Bandit- Woohoo! Everyone has forgiven me!… Or most people have anyway. ;p
Ed- (looks around) LEMON?
Bandit- NO! That's in the next chapter!
Roy- Damn…
Bandit- Good things come to those who are PATIENT! (sighs) Hormonally stressed muses….
Ed- I blame that on you, Bandit.
Disclaimer- Nope. Nothing else to say.
(A/N)- This is the chapter before the lemon… Try to enjoy the chapter anyway. :p It's very good and you'll all be going, "WHAT THE HELL!" when you come to the end. Just wait and see… Trust me, I had to sit and think about my own story, 'cause I was getting lost… ;p
Something I want to call to everyone's attention... I'm in school people, and as mcuh as I hate it, school comes first, this story comes second. Yeah, it sucks but that's the way the world works. I'm NOT gonna stop this story, so don't worry about that, but you're gonna have to be patient for updates. I'm sure you all prefer quality over super quick updates, yes? Well, I hope you do, cause that's how I do it. So sorry for taking so long, but me and my betas want to make sure this story is up to par, so yeah! Just thought I'd tell you all.
OH! And to all those who guessed Jamanji for the 'movie blast' last chapter, you guys rock! XD
"We are so lost," Shayla mumbled. Telling time in the realm was next to impossible, but she guessed they'd been wandering around close to forever.
"Shayla, do you recall a time when we were not lost?" Roy asked with a glance back at the woman. Ed was still a little ways ahead of them, searching for his body portal like a hound on a trail. Indeed, the search didn't seem to be going well, as the raven haired man swore he'd seen that patch of blackness before. "But she has a point, Ed. Are you sure you know where you're going?"
With a sigh, Ed stopped walking and turned around to face his friends. "No," he answered simply. "I thought I found something, but now I feel like I'm going in circles. Are you sure it's the brightest portal we can see, Hughes?" Ed glared at him, remembering the last time he'd taken Hughes' advice, only to wind up in a dream he didn't want to ever see. His arm and strength had returned upon stepping back into the realm, but the fresh memories were something he could do without. He'd have nightmares for a few days, that he was sure of.
Hughes just shrugged. "That's what the book said. Because your mind and body are still connected, even in this place, it should be easy to pick out."
"Yeah, well that book's probably a fraud," Ed grumbled.
"I'm guessing then that this place is bigger than we can comprehend. Or otherwise we really are going in circles," Shayla said, toying with her now snowy white hair. She hadn't bothered to change it back. "You don't think that maybe the Dream Alchemist is playing with us…"
"I doubt it. The Dream Alchemist's idea of fun is using our strengths against us, not leading us in the wrong direction. And why would he? He wants Ed's body as well, so I doubt he'd avert our course," Roy concluded, a dark look crossing his face.
That thought was mildly disturbing to Shayla. "That's something to think about, at least. I never thought about the Dream Alchemist ambushing us when we get to the body portals." She'd assumed that they were home free as soon as the body portals were in sight. It never occurred to her they might have to fight again. "Guess we have to be more careful." Not for the first time did she wish she had her mother's whip.
"Should we just keep wandering? Sooner or later I'll have to spot something…" Everyone except Roy nodded, and Ed fixed him with a curious glance. "Roy? What are you thinking?"
"Hmm?" Roy broke out of his reverie, a frown on his lips. "Uh, yes Edward. We should get going." He shot the boy a strained smile and motioned for him to lead. Ed stared at him quietly, mentally debating if he should prod or not. The Colonel obviously had something pressing on his mind, but finally he decided it wasn't the time to dig inside Roy's brain. Hughes could do it this time.
The man with glasses caught Ed's meaningful glance at him and nodded. Roy's attitude didn't escape him either. And by the way Shayla was leading Ed further ahead so Roy and he could have some privacy; the woman had caught on as well.
Hughes strode over to Roy, diving into the conversation with no restraint. "What's on your mind? You're worrying Ed, and we can't have that."
Roy felt a smile pull at his lips. Typical Hughes. He should've expected those three to pull a stunt like this. But the raven haired man was actually thankful he was getting questioned; right now he didn't want to keep his thoughts private. "It's frustrating," he sighed. "We know so little about our current situation."
"What do you mean?" Hughes asked. "I told you all I know."
"I'm not blaming you. We now know how to get out of the realm, and that's the most useful information we've come across. But being here made us overlook what we're expected to do in the first place."
At first Hughes had no idea what Roy was talking about. "Huh?… Wait, you mean stopping the killings?" The taller man slapped a hand to his forehead. "Wow, I can't believe I forgot about that!"
Roy snorted. "Yes. I forgot as well. We could try to do away with the Dream Alchemist here, except our chances of winning are slim. He knows how to control this place too well, which probably means he's been here for who knows how long…"
"Probably years… The book I found was old, so the military knew about this place for a good while. Long enough that they forgot."
"That's another thing. We don't know where this is. Giving it the title 'realm' doesn't make it one. This is more like an endless void."
"I guess, but sounds like you're stressing over nothing," the taller man stated, not quite seeing Mustang's point.
"Use your brain, Hughes. You and I both know that book you read was, more likely than not, modified. For all we know, there could be another way out of the realm than through our body portals. And if that's the case, when we leave from the realm…"
"The Dream Alchemist could get out and the murders will start up again," Hughes finished. "Should've figured that. Depressing as that is, at least Stanford would get fired."
Roy outright smirked at that. "I'd love to see that, but…" His smirk evaporated, and he went back to brooding. "Remember that Ed told us the memory we were in last was actually a desire he had as a child. That means now we'll have to deal with those as well as the memories. Finding Ed's body portal seems to be growing increasingly difficult. We don't know how long we'll be trapped in here. And then there's the fake Dream Alchemist as well…" Roy felt his brain pounding, and the man bit his lip to keep from growling out loud. "We don't even know why the Dream Alchemist wants Ed in the first place, or why the alchemists are being targeted. Maybe if we knew more about this realm and our enemies, the situation wouldn't look so bleak."
Hughes couldn't find anything of comfort to say. Roy was right, naturally. "True, but I doubt there's anything we can do about the lack of info. Let's face it. The only thing we can do right now is find the body portals. From what you guys told me, fighting the Dream Alchemist is next to impossible in the place, so it's not like we can hunt him down and interrogate him." Clapping a reassuring hand on Roy's shoulder, Hughes smiled down at this best friend. "You'll find the answers, Roy. You always do, but let's concentrate on getting out of here first. That way, at least we'll be on our own playing field and not on his."
Grudgingly, Roy let the subject drop. Hughes was right of course. Even if he did find the answers to all the questions plaguing him, they still needed to get Ed to his body portal. He was the center of all this, so his safety was essential.
The man glanced up at the said teen to see a pair of golden eyes studying him. They locked eyes for a second before Roy flashed Ed his trademark smirk, along with a lecherous glance up and down his body. A look of annoyance shadowed the blonde's face, and Ed turned away quickly, mumbling something unpleasant under his breath. Shayla also turned around and gave both men a mean look, then whispered some soothing words to ease Ed's temper.
"You keep this up, Ed's gonna kill you before the wedding," Hughes said, smirking at the wince from Roy. "Do you always have to rile him up?"
"It's amusing to see him lose control. And what are you talking about? You act as if I proposed to the boy."
Roy's friend tried to appear innocent, blinking owlishly at Roy. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Bullshit," Roy mumbled. "Spill it, Hughes. What are you and Shayla planning now?"
"That," Hughes started, "is classified information. Besides, we're not planning anything… if you hurry up and confess your feelings." The taller man elbowed Roy in the ribs gently. "We all know you're head over heels in love."
At the mention of the "l" word, Roy stiffened slightly. "Drop it, Hughes," he warned.
"Come on, Roy! Why won't you admit it?" Hughes raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me Jessica still has a hold on you…"
"Of course not. That bitch is the last thing on my mind," Roy growled, glaring up at the man. "How could you even consider that?"
"Well then, what's the problem? Don't want to give up your female conquests?" Hughes tsked. "Or maybe you're not sure about your feelings?"
"No, Hughes… just… Why can't you drop it for once?" The longer Hughes kept guessing, the closer he'd get to the heart of the problem, one Roy wasn't sure he wanted to confront at the moment. Not in here of all places.
Hughes either didn't hear the note of desperation in Roy's voice, or was beyond caring. "Or maybe you think you're gonna mess up, and Ed would be better off with someone else." Silence met this, and Hughes knew he'd hit the nail on the head. Or at least close to it. "Roy…"
"It's nothing, okay?" Roy snapped. "Will you please leave it alone?" Hughes was a bit put off at the tone, but stayed silent despite his irritability. It was always annoying when Roy got like that, refusing to deal with a problem he had. No, the man just disguised it as something he already knew how to deal with, or ignored the problem all together.
"You can't keep doing this, Roy. You can't pursue a relationship with Ed if you have that many doubts. If you hold back, you'll lose him." Hughes was trying his hardest not to sound condescending. "Look, if you really care about Ed, then just tell him. I think he needs to know just how serious you are."
