Chapter 16

The Truth Behind Sins

Or

I'm No a Shrimp

Jack

He wondered if the kid was getting to him. Scratch that, he knew the kid was getting to him. What surprised him was that it didn't bother him when he thought of it. What was it? Alphonse Elric was a good kid. Perhaps it wasn't that simple, but Jack knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, if he had known the kind of person Alphonse was, he would have approached the assignment in an entirely different way. Yet he had his orders, and it seemed the two boys, mysteries in themselves, were vital pieces to a puzzle his superiors wanted him to solve.

Looking down the hall, Jack sighed. It was getting late, and he was kicking himself for letting the kid talk him into taking him to the lab. Even if it had been for a few minutes, the two guards down the hall would think it suspicious.

And Alphonse never took a few minutes. Sighing, he turned to knock on the door when he heard a distinct crackling sound. It sounded nothing like Edward's Tesla coils or generators; in fact, it was more like the repeated lighting strikes from a powerful storm. The door rattled and there was a deep rumbling coming from the room. Jack wondered why the guards on station hadn't come charging down the hall; hadn't they heard the commotion? He paused and listened, ear up against the door; there was some crashing, like wood against stone.

The readings from his scanner were off the chart. He tapped his wristband and studied the scrolling data. Yes, a dimensional anomaly similar to the ones he saw when the Thule society opened the portal months ago. Yet this was very different, like nothing he had seen before.

A child's scream snapped his attention from the data to the door.

Alphonse was in trouble. "I should have known, never trust the kid to stay out of trouble…" He grunted, jamming the key into the door's lock and turning the knob. Something was holding the door shut and it took all his strength to force it open.

Red energy flashed in bolts of crimson across the room and a whirlwind, like a back hole spun in the middle of the room. Alphonse stood in the center, tiny form swaying listlessly as the forces converged around him. He was nude and frail, hair thrashing about his pale face like tendrils of silk. His eyes glowed scarlet, the same color as the vibrant etchings that covered his flesh.

The man burst into the room, and found himself fighting against a tide of fluctuating energy and just for a moment time seemed to stop around him. Alphonse jerked, a whimper slipping from his lips and waves of sparking pulses crackled down his helpless form. His body fizzled and Jack swore he saw static. The boy jerked. "FATHER Noooooo!"

Suddenly it was over with and Al crumpled in a small broken heap in the crystallized stone crater on the floor.

Panic drove Jack Harkness. He pushed though the weakening tide holding him back and charged into the circle and to the boy lying on the floor. Gathering the boy into his arms he felt for a pulse, and found none. No breath came from his lips, but his flesh was still warm.

Wasting no time, Jack quickly tilted the boy's head and checked his mouth, making sure he had not inhaled anything that blocked his air passage way. Satisfied, he laid, the boy down and quickly plugged his nose and breathed into his mouth, filling the child's lungs with air. He repeated the procedure while intermediately applying chest compressions with his hands.

What if Al died? He didn't like the idea; he had even entertained the idea of taking the boy in once the mission was over with, even if it did cramp his lifestyle. How much trouble could a 13 year old boy be?

Granted from the condition of the laboratory, a very dangerous 13-year-old boy. A boy, who with his brother was on the verge of changing the course of human history and possibly more.

Not that it mattered. If Al died, Ed was always of use. As long as Jack had one of them, he would succeed with his mission. But he would regret Alphonse's death. He had gotten too close to this one in a personal way. Once more he pressed his mouth around Alphonse's and gave a long breath.

The boy sputtered, and gagged.

Jack pulled away, hoping the child would have the strength to breath on his own. He stroked Alphonse's back, encouraging the boy's gasping breaths. "Hey, hey, it's alright kid," he gently felt the boy's pulse, and felt a strong heart beat. "I think you owe me that explanation now."

Alphonse's eyes opened, half lidded. "Father?' He meekly asked. He shivered and curled up against Jack's lap, confusion and pain washing over his brow.

"It's just you and me, kid, and I'm guessing more of my friends up the hall pretty soon." Jack said, smoothing the boy's hair out of his face. He looked around the room, feeling his gut drop. There was no way he'd be able to hide this one. "Damn, so you're into demolitions too, I see."

The boy looked up, a hint of a smile forcing the corner of his lips. He looked worn, but the color had returned to his young face. "This is nothing." He said softly. "You should see my brother, when he gets going, he can really take the place down."

