~Chapter 7~

Dark.

It was all dark.

All he could remember was dust... lots and lots of dust. And wind. He remembered the wind and the laughter - not happy, innocent laughter, but wicked, grotesque laughter.

And now it was dark.

It was all dark.

Alphonse could tell he was in one of the frightening vehicles that showed up. He knew because of the up and down motion caused by the uneven desert ground and the sound of the obnoxious engine. Being kidnapped frightened him already, but being blindfolded for the ride made it even more agonizing. He had no way of knowing where they would take him, or if Edward was following. He felt alone and trapped, surrounded by wicked chuckles and demonic fantasies.

"Look at him! We got a young 'un!" cried a raspy, masculine voice from within the vehicle, hysterical and laced with insanity.

"I know! I know!" agreed a different voice, full of the same disgusting hysteria. "He's all ours!"

"What are we going to do with him?" questioned a third man, leaving Alphonse to wonder how just how many people were in this death trap of a car.

"I want him! I can't wait anymore!" the first voice rang out. Al could just imagine the weirdo licking his lips. "I have to have him!"

Alphonse curled into a tight ball and buried his head, trying to convince himself that this wasn't really happening, that it was all some sort of sick dream. He wanted it all to go away. He wanted to see Edward again.

"Can't you wait you sleazy pervert?!" one of the men cried.

"No! I can't, I just can't!" the other creep exclaimed, noisily fiddling with what Alphonse thought was a belt. He had pure insanity glistening in his eyes and lust pounding through his veins... but Al couldn't see that, and maybe it was for the better.

"Stop it!" the third man ordered, audibly slapping the insane one over the back of the head. "Get ahold of yourself!"

"But-,"

"But nothing! He's not just yours you asshole, he's all of ours! Besides, I was the one who spotted him so I get my turn first! It's been too long since I've heard the agonizing screams of torture."

"Fine... but I get him afterwards," the hysterical one pouted.

"And I get him after that!" the third voice sang, too much joy encompassing that statement. "I want to be the one to kill him! To watch him die! You guys get to torture and bang him, so I get to kill him!"

The other two heaved a heavy sigh, reluctantly agreeing to the terms. It seemed like their plan was all sorted out.

"What about the others?"

"What about them?"

"Well, we captured this kid, but the others in the car next to us managed to catch another kid along the way. What do you think they're gonna do to her?"

"Don't know, and I sure as hell don't give a rat's ass. All I care about is getting back and having my fun."

The three men laughed and laughed together, increasing their speed to shorten the anticipation. All poor Alphonse could do was stay balled up as his blindfold dampened with frightened tears.


"Sh-shit," Fullmetal gasped, slowing down to a stop. He had been running for miles and miles, trying not to lose the trail of the Storm Riders. It was faint, but he could still make out the tire tracks in the dirt. If the outlaw was lucky, and no more dust storms rolled in, he could follow those bastards all the way. All the way to Alphonse.

"I'm c-coming k-kid," Ed heaved again while trying to catch his fleeting breath. It definitely was one long ass run.

"Th-they cant be much further...,"

The outlaw kept his gaze upon the horizon, trying to calculate where they might be going.

"What the hell is in that direction? Where would they be going?"

His hip port was beyond sore - but not as sore as his other leg, leaving him to wonder if two auto mail legs would have made this easier. Eh, maybe. But it didn't matter - he could care less about himself. Right now he was worried shitless about what they could do to Al, what they would do to him. It was fantasies straight out of hell, and he didn't want the poor boy to even know they existed, let alone be forced to take part in them. He had to keep going, he had to keep chasing after them.

With a humorless chuckle Edward began running again. Not at a full forced sprint, but a faster paced jog to maintain his stamina.

"Who would have thought...," the outlaw smirked to himself. "...that I would be chasing after a damn kid like this?"

In the middle of a vast wasteland there was a red-coated outlaw who was worn and beaten down by life and its circumstances, given the name Fullmetal to bear. But amongst all of it, under the vibrant blue sky, he ran. He ran not for himself, but for someone he cared about...

Something he hadn't done in a very, very long time.


