Tormented Flame
Disclaimer: WE do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. They all belong to Hiromu Arakawa.
Authors: haganenocutie94 (writer) and freakywinrylova141 (plotter)
Warning: Slight OOC! Consider yourself warned!
Chapter Two: Measures and Procedures
General Roy Mustang slowly opened his eyes and began studying his surroundings scrupulously. There were wooden crates stacked around the steel room, almost blocking the only window he could find. There was a steel door opposite him from where he laid on his right side and he began wondering if that one led to the nearest exist or to his doom. He saw a wooden table and a phone positioned on its surface.
Roy tried to sit up from where he laid on the cold concrete between wooden crates.
Keyword. Tried.
He grunted as he felt a razor-sharp pain zap around his left side. He was tied up and he could barely move. They had fastened a handkerchief over his mouth to keep him from making unnecessary clamor that may possibly give away his current position before locking him in here.
He closed his eyes and smacked his forehead on the hard concrete and grunted. He was an idiot for allowing the morons to get him. He wondered if he could ever get out of this alive. He opened his eyes and he narrowed them. No. He was going to escape. He was going to escape for the people he would be leaving behind. He had a position to claim as his and not even a kidnap can stop him.
He breathed out a sigh from his nose. How was he going to escape? He couldn't even get up or even move his hands.
The door opened and he glared at the blonde who had tried to molest him as he came striding in.
"I can see you're awake. Very good now."
Roy tried his best to glare at him from where he was. The blonde chuckled and he squatted down in front of Roy. He pushed him over callously to have the alchemist lying on his back. He heard a grunt from the man and he saw Roy's left side leach out with more blood.
"Aww, did I hurt you?" he drawled. He seized Roy's collar and tore the shirt open to prod at the wound. It wasn't very deep but it was bleeding pretty badly.
"It's okay you're going to live." He muttered but then was quick to add, "Maybe."
Roy glared at him like he could somehow make him spontaneously combust or something. He hated the man more than paperwork. He wanted to kick that smug look on his face and beat him to a bloody pulp. Now, if he could just get him to remove what hindered him from doing so.
The blonde leaned over him, his hands on either side of Roy's head. Roy's heart began beating faster as the blonde lowered his head 'til their noses almost touched.
"Hmm… you look adorable terrified, General… But don't worry, I won't hurt you… yet…" the blonde said as he closed the gap between them and ripped the handkerchief over Roy's mouth with his own mouth.
"Get away from me, you asshole!" Roy growled.
"Don't I get a thank you?" the blonde said as he got up and the door opened as the other men came in.
"You know what to do…" the blonde muttered to the five other men. The five men nodded and Reddy, the name Roy gave the one with red hair, sauntered towards him with a sadistic smile that made Roy shoot him a death glare. The man was around his late thirties. Well, all of them looked like thirty except for the dark-haired lad that almost looked frightened. He looked like he was still around his early twenties as he tried but failed to pull on a blank face.
Whitey, Roy branded the fellow with white hair, lifted him up by gripping his shirt's lapel tightly to haul him up plus he slammed him to the solid wall behind him. A punch landed on the left side of Roy's face and he toppled to the other side. His right shoulder protested as he made contact with the ground.
They had untied the rope before Reddy lifted his right combat boot and had kicked Mustang right on his stomach, consequential to a few cracked ribs and the wound to surge out some more blood. Another kick had landed on the same spot when he bawled as his cracked ribs finally shattered. He hissed as the pain made it hard to breathe and he heard a low dark chuckle coming from the blonde. The brunette was guarding the door while the black-haired and the muscled man stood by at the corner.
"Think I'd call your Colonel, General… Let her know you're… hurting." The blonde stated as he sauntered to the wooden table with the phone above it.
"Don't you dare asshole!" the General snarled as he tried to breathe.
The blonde did not heed him as he picked up the phone and unhurriedly dialed a certain number.
Roy waited. Ednalyn would know, he thought as he tried to sit up. Reddy grabbed his left arm and lugged him into a kneeling position and both men held death grips on his shoulders. He hoped he could get her to repudiate and give her a hint that he'd somehow escape from these morons.
"Colonel Ednalyn Elric?"
Roy froze. No. Ednalyn had actually picked up? Wasn't she supposed to be at Research? What was she doing at the office? Roy thrashed about one more to make them slacken off their tough hold on his shoulders but was rewarded with a knee to his stomach courtesy of Whitey. Roy drooped forward, his forehead smacking on the concrete flooring again. The wound on his side was welling up another batch of blood and his ribs protested; his vision threatening to double. Reddy and Whitey simultaneously grabbed his arms and hauled him upright again.
