Hi everyone! Welcome to story #3! So, for updating, I will try to do it every day or every other day, depending on how busy I am with school and anything. Anyways, onto the story!

Summary: The first consequence happens for Alphonse (he still has to pay a price for trying human transmutation).

Idea Came from: myself

Rated: T for blood

Timeline: A few months after Edward joins the military

Warnings: None

Notes: I wrote this on my phone again, I will respond to reviews at the end of every story, the chapter isn't too terribly long but it isn't too terribly short either

Story 3: First Setback

The first time it ever happened is when the two brothers are chasing after a criminal who has stolen weapons from the military. The two brothers are running side by side, determined to catch him.

That is, until Alphonse comes to an abrupt stop, stumbling as he does so. Edward skids to a halt himself after noticing his brother isn't beside him anymore,turning around to see what is wrong.

"Al? What are you doing? He's gonna get away!" Ed shouts as he points to the man pushing his way past a group of women who shout and complain loudly. But Al only shakes his head, his face growing more and more pale by the second. "Al?"

The young eleven year old collapses onto the ground, gripping his chest as he cries out in pain. Almost as if he had been shot.

"Alphonse!" Ed cries as he runs over to his brother, dropping to his knees. He watches with horror as Alphonse spits up a mouthful of blood, followed by raspy wheezing. "Damn it Alphonse! Answer me!"

"I don't know!" Al manages to choke out before curling in on himself. He whimpers in pain as more blood dribbles from the corner of his mouth. "F-feels like I'm b-being torn ap-apart."

Ed feels his blood run cold. Torn apart? And then it hits him. Al's body had technically been torn apart after they tried human transmutation. Truth said that there would be a consequence for Al doing human transmutation since Edward would pay the price of letting him keep his body. This must be it. The consequence must be Al going through that horrible pain all over again as his body is ripped apart, and yet it isn't. Almost like the gate trying to pull him back.

"This is your punishment.." Ed breathes out, horrified that he has to watch his brother suffer. By now people had started gathering around them but he doesn't care. "Alphonse, since you kept your body you have to go through the pain of getting ripped apart again!"

Alphonse cries out as he practically throws up blood. The sticky liquid stains the white concrete a deep shade of crimson as Al writhes around in pain, tears of blood streaming from his eyes. He has started to bleed from his nose and ears as well.

"Damn it! I don't know what to do!" Ed shouts as he punches the ground with his automail fist, leaving a shallow, cracked dent in the concrete.

"Someone get a doctor!" A woman shouts in the crowd.

Sirens are heard not too long after. The people spread out as an ambulance pulls up to the side of the sidewalk, the two back doors bursting open to show medics carrying a stretcher.

One crouches down to pick Al up but Ed swiftly kicks him away with a shout. "Don't touch him!"

"Who the hell is this kid?" The kicked paramedic asks as he rubs hid bruising back. "And why do his kicks hurt so much?"

"Calm down kid! We just want to take him to the hospital!" Another EMT says as they lower the stretcher. Al let's out another cry of pain as someone touches him.

"No...no I won't let you take my brother!" Ed shouts as he claps his hands. A metallic ring sounds out and Ed soon places his hands against the ground. White concrete hands rise up and throw the EMT's back, keeping them away from Al. "He's the only one I have left! I won't let you take him away!"

"Someone sedate this kid, he's lost his mind!"

Edward doesn't notice the EMT sneaking up behind him, a syringe held in his hand. He jumps as a hand is placed on his shoulder. He can feel the needle being stabbed into his neck and he panics. He whirls around but the sedative had already made quick work of his smaller body. He feels lightheaded and black dots swim around in his vision. He watches numbly as his automail fist connects with the person's cheek, sending him flying. And then everything goes dark as he collapses, falling unconscious.

Edward wakes up with a start. He quickly sits up in the bed and he can hear the steady beeping of a heart monitor spike. He looks around the white room, his memory foggy of what had happened. He looks down at himself and sees that he is wearing the typical hospital attire for patients.

"The hell..?"

The door opens and an older doctor in his late fifty's walks into the room holding a clipboard with a stethoscope around his neck.

"Ah, I see you're awake." He says as he gently closes the door behind him. "I am Dr. Riches, you were brought in here by an overdose caused by a very strong sedative. You've been out cold for almost seven hours now."