"Anything?" Mustang cried out, sifting thought the burnt debris of the destroyed gas station. There had to be some kind of positive outcome to his rushed mistake.

"Nothing over here!" Riza called out in response, lifting burnt unknowns off of other burnt and unidentifiable objects. Everything was black and singed to a crisp.

"Dammit!" the raven-locked man shouted, instinctively kicking the crumbling debris. How did this help anything? It seemed like such a good idea back at The Capitol, but now they were left searching this mess for hours on end.

Mustang sighed and made his way over to Hawkeye, who was having no luck as well. The two of them stood side by side with their hands propped on the hips of their blue uniforms, studying the rubble and looking for any sort of clue.

"I don't see a single thing," Roy stated in defeat. "It seems pointless to me."

Riza took a moment to reply, continuing to study her surroundings. "It does seem to lack any yield," she said slowly, "However... I don't think it was completely pointless."

"How so?" Roy asked in confusion. The whole ordeal seemed like a massive failure to him.

"Well, Sir, the Fullmetal didn't know we were coming. Therefore he must not have had any intentions on leaving the old highway. With that said, he obviously didn't come our way or we would have seem him-,"

"Meaning he must have gone in that direction," Mustang finished, pointing eastward down the old asphalt road. "Makes sense to me."

"That is, however, only speculation," the Lieutenant said.

"Well then it's damn fine guesswork. What exactly is in that direction anyway?"

Hawkeye squinted her eyes as if to see all the way past the horizon. "If I remember the maps correctly, I believe there is an old diner in that direction called 'North of Nowhere'. I can't guarantee, however, that he's still there, or if he moved after hearing the explosion," the lieutenant explained. Roy smiled at her,

"It doesn't matter - that's where we'll head anyways. Good work."

Riza smiled back at her eye-patched superior, glad to help in any sort of way. Her accomplishment, however, was quickly snuffed out as they were both greeted unexpectedly.

"Sup!" a voice rang out, causing the two soldiers to pivot on their heels. They were met with a very familiar person smirking at them from behind their sunglasses. "Nice day today, eh?"

"G-greed?!" Roy cried out in shock.

Greed flashed a wicked grin and made his way through the burnt rubble, his hands placed deep in his pockets. "That's the name, don't go wearing it out!" the criminal exclaimed. Then he tilted his head, "Find anything good, Mustang?"

The soldier addressed huffed and spit on the ground, clearly disgusted at the man before him. "Nope. Not that I'd share it with you."

"Ouch! That pulled on the ol' heart strings Roy-boy!" Greed mocked. "Still as harsh as ever!"

The spikey-haired rebel stood in front of the two soldiers, his small sunglasses drooping down his nose and his eyes glaring at them from above. "S'prised to see you two here."

"We could say the same. Why are you here?" Roy shot back. Greed shrugged casually.

"I came after hearing that the Fullmetal blew up his own place. I just wasn't sure if it was true - seems crazy to me."

Mustang stared at Greed, slightly astonished. He was obviously unaware that Roy was the one who blew the place sky high.

"Yes, it seems crazy to me too," the black-locked soldier agreed, a subtle grin forming on his lips. In the corner of his eye he could see Riza giving him a look.

"But... since Fullmetal isn't here, what makes you think I won't kill you where you stand?" Mustang threatened. "You are a rebel after all - and the leader of them, no less."

"Duh, Roy-boy! You need me, after all!" was the confident reply. It caused Roy to frown. Greed laughed, continuing on,

"Come on, you know how this works - when there's people I don't need anymore, I let you know. I send them on a so-called mission, and whabam! You kill 'em all! It works for both of us! I get my dirty work done and you get points as a commander. You still want the presidency, right?"

Mustang sighed and folded his arms. Greed was right, he did need him. Being president was everything, and if that meant obtaining it through... unorthodox methods... then so be it.

"Guess there really wasn't anything here to find after all, huh?" he asked, changing the subject.

Riza shook her head. "No, there is absolutely nothing here, as anything useful was either burnt or blown into oblivion. I'd say we're lucky to even identify the building."

