Chapter 6: Beauty Meets Beast
Separate footsteps echoed down a dark alleyway, both bouncing off the graffitied concrete walls. One set was heavy and stern. The other was light and sensual. The two corresponding sounds were masked in the canopy of night that was draped over the city. A ravenous man had tucked himself inside an ivory trench coat; his midnight hair billowing in the cool breeze. On the other hand; an equally evil presence was pursuing the other. The man chuckled to himself aloud.
"I know you're here. I'm not stupid. I thought you of all people would know that." He stepped into the tiny beam of moonlight, the ivory essence shone in his royal eyes. A muffled giggle resounded from the opposite end of the corridor as a sharp, dark dagger-like object barely came in contact with his pupils.
"Smart man."
From out of the shadows stepped Lust, strutting toward him while retracting her claws. "But that might not always be a good thing. You haven't been doing your job, Solf J. Kimblee." She said his name slowly, her honeyed words dripping off her deep lips.
"Heh." He could only manage a breathy snicker. "I am doing my job." Kimblee licked his lips. "You see, why chase someone who is working their way out of the north? There's no reason to track her down if I already know where they're heading." He shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets as Lust's eyes widened in intrigue. "I know where they are already. All I have to do is "run into" them. Just you wait."
"Hm. You'd better hope you're right."
"Ughhhh....Winry...close those curtains...it's too damn bright out." Ed was wrapped up in white hotel sheets, he threw his left arm in the air to grab for his blonde mechanic, but no such luck.
"I'm not Winry, you fucking twit." Scolded Hayden, as she punched him out of his bed and sent him tumbling onto the floor. Alphonse just laughed from the corner of the hotel room; his chuckle echoing from inside his empty armor.
"WHAT THE H-uh?" Edward had slept with his hair down, so when he went tumbling onto the floor; his golden locks hung messily in his face. He looked up at Hayden from the floor. She shot him the fiercest glare she could muster as he ambled off the floor. "Woah! I'm sorry!" Edward waved his hands in front of him in defense.
"Shut up, Ed!"
Hayden balled up his jacket she had pulled off the couch and threw it at his puzzled face. The blonde plopped herself down onto the couch across from Edward's bed and pulled on her boots. Her blonde counterpart grimaced as he dressed himself.
A broad shouldered man sauntered his way through the city, his yellow coat wafting in the light breeze. He walked almost as if he had an objective to accomplish, somewhere he needed to be. This suspicious action earned him a few glances from townspeople. He had his hands buried deep into his pockets as he walked.
Meanwhile, Hayden had eventually drug Edward out of bed; but he hadn't gone easily. They had decided to get a move on, Edward was hoping to take the girl back home that way he could report back to Central without rousing suspicion. The problem was that they hadn't communicated very well, so he had no idea what to do with her. For the time being, he would keep her around. At this point in time, they had found a small abandoned plaza to relax in. A rumble startled the trio as the graphite clouds above released their fill onto the earth.
"Damn it. I shouldn't have even gotten out of bed today."
She stole a sideways glance toward Hayden, her light hair all tied up in a knee-length ponytail. She was simply twisting a strands of soaked threads around her index finger.
"I'm sorry I called you Winry, okay? You don't look anything like her; I was just having a dream. That's all."
Ed no longer made eye contact with her, he store straight down at the concrete ground his feet were planted on.
"Don't worry about it." She tipped her head back, gold hair falling out of her
face as raindrops landed on it.
They didn't even hear the booted footsteps from behind them.
"So, we meet again; Edward Elric."
That voice. He knew it better than anybody else. Scar had once again hunted him down. "You seem depressed." The scarred man clenched his tan fist in a threat toward Edward. "Allow me to put you out of your misery." He lunged directly for Ed, but even before he could ready himself to fight; Scar was sent flying. Hayden had given him an uppercut like what was never done before. She still stood in front of Edward and Alphonse, her right fist balled up tight with rigid shoulders. "You're going to try to stop me from doing the will of God?" Scar rose from the cloud of dust he had created. "Then I'll kill you, too!" He came running back toward Hayden, she was ready once again. Scar stuck out his tattooed arm toward her, but just as quickly as he did; Hayden gripped his arm and in the split second before she tossed him over her back; she store into his soul. Something about her stare made him feel odd. That was the best way for him to describe it. Hayden store through his dark glasses, finding his crimson irises in his eyes. Scar managed to catch himself on his feet, but just as he did, Alphonse put him into a headlock; Edward ducking toward his abdomen. Scar retch for his head, but he instead received a deep gash in his stomach from a transmuted automail.
