I hope you guys liked the last chapter! Trust me, I promise to make this thrilling! I was listening to the song 21 Guns by Green Day when I wrote the last chapter, so it might be a little longer than this one is. Anyway... Oh! By the way, for those who may not have caught on... This story sort of takes place after Ed and Al get their bodies back. Both of them. I know it doesn't happen in the anime, but... Al is human, Ed doesn't have Auto-Mail anymore, and their mom is still dead. There. That makes me better to know everybody that reads my story is on the same track I am. =) Please read and review! I'm fine with bad reviews... But I still like good ones better! By the way... Alphonse gets a new name in this chapter.
Al smiled and slurped down a mouthfull of noodles that Wrath had given him. Al had met Wrath just outside the apartment, who them took him to 'Father's' base, and had given him a small token of 'Father's' gratitude.
Wrath stood beside him. "You like it? Do you? Father made it for you!" He sang happily.
"I love it!" Al exclaimed.
"Good." A voice came from shadows.
Al looked around the room that Wrath had brung him to. "W... What was that, W-Wrath?" Al stuttered.
"Father," Wrath wispered back, getting down on his knees and bowing.
Al mimicked him.
Father came in the room.
"You're not Father!" Wrath frowned upon seeing the apearence of a man.
It was a man in a blue millitary suit, black hair, and a black eye-patch on one eye. He walked with his hands tucked neatly behind his back. "Yes, I am not 'Father'. But I do have a supirior rank than you, child. So stay bowing." He stood in front of Al. "Wrath brang you here, yes?"
"Correct." Al stuttered, keeping his gaze away.
"The man who called you 'Alphonse'... That man is evil. No good. Join us, please. We will take care of you. After all, Wrath is family."
Wrath looked at Al and smiled and nodded.
"R... Really?" Al stuttered, daring to look up.
"Yes. Now, are you going to join us and defeat this man? He wants to kill. We do not. Please join us and let us give you a proper name."
"O... Okay." Al didn't know what to do. He was happy knowing Wrath was family, and he would be with family.
"Good. We shal call you 'Rage'."
Rage nodded.
"Wrath, show Rage around."
"Yes." Wrath agreed.
Rage and Wrath got up and walked out the door, to the bright sunlight.
Wrath smiled and yawned. "Hey, wanna' go play in the park?"
"Hmm... Nah. If it's okay with you, I'd really like to just slow down. Get used to everything, my new name, new eveything... Mostly try to remember things I have forgotten. And that man... Both him and this 'Ed' person. Sorry, Wrath. Perhaps tomorrow?"
"Sure thing." Wrath smiled and walked away.
Rage shook his head, placing a hand on his forehead. All these emotions... This new place, and his first happening in it was on the couch of some 'Evil' person's house... Almost too unrealistic to believe. He brushed his hair from his face. The confusion and the pain... And those things... Those solid black, faceless people lingering in the darkest corners of his mind, the ones full of memories that he just couldn't reach. And that woman. That sweet-smelling, warm-voiced woman. Who was she? Why was she so glued into the young teen's mind? Why was she so familiar to him? Rage tried to shake such thoughts, but they refused to leave. Rage thought that some well-needed sleep might restore his fatigue, as well as memory. He thought he'd sleep under a bridge he'd spotted just about a mile out of town, since he was at a loss of money. Rage smiled and started his way there.
Greed broke from the pillar. "There's no saving him now." He laughed.
Ed glarred harder at Greed. "At least tell me if he's even alive." Ed needed to know at least one vital point, to know if it was worth the injury he would later on recieve from this quest. He needed to know if there was any light shining down. If there was any hope.
Greed sighed, stuffing his hands in his tight leather pockets. "Kid, you don't make this any fun, really. I was hoping for a dramatic exit, folowed by your shocked and depressed face, perhaps making this whole thing harder on you, maybe even making the story a chapter longer. But, no, you had to throw that question out there. I know I'm a bad guy, but, asking a question like that, I kinda' have to answer, or it just makes me look really bad, which is bad for two reasons. One- My fans would hate me. Every bad guy does make a little drama within the series by doing something the crowd wouldn't expect. Want an example? Scar. Watch the series. Scar does something turely amazing, but it would take much too long to explain it. Second Reason- The ladies. They just eat up the whole 'bad guy-doing-good' scenario. If the ladies were angry with me... I wouldn't have them, and I wouldn't be Greed, now would I?" Greed put his hands on his hips, frowning a little.
"Quit acting like you're the author and just tell me it!" Ed roared, his throat becoming somewhat sore from all the shouting he had done. He panted, breathing in a breath of fresh air to get that 'sour' taste on his tounge from talking to Greed off. Ed spit on the ground, trying to get that taste out in any way he could.
Greed sighed again, only deeper, and shrugged. He looked down. "I hate being the one to deal with hotheaded pipsqueaks like you." He gazed up at Ed to see his reaction.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT HE NEEDS STILTS JUST TO SEE OVER A STRAW WRAPPER?!?!!!???!" Ed yelled as hard as he could. It almost sounded as if a tyrant of elephants had marched down the street, all belowing and fighting over the last piece of food in the world.
Colonel Mustang looked up from his heavy stack of paperwork. The glass on the windows shattered beside him. "That's too bad, I feel really sorry for him." He sighed, setting down his pen.
Leutenant Hawkeye raised her brow. "Sorry for who, Sir?" She asked, not bothering to scold Roy for taking a two-second brake from his work.
"Sorry for the guy who just called Fullmetal short."
