotten to her feet by this point, and was in the process of inching away from the huge man standing before her when he suddenly looked at her. The sixteen-year old felt a cold line of fear go down her spine as she stared directly into the man's red eyes.
"So tell me, girl, are you yet another one of those who have defied God and sold their souls to the State?"
Annora moved her lips, but not a single sound came out of her mouth as she shook slightly from fear. Her chocolate eyes widened in horror as Scar took her silence for a 'yes' and brought his right hand up towards her face. It never made contact, seeing as Ed grabbed her by the back of her jacket and yanked her backwards with every ounce of his strength.
"No, she is not a State Alchemist!" Ed roared as he glared daggers at Scar, who was now looking at the two teens in obvious interest. "She's like Al; neither of them are a part of this!"
"Brother," Alphonse began nervously, only to have Ed cut him off.
"Al, I want you to take Annora and run," he ordered as he stepped in front of them. Annora looked at Al uneasily as the younger Elric attempted to lead her away as Ed had suggested.
"What's going on?" the sixteen-year old asked, worry obvious in her eyes. Al let out a nervous sigh as he tried to pull Annora away from the scene.
"Scar is a serial killer that only goes after State Alchemists," he explained. "Normally, I wouldn't-" he stopped in mid-sentence as Annora pulled away from him. The teenage girl ran back towards Edward and planted herself firmly in between him and Scar, her eyes blazing with determined fury.
If you find your family, don't you cry.
In this land of make believe, dead and dry.
You're so cold, but you feel alive.
Lay your hand on me one last time.
"Now hear this, you big Luger head," she growled acidly before Ed could say a word of protest, her eyes boring into Scar's. "I don't give a damn about your stupid, psychotic religious practices, or whatever other whacked reasons that you may have for going after Ed! If you so much as touch my friends, your ass is mine!!"
Ed and Al both stared at the girl in obvious surprise, which was further increased when she glanced back at them and shouted.
"Well, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation?! Run you idiots!!"
"It's no use," Scar stated coldly, causing Annora to look at him. "No one can escape from God's wrath, delivered by my own hands."
A strange thing happened at that moment. Annora looked directly up at the muscular Ishbalan, who stood at least a half-foot taller than her, and gave a short sardonic laugh.
"Oh really, is that what you think?" the girl asked as she gave skeptical snort, crossed her arms over her chest and fixed the man in front of her with an intense look. "You sound like some of those asswipes that my brother has to deal with over in the Middle East. Same crap, different objectives."
Scar frowned as he looked at her.
"All those that defy God's law and serve as State Alchemists must die," he stated matter- of-factly. That did it.
"How can you say that? What did Ed ever do to you to deserve this?!" Annora raged, several veins popping up on her forehead. Scar looked slightly intimidated by the angry teenager that was shouting at him, although he hid it well.
"He has gone against the will of God."
"That's bullshit! I don't know who the hell you are, or what your story is, but I sure do know one thing; what you're trying to do is wrong!"
"Then you are naïve. Step aside, girl. You are not a member of the State, and therefore need not be involved." Scar made an attempt to push past Annora, although the teenager stubbornly refused to budge. Fury shone brightly in her eyes as she clenched her hands tightly into fists and stood directly in front of the man with her legs spread slightly apart in an obvious fighting position.
"I am not naïve! And I am going to be involved, because these two are my friends! I'll be damned before I just run off like a scared little kid and leave them to whatever you're going to do to them! Now clean out those ears of yours and listen to me, fathead! I don't care what kind of bullcrap you're going to spout about your stupid cause: All you're doing is killing someone in cold blood and justifying it to yourself by calling it 'God's will'! So, if being a murder is God's will, I'm curious to know what it'll do for you."
Annora shot a scathing look at the older man out of the corner of her eye as she delivered the final blow. "I may only be sixteen, but here's one thing that I'm absolutely certain of; no matter how many people you kill, it will never bring back the ones that you lost. I know this because my older brother is out in some other country, fighting for his life, just so everyone that he cares about, and even a few people that he doesn't care about, can live in peace. What kind of person would I be if I dishonor my brother and what he's fighting for by running away like some wussy little girl?"
"Honor is not everything," Scar told her coldly. Annora have a harsh laugh in response as she shook her head.
"That's not the point, moron," she told him in an insulting tone, her voice laced with contempt. "What I'm saying is that no matter what you try to do, I'm not going to run away. And if you want to hurt Ed and Al, you're going to have to do it over my cold, dead body."
