Summary: Children have been disappearing all of Central City for the past few months. When Roy is put on the case, his worst nightmare becomes a reality he'd rather not live... especially when Edward disappears. (Parental Relationship)
Warnings: Torture, pain, possibly gruesome descriptions and lots of angst; slight possibility of Male x Male implications... oh and spoilers in this particular chappy but I don't think they give away too much...
Authors Note: o.O I seriously never thought my random muse would ever earn this story so many positive reviews so soon! Your praise has kept me going strong, Thankies to you all!
Ok I promised jenelric that I would update if she updated her fic and she did but when I tried to update this chapter gave me a little trouble; it kept getting errors and such when uploading, so I copied and pasted into notepad and uploaded it that way. But when I opened it on it had these strange symbols in the text... so if you guys out there find a symbol thing that I've missed can someone let me know? They seem to have replaced all my commas, speech marks and stuff and I've been though replacing them and such but I may have missed one or two...
Anyhoo, this chapter is the beginning of the downward spiral for poor Edward, so if you think it looks bad for him now just wait til later on... Don't worry, I don't believe in Main Character deaths for I feel I have no right in killing off other people's creations. Unless it makes the story good... uh oh... I think my plot bunny is brainstorming again.
Well with that wonderful thought, I'll leave you now with Chapter four... Enjoy!
PS! Not even a day after this was posted, a kind reviewer pointed out a small mistake on my behalf. 'Paternal' should have been 'Maternal', this mistake has been rectified. My deepest apologies to those who noticed it and got slightly confused... I'll tell you now, our strange and bewildered villainess is NOT a transexual; she is all woman... even if she isn't 'all there' in the mind, so to speak. Highest Thanks go to 'SerenityFrogLuvr3' for pointing this out.
THANKYOU!
Ch4; Of Breadcrumbs and Messages...
It was dark.
"Uh chief?"
Really dark; with no indication of what was in front or behind.
"Yes Breda."
A cold icy wind blew at them from one side, like a ghost's last breath.
"Does this remind you of the time we thought we saw the thirteenth Warehouse?"
It was eerily quiet too. Not even an echo...
"No Breda it doesn't."
The smell of old dusty mildew filtered through the icy chill with a hint of metal and something else..
"Well it sure is just as creepy... if not creepier I'd say."
Crunch
Roy paused mid-step causing Breda, Havoc and Fuery to imitate a pile up behind him. He fought to stay upright and barely managed to win. With a quick snap of his fingers, the room was cast into a soft yellow glow. He turned and glared down at the trio who'd bumped into him. Hn, it seemed that he was the only one to win the battle with gravity.
"Sir, you're stood on something." Riza's voice filtered through the gloom from behind all of them causing the three on the floor to jump but also reminding Roy why he'd stopped in the first place. He ignored their antics and looked down as he moved his foot; several pieces of glass glittered on the floor and as he squatted to get a closer look, he suddenly realised what it was he'd just stepped on.
A syringe; smashed long before his boot attacked it, with a lingering smell of something foreign and a splash of crimson on the needle head. This was evidence.
"Sir..." He looked up; Riza's voice had strained considerably on that one word. Something had shaken her. He stood and frowned, bracing himself for whatever Riza had found. "He was here... In this room." She turned holding something out as she walked toward him but it was too dark to see anything from where he stood. His brow furrowed even more as she stopped in front of him, holding up FullMetal's long red overcoat in both hands. He cursed.
"Sir, there are shackles on three of the four walls, and they were used recently too." So this was the holding room and Edward had found it only to mysteriously disappear aswell. Damn that kid's intuition! He should have known this assignment would spell trouble for the kid. Why didn't he argue the Fuehrer's word? Why didn't he try to get Edward off this case? He knew it would be dangerous for him and he just knew something like this would happen. So why didn't he fight back?! Why?!
"Chief, do you think the Boss'll be alright?" The voice was hesitant, his lost sheep looking toward their shepherd for guidance. He had explained the dangers that were involved for Edward on this case and had asked them to help him keep an eye on the boy when he was too busy. His team felt like a close knit family, he felt responsible for every member like a father would feel about his children and just as he'd hoped, the two Elric boys had been accepted with open arms into that little family. So to them, losing Edward like this was like losing one of their youngest brothers.
