Chapter 9: Acceptance and What Happened Next
I am sorry I didn't post this yesterday. Life happened.
Goodness, I can't believe I made Mangele's character this way… and he's getting worse mentally…, just as a fair warning.
Where the hell is that brat!
Mustang cursed again. He still could not find Edward. He walked the length of the road down to the bridge and crisscrossed streets, stopping by the park, only to find it empty due to the hour.
I've been searching for a while. Maybe he went back.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Mustang was sprinting for home. Mustang practically crashed into the door as he hurried to unlock it and stumbled into the apartment. The lights in the living room were still on from when Mustang left. Mustang hurried to Edward's room and looked inside. Edward was not there.
Where is he?
Mustang pivoted and hurried to the phone. Picking it up, he dialed the number by heart. No one would be in the office, and Hawkeye was still away, but he could call Havoc and arrange a search party.
It looks like I'm coming off leave one day early.
The phone rang and continued to ring. As Mustang was about to slam the phone down with a frustrated snarl, Havoc picked up.
"It's about time!"
"Huh? Boss?"
"Yes, Havoc. Edward is missing. He went out for a walk, didn't return, and I can't find him!"
"Hold on, Boss. This is Ed. He can…"
"I don't care if he can take care of himself. Mangele is still out there, along with whomever he is working with. I've already searched. He said he would be home for dinner, but it's been hours now!"
Mustang was panting by the end of the tirade of words.
"Sure, Boss. I'll get a search team together right away. Not like this is the first time, right?"
"Havoc, I appreciate your candor, but right now is not the time."
"Sure thing."
"I'll meet you and the other officers at the office."
"Wait, aren't you…"
Mustang did not hear the rest because he had slammed down the phone and raced for the door. As Mustang ran down the street toward Central command, he realized he had left the lights on again but could not find it in him to care.
At the office, Havoc had gathered Furey and Breda as well as ten other officers to help with the search.
As Mustang stormed into the office, he pointed to one of the officers, "You will be in charge of watching my apartment and informing us if the Fullmetal Alchemist happens to show up."
He was careful about his wording because, although others knew he was on leave and that Edward was staying there in the meantime, he did not want to start any rumors.
The officer just nodded, wide-eyed, and the saluted, "Sir!"
"See Furey before you go so he can give you the equipment you need."
The officer scurried off to do as he was told. Havoc shifted his weight between his feet. Havoc had started to brief the officers before Mustang arrived, but Mustang came into the office like a hurricane, ready to take over, and so Havoc let him.
"Havoc, have you started to brief everyone."
Mustang's breathing slowed as he regained some calm.
"Yes, sir. We were just dividing up sections of the city to search."
"Did you start with my apartment as the center of the search?"
Havoc nodded, "Yes, sir. Although we were going to start farther away since I figured you would search around your apartment?"
Mustang shook his head.
"I've looked. However, I do want two of you," Mustang turned to the officers again, pointing at the two closest to him, "to search the area again. See if you find anything unusual, starting with the areas directly surrounding my apartment. The rest can follow the Second Lieutenant's plan. To the letter."
"Sound's good, boss. Okay, everyone, you have your orders. Go get fitted by Furey and head out."
The officers moved to follow orders, and Mustang turned to Havoc and Breda, "I am joining the search. I'll need a car."
Havoc nodded, and Mustang turned on his heel. Both Havoc and Breda exchanged worried looks as Mustang disappeared out the door.
Mustang's stomach found its way to his throat. Either that or he had forgotten how to breathe, and his throat was collapsing in on itself. At least that's the way it felt.
He was holding a cracked and broken syringe in his hand. Edward's pocket watch was on the ground, and the officer who tested the syringe said it contained a heavy sedative.
Instinct sharpened his focus. Few people walked down this alleyway, and it was apparent someone was here recently. A struggle had taken place, and golden strands of hair were found on the ground near the syringe.
It had only been about an hour when the two officers searching around his apartment found the recently broken syringe in an alleyway near his home. They had quickly called it in, and thankfully one of the officers on the team had a small testing kit to analyze the residue. Havoc had selected those on the team well and had purposefully made sure some of the officers were from investigations and could fill various roles in the search.