"…I…" Roy sighed softly. He didn't want to think about this now, but Hughes was a persistent bastard. "I didn't want it to get this serious… I knew I cared about Ed, but you know me. It's an inner struggle until the very end." A wry chuckle got out, and Roy closed his eyes to hide the unease he felt. "I guess in my head, I was still treating this as a conquest that was going to end sooner or later. But… now I want this to work, even if I have to go slow. And… I want to be sure about Ed's feelings." He could feel the weight of Hughes' eyes on him, and he shifted uncomfortably. "You're right." He admitted. "I need to tell him. This is all or nothing now."
"Thata boy!" Roy's confession brightened Hughes' mood considerably. "It will work out, Roy. We all know Ed is in love with you, so don't worry too much."
"Trust me; it's in my best interest if I were a little more cautious. I messed up before, and it almost cost me."
Hughes frowned, but Roy didn't see the expression. "I thought you said you were over Jessica. Would you make up your mind?"
"I'm not talking about her, Hughes. I almost messed up with Ed." Before Hughes could ask, Roy held up his hand to keep the flow of words at bay. "I went overboard one time and almost kissed him. Ed ran out, and that's the reason the Dream Alchemist caught him." Roy let his hand drop and hung his head in shame. "That's partly why I felt so responsible for Ed being injured."
A sharp slap knocked Roy's head forward, causing the man to hiss in aggravation more than in pain.
"Idiot," Hughes stated with exasperation. "You can be surprisingly dumb when you want to. You better apologize before Shayla finds out."
"I already apologized! And why did you hit me?" It took a lot to get a rise out of Hughes, but each time Roy did it ended up with him sporting a new bruise of some form.
"Because you're an idiot. You should be grateful Ed forgave you. Really Roy, you could've lost him forever with a stunt like that." Hughes chided his friend roughly, seeing the black eyes flash with annoyance and ignominy.
"Look, I know it was one of my more imprudent mistakes, but we made up," Roy said with irrateness, but didn't argue. "I just have to make sure I don't mess up again…"
"You won't. But be careful with him. There's a long list of people who will kick your ass if you ever hurt Ed." An uncharacteristic gleam shone from Hughes' eyes, producing a shudder from Roy.
"Am I to assume you're at the top of the list?" Roy asked warily.
"Actually, I think Alphonse and Shayla would scrap for the top position," Hughes mused. "Winry and Miss Pinako come in second or third, and I'm definitely after them. Then Hawkeye's waiting with her gun, and I'm sure Havoc would welcome you at the fifth slot with Fury." The man flashed Roy a toothy grin. "Yes, there's no doubt about it. There won't be anything left of you if you mess with Ed's head."
"Well, I hate to disappoint you all, but I'll finish myself off before you guys can get to me." Roy's eyes softened up as he gazed back to the golden haired youth in front of him. "I could never hurt him, at least not intentionally," he whispered.
Smiling to himself, Hughes didn't doubt Roy's words. 'They'll make it…' he thought. It was rare to see that type of commitment in Roy's eyes. The man never went after something with all his heart unless he was serious. Even with Jessica there hadn't been that level of emotion.
The man was in love. Now it was a matter of getting him to admit it more openly…
"So, you knew Shayla when she was little?" Roy asked, changing the subject on purpose. Hughes decided he'd let the man run for now.
"Yep. It's weird, seeing her as an adult now. She was so…" Hughes struggled to find the right word. "So… defeated as a child." The word was sorely lacking, but it was the best he could come up with.
"How so?"
"When they sent her to my apartment, Shayla was so broken," the man said quietly. "I've never seen a child with that expression on their face. Like the world had been made to hate her, and she just accepted that for the truth."
"She was hated as soon as she was born. What did you expect?" Sighing, Roy once again took a glance at their friends. The young woman walked in sync with Ed, her white hair swaying with each step she took as she spoke in quiet tones. It was hard to imagine the caring Shayla giving up on anything, especially life. At least now he could understand why she never willingly gave up on anything or anybody, encouraging everyone to the end. It was her way of dealing with who she was. "At least she's better now."
"Is she…" That wasn't really a question, but not quite a statement either. "Well, that which doesn't kill you-"
"Makes you stronger," Roy finished with a small smile on his face. "And Shayla's got a lot of power."
"Now she's a living proverb," Hughes stated. "The shock must be wearing off, 'cause I don't feel that surprised anymore."
"Just add it to the growing list of Things We Never Knew Shayla Was," Roy recommended. "Much easier to keep track of that way." Hughes snickered at that, and he began to hurry after the others. "Come on. I doubt those two will be patient for much longer. Ed's probably dying to interrogate you." Silently, Roy agreed and picked up the pace, ready for another set of questions.
When he caught up Shayla had already pulled Hughes to the side, no doubt bombarding him with a series of questions. Roy snuck up next to Ed and adjusted his pace, waiting for the boy to speak first. Unfortunately, Ed seemed to remember the saucy look Roy had given him a few moments before and was determined to ignore the older man for a while. So the two walked in strained silence, or at least strained by Ed's standards. Roy was actually enjoying himself, if only because he knew it pissed off Edward. Some things never got old.
'He'll crack eventually,' Roy thought to himself. Stubborn or not, curiosity won each time when it came to golden haired boy. All Roy had to do was guestimate how angry Ed was and go on from there. "Are you still upset?" he asked, going for the direct approach.
"Bastard," Ed grumbled, pointedly looking away from him.
'Only one 'bastard'. He's not that upset,' Roy concluded. In fact, Ed seemed to be more emotionally tranquil than he'd guessed. It would be wise of him to wait it out and let Ed talk first. Maybe a minute; two at the max.
Exactly a minute and a half later, Ed abruptly spun his head and fixed Roy with a glare. "Well?" he demanded. Roy congratulated himself.
"Well what, Ed?" he countered, playing stupid on purpose. Any excuse to see the teen turn red in the face.
As predicted, Ed's face started to resemble a tomato, but he suppressed his normal reaction of screaming and ranting. "What was that all about?" he asked through clenched teeth, seething inside. He knew Roy was doing it to get a rise out of him. Well, he'd show him! 'I can be calm. I can be calm. I can be calm.'
"What was what all about? You're going to have to be specific," Roy chided.
'I can't kill him. He's my commanding officer. It's not worth it. It's not worth it!'
"You might want to calm down Ed. If you turn any redder, you'll get sunburn. Or," Roy mused, "you might just shrink from the heat… not that there's much shrinking you can do…"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' SO SM--"
"Ed, calm down. Roy, stop being a pain in the ass," Shayla hollered, not even looking away from Hughes when she said it.
It had the desired effect for Ed. He deflated, slightly upset that his close friend wasn't allowing him to give Roy the tongue lashing he deserved. Huffing to himself, Ed growled softly as he sensed Roy getting closer. "You just love to piss me off, don't you?"
"That question doesn't even merit an answer, Edward." The taller man shifted over until he was almost arm to arm with Ed. "Are you going to tell me what you wanted to know?" he teased. "Don't tell me you're actually worried about me, Ed."
"Yes I am." The answer was out before the teen had time to process the words, but that made them no less true. Ed turned to lock a fiery gaze with the very surprised man next to him. "I hate it when you do that, pretending nothing's wrong when there's obviously something on your mind. It worries the hell out of me. It's like you can't let anyone see that pass the smug attitude of yours when something's bothering you or the world will implode. And I bet you believe that too!"
Roy abandoned their little game in favor of taking in Ed's words. He hadn't expected such a venomous reaction. "Ed, I--"
"Oh, shut up. Can't you let me in, for once? You don't…" Ed trailed off suddenly, his face lighting up once more. "… You don't have to always rely on Hughes," he finished shyly, his anger diminishing. "You can talk to me…"
Well, that floored Roy. Ed, though immensely embarrassed, kept staring at Roy. Only now could the man see the hidden worry and anticipation flickering in the golden orbs. It hit a chord somewhere deep in him, stirring up feelings he never even had for Jessica, and Roy admitted he couldn't hold back much longer.
"Ed," he said softly, stopping the boy from walking. "I'm sorry." And he really meant it.
Ed must have sensed to absolute sincerity in Roy's voice because he finally looked away with a blush still on his face. "I didn't ask for an apology, you stupid Colonel," he replied gruffly. "I just… you don't have to keep everything in…"
"Oh? Think you can handle any and everything that runs through my head?"
"Of course." Ed smirked immediately, glad to be back on familiar ground. "If I can handle you when you're a bastard, a brooding Roy will be a walk in the park."
"You're sure? Are you really sure?" Ed's smirk was wiped off his face again, hearing the veiled current in Roy's tone. There was more to what Roy was asking for, Ed was sure of it. The question was like a hidden test, and Ed was almost afraid to answer. There was no uncertainty that his reply would either harm or help their shaky relationship.
Roy wasn't helping much, particularly with the intense gaze sent his way. It was unnerving to see how intently Roy was staring at him, as if his universe had narrowed and contracted to only Edward. He'd only seen that expression on Roy's face when it was something he really wanted, or needed; the fervent, glazed look that came into his eyes whenever he talked about being Fuhrer. The one look that meant Roy was concentrating on one thing only. Ed had never had that gaze turned on him; he felt horribly exposed and wasn't sure if he liked it. Despite this, Ed didn't have to really think about his answer.
