Chapter Three:
Conflict
She is use to screams generally shes the ones causing it. But these screams wake her up theirs dirt beneath her and shes trapped. Weakness, pain her tiny body squirms wiggling a desperate mess even as her body disintegrates around her.
Pain the pain makes her head pound horribly she gags and cough trying to stay together. Please she thought not this again. The words it self muddled and twisted nothing she'd ever do would remove this horrible feeling of being evicted.
A flash of violence blood pouring like red rain fear built up inside of her. The humans plaything their laughing at her sticking her with knifes. Her helpless inside of that jar. Rage burned inside of her as the memory flashed like a violent blast of white light.
White light? A strange feeling came over her a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach she's being watched. A high pitched gasp of terror pitifully escapes her I don't want to die, the words escaping her Mustangs face appearing.
Then she's on the floor again or is it sand it doesn't matter. Their are boots people talking around her, "This is the result of our work how disappointing." It's a woman voice a voice she cannot remember and it brings her fear.
It shuts her down to her core it immobilizes her not that she'd get very far. A giant worm with one large eye is hard to miss but she tries to recoil curling in on herself. She becomes so still as theirs the sound of approaching boots.
"Humanity," it's her own voice but its booming loud another follow its deeper more menacing, "You don't have all your memories do you?" it sounded as if a Chimera roared in her face. Fangs and teeth and all but it could not tear her away from the scene in front of her.
A woman walked closer until she stood over her. An old woman why did that weakling bring such a primal fear to her a dark tendril. A mind numbing soul crushing its as if all of her energy all of her self worth had been evaporated.
"This ones a dud I don't see why we shouldn't sell this one, perhaps Father would enjoy it." her tone is cruel and she smiling at her in a way that brings shivers to her small body. It reaches her core shaking trembling.
It didn't matter all she could hear is her standing over her with that look on her face. Father had never given her this feeling this ill desperate feeling. This plump skin melting old woman leaned closer her foul breath almost touching her skin.
It felt like knives digging into her throat , "Oh poor child," she cooed. "Seems as if you won't be apart of the Military Police after all."
"Homunculus." the same voice only its harsher with hate its mixed with human and it burns together like the pounding of a drum. Only if the drum intended on killing you it's the only difference. Her body isn't working.
"We might as well make some money right boys." she snaps her finger and men in blue uniforms march passed.
With the emotion of a sadist they pick her up she squirms trying to get away not realizing she's going to be with him of course. The only individual who gives a fuck about their kind the only person to use them in a way that they wouldn't be taken apart.
Taken apart? The words came slowly that's just what happened to her and the others. They had been taken a part when she awoke as she did so. She emptied her stomach contents of the day before clawing at the bed.
Her knuckles dug in deep darkness covered her hiding her clinging onto the bed bouts of perspiration plastered to her back. Eyes wide open she couldn't be the only one right? She struggled tumbling and falling slipping on the wooden floor clinging onto her own chest.
Pangs of fear later she'd edit it out to hate a comforting feeling she often used when she felt it. A dull burning needing to interact with the others of her race. She wouldn't say it out loud a good soldier a good child obeyed their Father.
She sat their stunned clinging and practically hyper venting as vicious images flashed through her mind. "You've suffered enough." the voice is calculating amused.
She's clinging at the blanket huddled on the floor eyes burning. The taste and smell of vomit it doesn't matter all that matters is she needs to hide.
For several hours all she dose is lay their gasping and clutching her teeth together salty tears and snot pouring down her face. It doesn't matter its not as if she can get any uglier the thought makes her go quite.
Why the hell is she crying? She's not weak she's killed thousands upon tens of thousands of humans through the years she's been alive. Granted they were for her Father's sake she'd do anything for him. But what had just happened?
This dream or memory it seemed so real like it had been happening right this second. She could remember the smell of the Alchemy. Kneeling on her hands and feet she inches using the full force of her elbows she tosses away the blanket.
She isn't some emo child what would Lust or even Greed say about this? A sour feeling grew inside of her the traitor. Perhaps he had the right idea to go it solo a large part of her had always admired how he was able to do things on his own.
It's too bad they hadn't spent much time together lowering her hands she kept one hand to her stomach and the other to her face. Sure she's pale but she might as well be a ghost her skin is white and gray around the eyes.
