Surprise? Haven't been updating for a while, so this is a present for you guys. ^^; It's long and I tried editing my best, hopefully you like it. I didn't bug Hype about it 'cause I know she's busy, so I took it upon myself to get it done! Hopefully it's good!
Enjoy!
Three years ago...
A heavy heart was pumping for all it was worth, striking his ribs, each beat was painfully acute as he ran pointlessly down wide, endless hallways. Nothing else he could think about but flickering florescent lights over head and the loud pounding in his ears as they throbbed in unison with the pain in his chest. The halls looked like they would have belonged to a hospital, the place even smelled like one, if it hadn't been for the ominous presence all over the place. Something dark and evil lurked and Ed didn't want to be found.
Up ahead several dark figures ran by the end of the hallway, their footsteps echoing loudly as they passed, disappearing down another hall in the endless dark. He froze for a moment terrified, he couldn't remember any other time being so full of this trembling fear, filling his head and brimming to the top ready to over flow and consume him entirely if he didn't keep his legs moving, didn't keep running.
Taking off again down the hallways he tried sorting his spinning thoughts, trying to get a grasp on the situation. All he could remember were sirens going off, loud and screeching in his ears, and something about A.E.s escaping, the loud noises woke him from his drugged sleep. He remembered a strange man had rushed into his room that he shared with another boy his age, and began tearing all the wires and attachments off of him, then quickly moved to his roommate's and did the same, removing I.V.s and some strange mask that was clutching at his mouth and nose. As soon as he was finished he ran from the room casting them both an anxious look as he reached the door, yelling at them, "Run!"
Images of the man's face and his roommates' were just blurs, the drugs in his system and his hysteria swirled their appearances, lost in his memory and unable to be retrieved. Lights were switching off, sending everyone in an endless horror of pitch black, confusing the escapees. The guards were at an advantage with night vision glasses, hunting down whoever escaped, ready to drag the people back into their rooms, filling their veins with sedatives and strapping them to hospital beds. They were only kids.
He was just a kid.
Sixteen wasn't that old.
Was it?
Or was he still sixteen anymore?
Turning a corner, his bare feet skidded on the tiles of the floor and he ran into something, knocking him backwards and nearly giving him heart failure as he fell backwards, his metal leg clanging against the porcelain tiles of the hallway floor. Rough, ragged breathing filled his ears as someone grabbed his arm and dragged him up off the floor. He screamed out, trying to fight off whoever it was but they were a lot stronger than he was, effectively pinning his metal arm to his side. He was just a mouse biting at the cat's paw.
"Let go of me-!"
"Kid, just shut up before they hear you! Can you be any louder?!" The man hissed, grabbing Ed by the back of the neck and started walking him down the hallway, forcing every step and holding him up. Ed trembled, struggling half-heartedly as he tried figuring out what was going on. He could either throw a fit and try to fight this man off or see where he was going. But it didn't seem like he had much of a choice.
His mind fought with the idea of this stranger being a guard, but his veins still pumped heavy sedatives through his system, leaving him confused and drowsy, his body begging him to lay down but his mind screaming at him to run. To flee. Just get away! But that's what all he ever seemed to do in this place. Sleep. He couldn't give up when freedom was so close in his reaches. He had to keep moving.
For Al and Winry.
"W-what's going on?" He asked, wincing as the man's hand gripped the back of his neck harder, effectively silencing him.
"You don't see an escape when its right in front of you, Kid? Damn, its a good thing I grabbed you. Running around like a headless chicken. You would have been caught before you even found an exit."
Ed was about to come up with a clever comeback when a large hand slapped to his mouth-- and most of his face, and he was pulled backwards into a dark, small room. His mind immediately worked out that it was a closet they were enclosed in and the man reached over Ed's shoulder closed the door as fast as he could with his free hand. Ed blinked several times as he stared at the metal arm, similar to his own. His vision swam as he felt his knees start to shake. He couldn't believe this man had automail too, it just didn't fit with everything that was going on!
Holding his breath, unable to breathe with the large flesh hand covering his nose and mouth, he watched through the tinted window and not even ten seconds later three men rushed by, shouting orders.
