Chapter 28

A Chapter by Keevan

I laid in my bed in my dorm in the dark. I had grown a bigger liking to it from where I had been the past ten days, and I couldn't help but wonder how differently I was going to view the world around me now that I knew the horrible truth about myself.

And then there was Edward and Alphonse. Would they be mad that I just left like that? I could just tell them that I was afraid of the Bad Man finding me so I ditched Resembool. And then I had that "need-to-know assassination" from Fuhrer Bradly. I felt a headache starting just thinking about how I was going to cover for myself...

There was a loud knock on the door and I sat up. The door swung open and in stalked an angry looking Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Where the hell were you?!" he yelled at me. He closed the door behind himself and flicked on the light. I winced and felt blinded by it.

"Turn it off," I hissed. "Then I'll tell you." Edward sighed angrilly and flicked it off again.

"Why did you leave?" he asked, sounding a little calmer than before. "And don't try to tell me your lies, Lucy."

"I was afraid of him," I said, lying anyway. "The Bad Man. I didn't want him to find me or go to the Rockbell house. He would've did to Winry what he did to Serah, and what he was going to do to me." I said it as I thought it, the sudden fear of that happeneing actually making me glad that I left Resembool. Edward shuddered and nodded, seeming to understand.

"You still could've said something before you left."

"You were all asleep."

"Still, we would've listened." He sat on the bed next to me and said, without looking at me, "You can lean on other people. You don't have to depend on yourself for everything. I learned that the hard way with Lieutenant Ross." He chuckled a little and looked at me, a small smile across his face. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

I didn't answer him. I decided to ask him something.

"Edward," I said quietly, staring at the ground. "how would you define a Homunculus?" I lifted my head and looked at his expression.

His smile disappeared and he was staring at the ground like I was.

"Why ask that?" he asked.

"I...had a run in with one," I said, not trying to give too much away. "I think her name was...Lust." The pain in my head didn't happen when I tried to say her name this time. There was no Voice, either. Just silence.

"Homunculus are slime and scum," he said. I thought I felt my heart crack.

"They're monsters that aren't even human," he continued, his voice rising. "I've fought with nearly all of them. I hate all of them. Especially Envy!" He stood up and paced angrilly around the room, facing away from me. I put my hand at my throat and whispered without knowing, "You hate me then. Because of what I am."

He turned and said, "What?"

"Nothing!" I stood up and walked to the door, swinging it open and walking out of it. I went to the shower room, locked the door, and just sat under the hot running water with my clothes on, hoping to wash the Homunculus off of me.

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The next day, Mustang called Ed and I to his office to give us an assignment. There was a mad Alchemist roaming the city using his alchemy to kill innocent people. He was very dangerous, but has never been involved with the military. The colonel said it would be best if I killed him.

I felt my heart accelerate, knowing I was getting closer to the bloodshed that I had been wanting. But I was also scared. I usually hated doing assassinations because I didn't like killing, and it just made me sick looking at dead bodies with blood pooling around them.

I clenched my fists and tried to keep my face an enigma.

"Here's what he looks like," the colonel said as he handed me a picture. The man was bald and had only one ear. He had a purple eyepatch over his right eye and a long beard. He looked to be a very angry man.

"How exactly is this guy using alchemy to kill people?" Edward asked.

"This guy can just touch someone and stop their bloodflow completely once the right amount of alchemic pressure is set," he said. "This guy is dangerous, so stay sharp. It's up to you whether Alphonse goes with you."

"Al has no blood flow, so he'll be an advantage," Edward said. "I say we leave Miss Runaway here and just have Al and I go."

"When I assigned you as partners, I meant it," Colonel Mustang said. "You need to work with other people, Fullmetal, not just your little brother." Edward grumbled to himself and I asked, "Can we just go now? I want to get this over with."

"Fine, dismissed," the colonel said. "and this criminal has been spotted not far from here. Try searching the back strrets and alleys in between buildings."

I coughed, quickly covering my mouth with my hand.

"You still have that cough?" Edward asked.

"It sounds bad," Mustang said. "Take better care of yourself. Now get on that mission."

I stuck my bloody hand in my sweatshirt pocket as we left. A new fear was begining to haunt me: If they found out about this, they might take me to a hospital or have a doctor check me. Then, they might find out something about how I'm only half human.

It's a risk I can't take.

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"Winry thought you were mad at her," Alphonse said as he, Ed, and I walked through the streets of Central City.

"Can we just drop that already!?" Edward said annoyed. "What's done is done, let's just keep an eye out for that stupid criminal."

I felt hurt by his words. Why was he so irritable?

Because you asked him about Homunculus, stupid.

Shut up, Common Sense.

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