DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FMA... unfortunately. I don't know when I will be able to post the next chapter, but I don't think anyone is in too much of a rush, so this might be the latest for a while since I start school Tuesday and work Sunday. R&R!
I woke up tied to a chair. I appeared to be in a slaughter house. More specifically the room they store the meat. I looked around for Winry only to see she was chained up by her hands along with the pig carcasses. Both of our mouths were covered by strips of cloth tied tightly. She looked scared out of her mind. I knew I had to be the calm one.
Just then the woman walked out from between two carcasses and faced us. She pulled on her hair and it came sliding off. It was a wig and that was no woman. This must be that Barry the Chopper I've heard mumblings about...
"So," He started off with, "I think I'll take the Ishbalan one." I jumped a little. How did he know? Then I realized my scarf was gone. It was laying on the ground near the man. He looked pleased by my discomfort. Winry seemed surprised about my heritage too. She must have noticed when he said something. She seemed conflicted about it, but fear overwhelmed her once again when he started towards me. He cut the ropes binding me and I tried to bash my head into him. Once again this was in vain. He caught me and spun me around, holding a butcher knife to my throat. Where he got it I have no idea, but it seemed to materialize out of thin air to me. He guided me to a table in the middle of the room.
He was reaching for a chain hanging off the ceiling when the sounds of scratching began just outside the door.
"What the hell is that?" Barry was just about to drag me over to check it out when the door burst inward and Kida stormed in.
"What the fuck? I thought I ended you!" Out of fear he dropped my hands and backed away. Kida was trying to attack Barry but he stumbled. I could see that he wasn't quite fully healed from whatever blow he received from Barry. The problem was that Barry could see it too. He chuckled and lunged towards us. He swung his knife narrowly missing me and crashing into the ground as he followed through with the swing. I ran from him, but I was stumbling and not as fast as I should have been. Even so I managed to dodge another haphazard swing in my direction. I ran for the door that Kida kicked in. Barry leaped in front of me. I slipped when I tried stopping short. It saved my life, Barry had tried slashing at me, only missing because I fell. I ducked behind the closest carcass and kept moving. Barry always seemed to get in front of me, always cutting me off when I tried for the exit.
"Stop dodging! You're dulling my blade!"
"Aim better you asshole." Doubling back, I felt a streak of fear as his next swing came close to Winry, making her scream despite her mouth being covered. I sprinted for the door. He got close and swung once more. I made it ricochet off my metal left arm. Before he had a chance to recover I punched him with my other arm.
"Kida, Come!" I started for the door and shouted over my shoulder, "I'll bring Ed!" I bolted but thought I heard Barry say in his feminine voice, "Perfect."
I knew my way around all of Central and began sprinting for the building I was abducted from. I hadn't gotten far when I saw Ed running my way and following Kida's and the truck's tracks.
"Where's Winry? Have you seen her?" He seemed panicked.
"Yes, she's back that way. Keep following the tracks. And watch out for the woman! I have to go and get some more help. It's Barry the Chopper," I said this as I was moving passed him and was out of earshot when he had time to reply.
I ran as fast as I could with Kida on my heels. It wasn't long before I reached the building we were captured from.
"Kida, stay." I commanded as I ran up the steps. I was stopped at the doors, however, and asked to show proof of being a state alchemist.
"Please you have to believe me. I'm not an alchemist but one is in trouble along with a civilian girl. Please, get help, I can show you where they are. Where Barry the Chopper is." My last sentence seemed to be the only part that piqued the man's interest.
"Where?"
"Let me speak to someone higher up, someone who can order the others!" as I was saying this a man walked out of the building. He gave me an odd look, but I ignored him and continued trying to get help. "Ed and Winry need help! Please?" I was feeling defeated. I was considering trying to force my way through when the man walked up behind me.
"She's with me." He put his hand on my shoulder and nodded at me. He then guided us back into the building and to a small conference room. He closed the door and I began ranting about what happened to me. He patiently listened for about two minutes before interrupting.
"Okay, I understand you were kidnapped, but I need to know where you were taken. Where did Ed run off to?" I took my first good look at this man. He was tall with a thin face and black hair. He was staring at me very seriously behind his glasses.
"He's in a slaughter house about 12 blocks away. Ed followed the tire and my dog's tracks." That was all he needed to know apparently because he turned and walked out of the room. "Show yourself out." was all he said and then he was gone.
"Well. That was polite..." I muttered to myself. I knew he was going to get to work and save Ed and Winry, so I was able to be distracted by little things like that. I walked out of the room and began for the exit. I overheard people talking as I passed.
"Where was Lieutenant Colonel Hughes going? He seemed in such a hurry?"
"I'd like to know who she is, I mean look at her hair is she one of those..." The man who said this thought he was being quiet, but when I locked eyes with him, his words slowly died off and he and his companion walked briskly away.
So, that man was named Hughes? I'll have to thank him for listening.
I continued out to meet up with Kida again. As I passed through the doors I noticed they already had several cars leaving in the direction of the slaughterhouse. I decided to wait on the steps for their return.
I sat down next to Kida and sighed. He huffed in response.
"You still kinda worried too?" I asked him. He sneezed and licked my arm.
I gently pushed his head.
He headbutted me enough so that I had to catch myself with my hand.
I glared and tackled him.
And the match began.
He rolled over me and pawed at my head. I jumped and tried to grab his tail but he swung around and caught my hand in his jaws. Getting free was easy because he wasn't holding tight. We fought like this for several minutes, getting more and more into it until we were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. We froze with his ear in my mouth and his paw on my cheek trying to push me off. I jumped up quick and looked at the man. It was Hughes.
"Umm, hehe, yes sir?" I tried to ignore what he'd just caught me doing. I glanced around to find that we had gathered an audience.
"That'll be enough. Ed is inside, but I don't think he's ready for any visitors yet. He's really shaken and Al and Winry are staying with him. I was asked, though, to thank you for helping them. Ed says he owes you one."
"No, thank you for listening. Most people wouldn't, seeing as..."
"Your heritage? That doesn't shape who you are. You seem to be a fine person to me. Why don't you come to dinner at my house tonight. You can meet my beautiful daughter!" At this all the military personnel that had come to watch groaned and walked away. All the other spectators trickled away as well. It seemed like this man had hidden pockets as he started pulling out what seemed like an endless amount of pictures of him with a woman and infant or just the infant and mother. He wouldn't stop until I agreed to have dinner with his family.
"Fine. I'll be there." I said with a smile. I actually wanted to meet his family. I wasn't going to let myself get close to them, but I'd meet them and have one nice evening before going back to the life I had before.
I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know any compliments or complaints you have! all is appreciated and considered. Review!