"Ed? Why doesn't that surprise me?" He could hear the familiar sounds of footfalls down the hall and the angry curses of Edward Elric. "Damn, we're in trouble."

Lifting his head some, Alphonse assessed the lab, than leaned to the side, he weakly clapped his hands together and laid them on the floor.

Wasn't the one arm broken? Hadn't he splinted the limb himself? Jack stared in disbelief.

There was a brilliant flash of red light and Jack felt the floor underneath him rise. It was like watching a movie in reverse. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the work-benches, tables and machines rebuild themselves. Every beaker, test tube and flask flipped back on the shelves in perfect repair. Even the books and note-books returned to their places on the desk, and shelves.

Hauling Al into his arms, Jack danced back a few steps as the wooden floor-boards recovered the floor. It was amazing the boy had managed to manipulate matter at a subatomic level without any machines with only his hands, and mental calculations.

He had only heard stories of such things. Jack peered down at the child unable to find a proper response.

The footsteps were closer, and the room was back to it's disorganized self. Right down to the red jacket hanging on the coat stand near the door. The jacket Jack had mind to grab and wrap Alphonse in.

"You can keep a secret, Jack?" Al asked, voice barely audible. His deep golden eyes were half lidded and very troubled. Whatever he and done upset him.

Jack nodded, already trying to logically deduce what he had just seen. Damn, he couldn't get a reading on it, but he was sure it was off the scale. He carefully walked over to the door. Shifting Al, he turned down the gas and closed the door to the lab behind him. "Sure, Al, I can keep a secret. That's alchemy, isn't it?"

Alphonse Elric nodded, pulling the coat closer to him.

He shivered. "Alchemy…" The words barely slipped from his lips when he went limp, exhausted.

"Alchemy." Jack whispered to himself. "Yes, alchemy, but I'm afraid it is far more complicated than you think." He stopped walking, watching for the security guards to turn the corner. His gut twisted as he recalled what he had seen in the lab. He had a hunch that what Alphonse Elric called Alchemy was one of the most sought for lost sciences in world. Jack Harkness had the sinking suspicion the agency had denied him some serious need to know information, and whatever it was, he had just become embroiled in a mystery of galactic proportions.

&&&&&

He had a strange dream about Alfons Heidrich; in it the young man was trying to tell him something, yet Edward was too absorbed in finding a cure for tuberculosis to listen.

It was a frustrating dream, and Edward realized it was symbolic though the symbology escaped him at that time. What he did recall was that they were talking, and he had been reluctant to wake up, because if he did, it would inevitably mean he failed to cure Alfons and that his inability to accept the real world resulted in the man's death.

Suddenly, Edward Elric found himself sitting up, feeling oddly foolish as if he was rattling his pathetic heart out to thin air. He was alone in bed, Einstein in the chair before the fireplace, and Alfons nowhere to be seen.

It had been a dream, but it felt very real.

"Al, I'm loosing my mind." He said a loud. It had to be that. Didn't the advance stages of leukemia bring on brain delusions? Worried, he reached out to touch his brother, to find an empty bed.

Wearily, he pressed his head in his hands and ran his fingers though his long hair. It was down past the middle of his back. The chemo was thinning the golden strains by the day now. Though, Al hadn't noticed, but soon it would just start falling out in chunks. Or that was what Doctor Schilling told him: if worst came to worst, he'd just shave it, and be done with it. Edward sighed, feeling a few strands come loose in his hands.

His hands, the older boy frowned. There was a faint glow on his wrist. Puzzled the young man rolled down his nightshirt's sleeve and stared at the intricate lines, glowing faintly on his flesh. "Al…"

Fighting his aching limbs, Edward Elric bolted out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. He stared at his gaunt features in the mirror, shock forming on his young face. Yes, the same faint red lines were there, circling under his chin and around his cheeks and forehead. Unbuttoning his shirt, he discovered them all over his chest, and dipped beneath the waist of his boxer shorts. Even his one leg was covered.

He had seen similar marks on Scar's arm. He vaguely recalled how the markings reacted when near an active philosopher's stone. They glowed. It could only mean one thing.

"Oh shit! AL!"

Yes, it made sense! If Al wasn't there he was in the lab, and if Edward was right, the younger Alchemist found a way to access the gateway.

Of course, with the guards outside, he could do nothing about it, they'd see the markings on his face and report it to the Kaiser, but Edward didn't care, if Al was endangering himself he had to stop the boy. Edward buttoned up his shirt, and grabbed a robe. The glow on his arm flickered briefly and dimmed. Something was happening and he had to move very fast. As long as he reacted to the power of the philosopher stone, he knew Al was still alive.