"Listen. We've got your boyfriend, Colonel… he just regained consciousness earlier and well… is now being pestered and tortured, to say frankly…" the blonde said on the phone. Roy cringed inside. How was Ednalyn going to take it? Surely she'd deny that she had a boyfriend, not that she did but still-
"Oh, but you have… Would you like to hear his voice? I suppose you'll recognize him… Listen, he has something to say to you…" the blonde shot him a look that clearly challenged him. Roy thrashed and had managed to punch Whitey on his leg given that they had untied the rope earlier.
"Don't do it, Ednalyn! He's -argh…" Roy bellowed as loud as he could to get her to hear him but then a lash connected sharply on his back and Roy arched before he slumped forward again as the pain began to start. He was sure that blow had somehow torn his shirt open and now the long thin gash was trickling blood.
"Tie him up and beat him 'til he shuts up…" the blonde said as he covered the mouthpiece with his hand and he turned to them. Clearly upset that they had untied the rope around his wrists. Mustang heard Ednalyn's voice through the phone as tiny squeaks but somehow he had caught the words 'don't you dare' and 'asshole'.
"Well… I can't assure you that, Colonel… we want McLain by twelve hours or your little boyfriend says 'bye-bye'. You're quite lucky, Elric… he's very handsome indeed. I wonder if I can play around with him… a bit…" was the blonde's reply and Roy paled at having to hear this. He struggled as they began tying his hands together again. Whitey kneed him again and he slumped forward; coughing out some blood.
"Don't worry; we'll keep him alive… but maybe only barely…" the blonde said again and Roy growled at him. The lash appeared again and it began striking his back repetitively while Reddy held him in place. Roy stifled his groans as the lash slowly made his back as its chalkboard.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… you have an awfully bad mouth, Colonel…" he heard the blonde reply again and he could only imagine what Ednalyn had said to him this time. He felt himself being shoved roughly to the wall and Reddy loomed in front of him.
"Do it your way, Colonel. I have already talked too much, Elric… Call you on the next hour and General Mustang has some parting words for you…" the blonde threw a malicious glance at him with an arched eyebrow. Then, Reddy held an injection already filled with a certain drug of which he did not know nor did he want to. His eyes widened as he knew what they'd do with it as the liquid spilled out from the needle.
"NO! LET GO!"Roy shrieked as Reddy lowered the injection to his arm and plunged it down. He shook as the drug spread through his bloodstream. Reddy pulled the needle out as Roy slumped to the ground, fighting of the urge to slip to unconsciousness.
"Bye!" was last word he had heard before his eyelids shut and he was sent to oblivion.
O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:OO:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:
Colonel Ednalyn Elric leafed through every page of the list Hughes had handed her of the people admitted to prison the past three years ago. She wanted to know just who this McLain was before she got down to business.
She sent Fuery and Breda back at his place to gather enough relevant information on what had happened. They had so far questioned Roy's neighbors and they all claimed to hear several gunshots and indistinct yelling at the General's house around seven to eight. They had not been brave enough to come to his aid given that they were senior citizens and females. They have just seen two black cars drive down to the east, outskirts of Central.
Brigadier-General Maes Hughes was busy yelling at someone at the phone. Apparently, the guard at Mustang's subdivision had not remembered two black cars exiting the grounds simultaneously. He claimed that there were indeed two black cars that had entered the subdivision and when he tried to stop them to inquire where they were headed they plainly said that they were attending a party. They were casually dressed so he had no doubts of leaving them be.
"Did you get the car's plate number?" Hughes asked frantically and paused. The answer seemed to disgruntle him for he chewed the pitiable guard off and slammed the phone down.
"Insignificant little…"
"Hughes!" Ednalyn cut him out before he could finish what he was going to say. He turned to Ednalyn with a dark frown clearly broadcasting his irritation.
"Forgive me, Ed…"
"It's okay… Well?" Ednalyn questioned as she continued leafing through the catalog.
"Apparently the idiot did not remember the plate number. He thought it was unnecessary."
"We can't blame him though… Who ever knew this was going to happen?" Ednalyn said as she paused in mid- flip of a page.
Fuery and Breda soon came in and sat down at the couch. Their faces were still alarmingly pale and their hands still trembled from shock.
"What have you gathered, gentlemen?" Riza inquired as she entered the room again. Her voice might have been the same but her forehead was creased and the tensions of her body were giveaways that she was extremely distressed.
