Fifteen

Edward said he wanted to go alone, considering if he had to sneak his way around, he wouldn't have a big suit of armor clumsily following behind him.

     Edward boarded the elevator without being seen and was about to laugh in triumph as it traveled down below when he noticed Lieutenant Hawkeye standing right next to him.

     "Edward," she said. Her face was still a little pale.

     "L-Lieutenant," Edward stammered. He had been caught. He wondered what she was going to do.

     "You told her you loved her," the lieutenant said. "and she told you she loved you back."

     "Yeah, that's right," Edward said. "So, I'm mostly the cause of all this?"

     "Love wasn't something Lucy, or Heather, was familiar with. We tried to keep her away from it." Lieutenant Hawkeye had a far away look in her eyes. "I think it's time I told you more about this whole mess."

     "You can start by telling me what you mean about keeping her away from love," Edward said, crossing his arms and leaning against the side of the elevator. "I would like to think that maybe loving someone would give her something to hold onto. A reason to live."

     "That's logical thinking," she said. "Nothing about this whole experiment is logical. But, we tried to keep the experiments away from love so they had nothing to loose. But, Lucy had the love of what she thought to be parents, so maybe that's why she lasted for so long." Lieutenant Hawkeye stared at the ceiling of the elevator. "But, maybe she's lost all will to live. She knows her real parents are dead, and she can't see the boy she loves anymore."

     "Lieutenant," Edward said. "Remember when I told the colonel about that promise she made me make to her? That if she ever killed someone on her command, that I'd kill her?"

     "Yes."

     "I can't do it." Edward looked hard into the lieutenant's eyes. "I won't kill her."

     "Well, there's no reason to kill her yet," Lieutenant Hawkeye said as the elevator dinged open. "Colonel Mustang's still alive. He just lost an eye."

     "Lieutenant," Edward said, hesitating in the elevator. "you're not going to stop me from seeing her?"

     "Colonel Mustang's not here," she said, not looking at him. "When he's away, I'm in charge. You may see her, Edward."

 

Lieutenant Hawkeye unlocked Lucy's door from the outside and slowly opened it, telling Edward to go in. Suddenly, a scientist appeared and said there was something urgent that the lieutenant had to look at. She reluctantly went with and told Edward not to take too long.

      Once Edward was in, and the door closed behind him, he heard the click of the door catching. He looked around the room. The dents on the walls and ceiling were still there, and broken pieces of concrete still littered the floor. There were permanent blood stains where the previous accident just happened. She had a new mattress, and the bright colored blanket and pillow were still on her bed, still looking new.

     He saw Lucy laying on the cold concrete floor near that one corner. She was hugging her rabbit, motionless, staring at nothing. Edward couldn't help but feel a cold fist wrap around his heart. The girl he loved was blind, and she wanted him to kill her. The worst part was, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't kill her, and he knew he couldn't save her from what was beginning to happen.

     Edward walked over to Lucy and sat against the wall next to where her head was. For a few long minutes, he just sat there and stroked her hair. He didn't speak, and neither did she, until Lucy finally said, "Is that Edward?"

     "Yeah," he replied, his voice barely audible. "it's Edward. How are you feeling?"

     She shifted her head a bit and said, "Sad. And lonely. And scared. And there's another feeling, but I don't know what it is. It feels almost like pain, but I know I'm not hurt."

     "Yes, you are," Edward said. "You're blind and in trouble. I-I couldn't help you. I wish I could've done something..."

     "It's dark," Lucy whispered, holding her rabbit tighter. "No light. I'm in the dark once again."

     "Can I ask you something?" Edward asked suddenly. This questing had been nagging at the back of his mind, and he had to know the answer.

     "What is it, Edward?"

     "Do you hate them?" Edward asked. "The colonel and the lieutenant?"

     There was a long silence, and Edward felt terrified that her answer was going to be a solid yes.

     "No," she said. "Mama is a good mama, even though she's not my mama. Same with papa, but I guess he is my papa, because he adopted me after my parents died."

     "I didn't know he adopted you," Edward said. The colonel had never said anything about adoption. He just said that he took her over from her late parents. Did that count as adoption?

     "He adopted me," she said. "Renamed me to Lucy. He was the one who gave me my new name, not the scientists."