"Yes, I'm sure." A small grin broke out on Roy's face, a genuine one that Ed swore he'd never seen. The man appeared so happy; it was a startling contrast from his usual haughty expressions. One corner of his mind wondered why Roy looked almost giddy enough to start singing, if such a thing were possible. Weirder things had happened. But then again, Ed wasn't quite sure what he'd said yes to. Whatever it was, it certainly made Roy pleased.
Ed let out an intelligent squeak as Roy cupped the boy's cheeks and kissed on the corner of his mouth, not quite letting their lips touch. The kiss was in its own way more intimate than any of the other 'affectionate' gestures Roy had bestowed on him, gentle as a night breeze but still heated enough to leave sparks flying inside Ed's head. When Roy did pull away seconds later, Ed crushed the need to chase after the man's lips, cursing the Colonel extensively for turning him into a pile of goo. It was so damn embarrassing!
Taking in Ed's dazed expression, Roy chuckled low in his throat. Perhaps that wasn't the best way to show his gratitude, but for once Roy's emotions got the best of him. "Thank you, Ed," he said quietly.
Ed blushed bright red, mumbling something that sounded like "whatever bastard" under his breath. He could still feel Roy's hands on his face, stroking his cheeks lightly and tenderly, and he wished the man would stop. It felt wonderful, but Ed was pretty sure Hughes and Shayla were watching, giggling like school girls watching their favorite kissing scene in a movie. Part of him didn't care and insisted he give Roy a real kiss, but the other part refused to budge if there was an audience present.
"Damn. And I forgot my camera." Roy's eyes twitched in heavy annoyance. He'd forgotten about those two…
"Good going, Hughes. Now they're gonna stop!" Shayla shouted. A loud cry was heard, and Roy just had to laugh. Shayla and Ed were sometimes so similar in temperament it was a blessing Hughes and himself were still alive.
"God, Shayla! That's no reason to kick me!" The tall man rubbed his aching shin, all the while sulking. It had no effect on Shayla. She glared down her nose, not pleased that they'd been found spying.
"That's what he gets," Ed muttered. He seemed to finally recover from all the blushing he'd done and moved away from Roy's hands. Every pore screamed at him to go back, demanding to feel that caress again. It took Ed a lot of willpower not to obey.
Roy's fingers itched, and not for the first time did Roy curse Hughes to a painful death, preferably at his own gloves. Ed refused to meet his eyes, and the warm moment disappeared into the darkness. 'Was nice while it lasted.'
"… Roy?" Ed asked tentatively, continuing to stare away from him. "You are okay… right?"
Roy felt himself wanting to grin again. Seeing Ed showing his worry for him was endearing, not to mention sexy. "I'm okay now."
"Are you both done yet?" Robert tapped his foot in exasperation. "I'm tired of waiting for you two."
"…!"
It took everyone a brief second to act; seeing their red haired enemy stand amongst them with no fear was unexpected to say the least.
Shayla was the first to recover and react. "Bastard!" she hissed, momentarily forgetting she was weaponless. "You've got some nerve!"
Roy didn't even say anything. He just aimed and prepared to snap.
"Just wait! I'm not the Dream Alchemist!" Robert backed up warily from all the hated glares thrown at him. "I'm calling a truce here! Stupid fuckers…"
"Oh yeah, like we're really gonna believe you." Ed made his way over, hands ready to attack. "I want proof!"
"You're still alive! That should be proof enough!" Robert smirked nervously. "Do you really think the Dream Alchemist would let you live?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. That doesn't mean we're gonna let you live!" Materializing in her hand, Shayla's whip appeared and she cracked it menacingly in Robert's direction, just missing the man's face. She smirked to herself, having to admit the realm's power could be quite useful. 'Not really my mother's, but I'm willing to work with it.'
The man stumbled over his own lanky feet in his haste to get away, landing roughly on his backside. Any plan of joining forces was thrown firmly out his mind; he now wanted to escape unscratched, if that was possible. He supposed their reactions were normal. After all, he'd threatened them all at one point or another.
A tense silence settled over the five. Shayla, Ed, and Roy looked ready to do serious bodily damage to their visitor. Only Hughes gave the impression of being relaxed, his green eyes studying Robert quietly. He knew very well the man was telling the truth, judging from the fear radiating off of him; Hughes had a feeling the others knew it as well. "Come on, you guys. You know that's not the Dream Alchemist."
"Yeah, I know," Shayla answered, wrapping her new whip up, some of the tension seeping out of her. "I'm still just pissed that he called me a bitch before. I don't forget insults."
Ed relaxed as well. "Hey, I was following Shayla's lead." Roy gave no explanation, instead smirking evilly and lowering his arm, his middle finger and thumb still rubbing against each other.
Now knowing he'd been played, Robert's fear was pushed aside in favor of humiliation and bitterness. "Y-you stupid fuckers!" Robert jumped to his feet, rage shining in his eyes. "Who the fuck do you think you're dealing with?"
"Oh, get over yourself," Shayla snapped. "I suggest you tell us the reason you came to us, or I'll kill you on principle."
Robert looked like he'd just swallowed something sour but wisely kept quiet. No matter what they thought, he wasn't here to make trouble for them. He was willing to put aside his hate for the alchemists, as long as he got what he wanted.
"Well?" Roy raised his eyebrows. "What do you want with us?"
"I already told you! I'm calling a truce!"
"Why would we want a truce with you? You aren't much of a threat to us, and you lack a backbone anyway," Roy stated passively. "I don't think you're much use to us."
"He's got a point," Hughes told Robert. "If you have any information, start talking." Hughes tone was slightly cold; this man did try to kill him before.
"Not so fast. I have information that might help you, but I want something in return…" Robert grinned wickedly at them all. "If I help, you have to help me get back at the Dream Alchemist."
Shayla frowned darkly. Not only did she hate striking deals with criminals, but it was next to impossible to defeat the Dream Alchemist while they were in the realm. Surely the fake knew that. Before she could speak however, Ed answered back.
"No deal. You want to defeat the Dream Alchemist, do it alone."
"Edward…" Roy warned, but Ed cut him off.
"Forget it!" The teen whirled to face Mustang. "I refuse to do this. Did you forget all the people he's killed? He almost got Hughes, for cripes sake!"
"Calm down, Ed," Shayla soothed, but it was a losing battle. Ed didn't want to be consoled.
"How can we trust him? For all we know he could help us defeat the Dream Alchemist then stab us in the back later!"
"Never!" Robert's body shook with concealed fury, ready to lash out at the small teen. "I would never backstab someone!" he hissed through his teeth. "I'm not like you fuckin' State Alchemists who'd sooner kill your own mother for power than keep a promise! You think you're so high and mighty, but you're nothing but lowlife fuckin' dogs!" He spat in Ed's general direction.
The mother comment sent Ed into a frenzy, and Roy held onto the red jacket in an attempt to keep Ed from committing homicide. "Ed! Calm down!"
"What is your problem with State Alchemists?" Shayla snarled, having to move in Ed's way in case Roy lost his grip. "What the hell have we done to you?"
"You fucked me over, that's what! You bastards took away my dream, my life!"
"Oh, boo hoo! Are we supposed to feel sorry for you? Well think again, dumbass!" Shayla screamed, effectively hushing Robert up in her rage. "Killing people doesn't get you sympathy! And you're not the only one who's been fucked over by the military, so get over it!"
"You have no idea what I went through," Robert whispered savagely.
"Likewise," Shayla snapped back, her hand inching toward her whip.
Around that time, Hughes decided that it was time to play peacemaker. "Guys!" He grinned uneasily and slid in between the two. "Now's not the best time to be at each other's throats."
Shayla looked ready to argue, but Hughes covered her mouth. "I'm serious, Shayla. Killing him won't help us."
"It wouldn't hurt us either!" Ed shouted, still restrained by Roy.
"They have a point, Hughes," Roy said, his black eyes hardening as he glanced at Robert. "Unless he proves he's trustworthy, I'm inclined to agree with Shayla and Ed."
"Proof? Proof!" Their idiocy was astounding to Robert. "Don't you get it? The Dream Alchemist is after me!"
"Why would he want you?" Ed asked.
"To kill me, you stupid fu--"
"If you say that word one more time, you won't have to worry about the Dream Alchemist," Roy warned, massaging his right glove. Robert's anger went up a few notches at the command, but he knew a good threat when he heard one.
"He wants to kill me," Robert gritted out. "That way, I won't be able to tell you anything about him!"
Shayla mumbled something from behind Hughes' hand. "Oh, sorry!" The only reply he got was a glare.
"What do you know about the Dream Alchemist?" she asked suspiciously. "A weakness?"
A flash of uneasy passed through Robert's green eyes. "Not quite…"
"Then we're not interested." Shayla turned away and began walking. "Come on. I've heard enough of this."
"So you don't want to know where this place is? Or who the Dream Alchemist is? Who I am?"
"Shayla stop." Roy commanded, his throat going dry. He was aware Hughes was looking at him, but didn't return the gaze. "Are you saying you can show us?"
