Chapter 3
Dread settled in Winry's stomach like a pound of lead. Ed had taken her into Fuhrer's office, more specifically, the deserted Fuhrer's office. Why?
And she wasn't comfortable with the fact that, after travelling through a fairly crowded corridor, they were suddenly, chillingly alone.
"Why are we here, Ed?"
Ed grinned. A sadistic, satisfied, totally-unlike-Ed, grin. "So no one will hear us."
There was a sudden flash of white light, so sudden it hurt her eyes. And it was no longer Ed standing in front of her. It was a sallow-skinned teen, with purple, cat-like eyes and green strands of hair that fanned around his head as though gelled into shape.
Reacting on instinct, Winry hurled her wrench. He dodged with inhuman skill, and her wrench was left to impact the wall and drop behind the couch. Cursing at the loss of her weapon of choice, Winry bolted for the door, opening her mouth to scream…
The creature moved so fast it practically blurred across the room, tackling her into the desk, her toolbox clattering to the floor. A cold hand clapped across her mouth, stifling her shriek before it could even begin, and a strong arm shackled her waist.
Winry was dragged across the room, to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the office. The toolbox was kicked along in front of them – she doubted her captor would want to leave such obvious evidence of her abduction. Winry dug in her heels, trying to resist, but her greased shoes skidded easily over the floor.
Her abductor did something she couldn't see, and the shelf slid away, revealing an elevator. As she was propelled towards it, Winry planted both feet on either side of the opening and pushed against her kidnapper, thrashing wildly and clawing at the hand over her mouth.
It did no good. The creature holding her simply kicked her tools inside, spun around and then yanked her into the elevator backwards. Winry tried to hook her feet around the edges, but a sharp and savage pull dislodged them.
She sank her teeth into the palm covering her mouth, and it was yanked away with a loud curse. But the hidden door had hissed shut, and any scream Winry made would go unheard.
Not that she ever got the chance to make any. Apparently angered by her bite, her captor dealt her a flat blow. The force behind the vicious backhand snapped her head to the side, and she felt the wall impact her temple with weight of a freight train.
The world dissolved.
oooooooo
Ed was startled to find the door open when they returned. He rushed inside, half-expecting to find they'd been robbed again. Both brothers breathed a sigh of relief when they realised nothing was missing.
If anything, something had been added. A piece of paper was tacked to the table, and Ed scanned it swiftly.
Ed and Al,
Don't bother calling into the hotel, I've checked out. Granny called, and I need to go back right away. It was great to see you guys, and you better take care of your automail, Ed!
Winry.
"So Winry's gone home," Al said, sounding crestfallen.
"I guess," Ed muttered, sliding the note away.
He felt uncharacteristically subdued. He'd really wanted to see her…
Al clanked into the bedroom, emerging with the latest alchemy text. He opened it…and cried out.
"Brother!" he yelled, "Look at this!"
Ed snatched the proffered receipt, finding a message on the back. The handwriting was messy, hurried, but still recognisable as Winry's.
Al,
I was going to go back home, but then Ed came in. He was acting really strange, and he asked me to go somewhere with him. He looked like he was going to hit me if I refused. I hope I'm wrong, but I've got a really bad feeling about this, so I'm going to put your grease on the bottom of my shoes (I promise to buy you some more later). I'm not sure if this will help, but it's all I can do. Please, try to follow us.
Winry.
"You came in?" Al wondered.
"But I never…" Ed began. "So…so that means…"
For an instant Ed could have sworn his blood turned to ice. There was only one creature he knew that could change shape.
Envy.
Envy had come in disguised as him, and taken Winry somewhere. Where? And why? What could the homunculus possibly want with her?
Ed didn't know, and there was no time to ponder it. Envy had Winry, and Ed cringed at the thought of what he might do to her.
"We have to go after them," he said urgently, striding to the door with Al following close behind. "Winry said she put grease on her shoes, so…"
Ed clapped his hands as he strode out the door. Pressing his palms to the floor, he transmuted the finish on the wood to react with the elements of the grease, turning it's colour to jet-black.
He waited.
Black boot prints began appearing across the corridor, leading to the offices. It was lucky the corridor was empty, or it would have raised some questions. Ed and Al followed the trail, Ed growing increasingly anxious. It was becoming extremely obvious that Envy hadn't taken Winry out of the building. Why? What had he done to her?
Ed turned a corner and ran straight into Riza.