Greed gave a whistle of amazement and turned over a singed wooden plank with his foot. "Pretty hard core. He could'a been a real great ally. Too bad though - he is on my shit list, after all."

"Your shit list?" Roy mocked. "You don't have what it takes to even consider him a part of that."

"Yeah?" Greed challenged calmly.

"Hell yeah! He's mine and mine alone, so don't think your going to just go about trying to kill him now. He's been mine since before you even met the bastard!"

"Mmm, obsession. That can ruin a man you know."

Mustang clenched his fists, fighting the desire to twitch his currently gloved fingers. One snap and he'd shut that bastard up - and he was going to do it, too, but a calm hand quickly grasped his.

"It's okay, sir," Hawkeye said quietly.

"Oh, got your girlfriend on guard, eh? Tough guy."

Roy gritted his teeth, becoming increasingly pissed at the mockeries thrown towards his pride.

"Chill out Roy, you're still so tight. Anyways, I have to get going. No sense in wasting my time here with you."

Greed smiled and walked away, carelessly waving a hand in the air. Roy and Riza watched as the man made it to the asphalt road and began walking.

"Y-you mean he didn't even take a car?" Roy mumbled.

Riza glanced over at her superior, trying not to show her surprise. "It seems so. That was quick, I have to admit."

"Oh! And Roy!" Greed called out from the distance. "Don't think you'll stop me from catching the Fullmetal! I'm gonna do it just to piss you off!"

"Why that-,"

"Sir, calm down. There is nothing you can do right now."

"I swear...," Roy grunted through clenched teeth. "When I have the Fullmetal's head, and I don't need that bastard Greed anymore, I'm gonna kill him."

The two soldiers stood in the pile of burnt rubble and watched as the leader of the rebellion walked away. The world really was a real bitch.


Being in the dark completely eliminated Al's vision, leaving him to rely on his other senses. Sound? He heard the engines and the squeaky suspension of the vehicles. And he heard when they finally arrived, the cars coming to a stop and the grotesque men taking him out of the vehicle. As far as smell goes, everything stunk like shit. He guessed that the men haven't showered in at least a decade, and they probably never even wiped their asses. It was sickening.

They were rough, really rough, and they enjoyed it too. One of them grabbed Al by the wrist and led him into some sort of building, keeping him blindfolded until they reached their destination. Alphonse still couldn't tell where he was, but he had a feeling it was some sort of prison.

"And there we go!" one of the men spoke, tearing off Al's blindfold while simultaneously slamming a door. "You're gonna stay here for now."

The light hurt his eyes, but once they blurred back into vision Al was mortified by what he saw. In front of him were the three guys that captured him - each one pale, filthy, and bony. It actually reminded him of those stick figure little kids drew. They were garbed in nothing but a dirty loin cloth and some home made shoes. Each one had gaping holes in their earlobes - a signature, Al thought.

"When we gonna have our fun with him?" one of the pale freaks asked.

"We have to let the boss know 'bout our spoils before we can just do what we want. You know that dumbass."

One of the bony animals shoved his head between the bars, scaring Alphonse and causing him to nearly fall backwards. "You're gonna be mine kid! Just you wait!"

The other two glanced over to the boy and grinned, showing a lack of teeth. "Yeah, this one'll be fun."

The three of them chuckled and turned around, leaving Alphonse alone.

"E-even animals like them have leaders?" Al wondered, surprised at any kind of 'formality'. All he could do was wait and hope. Hope that Edward would show up and rescue him. In the meantime, he finally had a chance to check out his surroundings - with his vision this time. And, maybe he could find a way to escape.

His original suspicions were correct - Al was indeed in a jail cell. It was rather small, and the floor was made up of concrete with a stone slab in the corner that provided a lousy bed. In another corner was a pile of bones, some of the meat still hanging on. Upon closer inspection, Al was mortified to find that they were human. This whole place seemed like a living hell.

"Scratch that," Al thought to himself. "It doesn't seem like a living hell - it is one."

