Cold Blood

Chapter one: Pain Deserved.

Blue jeans worn, t-shirt ripped and bloody, and Nike tennis shoes falling apart, the poor image of a once proud boy was flung against the wall opposite the doorway where Cornello's frame filled the opening.

"Now Aaron, will you put yourself at Gods feet and ask for forgiveness for the crime you've committed?" The boy staggered to his feet, wiping blood away from his moth. He stumbled forward some and glared up Cornello and spit a mixture of blood and saliva into Cornello's face.

"NEVER!" he cried out as a priest punched him away from the profit. Cornello wiped the spit off his face. " I will never do that. I will not ask forgiveness from a burning ball of hydrogen in space. I will rot in this prison knowing the truth!" Aaron's voice picked up. " I follow my fathers belief that the sun is no God!" At the mention of his father, Aaron was blown to the farthest corner of the cell. He lay in a heap. Exhausted from the day's efforts.

The door opened and a girl with tanned skin walked in. She wore a simple white dress. Her chocolate brown hair fell to her waist and pink bangs fell over kind violet eyes. She held a tray and a lantern. She sighed as she saw a white glove with half the fingers cut off. There was a flame symbol on the back. She picked it up and looked around. She smiled when she saw the Aqua haired boy hunched in the corner.

"Aaron, you dropped your glove." She said. She sat the tray down beside him took his bare right hand and slipped it on. "You don't want Ember getting out now do you?"

"I don't care any more Rose. I don't."

"Quit talking nonsense. You know that if one of your alter egos come out that them fighting would kill you." Aaron sighed to show she was right.

"He almost came out." He murmured. "You put my glove on at the right time." Aaron looked at Rose with sad eyes. "Thanks." Rose smiled. Chills went down Aaron's spine.

"Don't mention it. Here. " She handed him the tray. Aaron took it and she went to leave.

"Hey Rose." Rose turned. "Tt's good to see a smile on your face again." Rose smiled again.

"Thanks Aaron." Rose closed the door and Aaron ate, his mind on Rose.

Just tell her you like her already! The irritated voice in Aaron's head said.

(Shut it Midnight. I can't tell her. Not yet. Once I get out of here…)

Hey, then why didn't you let me out? I could have blasted through that wall!

(Ember…you know the effort would kill me.) Aaron told the alter ego. (The bad thing about having Alter Egos is that they can read you mind.)

&WE HEARD THAT&

(Whatever.) Aaron sighed. Cheers erupted from out side.

(I hate him.) Aaron though, scowling. He downed the broth. He finished the bread and stretched out. What could have been hours later, Footsteps echoed down the hall. Aaron's cell door opened and Aaron stood.

Rose came in, Aaron could feel the happiness radiating from her.

"Aaron, Aaron, guess what?"

"What?" Aaron crossed his arms and smiled.

"Kane! Cornello brought him back!" Aaron's heart sank but he forced a smile.

"Good for you, Rose. He said. Rose waved and left. Aaron fell back against the wall in the corner and sank to the floor.

Hey. It's Ok. She's just not the one for you Ember tried to comfort the boy.

(Yeah I…I suppose so. But I should have known. That even after the accident, that she would always love Kane…) Aaron's Alter Egos were silent after that. Aaron hid his head between his knees and put his arms around his legs. Scrunching up in the corner. A tear fell from one eye and hit the floor.

"Father…" He murmured. Lost in thought about his long since dead father. He didn't notice the stitching in the back of his necklace come loose. Aaron was oblivious to his cell door opening and a boy about the same age, but smaller, chained to where he used to be. He was drowning in the memories of his father. The necklace slipped, only the stitching holdind it around his neck. Now Cornello emerged into his memories. Anger boiled up from deep inside and the necklace fell off, bouncing away.

Ed woke up when he felt the cold sting of metal on his wrists. The door closed and he looked around the dimly lit cell. He saw a boy with blue hair huddled in the corner. As he watched, a strip of leather fell from around his neck and bounced to the center of the room. A moment later, the boy began to shake; he gripped his hairline and moved to his knees. The boy's eyes darted around, searching for something. They finally rested on the necklace. Trembling, he stood up.

"Kaaah!"

"Hey, hey you OK?" Ed asked as the boy fell to his knees in pain.

" My…necklace…" His hairline started to turn purple and his eyes were red and brown. Ed's eyes moved the leather strip in the center of the room. The boy crawled toward the necklace, Ed getting tense. He reached the strip and grabbed it. His eyes were completely red now. His hair almost purple. The boy fastened the necklace around his neck and stood, backing into the corner tying it.

"Almost got out the…" he continued mumbling, shouting at nothing. "SHUT UP, MIDNIGHT! YOU KNOW YOU WILL KILL ME WITH THAT MUCH POWER!"

" Oh yeah. I'm lost." Ed mumbled. He turned away from the boy who was clutching his head, his eyes shut tightly and gritting his teeth.

"Sorry." He said. " You must think I'm insane…that that's why I'm in here…"

"Um… no…"(actually. That's exactly what he was thinking! Bad Ed!)

"Yes you were. If some one talks to them selves…it's what everyone's minds jump to. But I'm not insane. I was talking to Midnight. He resides in my head. I can call him out and…" Ed drew a blank face and looked away. 'This is perfect!' He thought. 'I'm chained in a cell with a loose mad guy.' At that particular moment, Rose walked in with two trays. She sat one down by the boy and they exchanged a few words, some that Ed couldn't hear. Then she set the other tray down by Ed.

"Aaron…Are you all right?" Rose asked softly.

"My necklace came off. Midnights mad now. He almost got out. That kid saw."

"Don't mind him, Here."

