Sorry for the wait, all. As usual, next chapter is already started. This chapter is a bit longer...This was a logical place to stop it, however. Sorry, gang, I really tried. I want to thank all those who have read this story, added it to their faves/alerts, and those who review. (Hahaha...As I type of this note, I just got two more reviews in my email) I know I thank you all every time, but it really does mean a lot to me. Also, a big thanks to the people who have messaged me questions. Cookies for all!
More author-y notes at the end...Don't want to put them here and give shit away.
_POV MUSTANG_
He'd washed his hands for what felt like the thousandth time. In reality what he really wanted was a long shower. He also wanted to burn the cloths he had been wearing while in that room. He didn't have time. Scar had actually left a little while ago, saying he had an idea. Roy was sure that he did. He was also sure that the idea would require getting clean.
"Bastard."
He looked up at the mirror. Cold eyes stared blankly back, and expression he hadn't worn since the war. No wonder the others have left me alone.He snorted in disgust, washing his hands yet again. His ears still rung with the screams.
"Where does that little...SHIT...get off using those names?" Mustang shut off the sink and stormed out, "It's got to be a trick. He's stalling for time. He's got to be." Once more in his office, he pored over the documents and reports he had, looking for anything they might have overlooked. Looking at his hands, Roy had to fight the urge to go wash them again. "Damn. That room's probably going to reek by tomorrow. Not to mention there's all that crap laying about." He thought briefly about cleaning it. I can't go back in there right now. I'll fucking kill it. I can't take any more today...but that's what you have subordinates for. Particularly subordinates who had homucli experience.
_POV RIZA_
She had to admit, even if it was just to herself, that she would have done the same thing in Mustang's shoes. That wasn't to say Hawkeye wasn't pissed off at being sent to clean up what amounted to his mess in a locked room with a dangerous Homunculus.
Well, it's nothing a few head-shots can't fix.Riza reasoned as she took a couple of deep breaths before signaling to the men that she was ready. Her colleges would be staying outside in the hallway ready to offer support while she and Armstrong went in to clean up and remove any potential weapons. They were to also possibly run for help. Really, it depended on how well secured the homuculi was before it started to make trouble.
And she knew it was going to cause trouble. They always did.
Armstrong opened the door for the third time that day revealing just why the Brigadier General wanted nothing to do with this room.
Fuery summed it up quite nicely, "Shit."
"I don't even want to KNOW." Havoc concurred. Both men had their weapons ready, but the homuculus was not in sight.
Hawkeye quickly took in the statue, splattered in blood, what appeared to be a pinkie in front of it and wrote it off. It hadn't been in there earlier, so it wouldn't be now. There was nothing by the rubble pile except a burned shoe. The far wall however, caught her attention. It no longer shined dully in the florescence light. The whole wall was charred and smeared with blood. Parts of it buckled outwards strangely, an actually puddle of blood underneath.
Well, now I know where it was, now to figure out where it is...She took a step into the room, flanked by Armstrong. A feral growl sounded from her right. Quickly she spun and leveled her weapon. "Don't move." Red hate-filled eyes watched her as the creature casually tossed a rock hand to hand. It had apparently been trying to use the rock like a hammer on the walls. "I said freeze! Drop the stone and put your hands up!"
It grinned, revealing enlarged canniness. Everything about it exuded menace, the wildly spiked hair and tattered cloths seemed to move in a nonexistent breeze. The lines on it's face had become wider, more primitive looking. "Lieutenant..."
"Stand steady Major." She understood his concern all too well. "I will shoot you. Drop the rock now." She didn't even hesitate to pull the trigger when the beast's eyes narrowed in hate.
BAM!
Damn, he's fast! It was gone in a flash, now coming at her from the left, dead center to the door.
BAM!BAM!
The first shot went a little low and to the left, clipping it's shoulder, sending a spray of blood at this range. The second shot was dead on. The blond head snapped back as it stumbled to a halt. Riza kept her gun trained on it, waiting for the homuclui to fall. "I warned you." She growled, not even sure if it could hear her. Instead of dropping like she had half expected, the beast stumbled forward another step, it's head whipping forward and down. There's no blood...she realized belatedly.
