Chapter Eight: Black
Miyagi had been correct when he'd sensed that no one in the entire base was getting any sleep that night. Sunrise was imminent, and golden light was beginning to shine upon the murky waters of the surrounding ocean.
Nowaki cast his eyes over to the red heat gathering in the east as he stepped outside, but his eyes didn't linger long. He could faintly hear the sound of gunfire echoing from a nearby clearing, and he silently headed in its direction.
After sending Misaki and Shinobu into fitful rest, he too had tried to close his eyes and fall into black nothingness. However, when the other side of the bed continued to be absent hour after hour, the second found that he could not find peace. And so, he now ventured out to find the person who filled that place.
Even still, Nowaki was cautious as he entered the edge of the clearing, knowing full well that the one training there took his technique very, very seriously. Interruptions were a bad and dangerous idea, and despite his enormous strength, Nowaki stopped cold as he beheld the scene in front of him.
Hiroki stood in the center of the clearing, sweat running down his bared chest as he lifted both his arms and aimed a handgun at a half circle of battered targets. And before Nowaki could even blink, bullets began to fly out of the barrel at a breakneck pace. The second watched in awe as every target was hit dead center, the rounds leaving smothering holes in the wood.
Nowaki looked at his watch and his mouth fell. He took a step forward as Hiroki lowered his arms, his eyes still every bit as focused.
"Hiro-san," He breathed. Delta turned, his eyes widening as he saw Beta. He had been so absorbed in his training he hadn't noticed his surroundings, a fact that made him both embarrassed and angry. Even still, he lowered his eyes as he saw his lover.
"What are you doing here Nowaki?" He muttered, deftly shoving another cartridge into his piece.
"Hiro-san," Nowaki repeated as he approached, his blue eyes wide in disbelief. "You…You fired six bullets in four seconds and hit every target…I've never seen anything like it…"
Hiroki kept his eyes lowered, the scrutiny of his lover and the praise a bit overwhelming.
"Is this what you've been working on for so long?" Nowaki inquired.
"Among other things," Hiroki replied, going over to a crate and replacing his handgun with a rifle.
"That's incredible." Nowaki said.
"Well," Hiroki grunted. "In order to obtain victory, we always have to be one step ahead. And to do that we need to develop more than just our given powers."
Hiroki aimed the rifle at a long-range target and began to fire again. As with everything he did, Hiroki put every cell of his mind and body into accomplishing perfection. Nowaki had always known and loved this about his partner but ever since they had come to the base and started training, the fourth's drive for perfection had turned a shade darker, and despite the extreme situation they were in, it disturbed him. The Hiro-san he cherished was training all day and all night with fire and weapons, barely eating, barely sleeping, barely saying a word…
Nowaki feared that a simple drive was turning into an obsession for perfection, and perfection in marksmanship only had one true purpose. Hiroki would become exactly what those scientists wanted: a killing machine.
This blood red fear blooming in his heart, Nowaki walked up behind Hiroki and put a large hand on his shoulder. At the gentle giant's touch, Hiroki stopped cold and pivoted towards him.
"What is it?"
"You know, Hiro-san," Nowaki whispered somberly. "There is more to our lives than just obtaining victory."
Hiroki raised an eyebrow at Nowaki's comment that seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Nowaki," He replied just as sternly. "It's always been our mission to fight and defeat the FMA. And to me, victory is a goal, not an option."
"But there's so much more." Nowaki replied, his own brow creasing in sorrow.
"Like what?" Hiroki snapped bitterly. However, seeing the look of hurt in Nowaki's eyes at his tone, he put down his rifle and sighed penitently.
"Could you elaborate… Nowaki," He asked in a much quieter tone.
"Well Hiro-san…I was thinking of compassion, understanding, and tolerance."
"Those things have no place in war," Hiroki replied firmly. He was about to pick up his gun and resume training when he felt Nowaki's strong hand grip his arm.
"That may be Hiro-san," Nowaki grunted sorrowfully through his teeth. "But if we lose our kindness and compassion then we are nothing but the weapons they created us to be…"
"I'm aware of that," Hiroki shot back, trying to shrug his shoulder away. "But nevertheless, I want to be fully prepared to fight the FMA and take them down."