"It appears that when gunshots were heard, his neighbors had attempted to call the authorities… but all their phones were cut and dead." Fuery stated and Breda merely nodded his affirmation.
Ednalyn narrowed her eyes in a query manner. "But didn't Riza ring Roy earlier this morning?"
"I did." Riza affirmed.
"But…" Fuery said warily.
"What time had you made that call, Major?" Hughes questioned as he sat near them.
"It was around nine to ten…" Hawkeye answered.
"The commotion had started at around seven or eight… Maybe they had cut off all lines except Mustang's…" Ednalyn said.
"That's apt…" Hughes remarked. It was now currently 11: 55 in the morning and the second call was about to come in a matter of five minutes and they haven't got any real leads yet.
The door opened and Falman and Havoc entered. Falman grabbed a chair and slumped down heavily on it. Havoc sat beside Fuery.
"I already got Schieska digging up some files about this McLain," Falman stated but then murmured in a rather low voice, "and I had managed not to alarm her" when he saw Riza's questioning eyes.
"Havoc?" Ednalyn inquired.
"I had managed to secure 5 cars before coming here, Ed…" he replied.
"Good. We must be ready." Just after Ednalyn had spoken…
The phone rang.
O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:
The brawny blonde had managed to get his some of his men to guard the warehouse before Reddy, Whitey and he guarded their much weary hostage. He was already asleep for more than 30 minutes and the next call was already nearing its schedule. He grinned. Now, he could get his fun.
He stalked towards where Roy's body laid on a pool of crimson blood at the corner. They retied the handkerchief over his mouth now and by some means his shirt was gone. He was only wearing his trousers and buttskirt which were soaked with blood and his standard-issued military boots.
He hunkered down in front of the immobile body and he took hold of his pocketknife. Mustang was laying on his slash-wounded back and his hands were tied now at his front. The blonde prodded at his wounded left shoulder. The bullet had only managed to graze his skin, the blonde thought as he lowered the knife to Roy's shoulder wound.
Roy felt a piercing pain on his left shoulder where the bullet from earlier had scratched. He opened his eyes and found the blonde hovering over him. He writhed when the pain began doubling when the knife dug its way to the bone. Roy's scream was stifled due to the handkerchief over his mouth.
The blonde had drawn back the knife before he watched as blood began dribbling out and pooling on the ground. Roy panted as he willed the pain to go away.
Roy flinched when the blonde suddenly lowered his head to his face. He grinned at Roy's frightened expression and he moved his head sideward, going for Mustang's vulnerable white neck. The blonde started nipping and licking as Roy squirmed beneath the blonde.
"You taste good, General… I wouldn't really mind keeping you…" the blonde stated as he continued his assault on Roy's neck.
"Whoops, almost forgot…" the blonde said, "I do need to call your girlfriend… Keep her updated, ya know?" the blonde declared as he stood up and he grimaced from the loss of contact. Roy panted as the pain on his left shoulder began to subside. The blonde yanked the handkerchief off of Roy's mouth and stood up.
The blonde picked the phone up and began dialing.
O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:
Colonel Ednalyn Elric jumped when the phone rang and everyone fell silent as she got up to answer the phone. She felt a lump in her throat as she picked the receiver up and she managed to croak out a rough "Hello?"
"Hmm… you don't sound too good, Colonel? Lovesick much?" the blonde mocked.
"Shut up, moron… I'll find you yet!" Ednalyn growled out but was rewarded with a raspy chuckle.
"Oh, you will find me, Colonel… Maybe even with McLain laughing by my side and your boyfriend bleeding to death on the ground if you do not follow my instructions." The blonde said as he threw a haughty glance at Mustang who was glaring daggers at him from the floor.
"I won't let you, bastard! Do not dare hurt him or I'll…" Ednalyn trailed off, tears beginning to well up on her eyes.
"Or you'll what, Colonel? Torture me like what I have done to him?"
"You!" Ednalyn's voice was filled with pure hatred and rage that it even made Riza flinch. The rest of the people in the room shivered as they heard the detestation of her voice.
"Oh yes… me Colonel…" The blonde tossed his head toward Mustang as Reddy and Whitey came in. They nodded and went straight to Mustang who glared at them.
"Leave him alone you asshole!" Ednalyn roared at the receiver.
