Yeah, the only reason you're getting the chapters so quickly is cuz this is the only story I feel like working on at the moment. And I have strep throat, so pity me. PITY ME YOU FOOLS OR NO MORE FANFICTION FOR YOU!!!!!!! XD Just kidding.

---------------

Two days later, Ed and Al left the Fuhrer's house with Envy to see their father. As they came to a car, Envy pulled out some cloth and gestured to Ed. "Your dad's in a very secret and secure prison. We can't let you see where we're going."

Yeah, because otherwise I'd find out about your precious underground hideout, Ed thought as Envy covered his eyes and had him sit in the car. A moment later, the car began moving, and Ed found himself becoming bored. He couldn't see what he was doing, and nobody else in the vehicle was saying anything.

Finally, the car stopped, and Envy grabbed Ed's good hand and began pulling him along. They went inside a building, down some stairs, and down a hallway that twisted and turned so much that even if Ed had been able to see, he still wouldn't have been able to find his way back.

Finally, they stopped at a doorway, and Ed waited as Envy took off the blindfold. As soon as he could see again, Ed looked around. They seemed to be underground, which confirmed Ed's suspicions. The man called Father was nearby.

Envy opened the door and pushed Ed and Al into the room. He followed them in and closed the door behind him. Ed could hear the metallic click of a lock.

He looked at his father, who was sitting on a bed, looking very defeated. Hohenheim looked up at his children and gave a weak smile. Ed curled his hands into fists and didn't move for a moment. When he finally did move, he caught everyone by surprise.

He flew forward and brought a fist into his dad's face. "That's for ditching us for so long!" he shouted before taking a step back.

Hohenheim was in a daze, Al was in shock, and Envy was surprised, to say the least. After a moment of dead silence, Ed spoke again. "I have a message from Mom that Pinako forgot to give you. She said… she couldn't keep her promise, and that she would be going first, and that… she's sorry."

Hohenheim stared at Ed for a moment before bowing his head. "I see. Thank you for telling me."

"Yeah."

There was an awkward pause. Then Envy walked up to Ed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't know what he is, do you?"

"Huh?" Ed replied, hoping he sounded confused enough.

"Wait here."

Envy left the room and locked it again. Ed and Al waited, not knowing what else to do. After a while, the door opened again, and Envy came in, this time with Father.

Ed did his best not to show that he recognized Father, and he looked from Father to Hohenheim for a moment, trying to figure out the connection. Then he realized that there would probably be an explanation coming up soon, so he just waited.

"These two don't know?" Father asked.

"No."

The old man walked up to the brothers and studied their faces intently. "Indeed, they have to be his children." He paced around them for a while. "Not only that, but they've succeeded in retrieving their bodies from the doors." After another minute, Father turned to Hohenheim. "I'm impressed. It seems that you running off gave us some advantages."

"Huh?" Ed asked. This was news to him.

Once again, Envy placed a hand on Ed's shoulder, but this time the grip was stronger. "Be quiet."

Ed resisted the urge to punch Envy in the face as Father turned back to him. The creepy old guy placed a hand under Ed's chin and forced his face upwards. "I wonder what that makes these two, then. They can't be entirely human, and yet… how long does it usually take you to heal?"

Ed raised an eyebrow. This was an unusual question. "Heal from what?"

"For instance your shoulder, the first time Scar got his hands on you. It was healed completely in less than two weeks, am I correct?"

"Yeah…"

Father abruptly grabbed Ed's left arm and pulled it out. "Envy, do you have a knife?"

Envy grinned. Ed panicked. He tried to get away from Father, but Envy dealt him a blow that stunned him.

"Brother!" Al cried, but Envy silenced him with a glare. The homunculus walked to a nearby table and picked up a knife. He handed it to Father with a grin still on his face. Ed braced himself for the injury he thought he'd be receiving, but the cut never came. For some reason, Father stopped before bringing the knife to Ed's skin.

"Envy, take him out of the room and send Gluttony in here."