Further insults were prevented by the sudden erection of a stone wall in between Annora and Scar, courtesy of Alphonse, as Ed darted forward and yanked the sixteen-year old away by the back of her jacket before he and Al took off running.
"You idiot!" he raged as he dragged Annora along behind him by her jacket sleeve. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
"I'd like to ask you the same thing!" Annora shot back angrily, her brown eye flashing. "That whole crap with you trying to get me and Al to run away while you sacrifice yourself does not fly with me. If you ever try to pull something like that again, I'll kick your ass!!"
Show me how it ends, it's alright.
Show me how defenseless you really are.
Satisfied and empty inside.
That's alright, let's give this another try.
A resounding explosion echoed behind them, encouraging all three teens to run faster. Annora frowned as they ducked down into an alleyway and zipped around the first corner that they came to, running as fast as they could the entire time.
"So, what did you do to piss this guy off so bad that he's not going to give up that easily?" she gasped. Ed looked over at her as he dodged a trash can.
"He wants to kill all State Alchemists because they were responsible for the genocide of his people," he explained hastily. "It doesn't matter to him that I was only a little kid at the time that this happened, and I wasn't even in the military at then. All he can think about is revenge."
"Oh joy," Annora muttered sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "Just what we need; more problems!"
"That's not the worst of it. He uses his right arm to blow people's brains apart; that's how he kills State Alchemists. He also uses it to blow up anything that gets in his way, so hiding is pretty much out of the question."
"Bloody hell! What is this guy's problem?!" Annora demanded, only to be rewarded with blank looks from both brothers. "What?"
"'Bloody hell?'" Ed asked. "Where did you come up with that?"
The teenager looked sheepish as they rounded another corner. "It's something that my grandma says all the time. Last year, I spent my entire summer with her, so I kind of picked up some of her expressions."
"That's a pretty weird saying if you ask me," Ed muttered just as Annora skidded to a stop. "Hey, why did you stop?"
"I've got an idea!" she exclaimed as she shrugged off her jacket and sweater, both of which she handed to a very bewildered Ed.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "This is no time for you to-"
"Take off your red jacket and give it to me," she cut in, holding out her hand. Ed stared at her like she had lost her mind.
"What? Why?" he asked in obvious confusion. Annora gave an annoyed sigh as she gave him an intense look.
"Just do it," she said exasperatedly. Ed immediately complied, and Annora hastily pulled in on. Al immediately caught on as to what she was doing and took a step forward.
"Brother, she's-"
"Playing decoy," Annora finished with a grim smile as she pulled up the hood on Ed's trademark trench coat and tucked her hair back so that none of it showed outside of the hood. Ed's golden eyes widened in horror as he stared at the girl in absolute disbelief.
"You… you can't-" he began, only to have Annora interrupt him.
"Yes I can. Call this Equivalent Exchange for letting me stay with you guys if you want, but you two are my friends. I'm not just going to sit back and let that psycho kill you because he thinks that he's allowed to play God. Besides, he only kills State Alchemists, so I should be safe, right?" she asked with a knowing smile twitching about her lips. The sounds of someone running came closer to their hiding spot, and Annora gave the two brothers a cocky smirk as she stepped out into the main alley.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked as she took off running. "Run!"
Al yanked Ed into the shadows just as Scar dashed past them, obviously going after Annora instead of them. Both of the Elric brothers sat there in shock before Ed snapped out of his trance.
"C'mon, Al," he said as he transmuted a ladder leading up the side of the building that they were standing next to. "We need to go after them to make sure that Annora doesn't get killed."
With that statement, the two began to make their way to the rooftops.
Show me how it ends, it's alright.
Show me how defenseless you really are.
Satisfied and empty inside.
That's alright, let's give this another try.
'Shit, this guy is fast!' Annora realized belatedly as she ran as fast as she could possibly go down an empty alley. 'How can someone that big run so fast?'
From the moment that she had left Ed and Al, Scar had been hot on her tail. The teenager, who was fairly skilled at losing unwanted pursuers, had pulled every single trick in the book, including being desperate enough to jump into a yard with a huge, vicious dog that had tried to bite her. Nothing had worked; every time that she knocked something into Scar's path, the muscular Ishbalan merely blew it up using alchemy.