"He'll be ok Breda, he's the FullMetal Alchemist." He sighed worriedly, who was he kidding? Edward was just a boy who just happened to have the most amazing luck one could ever dream of. In situations like this the boy was as lost as Roy himself, "Havoc I want this place lit up, Breda I want a forensics team in here pronto; analyse everything you find... I want to find Edward Elric now!" Instant movement answered his orders as he turned on his heel; his decision made. He scowled at the shadows; they were mocking him, taunting him, dangling poor Edward in front of his nose but just out of reach.
"Riza, Fuery with me. We're going to find this son of a -"
"Achoo!" Derry sniffled. "Hmm someone must be talking about me-e-e-a-Achoo!" he sniffed again before letting out one final explosive sneeze. "ACHOOO!" Both girls flinched when he sniffled loudly again.
"Someone must really hate you." Crimson eyes narrowed accusingly at the gagged children being loaded in the back of the van, eyeing each one but to no avail; they were all unconscious. Her gaze lingered there a few minutes more before dropping to her lap where her precious Eric-kun lay, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Maternal instincts rose up slowly inside her and before long she was humming a soft melody while running her fingers gently through his golden hair, a mothering smile on her red lips.
"Hn. So it would seem..." He leaned back in his seat and glanced in his wing mirror to check how many more kids were left to load up. He yawned before pulling his cap over his eyes and shuffling down in his seat.
"Wake me up when its time to go..."
Never in her life had she ever witnessed the Flame Alchemist's temper reach such a dangerous level. He was literally smouldering at the ears. Yes he was officially pissed off but this was something more; the way he walked so rigidly, the way his shoulders were set, his jaw clamped shut; he was severely worried about Edward. They were all worried about him. He'd been gone not even under an hour and already the military was in a fritz. It was those few precious minutes directly after the disappearance that made everything count, it could be the make or break of the situation. Everyone knew it, which was why they were all working so damned hard to find Edward and the kids before they lost all trails...
"Someone's been through here recently." They were in a cave shaft, naturally formed but well used by the looks of the beer cans and crisp packets strewn across the age old stalagmites. Roy stopped and looked down at where Fuery squatted, a cold hard gaze behind his eyes; muddy footprints, heavy and several of them; they were fresh. "And several times too." The desk clerk looked up when he felt his CO's hard stare boring onto the floor beside him. Instinctively he flinched and made to move out of the way but the Colonel was already moving on, following the clues Fuery had pointed out. Riza followed closely as Fuery jumped up and ran a little to keep from being left behind.
After a short while a light found their weary eyes, shining from up ahead. Roy's brows furrowed as the sound of gruff voices met his ears too. These people were just up ahead, and they had Edward.
'I'm coming Ed...'
The light was coming from around another bend, effectively hiding them from their targets. Roy motioned for the other two to stay put while he did a quick surveillance of the area. He squatted down close to the floor and peeked out using a reflecting mirror to see what was going on. Several spotlights lit up the cavernous domed area where a large hi-top van sat with its rear doors open wide revealing several tied up children lying asleep on top of one another inside. He couldn't spot Edward among them. He tilted the mirror up and around checking each wall for possible ambush openings or anything that might delay their departure. That was when he noticed the electrical generator; it was placed not too far from the entrance and if he crawled he could reach it without anyone noticing.
That was convenient. What was also convenient was the little tunnel leading to a series of shelves that opened out into the main dome-like room. An idea formed in his head. He moved back to the others to relay his plans and send for more help. He was going to need every last bit of help he could get to pull it off.
His hair was so golden... Like a sea of sunshine. She'd always liked the colour gold but red was her all time favourite. Gold suited him; he was her golden Eric-kun and he was perfect. His fair skin was so pale, so smooth and flawless; his nose was so small but well proportioned. Oh but his eyes took the prize instantly; bright glowing orbs of molten gold set delicately in a fragile frame of thick golden lashes. He was her little treasure; a keepsake from this wretched job away from home. Oh but he'd fit in so perfectly at home, she didn't understand why her Derry-kuns had to sell him. It wasn't fair; he'd promised that she could pick a child from this batch as her own but when she'd picked Eric-kun he said he might have to sell him... hmph. Well she wasn't giving up that easily, she had her ways of getting what she wanted. A sly grin found her features; this was going to be fun.
