Protect Me

Written by: Luna

Chapter 7 – Realization

Disclaimer – I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, yet any new characters that I have created to fit the story are mine, and part of Protect Me. Thank you!

It was just beginning to get dark when Edward finally woke up from his unconscious state.

He slowly rolled over to his side and pushed himself up on his hands and knees, raising a hand to rub the back of his head. "Where am I?" he groggily mumbled out.

After a second of confusion, his memory came flooding back and his eyes widened in fear. He began looking around frantically, searching with his eyes from his point on the ground. "Al? Winry?" His voice quivered. He knew that they wouldn't have gone back to the house without him.

He jumped up, running around the area they had been at, hoping to find them hidden in the trees maybe. As a few minutes passed Ed began to panic. "Alphonse! Where are you! Winry! Answer me!" When no answer found him, he threw his head back in rage and released his anger out in a yell, falling to his knees and then pounded his fists into the dirt over and over until he stopped with his hands on the ground.

As much as he wanted to deny it or think of another reason why they weren't there, he knew the truth. Those bastards had taken them.

The feeling in his stomach was a pain he hadn't felt in a long time. Fear. Such fear that he was feeling nauseous from it.

What was he going to do? He didn't know anything about this guy or the men who had been with him. Where on earth could they have gone and how was he going to find them? All these questions raced through his mind. Whatever the case, he was going to do something.

He struggled to his feet, his legs shaking a bit in the process. But first, he thought hesitantly, he had to get back home to tell Pinako what had happened.

Al opened his eyes slowly, his head pounding. His vision was blurred at first, but once he was able to focus he noticed that he didn't recognize anything around him. Panic gripped him, and he moved to get away only to be pulled back. That's when he realized that his hands were tied together over his head to a wall. He was sitting on the floor and his ankles were tied together as well. And to add to his fear, he also found that he had been gagged. He was immobile and helpless. Al's eyes darted around the room in search of Winry, but he saw no one else. What's going on here? Where am I?>

A voice suddenly came from the corner of the room. "So you finally woke up."

Al's eyes moved over to the man sitting in a chair, laid back and casual as if he didn't have a care in the world.

He moved to speak but the gag got in the way so it was only an angry mumble.

Sid smirked and got up, walking over to where Al sat, then spoke harshly. "You should get comfortable, Elric. You are going to be here a while."

The boy glared fiercely at the man as he walked away. Even though Al was trying to put up a brave exterior, he was terrified inside. Where were his brother and Winry? What had happened to them? He was lost and very confused, scared and worried. But he could do nothing except wait and hope.

Winry let out another muffled scream as Kyle tied her hands to a chain on the wall, above her head. She would have kicked, but her feet were bound also. Winry had remained alert the whole way there, but in order to hide their whereabouts, they had blindfolded her and had yet to remove it.

Kyle gave a malicious laugh and ran his index finger down the young girl's cheek. "Don't be so fidgety, babe. I wouldn't hurt ya…much." He started to move in a little closer when a voice stopped him.

Winry's suppressed cries from the gag could be heard as she flinched away from the man.

"Not now, Kyle." Sid spoke in a low tone at the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "I just told you to tie her up, not to have your fun."

"Awe" He moaned as he pulled back and rose to his feet. "Well, I guess I'll just have to wait until later then." Kyle shrugged and glanced toward Sid as he walked out of the room.

When he was alone with the girl, Sid walked over to her and bent down, reaching over to untie the blindfold.

Winry kept her eyes shut tightly as the blindfold was removed, then opened them slowly, adjusting to her surroundings.

Sid stood back up with the cloth in his hand, stuffing it into his pocket. "Don't expect a rescue party, girl. I suggest you get used to us. This is not going to be a pleasure cruise, I can promise you that." And with that said, he simply turned around and walked back out the doorway.

For the first time, Winry let out a sigh of relief for being left alone. It seemed she was constantly being touched more than need be by those disgusting pigs that had taken her. But she noticed that Sid was different. He wasn't like that one guy with the long ponytail…Kyle. Sid seemed more withdrawn and focused. His anger was obvious.

Winry took this chance to look around her. She was in a room of sorts with a dirt floor and walls. There wasn't a door, only a hole in the wall to pass through. Winry assumed they were underground in a cave of sorts. There was light enough to see with, caused by the lanterns that hung on the walls every few feet.

To her despair, she couldn't see Al anywhere. He must have been put in a separate room. She just hoped he was all right. Winry hung her head, some of her hair falling over her eyes. Edo…>

Pinako heard the footsteps before she even saw Ed come through the front door. She had been starting to get worried since it was becoming night, but the kids had said they would be late, so she had remained patient, waiting up for them.

When Ed came in alone, looking like he had just been drugged and kicked around, the old woman rushed over to him and helped him sit down on the couch.

"Edward, what happened? Where are Winry and Alphonse?"

Ed had been trying to think of a way he was going to break the news to her, but even now he didn't know any better way than just to spill it.

"We were ambushed on the way home."

"What!" Pinako questioned in shock.

Edward's eyes twitched as he inwardly fought his emotions to try to stay as calm as possible. He still hadn't fully come to terms with it himself. "Everything happened so fast." He whispered, putting a hand over his eyes. "I wasn't able to protect them. I was totally useless against those guys and I failed them both."

Pinako's expression was grim and she remained silent as she took in this terrible news. She looked at the young boy who was now shaking with emotion, and put her hand on his shoulder, calming him a little. "You have to go after them."

After a couple of minutes, he looked up to meet the woman's gaze and answered her with determination. "I intend to."