Annora cursed angrily under her breath as she caught sight of a block wall looming up in front of her, although her anger changed into immense relief when she saw the dumpster placed next to it. With a smirk flickering around her lips, the sixteen-year old jumped up onto the lid of the dumpster and vaulted expertly over the obstacle.
"Ha, let's see you get through that, asswipe!" she crowed, although her elation was short-lived when Scar blew a hole in the wall. Before Annora could run out of the alley, he placed a hand on the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, Annora saw a red line streak down the side of the building before the wall exploded right in front of her, blocking her path with debris.
"Shit," the teenager swore as she stared at the crude, but effective barrier in front of her while Scar came up behind her slowly.
"I tire of your childish games," he stated simply as she grabbed her by her left arm and spun her around to face him. Red eyes widened slightly in surprise before he reached out and roughly yanked the hood from her head. Annora looked up at Scar and smirked, her chocolate eyes glinting with grim amusement.
"What's wrong, were you expecting to see someone else?" she asked mockingly. Scar glared at her as he raised his right hand up to the same level as her face.
"You foolish girl," he whispered as the runes on his right arm began to glow red. Annora's eyes widened in fear, and she immediately rammed her knee up into Scar's groin, causing the man to fall to his knees in agony as he let go of her. The sixteen-year old took off like a bat out of hell down the alley, rushing past Scar as she ran for the clear end that intersected with the rest of the alley. Scar gritted his teeth as he glanced behind him and placed his right hand down on the pavement as the runes on his arm began to glow once again.
Annora had almost reached the exit to the alleyway that she was in when the ground shifted beneath her feet and her entire world exploded. The sixteen-year old gave a pained grunt when the force of the blast sent her flying into an unforgiving brick wall head-first, knocking her unconscious. Scar stood up slowly, wincing as he did so, before he turned around to face Annora's limp form sprawled out on the pavement.
It's alright.
"You told me that I would have to harm the Fullmetal Alchemist over your cold, dead body," he told her as he strode over towards her. "It looks like your request has been answered."
The serial killer was about to place his hand on Annora's head when a loud, angry cry rang out.
"ANNORA!!"
Scar turned around in surprise as Ed jumped down off of the roof where he and Al had been and launched himself directly at the serial killer. The Ishbalan easily avoided the desperate attack, and he grabbed Edward's left leg as he sailed past him. There was a momentary crackle of red lightning along the boy's automail limb before it exploded. Ed fell flat on his face right next to Annora, and he managed to scramble up into a kneeling position, balancing precariously on his maimed leg as he clapped his hands together and transmuted a spear, which he held in front of himself, as he grabbed Annora's still-unconscious form and pulled her close to him protectively.
"Don't you touch her!" he shouted, his golden eyes blazing with defiance. Scar looked at the scene before him in absolute surprise, completely flabbergasted. Before the Ishbalan could make a move, a loud 'snap' echoed behind him, and the alleyway behind him exploded.
It's alright.
It's alright.
It's alright.
It's alright.
It's alright.
It's alright.
It's alright.
It's alright.
"Tell me, Fullmetal, why is it that I always have to save your ass?" Mustang asked casually as he strolled over to the two teens with Armstrong and Hawkeye behind him. Ed looked up at the man and made a face just as Al came running around the corner, leading Havoc, Breda, Hughes, and several other soldiers, all of them armed. The soldiers all immediately aimed their guns at Scar, who looked at Mustang and Armstrong with his mouth twisted into an angry scowl before he blew a hole into the sewers below them and escaped.
"Don't follow him," Hawkeye ordered as she looked down at the massive hole and wrinkled her nose slightly from the smell. Havoc looked over at her incredulously as he un-cocked his rifle.
"What made you think that I was going to?" he asked in disbelief. Hawkeye glanced over at the man out of the corner of her eye and raised her eyebrow delicately. Havoc got the hint and decided that it would be best if he scouted the area for other enemies, quickly recruiting a few other soldiers to come with him.
Annora let out a low groan as she slowly came to, her eyes fluttering open. The sixteen-year old found herself staring right into Ed's face, and was still out of it enough to not realize what had just happened.
"Oww… where's the truck that hit me?" she muttered dazedly, her chocolate eyes unfocused. "When I find the driver… I'm so going to kick his ass…"
Ed looked down at her and realized that the teenager wasn't thinking straight, although she was obviously alright. The teenage alchemist went red in the face as he exploded.