"Trust Al…" He muttered kicking on his slippers and trotted across the floor. Already the glow had dimmed more and was almost unnoticeable. Worried, he whipped open the door, and ducked out.

And right into the arms of one of his sentries. Irritable, Edward waved an annoyed hand at the large brutish man and ducked around him. "I don't have time for this! I need to get to the lab!"

He wasn't as fast as he would have liked to be and that cost him. Heavy hands seized his shoulders, and spun him around like a toy top. "I have orders that you stay put, Shrimp!"

Shrimp.

Edward's gaze darkened.

The man called him a shrimp. Not just a shrimp, the very comment implied that Edward Elric was SMALL. So small that he didn't deserve the respect deserving of a genus of his caliber.

The Alchemist glared. "Shrimp?"

"That is what he said." The second security guard stepped up beside his comrade and leered down at Edward. "Why? Does Herr Elric have a problem with being small?"

"Small? Small?" Edward's voice rose to a loud shrill. "Who the hell are you calling so small he can't be seen by 900X magnification with an oil emersion microscope???"

Furious he waved his fists, With a burst of strength, wrenched himself from the hands holding him and roughly pushed past them like a bowling ball through pins and stomped down the hall. By god, he may be been weak as a kitten, dying of leukemia, nauseous from chemo, but NO ONE, NO ONE called him SHRIMP!

Dimly though his righteous haze, he heard a fury of startled German. Yet he was too angry to interpret their words. Only that they were stunned by his outburst.

It was to his advantage, Edward thought. He needed to get to Al and get to him fast. He picked up his pace. Behind him, the voices became angry and he heard the thunder of heavy feet.

"Herr ELRIC!"

The teenager flew into a full sprint. It hurt, his entire body screamed from the exertion, but thoughts of Al loosing his soul and life to the gate drove him. Clenching his teeth he forced himself to keep pace, every step screaming with the ach of muscles and the churning of his stomach. In a full run, he raced painfully aware the price he'd pay if he failed.

The hall itself seemed endlessly stretching out before him like a distorted nightmare, but he could see the corner looming up. Around the corner and down several feet was the lab.

Something bowled into his back, driving him face first into the floor. He felt the crunch of ribs and the scream of bruising flesh with the impact and for a moment, the world blazed white.

When the haze cleared, Edward felt hands digging into his shoulders as some one flipped him over on to his back. He tasted iron in his mouth. "Don't be a fool boy." A gruff voice said coldly. "You are still a prisoner here and we have our orders!"

Shaking his head, Edward tried to force away the florescent spots dotting his vision. He cursed his weakness, making a note that having Leukemia sucked. "Bastard, just go to hell for me!" The alchemist gave a bitter laugh. "And get your fucking ass off of me!"

The big German leered down at him, smiling. He was missing a tooth, and his face was flushed. At least Ed had the satisfaction of making the man work for his living. The guard side glanced his friend who smirked wickedly. "You are a stupid boy, Herr Elric. Why don't you just return to bed. There is nothing you can do here." He slowly eased off the young man, a big hand remaining on Edward's flesh arm. "If I were you, herr Elric, I would not press my luck!"

Edward grit his teeth. "Yeah, right." Weakly, Edward shifted his legs underneath him. They wobbled like noodles, but he was able to kneel. He set his jaw with determination then sprang, automail leg baring his weight as he sprinted up and out of the grasp of his guard. Around the corner.

To be tackled once again by one thug. This time he slammed into the wall, chin pressing against the fine wooden molding in the middle of the wall. It sent aching pushes across his face and down his spine. Again he fought the dizziness and spots. Summoning whatever strength he had left Edward used his automail arm to spring off the wall. They didn't expect it, and fell away from him as his head rammed into the chin of the bastard on top of him and human fist rammed into the other man's face. The blow was weak, but stunned the man long enough for him to land his automail fist into his gut.

The other guard recovered enough to kick him squarely in the back. Launching forward, he kissed wall once again and felt hands seized his shoulders and spin him around. Scowling with blood spilling from his mouth, the security guard drew his fist back ready to strike!

"If I were you, Hans, I would watch were you put that fist, Kaiser wants him functional for his wedding night." It was Jack.

The hands holding him released him and shoved him away enough to see the tall head of security walking up the hall, carrying a bundle wrapped in his old red jacket. Alphonse, Edward paled. He went to spring forward when a hand grabbed the back of his robe, yanking him back. "Al? Al?!"