Now, they had substantial evidence to surmise that someone had been sedated and then abducted from the alleyway. Edward was still missing, and all the evidence seemed to point to Edward being the one who was kidnapped.
Mustang picked up the watch once the officers from investigations were done.
Damnit, kid. Be safe.
By morning, they still had no further clues as to Edward's location.
The phone call from Hawkeye took a while to reach him since he was not at home. Hawkeye called the office next, where she spoke to Furey, who told her of the developments in Central.
"I took myself off leave one day early, Lieutenant. Today was my last day, to begin with, so I joined the search for Edward. What have you found on your end? I want you back as soon as possible to help in the search."
Hawkeye sighed deeply, "Yes, sir. Furey explained, and Falman and I will be on the next train back to Central." Hawkeye paused, and Mustang could sense her hesitation through the phone.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
Mustang by no means meant to sound short with her, but he was far more concerned with returning to the search for Edward.
"Sir, we…, we found Maverick last night."
"You did? So, since you found him, you can come back. Good work, Lieutenant."
"Sir!" Hawkeye's voice was tense, "you're not listening."
Mustang then turned his full attention to Hawkeye.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Maverick…, Maverick was murdered. We found his body."
Mustang did not know why, but he shivered. For Hawkeye to sound so distressed over the phone meant that the situation was not pleasant. They had seen too much to be disturbed otherwise.
"He was most likely killed the day he disappeared or the day after. That is why they lost track of him."
"Continue."
"He was… sir…. The body is hardly recognizable, even after so little time. It looks like someone took a knife and tore him to pieces. Most of the damage seems to have been done while he was still alive."
The cold that had been seeping into Mustang only intensified.
"There's more, sir." Another pause. "There was a note. Mangele killed him."
Mustang started in shock, "What does the note say, Hawkeye?"
"It says: Punishment for this one's interference with my plans, a gift. Say hello to Roy. - Mangele."
Mustang swore under his breath, "So, what does that mean? We know that Maverick was not involved with Mangele, but Travis almost killed Edward. So, why wouldn't he go after Travis?"
"Maybe, Mangele felt since Maverick orchestrated the event that Maverick interfered with his plans by putting Edward's life in danger? Also, Travis and the others are in custody, so Mangele would not have been able to reach them easily."
Mustang rubbed his face. "I don't even want to think about Mangele having further plans for Edward. He said he had plans himself, but…. The man seems to be proving less stable as time passes. God, I wish he had made it as an actor. No one would take him, and now look."
"I'll be back soon, Sir, and we'll find Edward."
"We had better."
The phone connection went dead, and Mustang tried to breathe deeply to calm his stomach, which felt nauseous.
Mangele killed Maverick. I don't want Edward near that man any more than he has to be.
Edward jerked against the restraints. This time, Mangele had used cuffs for all four of his limbs. Edward had woken up in a chair, like last time, but this time he could see the windows, and his head hurt from the drug Mangele used. Edward warily watched Mangele as the man circled him.
"Funny how he almost got himself killed, no? I wasn't even involved in that. He almost died, saving you!"
The man threw his hands in the air and paused his circling. Edward growled through the gag, but Mangele continued walking.
"And here you are, at my mercy! You know, I killed the fool."
Edward blinked in confusion. Mangele laughed.
"It was a completely unrelated case, the fool going after him. To think that someone completely unrelated almost ruined my plans. The fool intervened in my plans and almost killed you, so I killed the fool. It was punishment for trying to kill you, especially since the fool's goal wasn't even to harm you but kill him. I'm the only one who gets to try anything with you. I can't have other variables involved. You are, after all, my precious experiment."
Killed…, who?
Mengele caressed Edward's cheek with a knife he held in his hand, stroking down toward Edward's neck. Edward flinched but kept still once the knife touched the underside of his jaw. He did not want to move and accidentally have the knife pierce his skin, even if he would not be able to stop Mangele from doing so purposefully. Edward's heartbeat was like hummingbird wings, quick and fluttering.
"I planned everything so meticulously, but I guess it still worked out since he lived—good job on your part saving him. Even so, the fool still had to die for almost running my plans and then almost killing you and him. I only thought of involving him once you showed up with him at my house and then the warehouse. Then that fool almost killed him. You provided much entertainment as you struggled with the thought of losing someone else in addition to your brother. I wanted to be the one to cause that suffering, not some unrelated fool!"