"Just because I can't find a weakness doesn't mean you won't," Robert said, oddly subdued. "I'll show you everything I know."
"In return for helping you?" Shayla asked, still all spite and anger. When Robert didn't answer, Shayla turned around and strode up to him. "Well?"
"In the end, you'll still have to fight him. Whether you want my help or not is up to you."
"I still don't trust you."
"And I hate your fuc-- frickin' guts," Robert parried. "You don't know the shit I went through, and I'm not asking for your pity. If you knew what happened, then you'd understand why I can't let my hate go!"
"Tell me then." Shayla's short comment caught Robert off guard. It had been a long time since anyone had taken an interest in his past… "Tell me what the big deal is."
"Y-you want to know?" he asked incredulously, staring at her with suspicion. "You'd actually want to know about my memories?" This had to be some sort of trick, but the woman looked sincere. Pissed, but sincere.
"If it will shut you up, then yes. Annoys the hell out of me when people cry about their angsty pasts. If you tell us about yourself and the Dream Alchemist, we'll consider your deal." Shayla didn't bother waiting for an answer. She turned around, grinning at her friends. "So what do you say guys? Why not take a little detour?"
"This is a bad idea…" All Ed wanted was to get out and get his body back. Or so he kept telling himself. 'How the hell did we end up doing this?' It had happened so fast… One moment they're looking for his body portal, and the next they were blindly following a major enemy, all in the name of curiosity.
"So you're not the least bit curious, Edward?" Roy teased, knowing very good and well part of Ed was interested. In response the boy nudged Roy hard in his side, grinning at the grimace he got from his commander.
"I didn't say that," Ed argued. "But this could be the perfect trap, leading us to this 'memory portal' while the Dream Alchemist lurks around and attacks when we're caught off guard."
"True, but remember we have Shayla. She can see the portals, so if anything goes wrong she'll lead us to the nearest one." Roy lowered his eyes to the ground in thought. "And I doubt that will happen. Our fake isn't a very good actor from what I've seen. I actually believe that the Dream Alchemist wants him dead."
"Yeah, but we still need to find my body portal."
"We don't know how long it will take. But we're still looking. This time we just have a destination in mind."
Ed still wasn't eased. "I know, but…" The Colonel always appeared to have his bases covered.
Roy put a hand on Ed's shoulder, and surprisingly the boy accepted the gesture. "I distrust him as much as you and I'm not one to give most people the benefit of the doubt. Still… If there's a chance he could show us something, then there's really no choice right now."
'Well, there's no point in arguing…' Ed decided with a frown trying to surface. When Roy wanted to find information, it would take hell to stop him. One of the Colonel's favorite pastimes was unraveling a mystery, especially when it involved people he cared about or himself. And Ed had to admit, he was kind of curious.
This didn't stop him from locking his eyes on their new found ally, for lack of a better word. Ed noticed Shayla walked behind the fake, hand on her whip and twitching to strike. Obviously she was starting to doubt this little side trip as well. 'This better be worth it…' Ed thought.
"We're almost there," Robert called to them, his eyes darting back and forth, just in case. He didn't put it past these alchemists to attack him with his back turned, but they weren't the current threat. If the Dream Alchemist found them, they would die; simple as that. He needed to hurry up and show them, even if it proved to be a huge waste of time.
"Hey! I thought we would find out more about you, too!" Shayla snapped.
"You will! Stop nagging me woman!" The Ishbalan silently fumed, forcing herself not to react violently.
"Shayla." Hughes addressed Shayla quietly. It seemed only willpower alone was keeping his friend from murdering their new guide. "Do you think this is a good idea?"
"I don't know anymore… I guess it wouldn't really matter if we knew more about him." She sighed quietly and looked Hughes in the eyes. "But after all that's happened to us, I want to know what makes this guy tick."
"Why?" Hughes asked.
"I guess I don't really think he's much of a bad guy," Shayla admitted softly so no one else could here. Hughes' eyebrows shot up, but he remained quiet. "Yeah, it's his fault we're in here, but I get the strong feeling that life screwed him over. Maybe I just feel I can relate, you know?" Hughes nodded, not that Shayla was paying attention. She had her eyes on Robert. "Guy still pisses me off though…" Hughes snickered to himself.
After that no one spoke until the tall red head stopped, motioning for them all to gather around. Shayla held back a gasp. Of all the portals the group had come into contact with, this one overshadowed them all. The top of the sphere reached a good ten feet in diameter she guessed, and dark reds and blacks mixed together, making it appear almost sinister. If the colors represented anything, this wasn't a cheerful portal to go through.
"This is it, though I doubt you alchemists can see it." The man spat out the word 'alchemist' with extra spite.
"Actually, I can," Ed replied stiffly.
"Same here," Roy said.
"Me too," Hughes spoke, grinning a bit.
"And it's huge," Shayla finished. "Obviously the Dream Alchemist's memory hasn't faded." Robert shot her a particularly nasty look which the woman quickly returned.
"Surely this isn't his only memory portal," Roy said. "How do you even know this is his, or it's the one we need?"
"You're pretty stupid for a Colonel, aren't you?" Robert scorned, but Roy didn't take the bait. "The Dream Alchemist and I have been here longer than I care to tell you, so we've picked up tricks you'd never figure out. He stored all his memories in one portal."
"Interesting…" Roy muttered, glancing back at the portal. "We really don't know much…"
"You still have yet to tell us about yourself," Shayla said, crossing her arms in annoyance. "I think you better explain."
"Sure, if you don't mind the Dream Alchemist visiting us while I tell you fuckers my life story!" Robert through his hands up in exasperation. "First, we need to hurry and see the memory. If he finds us near his portal, then it's over. We're dead." Even Shayla couldn't argue with that logic, and reluctantly nodded her head to show she understood.
"I don't think we should all go in," Hughes stated, and everyone turned to stare at him with shocked expressions. "Hey, I'm serious! You already said the Dream Alchemist wants you dead so you can't tell us anything," Hughes said to Robert, "So it's plausible that he's on his way right now. Two of us should try and distract him so the rest have some time to analyze the memory, at the very least."
Slowly, Roy nodded in agreement. "You might be right. If we're all in the memory, he'll be able to dispose of us when we come out."
"Are you guys serious?" Shayla asked incredulously, followed closely by, "Well, I'm staying in the realm. Since I can see the portals it will be easier to escape." She shrugged. "Besides, you'll need me to keep an eye on this portal. It's a different color than the rest, so I won't get lost. Just don't take too long."
"Time flows differently between the portals," Robert explained gruffly. "We may seem to take a few minutes, or a few hours. You'll just have to wait. But don't worry, the Dream Alchemist likes to play with his prey," he sneered. Everyone ignored the last comment.
Ed tried to speak up, but Hughes beat him to it. "Well, I'm going with Shayla," he declared. "Ed and Roy should go to the memory…" The word 'together' hung around there heads like a cloud, and Shayla grinned.
"Sounds good to me!" Both she and Hughes started snickering for obvious reasons while Ed turned bright red.
Roy hid his smirk quite well. If he was stuck with Ed, why complain? Sure, there would be someone else accompanying them… Reticently the Colonel shot Robert a little glare.
Much less enthused, Edward shot the Flame Alchemist a look that clearly said, "Touch me once and I'll castrate you." Roy could only sigh softly. 'Business before pleasure.' Seemed he really wouldn't get to have fun until this was over.
"I don't give a shit what you all do," Robert impatiently growled, annoyed from watching their easy laughter. "Can we get on with it?" Without another word he stepped into the portal, confident they'd finally follow his lead again.
"Gods, he's such a dickhead," Shayla muttered, glaring at the portal. "Good luck trying not to kill him."
In a second Roy's face turned grave. "Neither of you better die, and that's an order." His expression softened a tad. "The Dream Alchemist is no pushover. Besides, I still need you idiots to help me become Fuhrer."
Hughes waved it off and Shayla rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but both of them did a quick salute anyway. "Yes, sir." Still grinning to themselves, the pair made their way back out into the endless darkness for their brief mission.
Ed stared at their disappearing backs, silently wished Hughes and Shayla luck even though he was fairly positive he'd see them soon. If he'd known the future, he would've at least given them both a farewell hug. It would be a while before he saw his friends again.
"You think they'll be okay?" Shayla asked, occasionally turning around to see if she could still make out the ominous portal. "I mean, I still don't really trust that fake."
"This is Ed and Roy we're talking about. They'll be fine," Hughes assured. "Save some of the worry for us."
Shayla only sniffed haughtily; her hand now rested lightly on her new whip. "We can take him, Hughes. And if we can't, I'll find a portal where we can dive for."
Hughes eyed her whip. "Is that your mother's?"
"…No. This one isn't even real, remember?" Shayla sighed to herself. "Actually, this entire place shouldn't be real, but it is. Don't you find it strange?"
"It's hard not to. The human mind is a very complex thing. What might be reality for one person is imagination for the next, so sometimes it's impossible to tell what is real and what isn't. We should be happy we don't have to think so hard about that."
"What do you mean?"
