Disclaimer; No ownership. The theory on werewolves mentioned is mine, though. I just don't like the idea of conventional ones.
This is set after the series, but Edward and Alphonse did not travel through the gate. And Roy still has his eye, because he looks weird without it. If I mess up with any of the storyline, I'm sorry. I haven't seen this series in so long, so it's impossible for me to get every detail right.
And Roy and Ed are already together in this. I mean, already together, not going to hook up or anything. I may or may not make a cute lil prequel. Depends on what you reviewers want.
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Chapter One - By the Full Moon
Edward raised his tired hands to pull at the leaden collar that currently resided heavily on his neck. His eyes were closed; opening them was as fruitless as leaving them shut. It was either the lack of light that marred his vision or, well, at worst, blindness. He had to concentrate on not dying, and escape was nigh on impossible with no sight. There was a shaky breath, and his hands fumbled with the industrial strength chain holding him to something, trying to find a weak point to break. Alas, his captors hadn't cut corners on that department. A strangled cry came from the blinded boy, unable to talk. It was his equivalent of a scream, his cracked, parched voice allowing him little better. His mind couldn't grasp exactly what had happened, exactly why it had happened. Doubtless, someone would be looking for him. Or so Edward hoped. He couldn't tell, maybe he'd been there an hour. Maybe more. There was another pitiful moan, hands still scrabbling with the chains, digits cut open in places and warm blood trailing down his arms.
He heard the resonating tap of heels on the ground, followed by a low, sultry chuckle. The blonde froze, and scuttled away from the sound, unsure as to where he was going. His head swung side to side, desperately trying to hear or smell a way out, but his sense lacked the strength.
"Don't bother," The voice was light, tainted with a sort of malice. He heard a door open, and the filing in of more people became obvious, "They're all here for the show," Now a smell reached him, overpowered with death. He doubted the people in the room enjoyed the scent, however many there were. His sightless eyes swung to where he heard the woman, blinking rapidly to try and clear his vision.
The room had cooled from the time when he'd awoken, and he struggled to warm his body up. His clothes didn't keep any heat in, and the concrete below him absorbed whatever warmth there was. Edward let out a chesty cough, and shifted nervously. There was a hushed conversation somewhere in the room that he couldn't quite pick up. The lead lady hushed them, and he could briefly hear something about 'it starting', whatever that meant.
Now, however, Edward could practically sense the joy in her, as he slowly felt a heat wash over him. It resembled a strong, overbearing fever. His limbs felt as though they were melting, like jelly, and they no longer supported him. The concrete was a welcome, cool relief from the heat that he had, only minutes prior, needed. Still it didn't stop. Rather it intensified, he could feel his legs and arms changing, mutating, morphing slowly. Shrinking, the bones even moved and transformed to fit the new flesh. He could take little more as his face suddenly changed, lengthening and pushing the boundaries until he felt the skin would break. Edward screamed in pain, the burning flared, though the cry morphed into a pained, animalistic howl.
The spectators; a tall, well-dressed lady, and her handful of escorts watched in keen interested. It was a matter of minutes as the boy altered, slowly, agonisingly, and become a large golden dog. In actuality he was a werewolf, captured for the sheer purpose of alchemic experimentation.
A man stood beside the lead woman, eyes blank and glazed, staring through into nothing. He had been one of the militaries most valued alchemists, doing incredible work with chimeras and other alchemic victims in the hospital wards. That was until she spoke to him, slowly weaving her way into his mind until she possessed control over him. Latona, was her name; fitting she be named after a Goddess. For here she was, controlling those below her for her own purposes. Not very God-like, though still powerful. All those in the room, save Edward, were under her influence, but not as strongly as the Doctor, who knew nothing of himself. No name, no age, no family. He was a slave to her. Until she released him, as he was needed once more.