Scar groaned from the severe pain, as he did, he broke free of Al's chokehold and darted away from the trio.
"What was that all about? Who was he?" Hayden asked, standing akimbo toward the brothers as they tried to catch their breath. Hayden seemed untouched, almost like she had done nothing at all.
"I'll explain back at the hotel, but only if you explain your fighting skill."
Shit. That wasn't what she wanted to discuss with him. Especially not Edward ELRIC. Now she was sure of their identity. She knew more than what she wanted to.
"Deal."
"Ed!"
Al yelled over his steel shoulder at his brother. Alphonse was crouched down in a nearby flower patch in the plaza. Hayden rushed to his side, her eyes wide with an equally wide smile.
"It's so cute!" She bent down as well, picking up whatever it was that was on the ground. The blonde stood back up, bulldog puppy wrapped in her arms.
"No! Not happening! Put him back."
Edward groaned strictly. Hayden pouted and stuck the puppy's flat face into Ed's . It smelled like wet dog, from being left in the rain of course.
"Look at this face. How can you say no?" Hayden gave him a serious pout, Alphonse joining in on the bargaining plea. She did kick Scar's ass after all...
"Fine. By you're taking care of him."
Edward sighed as he reluctantly acquiesced to accepting the dumb animal. Al and Hayden squealed with delight.
All the way back to the hotel, Al and Hayden argued over what to name the abandoned pup. It was asleep in her cradling arms.
"Why don't we let brother name it? He's the one letting us keep him."
Hayden agreed with Al's idea. She tapped Ed on the shoulder and held out the dog again.
"Name. Give him one." Ed just shook his messy blonde head. He took the dog by the torso and held him out for himself to see.
"He will be called...Boston."
Scar wandered back into town clutching his wound. How could he be so weak with that girl he had never met before? Where did she come from? How did she over power him? All he could think about was the look she had given him. That piercing glare. She store into the depths of his soul. He had a feeling she now knew something she wasn't supposed to.
Separate footsteps echoed down a dark alleyway, both bouncing off the graffitied concrete walls. One set was heavy and stern. The other was light and sensual. The two corresponding sounds were masked in the canopy of night that was draped over the city. A ravenous man had tucked himself inside an ivory trench coat; his midnight hair billowing in the cool breeze. On the other hand; an equally evil presence was pursuing the other. The man chuckled to himself aloud.
"I know you're here. I'm not stupid. I thought you of all people would know that." He stepped into the tiny beam of moonlight, the ivory essence shone in his royal eyes. A muffled giggle resounded from the opposite end of the corridor as a sharp, dark dagger-like object barely came in contact with his pupils.
"Smart man."
From out of the shadows stepped Lust, strutting toward him while retracting her claws. "But that might not always be a good thing. You haven't been doing your job, Solf J. Kimblee." She said his name slowly, her honeyed words dripping off her deep lips.
"Heh." He could only manage a breathy snicker. "I am doing my job." Kimblee licked his lips. "You see, why chase someone who is working their way out of the north? There's no reason to track her down if I already know where they're heading." He shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets as Lust's eyes widened in intrigue. "I know where they are already. All I have to do is "run into" them. Just you wait."
"Hm. You'd better hope you're right."
"Ughhhh....Winry...close those curtains...it's too damn bright out." Ed was wrapped up in white hotel sheets, he threw his left arm in the air to grab for his blonde mechanic, but no such luck.
"I'm not Winry, you fucking twit." Scolded Hayden, as she punched him out of his bed and sent him tumbling onto the floor. Alphonse just laughed from the corner of the hotel room; his chuckle echoing from inside his empty armor.
"WHAT THE H-uh?" Edward had slept with his hair down, so when he went tumbling onto the floor; his golden locks hung messily in his face. He looked up at Hayden from the floor. She shot him the fiercest glare she could muster as he ambled off the floor. "Woah! I'm sorry!" Edward waved his hands in front of him in defense.
"Shut up, Ed!"
Hayden balled up his jacket she had pulled off the couch and threw it at his puzzled face. The blonde plopped herself down onto the couch across from Edward's bed and pulled on her boots. Her blonde counterpart grimaced as he dressed himself.
