Cardinal sin (2) : A laugh in Vain

13 - Seven corpses

The Cardinal Sin was being slaughtered above, and Vain was fully aware. He should have done something. Put in a little effort to stop some wild woman with a gun and he could have saved the lives of the alchemists he'd formed this organization with... people he could only now recognize as friends.

Once the last bullet was fired and the murderer let out a mighty roar of victory, Vain snapped. He clapped his hands together, then placed one on the dirt interior of the pit. An unstable pillar lifted him up and he stepped onto level ground, leaving behind Edward, who had passed out, and Ire's corpse.

Vain's resolve faltered when he saw the massacre before him.

Ire, follower of Wrath.

Herman, follower of Sloth.

Ebenezer, follower of Lust.

Sophronia, follower of Lust.

Walter, follower of Envy.

All were reduced to bloody, unmoving corpses.

Standing in the midts of all this chaos, Rebecca loaded her gun for the last time. She raised it, aiming at Vain.

"This is your revenge?" he asked her.

"Is that seriously a question you need to ask?"

"Fine." Vain got in a ready stance. "I won't let you kill me. The only one who'll be getting revenge is me."

Rebecca fired, but he dodged it with ease, sprinting to her left. She tried to hit him again; Vain kept moving in smart, evasive movements.

'This scumbag,' Rebecca thought, gritting her teeth and bracing her legs for the next shot. 'He's too quick. I can't hit him and I'm on my last bullets.'

Three shots left.

Vain ducked at the last moment and the bullet found it's unwanted mark in the bark of a tree.

Two shots left.

Again, he moved out of the way at just the right second.

One shot left.

Rebecca slowed, re-evaluating the situation. With one shot remaining and no more ammo to replenish afterwards, this bullet had to meet its mark and at least incapacitate Vain so she finish him later. It would be great if he could just stand around like a target during practice at a Shooting Range.

Vain kept running around, never resting and virtually unable to be hit.

"Stop moving you rat!"

"REBECCA!"

An explosion of red was seen. From a pillar he had created, Ed came falling from the sky, screaming ragingly. He crashed onto Vain, locking both arms behind the latter's neck from behind.

Though weakened and bleeding largely from many places, Fullmetal held on long enough to scream, "SHOOT HIM!"

In the space of five seconds, two major things happened.

First, Rebecca fired her last bullet and it hit the enemy square in the stomach.

Second, Vain made a transmutation as he was shot. The riffle in Rebecca's hands twisted, deconstructed and reconstructed until it was an inverted spear, driven through Catalina's chest.