Jack gave him a once over as he walked by. Al lay limp in his arms, deathly pale and quaking. "Hans, I'd let the kid go, looks like you roughed him up quite a bit, hope you didn't damage his Johnson, the boss will be pissed…"

Hans blanched, hands going limp. "Yes sir!"

Straightening his robe, Edward pushed pass the man, following close at Jack's heals. Al had done something foolish and he was sure Jack had seen it all. "You fucking asshole, if you did ANYTHING to him I'll kill you!"

Jack side glanced him, gaze narrowing. Edward could see the other guards were close behind them, and listening to the discussion. "A little dope does wonders for keeping them out of trouble and tame as a kitten!"

Al's naked arm slipped from the bundle and the boy moaned, nuzzling up against the body holding him.

The two thugs behind them chuckled, than stopped staring at each other questioningly.

For Jack's sake, Edward Elric hoped it was just a ploy. If not, Harkness just earned an ugly death. Gritting his teeth, Edward stalked behind Harkness, aware the men behind him had become strangely quiet.

"Door Ed!" Jack snapped, waiting for Edward to scurry around him and push the door open. The man walked over the thresh hold, holding the boy.

Shutting the door in the guard's faces, Edward glared at Harkness as he placed the boy down in bed. He quickly unwrapped Alphonse's body and began to check the boy's limbs.

"What the hell happened Harkness?" Edward snapped crossing over to the bed. He nudged the man out of the way and examined his brother. The boy was pale, sweat dotted his brow and he was strangely warm. The arm that had been shattered by Rudolf was fully mended, as were the ribs. Not a bruise or a bump marred his body, yet his face was strained, tormented by something.

Edward's gut twisted. He swiftly checked the boy head to toe for the red mark of Orobouros. There was none. He sat heavily down on the bed and looked up at Jack. The man emerged from the bathroom with the first aid kit. "Ed you really have to stop pissing off the hired help. You look like shit."

Edward looked down at himself, aware he felt awful. He waved an annoyed hand. "Well, they pissed me off! Now, answer the fuck'n question."

"You earned that mouth on Amertris?" Jack asked. Gently he turned Edward around. "Jesus, they worked you over good…"

Harkness was avoiding the subject. Edward jabbed a finger at Alphonse. "Al! What about Al?"

Jack opened Edward's robe and unbuttoned his nightshirt. "Physically, Al's fine. Spiritually, I have no fucking clue."

Edward felt his hands feeling down his chest, poking gently at the ribs. He winced, flashes of pain flaring down his side. It was then he realized, Jack Harkness had him almost completely undressed and had not even mentioned the automail arm which Edward had hidden under his clothes. "What do you mean?"

"Hans broke ribs and you have a hell of a lot of bruising. I'm gonna have to tape these." Jack pulled out a roll of bandages. "So what the hell did he do to piss you off? No offense Ed, but you're not in the condition to get pissed off."

Frustrated, Edward grabbed Jack's shoulders and shoved him arms length. "God Damn it! Tell me what the hell happened to Al!"

"Alchemy." Jack said evenly.

Einstein jumped on the bed beside Alphonse and nuzzled the boy's face. The torment faded, and peace settled across the boy's features. Alphonse's hand bumped the kitten. The animal curled up next to him, purring.

A flicker of relief filled Edward. The damn cat was good for something. "Alchemy." He said to Jack flatly. "What kind of Alchemy?"

"How the hell do I know!" Jack said. He lifted Edward's arms and carefully began to wrap his chest. "Damn, you're ripped for a little guy."

He called him little. Edward's brow twitched. "I'm not little!" He shouted, it took a remarkable amount of control from him not to beat the man silly, but the blond Alchemist managed. There were more important things than his…. diminutive size. "I thought you were spying."

"I was, but to be honest, I don't know squat about this Alchemy shit." Jack informed. "I have my suspicions, but wow, I never imagined either of you would get results."

"Results?" Edward looked back down at Alphonse. Of course the boy had results. He activated the gateway somehow, which triggered the redwater inside of his body. "Al did Alchemy in front of you?"

Jack nodded. "Kid nuked the lab, trying to get power! Let me see," the man rolled his eyes skyward. "I saw this whirlwind, red light, lightning sort of like he opened a black hole. It took a huge chunk out of the floor and trashed all the equipment and books. I kept thinking of the Tunguska Blast." He finished wrapping the young man's chest, then dabbed his face with a wet cloth and cleaned off the blood. After applying a few bandages he handed Edward a few pills. "Take these, you'll need it for the pain and swelling. I'll get some ice from the kitchen." He stood up.

