Chapter eighteen

Edward woke up because of the way his mind was screaming at him that he was in danger.

Because of Melanie's smell.

Just as he opened his eyes, he found himself face to face with Melanie. He started, noticing that even though his stumps were throbbing painfully, the areas where they had been pulling and messing with his nerves were mostly just numb.

He guessed it was a blessing of sorts as long as it wasn't permanent.

"So how is my puppy doing today? Are we a bit sore from training?"

Oh, how he wanted to hit her! To just beat her to a bloody pulp! After what she had put him through yesterday. After what she hadn't just done to him, but to his little brother! To Roy!

And so he spat into her face.

He knew it wasn't a good idea, he knew he'd pay for it.

But damn it if he didn't care. He was sick of this! He was tired and cold and in pain and he had been stuck here for over two weeks now!

"Go to hell!" Ed hissed. He wasn't going to let her break him! He had already been screaming and crying a lot more than he'd ever like to admit. He wasn't going to give in to her.

And he was clinging onto that hatred. Hatred kept him going when his mind said to give up.

Melanie just licked his spit off her face. "So you're still not accepting your masters, Edward? That's a shame. I was hoping that we were getting somewhere… Maybe torturing Roy a bit more will help? How about an extra strong dose of that little drug you had so much fun with that night? The one that kept you screaming for hours because you thought Daddy Roy was trying to kill you again? Who knows what he'd do to you with that one coursing through his veins. I wonder what he'd be seeing… Maybe he'd strangle you all over again? I mean, it's so easy …"

Ed tried not to let his fear show at those words, but he really didn't want to watch Roy be on those drugs. Ed knew he had punched and kicked at Roy to keep him away…

…Both the one he'd been seeing and the real one.

…And he knew that the only reason that he hadn't managed to hurt him was that he was down two limbs and Roy was even bigger than him.

With the tables turned, however, Ed didn't have much of a chance unless he managed to knock him out on the first try.

Then suddenly Melanie had clamped her hands around his neck and his mind was panicking because he couldn't breathe. "You see, Edward? Really easy…"

Ed began clawing at her hands with his remaining hand, his mind blurring the lines between the flashbacks and reality and his body wasn't getting enough air and he needed air and Melanie didn't look like she would let him go and the fire was burning in his chest! His mouth moved without meaning to. "Roy!" he croaked, his vision blurring and he made a frantic last effort to scrape his nails across Roy's chest as he croaked out the name again and felt the arms around him shift.

"YOU BITCH! DON'T YOU DARE!" Roy shouted and then the hands around his neck released their grip and Ed was coughing weakly, his lungs filling with that delicious, wonderful air as he leaned forwards, the spots at the corners of his eyes fading as he took in that sweet gas. Roy and Melanie were talking, but Ed didn't care. His body was shaking and he just focused on breathing and coughing and wheezing and air.

Tears were streaming down his face and his chest hurt.

Then Ed was brought back to the present as he felt Roy tense and gasp as he clutched Ed tighter to him. "No way in hell!" Roy said.

"Roy, you didn't let me finish. You have two options. You pull out his nails or I will cut off his fingers," Melanie said.

Roy felt panic clutching at his heart at the thought.

That sick bitch.

But there really wasn't any option. Nails grew back, even if it would take months…

…Fingers didn't.

And he knew Melanie wouldn't hesitate to do it.

In answer to Roy's pause, Melanie took Ed's hand in hers and began pressing her thumb into Ed's, instantly drawing blood.

"Fine! I'll do it!" Roy said, his panic rising and his queasiness returning.

Melanie grinned and licked the blood off of Ed's hand. Then Gregor was there in a flash and was wrapping the cut up.

And handing Roy a pair of pliers.

Ed's breathing was still uneven and raspy, and Roy had to fight the urge to retch. Melanie was just sitting there, waiting patiently for them, smiling happily.

Ed was looking down, his face turned away from Roy, but he was holding his hand up for Roy to take in his.

"Edward, look at me," Roy said, his throat dry, needing to say something.

But what could he say? What do you tell a scared twelve-year-old right before you pull his nails out?

The small boy on his lap looked up at him, his eyes still tearful after the strangling. "Just do it," he croaked. "It's okay. I know you don't want to." His eyes may be teary and fearful, but there was determination in them. Not defeat.

