Title: Numb
Chapter Title: Blood
Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist/Elfen Lied
Pairings: RoyEd
Rating: T for teen
Summary: What happens when you discover that there's something seriously wrong, not only with your superior officer, but enemies, friends, family, even yourself? It all links back to the power of the Gate, and why certain people are perfect for sacrifices in the creation of the stone...

Thank you, to all those who reviewed. I had a good time reading them. And those who favorited and alerted, I'm glad you liked. Anyway, since this has to be out by Saturday, it's the day of the week I set (I intend to update every week), Lynx and I put aside our differences to put this up. Again it was about length, and giving out too much information. He likes his secrets, but the final product (this) is what we agreed upon. It seems like a happy effort on both our parts.

Note: If you are not happy with the information I gave, that is on me. I made up a majority of it. I don't want to directly copy Elfen Lied. If you have watched the show or read the manga, you'll know my information is not correct. I'm sorry. I just wanted to do my own thing with it.

Harsh red-brown eyes were focused on the papers before her, only looking for a short while at the fellow blonde who was busy on paperwork across from her. Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda had been sent out a short time ago for lunch, and they were working until the two of them got back before they got into their meals. She was going to remain strict, even with Roy out and busy, despite her concerns for his well-being. There were always secrets, she had grown used to that, but this was something she was sure that she, and the others, should have been well informed on. Fury, too, was called away for this special appointment.

Unfortunately for her, her curiosity only furthered detered the work that needed to be done over something that both Fury and Roy assured her was nothing but a routine check up. What didn't make sense was that Roy's excuse was about alchemy, Fury's over the radio waves that were said to be harmless. Yet... they were going to the same place, she noted after they left, after inspecting the cards for emergencies carefully, and there was no mention of it for others, like Ed. Mandatory, he said...

"Lieutenant?"

Riza's eyes blinked multiple times before she lifted her head, Ed offering her a bag. He seemed rather confused, brow quirked and a small frown that she generally seen on Roy when she didn't answer right away. Spacing out was not a typical behavior, but concern for the man she dedicated her life to, and, on some level with both Fury and Mustang, held a friendship that outweighed the need to be formal sometimes. "Thank you, Edward..." She murmured, taking the bag in hand and setting it on the floor, proceeding to remove the extra papers that had been completed and rid the desk of its usual clutter in times like this.

"Something wrong, Hawkeye?" Breda asked, settling behind his desk. It hadn't occurred to her that they would come straight back this time, after ordering out. They usually dragged the time out, especially if Roy was in charge, until there was no choice but to come back or risk getting in trouble with his superiors.

"Nothing. I'm just concerned about Fury and the Colonel is all."

Havoc puffed on his cigarette lazily, knowing Riza wouldn't have much of a protest while he was near a window on lunch break, blue eyes watching a lone butterfly dance through the air with what seemed like a clumsy yet whimsical promenade, tantalizing to those in hiding, and the flowers it would soon visit. "I wouldn't worry too much. The chief would trust us enough to know if he thought we should."

Hawkeye went back to the work at hand. He was a reckless man... if something was seriously wrong, it would take ages for them to pry it out of him, and even then, the true story probably wouldn't have escaped his lips. He preferred to keep important things to himself, she thought, rather than tell them. Try to protect them from worry, and end up failing in the end because he didn't see how bad not knowing was. "Of course. You have ten minutes to eat, so I suggest you make it quick. There is a lot to be done."

"Why Ed?"

"They want him. I can't explain it."

"You're letting them take a say in it? You were always a man for control, Roy. You're not losing to them, are you?" A triumphant smirk that seemed a bit out of place on Hughes' features appeared, earning a definite scowl in return. What better way to make Roy Mustang rise above those desires than to hit him where it hurt; the ego.

Roy's dark eyes focused out of the window to maintain his composure. Sure, he could feel it slipping, but Maes was right. Control was everything. He had always had control in his life, from requesting what he wanted (and making sure he had it) for dinner when he was a child, to manipulating the higher-ups with a suave appearance and an uncanny ability to speak his way through anything. Even his control over fire was a show of such power he had. He wasn't about to let Hughes be right, not about him and losing control. "Of course not, Hughes. Mother was consumed by hers, I'll always be better than those before me."

"What about after?"

"There are none after that haven't already been punished for transgressions of abusing their power."

"And you plan to leave it at that?"

"Of course. When Fury's through, there would be no need for concern. There's just one more I have to make sure to find..."

Maes shifted. "You sound like a sadistic killer."

"You don't approve?"

"It's not like you."

Roy sighed softly, placing his brow on the cool glass, allowing it to aid in the ebbing away of his headache. "I suppose you're right. Power corrupts. How did you manage?"