Nowaki swallowed hard, letting his hand drop. What Hiroki said made more sense than anything. If allowed to, the FMA would no doubt continue their human experiments and brainwashing, and Hiroki and Nowaki had sworn along with Alpha and Gamma that they would do everything in their power to stop that from happening. However, the fire that blazed cold and black in Hiroki's eyes suggested that he had a different purpose for honing his aim, and Nowaki feared what his goal really was.
"Hiro-san," He said as Hiroki loaded another cartridge into the rifle. "I need to ask you something."
"Make it quick," Hiroki replied distractedly.
"Are you fighting because you want to abolish the practices of the FMA…or are you doing it out of revenge?"
Hiroki's cinnamon eyes widened and he lifted his head to stare at Nowaki's pained gaze. And it nearly broke Nowaki's heart when Hiroki didn't say a word in reply.
The giant shook his head in disbelief and stepped forward, reaching out to his lover.
"Hiro-san listen…it doesn't have to be like this. We don't have to stay here. We can leave, and get away from all this. Build new lives for ourselves and live together, just like we did before…"
Hiroki's lip tightened into a disfigured scowl and he turned away.
"That's not possible Nowaki."
"Why not Hiro-san?" Nowaki said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It doesn't have to be like this!"
"Yes it does!"
"WHY?!" Nowaki finally cried, his dam of restraint bursting. "Why Hiro-san!? Why are you so eager to kill for revenge?!"
Hiroki took a step back, entirely unprepared for Nowaki's grievous outburst. But as the giant continued to walk towards him, he found himself being backed against a tree. And the more the Nowaki tried to pry into psyche, the more cornered he felt. Pressure built inside him that needed to be released, and he didn't know how much longer he could hold it back.
"Please Hiro-san!" Nowaki mourned, his blue eyes shining with tears. "Tell me! Because I don't understand!"
"Nowaki stop—"
"TELL ME!" The second cried, his hands whipping forward and pining Hiroki's shoulders. "WHY—"
"Because I can't forgive what they did to you!" Hiroki screamed, clenching his fists so hard that steam began to rise. The volume and emotion in his lover's voice quelled Nowaki's grip and he stumbled back with his mouth agape. Hiroki leaned against the tree, gripping a tight handful of his reddish brown hair.
"Just think about it Nowaki," He whispered with trembling rage. "They took us from our home, they tortured us, tampered with our bodies, stripped us of our rights as human beings!… You were going to be a doctor Nowaki. You were supposed to save lives, not take them! And now look at what they did! They turned you into a weapon just to use and throw away! THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM US!"
Both of Hiroki's hands weaved tightly into his hair as he seethed, the rage in his heart blazing as bright as his fire.
"They've taken your life away Nowaki…" He panted, his eyes wide and maniacal. "And I'm going to make them pay for it a thousand times… I'll make sure every last one of them feels the pain you did before I send them all straight to hell!"
Nowaki stood in complete horror as he saw his lover break down. The man before him was holding onto so much anger and hate that it was consuming him, swallowing him into a fanged mouth of black. But in spite of the crazed venom that poured from his mouth…Nowaki was still able to faintly see the old Hiro-san inside, and he immediately stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the shaking form.
"Hiro-san," He whispered. "I'm sorry…I…I had no idea you felt this way…"
Hiroki shuddered as his festering rage began to burn physically, wisps of flame darting off his skin and vanishing into the air. But despite this, Nowaki continued to hold him, thanking fate that his body had been made strong enough to still embrace his lover. He felt Hiroki's panting breaths on his shoulder, and he knew he was trying his best to calm down. Nowaki knew that once his lover was stable, he would try and break their conversation, and the gentle giant had far too much to say for that to happen. And so he held Hiroki tightly and quietly whispered into his ear.
"Hiro-san, listen to me," He said, resting his cold cheek against Hiroki's heated face. "I know that the FMA tried to take our lives away from us… and if they had succeeded I don't know how I would cope. But although they stole our home, our life's work…I can wake up every morning and be thankful, because they didn't take what I treasure most.
"Do…do you remember Hiro-san?" Nowaki said with a melancholy smile. "The day of our awakening? You broke out of your cell without any help and the first thing you did was come find me. When I opened my eyes for the first time, you were the first thing I saw…"
Hiroki sucked in a shaky breath, memories of that day surfacing in his mind.