Close call, he thought wearily. He would have sighed in relief, except for the fact air was was becoming scarce in his lungs and his vision was starting to swim with water in his eyes.
If this guy didn't catch him or pull him into the closet, he would have been caught and taken back into that scary room, with the painful wires and the hissing machines. He shuddered at the thought and tugged at the man's wrist, hoping he wasn't going to suffocate before he even escaped.
"Okay, Kid. No more questions. Let's just get the fuck out of here first." The man whispered, letting Ed's mouth go and opened the closet door again. Ed sucked in a deep breath, wincing as the hand latched back onto the back of his neck and he was shoved again, stumbling along, wherever this man led him. Wherever that may be...he could only hope it was to an exit.
The loud sirens became background noise as they rushed down the hallway, Ed tripping over his automail leg occasionally. The damn thing kept slipping on the glass tiles when he stepped and made him hit it with his flesh leg, nearly flinging himself to the ground if it weren't for the strong and painful grip on his neck steering him down the seemingly endless halls.
"Help! HEY! Someone open the door!" A voice rang out, cutting through the loud sirens and Ed perked up at the noise, but the man seemed to ignore it, still directing Ed down the halls. As they came closer to the door where the voice was coming from, Ed heard the voice call out again, "Its jammed! Come on, open up! "
"Shouldn't we open the door? He sounds like he needs help-" Ed tried speaking up but the man just shook his head.
"We need to stay in a small group, or we'll just attract those bastards. Do you want to go back to that room they locked you in?"
Ed's eyes widened and he shook his head, staring at the door as they moved closer.
"Yeah but...he's stuck in there...we don't need to bring him, just open the door. Come on-"
"If he has automail he shouldn't need our help, Kid. Be grateful I'm even helping you."
"How can I be grateful when I'm going to regret this all my life?! Let go of me, bastard!"
"Come on, Kid! Quiet down!-"
"Some one open the damn door! I can hear voices! I know you can hear me, you heartless bastards! I'm still human heeeere! No experiments done on me! Helloooo."
"Let go!" Ed started throwing his weight towards the ground, yanking his head away from the man's hand.
"Fine! God dammit. You kids will be the death of me!" The man exclaimed, shoving Ed away into into the wall. Ed caught himself on the tile-work and watched the man grab the door handle and experimentally jiggled it before giving it a hard pull with his automail hand, ripping the door from the door frame, a loud screech shot through the hall way as the hinges broke off, making Ed flinch . He stared wide-eyed, before glancing down at his own smaller automail arm. Could he do that?!
A kid, roughly Ed's age, with light brown hair sticking up at odd ends, stumbled out of the room, grinning, "Thanks man! I owe you one! Not that your timing was great."
"Not me. It was the blond twerp's idea. If we're caught, I'll make sure to strangle you both." The man grumbled, motioning for them to follow. "Stay close behind."
Ed pushed himself off of the wall and started hobbling after the man, the brunette kid gave him a funny look as he walked next to Ed, half crouched with his eyes filled with caution and mischief, like a child ready to be caught doing something wrong.
"Daaaamn. That's what I would've gotten if I stayed longer? Sick." He said, appreciatively, staring tactlessly at Ed's automail arm.
Ed scowled at him, covering his metal limb with his flesh arm, what an ass!
"It's not my fault. I didn't ask for it-ah!" Ed gasped, shooting his hand down to his side as he clenched his teeth, a fierce pain burned its way down his side. He grabbed at the metal plate at his side and collapsed on his knees, panting as his eyes watered up. The pain increased, forcing a moan out his mouth, "Ah...i-it....Nnngh!"
"Oh, shit! Hey, Blondie, you alright?!" The brunette's loud, obnoxious voice cut through his ear drums, making him curl into himself as he dropped to his side on the floor.
"Will you shut it?!" The man spat at the brunette, turning back around and kneeling in front of Ed, his voice turning into something softer, more parental and less angry, "What is it, Kiddo? Is it your arm?"
