Chapter 17

A Chapter by Keevan

So Lucy's a Homunculus. Let's see how that pans out.....

"Found her," Lieutenant Havoc said. I had my eyes closed, still laying on the ground in the rain.

"Lucy, are you awake?" Lieutenant Hawkeye said as she knealt down by me. I sat up, feeling stiff. I didn't open my eyes.

"What'cha doing out here, kid?" Havoc asked. I felt something heavy wrap around my shoulders, and figured that it was Hawkeye's coat. I shivered, my mind just processing that I was cold.

"Lucy, say something," Hawkeye said, sounding obviously concerned. I leaned over to the right, turning my head, and I puked. Hard.

When I finished, I fell on my back, and passed out. Again.

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I opened my eyes to my dark but familiar dorm room.

I sat up and looked at my hand again, wondering how many layers of skin I'd have to rip before I saw that mark. The Oreborus Tattoo.

"How do I know that's the truth?" I asked myself. "What proof is there?" The only evidence that there was was literally under my skin. I scratched at my hand, wondering how much it would hurt and how much I'd bleed to try and figure out the truth.

I was snapped out of my trance by loud knocking on my door.

"Lucy, oh Lucy!" Major Armstrong cried in his dramatic way outside the door. It banged open and he appeared, sparkles in his eyes, in the doorway, his arms spread out wide.

"My girl, you're alright!" he cried. "I was so worried when the Elric brothers said that you had run away! Oh, thank the heavens that you made it back alive after all!"

Oh, God, I thought to myself as the major was twirling around the room saying how lucky I was that Hawkeye and Havoc found me. Lieutenant Ross and Sargeant Brosh were standing awkwardly in the doorway. I waved them off and laid back down on the bed, rolling over and facing the wall.

"Ah! I understand!" Major Armstrong said as he twirled to the door. "You need your rest after what you went through. Go! Sleep! These two will be stationed outside your door for your safety." And the door slammed shut.

I didn't try to run away, I thought to myself. I just... I don't know what I aimed to acomplish, but I didn't run away.

I sat up again, and this time, got out of bed. I crumpled to my knees after two steps. I sighed and pulled myself back onto the bed, staring at the window, which was shaded by heavy blinds. I wondered what time it was.

What seemed like an hour later, another knock was at the door. It opened, and Edward walked in with his brother in tow.

"Hawkeye and Havoc said you were collapsed in an alley," Edward said. "What on Earth happened?" Alphonse finished. I looked at them, not finding words to say. I just.....couldn't speak.

"Answer us," Edward said. "I know you can." I shook my head and looked at my feet. I felt so different because of what I learned. What was I? A monster? It would explain how I used to find joy in killing two years ago to when I was new to it. It was such a thrill, that mixed with decomposing myself into a shadow using alchemy. A silent killer....Stealth.....

"Lucy, what's going on?" Alphonse asked, snapping me back to reality. "Here, I'll go get you some water." He left the room, his armor clanking on the way out.

"Why did you wander off? We were going to get a ride back," Edward said, trying to dig deeper. "How the hell does your mind work?"

"I'm back with water!" Alphonse announced as he ran back in the room, carefully holding a glass of water. He handed it to me, and I just looked at it.

I was going to take a drink, but my mind flashed me an image of the same glass of water, but it was filled with blood instead. I squeezed my eyes shut and dumped it in a plant that was at the end of the bed.

"Lucy, what the hell happened?" Edward asked loudly. "You're scaring me." I looked at the now empty glass. I wondered how many pieces it would break into if just the right amount of pressure surrounded it....just the right amount...

"Lucy, stop!" Edward and Alphonse screamed. The glass shattered in my hand. I saw that the palm of my hand was now cut up and bleeding, but it didn't hurt. My mind--my body--didn't register the pain.

The shining shards of glass were scattered on the floor around my feet, threatening danger if I dared step anywhere.

"Well this is damn great!" Edward shouted, grabbing my hand and pulling me off of the bed. "Al, pick this up. I'll owe you one later."

"Uh, okay, Brother," he said, bending over and picking up the shards of glass. I didn't step on any as Edward pulled me out of the room and blindly down the hall to the bathroom, where he stuck my hand over the running faucet. The cool water felt strange and alien against my skin. I stared at the red-streaked water now staining the white sink pink.

"Just hold on here," Edward instructed. "I'm going to get some bandages." He left, and I stood there, staring at the pinkish water running from my hand.

I broke that glass, I thought, remembering the shattered pieces on the ground by my feet in the dorm. I saw that the water was now running clear. My hand stopped bleeding. I turned off the water and looked at my hand, and somehow wasn't surprised at what I saw.

There was nothing there. No scratch, no scar, no blood, no nothing. It was as if I never crushed that glass.

What the hell is going on?

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