Is he talking about Maverick almost ruining his plans when Maverick tried to kill Mustang?
"But now, I get to make it a reality, and you already know you don't want him to die! So, I'll make it work. I wanted to know how much you cared, and I was looking forward to seeing how long it took to have you begging for his life. And then, I was going to give him back, let you both go, to then only to kill him later anyway. Now I don't get to do all of that, make you want to save him, beg for his life. That already happened in Resit, outside my control, but it has. Now I only get to do the second part…. Take him away, and I will take him with the same finality with which I took your brother."
Edward was sure that man had gone mad.
He's even worse than he was before!
Mangele was babbling on about his plans.
Is he planning to kill Mustang, too, like he killed Al? Just like Travis and Maverick almost killed him? No, it sounds like he planned on torturing Mustang….
Edward felt his face pale.
Mangele had not shown this side before. Before, Mangele was more poised as both Mr. Mangele and as Josiah, even if Josiah was chipper. Even the dark Mangele that had appeared for a moment in the basement was not present, but dark Mangele was the upset Mangele. To Edward, it sounded like a switch flipped in Mangele when Mustang almost died, judging by how Mangele talked about people interfering with his plans.
It wasn't even Maverick who shot him. It was Travis, but I guess Travis is in police custody, and Mangele was the mastermind…
"Oh, yes, and it will be a pleasure tormenting him too."
Edward balked, jerking his head into a better position to see the man. He missed some of the man's ranting as he mulled over what the deranged man was saying. The knife made a small cut across the side of his neck, and he jerked away. Edward had forgotten about the knife.
What the hell does he…?
"Oh, Edward Elric, just because I don't have to get you to prove that you care about him, just because there will only be one act now to my plan, instead of two, does not mean that I will not torment him. Initially, I was planning on torturing him for quite a while even after you begged for his life and before I would give him back and let you two go. Now we miss a step. I don't have to let you go first, but he'll still suffer and then die. Your expression, while he lay dying in Resit, was quite something. Now, when he comes for you, I'll have a little fun and record more for my experiment. You'll get to live. Otherwise, my experiment cannot go on.
"But you must be more careful. I don't want you hurting yourself. Now I have to clean that wound there. I won't bandage it, though. It just might come in handy when he sees it. Yes, that would be nice. Very nice indeed."
Edward's gut clenched at the man's words, and he flinched as the man stood. Mangele stared down at him for a moment and then turned and walked away.
Edward's eyes narrowed as he jerked at the restraints again.
Al may be dead, and there may be nothing I can do about it, but I cannot let you win! And I cannot let you kill again!
Hours later, Mangele returned, holding a wrench, and stopped to look at the sleeping alchemist. Leaving Edward's limbs restrained, Mangele set to work.
Edward woke a moment later to the sounds of metal hitting metal and sharp pain in his arm. His eyes flew open, and he saw Mangele tearing at the plates on his automail arm. Edward squirmed and yelled through his gag.
"Now, now, Edward. I need to remove these for your benefit. Well, not so much yours but mine. It's all a part of the plan."
Mangele managed to remove the plates and was staring at the bolt that connected the nerves to the automail.
Edward squirmed again.
"Now, Edward, I'm sure you know that squirming will only make it hurt more."
Edward stiffened as Mangele brought the wrench to his arm.
"I did look up how to do this, you know. So, don't worry."
Yeah, right, as if I'm not going to worry when you say it like that. Winry is going to kill me!
Edward almost screamed as Mangele loosened the bolt and managed to remove the automail.
He wasn't lying when he said he looked it up.
Mangele let the arm dangle from the chair by the restraint and moved to Edward's leg. He then cut back the material of Edward's pant leg, nicking him a few times, but otherwise not harming him. He then set about trying to remove the leg, but this time he turned the bolt the wrong way.
Edward jerked against the restraints, and his newly freed shoulder, since it was no longer attached to the bound arm, jerked away from the back of the chair, almost toppling him.
"Oops, my mistake Edward. Let me do that right."