Time passed and nobody came, leaving Al to wonder what exactly had happened. Those freaks were all excited to carry out their fantasies, and now they just up and left? It didn't make sense. All there was to do was wait and wonder - he had checked the jail cell for any place of escape, and so far there was none. Curling up on the pathetic bed, Alphonse sat with his knees to his chest and clutching them with all his strength. Maybe, maybe if he could shrink enough... maybe they couldn't find him?

After a long while footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. Al huddled into the corner and watched as a man approached the cell door. He wasn't one of the men that captured him, but he was equally as creepy.

"Here," the pale and bony man grunted, roughly setting a plate down inside of the cell. "One of our other prisoners ended up dying, so we can't let him go to waste."

On the plate was an arm and a leg, a human arm and leg, just sitting there as if it was some sort of normal meal. It took everything Al had not to puke right then and there.

"Eh, you'll want it when your hungry enough kid," the freak said matter-of-factly. He appeared to be a little less insane than the others.

Alphonse remained quiet and didn't move and inch, watching as the guy walked away... and left him alone with the human limbs. All he could think of was pushing deeper and deeper into the solid corner, desperately wanting to avoid any contact with the so-called meal. But no matter how far he wanted to be away, they remained right there. The worst part, though, was the smell - the smell of cold flesh and blood. It quickly began to reek inside of the cramped cell.

Outside the cage that Al was in, the moons in the sky began to dim, leading the outside world into nighttime. The poor boy curled up on the stone slab, staying inside his defensive ball and trying to ignore the grotesque smell. Tears stained his soft cheeks as his chest violently rose and dropped. He just couldn't stop crying and sobbing into his body. He couldn't help feeling alone and helpless, just like when his parents were killed. All he wanted was for Edward to come... but he knew that there was a good, a very good chance that he'll never find whatever and wherever this place is.

Soon, despite the hellish situation and the horrid smell, the boy's fatigue began to set in as he fell into a very light and unsettling sleep.


"Hey!" a male voice shouted out, instantly waking Al. "Bring 'er in here!"

Alphonse quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember where he was and almost throwing up once he remembered. Footsteps were stomping down the hallway, soon revealing an angry, pale man with a small girl.

"Think it's funny to try to escape? Damn bitch."

The man was dragging her along by her hair, ignoring the screams she was letting out. Al, however, buried his fingers in his ears. It wasn't long before they reached Al's cell, opening the door and throwing her inside and knocking the "meal" across the floor. He left without a word.

Alphonse couldn't help but stare. He was surprised that another person was thrown into the same cell as him, making him wonder how much room these people really have. The poor girl curled up and began crying hard, too upset to notice the smell and hellish décor.

"H-hello," Al attempted to make conversation, wondering if she was okay. He felt guilty for it, but the fact of having someone else in here made him feel a bit better. He watched the girl fore a couple more minutes - she didn't move.

Alphonse slowly got up and kicked the limbs away, softly sitting next to her. With a deep breath he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing the traumatized girl to flinch. Her face was buried into the ground.

"It's okay...," he soothed, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. But it was hard when he wasn't even sure if he'd ever see the light of day again.

The girl sniffed and began to slow her breathing.

"I'm Alphonse, what's your name?"

It took a moment, but the girl slowly sat up and wiped away her tears. She was around Al's age, and she had soft brown hair that was braided between her shoulder blades. She had sapphire blue eyes, and a gentle look about her. After several more sniffles, the girl wiped her eyes once more and mustered a faint smile.

"M-my name is Nina...,"


And here is your special order of... Chapter Seven! Haha XD

I have to admit, when the Storm Rider's came to me I wasn't completely sure where it would go. I mean, I had a general and basic idea of what I wanted to write, but now I think I've gotten Al into a much bigger mess than I anticipated, haha! And I was mean enough to drag Nina into it. Ah, oh well. I do it for my readers and for the sake of literature!

I really want to thank everyone who has favorited, followed, and or reviewed. I was reading the reviews and it just made my heart glow. You guys are the best and all the positive feedback and kind words really mean the entire world to me. I honestly wasn't sure how well this concept and story would take off, but to see the support makes it even more alive for me. And I have to be honest, I'm having way too much fun writing this, hahaha XD

~Have a very wonderful and super blessed day~