Edward washed the pills down with a glass of water and folded his arms deep in thought. Jack's description sounded like the gate. "Black hole? I'm not familiar with the term… The book you gave me mentioned something like that…"

Jack winced; he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Ahhh, it's a concept implied by Einstein's laws of physics. You're pretty bright, I assumed…"

Edward lifted a brow. "Don't assume. I'm not from this place, and my understanding of physics is a work in progress. I can see how you could come to such a conclusion, with the breaking down and changing of energy, but you'd need a tremendous reactor to create such a gravity well…"

"Did your brother summon power from a black hole of sorts, Ed?" Jack asked.

It was an odd question and Edward had to think about it. He wasn't sure how much Jack knew, he certainly knew very little of Alchemy, or at least their brand of Alchemy, but he did know a great deal about science. He heaved a tired breath aware his body was exhausted. "Black hole, I guess you can call it that. If he did what I think he did, it was very dangerous. I'm surprised he's still alive."

Jack rubbed his chin. "I had to resuscitate him, but he recovered fast enough. What was he trying to do?"

"Make Alchemy work here. But you need a power source, energy, to make the transmutations work." Wearily Edward came to his feet, and pulled the blankets around Alphonse. "Except the cost it too great."

"Yeah, he said it could kill you." Jack informed. "Is it death? In the past people scarified lives to make their so called magic to work."

Circling the bed, Edward sank down to his side and assembled the rest of his nightshirt. He was too tired to care about his concerns about Jack. The blunt fact was he needed the man or what he knew. "This isn't magic, Jack. There are laws you have to obey, you need materials, you need energy, and you need an understanding on an atomic level to construct what you want to make. The arrays, everything they're equations for shaping matter. You need chemistry, biology, physics, and math." Edward inhaled. He looked at the man before him hoping he'd understand what he was trying to explain. "Alphonse was tapping the gate, in hopes he could force it to give him power. The gate is a place, but also a living source. It processes energy by twisting it according to the natural laws of this world and creating Alchemical energy…"

"Ok." Jack stared at Edward, face suddenly pale. "Well, he did it. Ok. He clapped his hands and Boom! Your lab is nice and tidy. No big hole in the floor, no more broken furniture…" The man waved his hands, motioning a little clap. "Like Bam! I've never seen anything like it!"

'Really?" Edward lifted a brow. "You seemed to follow my theory well enough. Are you sure?"

Jack frowned. He made his way to the door. "It's not unheard of… Maths being used to make things. I mean, there are theories, Ed. Just a single person being capable of doing them in his head… WOW."

"Math is only a part of it." Edward said tilting his head. "Though I guess, in the end, it does come down to breaking things down to mathematical formulas. I mean, that's chemistry and physics. Everything is math…" He patted the bed. "This bed, the blankets, the human body… At the subatomic level, it's just a bunch of particles tied together in mathematical arrangements." Edward yawned. "God damn it, now if I could just find the proper formula for harnessing the energy from a dimensional vortex that didn't use souls to convert into Alchemical energy, our problems would be solved!" He painfully flopped backward feeling the jar of his injuries shiver down his spine. He was tired and wanted to sleep.

"Souls?" Jacks voice was soft, and Edward detected a hint of horror.

Edward rolled to his side, staring at his younger brother. He looked small, curled up in a fetal position, with Einstein nestled in next to him. Whatever Al did seriously disturbed the boy. "It's an unacceptable technicality." He waved a hand. "And it's a one way street too, so I have my work cut out."

"Ok, Ed, you sound tired." Jack made his way to the door. "I guess you need your rest." He paused and asked. "Does this mean we're friends now?"

Edward snorted. "Means I'm tolerating you because you saved Al's life." He said sharply. "Now, get the hell out of here before you start to annoy me…"

"Sure, I'll get that ice and I'm out of here. " He lifted a finger. "One more thing though." Jack appeared worried. "I'm not going to be here tomorrow and I need the day to make emergency arrangements. Will you be ok?"

Edward thought about it, and sighed. "Swell, we'll be just swell. I'm more worried about Al than me. Hopefully there will be no wedding if he's ill."

Jack looked doubtful. "We'll see. Good luck kid… See you in a few days."

blackness.