Ed couldn't move. He felt frozen in place. Envy sighed in aggravation and grabbed Ed around the chest, practically dragging the alchemist out of the room. Ed watched in a daze as Envy talked to a shadow nearby, not realizing that the shadow was very familiar.

----------------

Al cringed as he felt Gluttony's hands on his arms. He looked past Father to Hohenheim, hoping to see if his father could help him at all. Hohenheim simply looked defeated.

"Gluttony, let go of his left arm," Father said. Al was relieved to have one of his arms free, but he didn't know how much he liked the idea of someone coming close to his arm with a knife. He twitched as the blade pierced his skin, and watched as Father let some of his blood flow into his hand before placing his other hand on Al's wound and healing it, leaving no trace of the wound other than a faint smear of blood on Al's arm.

Father observed the blood for a while before speaking. "It seems your sons have inherited more than just your talent. It's a shame that it doesn't prevent them from getting injured."

"Wait… what do you mean?" Al asked.

Father ignored Al's question as he mumbled to himself. "Of course, since they were born naturally, they're still closer to being humans than anything else, but there's something…" Father turned to Al. "Your body was at the doors for a while, correct?"

"Yeah, it was, but-"

"How did it survive?"

Al paused. "I think… my brother explained it to me, but I guess he can't explain it right now…"

"What did he tell you?"

"Something about our minds being linked, and his body… I guess it was making up for the lack of nutrition and sleep mine was getting, because he always slept more than usual, and he doesn't so much anymore…"

"That would explain it, but then, why would your body be in such bad shape?"

Al shook his head. "I don't know."

Father gestured to Gluttony, who let go of Al's other arm. "Of course you wouldn't know. The idea that your minds are linked is very plausible, but that's not the only thing that kept you alive."

Al's eyes widened as he realized what this meant. "Wait… you're saying… but…"

"Yes. There are traces of the stone in your blood. However, it's too little to be of any use to you."

Al fell to his knees. He didn't know what to think. If they'd had that in their blood, then why hadn't that been the passage fee for their failed transmutations? And why didn't it do the same for them as it did for the homunculi, if not to a lesser extent? But then again, like Father had said, it wasn't enough to be useful to them.

"Then why would it matter?" Al asked weakly.

"It doesn't affect you, so don't think about it any more. All this makes you is something slightly more than human. Gluttony, take this boy to another room and secure him there. We can't risk him venturing to the surface and doing something foolish."

---------------

Ed sat with his back against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees. Envy stood nearby, watching the alchemist cautiously. Ed looked back at the door for a moment, knowing what was going on inside, but not wanting to admit it. That he and Al had something like that inside their bodies and yet had lost so much… It was hard to believe. Then Ed turned to Envy, a semi-innocent look on his face.

"Is your name Envy?" he asked, watching as the 'soldier's' facial expressions became very sour.

"That's right, pipsqueak."

"WHO'SSOSHORTTHATYOUCAN'TSEETHEMEVENWITHAMAGNIFYINGGLASSWHENTHEY'REWEARINGBRIGHTCLOTHESONADARKSURFACE?!?!?!?!?"

"Whoa, don't forget to breathe."

Ed, for once, took Envy's advice and took a deep breath. Envy sat down next to Ed and placed a hand on his head. Ed cringed inwardly, but he restrained himself for the sake of keeping his memories a secret. Then Envy spoke.

"You know, part of me thinks you might be like a little brother soon."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll know if Father wants you to know."

Just then, the door opened, and Gluttony came out with Al. Al did not look happy.

"Al?" Ed asked cautiously.

"Gluttony, what are you doing?" Envy asked.

Gluttony smiled. "I'm taking him to another room. Father wants him here."

Ed's eyes widened and he stood up. "Hey, wait a second-"

"Shut up."

"But-"

"I said shut up!" Envy snapped, shoving Ed roughly against the wall, his hand on Ed's throat. "Don't think you have a say in this. If Father wants your brother to stay here, then he'll stay here. Don't bother to argue about it."