The second time, Mangele turned the bolt the correct way and soon had the leg detached. He then removed the restraints from both metal limbs and laid them on the floor. Edward watched warily as the man left the room and returned with a box. He set the box down and place Edward's automail inside.
Edward cocked his head.
"Oh, don't worry, Edward. Your automail will be safe. I'm only going to send it to him with a note to come alone."
Edward jerked and yelled through his gag again.
"Well now, Edward. I can't go enacting my plan if he never shows up, now can I? My note will tell him you're all right and that he should follow the lead with the package by himself.
"But this is all precautionary anyway, just in case he doesn't find us fast enough. Just like I left him the note with the fool. I'm sure they found it by now. I'm sure it will give him the incentive to find you. He thinks I'm a danger to you, but I'm not going to hurt you, physically at least. I need you alive for my experiment. I don't need him alive for much longer, though. Not much longer at all."
Edward watched in horror as Mangele left the room, the box containing his automail in tow, which was soon followed by the sound of crunching metal.
The search was not going well. Hawkeye and Falman had returned the previous afternoon, and they had immediately joined the others looking for clues as to where Mangele could be hiding.
That morning, Hawkeye and Havoc left to talk to the information broker one more time to see if he had any more information about other residences or property owning's Mangele might have mentioned.
Hell, even if Mangele had talked to him recently!
It was not until later that they caught a small break when a man in a dark-hooded jacket came to see them with information.
Mustang was impatient, but the man casually sat down on the sofa and looked at him for a long minute before Mustang almost exploded.
"You came to us saying you had information. Now, out with it! I'm running out of patience!"
The man studied Mustang for a moment longer and then began, "I was given a job to do by someone called Mangele."
Mustang lunged for the man, but Breda and Falman were quick to intervene. The man merely watched as they held Mustang back.
"Mangele asked me to locate something for him. That's all I'm allowed to tell you."
Unable to break Breda and Falman's hold, Mustang ground his teeth and seethed, "What do you mean, that's all you're allowed to tell us?"
"Mangele gave me instructions to tell you this when you were in Resit. He thought you might have a tail on him. So after our meeting, I was to wait in the bar to see if anyone approached me. If they did, my instructions were to tell them I had a message for Mustang and Fullmetal about their current case and ask to be escorted to them to deliver the first of two messages. If no one showed up, then I was to deliver the second message once Mangele sent me orders to do so."
The man paused, and Mustang found himself relaxing, not because he was relieved, but because he was in shock at what the man was saying. Falman and Breda also loosened their hold but were poised to stop him if need be.
The hooded man who was with Mangele! The one Edward mentioned.
"You unexpectedly showed up, but as no one approached me, and I have now received the orders, I am delivering the second message."
The man paused for a moment, "Mangele asked me to look for a part so he could build a particular contraption he needed for his plan and wished for me to deliver it to his home. However, this is not the home you know about. He told me to inform you that you know about his house and the warehouse in Central, but not his other property."
Mustang's eyes widened, and Breda and Falman shifted uncomfortably.
"There is no record of this second home in his house in Central, and you found very little in his warehouse because he kept nothing there. He rented the warehouse only to be a stage and storage for his packages. He said, you know what these packages are, but did not tell me what they were.
"He said that he will send Mustang a message, which will lead you to his other home. Also, you should follow the instructions in the message to the letter if you want what is yours back. Since you are to receive the message that tells you where it is, I am not to tell you about the home's location."
With this, the man fell silent.
"Is that all?" Mustang growled.
"This is all Mangele told me. I don't even know the contents of the first message since it was unnecessary. I did not know the man before he contacted me to find the component and gave me instructions to tell you the message. I have no interest in aiding him any further, and I have nothing left to give you."
"Oh, yes, you do," Mustang ground out. "You can tell me what component he asked you to find, and you can tell me where the home is."
"Well, yes. However, he will tell you himself where the home is, and I do not see how knowing that he asked me to find a specific type of wire and receiver will help you."
Mustang was not pleased, "you will remain in custody until I can determine the truth of your words. Also, if anything happens to my subordinate, I will hold you just as responsible as an accomplice."
The man almost protested, but with one look at Mustang's face, he fell silent.
"Breda! Falman! Take him to a holding cell."
