Author's Note: New story! Been feeling a GerIta mood lately, and my brain conjured up this! Enjoy the story and I will try to post this every few days if I can~! :D

Also, I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors that can be found in this. Please let me know if you find one, just as long as you let me know how you're feeling about the story. :D

Calling this job grim was a gigantic understatement. Everyday, he was to wake up, throw on a lab coat and play "lab assistant" for the day. Which, to someone who's young and unaware, it would seem like a perfect job to have; fun, rewarding, and you can have your own position as an official scientist of the Nation once it was all over. The only reason he was here, working this job, was because of the third part of it, the only truth about the choice.

Correction. He was here because the government had decided that he was too smart and too much of an asset to loose on a battlefield against the revolution. Also because he was more likely to roll over, sit, and stay the good little government dog he needed to be than his older brother would. His brother was more of a "shoot first and ask questions later" sort of man, which made him an outstanding lieutenant in the Nation's army. He could still order people around and shoot any rebel that crossed his path, but he still had quite a group above him to keep him in check. If he hadn't been distracted by finding something for his master, then he would have chuckled at the thought that the army was really just a place for them to babysit his big brother; to keep him out of trouble. If he wanted to be called "big brother", he'd have to get more mature than his younger one.

Anyway, back to business. He found a spare syringe and filled it the appropriate liquid for the master. When he was told that he would become a lab assistant, Ludwig was initially thrilled. He wouldn't have to go into combat, he could study up on ways to help cure some of the newer diseases occurring within his people, and he knew that a job working directly for the government would pay him far more than Gilbert's salary. However...there was a reason why these government dogs who rolled over for their masters were given so many treats. It came with a sort of...sacrifice. Many of the more loyal and nationalist citizens and scientists alike wouldn't see things in this way, for what they truly were, but he wasn't blind. He would never be blind to this, as much as he wanted to be after he discovered the truth.

Scientists were not paid to research diseases and test their cures within rats or animals of that nature. No...they were paid to experiment with humans. Prisoners of war in fact. The government passed it off as a "better way to end this war faster". The "humane" way. This way the rebels would be back serving the Nation's government, but would get a few lashes for being such bad dogs (either that or just dead, the government honestly didn't care if the scientists killed their subjects or broke them to submission). Propaganda considered these people savages, but Ludwig wasn't really sure how he felt about the enemy anymore. Some of his family members had died in the conflict, but this enemy rebellion was composed of human beings as well. Same genetic makeup as the humans here. Same technology, give or take some advantages and disadvantages. Similar desires as the Nation he served under. So, he tried to give them sympathy as much as he could, but the haunting words of his brother's take on the conflict would always come back to whisper in his ears:

"These people seek to only spill our blood and stain the ground and their tabards with what will be left us for honor to their wicked so-called kingdom, their crazed leader, and their heathen gods or whatever they worship. It doesn't matter who they have back home - all that matters is that you must kill or they will kill you. Just like how they killed Roderich, Elizaveta, Vash, and mother and father. They won't hesitate to kill us, so why should I hesitate to kill them?"

It was a bit safe to say that all of the time on the battlefield had shed a very bleak light on Gilbert's view of the world. Some said that he was loosing his remorse, some said it was his senses, and others said that he was slowly crumbling to bits. However, those were just privates and their foolish chattering. Ludwig knew that Gilbert was still very much alive. He was full of loyalty, and justice, and passion. Sometimes those traits got the better of him - but they reassured the little brother that he was still continuing to live. It was something that he didn't seem to worry about, as neither did his love of four years, Lili. She was a soldier too, a Sergeant Major in Gilbert's company. While alone, the two of them were talented, together the two were mayhem in a package. The captains had been both impressed and horrified with what the two lovers could do with a pair of machine guns aimed at a large group of rebels. He was glad that he had only heard boasts from his brother about that sort of thing, but he'd rather see the two of them mow down rebels that have to hear about how Lili's a "wild little thing" in bed (along with any unnecessary details that Gilbert thought were important for his brother to hear, which mainly weren't) right after he finished talking about her skills with a cannon launcher.

It was sickening, but he wasn't sure if that was more sickening than having to watch his master and the others jam syringes into their victims necks to see what their reactions would be, how it would affect their body, and if they would submit to the master in charge. From what he could tell, shooting and killing people was sick, but watching a poor person writhe and scream and having to observe how much their physical makeup would change and change the person's personality in return was far more sick. So many times he just wanted to say no. So many times he had wanted to rip the syringe from his master's hand to save another prisoner from being toyed with and being watched intently like a filthy lab rat. However, he couldn't. He needed to bear through the lessons and observations in order to become a scientist of his own. Whenever he got a lab of his own, he'd stick to conducting experiments for the good of the Nation. Medicine, vaccinations, cures; not finding the thousandth way to fuck up the human DNA chain. His opinion wasn't shared by many of his fellow citizens, mainly because so many had lost a friend or family member in the conflict already, and thought that their enemy was a blood-craving slaughterhouse made into men, just like the government had told them.

Maybe they were, but that shouldn't mean that we scientists should be given the reins over their health and bodies. This went beyond human nature, this was trying to play God. Not that "God" had a real effect on society nowadays, the figment had been lost long ago in favor of more ideas relating to individuality, how we control our fate, and how the common man can succeed at doing what he wants to do. Kind of ironic, considering the government was drafting citizens left and right under the name of some higher power to defend the Nation. Ludwig sighed aloud, maybe there really was no hope for the human race. So many wars fought over the shifting of a border, so many wars fought between countries that couldn't talk things out and compromise, so many wars fought over discrimination that had supposedly died out long ago, and so many wars fought over Gods and religion. There was either no more faith in humanity, or we were simply giving into the raw nature that we humans possess. Kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. Progress through sacrifice. That's all we do, and that's all we have done.