"Aww… but I am having so much fun, Colonel… and do you want to know why?" the blonde asked sweetly as Reddy and Whitey dragged Mustang toward him, struggling to break free. He let out a low dark chuckle and then said,
"Silence means 'Yes'…"
The blonde said and then he stabbed Roy's right side, directly opposite to the wound on his left side. Roy screamed but then gritted his teeth, grunts and small whimpers were the only sounds he allowed to escape his mouth. He knew that if he screamed he'd hurt Ednalyn and pressure her more.
"Mustang!" Roy opened his eyes. He had heard Ednalyn's voice quite well before they dropped him into a bleeding heap on the ground.
The office fell silent as they heard Ednalyn yell. To those who did not know her that well would have thought that she was only anxious for her superior officer's well-being but to those around her right now knew the vast extent of how Ednalyn cared for Roy Mustang. Her voice was on the verge of breaking down and crying, they knew that… they saw that… and they began to get angry. Why have they done this to them? They were only starting to form an understanding between them and now they were being put to the test.
"We want McLain, Elric… Do not forget that… I'll be telling you where I'd like to see him but first…" he picked Roy up by pulling on his right arm and then letting him lean on the table for support. He set the phone beside Roy's ear and then said, "Talk."
Roy grunted as his upper body parts protested. But then he was able to squeak out in a very worn-out and small voice, "Ednalyn?"
"R- Roy?" Ednalyn inquired. She had finally heard him properly. She did not want to hear him screaming, grunting or even whimpering. She clutched the receiver tightly… almost as if she will lose him if she held on insecurely.
"Ednalyn… please don't do it… I'm begging you… please…" his voice reminded her of a child, begging, pleading that his parents don't do anything drastic. His voice was small and almost wretched. She heard him grunt in pain and released an indignant breathe. He was hurting… he was hurting and she was here… shaking and crying… she knew that… Tears rolled down her cheeks from time to time.
"No… Roy… I'm going to save you…" she said, her fists clenching, "Don't you dare die on me or I'll be clapping myself crazy and I'll be dragging your ass back here to kill you again!"
Roy smiled despite himself. Typical Ednalyn, he thought as the blonde pulled the phone back to his ear and laughed loudly.
"Hah!" the blonde scorned, "Save him?! Are you daft, Elric?! He's bleeding to death… dying… dying to get out of here… but he won't if you contravene my rules! So don't do anything that'll upset me coz you know who I'll be punishing…" he grinned, "… or do I have to remind you?"
Ednalyn cringed and she went cold. Yes, she thought, they'll hurt Mustang if ever she made a mistake. And even now that she still had not managed to make one, Mustang was still hurting… moaning in pain… how much more would it be if she – if ever—committed a grave mistake? What will they do to Mustang?"
The blonde scoffed, "Silence means Yes, Colonel…" he reminded her and she bawled out an earsplitting, "NO!"
The blonde chuckled darkly as he pushed Mustang from the table. Roy fell in the arms of Reddy and hissed as his ribs protested. He found it hard to breathe again and he groaned.
"You've eleven hours more, Elric!" the blonde bellowed, "Take your sweet time listening to your beloved slowly die!" the blonde laughed maliciously.
"You… you shut up, asshole! I'll skin you alive!" Ednalyn shrieked as tears freely leaked from her eyes.
"Sister…" Al said worriedly as he stood up from where he sat. He placed his hands on her shaking shoulders.
"Try, Elric, try…" he said before he hung up. Ednalyn threw the phone back to its base and shook. Al stood in front of her and saw how distressed she was.
"Alphonse, he's hurting… Roy's hurting…" Ednalyn squeaked. Alphonse pulled her into his arms and hugged her as she cried. The office smiled notwithstanding the situation they were entangled at. Ednalyn was learning how to express herself, letting the people around her help. For the past years she had looked for a cure… a cure to restore their original bodies while carrying the guilt around her by herself before she started revealing herself to the others. But it was the General who saw the real Ednalyn Elric beneath the façade she constantly wore.
Ednalyn had pulled away when she smiled at Al sadly. "Thanks, Al…" she said, her face blotchy from all the crying.
"No prob, sis…" Al replied. His sister walked around him to face the others with an unwavering look.
"We're getting Roy back…" Ednalyn narrowed her eyes, "I swear."
O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:
Hours past and the phone calls did not essentially follow a set pattern. They called within an interval of two hours once and then by an hour. And now they were expecting the seventh call at five this afternoon and they had five hours left before their dreaded deadline. 10 o'clock pm.