"Seven hours?" Ed asks, looking horrified. He then remembers everything clearly, eyes widening with fear. "Wait..my brother, where is Alphonse!?"

"The other patient brought in at the same time as you?" Dr. Riches asks, raising an eyebrow. "He isn't one of my patients, so I don't know."

"Damn." Ed curses as he swings his legs over the side of the bed.

"You aren't allowed to be up and moving yet! The sedative is still in your system, you could pass out."

"I don't care! I want to see my brother!" Ed shouts back as he glares at the doctor. "Now tell me what room he's in."

"I told you I don't know." Dr. Riches replies, obviously unsure with how to handle Edward's attitude. "But if you would be patient, I could find the doctor who is in charge of him and send for them."

"Fine."

Ed watches with growing impatience as the doctor hastily leaves, as if making an escape. Ed doesn't care, at least the man is gone.

Not even three minutes the door is being opened once more, though this time it isn't a doctor. It is a brown haired nurse with none other than Colonel Roy Mustang beside her. Looking more than annoyed.

"What happened this time Fullmetal?" Roy asks as he walks further into the room. The nurse takes her leave, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Well, let's see." Ed replies as he crosses his arms, glaring at Roy. "We were chasing the guy and all of a sudden Al collapses. So I go and see what's going on and before I know it the medics show up."

"That doesn't explain why you're the one sitting in a hospital bed."

"I uh...I kinda lost it and punched a guy in the face. They sedated me, but it turned out to be an overdose so they rushed me here." Ed replies, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He can feel that his hair is loose and out of it's usual braid.

"Interesting. They probably didn't realize that you have a smaller body than most kids your age so-"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HALF PINT MIDGET WHO COULD DROWN IN A SINGLE RAINDROP!?"

Before Roy can reply the door is being opened once more by Dr. Riches, as well as another person, wearing the usual doctor attire. Her black hair is pulled up in a bun and her brown eyes are sharp and focused. She has a name tag that reads "Dr. Kin".

"Hello," she says, voice plain and devoid of emotion. She sort of Reminds Ed of Hawkeye in that sense. She shakes hands with Roy and says, "I am Dr. Kin. You are?"

"I am Colonel Roy Mustang, Edward Elric's commanding officer." He answers and the two let go of one another's hand.

"So, I'm guessing he told you what happened?" Dr. Riches asks, glancing at Ed who glares.

"Yeah, now tell me where my little brother is."

"The John Doe who was brought in alongside you? The child with blonde hair?" Dr. Kin asks, looking to Edward who looks more than pissed that his brother is being referred to as a "John Doe".

"Yes that's him! Who else looks similar to me?" Ed snaps, earning a scolding look from Roy. "His name is Alphonse Elric."

"Is he a state alchemist to?" Dr. Kin asks as she scribbles the answer down on a piece of paper clipped to a clipboard.

"No! He has nothing to do with the military! Now tell me what happened to him!"

"Calm down Mr. Elric, I am only getting information about him. Now, how old is he?"

"Um, shouldn't you have that information?" Ed replies bitterly, glaring.

"Well, we have no records regarding him." Dr. Kin replies patiently. "You're the only one we could find records on, and the only way we identified you was because of your State Alchemist pocket watch."

"Think about it Fullmetal," Roy says, cutting into the conversation before Ed could blow up again. "The only one that could identify Alphonse at the time was you, and you said that they had sedated you. And as for why he has no hospital records? I don't know about when you were kids, but so far you're the only one who has gotten injured on these cases."

Ed only huffs as he looks away, grumbling to himself.

"Now, back to my questions." Dr. Kin says, looking down at the clipboard. "I just need a few questions answered the get a correct amount of medicine and a blood transfusion."

"Wait, medicine and blood transfusion? The hell is going on!?" Ed shouts as he leans forwards, ready to jump from the bed at any second.

"Yeah, even I'm mildly curious as to what state he is in." Roy comments as he crosses his arms.

"You will get answers soon enough. I just need this really quickly and then I'll give you some papers to sign for him." Dr. Kin replies, voice taking on a gentle firmness. "Now, how old is he?"

"...Eleven."

"And does he have any allergies?"

"No."

"Alright, I'll send in a nurse with the papers." Dr. Kin says as she turns and leaves the room, Dr. Riches following close behind.