"Thanks." Rose moved to the blond haired boy and set the tray down.

"Ah! Great! You're here to feed me! Ahhhh…huh?" Aaron rolled his eyes as Rose ran out the door.

(Wonder what the hell he did to upset her.)

# I don't know #

The boy brought the tray to himself with his foot. Aaron noticed that the boy's right arm was auto mail. He thought nothing of it. Having five Alter Egos was just as strange. Or worse. He jumped a moment later as tapping filled the room. He grumbled at the bowl on the floor.

"Great…" He looked over at his cellmate as he moved his tray away from an area o the wall. There was a small explosion as part of the wall fell out. The boy clapped his hands together and hit the chains, turning them to dust(that's my version on how Ed got the chains off!). He bent down to fiddle with something in the hole. Aaron got up and went over.

"What are you doing?"

"Reveling Cornello. Why? You object?"

"Hell no. He's why I'm in here. I say go for it."

Ask who he is, Aaron

(Sure, Midnight. Didn't think you were going to talk to me for a while.)

Just ask!

(All right!)

"Say. Who are you?"

"Edward Elric! The one and only full metal Alchemist!"

The WHAT?

"Full Metal. Never heard of him. You. What ever." Aaron turned.

"Who're you?" Ed asked.

"Aaron. Aaron Miller." Aaron answered. "I don't expect you to have heard of any Millers. We weren't famous or anything." Aaron moved to the corner again, his lanky form blending in with the shadows. He finished his bread as the door opened and Cornello walked in. The conversation that ensued surprised Aaron little.

Ed bit into his bread. Cornello stepped back in surprise.

Out in the town square, the city was in a shocked silence. Al had rigged a bell to be a giant speaker, the microphone in Ed's cell. The conversation had been sent all over the city.

"Don't listen to him my children!" Cornello yelled. Gunshots were heard over the speaker. "What?"

"I don't get my skills from the Watch, Cornello." Ed said. He'd transmuted his right arm into a sword. The microphone came back into view as the black barrier dissipated from in front of it. Ed ran fore ward and sliced the guns barrel off. Cornello turned to run but a barrier went up in the doorway. Aaron now stepped forward. His hair a bit longer and tinted purple, and his eyes red.

"Cornello…" Aaron's voice flowed out over the crowd. Many were surprised to hear it. It had an echo to it, like some one was talking with him. "It's time to reveal the truth to them all." Aaron kept his eyes on Cornello as he spoke. "City Liore, Cornello is NOT my father. Justin Miller, the man convicted of murder ten years ago is my father. My name is not Benny Cornello, it's Aaron Miller." With that said, Aaron returned to normal and the barrier disappeared. Cornello ran out to the stage where he held the miracle gatherings. The priests were below, trying to contain the crowd.

"My children! Whiteness the true power of God!" Cornello pressed his hand to a statue of the sun God, bringing it to life. The crowd drew in its breath in awe. Ed and Aaron came running out. Aaron stood to the side of the platform as Ed remained behind the profit.

"That's not Gods work! That's alchemy!" He yelled. He clapped his hands together and hit the platform. The energy rushing inside the temple behind him. The structure started to shake, and then collapsed. And in the middle of all the mess, was the giant statue of the Sun God.

"No way! Even the philosophers stone couldn't move something that big!" Cornello exclaimed. The Statue's fist flew down at Cornello, crashing into the platform next to him. Ed walked up and held out his hand.

"Now hand over the stone." He said for only Cornello to hear. Cornello yanked his hand away.

"No! I'll never give it up!" The stone started to crack, and then exploded. Ed's brow twitched in agitation.

"You could have at least TOLD me it was fake." He grumbled. Cornello Cried out in pain. Aaron watched calmly from the side, as Cornello's arm became a mass of flesh, bone, and machine parts. Ed backed away in disgust as Aaron moved forward. His hair had turned five different colors, as well as his eyes. Aaron kneeled at Cornello's side, rested a hand on his shoulder, and whispered into his ear. Five other male voices melding with his own.

"You deserve this pain." Aaron returned to normal and walked off the platform.

Aaron walked to the edge of the city, fast approaching footsteps, and two evenly paced thumps, made him stop and turn. ED and a suit of armor came up.

What does HE want?

(Like I know)

Just ask

# Midnight! Quit pestering him! #

Fine.

"Hey." Aaron said.

"You leaving?" Ed asked.

"Yes. I'm going home."

"We're going to central." Al said cheerfully.

"Mustangs going to mad about this one." Ed said glumly.

"Mustang?" Aaron asked, his features turning hard.

" The Flame alchemist? Haven't you heard of even him?"

"Yeah. A name and a handful of stories from my father. Nothing more." At Ed's devastated look that clearly read- you should get out more-, Aaron said; "You need to remember that I was locked up for a while." ED studied the boy beside him. Aaron stopped at a run down home at the edge of the city. He went inside followed by the other two.

"How long were you in prison?" Al asked.

"Three years. Went in twelve, came out fifteen." Aaron disappeared into a room and came out ten minutes later in black pants that weren't long enough to hide the symbols on his leather boots. On the right boot was an intricate design of a rose with two stems the curved around each other as they went up and turned brown, spreading into the bare branches of a willow tree. On the left boot was a brown birds wing with three sky blue lines going over it. He also wore a burgundy long sleeve shirt. As Aaron flipped a black trench coat on, Ed saw on his right glove a flame symbol and on his left a water symbol. His necklace had a single dog spike with the top cut off and a black pearl fastened in the hole.

Aaron stepped out of his old home. It felt good to have hi father's ankle length trench coat on. The image stitched in red on the back was the same as the symbol on his right boot. He put his hands in his pockets and Followed ED and Al out of the city.