"Hey, Lud! Stand there all day with my syringe and we won't have our fun!"

He was snapped out of his dark philosophical thoughts, and handed the syringe of blackening liquid to his master. He gave a brief apology, went back to grimacing, and his scowl fell back onto his features.

The master didn't seem to take notice, or he simply ignored him if he caught sight of the disgust written all over the germanic boy's face. He gave a cheeky smile and stroked the syringe, "We're going to be putting this in 8, she's become a little more rowdy and hisses at me whenever I give her food. I think she even tried to claw at one of the walls of her cell with her fingernails."

Ludwig couldn't help but ask, "So what's it supposed to do? Stop her from acting like a feral cat?" He did notice that she tended to wrap herself up like a cat did, maybe even try to stare up at the two of them with big kitten eyes. Either she was some kind of cat-loving freak, or master had given her some weird new drug the last time he preformed on her.

Master shrugged, "I suppose we can only find out once we test it. I believe it's supposed to enhance the behavior until she acts like a tigress or something of that nature."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea, master? Should you want to preform on her again, I'll imagine that it would be very difficult to keep her still so you could give her the drugs. She'd probably try to claw your eyes out if you cornered her," he was against it all, but couldn't fully speak out in his position.

The master tapped his index finger against his chin and sighed, "Yes, I suppose you're right Lud. I hadn't thought of that through yet; if she becomes more like a tigress, she'll want more food too. That could get expensive... Danke, mein Lehrling! You've saved the lab from disaster once again!" He tossed the syringe back to his assistant and said, "Mind washing that out for me? I'll let you know what we'll need instead."

Once his back was turned, Ludwig rolled his eyes, strolled over towards the chemical stations and muttered under his breath, "Mad man..."

When he was about to ask the master about doing something instead for 2, there was a scream from the testing areas. A shrill that came from one of the test subjects.

"-Ah hell. Lud, please bring me some of the violet syrup in a syringe for me. 11 is all wound up now for some reason."

He didn't mind the syrups as much. For the most part they were sedatives, and from what he could tell they didn't cause many changes in the body, other than knock the subject out cold for a little while. He drew some of the violet colored syrup from one of the phials and gave it to master to inject in the panicking rebel prisoner. At once, his eyes fluttered closed and he fell to the floor and began his slumber.

Master wiggled his fingers at the patient and chimed, "Sweet dreams, my young boy."

Like he said, mad man.

"Lud, did you want to get anything for 2? He looks like he's in pretty rough shape."

The man in questioned turned in bewilderment towards his master, and the elder man chortled, "It's pretty obvious that you're worried about him. He hasn't touched his food in days and his behavior is more or less unpleasant. Why don't you go in and inspect him yourself?" Whenever Ludwig stiffened in hesitation, questions raising to his lips that he didn't really want to ask, the master added on, "I won't mention it in a report or anything. You're mein Lehrling, and I won't rat you out. Just pass judgement on his condition and tell me what to get, okay?"

Ludwig nodded and opened up 2's cage. 2 was a meek man with shallow cheekbones and unruly curled brown hair. His brown eyes were narrowed into slits and he looked like he was in pain and certainly enraged. Like a rabid dog. One could see that he was thinning beyond normal means, and whenever Ludwig was able to start seeing some of his ribs, he began to worry. The blonde apprentice requested, "Some of the yellowish syrup might do him some good master."

"Such a damn softie," Master sighed before handing him a syringe with the syrup. This syrup was known as one to use for relaxing a subject and putting them at a piece of mind. Nicer scientists typically did this for subjects who couldn't seem to trust their master, and it would help them grow to be accustomed to their surroundings. Crueler ones had used it's effects to help calm down a subject before a large test, one that could possibly change their DNA strand in a very strange way permanently. Ludwig figured that 2 was unable to cope with his situation, so he tried to have a hunger strike and became angry whenever he or his master passed by the glass. Once he had injected the syrup into the man's vein -after a bit of a struggle - 2 immediatley calmed down some, and he began eating off the food tray he was provided with earlier.

"Good choice. He may be more docile, should I need to preform another test on him later on." Stepping from the cage and closing the door, Ludwig openly grimaced at his master, before stepping around him to collect his belongings. "Oh don't look at me like that, Lud. I know you don't really approve of it now, but one day you'll come to appreciate it. Our people will be safer with these savages locked up."

Ludwig didn't respond more than with just a simple nod. He was ready to go back to his apartment and have a good night's sleep. He was about to open up the lab's door before the master stopped him, "Ah, we're actually going to take a trip upstairs tomorrow."

"For what purpose?"

"One of the highest scientists in this corporation has been interested in my progress and your studies. He wants to show you what you could be if you choose to follow his path of sciences."

Ludwig nodded, as a docile government dog should, "I look forward to it Master. I shall see you tomorrow."

Once the door was closed behind him, the master pulled out a cigarette and lit it. That youngster was gonna end up getting him fired if he kept holding him back from proceeding along with his experiments. Then again, he caught sight of the sleeping 8, and felt a little grateful that Ludwig had told him otherwise before he turned her into a ferocious jungle cat. He could only imagine her tearing out his eyes without remorse, along with the rest of him.

He might get him fired, but at least he looks out for the greater good, and keeps his master from making decisions that will end up making him a mangled corpse on the floor. Not too many people nowadays have that sort of heart. It was refreshing.

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