Lies her mind thought humans and homunculus are not one in the same. The idea that the two words could be say together and entwined disturbed her. That's why she's so unsettled her hands wouldn't stop shaking with a savage cry she grabs a hold of the nearest objects and tosses it.
"Why did you bring me here." she's not sure why the words burst from her mouth for a moment she sees it. A white figure with grinning teeth its like its looking at her despite not having any eyes. The image stops her hand on the door way.
Opening its mouth it reminds her of Gluttony but it's talking to her tongue moving up and down the words are lost to her and she stomps into the room from her movement. Crashing into the bathroom she slams the door shuts and locks it.
The thing the truth the knowledge Father had told her that this thing guarded the gate to all of the information he wanted. How he had wanted to swallow and devour it how he had needed it panting that thing couldn't be truth could it?
Even as she sat their her legs threatened to give out from under her. Grinding her teeth together she allows herself to slowly fall to the floor hands in front of her. Silence what exactly did this all mean? Did she have one too many hits to the head? Well no she hadn't gotten into a fight since she'd reawakened.
At first she had tried to find the others but that seemed like a stupid idea seeing as if they must be all dead. And if their not well they might have something planned right? And she wouldn't want to ruin it. A lop sided smile grew on her face.
Not one death had haunted her as a general rule fighting she'd always hated it mostly because of the pain. Images of those burning in front of her of humans screaming as she cut them down a feeling grew like a flame.
It felt hot and she stared at the shower in front of her watching it from afar. Humanity she hates humanity almost as much as she hates being weak. Of being afraid she'd been more afraid of this Dante women then Mustang.
Well maybe the same amount they'd laugh at her mock her for good. She could almost let out a shriek of embarrassment none of it is real she told herself. Climbing to her feet slowly she stands in the middle of the bathroom one hand over her face.
She refused to acknowledge her stomach instead tore at the curtains and lunged for the water. Tearing it she tore at it until it pulled hard cold water fell over her shoulders. At first its shocking and then its impossible to think.
The cold water falls over her filling the bathtub it continues to fill rising passed her feet up and up covering everything until it over fills spilling onto the floor. Refusing to move until her body is completely numb the world has settled.
A smile on her face she had to put her best smile foreword after all. Its more of a sneer but she feels deeply satisfied one hand in front of the other she kicks down the door. Transforming her shape changes she smashes through the glass.
It breaks and clatters to the floor into thousands of tiny shards. A flash of light blue she's falling her form steadily grows larger and large. The ground its rushing up to meet her but she's not afraid she's not afraid.
She's not, fear and panic burn through her it had started bubbling up refusing to recede. Is this how the humans feel when she kills them? The thought makes her stand still massive and ugly at first theirs nothing but quite.
Then its a sound of running feet and a high pitched scream. Standing in the middle of main street she hangs her head unmoving. This is how they feel the thought came through her teeth gritted together in frustration.
"Mother!" It's that girl she's staring at her pointing at her face twisted in fear. That girl from before she lifts her face watching her hand point at her. Pale skin the girls hair is twisted into pony tail.
Her Mother just stands their she dose not call to her in fact the woman looks at her hand retreating their only a few feet apart. The Mother turns and runs abandoning her child to her fate a low menacing growl burns in the back of her throat.
Still she dose not move from her spot cement and rock is broken beneath her large fists her tail even remains unmoving.
"Mother," the girl shouted reaching up with both hands she must have fallen down. But the women hadn't come back her eyes remained focused on her.
The girl is afraid like she is afraid the growl in her throat fades a slow rigid movement. Theirs foot steps and alarms sounding. Something probably a vehicle slams to a stop behind her with a turn she turns her head into their direction.
Someone steps out of it whoever it is has a weapon pointed and trained in her direction. "Freeze don't move."
He dose not sound surprised not at the last. She hadn't been moving anyways standing their for a moment the girl is crying sobbing calling for her Mother. A Mother that isn't coming back turning her eyes she looks at the girl for a moment.
A simple curiosity funny the girls tears has quieted her own rage. Watching this child gave her a really weird feeling. One that made the girls ragged appearance much more sharper what is the chances that the two of them would meet again after all this time.
"Look at me Homunculus." the man ordered at his command she turned to stare at him. The man is unrecognizable to her at first. A giant blob of black and red Edward is her first thought but it wouldn't be a coincidence then.