"YOU IDIOT!! WERE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?! THAT WAS ONE OF THE DUMBEST THINGS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN SOMEONE DO IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!"
"Brother…" Al began hesitantly, only to have Ed completely ignore him.
"DO YOU JUST SIT UP AT NIGHT, THINKING OF WAYS TO GET YOURSELF IN TROUBLE?! SCAR ALMOST KILLED YOU, YOU IDIOT!! THAT IS THE LAST TIME I EVER LET YOU DO SOMETHING THAT STUPID!!"
"Fullmetal…" Mustang muttered as he stared at the boy while a large sweatdrop ran down the back of his head. Ed didn't listen to him either.
"I SHOULD KICK YOUR ASS FOR PULLING-"
"Edward," Hawkeye stated calmly, interrupting the boy in mid-rant as she cocked her military-issued pistol and aimed it in the direction of the angry alchemist. "Calm down."
Annora, who by this point was now fully awake and wincing from the pitch that Ed's voice had gone up to, looked over at the older woman and mouthed 'thank you' gratefully. The sixteen-year old then noticed that Ed still had his left arm wrapped around her shoulder, and went bright red in the face as she scooted away from him.
"Okay, I'm an idiot," she admitted as she held her hands up in a placating gesture. "I get that. You don't need to keep yelling at me."
Ed glared at her in response and Annora gave an annoyed sigh as she shrugged off Ed's jacket and held it out to him.
"Listen, what's done is done," she snapped, her brown eyes flashing as her last shred of patience finally cracked. "You can either accept it and move on, or sit here and stew about it. Either way, it's over, it's in the past, okay?"
Al and the remaining military members watched in obvious interest as Ed shot Annora a filthy look.
"It wouldn't be in the past if Scar had killed you," he muttered acidly. Annora glared at him before she reached out and whacked Ed hard on the top of his head with her clenched fist.
"Listen to me, moron," she hissed, her eyes flashing with barely concealed anger. "I'm going to tell you something that my brother told me before he left for Iraq. He told me that if you really think about it, we're only a small part of this earth. In the grand scheme of things, we're only here for a small amount of time in comparison to things like trees, rocks, and even the earth itself. When we die, the only thing left behind is the memory of what we've done with our life, so we've got to do the best we can to leave behind a good legacy. I don't know about you, but I want to leave a good impact on the world around me, and if that means dieing for what I believe in, then so be it."
Ed blinked in surprise as he stared at Annora, who looked him dead in the eye seriously. He sat there with his mouth open for a few moments before the words finally came to him.
"I think," he said slowly. "I think that your brother needs to meet our teacher."
Annora stared at him for several seconds before she arched an eyebrow skeptically.
"Is that your way of saying that you're going to stop yelling?" she asked. Ed gave a harsh snort in response as he looked away and crossed his arms. Annora rolled her eyes as she reached over and smacked Ed upside the head again. The alchemist glared at her as he rubbed at the sore spot.
"What was that for?!" he growled, golden eyes flashing. Annora gave him a knowing smirk as she looked at him steadily.
"It doesn't matter; it's in the past," she declared as the corner of her mouth twitched up in barely concealed humor. "The motto of this is; let it go."
Al choked back an amused snort as he tried not to burst out laughing. Ed glared over at him while everyone else rolled their eyes at the stubborn alchemist's antics. Mustang finally decided that they had stood around talking long enough and got everyone's attention.
"Alright, we need to get back to Central Command and file a report on the incident instead of standing around, jabbering like a bunch of schoolgirls," he stated seriously. He looked over and jabbed a finger at Al, startling the boy.
"Alphonse, I need you to help Edward keep up with the rest of us, seeing as he's currently missing a leg right now."
"I'll do it," Annora stated as she stood up, giving Alphonse a sheepish grin. "Sorry Al, but I think that there's less of a difference of height between me and Ed than there is with you."
Mustang smirked as an unforeseen opportunity presented itself.
"That would make more sense, seeing as Fullmetal is too much of a runt for-"
"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO TINY THAT YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE HIM?!" Ed raged as he tried to go after Mustang, only to fall flat on his face because of his missing automail leg. Annora let out an annoyed sigh as she grabbed the boy by the back of his black jacket and hoisted his left arm over her shoulder, grabbing him by the wrist so he could balance himself properly on his remaining leg.
"C'mon, let's get home before you do something else to hurt yourself," she sighed as she pulled the angry alchemist away from the smirking Colonel. "You can go after him once you get a replacement leg."
