There were certain things one learned in the army that were never discussed among civilians. Lessons that were never publicized, nor bragged about, nor printed in recruitment pamphlets. Learn to use a gun, they said. Learn to fight like a warrior. Learn to be a man. All of that was rubbish, and Roy knew it.
He supposed it would make the recruitment officers' jobs much harder if they had to sell real military teachings to perspective soldiers. Learn to be beaten within an inch of your life and keep moving. Learn to be pushed to your absolute limits both physically and psychologically and keep moving. Learn to witness horrors that would leave most men begging for merciful death and keep moving.
Thus despite the fact that his left arm was now a charred mass of 3rd degree burns, that he'd just consumed a poisonous amount of alcohol in a very short amount of time, that he'd been half-electrocuted earlier that day, that the sickening smell of burning flesh was shredding the very last edges of his sanity, and that relentless, unspeakable nightmares were pursuing his every step, Roy Mustang kept moving. Get to Edward. Worry about everything else later. Just get to him.
He and Soubi were hurrying into the house, Roy leaning on the taller man's arm for support. Roy had to hand it to Soubi; he was remarkably calm, considering all that he had just witnessed. He hadn't said a word; he'd simply offered Roy his arm, pulled him up off the ground and lead him straight towards the house. Roy supposed Soubi had also picked up the keep moving lesson somewhere. Guess the military doesn't own the patent on that one.
They stumbled down the cellar stairs, through an iron door and down a second metal staircase. Roy was glad that Soubi seemed to know the way, because he was seriously having trouble telling reality from hallucination, never mind up from down and left from right at this point. He knew they were getting closer to their goal because he could feel the alchemy in the air and he sensed the ominous presence of the Gate, but his link to Ed was completely broken. He had no idea whether he was going to find Edward dead or alive. All Roy knew was that he needed to get there as quickly as possible, while he still retained the ability to function.
As they rounded a corner, Roy almost crashed straight into Soubi, who had stopped dead in front of him. Regaining his balance, he looked up. His vision was spinning slightly, but he thought he could make out the form of a tall cat-eared man in black. He seemed to be guarding a door. The door to where Edward was. Roy's muddled brain was trying to remember whether or not they had decided this man was actually Ritsuka's older brother, or whether he was an imposter. Shoot to kill, General? Did they give the orders to shoot to kill?
Soubi was still standing in front of Roy with his arm outstretched, as if to prevent him from moving forward. His hands were visibly shaking.
"Move it, Pretty Boy, I haven't got time for you to figure out who you belong to."
Soubi's eyes went wide. Roy snapped his fingers. The man in black burst into flames.
Jumping back, Soubi looked at Roy incredulously. "What? Look, we don't have – "
Before he could finish his thought, the man in black was on him like a snake, his hands around Roy's neck. Instinct kicked in: Roy immediately threw himself to the ground, pulling the man in black on top of him; then he snapped his fingers and kicked him as hard as he could, thrusting his burning body away from him. Soubi was instantly at his side, pulling him out of danger.
There's no way that thing is human. It's way too strong. Roy had hit him with close to lethal force. It should have finished him, but he was still moving.
At that moment, the door opened, and out stepped Aoyagi Ritsuka. Roy was about to call out in warning, when Ritsuka started screaming like the dead come to life, clinging to his dead brother's charred body, and Roy's carefully patched sanity unraveled like a thousand year old threadbare woven tapestry, finally giving way to the inexorable ravages of time.
That sound. That hideous screaming. Make it stop, Maes, make it stop!
Ash was falling all around him, and there was nowhere he could run, nothing he could cling to. Everywhere he turned there was nothing but stinking, burning corpses and death, death, everywhere death. The stench was unbearable; he could barely keep from retching. As he blundered over the carcasses, his hands over his ears, he could still hear it, the screaming, always the ungodly screaming.
You killed him! My brother, you killed him, you monster! How could you?
You military devils! How many of us will you murder with no remorse?
Go back to Hell! You have no souls!
You have no souls. Roy laughed, a horrible, savage, deranged sort of laugh. If you only knew how right you were.
Crawling into a dark hovel, he lay there, shuddering all over, freezing cold despite the omnipresence of fire, always burning, a never ending inferno; he'd been consigned to the bitter flames of Hell. You have no soul.
Arms were suddenly around him and he couldn't stop from sobbing uncontrollably. Maes, I can't do this anymore. I can't take one more day of this. I can't. I won't. I'm gonna fucking end it, Maes, I swear to you, I'm just gonna fucking end it…
Hughes wrapped his arms tightly around him, calling his name over and over: Roy, come back to me, come back to me, I need you, Roy, come back… Roy was clinging to Maes' right hand, putting it close to his face; the cool metal felt so good against his skin… Metal… wait… Fullmetal…
Roy took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Ed was looking down at him, fear and concern clearly visible on his face. "Ed…"
Edward's tears spilled onto Roy's cheek as he touched his forehead to Roy's. "I'm sorry, Roy, I'm so sorry, I thought… I thought I'd lost you, I thought…" Roy could feel Ed's small frame shaking as he clung to him. Alive. The boy is alive. There is a God.
Roy heard a crash off to the side. There was still a battle going on, he recalled. "Fullmetal, what have I told you about triage in a crisis? What the hell are you doing over here with me? Those two are going to be cannon fodder if we don't get over there and help. That man in black, he's not human, he's-"
"A homunculus." Edward was grinning like an idiot.
"What? A true homunculus? Shit. And what the hell are you smiling at?"
"Just glad to have you back, Colonel," he said, offering Roy a hand up.