The two men saluted and followed Mustang's instructions, leading the man out, while Mustang stood in his office and fumed.
One step closer, but still nothing in sight. Mangele will contact me? Just what is he planning?
When Hawkeye and Havoc returned the next day, Mustang informed them of the visitor from the day before.
"We will wait to see if the package comes," Mustang informed the team. "It seems there is nothing new we can glean from what we found in his previous residence. However, I want to go over his contacts one more time. Look again to see if we can find anything concerning family members as well!"
Mustang turned to Hawkeye, "If the package comes, I want you ready to assist immediately. I don't know what kind of instructions Mangele will give, but it's best to be prepared."
The team saluted and went to do as told.
That evening, when Mustang returned to his apartment, he found a package sitting at his door, which he wasted no time opening. Mustang stared at the opened box. Inside lay Edward's broken automail limbs. With them came a note.
Mustang, this is not a gift. I do hope you liked my previous gift. This is an incentive to find us because I do need you for Edward's sake. Track the package. I know you can do it, and do come alone, or Edward will pay the price.
-Mangele
Mustang stared at the note long and hard, almost as if to set it ablaze with his eyes.
This is what Mangele meant in his message? This is what he meant?
Elsewhere, Mangele stood over Edward with a syringe and smirked. "It's just a lighter dose of what I am going to give him. Of course, it also accounts for the size difference. I just want you to get a small taste of what I'm going to do to him. It will make your reactions all the more interesting if you have an idea of what is happening. This won't kill you, but the higher dosage will kill him, although not right away."
As soon as he was done speaking Mangele, plunged the needle into Edward. Edward felt the liquid enter his bloodstream, and what came next was excruciating. Edward blacked out.
In a building in Central, he sat waiting. An indistinguishable amount of time had passed. All he could hear was the wind whipping around the building.
Unusually, as he had neither felt nor tasted anything in a very long time, a slight tingling sensation ran across him. The feeling grew, and he saw white. He had only seen darkness and an occasional slit of light for a very long time now. Now all he saw was white, and he felt a tugging that he had never felt before. It felt warm and cold at the same time. It felt like his body, which was something he had not had in a very long time.
Edward woke to a burning pain in his shoulder and a throbbing pain in his head. Tears filled his eyes from the pain.
What was that!
Panic flowed quickly through him.
What was that! He's going to give a lethal dose of that to Mustang?
Edward tugged briefly at his bonds but stopped at the throbbing that filled his body.
Mustang, you'd better have a plan when you come for me!
It took two days, but Mustang tracked the package to the house from which it came. Once he knew the location, he looked at purchase records and discovered that the house had once belonged to a couple with the last name Mangele. They were Mangele's parents.
Mustang's instructions to his team earlier had played a significant role in gathering the material needed to find the previous owners. However, the house was currently listed as abandoned.
Mustang looked around the office, then re-read the note from the package that was in his hands. He knew what he had to do to save Edward but also to avoid falling into Mangele's obvious trap.
Two hours later, Mustang stood in front of the house. It looked deceptively ordinary. This was the childhood home of the man who took Al and who had Ed. Mustang inwardly cursed. The moment he saw the syringe in that dark ally, all he could picture was Mangele and a struggling Edward. Worry clawed at Mustang as he feared the worst for Edward and his mental and physical state after being held by the man who killed his brother. Mustang had to save Edward because now Edward was family, and Mustang protected his family.
Mustang looked once again at the house. He took a small piece of paper out of his pocket and re-read the message. It said to come alone, and no one stood next to Mustang. He would not risk Edward's life in case the man was watching.
Mustang took one step forward, and then another, and another. Soon he stood at the front door, hand raised and poised to knock. But before he could, the door swung open.
"Hello there, Colonel! Or should I call you, Daddy Colonel? Good to see you again!"
Mustang paused. Something was off about the man. Mustang immediately noted that Mangele was different and seemed unhinged. The poise of the man who stood before him in the basement and on the balcony was gone. A sense of cold dread swirled in Mustang's gut. He recalled the note left with Maverick's body, and things began to make sense.
Edward was alone with this man?!
"Come on in; Edward is waiting."
Further in the house, Edward could hear Mangele greet Mustang. Both relief and fear filled Edward.