     He lied, then, Edward thought. The colonel lied about how she got her name changed from Heather to Lucy. And he didn't mention the part about adopting her. He was covering up something.

     "I'm sure he loved you like you were his own daughter," Edward found himself saying.

     "Possibly," she half whispered. "but not all parents love their children, a harsh reality that I've been somewhat sheltered from, but in a way, I haven't. Do you understand?" She was using that voice. That serious and older sounding voice that seemed to be appearing a lot more recently.

     Edward said nothing. He didn't understand what she was talking about.

     "I thought so," she whispered. "You don't understand. I'm not explaining." She sat up and got on her knees, facing Edward.

     "Take it," she said, placing her rabbit on Edward's lap.

     "Why are you giving me this?" Edward asked, picking it up and looking at it. There was a fair amount of dried blood that had soaked into it. Colonel Mustang's blood.

     "Looking at it is what gave me comfort," she explained in a quiet voice, looking straight ahead at nothing. "and since I can no longer see it, it's use is nothing to me."

     "I see," Edward said, setting it aside. He looked into her eyes. The vivid green they were before had dissolved, leaving them pale and lifeless. That brightness that once inhabited her left eye left no trace of its whereabouts.

     He couldn't look anymore. He looked away, toward the wall behind her. What he saw made him confused.

     "Lucy, why is that here?" he asked, staring at the red toolbox.

     "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You are forgetting I cannot see."

     "That toolbox," Edward said.

     "It is your friend Winry's," she said. "Before she left, she came to apologize to me. I suppose she left it here."

     "I see," Edward said, looking at Lucy again. Her head was down. He saw her hands trembling.

     "Lucy, what's the matter?" Edward asked, taking her hands in his. He noticed how cold they were.

     "I can't see your face anymore," she whispered. "no matter how hard I try. All I see is darkness."

     "It's okay," he said. "I'm here. I always will be. I love you."

     "Words are words," she said. "and the words I've been hearing all my life have been lies. I love Edward, too, but--"

     "But nothing," Edward said, cutting her off. "There's nothing left to lie about. And the words I say are more than just words. There's meaning behind them." He brought her hands to his lips and he whispered into them, "You can trust me. You know you can, Lucy." She lifted her head slightly and had a small but sad smile.

     "Edward is so kind to me," she whispered.

     "And Edward always will be," Edward whispered back. "I love you." He pulled her into a gentle hug, her head resting on his right shoulder. It was then that he realized how cold she was. She must have been laying on that floor for hours.

     "Don't let go," she whispered. "Promise."

     "I promise," Edward said softly. "I won't let--"

     The door opened. Edward looked over and saw a surprised Winry standing in the doorway.

     "Ah--I forgot, uh, toolbox," she said. "What...what happened?" Edward felt Lucy's body tense. She slowly stood up, her head down. Edward stood up with her, saying, "Lucy, what's wrong?"

     She took one step towards Winry, and another. She stopped and lifted her head. Edward ran to block her from Winry. Her face was chalky and white. Her left eye had that power back.

     "She has to be eliminated," Lucy whispered. His eyes widened, processing what he meant. She was mad at Winry for interrupting.

     "Winry, get out of here. Now!" Edward shouted. He turned to the doorway, but Winry was retrieving her toolbox. The door eased shut on it's own.

     "Lucy, open the door," Edward said sternly, afraid of what was going to happen.

     "What's...going on?" Winry asked, completely confused.

     Lucy looked at her and rasped one word: "Die."

     "NO!" Edward screamed, but nothing could be done. There was that quick bright flash, and Winry's blood was sprayed across the floor.

Author's Note

Reviews

[C.S. Posthumus]

At last, more bloody action... I was wondering whether that Winry character would play any more part in the story aside from being something like an annoying fan girl... I enjoy how you describe when Lucy’s voice gets rather mature and deeper when she has intense emotions such as anger. I wonder what’ll happen after Winry’s dead?

[Emunah June.]

.... :D

*jumps up and down with joy and starts hugging Lucy* I love you!!!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!

[Anonymous]

*crying with happiness* Did... that just... really happen? She... she's... *sobs with joy* LUCY, YOU'RE THE BEST!!!