"Like you said. In this place, everything's real," Hughes explained. "Nothing's impossible here, so that makes it all the more dangerous. At the same time, it makes us more prepared. If we know anything can happen, then we'll expect anything."
'I suppose that's good for you…'
Shayla swore in Ishbalan, her whip already out and waiting. Hughes had barely enough time to slide his knives out before an explosion of wind hit them head on, forcing both to fly onto their backs.
'But I doubt you expected that.'
The blow hadn't been intended to kill them, but groggily Hughes climbed to his feet, his head pounding. 'Damnit, it hasn't been five minutes and he's already found us!'
The Dream Alchemist leisurely walked toward them, arms folded and grin firm on his face. "Now, don't look so surprised, Mr. Hughes. I know Robert much better than you do."
"Robert?" Shayla asked, moving closer to Hughes. "You mean the fake?"
The Dream Alchemist's eyebrows shot up. "'fake?'" A smirk graced his lips. "That's the best name I've heard for him. Yes, he is very much a fake, in more ways than one."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Shrugging, the tall red-head materialized a set of gloves, slipping them over his hands. "I doubt it matters if I tell you or not… But, I suppose it'd be more interesting. It will take a while for those three to return from my memory."
Hughes paled significantly. "You were watching?" he whispered.
"But of course, Mr. Hughes. Robert's not very clever, I assure you." The smirk fell off his face, replaced by one of annoyance. "But then again, Robert's not much anything besides decent entertainment." He shrugged, unconcerned. "Makes no difference now."
Quickly, the Dream Alchemist looked up sharply and aimed a gloved hand at Shayla, who was slowly inching away with Hughes. "Now now now. I can't have you leaving yet," he chided gently, though his eyes burned with something related to amusement and hate. "Not when I have a story to tell you."
"We don't want to hear any of your shit," Shayla snapped, angered by the helplessness she now felt. "And don't think we'll just bow down. We will fight back."
The man shrugged again. "Be my guest. It makes this all much more interesting."
"Hughes now!" At Shayla's command the two ran in opposite directions, Hughes to the left and Shayla to the right. The Ishbalan's whip was out and she threw the tip at their enemy, praying for a direct hit.
The Dream Alchemist didn't move; he didn't even look at them. The whip sailed through the air and caught the side of his face, the skin immediately cracking and a trail of blood pouring downing his cheek. His head jerked from the impact, but otherwise there was still no movement.
Hughes was by now a good distance away from both the woman and the man. Eying Shayla's position, he concentrated on the realm itself, like the book had told him. A second later, a barrage of knives, aimed at the Dream Alchemist, appeared out of nowhere and shot through the darkness like arrows. "Shayla, get out of the way!" he shouted. She was still too close to the attack.
The woman wasted no time in dodging Hughes' impressive attack variation. The knives whistled above her head as she hit the ground and crawled away without seeing if the assault hit their intended victim. "A little warning in advance would be nice next time!" she shouted. "Those could've hit me!"
Instead of replying, Hughes was on the move again. "Shayla get away from him!" The desperation in his voice startled her, and she knew Hughes' attack had failed.
"You have the power of the realm at your disposal, and that's the best you two can come up with?" The Dream Alchemist tsked and shook his head, pulling a knife out of his skull. "Very disappointing. I expected much better." One by one each knife dropped unceremoniously to the floor and disappeared until only the bleeding man remained. "Though I must admit for any normal person that attack would've finished the job."
His distant smile horrified Hughes more than the rivers of blood flowing down his body.
"Now, let's raise the stakes." The entire realm appeared to shake with an unknown force, literally knocking Hughes to the floor again and preventing Shayla from climbing to her feet. The earthquake continued until huge, thick walls of vines and bushes shot out from the floor and far over their heads until the tops were beyond sight. The walls then began to connect at random angles, hiding everything from view except for a few narrow paths of darkness to walk on. After that, everything went still, save for Hughes' heavy breathing.
'Well, this isn't good.'
Cursing his luck, Hughes picked himself off the ground and slowly inspected his odd prison. The walls appeared very thick, so forcing his way through them was out. So he opted for a more convenient way of dealing with the greenery. "When in doubt, burn it down," he recited.
It was easier said than done. Hughes concentrated on the foliage, envisioning it swallowed by flames and burning to the ground in his mind's eye. Nothing happened.
'Please, I thought you were smarter than that. The realm will work for you, but only if your mind is stronger than the person you're up against. My allusion is stronger than yours, Mr. Hughes.'
'So the more powerful the mind, the better the realm reacts?' "Damn, I have the worst luck."
'I agree with you, Mr. Hughes. The echoing voice in his head jolted Hughes back to his present situation. 'And I'm afraid I can't let you wander around my realm. After all, you're trying to distract me, yes?' Hughes stubbornly refused to answer, but the Dream Alchemist just chuckled. 'Have you already forgotten your thoughts aren't save from me? Not that I needed to read you mind. But don't worry, I'll let your friends see my memories. It won't matter in the end. At the present moment I'd rather deal with you and the girl.'
A shrill scream vibrated in the realm, causing the hairs on Hughes' back to stand straight up. "SHAYLA!" The man ran the length of the path in front of him, the greenery preventing him from heading left and directly toward the yells. The screaming continued, growing more distressed and agonized by the second.
'Didn't I have a story to tell you? Oh, yes…'
Hughes kept up his rapid pace, turning at an available left turn and hoping it lead to Shayla. But like most mazes, his path unexpectedly stopped and he ran into a T-section leading up or down. He took the upper path and promptly ran smack into a dead end. "Shit."
'Once there was a man who had a dream, but the ones he trusted most took it away and left him broken.'
The dead end forced Hughes to turn around and back track for the T-section, but after a minute of searching it seemed to have disappeared. In its place a sloping turn to the right showed and Hughes had no choice but to follow it. He couldn't go back to the dead end.
'Alone and devastated, he found a friend and with the friend's help began to live a lie, letting anger that wasn't his destroy his soul until there was no truth left of him. He became his lie, his hate. And since his hate was fake, so was he.'
The man's lungs burned from running, but he kept going. Shayla had long stopped screaming, her silence weighing him down and making his body ache with deep apprehension. He wouldn't let his mind wander; he had to keep looking for her, even if something told him he was already too late.
'But now he knows the truth. He knows what he feels isn't real, and with that knowledge, he's acquired his own hate. But is the hate really his, or another lie? Does his true hate make him real again?'
To Hughes, the voice seemed to be closing in on him. The winding path kept going and going, and endless twist to where the end might never come. "This is ridiculous!" He stopped his running, his breath coming in short gasps as he leaned against the large vegetation. He closed his eyes and evened his breathing out, but kept his ears alert for any noise. 'Shayla…' Damn, the girl hadn't made a peek since the screaming ceased. It was getting harder to tell himself she would be fine. "Shit. Shayla, I'm sorry."
"So let me ask you this, Mr. Hughes. If I replaced what you feel with a lie, does that make you real anymore? Or if I put you in a lie, does that make the lie real or you the lie?" Hughes opened his eyes to see a path right in front of him, the Dream Alchemist staring at him passively. "Well?"
"Where's Shayla?" Hughes whispered.
His enemy smiled, taking large steps towards the other man. "She's not real anymore."
"So… where exactly are we again?" Ed asked.
Robert kept the nasty retort in his throat as Roy gave him a warning look. The Colonel still had his gloves out. "I don't know," he ground out. "I haven't seen the Dream Alchemist's memories in a long time."
"Tell me you at least now where the portal is…" The last thing Roy wanted was to be stuck in his enemies' memory.
"Of course I know where it is! I'm not some stupid fucker like you alchemists!" Robert whirled on Roy, his anger sending his green eyes blazing. "Don't mistake me for something as low as you!"
"You know, you remind me of someone," Roy said disinterestedly. "Someone who will go off the handle when you make the slightest reference to his lack of height, even by mistake."
"WHO YOU CALLIN' SO SHORT HE'S NON-EXISTENT?"
Roy smirked at the fuming blonde. "Now Edward, why would I ever say that?"
"You bastard…" Ed muttered, feeling the need to punch the man. "You did it on purpose!"
"If you two fuckers are done, can we please get on with it? You might attract attention, and that will ruin everything!" Robert snapped. Both Roy and Ed abandoned their game in favor of glaring at their new comrade.
"And what, pray tell, will happen?" Ed sneered.
Robert returned the expression, arms folded in annoyance. "If anyone sees us, the true memory will be ruined. That's the reason you guys kept having different versions of your memories. If you don't interfere in any way, the memory won't change." Ed scowled softly, because Robert, for once, had a legitimate reason to shout at them.
"So if we interfere, events might change." Roy nodded to himself, then motioned for Robert to lead again. "We'll stay quiet. You won't even notice we're here."
The red head only snorted at the Colonel. Finally he turned back to the long, dusty road and toward the lone, little house sitting quietly on the sandy hill.
The house was hands down one of the most rundown Ed had ever seen, and he'd seen plenty. The window shudders hung from brown, rusted hinges and strips of brown paint peeled all the way from under the roof to the ground. Pieces of glass littered the ground; the windows looked as if they'd been blown out with impressive strength. Even this far from the house, Ed and the others had to watch the ground for glass. The front door was missing, and a pile of dust blown from the wind took its place, though that was rapidly disappearing because of the wind. No lights seemed to be on, leaving the inside dark and uninviting. "We have to go in there?" Ed didn't sound too thrilled.