"My...my side.." He couldn't keep the whine out of his voice, it was impossible as it was humiliating. It almost felt like that gut squeezing pain you got when you were burned, the nausea coating your stomach in a sickly sweet film. It nearly made his eyes roll up in the back of his head as he felt the man touch his side. "Shit, you're one of the ones who got the organ replacements, aren't you?"
"W-what?" Ed blinked away the tears, trying to even his panting into normal breaths.
"I don't even know why I'm helping you, you're too high risk-"
"What?! We can't just leave him cause he 'cause he's got...'cause he's got metal organs! That's like...racist, dude!" The brunette cried out, reaching down and hesitantly grabbing Ed's arm. Ed ignored the comment as another wave of pain flared up his side, making him let out another helpless whine.
"Fine, fine! There's no time!" Ed heard the man say, the sound of cloth ripping barely registered in his ears and Ed felt something being stuffed between his teeth, "Bite that, we don't need anything to attract attention."
Ed realized he had a piece of the man's sleeve in his mouth, substituting for a gag. More pain flared up his side as the bigger man slid his arms under his legs and back and picked him up, carefully. He cried out, automatically biting on the cloth as tears started making their way down his face.
"Hey...hey, he's gonna be alright, right?" He heard the brunette ask, "Hey, hey, answer me! He's gonna be okay, right?"
"Shh. He's fine, you idiot. Shut your yap and follow me-!"
A loud explosion filled the silence as Ed forced his eyes open. The man carrying him started running towards the noise, the small brunette hurrying in his tracks.
"Good, the plan is working out perfectly. Hey, Jared! Good work, we got them goin' now!" The man called out delightedly. Ed looked over and saw another man running up to meet them, face lit up with an impish grin. Ed saw the results of the explosions as he stared at the collapsed wall, leading to the outside world. Rubble and concrete lay haphazardly around. But Ed couldn't take his eyes off the sight the world was offering.
Cold, fresh air blew in, almost shocking his lungs that were used to pure oxygen from the masks he lived on for the time he stayed. The dark night looking so inviting. How long had it been since Ed was awake enough to even think about the outside world? How long had it been since he was even outside? How old was he even anymore?
"Hey, man, when it comes to bombs, you know who to call. Good job, looks like you picked up a couple of kids. Both H.A.E?"
Ed tried keeping up but the pain seized his mind from thinking things through.
"This one is H.A.E....but I'll discuss it with you later. The other runt is just material it seems."
"Oi! Material?! They were gonna cut me up?!"
"I'm gonna cut you up if you don't shut the hell up!" The man snapped, "Jared, how many did you get out?"
"Uhh...ten I think. Matt got like five. Man, you're falling behind. Only two...and only one H.A.E."
"W-wh...."Ed coughed, spitting the cloth out as he felt the pain finally starting to dull, becoming a dull memory as long as he stayed still. He turned his gaze onto the man named Jared, "What's an H.A.E?"
Jared blinked, as if he actually noticed Ed for the first time, before cracking an evil grin, "That's your new label, kiddo. A freak of nature, an experiment of the state. You are owned material of the government. You don't own anything now. Not even your own spit. Everything is owned. Bought and paid for."
"Jared, shut the hell up and leave the kid alone-"
"Hey! There's Matt now! Here, give me the kids and go get some more out. Georgia and Elliot can only handle those guards for so long."
Ed found himself passed off to the creepy guy named Jared and found himself childishly missing the stronger, safer arms of the other man whose name he didn't even know. This Jared guy just creeped him out.
"I-I can walk myself," He attempted getting down but Jared tightened his grip and started running across the collapsed wall, expertly moving across the debris and fallen beams. The brunette was complaining loudly behind them, tripping over the occasional cement block or twisted steel pole.
"Hey, you boys have any family?" Jared cut through the brunette's bickering.
"Nah. I left those assholes years ago!" The brunette said, a little too proudly for Ed's liking. What he would give to have had a family or just a chance to meet his parents. And this kid just took it for granted and threw it away.
"What about you kid?" Jared asked looking down at him as they ran towards a road leading away from the labs. Ed was starting to feel a little more awake as the cool air streamed past his face, making his flesh rise in goosebumps, excitement of the outdoors starting to make him feel more alive.