"Fuck! OW! OW! OWCH! OW OW OW OW!" The homuculi grabbed it's head and crouched down where it stood, attack apparently forgotten, "What the hell did you do that for, you crazy bitch? That fucking hurt!" Brilliant blue eyes glared at her sullenly as she kept her gun trained on him. "Thank God that hit my...OH NO! My hitai-ate!" The hands flew to the back of the head, undoing it's weird headband. It stared in disbelief at the dented metal. "Oh man...Iru..." He looked up at them, before looking back to the headband, "I'm so dead. Why did you have to go and do that?" It sniffed, "My hitai-ate..."
"The lady did warn you."
"Shut it, sparkly." The blond growled.
Hawkeye cocked her gun, "You. Stop talking or I'll put the next one in your eye." The homuclui glared at her before putting it's hands up, headband, no, he called it a hitai-ate,dangling from his right hand. "Get against the wall," She gestured with her gun to the left and surprisingly the homoculi listened. As it stood there continuing to glare Armstrong got to work.
She didn't like the way the homunculus watched his every move as he alchemically removed the rubble and smoothed out the surfaces. It even whistled appreciatively as Armstrong removed the blood and gore. "Don't suppose you could add a bed?" The homuculi looked at Riza, gun held steady and focused on its head, "Didn't think so." It tied it's dented hitai-ate back on and leaned against the wall, apparently unconcerned.
It can't hurt to try..."Why are you here?"
The blond looked surprised by her question, "Because you put me in here, didn't you?"
"No, I mean why did you attack us?"
"That's not what you said." The blond grumbled, "Don't know why the hell I should tell you anything. You tried to kill me!" She honestly couldn't argue with that. It did get her thinking, though, that maybe they were handling the situation wrong. She'd have to talk to Mustang later. The blond homucli continued to watch them with hard eyes. He shifted his weight and Riza's gun twitched, a quick smug glance at her told her he had seen it and was amused before he went back to staring at Armstrong.
"Tell me, is there a reason you are glaring at me in particular?"
It's possible he's plotting something. The major must have done some serious damage, not to mention he's the one who bound him..."The major asked you a question. Answer it."
"Why does everyone think they can just boss me around? Answer this, tell me that...Gah, it's worse then the academy." He pointed a finger at Armstrong, and for a second Hawkeye thought he was going to attack somehow. "YOU!" Armstrong actually jumped, "You own any green spandex?"
"...No, I don't believe I do...?"
"Orange leg warmers?"
"Er...No...Is there..."
"Yosh!" He nodded, "That would have just been to scary..."
Armstrong looked at her, obviously confused. Hawkeye shrugged, she had no clue what he was going on about either. "I must admit, your behavior reminds me a bit of a certain youthful alchemist I once knew."
"Gack! He said it!"
"It? Would you please try and make sense?"
The blond just continued to mutter to himself. Suddenly a loud rumble could be heard, silencing the blond.
"Was that..." Riza began, blinking in disbelief as the sound echoed threw the room again, "Your stomach?"
Blue eyes glared at her. "No." The rumble came again, muted.
"Really? Come now, boy, I had heard you were refusing to answer any questions, but be serious for a moment. That is obviously a stomach growling." Armstrong flexed, "I assume it is not the Lieutenant's and I know it is not mine. That just leaves you."
"Why can't it be them?" The creature pointed to the door, his stomach betraying him once again. "ERRRR SHUT UP YOU STUPID THING!" He pouted, "What are you expecting? You know, it takes a lot of energy to heal up like that! Of course I'm hungry! Not that you or that heartless bastard care. Well? Aren't you going to say anything? If not, can you get the hell out so I can go back to trying to escape..." He slapped a hand over his mouth, making it obvious he hadn't meant to say the last bit out loud.
"Still planning on escape? We can't have that, now." Armstrong casually punched the ground. The hard floor surged forward, trailing blue sparks as it raced up and around the Homunculus's legs. Two ropes shot up and covered his hands before continuing to the ceiling. "That should hold you for a bit, at least."
"Har. Har."
"Lieutenant, if we are done here?" He turned to leave. Hawkeye couldn't help her grin as she calmly holstered her weapon. She carefully made sure to hide the slight shaking of her hands. Her nerves were defiantly shot, and she quickly followed her friend out of the room. She had much to tell Roy.