"We can't go in there. That's where the Fuhrer is," Robert stated, his voice straining at the end of the sentence. "We'll have to watch from the back window, since that's where everything's happening." He shot them a warning look. "No talking from here on out, understood?" Ed didn't take kindly to being ordered around, and only Roy's glance in his direction kept him in place. Robert smirked to himself.
The closer they got, the more ugly and rundown the house looked. Some pieces of wood jutted out like splinters, and the roof was sagging slightly. Now Ed could make out a horde of large rats climbing over and through the sand, many with pieces of rotting food in their mouths. Those that spotted the coming travelers squeaked and darted off into the house in fear, not unlike a school of fish. The entire ground appeared to move.
'Disgusting,' Ed thought to himself, golden eyes narrowed at the sight. Roy wrinkled his nose in distaste and slowed his pace while Robert ignored it all as if the rats weren't there.
"They're not important. I'm sure you big, bad alchemists can handle a few rodents…" Robert didn't hide his obvious mockery.
"I thought you said no talking," Ed rejoined. Robert turned red in the face and said nothing, letting the shorter man revel in his small victory.
Roy and Ed followed the fake alchemist as he crept slowly to the back of the house. As they moved forward, voices emerged from inside.
"--ing too long, Mr. Anderson. We need the results now." (1)
"You'll get the results when I'm good and ready to give it to you, Steven. Until then, you're welcome to wait like the rest of the military." The man bellowed out a hoarse laugh and then went into a fit of coughing.
"I didn't pay you to mess around," Steven warned, his tone becoming icy. "You've had the military's money and support for more than two years. I want results. Have you forgotten we're at war?"
"Like I give a monkey shit about some war," Anderson wheezed, then coughed again. "And as for money, I've noticed you've been holding out… or maybe you missed the rats outside…" As if in response, a series of squeaks went off, followed by a disgusted grunt.
"If you spent your funds correctly, I wouldn't have to withhold your funds."
The group reached the back of the house and eyed the field of beer bottles and garbage. Snakes, lizards, and other small animals crawled over their abundant food source without so much as a glance toward their visitors. Warily, Ed and the others slid up close to the back wall and carefully made their way to the only window, where the conversation could be heard more clearly.
"With all due respect, Fuhrer, you barely gave me enough to write my research on paper! You should be happy I'm still willing to work on this 'project' of yours. Hell, you should be thankful I haven't tattled yet. The government would pay a fortune if they knew what their beloved Fuhrer was up to." Anderson slurred like a drunken man. He must've hit a sore spot, because the Fuhrer began to sputter in irritation.
"I'll have you know I'm doing this for the people," he seethed. "Everything I do if for my people!" As an after thought, he added, "And you'll watch your tone, Anderson. Just because we used to be comrades…"
Anderson snorted. "I don't give a shit about you being Fuhrer. Remember, I was there when you were a lowlife soldier. And you could be doing this for that whore you call a wife. All I want is the recognition. As long as everyone knows I made your damn arrays, then everything will be hunky dory."
The Fuhrer was silent for a moment, and Ed was afraid the discussion had ended. "So you do have them done…" he finally whispered. "How long?"
"How long what?" Anderson asked, playing dumb.
"How long have the arrays been done, you ignominious excuse for an alchemist!"
"Watch it, Steven." The alchemist's tone had grown indifferent, but the underline threat was present. "Don't ever insult my skill. I'm the best alchemist you have, so you'd do well to show some respect." Something about the way Anderson talked sparked a nerve inside Roy's mind. He'd heard Anderson before, he was sure of it.
"I don't think you have any right to order me around! I might give you a longer leash, but you're still a dog of the military. Now I suggest you hand over the arrays you have, or I promise to destroy what little alchemic career you have." The threat hung low over the men's heads, thickening the air. A few moments later, shuffling was heard, and the sound of papers being arranged filled the silence.
"There are two arrays," Anderson stated, his tone laced with hatred but with a tinge of respect put in for show. "The first one sends the user and the target to a place where you can access your memories and dreams and whatnot. The second is much more powerful, and can only be used by a strong alchemist. And I mean strong." Anderson stopped talking, as if waiting for the Fuhrer to digest the information.
"Keep going…"
"The second array will send anyone using alchemy at that present time into this… realm. Both arrays are to be drawn invisible, as you requested." A burst of pride filled Anderson's voice. "With the second array, all you have to do is wait for the enemy's alchemists to activate an array or tattoo. When that happens, draw the array quickly and they'll all be sent to the realm. It's that simple."
"Hmmm… I believe you've outdone yourself, for once." The Fuhrer sounded relatively pleased with whatever he was looking at. "I will have someone test it out soon. If it exceeds my expectations, you'll get a nice pay raise… and the recognition you deserve."
"Of course… Fuhrer." Anderson spat the word out.
After that was said, Robert wasted no time in ushering Roy and Ed out toward the desert just as the Fuhrer made his way out the small house, accompanied by a few muscled, military men, all equipped with guns and other weapons.
'That's some heavy protection against one alchemist…' Ed thought. The Fuhrer almost always had bodyguards to accompany him, but this seemed a bit much. 'Anderson must be as skilled as he claimed…'
"Don't fall behind!" Robert snapped, averting Ed's attention. The teen scowled darkly but said nothing as the man led him and Roy to the portal sitting out in the hot sun.
Hawkeye leaned against a wall with a very worried Gracia staring down at Hughes. "Do you know when he'll wake up, Hawkeye?"
"I'm sorry Gracia… but he didn't tell me. It depends on how soon he finds the Colonel and the others…" Hawkeye didn't want to worry Gracia. Hughes had given her an estimate for time; about a week. It was starting to border on two. They'd managed to sneak some medical equipment out for the comatose patients, but the shape shifter's words still echoed in her head.
Don't blame me when you bring about the end of the world as you know it!
'It's my responsibility,' she thought. 'If something goes wrong, the Colonel would want me to take the best course of action.' If the world really was in danger, Roy wouldn't hesitate to hold off his own needs for the good of the people. Bastard though he was, the man's heart was in the right place.
That would just make it harder to kill him.
'Damn you, Roy. You always leave me to clean up your mess.' Her face took on a soured expression, her trigger finger itching. The problem with Hughes' plan was there would be no way for him to contact reality and her what was happening. Hawkeye was going on blind faith, but faith couldn't always save thousands of people…
Plus, Stanford was breathing down her neck. He obviously thought Roy had had plenty time to grieve and could return to Central. Hawkeye had spent the entire day avoiding him and threatening Havoc to stop molesting Fury in the office. The could be married for all she cared; she still expected their paperwork to be finished by the end of the afternoon… though it was amusing to see Cain turn multiple shades of red whenever she unexpectedly walked in and Havoc had his hand down the smaller man's pants…
The woman had to shake herself mentally before she went off on a tangent. There was still the problem with her unconscious friends. 'It's my call.' Fury wouldn't have the guts, and Havoc was just flat out refuse. Brenda and Farman were practically useless this time. That left herself…
Hawkeye glanced at the bed and felt her heart clench at the sight of Hughes and Shayla, their chests rising in slow deep breaths. They'd both grown a bit paler, but other than that there was no change. They were helpless lying there, fighting a battle she couldn't see and the longer she stared at them, the less she believed she could kill them. It hurt too much to even think about it, like she'd already given up on them; like she was betraying their trust.
"Hawkeye?" The blond woman started and looked up at Gracia. "Is there something wrong?" Hughes' wife stared quietly at the Lieutenant, waiting for an answer. The woman looked so worried, her usual calm façade slipping into something more downhearted.
"I'm sorry, Gracia. I was just thinking." Hawkeye said nothing more, pushing herself off the wall and toward the door leading downstairs. "I have to go, but if you notice any change, call me." The brunette nodded, watching the other leave without another word.
For a while Gracia did nothing but go back to staring at her husband, grief threatening to cloud her senses. She already knew Hawkeye had been lying to her, for the brunette's own peace of mind, but it still hurt knowing her husband might never wake up.
"Hughes, your and the others really need to wake up soon," she whispered forlornly.
"Why the hell is it so dark? Are we back in the realm?" Ed asked, groping for something to hold on. "If this is a trick…"
"Calm down, I haven't done anything," Robert snapped testily. "This is a break between the two joined memories, alright? We're gonna end up at the same place as last time, so don't bother talking."
As predicted, the darkness disappeared and the same, rundown house emerged before them. The only difference was the shouting accompanying the night air, violent words being exchanged at a rapid speed.
This time Ed didn't bother following Robert, and he snuck to the house with Roy next to him, leaving a fuming red head behind.
"THIS WASN'T THE ARRAYS WE AGREED TO!" Ed froze and exchanged a look with Roy. "YOU DIDN'T TELL US THE ARRAYS WOULD AFFECT OUR ALCHEMISTS AS WELL!"