"...I have a little brother. And a gang I live with..."
"Oh?! A little gangster, huh?!" Jared asked playfully, grinning as he look back up, making his way across the road and through the scarce trees as shrubs and grass started replacing the tar and street lights. The forest. If you could call it that anymore.
"I'm actually...the leader...."
Ed had to clutch to Jared's jacket to keep from toppling out of his arms as they stopped abruptly. Ed thought he said something but instead Jared jostled Ed as he held him with one arm and brought his other hand up looking at his watch.
"Fuck...where is everyone... they should be here-"
"Don't move!" A voice called out, followed by the cock of a gun.
Ed felt Jared stiffen, as he dazedly blinked, trying to place a face to that voice, but nothing was coming up. He heard the brunette boy gasp, and Jared protectively tightened his hold on Ed.
"I want you to put that experiment down and get on your knees. Hands above your head-"
"Like I'm giving up that easily." Jared muttered, making the long dead determination in Ed flare again. The man looked too young to have that look on his face. He looked broken, but if he could still find the strength to keep fighting then Ed had to fight too. But he couldn't move, helplessly staring as his mind was playing catch up with everything that was happening.
"Put it down and step away!" The man yelled, shaking his gun for emphasis.
"Hey, Man, that's not cool. He ain't an 'it'!" The brunette called out, his bravery bordering stupidity. Ed wanted to yell at him, tell him to run away but his breath froze in his lungs and airways, leaving him paralyzed.
"You are just material, boy. I could shoot you this instant and not be reprimanded for it!"
"Do it, asshole!"
"Stop it!" Ed suddenly shouted, finally finding his voice and will power as he attempted to shove away from Jared. His mind started clicking all these pieces together as adrenaline sparked through his body, he glared at their enemy only a mere fifty paces away. This man, Jared, was trying to save him and all the other kids. Now they were caught and if he didn't back down then he was going to be shot. And the idiot brunette with the big mouth was going to get himself killed! He ripped his legs away from Jared, stepping down onto the ground and using his automail arm to forcibly push him away, "Just stop it! I'll come quietly. Just don't shoot anyone...please." If Ed just went with the man, then it would give Jared a chance to get the others out of the lab.
Ed squinted through the darkness and got a good look at the man with the gun. He grinned at Ed, making his stomach drop and his skin crawl uneasily. The look on the man's face was predatory as he still had his gun still trained on Jared, "That's good. I won't shoot anyone if you just come to me-"
"Kid, don't-!"
"Shut u-!" Ed snapped, but it was cut off, a gasp strangling out of his throat as a hand grabbed him by the hair and dragged him back. Hard metal was driven against the jugular of his neck and sent his mind reeling. Was it a knife? It couldn't be, it was too dull. What the fuck was going on?
"I'm not letting you have this H.A.E. If you guys complete the experiment then this whole world will go to hell, so don't think that if I blow it's esophagus out I'll feel bad. This is all for the greater good."
The man across the way looked shocked for a moment, uncertainty and anger flickering in his eyes as the triumphant smile slipped away. Ed was trying to remember how to breath and the brunette was staring with wide eyes, stunned into silence. But the biting, cold edge of the gun being pressed to his throat and the betrayal didn't hurt, what hurt the most was he was called an 'it' by someone he thought he could trust.
"Come now. There's no need to shoot an innocent boy-"
"Shut the fuck up. You and I both know its just a expensive little experiment you and your teams have been working on for how many months? How much did you have to put into this one-?" Ed felt a hand touch the outline of his metal side, making the breath catch in his throat, "He's practically fully metal. I'm gonna saaaay...20 mil? 40 mil?"
"Now, listen. Just turn it over and we can work out a deal, I'll pay you as much as you want. Double what these men are paying you to steal them-"
"Aww, come ooooon. Its just one lousy experiment. What's so special about this one? You have like...two dozen, right?"
"Twenty-three, actually, but-"
"So, what's this one mean to you?"