She smiled down at her treasure. He looked so peaceful and pretty and his hair seemed to float around his face like an angel's halo. She brought her fingers up to run through his hair, wondering how it could feel so soft.
Her fingers were mere millimetres away when suddenly, the light's went out.
Roy peered through the night vision goggles; his coal black eyes locked on Edward's prone form, laid limp on some strange woman's lap. A frown found his brow as he watched her clutch the blonde boy closer in her fear. The man sat in the driver's seat flinched then jumped awake before fumbling around the cabin interior. A flashlight blinded those sat in the cabin before their eyes became used to the sudden light.
A growl almost escaped his lips as Roy's eyes finally discovered who had 'ed'-napped his subordinate. (XD that was for you radcat; sorry I couldn't resist, 'tis such a cute word!) He calmed himself down though; getting irate about something he already suspected wasn't going to help Edward in the slightest. He had to stay focussed, had to reach his goal.
He gave two short bursts of static throughout the radio systems that he and his team had and before long he saw the bodies of his own men engaging silent contact with the enemy. He held himself back, had to wait for five minutes before moving, that was the plan. He was the Grand Finale after all...
Two more minutes. His men were taking down the enemy with a speed to be proud of. He smiled, it was going perfectly. He stood then and braced himself for his appearance.
Then two sort bursts of static found his ears. That was the signal.
He jumped off the shelf and landed in an impressive blaze before the van; a ring of fire encircling the vehicle leaving no means for escape. He glared into the cabin feeling the heated glare staring back at him. The driver's door opened.
Derry stepped out, a smirk on his face. Roy's mood soured.
"Well, this was certainly unexpected." The guy was just as beer-bellied and rotund as he was in the bar; his beady eyes hiding something of a secret at all times even though his little game had been found out. Anger flared up through the Colonel's veins but he held it in. The guy was mocking him...
"I believe you have something of mine." He replied starkly, eyes narrowed to their fullest, his scowl deep and intimidating. The man chuckled, he didn't even bother trying to hide the fact.
"Oh you mean your little friend?" He glanced into the cabin at something Roy couldn't see but he assumed it was Edward. "I'm sorry but you see my daughter's taken a liking to him and I just can't bear to see her go without." Damn that smirk! Roy's temper was failing fast. "Is there anything I can offer to compensate?" The nerve of this guy?!
"I'm sorry but Edward is not for sale." He raised his hand, fingers ready to snap. He was going to have to fight for the boy. Gah, trust Edward to get kidnapped by the most dangerous types! He swore the boy did this just to give him grey hairs early┘
"Edward? Is that his name? Well that's too bad. My daughter had her heart set on Eric. Guess we'll have to change his name too." Ok, that threw him. Change his name? How can someone just up and decide to change someone else's name? Something wasn't right.
"Change his name? Have you lost whatever brain-cells you had in your head?" His anger got the best of him but he was passed caring now. This bastard had kidnapped hundreds of kids, obviously drugged them and was now throwing it all in his face?! He was sick of this case and sick of this bastard and his smug grin. How he wanted to just...
His fingers twitched.
"Oh no, on the contrary; I grew more..." A mocking smile found the guys lips. "I'll give you a hint. Try looking up 'mind attacks' then see of you can save your precious Edward before it's too late." The large man stepped away from the car as he spoke, his hands raised in a strange gesture; some form of fighting stance.
Roy tapped his radio three times. He'd need help with this one. Almost instantly he saw a flash of blond hair; Riza. He found her eyes and relayed his message silently; 'I'll be the diversion, you get Edward out of here.' She nodded. It all happened within seconds; no one was any wiser. His eyes snapped back to Derry, he was a tricky one, and slippery too. He'd have to be careful for Edward's sake because if he failed here then Edward was as good as gone.
He had to win.