"Oh, calm down, Fuhrer. It's a minor setback. And besides, this is war. What are a couple of alchemists?" Ed could almost see the alchemist's lips twitching in a smirk. "You should be thrilled. Not only will you get rid of your enemy's strongest offence, you don't have to worry about your own men rebelling. There's not much they can do when their souls are gone."
"We had an agreement!" The Fuhrer hissed at him. "This is a complete failure! Do you realize almost everyone in the lab died because of that array!"
"That many alchemists in one place?" Anderson tsked loudly, not really caring. "Really Fuhrer, you should know better. Think of the damage they could do…"
"You idiot, you still don't get it! Not only did our alchemists die, but so did children within a five mile radius, ALL PRACTICING ALCHEMY!" The Fuhrer howled in rage, and a flood of noises and crashes filled the house. "DO HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TERRIBLE THIS IS? YOU JUST COST ME MY JOB! THE GOVERNMENT IS ON MY ASS, WAITING FOR AN EXPLANATION!"
"So you barge into my house for an apology? Not my problem… Steven. If you expect me to feel remorse, you've come to the wrong place. As far as I see it, that's just less competition for me in the long run." Ed hissed between his teeth, and by pure instinct, began to raise his hands to a clapping position. 'The bastard! I'll show him!'
"No Ed!" Roy grabbed both his hands and calmly lowered them, shooting the boy a warning look. "Memory," he mouthed, and he waited for Ed's temper to fall back.
"You're not human…" The anger had diminished, replaced by sick awe.
"And you are?" Anderson sneered. "Far as I see it, you care more about your career than the alchemists killed. At least I'm honest about my priorities, while you hide behind your fake speeches and false promises. I don't care if you are the Fuhrer, Steven. I'll always know what a embarrassment you really are."
"How dare you…"
"Leave, Fuhrer. I don't care if you use the arrays or not, but remember: All the recognition goes to me. I made those arrays, not anybody else. Is that clear?"
Maybe it was that last command that set off the gunshots, but a moment later the sound of firearms exploded inside and continued on for several moments.
Ed's eyes widened in shock, part of him not surprised but still unable to believe what was happening. Roy carefully examined Ed's expression before closing his own dark eyes. 'What a fool…' Only the a foolhardy man openly rebelled against the Fuhrer like that. The man had been asking for it.
"Did he really think he'd get away with deceiving me? The military will be much better without him…" The Fuhrer snorted to himself, the ordered his body guards to search the house. "Search for any notes on the arrays and bring them to me. We won't let the public know about this."
"Sir." The men shuffled inside, turning over various objects before one called the Fuhrer over. "I think these are it, sir."
"Very good. You'll speak nothing about tonight, or you'll suffer the same fate as Anderson." The three began to walk out, but before they got far the Fuhrer spoke again. "Oh, and just leave him. Let the rats deal with his corpse."
Roy kept Ed silent as the Fuhrer and his bodyguards filed out the small house leaving murder in their wake. When he deemed it safe enough for conversation, he commented, "Well, that was certainly educational."
"This is all so fucked up," Ed breathed, not sure if he should be angry or some other emotion.
"I agree with you, Edward. I think it's time for us to leave." Roy searched for Robert, finding the man still sulking a few meters away. "Where to next?"
"We've got one more memory, and that's it. This is the one I can't figure out," Robert grudgingly admitted. "Maybe you fuckin' alchemists can come up with some ideas," he muttered to himself, then once again headed off without waiting for his companions.
The portal was in the same spot as before, well hidden in the night desert. Robert walked right through it and waited impatiently for the other two to step into the next memory.
"This is Central," Roy stated to himself and to Ed, who also recognized the place. More accurately, it was Central Park, the same one where Roy had found his beloved Jessica cheating on him. "Never expected to see this particular park so soon."
"Does it bother you?" Ed asked warily. The thought of Roy still having feelings for the sneaky con-woman hurt Ed more than he anticipated. "That she… you know…"
"Ed, she's the farthest thing from my mind." Roy allowed himself to give Ed a small smile. "No need to look so down."
Ed blushed sheepishly, but returned the smile, his posture relaxing.
"God, you two are so disgusting…" Robert rudely interrupted the cute exchange, meeting their glares head on. "We need to keep quiet or they'll hear us."
"Who? Anderson's already dead."
"No shit. I don't know who they are, so just keep quiet." Roy placed a hand on Ed's shoulder so the boy wouldn't argue. For now, they'd do as told.
Robert led them behind a few well placed bushes and had them all crouch on the grass. "They'll be here in a few minutes, if everything goes like it should."
Ed leaned against Roy's shoulder, waiting as patiently as possible for the arrivals to show up. As predicted, quiet footfalls walked along the dirty path near the shrubs, along with two voices Ed never thought he'd hear again.
"So Envy, what shall we do about our problem?" A sultry, feminine voice asked. Ed's felt his breath catch dangerously in his throat. "We can't have him interfering with our plans."
"He'll have to be disposed of. Deception is getting too full of himself. The idiot had the nerve to kill some of our alchemists!" The only time Ed heard Envy this angry was when he started ranting about his father.
"Ah. So he's the one who killed our newest pet." The tall woman frowned thoughtfully. "You're right. We have to get rid of him. If he keeps this up, no one will be willing to go after the Philosopher's Stone."
"Can I eat him?" A new voice asked hopefully.
"As tempting as that sounds, no Gluttony," the woman chided gently. "He'd justmess with your mind,and he probably wouldn't taste very good."
"Damn…" Gluttony really sounded disappointed.
"The sheer size of your stomach and appetite never ceases to amaze me, Gluttony," Envy stated with disgusted amazement.
"Oh, leave Gluttony alone, Envy."
"Whatever, Lust…" Envy shrugged of his 'sister's' glare. "But about Deception…"
"You told me you had a plan. Care to share?" Lust stopped walking, and the others followed suit. Ed was practically wriggling in Roy's lap from alarm, and as much as the man liked the friction, Ed couldn't have picked a worse time to get frisky. He had to hold Edward down or risk giving away their position.
"You know that damn realm of his? You know, that place where he can send souls to and shit. Well, he keeps going on and on about how he's never seen his precious realm, so I suggest we give it to him as a farewell present. You know, make his dream come true."
"But Envy, Deception doesn't have a s--"
"Shouldn't matter," the short man interjected. "As long as his mind is sent there, it's possible."
Lust contemplated Envy's words, then threw him a devious smile. "Why Envy, that's positively evil," she purred. "I love it."
"I thought you would." Envy smirked right back, quite proud of himself. "Can't wait to get rid of that haughty jack-ass."
"…Does this mean I can't eat anything?" Gluttony inquired, his childish eyes staring eagerly up at Lust.
Envy sighed. "Did I once mention food?" He pretended to think hard about it. "Nope, I'm coming up blank."
"Hush Envy. And Gluttony, you can eat the alchemist who sends our dear sibling, Deception, to his realm. I'll make sure he's a plump one." Gluttony clapped his fat hands together in delight, earning a snicker from Envy.
"Sometimes I wish I were that stupid. Life would be so much easier."
The world around Robert, Roy, and Ed unexpectedly went black, the entire memory vanishing on a whim. A new darkness they'd come to recognize took its place.
"Why are we here?" Ed jumped out of Roy's lap and clapped his metal arm into a blade. "We didn't go through a portal!" Danger warnings ricocheted in his head, and instinct told him to run for it.
"Oh fuckin' shit!" Robert cowered behind Ed even when he was a good eight inches taller. "He's here!"
"Really, Robert. I'm surprised you didn't expect to see me," the Dream Alchemist scolded, sitting on a wooden chair in the middle of the bleak blackness. "Did you think I'd let you get away with a stunt like this?"
Roy by now had climbed to his feet, his eyes on the two identical men. "You knew, I take it?"
"It is my realm, after all. Of course I knew." The Dream Alchemist stared at Roy like he was stupid. "I hope you don't mind too much that I interrupted your movie, but I got tired of waiting. Your friends weren't that much fun." The man stood up, the wooden chair vanishing rapidly.
Roy's stanced stiffened, but he made no move. "Where are they?" he asked, menace laced in his voice. "Did you kill them?"
Instead of answering, the Dream Alchemist asked a question of his own. "How did you like my memories, hm? I hope they met your expectations for a villain's past."
"So… you're a homunculus…" Ed sneered at him. "How original. Tell me, what did you do to piss Envy off so bad?"
Green eyes darkened as shade at Envy's name. "If you're inferring that I worked with Envy, you're wrong. I want alchemists dead, and he needed them alive. Even though I heard what they planned to do with me, I couldn't very well do much about it. Envy's a bastard, but he's still physically stronger than I… though you wouldn't tell by looking at him. "
Ed mentally agreed, but shook himself; he couldn't get distracted now. "Heh. Well, being a homunculi won't save you!"
Deception smiled at the boy, then started taking steps back, letting the shadows drown out his body bit by bit. "What I am makes no difference, boy. You can't defeat me here." Slowly, his body was blotched out until only his voice remained. "I will have your body, and I'll make all the alchemists in the world pay. If I can't be the best, no one can."
