Humanity Within, Chapter One
Title: Humanity Within, Chapter One
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Characters/Pairings: Scar
Rating: PG in this chapter, overall probably PG-13 for blood, violence, and language
Dedication: Again, Flags, Ruingaraf, and Taisa
A/N: So, to the very few of you who probably actually read this journal, you probably saw that last fic with Scar and Riza and this is the first chapter of that chapter fic. I'm sorry it sucks. x.x; I think it's because my heart's not really in the beginning--what I want to write (namely, the Scar and Riza interaction) comes later in the story and it takes time to set up. xD;;; Comp Sci also ate my brain and I was writing this at approximately 12:30 at night the other day, so yeah...I aimed for angst and got...blahhhh. But uh, at least I filled in the plot hole about why in the hell the military would ask Scar to help them/why Scar would accept and I am planning to make a project out of this (my first chapter fic on LJ!) and maybe subsequent chapters will be better. :3
“We’ll give you the night to think about it.”
Scar blinked and shook his head, trying to push away the exhaustion that’d taken hold. Now was not the time for sleep.
“But remember, if your answer is no, your execution will be in the morning.”
He couldn’t have kept running forever. He knew it was inevitable that one of these days, his luck would run out and he’d be caught.
He knew that, and he had been okay with it. He had been sure he wasn’t afraid to die. What he hadn’t expected, however, was to be offered a way out…
“It’s a simple choice, really. You can live, or you can die. Simple as that, Scar.”
If only it were that simple…it looked straightforward, on the surface, but…this might have been the hardest decision he’d made in his life.
“We’ve been receiving word of someone creating chaos in the East. While we’re not entirely sure what’s going on, this man is converting our soldiers to his cause-whatever that may be-and stealing our military secrets from them. Those who refuse tend to disappear, if you know what I mean.”
Crimson eyes snapped open as soon as they had slipped shut. He didn’t have a moment to lose. He’d been through sleepless nights before, this would just have to be one more…he had to make a decision.
“As far as we understand, this man has holed himself up in the remains of Ishbal. So we have a proposition for you…”
He had no desire to help them. If anything, it was almost…satisfying to see the mighty military struggle against the treachery of one of their own. To help them…it was practically a betrayal, of his brother, his people…even himself, really. All the suffering the military caused him to endure…
His only justification to do what he seemed to reject with every fiber of his being was pure self-preservation. And the terrible thing was…that justification was prevailing.
Even after all that had happened, he wasn’t ready to remain defiant and face execution in the morning. Pathetic and cowardly as it was to him…he supposed he was afraid to die after all.
A murderer afraid to die. How bitterly ironic.
Or maybe it was that he wasn’t ready to face Ishbala’s judgment for his sins yet…he wasn’t entirely sure. He’d gone into this knowing he would probably die, but for some reason now, with its specter looming over his head, he couldn’t bring himself to embrace it. He was afraid.
Forgive me, Brother.
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Characters/Pairings: Scar
Rating: PG in this chapter, overall probably PG-13 for blood, violence, and language
Dedication: Again, Flags, Ruingaraf, and Taisa
A/N: So, to the very few of you who probably actually read this journal, you probably saw that last fic with Scar and Riza and this is the first chapter of that chapter fic. I'm sorry it sucks. x.x; I think it's because my heart's not really in the beginning--what I want to write (namely, the Scar and Riza interaction) comes later in the story and it takes time to set up. xD;;; Comp Sci also ate my brain and I was writing this at approximately 12:30 at night the other day, so yeah...I aimed for angst and got...blahhhh. But uh, at least I filled in the plot hole about why in the hell the military would ask Scar to help them/why Scar would accept and I am planning to make a project out of this (my first chapter fic on LJ!) and maybe subsequent chapters will be better. :3
“We’ll give you the night to think about it.”
Scar blinked and shook his head, trying to push away the exhaustion that’d taken hold. Now was not the time for sleep.
“But remember, if your answer is no, your execution will be in the morning.”
He couldn’t have kept running forever. He knew it was inevitable that one of these days, his luck would run out and he’d be caught.
He knew that, and he had been okay with it. He had been sure he wasn’t afraid to die. What he hadn’t expected, however, was to be offered a way out…
“It’s a simple choice, really. You can live, or you can die. Simple as that, Scar.”
If only it were that simple…it looked straightforward, on the surface, but…this might have been the hardest decision he’d made in his life.
“We’ve been receiving word of someone creating chaos in the East. While we’re not entirely sure what’s going on, this man is converting our soldiers to his cause-whatever that may be-and stealing our military secrets from them. Those who refuse tend to disappear, if you know what I mean.”
Crimson eyes snapped open as soon as they had slipped shut. He didn’t have a moment to lose. He’d been through sleepless nights before, this would just have to be one more…he had to make a decision.
“As far as we understand, this man has holed himself up in the remains of Ishbal. So we have a proposition for you…”
He had no desire to help them. If anything, it was almost…satisfying to see the mighty military struggle against the treachery of one of their own. To help them…it was practically a betrayal, of his brother, his people…even himself, really. All the suffering the military caused him to endure…
His only justification to do what he seemed to reject with every fiber of his being was pure self-preservation. And the terrible thing was…that justification was prevailing.
Even after all that had happened, he wasn’t ready to remain defiant and face execution in the morning. Pathetic and cowardly as it was to him…he supposed he was afraid to die after all.
A murderer afraid to die. How bitterly ironic.
Or maybe it was that he wasn’t ready to face Ishbala’s judgment for his sins yet…he wasn’t entirely sure. He’d gone into this knowing he would probably die, but for some reason now, with its specter looming over his head, he couldn’t bring himself to embrace it. He was afraid.
Forgive me, Brother.