So...this chapter is kinda boring, I guess, but some key things happen here.
Anyways, please read and review!

Cold. Deep and numbing cold. It dug and prodded its way into his bones, pinching and stabbing at his insides in a torturous way. He opened his eyes, no longer able to withstand the shivers and chills.

Ed looked down at his body, blue and numb. He was in a small basin that was filled with melting ice and water. No wonder why he was so cold. His shaking hands gripped at the metal sides of the tub as he fought to lift himself up, but his entire body was numb, making the task a fierce struggle. With the limited control of his limbs, he rolled out of the tub and hit the hard floor with a groan. Well, at least he was out of there, but why was he even buried in the ice in the first place?

He curled up on the concrete floor in an attempt to gain body heat and rubbed his fingers together, slowly relinquishing the blue tint and the numbing feeling. As he willed the cold away from his bones, he thought of two possible reasons why they had placed him there: 1) a form of torture, or 2) a way to heal his body, making all swelling disappear. They both made sense to him, because his joints protested with pain to the cold, but the swelling in his eye was gone and he could see clearly from it.

A few minutes of rubbing life back into his stiff being revitalized his muscles and joints until he was able to ease himself onto his feet. Dizziness hit him like a cruel slap, but he fought to maintain his balance. Whatever they had put in that glass of water must have still been working in his system. He assumed it was just some type of sedative as he was still quite groggy and foggy-minded.

Ed looked around the room, a dim light hung from the very center of the ceiling to allow him to see his full surroundings. The room was very small as he could almost touch both walls when he stretched his arms out, though the room was a lot longer than it was wide. He understood that this room had more than likely been used for some type of torture as he spotted a splatter of dried blood on the base of each wall and even some of the crimson spray on the ceiling above. If those walls could talk, he wondered what stories they would tell him. What horrific deeds had taken place within the small room? He decided that he didn't really want to know as he saw fresher, brighter blood on one of the walls. Whoever had been in the room before him hadn't left the room alive.

As he stood under the dim light, he felt like a slab of thawing meat. The very core of his body, inside and out, was still a harsh cold, but the shocking bite from the ice did have a bonus to it. Like taking a cold shower in the morning, he felt so very energetic, a lot better than he had for days, and judging by the way he felt, he guessed he hadn't been in the ice for longer than fifteen minutes, if that. So, in an attempt to get his body temperature back to normal, he bounced on his feet, much like a boxer would do before a match. The simple action created heat for his body that shivering hadn't been able to do, successfully driving away the numbness and cold. Oh, when those bastards came back, he would definitely give them a shock. He felt just like his old self again, defiant and ready to fight. He was going to get Al and get away; he had a chance now with this once forgotten energy coursing through his veins.

He smiled to himself at the thought of victory. They'd really screwed up by putting him in that tub of ice and water and he would punish them for their foolish mistakes.

Ed walked to the door, running his fingers over the cold surface. It was thick steel and there was no way he could break through it. He wondered though...They'd given him a shot that halted his alchemical abilities, but surely it would have worn off by now...

As the thought dawned on him, he clapped his hands and pressed them against the steel door. Everything weighed on whether this worked or not. Plan A: If it did, then Al could use alchemy too and they'd both be able to get away. Plan B: If it didn't, then...well, he would just have to kick some ass and hope for the best.

Time stopped as he stood there in dismay. No reaction, not even the smallest blue spark of a reaction. Whatever they'd injected him with was still coursing in his blood, putting a gap in any alchemical process before a reaction could occur in the circuit.

"Shit," he muttered, angrily stepping back from the door. He placed his back against the wall, sliding down its grim surface until he was sitting on the ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest, keeping what he had of his body warmth to only him and reserving his energy, allowing it to grow. He would just have to wait and he was really too impatient for that, but maybe waiting would pay off in the end, when the time came for him to act. He dozed lightly as he waited, minutes piling up into hours.

The thick door flew open and his Ishbalan buddy walked in. It was just him with his long grin, dark skin, and red eyes. Ed let him get close, feigning weakness as the man stepped forward. The Ishbalan grabbed his grin in his fingers, tilting his head up for their gazes to meet. Ed knew that his gold eyes were no longer dull with fatigue and pain, but were now bright and lustrous. He was brimming with energy and awareness, mind processing thoughts and actions faster than ever.

"You're pathetic," the man said, scrunching up his nose in his disgust. "Why are you so hopeful? Do you honestly think you're going to leave this place alive, if at all?" Ed stared defiantly into the man's red eyes, no longer faking weakness. "Answer me."

"Yes." Ed chased after the words with a flying right fist, jamming it into the man's jaw. Momentarily, he wished he had automail again to really do some damage.

The Ishbalan stumbled back from the unexpected force of the blow. He wasn't able to recover in time as Ed connected another fist and another until the man was against the wall. The red-eyed man was temporarily paralytic from the blows, so Ed took advantage of the opportunity. He bolted, heading with tremendous speed for the door; it was cracked open, because the man went straight for Ed, most likely not expecting any resistance from the blond.