Everyone ran around at this moment but they fought to stay calm. It was not the time to go and panic but they sure wanted to. The phone calls weren't very good for Ednalyn at all. There was one call that had threatened to shut down half of her mind when Roy had uttered the words, "Stop it, please…" in a helpless manner that it had almost broken Ed's heart. She was in no doubt that Roy had not known she was listening given that he stifled his screams into grunts and pants every time they called.
Fuery, Breda and Havoc had scouted all of Central to look for any signs of where Roy might have been held captive. But their efforts were futile for they did not even spot his shadow.
The phone rang and Ednalyn grudgingly picked it up and scowled at it.
"Hello, Colonel… McLain ready yet?" the blonde asked sweetly.
"No McLain's ready for an asshole like you, moron!" Ednalyn yelled.
"Really? Well, that's okay… at least I get to spend a lot more time with your beloved…" the blond chuckled, " You'd enjoy him, Colonel… he does taste good…"
At this, Ednalyn's heart leapt up to her throat, "No…" Ednalyn gasped. Her blood turned cold… He had just…? No… no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! They… he did not just… molest Roy! No… she clenched her fists tight as tears began spilling from her eyes again. For the first time she sobbed. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle it. She will not allow the blonde to play around with Roy or her like this. Then her breathing stopped as she remembered what Roy had gasped out at the last last last phone call…
"Stop it, please…"
Hughes stood up as Ednalyn turned alarmingly pale. Her eyes had widened before the tears had began rolling down her pale face again. He quietly approached her but then he flinched when suddenly her eyes narrowed and her face darkened. She then roared –
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU ASSHOLE! GO ROT IN HELL, BASTARD! MOTHER FO…"
"EDNALYN!" her tirade ended as she heard his voice on the other line. She sobbed. Roy… it was Roy…
"Ednalyn… calm down…" Roy's voice was soft and small.
"Roy? Oh my god… Roy, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" Ednalyn whispered as she allowed the tears to roll down her face.
"Shh... Hush… It's okay, little one… it's okay…" Ednalyn smiled. She had not minded what Roy called her.
"Roy… I… I'll find you… I swear…" she said.
"Okay…" his voice was now hoarse but still tiny.
"Just…Just don't die on me, okay?" she said but then she was rewarded with a surprised gasped from Roy and the clattering of the phone from the other end.
"Roy? ROY!" Ednalyn yelled frantically.
"No… stop it! Stop it! Dammit, let go of me you asshole!" was heard from Roy's end.
Ednalyn clenched her fists again, tears on her cheeks. "Asshole!" she yelled as loudly as she could. Ednalyn heard Roy scream and then the shifting of the phone.
"Yes, Colonel?" it was the blonde.
"Don't touch him, you beast!" she roared.
"Oh, no, no, no… I'm not doing anything with him, Colonel… I'm just… playing around… with him…" the blonde chuckled.
"You son of a…" Ednalyn started but was then cut off by the blonde.
"Oh, Colonel… I think he has something to say to you…" he stated. The phone shifted as it was settled on Roy's ear.
"Ednalyn… listen…" Roy had said before he inhaled sharply, "Do not ever forget this…"
"Yes, Roy?" Ednalyn asked sweetly but then her eyes widened at the two weak words Roy had uttered,
"Mahal kita…"
O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:O:
Authoresses' note:
Heeheehee… -evil grin and eyes gleam-
Hello, our dear readers! Well, this is Riyan (haganenocutie94)… at your service!
Whew… well this chapter wrote itself actually. I totally got carried away… And blame Merodi (freakywinrylova141) for the last chapter's scene dividers or the lack there of (thank you demonsadist for pointing this out.). She forgot to place them for the reason that she got overly excited to post this… She's currently sulking at the moment so she left me here to thank you all for reviewing and reading this… Smiles… hmm… I think I'm getting the hang of pestering Roy… he's so adorable!
WE had fun writing and plotting this… The blonde's our friend and we keep on paying him for his wonderful ideas of torturing Roy… -snicker-
And to those who have been watching out for Cherry Blossoms… we profoundly apologize for the long long update… Merodi's having a bit of trouble with the plot and I'm just waiting for her to notify me so I can start typing… school has started and we're having difficulties finding time to sort the plot out so… just wait a little bit longer dear readers!
Merodi: -shrieks with a waterfall of tears from a corner of the room- I am truly very sorry!!
Well, please leave a review! Happy writers update sooner! Now press that little button there below and leave us a review! –Chuckles-
And this is a very evil cliffy… we know… we're evil as well… -insert evil laugh-
We hope to see you soon! Bye!