The wolf snarled now, Edward still able to think, but not beyond that of instinct. His senses were enhanced dramatically, still lacking sight, as was intended. His use would become apparent soon, Latona had assured her underlings. Ed raised his head, sniffing thoughtfully in the heavy air. He could identify each individual scent, hear the minor shuffles and shocked gasps. The once repulsive smell appealed to his rumbling stomach, as he recognized it as edible meat. A dull thud and the meat was closer. It had been thrown towards him, and Edward leapt upon it, claws scrabbling for bearing on the smooth surface briefly, before they sunk into the flesh. His powerful jaw made quick work of the young rabbit, as the audience watched in awed silence.
"Bring him through," Latona commanded minutes later, with a wave of her hand. The wolf snarled with a thundering bloodlust. The sight was sickeningly pleasant to her. Watching the gold pelt stain with blood around the muzzle, the strength in the powerful body, it was all falling into place. Three men returned, at dangerously close proximity to the terse wolf, and a warning growl was issued. A man was shoved forward, wearing his tattered military garb. He stood shaking before the blinded creature, which had caught his scent and was now approaching cautiously. The shaking man turned to flee, but was barred by the two men aiming firearms towards him. A shot was fired by his foot, and the wolf was still advancing. The man, previously known as Lieutenant Carlson, was frantically trying to think of a way out of the dilapidated warehouse, eyes scanning the darkness for something - anything.
He caught sight of the open window, letting light from the full moon outside to shine through. The frame was rotted timber, parts splintering and caving in all together. It was either take the window or face a gruesome death by the claws of the savage wolf, and the window seemed the best option. He walked, trying to be calm and methodical, heading to the far wall. Edward raised his head, sniffing for the now moving meal, light reflecting on his blank optics. He rounded on the prey, carefully herding it, cutting off any room for him to run.
The Lieutenant edged towards the window now, eyeing the wolf dangerously, as it snarled once more, lips curling to reveal pointed fangs. Muscles tightened beneath the golden fur as he crouched, ready to pounce on the escaping victim, who froze, arm groping for the window.
"Noo…," The man called quietly, calmly trying to deter Edward, who only briefly faltered. It didn't work for long, as Ed took that moment to spring upon the Lieutenant. For all it was worth the man fought valiantly, but the mass of his attacker forced him down with a loud thud. Claws dug into the flesh of his chest as jaws closed around his arm, the smallest limb he could grab without sight. It was a traditional hunting method to get the neck, and this was as close as the blind wolf could get. He bit down into the appendage, issuing in a scream and a renewed vigour from the man. With a final tug the arm came loose in a pool of blood. Puzzled, Edward sniffed around. The man was alive, and hadn't stopped thrashing. Normally when the neck was broken the fight ended, but this was different.
"Go on," Latona encouraged as the wolf paused in confusion. He lunged once more, biting down into the flesh of the collarbone, before moving upwards to where he could obtain better grip. It took a moment for the windpipe to collapse under pressure, an artery bursting, helping the body kill itself as the heart pumped blood uselessly from the wound. Edward shook his head in a dog-like fashion until the flesh was severed completely. Many of the men had left the room, unwilling to watch the gory display, and Latona had hardly minded. With a snap of her fingers one of the remaining men approached her, holding a long gun in his grip, awaiting the order.
"Okay. Do it, then," La waved her hand dismissively and turned on her heel, leaving as the man nodded. He raised the weapon and fired, dart slicing the air and striking the feasting animals' chest. Edward felt the heavy-duty drug filter in his system, the back of his mind registering it, but instinct telling him to continue eating. He dug at the chest flesh until it broke, the body still warm. He too felt warm as his system became intoxicated with the drug, slowly laying down on the cool ground and letting his eyes drift shut, forced to sleep until the next day, when he would become human again.
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"Look, okay, I just want him found," Roy commanded tiredly. His hair was messed atop his head, and the man had no intention to do anything about it. He'd looked worse before, and doubted he looked as bad as some of the others in the room. All of them had been up through the night, which was just starting to end, pale dawn light streaking the nighttime blues. Fuery sat aside, placing calls through to the other groups, keeping contact amongst everyone looking, along with witnesses and anyone in between. Falman and Breda had wandered off in search of food about ten minutes prior, just as Havoc and Hawkeye had returned from their search of the area. Mustang himself had been told to stay behind, being close to the victim did not help him when looking. Chances are he'd end up exploding a few buildings out of sheer frustration.