He's not afraid the thought came to her slowly like the ticking of a clock. Why isn't he afraid? It bothered her a little just look at her. She's a walking talking lizard Centipede with souls crawling out of her body.
And yet she felt a dullness eyes looking at his weapon then at him. This man had a boyish face he had blonde hair. Not bright blonde but dirty blonde its pulled back in a ponytail like Edward. For a long moment the two just look at one another.
That voice its also familiar the tip of her tail twitches. "I told you not to move." A shot rounds off not hitting her it dose not cause her to stop.
He should know bullets are useless sure their a pain and cause pain except when your using it. Squinting her eyes at him she stops only a foot away eying him for a very long time. He dose not move as a level of confusion hits her.
It couldn't be could it? The thought went through her mind, had they gotten their bodies back? Could this boy be Alphonse? Well man he's obviously an adult stopping a moment she snorts at him for a moment and sits down.
The girl is being helped by officers, "You," she says the word hoarse and blunt. It has the tone of a cracked ice but it rumbles like a Chimera. That's better he jumps but dose not pull the trigger he looks more nervous from before.
"Your Alphonse aren't you?" the question made him stop it makes sense it took her a moment to realize he's also wearing red. And not just any red but Edward red the same outfit how cute. Is it really him how had this happened?
The pair of them locked eyes and he frowns at her jumping back. "So are you here to cause trouble?" The question made her stop and think about it.
She dose not bother resisting rolling her eyes at him instead she moves passed him and high tails it out of the area. Which isn't exactly easy when the ground breaks beneath her just moving is enough to cause her to sway clumsily to one side.
A car is unfortunate enough to be underneath her claws and it breaks under the combine weight glass and all. He shouts something after her but she's high tailing it at a trot something caught her eye a glittering white a bird.
Deciding to follow them she stomps after them at a heavy lumber smashing her shoulder into a sign. Humans why did it bother her so much they confused her to no end if it had been the other way around she should have attacked him on sight.
Why is she so hesitant? Edward the brat she hated him its his fault for causing her doubts. The surface beneath her paws has changed its no longer hard but soft she sinks in a lot more and takes spot breathing heavily at the sight in front of her.
Ocean, beach the smell of sand and salt water hits her. She creates a large shadow over the people in front of her. Theirs a silence theirs shouting behind her, "Dammit envy," a voice is calling after her its mixed with Edwards and Alphonse
They sound so much alike one foot raised she takes a tentative step like she would in her worm body. And she dose not move turning her head about she turns to face Alphonse who stands their. She bet Edward bragged about her death even had a couple of good laughs about it.
His eyes refused to hide completely enveloped into his emotion filled with pain and pity he had shown it so openly. Something she'd never ever be able to do weakness cannot be part of a Homunculus life they would always find a way.
Unable to make a single sound she lingered their pathetically slow big and dumb. How could she have empathy with any humans? She should have stomped that girl earlier. She'd always thought humanity is stupid but is she even stupider?
Kill them all like she's suppose to because Father says so Father he, hes the one who cares about them. He protects them uses them, uses them. It had been all lies hadn't it? She hadn't wanted to admit it even now Father had wanted knowledge.
He had used them for it the same way that the humans had it had been no different. She had been more then willing to serve them. Alphonse stood gun raised around her people are moving panicking throwing sand and towels.
That's right they should all flee and yet she's the one who wants to do the fleeing she has two feet on the pavement. Stopping their for a moment he's not pulling the trigger but his face is grim he's changed a lot where is his brother?
Most likely he's called for back up perhaps one last fight is the answer. Perhaps this is what her destiny is to fight and kill. A cold feeling grew inside of her like the cracking of a storm she turned away from him looking at the water.
Look at me he said as if it would make a distance the cold her body still feels sluggish and cold she lets out a reluctant cough. A shudder ranging through the entire length of her body taking a step across the sand her body slumps to one side and she sits planting her hind quarters into the dirt.
What dose he want? Why doesn't he get it over with? This human must have been following her for weeks she hadn't exactly been hiding out. Most likely house squatting stealing peoples credit cards living it up in hotels.
Yet she could hardly speak or say something she suppose he has every right to ask these questions. She had enjoyed the silence enjoyed the quite. Other then the blasting nightmare it had been fun but it had ended now.
Already sirens had gone off more of them would be coming she knew that much. Would Mustang be among them? You've suffered enough the words she herself spoke yet the tone sounded strange the Truth it must have sent them to her.