Hello one and all. I feel like exploding. I just saw episode 63 of FMA brotherhood, and have to wait a week or so for the last episode. Not gonna spoil anything for anyone, so don't worry. I'm a little late in updating this chapter, so sorry. Also the updates might be coming just a smidge farther apart because my older sister is going to Tennessee for the summer, so I'm gonna have to be doing most of the housework, cook dinner by myself, and a bunch load of other things that cut into my fan fiction writing time. But anyway, on with the chapter.

Hope the beginning of this doesn't confuse anyone, we're finally in the manga/brotherhood now.

Disclaimer: Don't own FMA.

Chapter 3

Selim Bradley sat in his classroom, bored. Although being a 300 year old super villain learning fourth grade math will do that to you. You see, his real name was Pride, but he had to put up this stupid act in order to fulfill his father's grand plan. He began doodling on the side of his paper, already done with the work. It was absolutely no problem, as he'd already gone through the fourth grade several times in his long lifetime. Something that didn't usually happen began to though, he got a head ache, a big one.

"Urg," The pretend boy grumbled, getting his tutor's attention. Selim put his head in his hands, it felt like someone was prying his head open. What was going on, homunculus don't get headaches!

"Master Selim, is something the matter?" His tutor asked. He could just barely nod. It was actually starting to scare him, he didn't feel pain often.

"M-my head…hurts…" Pride managed to get out, trying desperately to both speak, and keep up his act. It was starting to feel like someone was pushing his consciousness out of his head, and it was getting harder and harder to focus.

"I'll go get the doctor," The tutor said, and rushed from the room. She seemed worried, Pride figured he probably looked as bad as he felt. He could barely focus as he tried to keep from passing out, and briefly acknowledged some figures coming to the room, probably the doctor and his tutor, and he finally lost the internal struggle, and feel to the ground from his chair.

Selim tried to open his eyes, but he was too tired to, so he continued to lay on whatever he was laying on, and tried to remember what had gotten him here in the first place. Let's see, where was he last. That doorway! The mysterious figure! He had gone through the doorway so he wouldn't die. It seemed like it worked, he didn't feel dead at least, just tired.

Selim heard the door open, and some people walk in. He knew he should probably let them know he was awake, and he would, just not yet. He had always liked pretending to be asleep with others in the room, they would talk like you weren't even there. It was how he had learned a lot of the things he knew about the state of the military and other classified things. His parents wouldn't tell him, at least, not intentionally.

"How is he?" Selim tried not to shoot up, and keep up the act. It was his father. His father had… He'd tried to… It was taking everything he had not to burst from the room. What if his father lost it again? Selim still had no idea what he had done so wrong the first time, and was now officially terrified.

"He collapsed in the middle of his lesson. I couldn't find anything wrong with him, though, it's like he simply fainted, although the teacher said he had complained of a headache beforehand," Selim didn't recognize that voice, but he assumed it was a doctor. He hadn't collapsed during class though, he'd been strangled to death by his father in a burning house!

"Alright, you may leave. I'll call you when he wakes up," Bradley said. Selim's breath hitched just slightly. He did not want to be alone with his father! What if he tried to do something? What if he made him mad again? He couldn't do anything though as the doctor did as he was told, and he was left with only his father, standing somewhere to the left of his bed.

"Get up, boy," Bradley commanded, and Selim sprung up faster then he thought possible. It made his head spin. He sounded angry, and Selim was already near tears. "What happened?" He asked, and Selim shook his head, staring down as to avert his gaze.

"I-I don't k-know…" Selim stuttered. He was so scared. How had his father convinced the doctor that he'd just collapsed during class? He didn't even have class today! And now his father sounded angry and his father was almost never angry with him except for right before he tried to kill him and what if he was mad because he hadn't been able to and he had come back to life and he tried to kill him again and he was so scared that was going to happen. Selim's thoughts were going a mile a minute and he was beginning to shake, a few tears escaping from his eyes.

King Bradley, or Wrath, was completely dumbfounded. W-was Pride…crying? He did know no one else was in the room, right? "Err, Pride? You can cut out the act now and tell me seriously why you fainted," Wrath said, hoping Pride would stop. He was never good with tears, even the fake kind. His 'son' just looked up at him, though, a look of confusion on his face.

"W-what act, f-father? And I d-don't even r-remember fainting. I'm s-sorry!" Selim tried to speak through his tears. He wished his mother was here. He mainly just wished his father would stay away until he was sure that he wouldn't kill him.