"Sir, we realise that, but there's little we can do. He's only one of many recent military abductions, and we can't put him ahead of the others," Riza replied firmly, trying to calm down the distressed Colonel, but also to remind him that he couldn't just have his way. When he became Fuhrer, maybe, but at Colonel, no.
"Have we made any progress on the others then," Roy asked, looking up with hope. Maybe they had a source on one of the others, and would find Edward. Maybe. Hopefully. He could always keep that optimism; it did help him through tough times. It also helped push his hopes up only to break them down again when he realised he was wrong.
"Sort of," Riza said with slight uncertainty. Her normally alert eyes were dull, and she couldn't meet Mustang's gaze. Instead she focused on her gun, currently being held in one hand whilst the other fiddled with a loose bullet.
"Start talking then," Mustang narrowed his eyes. He didn't appreciate things being hidden from him. Riza wasn't a very good liar. Roy knew it, she knew it. Hell; Everyone knew it. That didn't stop her from doing it though.
"We've had a call from someone, who refused to reveal her name. She said that she'd call back," Hawkeye selected her words carefully, not wanting to get his hopes up. She knew that this was killing her superior inside, and she just prayed that Edward would be found soon.
"When will she call back?"
"Soon, hopefully. Fuery will take the call and get a rough location on her if she refuses to give information," Riza yawned once she'd finished, running a hand through her own dishevelled hair. Roy just watched her with bored, downcast eyes. Hawkeye knew she could sleep, it wasn't as though Mustang was keeping her up. She wanted to stay with him, so both of them sat there in a tense silence.
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"You'll find him in the industrial area," Latona said into the phone, smirking broadly, "Warehouse Seven. Corriane Street."
Fuery nodded into the phone line, then replied with an "Okay," when he remembered you couldn't see gestures over the line. Everyone was crowded around him, nursing coffee that had long since gone cold as they waited in a sort of anticipation for good news. The lady on the line, who had refused to give out her name, had given him riddle after riddle until he was about to hang up, and it didn't help that Havoc and Breda, now bored, had started playing the 'What-to-say-on-the-phone' version of Charades, "Thankyou Ma'am."
"That's no problem. Oh," Latona mimicked surprise along the phone line, a smirk forming on her lips where she stood. The lady was inside the warehouse, which contained a still sedated Edward. The body of the dead Lieutenant lay near the front. It would be entertaining for them to find a dead comrade, as then thoughts of more death would be planted within the already doubtful officers. Still, Edward was needed alive and in the care of the military. He couldn't do his job unless he was. The doctor had been returned to his family, and was given a cover story to prevent too much military digging. He too was needed for everything to work out, "I almost forgot…"
"What?" Kain asked, leaving behind his politeness, now desperate to know more. There was now a lighter, cheerier tone to her voice, once that contained undertones of spite, of someone who derived pleasure from the taunting and pain of others.
"We left you a surprise."
The line went dead.
Everyone sat in awkward quiet. Fuery scrawled the address on a piece of paper, checking it over to make sure he was correct. The young man faltered with the paper still in hand. It could well be a trap. Hell, it probably was one. So giving it over would basically be handing them all a death sentence. Roy held out his hand expectantly, and he didn't need to pull rank, as the sheet was given over at once.
"What did she say?" Riza asked, noting the nervous pause as Roy read over the address along with the others. He was now standing and almost out the door when Fuery spoke, in a quiet, subdued tone.
"They left a surprise for us."
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A/N; It's a bit dull, I'm just getting all the messy stuff out of the way before we dig any deeper in. I estimate this will span around…five chapters. And the ending could go one way or the other; I'll get you to review on it when the time comes.