Mustang's here.
The way Mangele called Mustang daddy had made Edward seethe. Inwardly, he revolted at the thought of Mangele referring to Mustang as his daddy. Mustang was the closest thing he would have to father, but to Edward, it felt like some mashed-up role-model, father combination where for once, he did not always have to be strong. However, at the same time, he was not a child anymore. Mustang was the back he was casing toward adulthood.
Even if he is a bastard.
Mustang followed Mangele inside. Mangele seemed relaxed and unaware of the movement around the back house.
He really believes I came alone, thank goodness. Mustang kept his face neutral.
Mangele looked over his shoulder as he led Mustang inside. "Edward has been so good. He's been patiently waiting for you."
Mustang warily eyed the man who now turned a corner into a back room. What Mustang saw when he entered the room made him freeze, which was only visible in the slight stiffening of his posture. Mustang kept his outward appearance as calm as possible, maintaining his poise.
By no means can I give an inch to Mangele, especially now, or we will fail again.
Edward was sitting shackled to a wooden dining room chair in the middle of a mostly empty room. Seeing Edward without his automail in that chair made him look much smaller than he really was. A gag was tightly tied around Edward's head, pulling at the sides of his mouth, in a way that could only be uncomfortable. However, it was what was beyond Edward's sight, below him, that frightened Mustang.
Mangele smiled, raising a hand to reveal a trigger. Wires dangled from it and snaked across the floor until they stopped under Edward's chair and the explosive underneath.
"Now, we don't want there to be any accidents, now do we?" Mangele smiled.
Ed watched Mustang's expression as he entered the room. Mustang had looked him over impassively, just as he would have expected of the man while still in the presence of an enemy. Edward, however, felt like throwing up. Mangele was insane, and Edward had no idea what the trigger was for. Mangele had set that up yesterday while he was asleep.
Why did this kind of man have to take an interest in Al and me? It not fair. It's not fair that he wants to use us as experiments in his twisted games or try to push us to see just how far he can go. How much more can he take?
And most importantly, why isn't Mustang doing anything?!
Mustang watched Edward out of the corner of his eye. Edward's eyes were pleading with him to do something.
I can't do anything with this ridiculous setup! I can't move when Mangele could kill Ed at any minute!
"Now, Mustang, I don't want you to move an inch, okay? You know what will happen if you do." Mangele stroked the trigger in his thumb. "Also, please empty your pockets and take off your gloves. I can't have you doing anything stupid."
Mustang complied with a grimace, and Mangele continued.
"I'm sure you received my earlier gift."
"Yes, I did," Mustang growled as Edward squirmed and then yelled through the gag.
Dammit, Mustang, don't just stand there! You have no idea what he's planned! He's going to kill you!
"Very good. I was quite displeased when you were shot. I had plans for you, all for Edward's sake, of course. I no longer have Al to work with, so I needed someone new, and they almost killed you. That's why I killed Maverick. He died fairly quickly, all things considered."
At the man's words, Edward blanched.
Mustang blanched too.
That's why he killed him? Not just because he messed with his plans for Edward, but because he was involved in shooting me! This is not good!
Mustang turned his attention back to Mangele. In Mangele's right hand, he now held a syringe. Mustang began to guess where the situation was headed.
The syringe is most likely for me, considering his prattling, and Ed is his experiment. Al and I are just pawns in this game for Mangele. Can I save Edward before whatever is in that syringe takes effect, if he manages to inject it?
"If you allow me to inject this into you, I will release Edward, completely unharmed. Except for that small cut, but that was Edward's fault. I had no intention of harming him physically, or at least too much."
Edward squirmed again in the chair, his eyes wide with fear, and Mustang was sure the yell was a muffled 'Mustang.'
Mustang hesitated but then saw a flash outside the window. However, he did not turn his focus toward it. He did not want to draw Mangele's attention to his potential downfall. Mustang remained calm and focused on Mangele. He almost smirked. He just needed to stall until the Hawk's Eye was ready.
Outside, Hawkeye moved to a more advantaged potion. She needed to make the shot through the small back window and not hit either Mustang or Edward. She shook her head.
That idiot. At least he told me he was coming and left the address for me. This set up is ridiculous.