"He's a higher advanced one. You should know. We only have five that are as highly adept. Just please don't shoot- How much do you want?"
"I'm thinking you should drop your gun. I am being paid, but my life is worth more to me then this freakish thing's" Jared sneered, nudging Ed's neck painfully with the gun's mouth.
The other man's gun dropped to the grass with a muffled thud, he rose his hands as he kicked the gun a good twenty feet away from him. Ed watched it disappeared into the dark, his breathing verging on hyperventilation as his anger made him see red.
Freakish thing? It? Why were they talking about him like he wasn't even human?! They easily placed prices on him!
"Okay, the gun is gone. Now, just let me call someone to bring the money and we can make the transaction-"
"I don't think so," Jared snapped, making the man's hand freeze, inches from his pocket. Ed felt the gun pull away slightly from his throat, allowing him to breathe easier, but that didn't keep the flesh on his throat from prickling at the sensation. He didn't know why that feeling tingled his flesh, like that feeling when a blade neared your wrist or throat. Just the instinct to pull away and rub at the skin until the feeling went away. He suddenly felt Jared grab his flesh shoulder and give it a comforting squeeze with the hand that didn't aim the gun at his throat. Was it comforting? What was going on?!
"I want you to get on your knees and throw your radio over here, I'll make the call-"
Unwillingly, a groan escaped Ed's throat as he clutched at his side again, unexpected pain from his stress bringing the pain back, startling Jared. Ed squinted back up, and heard the brunette gasp as he saw the flash of a gun, the man drew another from his belt, that was hidden from sight, and trained it above Ed's head. He won't shoot will he?! He'll hit me if he misses!
Ed was shoved to the ground unceremoniously, but he never took his eyes off the man in the white uniform as the gunshot exploded above his head. The shocked look on the man's face disappeared in a splatter of blood and skull shards as his head was lost amidst the spray of red mist. The body staggered forward and he heard the brunette shouting something. Ed started shivering as he stared at the man's convulsing body, lost in a seizure as the nerves lost control and made the man's body spasm, twitching wildly on the ground.
"Hey, kiddo. You alright?" Jared asked, grabbing Ed's flesh arm and easing him to sit up, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the body flailing on the ground. How could this man just sit there and act like there wasn't a body, feet away, spurting blood from where its head just was moments before? It jerked around in the grass, smearing red across the dark grass, dying it an even darker shade. It almost made him retch on the ground at the sight.
Ed didn't even notice the blood that flecked on his face and he hastily rubbed at it, stomach squirming nauseously, watching with sick fascination as the once white sleeve of his shirt was being quickly turned red.
A hand cupped under his chin and pulled his gaze away from the body. He found himself shaking uncontrollably as the brunette stormed over, fists clenched and casting a dirty look a Jared.
"Get your hands off of him! How dare you call him all that stuff?! He's human, too!"
Ed glanced at the boy, feeling warmed by how the boy seemed to look at him as if he wasn't half metal, but like he was as normal as the day he was born.
"Calm down, you two. Don't tell me you fell for that little display there. I'm surprised it even worked, but that guy didn't want to waste an expensive experiment-"
"Don't call me that! I'm not an experiment!" Ed snarled, pushing Jared's comforting hands away.
"Well, Kid. What do you call all those machines attached to yourself? Being locked up in a room and evaluated everyday isn't exactly what I'd call normal-"
"Fuck you! I...I'm human...I don't care what you guys say! Some metal isn't going to change who I am!"
Jared grinned at him and ruffled his hair, making Ed flinch at the sudden movement, "Good, Kid, that's what I wanted to hear! At least we know they haven't brainwashed ya'! How long were you in there for anyway?"
Ed blinked, feeling a little calmer as he shrugged, looking away, anywhere but at these people and the body lying prone mere feet behind him.
He couldn't remember a damn thing. When he was taken...why...where...how?
"Don't remember do you?" Jared asked sadly, shaking his head. "How about an age?"
Ed just shook his head, feeling extremely light headed again. He couldn't remember and he didn't care anymore at the moment. His whole body still ached from the assaults the automail constantly delivered to his body, occasionally the nerves would twitch and jerk in their port, sending little arrows of pain to his chest. All he wanted was a bed to sleep in.