Greed busted up laughing. He fell to the ground, clutching his sides. Ed glared harder at him. If Ed didn't need important information from this guy, Greed would've allready been dead. Scratch that, Greed's head would've been mounted on the Devil's Nest door with a sign saying 'Ha ha, look at him now! I bet all the ladies want to just run up and hug this severed head!' attached to his face.
Ed laughed a little at his horrible joke. At least it made him a little less steamed.
"Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha! I take that back, kid! You are fun when you're mad!" Greed chuckled, getting up and catching his breath.
"Gah! You really are stupid, aren't you?!" Ed growled, getting more impatient with each passing moment that he didn't know where his little brother was. It really made him mad that all the information Ed ever needed was standing in front of him, laughing at him, and he couldn't give that information a serious beating.
Greed took in a deep breath and let it go again. "Whoo, man, that was funny. I haven't laughed that hard in a while now."
"Just answer my question!" Ed yelled, then wanted to kick himself because his throat was so sore.
"Okay, okay. Yes, the answer is yes. Alphonse is still alive, he just isn't the same person. I really don't think he ever will be, based on what he's been told... I can tell you this, because we're all itching for a good fight- Al will be one of the ones most geared to fight you if you wait too long. Look for him in the place you'd never expect, not places that we're known to hang out at. You're going to have to look inside the box if you want to save your brother. Perhaps the word 'box' isn't right. Maybe it's 'door'. Who knows? Only you. See ya' later, shorty." Greed leaped away.
Ed took in Greed's last words and made his way back to Winry at his apartment.
He sat on his couch, burying his face in his hands. "Winry..." He muttered.
"Yes?" She took her chin off her hand, looking up, since she had been slouching in her seat.
"I... I probably would've been balling my head off... If I wasn't so mad back there. I miss Al so bad. I worry about him so bad."
"Ed..." Winry placed a reassuring hand on Ed's shoulder. She knew not to look in his eyes. Winry sighed deeply as she stood up. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.
Ed sat there for a while, not moving. Winry thought Ed just might've fallen asleep if he hadn't stood up when he did.
'Door'? What did Greed mean when he said 'look inside the door'? I know Al's alive, but... Feh! Where do I look? And to 'save' Al? I shouldn't have to save him if he's still alive! Ed roared inside his head. Al, why do you do this to me!??!
Al woke from his somewhat pleasent nap under the brige. He sat up and yawned. A new voice awoke in his head, also.
"Alphonse...?" The voice called.
Rage wasn't sure where it came from, and it scarred him a little, but he answered. "Y-Y-Yes...?"
"You are Alphonse...?" The voice cooed.
"No, my name is Rage. Sorry."
"Yet you answer to Alphonse. How come?" The voice was casual, yet confused, and still calm, with a gentle tone to it.
"B... Because... Err... I don't know..." Rage gripped his head.
"Do you know who I am?"
"No..."
"I am known otherwise as 'The Truth'. I am you, whoever you may be."
Rage blinked. "Are you going to give me my memory back?"
"No. Not exactly. I can give you anything you desire, but you must pay." The Truth shrugged.
"Pay what? I have no money." Rage searched his pockets. There was no answer. Rage stood and started walking down the street, feeling just a bit better. Sure, there was a voice inside his head, telling him false thoughts. But it was, at least, something he knew.
Rage saw Wrath. "Hi!" He smilled.
Wrath ran to Rage. "Hey! Rage! We've been called out to fight!"
"F-Fight?" A bead of sweat rolled down Rage's forehead.
"This little blonde guy. Me and you." Wrath smiled.
"I shal grant you the strength you need to fight for free, just this once. It shal stay with you forever." The Truth was back.
Rage's hands started to glow a ghostly orange. They became long and clawed, almost like that of a Dragon's. His hands were scaled and webbed to the wrists. "Thanks." Rage wispered.
Wrath and Rage ran to the side of a brick building. They peeked around the edge. Surely, there was a short blonde guy walking down the street. Wrath gestured at Rage to stay still. Rage nodded. Wrath waiting until the guy came within three feet of him before he lunged out, tackling the guy down. Rage noted him to be 'Edward'. The evil one.
"Urk!" Ed groaned, feeling Wrath's fist in his face. Ed clapped his hands. Two stone pillars came out of the ground.
"Now, Rage! Nail him!" Wrath called.
Rage felt a sudden burst of power. His clawed hands began glowing with fire. He sped around the corner and jabbed his claws into Ed, who was still on the ground.
Ed screamed out, closing his eyes from the pain. It was blazing and burning. He hadn't seen who had struck him, he only knew it was thing called Rage.
Rage leaped off and ran to Wrath. "You okay?" He asked. Wrath nodded and Rage smiled.
Ed opened his eyes and saw Rage. "Al!" He screamed, getting up.
Rage glarred at Ed. His power intinsified. Ed clapped his hands and drew a sword out of the ground. Clak, clak, clank. Clank. Clak. Blood splattered the ground. A fire belowed around the battle area. Eyes narrowed into glares. The only sound above the roar of the flames were quiet footsteps over to a limp body. A hand reached down and grabbed the sword by the body. One, two, three, four letters etched into the chest of the body. More footsteps. A harder roar of flames. The sky grew black. One winner, one looser. It was so dark... One was lost in a world called home.
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Who is the winner of this battle? Who would ever have so much Rage within him to spill blood like that? What has Alphonse turned into? Will he ever turn back? Sorry this chapter was so short. I hope you all are sitting there with your jaw dropped and eager to read more. Please review... Please, no flames... If I die I can't write more, now can I? And you all will have to sit there, worried about poor Ed and Al, never knowing what will happen next... I was listening to Allissa Lies by Jason Michael Carroll when I wrote this chapter. Both very sad, aren't they? Thanks for reading.