"What about my brother!?" Ed shouts after them, moving to sit up on his knees. He watches with anger as the door is closed by a nurse, not wanting him to bother other patients.

"Calm down Fullmetal, the nurse told me the sedative hasn't completely left your system yet." Mustang says as he sits down on one of the plastic chairs. Ed sits back and glares at Roy. "Be patient, kid."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR A FLEA!?"

The wait for the papers takes about ten minutes. The same nurse who escorted Roy to the room returns holding a packet in one hand, a pen in the other. She politely hands Roy the materials before she leaves the room again.

"I think I should fill that out." Ed says as he sits, cross legged above the thin blanket.

Roy looks up from the first page and stares at Ed as if he had grown two heads. "You're joking, right?"

"No." Ed replies bitterly. "Why should you fill it out?"

"Because adults usually fill these things out."

"So? I'm his brother. I know more about him than you."

"..."

Ed looks satisfied as Roy reluctantly hands the paper over to Edward.

"I am going to regret this." He groans, watching with annoyance as Ed lazily writes things down on the paper.

It isn't for another hour until Ed and Roy get an update about Alphonse. Edward is just starting to doze off while Roy is looking at the magazine when the door opens.

Edward instantly sits up, drool still on his chin as he stares blankly at Dr. Kin, who tries to stifle her laugh.

"Fullmetal," Roy says, pointing to his chin. Ed stares for a few seconds before he quickly wipes the drool away, cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"So, about Alphonse's condition," she says, instantly getting their attention. "We have managed to get him stable and his blood count is to a safe level again after two blood transfusions. We don't know what caused the bleeding and we couldn't find the source, but it stopped just two hours after he came in. He is very weak and dehydrated so we want to keep him here at least over night to get his vitals back up."

"He-he'll be okay though, right?" Ed asks hopefully, eyes wide. He could have never thought something like this would happen to Alphonse, out of all the people. Though, equivalent exchange can be a bitch sometimes.

"Yes. In fact, he asked me to bring you to his room."

"Which you'll do, right?"

With a nod Edward is quickly up and out of the bed. He ignores his stomach as it seems to fall as he stands, his head growing lightheaded from suddenly standing up. Neither Dr. Kin nor Roy mention it as she leads the two down the hall to where Al's room is. Only two rooms away from Ed's on the opposite wall.

Dr. Kin quietly opens the door and let's the two into the room. Al is laying on the bed off to the side of the room, an IV in his left forearm. He looks exhausted and his usually fair skin is even more pale and looks sickly.

"Al?" Ed asks quietly as he walks forward, Roy hanging back to talk to the doctor.

At the sound of his brother's voice, Al's eyelids slowly slide open. A soft smile tugs as the corners of his lips as he slowly lifts a hand. Ed quickly takes it, squeezing Al's hand lightly so as to not accidentally hurt him.

''You scared me, you know that?" Ed says, trying to sound scolding. And yet he can't help but let out a breathlessly laugh.

"Why did that happen to me?" Al asks weakly, his voice sounding dry. Roy walks over and stands beside Ed while Dr. Kin leaves, closing the door behind her. "It felt like...like I was being ripped in half."

"That's something I would like to know as well." Roy says, crossing his arms as he studies Al. "No one just starts bleeding out for no reason."

''I think..his body was trying to pull him back." Ed answers solemnly as he ducks his head. "At least, that's what it would feel like. When...you know when Truth said that there would be a consequence for you when you preformed human transmutation? I think this is it. Your body being sucked back to that place but not at the same time. This is the price you have to pay."

Hi everyone! Thanks for reading. I know that I ended it at a strange spot, but I didn't know where else to go with it. So, anyways, for those of you who are confused. The reason that Al collapsed and started bleeding and stuff is because his body was being torn apart from the inside, causing the bleeding (though showed no trace of that when the doctors were checking him over, with was just access blood which is why he was still bleeding). This is caused by the human transmutation. Occasionally this will happen as the toll for doing the taboo. I know it probably doesn't make too much sense, so, uh, sorry. I tried explaining it the best I could. Anyways, onto the review answers!

Patsy Koala- thanks for reviewing! You're the first reviewer on the story, I appreciate it! And I agree that there aren't too many stories about Roy and Al bonding, so I'll get right on that! Thanks again!

And that about wraps it up! Thanks again for everyone who has read the story. Don't forget to review and leave suggestions for what you want to read next!