"He doesn't look so good, is he gonna hurl or something?"
Ed never thought he'd miss sleeping as much as he did then, after practically sleeping the whole time he was in the labs. He fought to keep his eyes from drooping shut, but he felt himself sway as hands quickly grabbed his shoulders before he fell face forward into the ground, seeped with blood that was quickly spreading.
~*~
Something was prodding his side, an aggravating little twitch in his ribs that had him groaning in discomfort and moving away, trying to give whatever was poking him a hint that he didn't want to be bothered.
"Dude...that is so sick," he heard the whispered awe, as another finger jabbed at the sensitive skin, this time around his shoulder port where the automail arm connected to his torso, "That is sooo much cooler than skin-"
Ed swatted out at the hand, trying to roll away when he heard the voice holler out in warning and he suddenly fell. A loud crash and Ed felt his backside flare up in pain as he let out a string of curses, trying to rub his brutally assaulted tailbone and get up without falling on his face.
Someone scrambled over to his side, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him up to his feet, but the weight of the automail made it arduous as the unknown person struggled to pull him up.
"Oh, fuck! I am so sorry, dude! You alright?!" That voice...oh god...it was that stupid brunette kid! Ed blinked a couple times, trying to clear the sleepy haze from his eyes and tears of pain as he looked up at the fear filled face of the brunette kid from last night...last night? How long had he been asleep?
He shot up abruptly, taking the brunette by surprise and smacking their foreheads together. He stalled for a moment before jumping up to his feet, shoving the brunette aside and slightly surprised by the agility of the heavy automail. He ignored the brunette who was spitting cuss words as he clutched his forehead, watching Ed carefully as the blond started panicking.
"Where am I?!" Ed felt his breaths coming in quick as his eyes darted to every corner of the tent he was in, feeling like a trapped animal, waiting for a guard or a doctor to jump from out of no where and drag him back to that place. He steadied himself against one of the many posts that held the spacious tent up, trying to take in his surroundings.
Several cots lined the wall of the tent and a chest was tucked under each one. He felt the cold chill of morning air as he realized with embarrassment that he was only wearing a pair of shorts.
"You're in a tent, what else does it look like?" The brunette groaned, standing up, still rubbing his forehead. A nasty bright blue bruise was forming on the goose egg of a welt, sticking out of the brunette's forehead. Ed subconsciously touched his own, wondering vaguely why his wasn't throbbing and sporting a hefty bump too.
"Obviously, dumbass. In a tent where?" Ed spat, glancing nervously at the door. He could make a break for it...he could actually be finally free...not poked and jabbed at with needles and hooked up to machine after machine. He could actually live his life again!
"I don't know. I just woke up in here with you." The brunette said, distastefully, as if being stuck with Ed was the worst thing he could think of."And you had a little hissy fit in your sleep and fell off. I tried catching you. But you're so damn heavy... go on a diet, fat ass."
Ed felt his face flare up in red hot embarrassment as he tried crossing his arms across his stomach in a self-conscious act. But then he realized the brunette was just trying to find an excuse for making him fall.
"It was your fault! You kept touching my automail, you freak!" Ed hissed, " What? You got some kinda' fetish for amputees?!"
It was the brunette's turn to flush as he stuttered helplessly at Ed's sneer..
"At least I don't weigh as much as a baby whale! Go lose some weight!"
"It's the fucking metal! It weighs twice as much as normal-"
"Excuses, excuses!" The brunette sing-songed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. Ed wanted to punch the guy, Ed already was starting to feel self-conscious because of the automail, but as soon as he opened his mouth to retort again the tent flap swung open and the man from last night, that saved Ed from the halls, appeared in the door way. He looked livid as he scowled at the two arguing boys.
"What the hell is going on in here?! You-!" He pointed at Ed, making him jump, "What the hell are you doing up?! And you little idiot-!" The finger turned on the brunette, "What the hell are you distressing him for?! Don't you know a damn thing about sick people who need their rest?!"