She once again took stock of Edwards's predicament and shuttered in fear. She had no option but to shoot to kill. The syringe, even from her vantage point, was clearly for Mustang, and the bomb below Edward had her grinding her teeth. They would need to make sure that the trigger did not set off the bomb when she shot Mangele.
You had very well better catch that trigger and make sure it doesn't set the bomb off, Mustang!
Inside, Mustang titled his head to the side while observing Mangele, sounding indifferent.
"One question before you inject the syringe."
Edward jerked. What! Mustang, Mangele said it would hurt! He said it would kill you! You can't just let him inject you! You're falling into his trap! Dammit, Mustang! Don't… don't do this to me.
Hawkeye paused. Mustang had said something and was holding up his hand, with his pointer raised, as if to say one moment.
Mangele cocked his head to the side.
"Very well, since you acquiesce, I can at least answer one question."
Outside, Hawkeye could see their expressions through the scope, her finger poised and ready against the trigger. Mustang was using the conversation and his hand gesture to give her signals. He wanted Hawkeye to wait, and so she waited for the signal to shoot.
"Before, you inject me with that, which I assume will kill me," Mangele nodded his head and then continued, "do you have any further plans for Edward after this? I cannot in good conscience allow you to kill me if you plan to do anything more to him."
Mustang's eye narrowed, "and if so, may I ask that you put down the trigger. I don't want you to drop it accidentally when you inject me."
Mangele sighed, "Do you think me a fool? The trigger won't go off if I drop it. It has a failsafe in place. I don't want to kill my experiment by accident. I told you I planned this out. Do you think I would make such a mistake?"
With the admission, Mustang brought down his hand, flicking his finger in a quick short gesture and a decisive nod while looking out the window.
Immediately the window shattered with the loud bang of a gun.
As soon as Mangele fell, gasping in shock, Mustang dove forward and took the trigger from Mangele. He then went over to Edward, placed the trigger on the floor, and carefully pulled Edward, along with the chair, away from the explosive.
Behind him, he heard Mangele gag, "You, y-you were sup-posed to c-come alone."
"She arrived before I did. Technically, I did come alone."
Mustang then quickly picked the key from Mangele and proceeded to unlock the chains binding Edward and removed the gag.
However, Edward was not interested in anything but having Mangele answer his question before the man died.
Edward shook, slipping from the chair, Mustang just barely catching him and slipping him to the floor. "Why? Why did you kill Al!"
Mangele gasped.
"K-kill, Alphonse? Why do you ask w-why I killed him? Yes, that is what I led you to believe. It was for the e-experiment."
He gasped again, "…and I guess I told you A-alphon… was not the only one who needed to die, but I made it clear only he needed to die." Mangele nodded to Mustang. "I wanted to know how you would react. The t-truth is…, o-on t-he recorder."
Both Edward and Mustang looked on in shock. Mangele gasped again and smiled while turning to look at Mustang.
"Y-you, won Mus-tang. In the e-end. T-th-this was s-s-sup-posed…" cough, "to b-be j-just Ed and I, b-but y-you, w-."
Thus, Mangele's eye grew dull as he exhaled his last.
They searched the house and soon found the recorder and several labeled tapes. Edward, hands shaking, picked up the tape labeled 1A and inserted it in the recorder, and the tape began to play.
The voice coming from the tape recorder sounded just like Alphonse. The recording was of exactly what Al said, in the same pitch and with the same breaks and pauses, while Mangele stood on the platform supposedly dangling Al's life in front of their eyes.
Ed sat in shock.
How could I not have been able to tell the difference? The difference between a recording and Al's voice, between my brother's voice and the real thing! How did I miss that the metal and blood seal were fake?
However, as the tape continued, they found it recorded much, much more. The tape recorder dropped from Edward's hand.
If you happen not to know what a tape recorder is… google it. :p
Yes, Mangele did not kill Al. He wanted them to believe that Al was dead. A more detailed description of the plan is to come in the next chapter, in case there is confusion.
Also, Mangele was intentionally vague when referring to Mustang (him/he) and Maverick (the fool). This will also be explained in the next chapter.
We've been accelerating and just hit the crest of the hill, be ready for the downward spiral to the end. It's a bit of a whirlwind.