Oh shit, they really were going to kill him. Today, apparently. With the gun that Snake was holding not even two feet away from him.
And those men were just talking. Talking like they weren't just about to kill an innocent young man.
He wouldn't even live to be eighteen, and his birthday was in just a couple of weeks. He couldn't die. All those people, all those years he would be leaving behind...
Suddenly, he was slapped across the face.
"Listen when I talk to you, boy!"
Ed had been too busy panicking to realize that Pigface was talking to him. The stinging in his cheek helped him to focus now.
Snake wasn't holding the gun anymore. Pigface had it, and was also alone with Ed now on his side of the warehouse.
"Are you listening now?" he asked, voice level.
Ed nodded weakly, panic still evident in his otherwise dull eyes.
"Good, 'cause this might be the last time you ever hear anyone talk."
He swallowed hard, even though it was uncomfortable due to the gag in his mouth and the dryness of his throat.
"You only gotta answer one question to live another day. That's how it's gonna work. We go until you answer all our questions, in which case we'll let you go, or until you refuse to answer a question, in which case we kill you." Pigface held up the gun and smiled wickedly. "Understand?"
It was a moment before Ed nodded. One question a day. Life or death. Simple, equivalent exchange. An answer for a day of life.
Pigface reached behind Ed's head, untying the gag in his mouth and taking it off. "I'm gonna give you an easy one tonight since I'm feeling so damn kind. Can you talk?"
"Uh-" The noise came, raspy and quiet, out of his throat. He shook his head.
"Water," Pigface called to the other side of the room. Frogbreath came over moments later with a cup of the liquid that was keeping Ed alive. After pouring it into the boy's mouth, he returned to the other end of the warehouse.
"All right." Pigface loosened his grip on the gun, holding it a bit more casually. "Before we start this, I need to know where I can find another alchemist in case I have to kill you. Name one for me."
Ed was stubbornly silent. There was no way he was going to let another alchemist go through all the shit he had.
A few moments of expectant silence went by. "What, you a lone wolf or something? I thought you were in the military." The horrendous-faced man cocked the gun. "You gotta be able to name a few for me, you're a smart kid."
The blond bit his cheek and stared at the gun. He couldn't be killed over this question, could he? The man needed an answer or things couldn't go forward.
Amber eyes locked with muddy brown, challenging.
"All right, then."
The gun flashed with movement and a shot filled Ed's ears as a bullet buried itself in his human foot. Tears stung his eyes as he let out a loud, inhuman cry of pain.
"Tell me," Pigface demanded in an even tone once the boy had fallen silent.
"C-Colonel Roy... Roy Mustang," he stammered weakly, his eyes shut tightly to hold back tears of pain.
"Colonel, huh?" He tapped the gun against his chin thoughtfully. "Capturing a higher-up could be fun. But back to business, I haven't asked you the question of the day yet."
Oh fuck, he was right. The pain in his foot was keeping Ed from thinking straight.
He opened his eyes, a tear escaping and slipping down his cheek as he looked down at the bullet hole in his foot. It was bleeding, of course, making a puddle around his toes. Bones had most likely been broken judging by the position of the wound, and the bullet was probably still in his flesh.
His analysis was interrupted when the gun was pressed against his forehead, pushing his head back against the wall so he could look at Pigface again.
"This is an easy question, remember," the man said, "Tell me one thing I need for the Philosopher's Stone."
These guys weren't alchemists, why did they want the Stone, anyways? Maybe they were working for an alchemist...
Click.
"Human sacrifices," he burst, scared from his silence by the cocking of the gun. He let out a breath of relief as the metal was pulled away from between his shaking eyebrows.
"Good boy," Pigface said, patting the tangled mess of gold hair on Ed's head before turning and crossing to the other side of the warehouse.
Edward curled himself up against the wall, placing his automail foot over his wounded flesh one as well as he could with bound ankles. The cool metal felt good against the heated wound. He closed his eyes, though tears still slipped through and fell down his cheeks.
He'd only answered two questions, but he'd put so many people in danger. He was still alive, but was it really worth it?
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AN: I am so so SO sorry that it took this long to get this chapter up. I've had it written for forever and I just didn't type it up until tonight. The next chapter has already been started and I think I can write a good deal of it (if not all of it) tomorrow, and hopefully it will be up soon. Thank you to everyone for the reviews, alerts and favorites!