--
The next morning
--
Annora stared in obvious unease at Ed, who had just finished telling her that the only way he could get a new leg would be for him to go to his mechanic in his hometown of Resembool.
"So let me get this straight; this mechanic is a friend of yours, and she's going to be really upset at you why?"
Ed went an interesting shade of white and muttered something that could have been either 'wrecked automail' or 'kicked by a snail'. Annora raised an eyebrow as she looked at the nervous boy before she shook her head and sighed.
"Alright, I get the hint. I'll get ready to go, and I make my own judgments when I meet this 'Winry' for myself," she stated as she got up from the chair that she had been sitting in and went up to her room to get her backpack ready. Ed watched her go before he propped his elbows up on the table and buried his face in his hands.
"Winry is going to kill me," he moaned quietly, vividly imagining the hell that would come forth when his childhood friend found out that he had trashed yet another piece of her treasured automail. "I'm doomed."
Al gave his brother a sympathetic look as he patted him on the back. "Well, if you weren't so rough on it all the time, she wouldn't get so upset."
It was at that moment that the telephone in the hall rang, startling both boys. There was a faint shout of "I'll get it!" from Annora before she raced down the stairs and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" she asked politely, only to flinch and yank the phone away from her ear as the person on the other end exploded into a furious tirade.
"YOU LITTLE WENCH! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU'LL WISH THAT YOU HAD NEVER LEFT YOUR HOMETOWN!!"
Mustang's livid ranting was interrupted by the sound of gunshots, along with the sound of another, although noticeably more faint, voice that came through the receiver clearly.
"Sir, unlock the door, now." That had to be Hawkeye, and it was obvious that she was pissed.
"NEVER!!" Mustang shrieked. Annora stared at the phone in her hands with an odd look on her face as more gunshots echoed from the other end, along with the obvious sounds of something exploding. The teenager's right eye developed a slight twitch as she looked down at the phone before she hung up.
"Ed, Al, how soon does the next train leave?" she asked in a deceptively calm voice. Al poked his head into the hallway and looked at her curiously.
"Why?"
"Because I think that it might be in our best interests to leave town while we're still alive."
"What did you do?" Ed demanded seriously from the kitchen. Annora looked decidedly embarrassed as she rubbed the back of her neck nervously.
"Umm… that payback that I did to Mustang for sending me the thong… it had unexpected repercussions."
"The next train leaves at 9:15," Al pointed out. "But that's in ten minutes, and Brother can't walk that fast…"
"When does the next one leave then?" Annora asked as she looked at the possessed suit of armor seriously.
"Noon."
"Shit!" the sixteen-year old muttered as she stalked towards the stairs. "By that time, Mustang will have barbequed me!"
"We can make it," Ed pointed out as he leaned against the door frame to the kitchen for support, a knowing smirk flickering about his face. "If Al carries me, we can probably get there in time…"
Ten minutes later, Annora and Al were running for all they were worth alongside the rapidly accelerating train while Ed clung to his younger brother's shoulders.
"Hurry up, or we'll miss it, dammit!" he roared angrily. Annora sped up and grabbed a hold of the railing on the end car, dragging herself aboard while Alphonse did the same thing. The three teens all went weak-kneed in relief as the train left the station just as Mustang came whipping around the corner with his ignition-cloth gloves on and a murderous gleam in his eyes. Annora couldn't resist grinning cheekily and waving at the irate man, who had no choice but to let them go as they pulled out through the tunnel.
"You're evil," Ed muttered as he looked at Annora, who gave him an innocent smile in response.
"Yeah, and it took you how long to figure this out? I've been living with you guys for over a month already."
Al just shook his head as the two teens got into one of their usual verbal sparring matches while they went into the back train car and found seats. This was going to be a long ride.
--
"Unnh…" Annora groaned groggily as the train's jolting movement shook her awake. She glanced out the window that her face had been pressed against while she had been asleep and saw that the train was slowing down. The sixteen-year old rubbed at her eyes groggily before she noticed that it was late in the afternoon, late enough that the sun was beginning to set.
"Where are we?" she murmured quietly.
"There's a rest stop about halfway between Central and the next town," Al said suddenly, causing Annora to jump in her seat before she realized who it was. The teenager looked over at him and gave a tired smile, although her expression quickly changed into one of embarrassment when her stomach gave a loud growl. Al just laughed and shook his head.