Both of the teens stuttered for a moment, shouting who's fault it was before Ed crossed his arms and looked away, face scrunching up in a scowl.
Without warning, Ed yelped as the man appeared behind him and grabbed him by the arm, nearly lifting him clear off the floor as he sat Ed back on the cot, making him squirm uncomfortably. He hated being man-handled, and half naked in front of so many people he didn't even know. He tried covering his automail but the man batted his hand away and pulled the blanket up, forcing him to lie back down by pressing on his shoulder.
After that argument with the brunette, Ed didn't feel in the least bit tired. But the look he got from the man had him shutting up and laying down without complaint, still feeling flushed from being pushed around so easily. He wasn't some little kid!
"You need to sleep since your body is still trying to accept the trauma that happened. Automail isn't perfected yet and you're still a test." He murmured, examining Ed's automail shoulder. He glanced back up at the brunette and pointed at the exit, "You. Out. Now."
The brunette pouted, a whine that made Ed grind his teeth in frustration as the brunette complained, "Awwh, why do I have to leave-?"
"I have to talk with him for a moment, just go outside and get something to eat, Jared will get something for you."
The mention of food had the brunette brightening up. He nodded and fled the tent, going to eat while Ed was left, now hungry, with a man he didn't even know.
He jerked his shoulder away from the searching hands and snapped at him, "Don't you respect other people's boundaries? I'm not poking at you, now am I?"
He knew it was a rather callous thing to say, but his pride was still in check, and he was not going to back down from this man...now matter how big he was and how he could squish Ed's head with one hand.
"I'd think you'd be used to it...after all the months spent in that laboratory. You were practically a lab rat...and a good one at that too. Obedient. Quiet. You never objected to a single thing."
Ed gawked at the man as he slapped the hands away and scrambled up to a sitting position, blood draining from his face as he scooted away from the man as far as he could-- without falling off the cot again, "How the hell would you know anything?!"
"Well, I am the one who put this plan together. And in order to have the perfect escape plan we needed someone on the inside who knew every floor like the back of their hand."
"You... you were one of the experiments?" Ed asked uncertainly, but the man just shook his head.
"No, kid. I was one of the doctors. I ran the neural psychiatric's ward. I'm the one who made sure none of you went insane...you were the quietest, actually. It was unfortunate that you got in that accident. Maybe none of this would have happened." The man said with a sad shake to his head, sitting down on the cot across from Ed's. Ed eased up a little, sliding down a bit and relieving the pressure on his arm and shoulder. Accident? This man had to know everything that happened to him...if he was a mental health therapist of some sort then he had to know his patients' history background, right?
"I...I was in an accident?" He asked in a voice that he hoped didn't sound as scared and fragile as he heard it in his ears. But he couldn't help cringing when the man glanced back up at him.
"Well...yeah...you were pretty much dead," He tapped his own temple, "No brain activity. So they went ahead and used you as the first highly advanced H.A.E. Since you were already dead, there'd be no risk of killing someone who could be used as a normal H.A.E-"
"You keep saying H.A.E.....what's that mean?" Ed interrupted, feeling a little disturbed by the whole situation.
"Human automaton example." The man recited, "A.E. for short."
It sent chills down Ed's spine as he laid back down, feeling helpless. So, he had died...and this illegal experiment had saved him? Did that mean he...owed those scientists? With his life? Was he still even alive?
"So...what accident...was I in?" He asked hesitantly. Did he really want to know what horrible thing happened to him that cost him his life? The sick curiosity was nudging at him from the darkness, urging him to ask. He had to know the answer.
"...Something...I don't know what exactly...but it tore you apart... half your organs were gone from your side, that's why you have to wear that metal plate...it connects to all your artificial organs and keeps them running.... You're arm and leg were torn to shit, so there was no way to fix them. And you were liable for a transplant, so we took you as perfect opportunity for the new H.A.E. model. There are only five of them."
"Wow...I feel so special," Ed remarked sarcastically, turning away from the man, carefully shuffling on top of the cot as he faced his back towards the man. Tears were building up in his eyes as he slowly traced the outline of his metal side, his breath hitching slightly as his once calloused fingertips, turned soft with disuse, brushed the sensitive, puckered skin welded to the metal.