The door opened, and Father came out, looking with some surprise at the scene before him. Envy let go of Ed, who collapsed on the ground, wheezing and clutching his neck. Al kneeled down next to him and put a hand on his back, not speaking for fear of causing more problems. They both looked up, waiting for Father to speak.

"Envy, take the Fullmetal Alchemist back to the Fuhrer," Father said, handing Envy a piece of paper. "Don't let him see where he is."

"Of course," Envy replied, pulling out the blindfold and moving to tie it around Ed's eyes.

"Hey wait," Ed said, avoiding Envy's reach. "Can't I talk to my brother first?"

Father inspected Ed for a moment before walking away. "Make it quick."

Al looked at Envy and Gluttony for a moment before reaching for his brother and pulling him into a hug. "I'll miss you," Al muttered. Al let go and took something from around his neck. He pushed it into Ed's hand along with an envelope. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Ed watched Al nervously, not knowing whether Al was lying or not. Then Al left, and Ed looked at the envelope in his hand. He stuck the other object into his pocket, figuring it was the medallion. Before he could open the envelope, though, Envy took it away from him.

"Hey!" Ed tried to grab the paper, but Envy kept it out of his reach.

"Give it up, pipsqueak. I'm just checking to make sure it isn't some code."

"Why the hell would Al want to say something in code?" Ed asked, even though he knew about fifty reasons.

"It's called being cautious, pipsqueak. Just calm down."

After being called short twice, Ed found he couldn't calm down. In fact, he couldn't stop himself from punching Envy in the face. "I'm not short!" he shouted as Envy got to his feet.

"You idiot." Envy grabbed Ed by the wrist and pulled him very close to his face. "We're being nice to you. Don't make me angry."

Envy let go and signaled for Ed to turn around. Ed did so very unwillingly and cringed as Envy tied the cloth over his eyes. Ed felt a hand on his neck, and Envy's voice sounded in his ear. "After all, I wasn't this nice to you before. You should be grateful. I'm even going to give your brother's sappy letter back to you."

Envy stuck the paper into Ed's hand, and Ed stuck it into his pocket. Then Envy grabbed Ed's wrist and began walking.

--------------

Ed sat quietly in his room as Envy checked around for what he called suspicious items. After a while, Envy gave up and sat next to Ed on the bed. Ed cringed again, this time on the outside, but he tried to hide it. Envy simply snickered.

"Well then, I guess you don't like me. You sure you don't remember me?"

"What's that mean?" Ed asked, trying to avoid answering the question.

"Never mind. Right now, there's something you need to know."

Ed glanced at Envy's face. It was a mask of fake sorrow. Ed groaned inwardly. This was going to be one painful conversation. "What?" Ed asked, ignoring the dread he felt in the pit of his stomach.

"Your father. He's had what you've been searching for ever since the beginning."

Ed stared blankly at Envy, trying to come up with a response while convincing Envy that he was in shock of the news. "What do you mean?" he asked finally.

"That man, Hohenheim, is a creation of Father's, with the philosopher's stone as part of his body. That same stone has managed to find its way into your blood."

This is where Ed wanted to ask about five hundred questions, but before he could open his mouth, Envy covered it.

"Don't bother asking any questions. It'll just be too much for your little brain to handle. To answer some of the questions that I know you're bound to ask, you're considered something between a human and a homunculus, your brother's being held because we're worried about his safety, and this little thing in your blood won't affect you at all. Although, there may be some smaller things…"

"What kind of things?" Ed asked, having regained the ability to speak.

Envy shrugged. "Nothing that'll kill you."

Before Ed could get Envy to elaborate, the homunculus left the room.

----------------

A week passed by, and Father summoned Ed to his lair once again. This time Ed was forced to take his shirt off and lie on a table, restrained by leather straps. He saw a transformed Envy nearby. Envy walked up to Ed and placed a wet cloth over his eyes. Ed began to feel afraid. This fear only intensified as he felt a cold hand on his chest.

"Breathe in," commanded a voice. Ed obliged, not knowing what else he could do. After several seconds, the voice spoke again. "Now exhale."