"Pride, stop that this instant, it isn't funny," Bradley growled, beginning to feel the anger he was named for. It only seemed to increase the boy's tears, though.

"W-why are y-you calling m-me P-pride?" Selim choked out, scared to talk, but too confused not to. That was the second time his father had called him that, and it made no sense to him. Bradley's frown deepened, and he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"I said stop it," He demanded again, taking a step toward. Selim lost it.

"Don't kill me!" He yelled, pushing himself as far back from his father as he could, his back against the wall. Bradley stopped in his tracks, and just stared at him, a look of pure confusion on his face. Selim pulled his knees to his chest and set his head down, bawling his eyes out. He wanted his father to go away. He was saying confusing things and Selim was already scared and he was making it worse.

"Your not… acting?" Bradley asked, but got no response, Selim just kept crying. Alright, he had officially no idea what to do. He wasn't good with real crying children, let alone his fake crying child who was actually more like a brother and almost three hundred years older then him and was suddenly absolutely terrified of him for some strange reason. He figured he should take him to father, but had a feeling that doing that would only make things worse. So he decided to turn to the next person he went to when he was at a lose for what to do.

"Want me to get your mother?" Bradley asked, and Selim nodded his head feebly. Nodding, he turned and went to find his wife.

It wasn't hard to find her. She was pacing in the room at the end of the hallway, looking like a concerned mama bear. King Bradley was actually a bit worried about telling her that her 'son' was bawling his eyes out in the other room and thought his father was going to kill him. Normally he wouldn't be scared of any human what so ever, but today was turning out to be a very strange day.

"Um, dear?" Bradley started, getting her attention immediately.

"Yes, how is he? Is he awake? The doctor came in and said he was fine. Did he wake up? Well?" His wife bombarded him with questions. Bradley put him hands on her shoulders to try and calm her down.

"Now Larissa, relax. He woke up," Bradley said hesitantly, and she relaxed instantly, but it didn't quite stop her questions.

"Well, how is he? Does he feel sick?" Larissa asked, and Bradley decided it was now or never.

"I, well, he… you see, he started to cry, and I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I came to get you and, well, I see your already on your way," Bradley mumbled the last part, as his wife had turned away from him and was rushing down the hall to console her crying son.

Selim hadn't moved from his spot when his father left. He said he was going to get his mother, and he really hoped that was true. He didn't want to talk to his father anymore. He wondered what that figure at the door had done though, to make him alive again? Did he just come back? But then why would people be saying he had collapsed during class? And he really had no idea what his father had meant by calling him pride, or saying he was acting.

Something else bothered him, though. He felt, well, stronger. It was weird. Now that he was awake, he wasn't tired in the least, and he felt this pulsing of energy where his heart was. It was all so strange and he just wanted his mom.

"Oh dear! What's the matter?" His mother asked, rushing to him and sitting down next to him on the bed. Selim jumped into her lap without saying anything and began crying into her shirt. He wanted to ask her what was going on, but couldn't stop crying long enough to actually do so. She patted him on the back. "There there, sweetie, it's okay, it's okay," She comforted.

Selim kept on crying. He said he wasn't tired, but that was quickly changing. He was struggling to stay awake as the tears began to stop flowing so that he could ask his mother what was going on, but it was getting harder and harder. Soon, he had lost the battle and was fast asleep in his mother's arms as she hummed softly to him.

Bradley stood in the doorway, trying to be completely silent as this all went on. Once his 'son' had fallen asleep, his wife met his eyes, giving him a look to show she was confused as well. He knew she was no where near as confused as he was, though, there wasn't any way she could be.

What in the world had gotten into Pride. He was acting like a normal pathetic human child! There was no way on earth he would do that if it wasn't needed, and this certainly wasn't needed. At first he thought this was some kind of joke, but he knew he wouldn't take a joke this far, not even Envy would of. Giving his wife a small shrug, King Bradley left the room. Pride would come to his senses and explain what the hell was going on, and he would do it soon, or else Bradley would take him to father and get whatever was wrong with him fixed.

Line-line-line-line-line-line-line-ling

Well, tadaa! Chapter three. Sorry if it's a little short, but I felt this was a good spot to stop. What happened to Selim? Hopefully you could all figure it out, or else I am really bad at hinting at things. Well, please review and tell me what you think, and thank you to everyone who has so far. It really brighten ups my day when I see one of my stories has gotten a review, even if it's something small or constructive criticism, which I actually like. Not flames though… flames would probably throw me into a pit of despair, well, enough of my ramblings, good night…or morning…or afternoon….