Robert screamed bloody murder as Deception crept up behind him and grab his shoulder, squeezing tightly. "Robert, I think you and I have some unfinished business to attend to."
"You fuckin' liar! LET ME GO!" Robert growled as he twisted in desperation. "YOU LIED TO ME ABOUT EVERTHING! YOU'RE AS BAD AS THE FUCKIN' ALCHEMISTS!"
With complete ease, Deception dragged the man into the realm by his shoulder and out of sight before Ed and Roy could stop him. "I don't see why you're so angry. Those aren't not even your real emotions."
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Ed charged at the disappearing pair, only to have his blade suddenly jerked back behind him with an unknown force. "Huh!" There was a slight give, then his metal leg also started acting up until the teen was being dragged back by him metal limbs in the opposite direction he wanted to go. "Roy!"
"Don't worry about Robert. He'll be treated like he deserves." The Dream Alchemist materialized a distance away and watched in amusement as Mustang grabbed onto Ed's flesh arm, attempting to pull him back. This only caused him to be dragged along with the boy, their feet scraping against the ground for footing. "Maybe you should take off your arm and leg," he suggested in mockery.
"What-- the hell!" Ed wrapped his flesh arm around the Colonel's neck. "What is this!" he gritted out.
"Magnet," Roy gasped. Ed was almost choking him. "Powerful one."
"Actually, it's a invisible magnetic wall," Deception called out smugly. "It's a bit of a ways behind me, but it's still there. The pull is so powerful, you'll become a human pancake when you crash into it."
Their silver watches and metal buttons were ripped out off their clothing, and they flew out of sight into the realm's ever present darkness. A loud, metal thuds gave them both a vivid picture of what would happen to Ed's body if they didn't hurry.
"Don't let go!" Roy hissed through his teeth.
"Wasn't going to!" The pull became more persistent, and Ed felt his flesh foot start to leave the ground. 'Shit!' He was gonna die a virgin. 'I should've let Roy rape me when I had the chance…' Ed cried.
Inspiration chose that time to strike. "Heh, I'll show him who he's messing with…" Still hanging tightly onto Mustang, Ed envisioned in his mind another magnetic force right in front of him and hoped his plan worked. If not… well, at least he died pure by Mustang's standards.
A huge wall stretching out endlessly appeared like Ed hoped, soon being pulled toward Deception's own attack at breakneck speed. Immediately the pulling stopped ,and Ed flew back on top of Roy in a heap before a tremendous explosion filled the realm when the two walls collided.
"It worked…" Ed breathed, sounding very impressed with himself. "It actually worked."
"What'd you do…" Roy asked.
"Made another magnetic wall to null out his," Ed explained. "I'm guessing they destroyed each other."
Deception was much less enthused. "You stopped my magnetic pull… I must admit, impressive," he conceded, "but you'll have to do better than that, I'm afraid."
Ed was just about to get off Roy when he his arm and leg were soon propelled backward at an alarming rate. Roy had just enough time to grab onto Ed's flesh leg, and he too was sent flying through the air. "HE MADE ANOTHER ONE WITH A DIFFERENT POLARITY!"
"Then you do the same thing!" Roy snapped, tired of being airborne. A second later it was Roy who landed on Ed as the two new magnetic walls crashed and broke apart.
'I forgot he'd have the same mental capabilities as myself. My job just got much harder…' It shouldn't have been so surprising. This was what Deception wanted, after all. This kid could use his array with ease. But a setback was a setback. "Seems I'll have to get rid of the Colonel first," he mused, evaporating the debris around him. 'That shouldn't be too hard.' He even had the perfect demise in mind.
"Roy…get off me now," Ed deadpanned when he recovered his breath. "You're like ten sacks of potatoes on my chest."
"I'm actually quite comfortable…" Quickly, Mustang jumped up and out of Ed's hitting range. "Pillows shouldn't complain, Ed." Roy grinned down at the boy, who promptly scowled.
"I'm not you damn pillow!" Now that his life was still intact, Ed wasted no time in scolding himself for his previous thoughts. He should be happy to die a virgin and not Roy's slut. What had he been thinking?
"You two fight so much better than that girl and Mr. Hughes…" Deception averted their banter and gauged their reactions carefully before continuing. "The girl was especially easy to deal with. She actually started screaming for you two… Quite pathetic…"
Ed's blood froze, his anger starting to seep through. "You bastard… how dare you!" He took a menacing step toward his enemy. "What did you do to her?"
"Ed, no! He's doing it on purpose!" Before Ed bolted, Roy grabbed his jacket again. He seemed to always be holding his tempermental lover at bay. "Calm down, Edward!" The boy didn't want to calm down, and fought Roy every step and pull.
"Let me go, Roy!"
"Yes, let him fight his own battles. I seem to have offended him…" Ed yanked harder in an attempt to get free, but Roy's grip was firm.
"Edward…"
"The man with the glasses was more entertaining… Actually fought for a bit. Of course, he was so worried about the bitch, his attacks missed every time. What a pity. I had planned to go easy on him if he put up a decent fight." Ed vision flooded with red, and discreetly slid his arms out of his jacket sleeves before Roy had the chance to stop him.
Roy cursed Ed's temper not for the first time. "Ed, damn i--!"
"You'll pay for this!" Ed clapped his hands together and touched the ground, smirking as dark cords sprang out of the ground. They wiggled and twisted until their prey was spotted, then they wrapped around inactive Deception's torso, arms and legs, rendering him motionless for the time being. 'See you get out of that!' he thought, mentally tightening the ropes out of pure spite.
Emotionless, the Dream Alchemist let himself be snared by Ed's attack, the thick ropes contracting to an almost painful state. When deemed completely immobile, the cords dragged him unceremoniously to the ground and merged with the floor. He was strapped down with just barely enough leeway to breathe.
"Now, I think you should tell us where Shayla and Hughes are," Ed stated, his voice full of victory. "There's nothing you can do right now."
All Deception did was smile, wiping the estatic look off Ed's face. "I think you're mistaken, boy." Ed scowled darkly but refused to reply. "Did you say 'us'? Because I only see you."
Ed frowned. "Are you blind, deaf, and stupid now? Did you already forget about Ro--y…." The golden eyed teen twisted around, searching for his partner. "Roy?" As far as the eye reached there was plenty of darkness, but no Mustang. "Wha…"
"How unfortunate. It seems the Colonel has gone AWOL."
Rage filled Ed to the core, and without thinking he stepped heavily on Deception's chest, grounding his foot on the man's shirt and skin. "Where. Is. He?"
"Why do you think I know where he is? You shouldn't put blame on others so quickly. I have no knowledge of his whereabouts."
"Liar!"
Deception sighed to himself. "That's the second time I've been called that. I'd rather you called me Deception… after all, don't the two basically mean the same thing?" Deception kept musing. "I can't believe that Envy did something right when he named me… Never liked me at all." The homunculus squirmed under Ed's weight. "And would you be so kind as to get off me? You are quite heavy for a short person."
Ed skipped his natural reaction at being called short. He was too pissed to even recognize it. "What the hell did you do to them?" The tone was normally enough to send grown men to their knees in fear, but Deception was no man.
"Now now, I know you're upset, but you have problems of your own to deal with. Their fates are no longer you concern."
Something snapped, and Ed transmuted his arm back into a blade. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I don't care. But you better tell me all I want to know." Ed placed the tip of the blade close to the neck, pressing slightly so a drop of blood poked out. Deception's eyes flickered behind Edward, and the boy didn't have the time to move away from the attack.
Ed's body slumped heavily on the Dream Alchemist's, a trickle of red seeping from his bound hair. "I suppose I did cut it a bit close, don't you think?" The homunculi stated matter-of-factly.
Robert smirked at the man, his eyes glazed with mirth. "Whatever you say, Deception."
Roy shot up in his bed, panting like he'd run a marathon. "EDWARD!"
A smaller bundle right next to him grunted in response before pulling the satin covers away to reveal a very annoyed Edward Elric. "Why the hell are you still up, Roy? We have work tomorrow." Golden eyes slitted with sleep and annoyance. "Go back to sleep you idiot…" The man yawned loudly then snuggled closer to the warmth Roy was emitting.
Still sweating, Roy smiled down at his lover. "Sorry Edward." He placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's forehead before laying back down and giving himself to the realm of slumber, Ed pressed firmly against his chest.
He didn't have anymore nightmares for the rest of the night.
(1) What movie did that name come from? I'm sure most of you will get it. ;p
(A/N) My beta Roxie called this to my attention, so I'm gonna explain it now. Deception IS NOT the eighth sin, okay? NO NO NO NO NO! NOT A SIN! Yes, his name sounds sin-like, but I never considered him one. If you want to put hims as the eighth sin, be my guest, but that's not what I intended. Deception as his own agenda, and he hates all the other sins' guts, so yeah. Just thought I should tell you.
Bandit- Next chapter… lemon. How many are excited? (sees a shower of hands) Errr… I better not mess up…
Ed- If you mess up I'll hunt you down, Bandit!
Bandit- Oh shut up, Ed.
Sorry, but I'm not answering reviews this time. I'm tired and need sleep, so I'll just post the chapter, k? REVIEW!