_POV Mustang_
Mustang found himself contemplating creating a stamp with his signature and setting up one of his men to do the rest of his paperwork. He really had too much on his mind with this new homunculus to be bothered with the tedious bureaucracy that unfortunately went a long with his job.
He thought again to Hawkeye's suggestion to attempt to bribe the creature for answers. So it apparently is feeling weakened, thanks to our earlier little...chat. The easiest way for it to get it's energy back would be with a philosopher's stone, which I know it doesn't have. It would be the perfect bribe. A knock on the door temporarily interrupted his train of thought, "Come in! Too bad I don't have one either..."
"Have one what?" Scar asked, casually walking into the room, followed by Dr. Marco. "I brought a friend. I was thinking that Marco might be willing to help in getting some answers. I went to his place earlier, and he confirmed that he had a small philosopher's stone remaining. It is possible, given the damage we inflicted on that thing, that it will be willing to trade information for it."
"Brilliant! Hawkeye was just in here a little while ago, and she suggested much the same thing. I'd sent her and Armstrong in to do some cleanup, and while they didn't get any answers, she told me that with out a doubt that damn homunculus is hurting." He turned to the doctor, "Well? Do you think you could help?"
"Scar told me a bit about what was going on, but before I give you this," Marco pulled out a small vile containing a dark red jelly-like liquid, "I want the full story."
"Settle in, then. This is one hell of a story."
_POV NARUTO_
It was a matter of pride that he not be tied up the next time his captors entered. Getting out of his latest binding had been a bit tougher then the last three. Or, at least the two he was actually responsible for. The last thing he remembered after his "Chat" with Mustang and Scar was attempting to reach sage-mode. Looking back on it, meditating in a room that was brimming with the smell of pain, anger and blood wasn't exactly the way to channel calm thoughts and get in touch with nature. It was, however, a very good way to get the Kyuubi to take over your body and bust out of there.
Or, it would have been except for timing. "If they had been even ten minutes later, I would have been so screwed! Damnit you stupid fuzzball, it's MY body." For now, anyway. "For always!" It is lucky for you that the woman's attack stunned me then, isn't it? "You almost got me killed!" No. I almost freed us. If you had not been fighting me, I would have... "Gotten us ALL killed!" Just remember boy, all you have to do is let me take over. I'd get us out of here. Of course, there won't be much left when I am done...the fox chuckled darkly in the back of Naruto's mind. The blond did his best to tune it out as he went back to looking about the room, once again looking for weak spots.
Unfortunately, thanks to his visitors, he was back to square one. On the plus side, at least the room smelled nicer. With a sigh he pulled out the rock he had hidden in his jacket. "Time to get started on Operation: Get the Hell Out of Here!" with that, he slammed his make-shift weapon into the wall. Thanks to his strength and his skill, the rock in his hand held up to it's abuse. He squinted, blue eyes almost cross-eyed as he eyed the wall as he looked for any signs of damage. "YES! A chip!" He eyed the chipped spot, "I'll be out of here in no time!"
Here are the rest of the notes. Firstly, I'm not overly happy I had to put a third POV in this story. I re-wrote this chapter a few times trying to take Riza's POV out and make it's Naruto's, but it really just didn't work. She's not going to become a regular.
For those of you who were wondering if Naruto's going to be regaining his crazy chakra stores...nope. The gate isn't contiuously draining him, but chakra is energy, and Naruto's kinda on empty. He hasn't eaten since he's arrived, actually, his last meal would have been worms and Grubs with the toads, which is really not that filling in the long run.
For those of you who liked the whole Beat-the-crap-out-of-Naruto-for-answers, well, can't say we've seen the end of THAT method.
I did try and make this chapter longer, I swear it! I wish I could just do some written alchemy and make this story go from my brain to the screen, I've got (what I think) some awesome scenes for later chapters, and I can't wait to get to them! I am going to try and not rush this along to get to them, however. So, please stick with me. A fair warning, my computer is no longer charging, so I may vanish for a bit while I find a new charger...or something. Back to some late LATE night Yuu Yuu Hakusho marathon.