"But I've got to admit, once you get used to the automail, it's a lot better than those cheap bionic limbs. They move perfectly and after a few years it'll be like having a normal arm or leg. Take it from someone who knows."
Ed pulled his automail arm in front of him and stared at it, "How long was I in there? How old am I?"
"You were in there about a year and a half, kiddo. I'd say you were about sixteen or seventeen when they brought you in. So you're roughly eighteen years old."
A year and a half. His heart throbbed as he thought of Alphonse...Winry....what did they think? Did they know he was still alive? What had happened to them? Were they alright?
"I think you should get some more sleep, just let the initial shock wear off at least before you try moving around, okay? We're here to help you, just try to get more rest."
Ed didn't say anything as he continued to stare blindly at his metal hand. He heard the man sigh, dejectedly, before getting up and leaving. The last thing Ed wanted to do was sleep. A whole year and a half. Wasted.
A soft rustle met his ears as he blinked and stared down at the tent wall next to his cot. An arm appeared under the tough, material wall and lifted it up a little, letting a body ease their way in. Ed scowled as he realized it was the brunette, but it quickly disappeared when he saw two bowls of food in his hand. How he was balancing them both in his hand like that, Ed didn't know, and he didn't really care.
"Hey, Blondie. I waited 'till that ass left. Brought you something to eat. Truce?" He said, holding the bowl out to him as he straightened up, watching Ed expectantly.
"My name is Ed...not Blondie....and I guess I can let you off of the hook."
"Well...my name is Kevin...not idiot, or moron, or dumbfuck. Whatever those guys tell ya, it's really Kevin, nice to meet 'cha," He said, holding a hand out to Ed. Ed felt a little weird that he had to shake the brunette's- Kevin's hand with his automail, but figured the kid wanted another chance to see the metal appendage up close.
They shook hands and Ed snatched the bowl, staring hungrily into it as he tried identifying what was in it. Oh, merciful god in heaven, if Ed ever thought he existed, then he did now. The most delicious looking beef stew stared up at him, in all its glory, making Ed's stomach growl in approval.
"Shit, I can't remember the last time I ate real food." He groaned, wishing he had a spoon. Kevin plopped down at his feet on Ed's cot, and sipped at his own bowl, casting Ed a perplexed look.
"They didn't feed you?"
"Either they were food capsules or I was tube fed."
Both teenagers made a face at that and started eating in silence, enjoying each other's company when they weren't at each others throats, intent on the kill, for the first time. But Ed wasn't going to stand for that. No matter how nice it was. He had had silence long enough. It was time to rile things up a little.
"You could have at least got some spoons, dumbass." Ed said , smirking over his bowl at Kevin, as the brunette whipped his head up, ready to throw an insult back at him that would start the tennis match between them of abuse and retorts.
Hyperthia drew a picture of one of the H.A.E.s for me! It's epic, you guys! Or as she says, "Epique." Lol. And I've...attempted to draw Kevin...yeah. Whatever! I'll have the links in my profile under the Cyber Punks section of the fanart!
You can draw yourself fanart, right? Nah, that's called story art. Ok. Lol. Hopefully, soon I'll have a collection of all the people from Cyber Punks. I've got a couple pics drawn, but not scanned. I was planning on doing a H.A.E. A special one that you guys don't know about yet ;) I've attempted him a few months ago, but...I sucked. But I'm trying to get a good collection going for you guys.
Oh! And I have another fanart. From Faux-Symphony on DeviantART. I'll have her link under my Cyber Punks art collection too. She did fabulous and I love it! The colored outlines are amazing in contrast with each other. I just love it to pieces!
So, I'll go get that section put up. Stupid FFnet won't let me copy/paste links anymore like it used to.
Note to FFnet: Fix your document uploader! It's been taking words out! Fine example of that in my last chapter of 'Hand of the Reaper' (-__-) Sorry about that guys. My spelling and grammar isn't THAT bad....I hope.