Ed flung the door open, making it crash against the wall as it swung, only missing the dazed Ishbalan by a mere inch. The determined blond stood in the long hallway, head darting left and right to make a decision in which way to go. He needed to get to Al, but he had no clue where to go. He was wasting time, too much precious time, so he went left, racing down the hallway in a blur.

As he ran, being pushed forward by pure adrenaline, he could hear the Ishbalan's heavy footsteps chasing after him in a rhythmic pounding. He ran past the many cells of prisoners like him and he desperately wanted to stop to help them, but there was no time. Ed pressed forward, putting all strength in his fast strides, coming closer and closer to the end of the race. Or so he hoped. He hoped his brother would be close by. But what if he wasn't? What if he had gone the wrong way? Or what if Alphonse had been killed in his absence?

The thought hit him like a cold slap, slowing his run. He could hear the man gaining speed on him as he yelled curses and threats. He even thought he could feel the man's warm breath against the back of his neck, his hand reaching out to grab his trailing locks. But as he took another left, familiarity jumped to him. He remembered the hallway and could see the cell that held his brother at the very end of the long stretch. New determination coursed through him and pushed harder, going faster than he'd ever gone before. Like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, he was so close. So very close.

'Almost...'

The light of his goal grew as he drew closer to the end, but the light disappeared in an eclipse. He came to a stumbling halt as a massive figure jumped in front of him, grabbing him by his forearms with a bruising force. Ed struggled and tried to squirm his way out of the man's tight grip, but to no avail did his efforts pay off.

"Let me go!" he shrieked, kicking his legs and trying to throw his fists. His front was pressed tightly against the strange man's own front and he could feel a pair of cold hands wrap around his throat from behind, squeezing his neck. He recognized those hands, remembering them touching his body all over in the most heinous of fashions. They were the hands of the Ishbalan who had taken him, stripped him of his innocence and virtue.

Breathing became a struggle and keeping conscious became a battle. The world began to fade and darkness began to reach out to him. His attempts of escape were officially thwarted as he knew nothing but darkness.

Damn.

Feeling fingers tap his cheek, Ed opened his eyes in a daze. A moan of confusion fell from his lips as he looked around the unfamiliar room. He tried to move, but found that he was securely strapped to a chair.

"Subject 10-0310. Experiment: Devil's Whisper."

There were people in the room, but only one of them was Ishbalan. The person who'd spoken the mysteriously words had yellow-ish skin and black eyes and hair. The person also had something pointed in his hands, something that set Ed's heart racing. It was a syringe and the person's words then made sense. Human experimentation.

Ed jerked his hands and feet in a desperate attempt for escape, but the person approached him with the needle. Ed saw that it was a woman from the delicate jawline and thin neck. She smiled a sadistic smile as she stepped toward him, baring the needle like a weapon.

"N-no, don't," he found himself saying as the sharp point got closer to his flesh. "Get away from me!"

The woman said something foreign with a tone of annoyance, apparently snapping an order at a man nearby. The man, who looked like the woman, grabbed his right arm, holding it still. He winced as the needle was driven into his skin and the liquid inside was pushed into his bloodstream.

A quiver went past his trembling lips as his body shook. A heavy fog settled over his mind, carrying to his vision and even the rest of his sense. He couldn't think, see, feel, smell, taste, or talk. His body just shook uncontrollably.

The world became forgotten as the drug took hold of his mind and body. It was distant, like leaves rustling in the wind, but he would hear it invade his mind. That horrific sensation was the only feeling that came to him as the liquid pumped through his entire being. It was dark and even felt evil. He wanted to scream as the feeling grew in his head, expanding throughout his body, but no definite sound would fall from his lips.

He was trapped in the feeling, drowning in it. He hadn't even been aware of being touched, being carried away from the room to somewhere else.

Ed laid on the cold floor, body still shaking as the dark feeling grew stronger inside him. Slowly, he could feel the coldness of the floor bathe his body and all of his senses returned to him. He wished it hadn't. The moment everything came rushing back to him, it happened. The darkness, the evilness, inside him was strong now; he could feel its power.

It's over. He belongs to me now.

"Wh-what? Who said that? What do you mean?"

I've taken him away.

"Who? Who's been taken away?"

Your dearest Alphonse, of course. Face it. You've failed him as a brother.

"N-no, you're wrong. I-I..."

What a pathetic whelp. And to think you call yourself a man.

"Shut up," Ed pleaded. The darkness had a voice that was rough and raspy, low and menacing. If the devil was real, then Ed knew it was him who was whispering to him.

I'll tell you how it'll end, Edward. In blood. Sadness. Hatred. Soon, very soon, you'll belong to me for what you will do.

"Stop it!" Ed grabbed his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

Don't waste your time in thinking you can save him. He's already broken.

"Liar!"

I watched, smiling and laughing, as they played with him. He enjoyed it, Edward. He moaned and begged for more.