A broad shouldered man sauntered his way through the city, his yellow coat wafting in the light breeze. He walked almost as if he had an objective to accomplish, somewhere he needed to be. This suspicious action earned him a few glances from townspeople. He had his hands buried deep into his pockets as he walked.
Meanwhile, Hayden had eventually drug Edward out of bed; but he hadn't gone easily. They had decided to get a move on, Edward was hoping to take the girl back home that way he could report back to Central without rousing suspicion. The problem was that they hadn't communicated very well, so he had no idea what to do with her. For the time being, he would keep her around. At this point in time, they had found a small abandoned plaza to relax in. A rumble startled the trio as the graphite clouds above released their fill onto the earth.
"Damn it. I shouldn't have even gotten out of bed today."
She stole a sideways glance toward Hayden, her light hair all tied up in a knee-length ponytail. She was simply twisting a strands of soaked threads around her index finger.
"I'm sorry I called you Winry, okay? You don't look anything like her; I was just having a dream. That's all."
Ed no longer made eye contact with her, he store straight down at the concrete ground his feet were planted on.
"Don't worry about it." She tipped her head back, gold hair falling out of her
face as raindrops landed on it.
They didn't even hear the booted footsteps from behind them.
"So, we meet again; Edward Elric."
That voice. He knew it better than anybody else. Scar had once again hunted him down. "You seem depressed." The scarred man clenched his tan fist in a threat toward Edward. "Allow me to put you out of your misery." He lunged directly for Ed, but even before he could ready himself to fight; Scar was sent flying. Hayden had given him an uppercut like what was never done before. She still stood in front of Edward and Alphonse, her right fist balled up tight with rigid shoulders. "You're going to try to stop me from doing the will of God?" Scar rose from the cloud of dust he had created. "Then I'll kill you, too!" He came running back toward Hayden, she was ready once again. Scar stuck out his tattooed arm toward her, but just as quickly as he did; Hayden gripped his arm and in the split second before she tossed him over her back; she store into his soul. Something about her stare made him feel odd. That was the best way for him to describe it. Hayden store through his dark glasses, finding his crimson irises in his eyes. Scar managed to catch himself on his feet, but just as he did, Alphonse put him into a headlock; Edward ducking toward his abdomen. Scar retch for his head, but he instead received a deep gash in his stomach from a transmuted automail.
Scar groaned from the severe pain, as he did, he broke free of Al's chokehold and darted away from the trio.
"What was that all about? Who was he?" Hayden asked, standing akimbo toward the brothers as they tried to catch their breath. Hayden seemed untouched, almost like she had done nothing at all.
"I'll explain back at the hotel, but only if you explain your fighting skill."
Shit. That wasn't what she wanted to discuss with him. Especially not Edward ELRIC. Now she was sure of their identity. She knew more than what she wanted to.
"Deal."
"Ed!"
Al yelled over his steel shoulder at his brother. Alphonse was crouched down in a nearby flower patch in the plaza. Hayden rushed to his side, her eyes wide with an equally wide smile.
"It's so cute!" She bent down as well, picking up whatever it was that was on the ground. The blonde stood back up, bulldog puppy wrapped in her arms.
"No! Not happening! Put him back."
Edward groaned strictly. Hayden pouted and stuck the puppy's flat face into Ed's . It smelled like wet dog, from being left in the rain of course.
"Look at this face. How can you say no?" Hayden gave him a serious pout, Alphonse joining in on the bargaining plea. She did kick Scar's ass after all...
"Fine. By you're taking care of him."
Edward sighed as he reluctantly acquiesced to accepting the dumb animal. Al and Hayden squealed with delight.
All the way back to the hotel, Al and Hayden argued over what to name the abandoned pup. It was asleep in her cradling arms.
"Why don't we let brother name it? He's the one letting us keep him."
Hayden agreed with Al's idea. She tapped Ed on the shoulder and held out the dog again.
"Name. Give him one." Ed just shook his messy blonde head. He took the dog by the torso and held him out for himself to see.
"He will be called...Boston."
Scar wandered back into town clutching his wound. How could he be so weak with that girl he had never met before? Where did she come from? How did she over power him? All he could think about was the look she had given him. That piercing glare. She store into the depths of his soul. He had a feeling she now knew something she wasn't supposed to.