"I lost in a fight."

A raven brow quirked, turning in his seat to watch the man. "A fight?"

"How many do we have under military control?"

"Currently we have five under military control. There are two missing, and another located towards the south. However, that is all we have confirmed."

"That is all?"

"The diclonis race is very rare, sir. We're lucky to have the five we do, but the other two should be found."

"The two strains... how many do we have of each?"

"Strain Genesis? There are five. The Revelation strand only has three."

"Genesis and Revelation strand, analysis."

"The Genesis have longer 'vectors' or additional 'hands' which are just extensions of themselves due to mental capabilities above a normal humans. These vectors are able to manipulate using a sort of wave in the air, probably sound, and rip through a victim with an increased amount of strength. They are also capable of picking up or disrupting objects within their reach limit. The vectors have a 'reach limit', more than likely with the Genesis strand of about six meters. However, with the longer range, their vectors are limited in number, due to the extra strain it can place on the body and mind.

"The Revelation strain has a more strict reach limit of two meters, though Hydra has earned a reach of up to four meters with years of training. They can manipulate up to as many as eight vectors. However, the more vectors that any diclonis uses, but especially a Revelation, the more their mind slips away. The vectors act like a seperate being, but work with the host.

"To be honest, the only thing we actually know is that it's blood-bourne, more hereditary, carried through lines for generations by genetic carriers. Eventually it crops up down the line, and we see small spurts of the diclonis population appear. It's genetics, they're born like this."

"You mean monsters."

The nervous man lowered his head, nodding slowly. "You could put it that way... but if you can't tell their horns, you can't even tell their not human! They're just as normal as you or I, just with some additions to them..."

"They're monsters. I remember the diclonis we had... I watched one of them fight on the battlefield, it was as if that man wasn't even human anymore. He could be so sane off of the battlefield, and the moment he was on, he was killing all sorts of people without a look of remorse in his eyes. Sickening." The large man slammed his fist into the table, the gauntlet glowing and destroying the piece of wood. "That upstart... where is he?"

"... upstart?"

"R2!"

"He... he should be on his way sir!"

The bronzed man grinned darkly. "Good, good. I want to test out this 'diclonis' power of his..."

"Hohenheim... you always were such a fool." An elderly woman stood from her rocking chair, hearing the young woman she took under her wing move about behind her, collecting the silver tea set and the left over biscuits that they had not eaten yet. It was always customary to break them up to feed to the birds, and Lyra always made sure she kept that up practice. When the clicking of the young woman's shoes had disappeared, back inside the mansion that she had spent years in, she cackled, reaching a hand out towards the tree in front of her. "You chose that sort of body... do you know what this means for me?"

Though her target of conversation was not there, and she was not insane enough to carry on a conversation with herself, she found it quite amusing to be this close to the tree she had carved words of love into, finding solace in discussing her plans to the words, since the actual person meant to hear them was not present. At one point, she couldn't help but love the crazy fool, it was their attempts together that made everything possible, but... this, this was far too enjoyable to pass up. He had left her for this other woman, the form he had chosen to steal away... a very interesting body. She had high hopes for these, she just needed to wait for Pride to get back to her with the names of what she needed.

"Mommy? Why do they say those things?"

A dark haired woman, with creamy chocolate eyes watched the young boy with a certain sadness in her eyes. He didn't understand why she looked that way, whenever the subject was brought up... she looked as if she was about to cry. "You are special my boy. You are not like those despicable humans. You are above them."

"Above?"

"Yes, above. They are envious of you."

"Envious?"

"And they fear you. They don't understand you. Forgive me... my boy." The woman, raised a butcher knife tears falling down her face. Within an instant, the fountains of red clouded his vision, and a blood curdling scream made the world disappear.

Kain Fury sat up quickly, taking a few deep breaths, glancing over to the woman who sat a good three meters away. "Can... I go back to the office now?"

"The tests are not over, R3. Settle in. About your mother..."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore!" The papers on the nearby desk of the shrink upturned, the garbage pail flew across the room, and the pages of the notebook ruffled in an impossible breeze. He pulled his knees to his chest, face buried. "I want it to stop..."

The bronze-haired woman sat straight, watching with an air of outright defiance, though mingled with fear. Her jaw was set tighter than her bun, and her green gaze kept tabs on the young man's movements carefully. "We shall continue this at another time." Quickly she stood and removed herself from the room. That would be the last time she stayed in the same room as one of them...

Meanwhile, Kain could only contain himself by clinging to his knees like a child in hiding, shaking, and tell himself it was all for the best.