"Don't worry, there's a shop where you can get food too," he pointed out. Just then, the train came to a stop, and Annora, along with Al and several other people, stood up. Annora looked over at Ed, who lay sprawled out on the seat sound asleep, and made a face.
"What about him?" she asked as she and Alphonse left the train.
"Don't worry. Brother is a pretty sound sleeper, unless someone calls him short that is," the fifteen-year old admitted. Annora nodded in agreement as they passed a small shop where a man was selling sandwiches. While Al bought three, saying jokingly that Ed could eat two by himself, Annora found herself looking around her in fascination. She had never been on a train before, so it was exhilarating to not only ride one, but also get to experience looking around a train station without it being a tourist attraction. It was then that she caught sight of a group of crows attacking something on the platform.
The teenager frowned as she walked over towards the huddled mass of black birds, her expression darkening when she realized that whatever the birds were pecking at was alive. Annora angrily quickened her pace and swung her foot directly at the tail of the crow closest to her, booting the bird directly in the backside. The startled crow let out a frightened squawk as flapped desperately into the air, soon followed by the rest of its fellows.
"Bunch of bloody scavengers," she growled as she looked down at the limp furry form that lay huddled forlornly on the wooden platform. It was only when the black-furred animal uncurled and let out a pained whimper that Annora realized that she was looking at a puppy that was probably less than three months old. The teenager knelt down next to the injured animal and looked at it closely.
"Hey there little guy," she whispered reassuringly. The puppy whimpered again as it crawled closer to her on its belly, gazing up at her with dark soulful brown eyes. A small smile crept across Annora's lips as she gently reached out and fingered the splash of white fur that marked the puppy's muzzle and front paws.
"Ranger," she muttered thoughtfully, a far off look entering her eyes. If it hadn't been for the difference in age, Annora would have thought that she was looking at her old dog, who had passed away six years ago from old age. The teenager absentmindedly petted the young dog, and frowned when her fingertips felt the animal's ribs with unsettling clarity.
"Poor little guy," she said as she picked the puppy up and cradled it protectively in her arms. "Where's your mom? You're way too young to be away from your mom yet."
"She got run over," a boy about her own age stated casually as he walked over to her before indicating to the puppy that Annora now held in her arms. "He's the last of the lot. The rest of 'em just up and died, and he doesn't look like he's gonna make it either."
Annora immediately decided that she didn't like this boy, who was now looking at her in obvious interest. The girl glared at him defiantly as she tucked the dog gently down the front of her buttoned-up jacket.
"He's just gonna die you know," he told her in a matter-of-fact tone.
"So?" Annora responded acidly, her brown eyes flashing with barely controlled anger. "At least I'll be able to give him some comfort before that happens instead of letting him get pecked to death."
"Where you from?" the boy asked suddenly. Annora resisted the almost overwhelming urge to roll her eyes as she responded.
"Central."
"Are you with anyone?"
"Yes, my older brother," she muttered, lying through her teeth. The boy gave her a skeptical look and opened his mouth to say something just as Al came around the corner holding a paper bag that contained their sandwiches.
"Annora, there you are! I was wondering where you went."
A change came over the boy, and he stared at Al in obvious horror before he whirled around and ran off screaming.
"Demon armor! Possessed demon armor!"
Annora and Al both sweatdropped as they watched the boy run like a bat out of hell before the sixteen-year old turned around and looked at the younger Elric curiously.
"What was that all about?" she asked. Al let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his helmet.
"Uhh… about a year ago, I got almost my entire right side blown off by Scar, and the only way I could travel was by being put in a crate. I accidentally got dropped off at this station when Brother and I were on our way back to Resembool, and I think that was the same boy who stole me from the platform. Anyway, I told him that I was a demon suit of armor and he freaked out."
(AN: This is in the anime. I almost died laughing when I saw it.)
Al looked over at Annora, who was laughing so hard that she was crying. Once she had finished, she wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes and looked up at him.
"That was so mean," she gasped just as the puppy let out a small 'yip' from inside her jacket. Annora flushed a bright shade of red as she hastily looked down at the ground.
"What was that?" Al asked.
"N-nothing!" Annora stammered nervously. "Absolutely nothing!"
If it had been at all possible, Alphonse would have smiled.
"Well, you had better keep that 'nothing' in your backpack, otherwise Brother will notice and he'll make us put it back," the fifteen-year old told her, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. "So, what is it?"