Roy didn't know what it was about that look, but instead of gripping his hand and starting to pull out his nails, Roy pulled him close and pressed his lips against the top of his head. "I'm so proud of you, kid," he whispered, tears burning in his eyes. He knew that this was far less than Ed had been put through earlier, but Roy was about to knowingly torture him. None of them were drugged this time.

And Melanie was just watching their torment, enjoying it.

Ed's face was pressed against his chest and whispered back. "You too, I guess." He pulled away slightly. "I suppose we should just get this over and done with." Ed held up his hand again and Roy knew it was cruel to make him wait. And so he took it in his left, holding it firmly as he took the pair of pliers and held them tightly around the nail. Roy hadn't really noticed how long they'd grown before now, but he felt a sort of sick sense of relief that he'd get a good grip on them at least.

"Ed, I'm so, so sorry for this."

Then he pulled. He pulled and watched as he hurt him, the scene in front of him looking so unnatural and painful. He heard Ed hiss with pain, but other than that, he made no noise.

"Now, now, Edward, you're not allowed to close your eyes!" Melanie scolded. "You have to watch as Daddy Roy hurts you. Makes you bleed. That's it, good doggie!"

Understandably, Ed began squirming slightly by the second nail. His sounds of discomfort grew louder with each nail, making Roy suddenly happy that he hadn't ate anything since two days ago or he'd be retching violently right now.

"And now the toes!" Melanie said cheerfully just as Roy let out a sigh of relief that it was over as he placed the last nail in Melanie's outstretched hand.

"That wasn't the deal!" Roy protested.

"Torturer's privilege," she said sweetly, shrugging. "Besides, Roy, I said nails… That includes the toenails. If you don't want to, I'll just cut off his fingers."

Roy glared daggers at her as Edward moved his right foot closer so that Roy could pull out his nails. "Just take it…" Ed said, his voice slightly strangled, telling him just how much pain Roy had caused him.

And so Roy grabbed his foot too and pulled out all five of them, feeling absolutely sick.

"It's okay, Roy," Ed said hoarsely. "Th-they'll grow back…"

There is nothing that's okay with this.

Gregor then came over with a first aid kit and bandaged Ed's digits, making him whimper.

Roy was trapped inside a vortex of hate and disgust and shock and pain and fear that just made it hard to breathe because he had just tortured Ed. He had intentionally hurt him.

And it hurt.

It was absolute agony.

And what would Melanie have him do next?

The thought made his stomach twist even further and he hugged Ed to him even tighter as Gregor finished wrapping up his pinky.

"So, Edward, after that little lesson, it's time continue our training programme like we discussed. Gregor, please give me my little fun kit."

And so Gregor retrieved a smaller box from inside the first aid kit and opened it to reveal a series of syringes and a few vials of different substances.

Ed was tensing and then Roy was sure that the boy was losing his head as he threw himself at Melanie and started shouting. "YOU WANT ME TO BE A GOOD DOGGIE?! WELL SCREW THAT! YOU'RE A MANIPULATIVE BITCH AND YOU SHOULD GO TO HELL! I HATE YOU AND YOU'RE THE MOST DISGUSTING CREATURE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH!"

For some reason, the outburst merely made Melanie laugh as she easily turned Ed over on his back instead and held him down. "I know what you're doing, Edward, and it's really adorable! Trying to save Daddy Roy from my little drug. Trying to stop him from hurting you because you try to make me angry enough to hurt you instead because you're scared."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL, YOU SICK FREAK! YOU'RE JUST A SADISTIC, DISGUSTING FREAK AND YOU DON'T SCARE ME! YOU NEVER WILL! YOU'RE REPULSIVE! THE SCUM OF SOCIETY! YOU'RE JUST A FREAK AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY YOUR BODY IS FIGHTING YOUR EXISTENCE! NOT EVEN YOUR BODY WANTS TO HOLD A SOUL AS TWISTED AS YOURS! THAT MAKES YOU THE BIGGEST FREAK THERE IS!"

Roy watched as Melanie started shaking. "I told you before, Edward: NEVER CALL ME A FREAK!" The last part was a high-pitched shriek. She turned around and grabbed a syringe, filling it with an ominous-looking yellow liquid before turning back to the boy and then she plunged the syringe straight into his arm. "This should tell you just who the freak is," she panted, her voice full of malice.