"What are you doing?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.
"We don't have time to explain," Ed hissed, trying to push past her.
"Winry's been kidnapped," Al told her, "And we're going after them."
To their surprise, Riza drew her gun and began to follow them.
"What are you doing? You can't come!" Ed yelled.
"Technically, I'm required to," Riza pointed out. "In the case of civilian kidnapping within the barracks, any military personnel on hand are required to assist in their recovery."
"What's the other reason?" Al asked.
Riza shrugged. "I've met Winry, I like her."
So all three continued down the hallway, Ed renewing the transmutation at critical intervals as the blackened grease began to fade. Through several corridors, finally disappearing behind an imposing door.
"Is that...?" Ed began weakly.
"The Fuhrer's office," Riza nodded, her mind racing. "He's involved. Somehow, he's involved."
"Then let's get going," Ed snarled, clapping his hands and preparing to break the door down.
"Not yet," Riza hissed, one hand on his shoulder pulling him back.
"Not yet! Envy led Winry in there to do who knows what to her, and you say 'not yet'!"
"The Fuhrer's in there," Riza snapped. "What do you think will happen if you just charge right in and attack him? He'll have you arrested, and executed for treason! How can you help Winry if you're dead!"
In that split second, Ed was closest to hitting Riza he had ever been. The adrenaline pounding through his veins urged him to just smash the door down, find Winry and to hell with the consequences. But cold, frustrating logic asserted itself. If he charged in, the Fuhrer could have a dozen guards called within seconds. Including other State Alchemists. He wouldn't last long against a force like that, and then what would happen to Winry?
With a great effort of will, he relaxed his arms.
"Well, what would you suggest?" Ed gritted out, his jaw clenched tightly.
"If the Fuhrer is involved, we may have traitors within the military ranks," Riza mused, "I'll inform the Colonel, maybe we can try to ferret them out."
Al seemed about to speak, but Ed cut him off. "We don't have time for something like that! We have to get Winry back NOW!"
"But brother," Al piped up, "We can't stop the homunculus by ourselves – we need the Colonel's help!"
Ed's face contorted as he stared at the door in front of him. He knew they were right, but he'd be damned if he liked swallowing it. Winry had been taken behind this door by a homunculus wearing his face, what had happened once she was on the other side?
With a muttered curse, he spun around and strode back down the corridor.
oooooooo
Al watched, a little frightened, as Ed proceeded to rampage through their room, cursing at the top of his lungs, sweeping books and pens to the floor. But he could sympathise with his brother – Winry was a prisoner of the homunculi, and as terrible as Al felt, he could only imagine what it was like for Ed.
Ed's rage began to slowly expend itself, like a clockwork toy winding down. He collapsed into a chair and let his head fall against the edge of the table.
He closed his eyes, shuddering silently. "What's happening to her?" he murmured dully. "What could they possibly want from her?"
Al couldn't answer. It wasn't like homunculi needed automail, and Winry had no alchemical knowledge that they could hope to harvest. What then?
Or maybe they didn't want her for her skills. Could they have abducted Winry purely to manipulate Ed? Could she have been kidnapped simply because they knew she could be used as leverage?
Al was jerked out of his musings by a choked cry. Ed was had risen to his feet, and was staring down at the Latin dictionary, open on the table before him.
"Brother, what is it?"
Ed made an inarticulate sound in the back of his throat, golden eyes wide and filled with horror. "Al," he whispered, "I...the book..."
He swallowed, and seemed to collect himself with some difficulty. "Cognatus...it doesn't mean blood."
"Brother...?"
"He didn't hide the stone...he passed it on. Bloodline...cognatus means bloodline..."
"But what-?"
"Bloodline, Al!" Ed suddenly yelled. "Cognatus lapis campana doesn't mean 'blood of the Stone Bell'...bloodline...ROCKBELL BLOODLINE!"
"Winry!" Al gasped, "She..."
"That's why they took her," Ed groaned. "They wanted..."
They wanted Winry's blood. The blood passed down from her ancestor, the Philosopher, the man who absorbed his creation into his very body. The blood that contained the potential to become what the homunculi so desperately desired.
Within the blood that flowed through her veins, Winry held the key to the creation of the Philosopher's Stone.
And now, the homunculi had Winry.
AN: The story should be a bit more fast-paced now. I'll try to keep the updates coming, but I'm going on holiday soon so I can't make any promises.