Annora gave Al a sheepish grin as she partially unbuttoned her jacket to reveal the black puppy, which poked its head up and panted happily.
"He was being attacked by crows," she explained hesitantly, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "Well, he's just so young, and he looks almost exactly like my old dog, Ranger."
"You had a dog?" Al asked in surprise as Annora buttoned up her jacket and headed back towards the train. The teenager nodded as she climbed the steps leading up into their car.
"Yeah, but he died when I was ten. He was really old, almost sixteen, and I just woke up one morning and found him in his bed, looking like he was asleep. My parents had gotten him two years before they had Ethan or me, not long after they got married. It was a joke with my parents, because my dad called him the 'Lone Ranger' or 'Ranger' for short, after some comic book that he used to read."
Al nodded in understanding, inwardly grinning as they sat down in their seats while the train started to move again, as he watched Annora transfer the puppy to her partially empty backpack and break off bits of her sandwich, feeding the hungry dog small bits at a time so as not to make it sick. After consuming almost a third of the girl's sandwich, the small dog let out a sleepy yawn and curled up inside Annora's backpack to take a nap. Annora smiled as she finished off the rest of her sandwich and stuffed the paper wrapping into the bag.
"Please wake me up when we get there," she asked as she leaned back against the window and nodded off once again, slipping easily into the realm of dreams.
--
Woo-hoo! Eight chapters! I am on a roll! Not to mention the seventy-some odd reviews that I've gotten for seven chapters. No, I got 77, so that means about an average of 11 reviews per chapter.
Ed: You're easily appeased. (Wandering Hitokiri looks at him and raises and eyebrow)
Wandering Hitokiri: Maybe, but unfortunately that's not so true right now. (All of the people who started reviewing before the seventh chapter, or if they reviewed under a signed name, skip ahead to almost the end of the document. You don't have to read this.)
Okay everyone, I have a bit of bad news for you all. I received a review from someone anonymously, and they told me a few things, one of them being that there is no Christmas in Amesteris. I am aware of that, thanks to one of my other reviewers who kindly took the time to tell me that, as well as I recently read the volume of manga where Hiromu Arakawa said in an end-comic extra that there was no such thing as Christmas or Valentine's day in Amesteris. I call upon literary license, which means that I can make shit up to add to the plot line.
But that is not what really offended me. What really upset me was the fact that this … reviewer… told me to knock off the Ed x OC crap and just stick to them being friends. I will tell you right now that all I have written so far was with the intention of them being 'just friends'. The comment that Alphonse made to Ed at the end of chapter six was a joke; he was just teasing Ed. I do it all the time with my brother by giving him crap about him liking a girl that he would never think of as anything other than a friend. He gives me crap continuously about me liking boys that I would never even consider dating in a million years because they're just my friends. (Yes, I am a girl.) All I did was add insinuations, and I'm saying that the embarrassing stuff happened by accident, a byproduct of me and my friends brainstorming crazy stuff that should happen to Ed and Annora.
All the comments that Mustang makes about Annora being Ed's girlfriend, they're just another one of his attempts to get under Ed's skin. Anyway, this story is still a work in progress, meaning that it may develop along the way. I have a basic idea as to what's going to happen sometime near the end of my story, but nothing's set in stone. Not to mention the fact that if it does end up being an Ed x OC, that's my decision because this is my story. If you don't like that, deal with it. Actually, if you have a problem with how my plot is going, don't read this story then. Just don't waste my time by sending me insulting reviews, and if you outright flame me for my opinions, see my profile for my policy of flamers before I come after you, that way you'll at least have a chance against me. I am not saying this to be insulting, I'm just warning you that I have a low tolerance for people insulting my or my friends work.
As for focusing more on Annora getting home, I'll tell you right now that she eventually does manage to go home. The reason that Ed and Al are not helping her to find a way home is because of the fact that Annora has not told them about her world. Not only does she still not accept the fact that she is in the world of 'FMA', which she has no idea whatsoever about anything that goes on there, but Ed doesn't believe her as to where she came from because science can't explain it. Annora also never made the claim that she was from another world, and Ed just thinks she's a little delusional as to where she says she's from.
To all my normal reviewers, I'm so sorry if you read all this crap. Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me what you think about this story.
Annora, Ethan, and Katie © me, anything else belongs solely to Hiromu Arakawa. Oh, and the lyrics are from a song called 'So Cold' by Breaking Benjamin.