"Stop talking," Ed yelled, shaking his head.

He was such a greedy bastard. He couldn't get enough. If only you could have been there to watch.

Ed's eyes darted to the vertical bars of the cell where that woman was scribbling down something from the other side. He grabbed the bars, screaming at the woman, "Make him stop! Please! Make him stop talking!"

You know you would've enjoyed to see such a thing too. Don't lie to yourself. You even enjoyed it when they were inside you. What a disgrace.

"Shut up! Shut up!" he screeched, stumbling back from the bars as he pulled at his hair. "That's not true! It's not!"

Oh, but it is. I am you. I know your every thought and memory, your darkest desires.

"No..." He sank to his knees, curling up in a tight ball.

You're in so much pain. You're breaking too. How much longer do you think you can last in this place? Answer me.

"I don't...I don't know..."

You don't need to live any longer. He took his own life, Edward.

"Why? Why did he..."

He was ashamed at enjoying such a tragedy. Ashamed that your name escaped his lips.

Ed's breathing hitched at the words. Could the whispered words be true?

There's no point to your existence. End it. If you come to me now, I'll make it easy for you. You won't suffer like all the others.

"No!" Ed slammed his forehead against the hard floor, trying to drive the dark voice out of his mind. He screamed the simple word repeatedly as he slammed his head against the cold surface, the whispers still speaking to him about the dark temptation of suicide.

The skin of his forehead split open to release a river of bright blood. The whispers continued, so he continued screaming and banging his head against the floor. But then, he was grabbed by someone and felt something pinch his arm. He relaxed.

We'll be meeting again, Edward. Good bye.

Darkness.

It was becoming a pattern: Light, Darkness, Light, Darkness. He was getting tired of it.

He opened his eyes, feeling a sharp pain on his arm and forehead. He looked at his bound limb to find that he'd been marked with black ink next to the injection site: 10-0310. He tossed the pain aside, thankful that his mind was completely his again. They must've have sedated him to keep from killing himself. He hadn't realized it until then, but that was what he had tried to do, despite not wanting to. No, although he didn't want to, his body did. His body had acted against him and taken a life of its own. Or maybe it was Him who had taken control of his body? Either way, he hoped it would never happen again.

"Edward Elric the Fullmetal Alchemist."

At the mention of his name, Ed's head shot up to meet the gaze of the Ishbalan with the Glasgow smile, the slant-eyed woman standing behind him. How the hell did he know his name?

"I never thought we'd have someone so well-known here." The man laughed. "No matter how much thought I put into it, how you were captured eludes me."

"What do you want with me?"

"You're going to help us. You see, we've been trying to figure out how to get pass your military's strength in arms and alchemy. We're close. Very close to an solution."

"What are you talking about?"

"How was it? Did He talk to you? What did He tell you? Terrible thing, right? It's a drug we've created. If I could pronounce its technical name, I would tell you, but for simplicity's sake, everyone here calls it Devil's Whisper. It really screws up your mind. If such a thing was released into say...a city's water supply, think of the damage. Utter chaos. Left and right, people would be jumping from buildings and blowing their brains out. That would really put a crutch on your government, wouldn't it?"

"Y-you can't be serious. What kind of monster..."

"Monster? We're not monsters, kid. We merely want you bastards to feel what we've felt. The pain, the discrimination. My people have been driven from their land, countless slaughtered. I had a family once, a beautiful wife and three strong sons. Do you know what happened to them? They were drowned in an ocean of fire by one of you alchemists."

"You're so dumb," Ed said with a laugh. "That same alchemist is on his way. He's coming here to save me and he's not alone. All of you will perish."

"Save it, Elric. We already know. We spotted a small group of soldiers not too far from here, but haven't you noticed something? It's always cold in here, isn't it? And plus, have you seen a ray of sunlight since you've been here?"

Ed thought about it. He was right. But he gave a mental sigh of relief at the man's words; Roy was coming for him. There was still a chance that he could be saved, him and Al both.

"We're a good twenty or so feet under the ground. Catacombs for the dead. But enough of that," the Ishbalan said, then made a gesture with his hands. The woman from before stepped forward.

"Subject 10-0310. Second experiment: Devil's Whisper," she said, her voice holding a heavy accent.

"No, not again," Ed pleaded with a gasp as he spotted the needle in the woman's hand. "Please, not again."

"Now, now, don't be such a child. We still need to test and refine this drug or else the entire plan could go wrong. And you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" the Ishbalan man said, smiling.

Hello, Edward.

Devil's Whisper increases that hormone or chemical that makes you think more about suicide, just to make that clear. So, this fic is moving a lot slower than I had originally anticipated, but whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is beyond me.

Anyways, thanks for all of the lovely comments so far!
Please review! :)

And if anyone can figure out where 10-0310 is from, then you get a ginormous cookie!
Hint: It is FMA related

Also, if anyone has a better summary than mine, please let me know!