Disclaimer- All FMA characters belong to Hiromu Arakawa

Sadie-kun Well, my first installment wasn't that long but this one is better. One this chapter's date, Auschwitz was officially opened. Edward is 36 and Al is 34.

Edward How come you made us so old?

Sadie-kun Well, I had to make your ages historically correct. Although I must admit it is hard to imagine you at that age.

EdwardAlright, let's stop babbling and get on to the story!

October 1941

They were being moved again. The months they spent traveling as captives was a blur. Many times they had been beaten and interrogated. They only way they could tell the time were by the rapidly cooling nights. Al shivered and Ed put a protective arm around his brother. They had nothing left but each other. The once worn clothes were nothing more than tatters now. All their belongings had been confiscated.

Edward heard a few soldiers talking in German nearby. He still knew that language although he preferred English. They seemed to be talking about a new camp that opened called Auschwitz. The name was really the German name of a town in Poland, Oswiecim. The area was deep in German territory and nearly impossible to escape from. These thoughts made Edward sick.

Al looked up and noticed his grimacing face. "Brother?" Ed's face immediately became one of compassion. "Yeah Al." "We're in this together. I'm sure we'll find a way out." Edward nodded but the worry was still there. "Let's get some sleep. We need to be well rested for whatever comes next." Slowly they both laid down and closed their eyes. Alphonse was asleep immediately but rest would not come to Edward. He spent half the night gazing at distant stars and trying to keep the feeling for foreboding at bay.

The next day's march was the same as ever. They were kicked awake in the early morning and given a small piece of bread each. Hungrily, they devoured it like wolves. Edward felt degraded to act this way but it was the only tactic that kept the other prisoners from stealing it. N the beginning, he had tried to make it last but a fellow captive had stolen half and ate it quickly. The Elrics were learning much about the cruelty of life in war.

The arduous walk was even longer that day. The POWs noticed the German soldiers were acting cheerful. Clearly whatever made them happy could only be bad news. The late afternoon revealed the source of the soldiers' joy.

Standing in front of them was a large metal sign. Written in German, it named the place as Auschwitz. Tall fences ran around the compound topped with razor wire. The camp was divided into three main sections. Ed saw Al give a shiver of fright. Creatures were emerging from some of the buildings. They barely looked like humans anymore. Their gaunt bodies were like something from a horror story. Their sunken eyes spoke of too many hardships. Edward couldn't help but give a shiver of his own. What kind of nightmare awaited him and Al there?

As the small group stood in front of the gates, a man from the main building started walking towards them. He was a man of medium build. His pale skin and icy blue eyes made him seem a cold figure. There would be no mercy here. When he reached the band of captives, the brothers gave a jolt of surprise. They had met him before, many years ago. "Colonel Archer, here's your latest batch." This only confirmed the Elric's suspicions.

Archer saw them glaring at him and gave a smirk in reply. "And who do we have here?" He asked in a condescending tone. A soldier stumbled to reply. "Ed-Edward and Alphonse Elric sir. The ones who destroyed the SS lab and uranium bomb." "Ah well, I'll make sure they don't cause any trouble here." Edward's temper simmered. He would have loved to punch this smug colonel in the face. Luckily, his worry for his brother was stronger than his desire of violence.

The POWs were led into the camp like a herd of cattle. There they were "introduced" to the other leaders of the camp. Once more, painful memories resurfaced at their faces. Zolf J Kimbley, once called the Crimson Alchemist, was in charge of the second half. Last was Basque Grand who controlled the third piece. All three of the men were enemies before which added to the sense of dread.

Next they were sent to a medical building. Edward gave a grim smile at the irony. The Germans had done everything they could to physically and mentally harm the captives. Now they were going to see a doctor? Ed was never fond of medical personnel and their tendency to give shots but this was the worst visit he ever had. They stood in a line as two doctors worked their way down. As they neared him, he heard the strangest diagnostics. "He'll make an excellent laborer. Probably last till summer. This one is obviously genetically unsound. I suggest you leave him in our care for scientific testing." These doctors were no more than executioners, sending each man to his death.

When they reached the brothers, Edward became even more entrenched in his anger. The familiar faces stood like ghosts in front of him. Doctors Shou Tucker and Tim Marcoh stood in front of him. Tucker was the one speaking while Marcoh took notes. "These two are the healthiest yet. I suspect they'll last at least a year and a half. Then again, look at this one's eyes." Tucker was pointing at Ed. "This genetic discoloration could be a sign of inferiority. Not to mention his short stature." Edward bit his cheek until it bled. He had grown almost six inches but Al was still taller. Alphonse looked worriedly at his brother. If he had a temper tantrum now, he'd probably be shot.

Ed didn't explode as usual but he couldn't resist making a comeback. "SS scientist, does that stand for super stupid?" The guards were on him immediately. He was pinned between two of them as another punched him repeatedly in the stomach. Throughout the harsh ordeal, Edward refused to make a sound. As the guards released him, Edward fell to his knees, clutching his chest. Grand stood in front of him and waited for him to stop gasping. "You may think highly of yourself for attacking an SS lab. I can assure you, it was pure luck you weren't killed then. You will receive no mercy from me. I'll make sure to break your spirit before I break your body." Grand then spat on him and walked away.

The doctors continued their examinations as though nothing happened. Alphonse knelt by his brother and helped him to his feet. "How could you do something so stupid?"He whispered feverently. Edward only managed a shrug and then stood up straight. More soldiers pushed roughly through the captives. They were being split into groups- the workforce, extermination, and medical study. Edward and Alphonse were split into the workforce section.

They were hassled to a small building. Inside were rows upon rows of beds. They lined the walls, three stacked on each other. The door slammed shut as Edward sat on a bottom bed. Alphonse claimed the middle one and hung his head over the side. "Brother, you really need to be more careful." "Sorry Al. I couldn't help it. We can't let them walk all over us." "I know that! But doing stupid reckless stuff isn't smart either! We need to plan carefully." Edward nodded and gave an involuntary yawn. It wasn't late but the physical and emotional turmoil had left him drained. His last thought before he drifted off was of Nina.

Sadie-kun I have last historical notes before the next chappie. First, when my brother was reading this he pointed put a mistake. Prisoners usually weren't forced to march. Instead, they would be packed onto trains for transportation.

Edward You mean like the Ishbal refugees?

Sadie-kun Yeah, like that. Anyway, the second historical thing I wanted to point out was the camp itself. I did some research and it turns out there were three main parts of the camp. They were the main camp (1), extermination camp (2), and the labor camp (3). Also the SS doctors really did "examine" the people who entered the facility. Most of their work was trying to prove the genetic superiority of the Germans.

Edward I'm glad it is historical and all but do you have to beat us to a pulp?!?

Sadie-kun Yep! It makes the story more exciting. Well, see you next chapter! Please read and review!