He had been awakened by Akihiko screaming his name from the hall, all the while trying to fight off several scientists and soldiers. Hiroki's senses and memories flooded back to him in one giant wave and he'd ripped himself off that lab table and busted his way out the door, one word spilling from his lips in a desperate mantra: Nowaki. He raced down the halls and demolished every door in his path with a panic he had never felt before, but still he could not find his lover.
Almost on the verge of screaming, Hiroki broke down one last door and to his horror and relief, found his unconscious partner strapped to another lab table. He'd frantically ripped the metal cuffs away, not even noticing that it should have been impossible for him to do so.
"Nowaki!" He cried. "Nowaki! WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP!"
Answering the unmistakable call of his Hiro-san's voice, Nowaki's eyes opened slowly and a quiet smile spread over his face, making tears of reprieve sting in Hiroki's eyes. And in the midst of chaos, the two men along with Akihiko and the rescued Miyagi had fled the base in a stolen helicopter, signaling the start of a long and painful war…
"Hiro-san," Nowaki whispered, pressing his lips to Hiroki's cheek. "No matter what is taken from me, if I have you, then I will always have the will to go on. But…please Hiro-san, if something were to happen to you in battle…I don't know what I'd do…"
Nowaki's arms wrapped tighter around the smaller man at even the thought of losing him to this war, and his words took on a plea of desperation.
"My body is strong Hiro-san, but if I lost you…I would not have the strength to live…So please, promise me that no matter what…you'll guard your life. Because it's the most precious thing I have…"
Several moments of silence went by, but Nowaki's heart lifted in relief as he felt Hiroki nodded into his chest, wrapping his lithe, muscled arms around the giant's waist. Nowaki felt the warm embrace of his smaller lover, and a shiver came over him as he felt the cool breeze at his back.
"Hiro-san," He whispered teasingly. "I'm cold."
In spite of his former anger, the corner of Hiroki's lip curled at the irony of the phrase. He'd often told Nowaki that when they lived together, but now the tables had turned.
"You haven't had any sleep tonight, Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured. "Will you come to bed?"
After a few moments, Hiroki nodded, untangling himself and putting his weapons away. He grabbed his shirt from a nearby crate, but kept it off as they slowly walked out of the clearing and back to the barracks.
"Hiro-san," Nowaki piped up as he held the door open. "Would you like to read before you sleep?"
Hiroki tipped his head and thought for a brief moment. This particular topic had long been a bitter one for him, as with his fire powers he couldn't hold books without leaving scorch marks. But when he saw there was a problem, Nowaki had immediately offered to be Hiroki's bookstand, holding them and turning the pages for him while they found a more permanent solution. Although Hiroki sometimes found the other man so distracting it was difficult to actually take in the words, the thought of the action touched him. However, he thought a different situation would be better this night—er morning. He was more tired than he thought.
"Actually Nowaki," Hiroki muttered, combing his fingers through his sweaty hair. "Will you just read to me till I fall asleep?"
Nowaki eyes' softened at his lover's normal gruff voice and he smiled carefreely as they headed back to their room.
"Sure Hiro-san."
The sun was almost up now, but on the other side of the base, someone sat in a room that was completely devoid of natural light. While all the other superhumans had been trying to fall into peaceful surrender, Alpha on the other hand, had spent the entire night pouring through screen after screen of the many monitors in the control room, his eyes barely taking a rest as he scanned document after document on the blindingly lit screens.
And finally, just as the sun rose over the ocean waves, he saw it.
Akihiko leaned back in his chair as he took in the words a second time, his lips set stiffly even while his eyes took on a cunning gleam. His careful sifting had lead him to a hole in the FMA's figurative fortress, and he knew it was time to lead his troop into it.
There would be no more standing still.
Well, now that we are past some of the character development/ angst, we are going to be getting back into some nitty gritty action! :D Yayz! Hope you guys are ready for some fun!
Chiho Kazusa, Alexisz, Seshomaru94, Pengwens, Kiyame Hikari-chan, Joan Incarnate, Artemis Fortune, Sakura Flowers Falling, and all the Guests- All your reviews make me so happy! ^_^ You guys rock and I just wanna put you all in a room and feed you cookies for all your support!
Fauchocolat- cookies to you too! ^_^ Your reviews are always so freaking awesome! Remain curious and I shall fulfill it!
Leigh's Last Laugh- Well good thing plenty of "HULK SMASHES!" are on the way then :) So glad you like the story arcs. You're reviews are always so detailed and full and I appreciate them ever so much.
Kisses to you all!
TBF101