As Ed let the air out of his body, he felt an intense pressure on his chest. He panicked and tried to escape the restraints, but he couldn't. He tried to scream, but his voice had left him. So he lay there. He lay on the table until the pain ebbed away. He relaxed, and his body went limp.

After a while, he was vaguely aware of voices in the room.

"This is an interesting result," Father muttered. "I didn't expect for it to work. After all, it failed on his brother."

Ed felt a finger tracing something on his chest. "What exactly did you do to him?"

"He is no longer human. Assuming my theory is correct, he has gained some traits only a homunculus could have. However, he is still human to a certain degree. He can't regenerate as easily as you."

Ed was confused. Why would Father want to give him special abilities? Or was he just some experiment done for the hell of it?

He felt the restraints loosen, and the cloth was removed from his eyes. Ed kept his eyes closed. He had no energy left. He lay on the table for a while before he could move. When he opened his eyes, he saw Father standing above him.

"You should feel honored. You are no longer human."

Ed could feel someone helping him to sit up. He looked around, trying to understand just what had happened. He still felt like himself, but something was off. He felt something on his shoulders, which made him think to look down at himself. Beneath the blanket that now covered his body, there were black lines on his skin. It wasn't an ouroboros tattoo, but it was something that Ed felt was just as sinister.

"What… what did…" Ed's voice wavered. He felt sick.

"I've brought you out of humanity. From now on, you are something better."

"Better how?"

"You'll have to discover that for yourself. Get up."

Ed stood unsteadily, gripping the table for support. He felt someone gripping him, supporting him. He looked over. It was Greed.

---------------

Ed managed to keep a straight face, but he hadn't been able to hide the surprise in his eyes. Father saw his surprise.

"You recognize him?"

Ed blinked. "He… seems familiar," he managed to say, hoping that he sounded convincing.

"Do not attempt to hide it any more. You've given yourself away."

Ed raised an eyebrow. He didn't remember giving anything away.

"Or rather, your brother has given you away," Father concluded.

"What?" Ed asked, honestly confused.

"We attempted the same thing with him," Greed said. "It failed, but your brother gave away your secret in his state of delirium that came after. We know that you've remembered for a while, ever since Scar put you in the hospital. We know you've been trying to spy on us." There was a pause. Ed looked around. The only ones in the room were him, Greed, and Envy.

Envy stood in front of Ed with a smug grin on his face. Ed longed to get rid of it, but his body was still weak. He merely listened as Envy spoke to him.

"You've lost, pipsqueak. You and your friends have been defeated. Now why don't you take a break and then follow us? Whatever we tell you to do shouldn't be too hard with your new body."

Ed lost it. He didn't know what came over him, but he couldn't stay in this place anymore. He brought his fist into Envy's face, sending the homunculus flying, and raced for the door. He broke through and ran. He could hear shouts coming from behind him, but he didn't care.

He ran as fast as he could through the hallways until he came to a staircase. He began to make his way up it, but after a few steps, he felt a hand on his ankle, and he fell. He looked back. Greed let go of his leg and pulled Ed to his feet. His face was serious.

"Damn it, Ling, let me go!" Ed shouted as he tried to break free from Greed's hold. Greed pulled him closer until his mouth was right next to Ed's ear.

"I'm Greed. If you want me to let go, you have to use the right name."

Ed looked at Greed's face. "Fine. Let me go, Greed."

To his surprise, Greed let go and began walking down the stairs. "Keep running, Ed. I'll chase after you in a minute, and next time I won't let go."

Ed blinked and nodded. He turned and continued running, not stopping until he was at the surface and making his way through the streets of Central. After a while, he collapsed in an alley. He was exhausted, and his chest hurt. He pulled the blanket closer around him and curled into a ball, trying unsuccessfully to hold back a sob.

"What am I?" he asked himself. "What the hell am I?"

He lay on the ground and cried until he couldn't anymore. Then he allowed himself to be taken by sleep.

--------------

Oh noes teh drama. Gasp.