"Just hold still, Ed!"
"It's fine. You got the bleeding to stop what more do you want?"
"I want to see if it really is broken. I can help it to start healing faster."
"No, leave it," Edward said pulling away. "Let's get this tunnel finished we're almost done. That's what you should be wasting your energy on, not my nose."
Al sighed as he dropped his hands and Edward stood up. He clapped his hands and cleared out another mass of rock and dirt, splinters from a wood support beam refitting together like a puzzle. Al watched nervously as his brother continued working, hoping he had the nerve to do what he was about to do.
"We got everything you wanted, Al," Havoc said out of breath, dropping several packs at his feet. Lin came up behind him following his lead.
"Thank you, Jean. Did you complete the survey?"
"Yeah, that bend Edward was talking about, I found it on the map," he said digging out a folded, battered piece of parchment from one of the packs. Standing up he opened it and pointed out the spot to Al. "It goes due north, right into Drachma."
Al sighed again. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised by that." Then dropping his voice so Edward wouldn't here, he asked, "What about the troop outside of Razkuul?"
"I radioed them and they're on their way," Havoc answered just as quietly. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Al? It won't be pretty."
"I know and I'm prepared for that. I'm going to do this no matter what."
"Well, I'm glad it's you and not…"
"This is it!" Edward exclaimed behind them, interrupting Havoc.
Al turned to see the bend Edward was talking about. It was still in place with lanterns strung up on every other support beam, lighting the way to the unknown. Edward didn't hesitate to turn the corner and begin the trek through the underground tunnel that led to Drachma.
"Wait," Al said reaching out to stop his brother.
"Wait for what?" Edward asked exasperated.
"I think we need to make some contingency plans before we move ahead." He knew it sounded lame but he needed to stall Edward to keep him still for just a minute.
"We can talk about that along the way," Edward said pulling away.
"No, we need to do so now." Al insisted putting as much authority in his voice.
Edward turned back and sighed, irritably. "Alright, fine."
"Well, first off," Al said quietly. He could feel himself losing his nerve. He took a deep breath, braced himself and went on. "We're not too sure about this; just letting you walk into Drachma when you could be arrested."
"I really don't care about that."
"That's the problem, we think you should. Lin and Havoc agree with me that you shouldn't go alone."
"I already know that," Edward said, looking at Al like he lost his mind. "Isn't that why you're coming along?"
"We also agreed," Al continued ignoring him, "That perhaps you shouldn't go at all."
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm going and you can't stop me." Then he turned away and headed down the bend in the tunnel.
There was a clap and a flash of blue light. The rumble of shifting rock shook the ground slightly. Al reached out and grabbed Edward by the arm, yanking his brother into a chamber he had just created off the side of the tunnel. Edward skidded in and stared at Al, clearly annoyed. "What the hell are you doing?!"
He tried to push by but Al pushed him hard against the far side of the chamber, his head hitting against the solid rock. He was stunned momentarily but not enough to realize Al had clapped again and stone hands reached out from behind Edward, grabbing hold of his arms before he could move out of the way. He struggled uselessly, the rock hardening, keeping his hands apart. His eyes, wide with shock, watched as Al walked out then came back with a lantern. Then he sealed them away from Lin and Havoc.
"Al!" Edward cried out. "What's wrong with you?! Why are you doing this?! Release me, now!" He was thinking the worst but he couldn't say it. He couldn't believe his brother would turn against him.
"Ed, now listen to me," Al said calmly, approaching him cautiously.
"No! You listen to me! Let me go! I've got to get Elysia and Richard! This is my fault and I have to fix it myself!"
Al grabbed his brother's head roughly and made Edward look him straight in the eye.
"Edward," Al said gruffly. "This is for your own good. I will not let you sacrifice yourself anymore."
"But, Al," Edward pleaded as panic began to set in. This was serious. Al meant to truly trap him here. "It was my fault from the very beginning...everything was..." he said weakly.
"No, it was both of us. I wish you could have realized that by now but you're too stubborn. You don't know what it was like to see how much the war changed you. I should have been there for you; I should have fought with you," he said with tears in his eyes. "It's too late to undo that mistake but it's not too late to do something now. This will be done my way, not yours so don't argue and let me do this for you. You've done so much already. It's time for me to do something for you in return."
Al released Edward and walked away. Once on the other side of the chamber he clapped his hands and pressed them against the rough stone wall. It melted away at his touch. When there was enough room he walked through.
"I didn't want this for you," Edward pleaded, trying anything that might convince Al to release him. "I wanted a peaceful life for you. You deserved it after being stuck in that armor. Don't do this. You don't know what you'll have to do... you don't want the regret or the guilt it could bring..."
"That's for me to decide," Al said turning back. "You didn't give me a choice how to get my body back and now you don't get a choice how to get Elysia and Richard back."
Edward watched his voice caught in his throat. He could see Lin and Havoc a few feet away from the opening. For the first time in his life he understood exactly what Al must have felt when he donned the blue military uniform and left for the war. The fear that he may never see his brother again... that he may never see his friends again. But it didn't have to be like this. If they would just let him go he could fix this whole mess…
His fear quickly grew to anger watching the three of them standing together, facing him. He couldn't believe they had agreed to trap him like this. It wasn't their responsibility to risk their lives for him; to risk their lives for his stupidity and past mistakes. It wasn't right. They shouldn't have involved themselves in the first place, he thought bitterly.
"We'll bring Elysia and Richard back to you," Al promised. "I swear, as your brother, to bring them back alive."
Edward finally found his voice.
"Don't you dare leave me in here!" He shouted out angrily. He didn't want promises. He wanted out. He couldn't let them go without him there to help protect them. "Two alchemists will be better than one!"
"True," Al agreed. "But I think we can manage."
"So you're just going to leave me in here with no food or water," Edward asked trying anything and everything he could to get out. Al answered by throwing two packs into his cell.
"Well, isn't that nice of you," Edward spat. "Too bad I can't reach it!" He emphasized by pulling against the binding rock that held him in place.
"I'll release your hands in a minute."
Edward's eyes narrowed. It was useless to keep trying with Al. He tried another tactic. "Havoc, talk him out of this. Get him to release me! That's an order!"
"Sorry, but you resigned your commission," the Brigadier General said, clearly uncomfortable with these turn of events but unwilling to defy Al for Edward's sake. "Technically I don't have to listen to you anymore."
"Don't look at me with that smirk, you bastard!" Then Edward switched to the other man he had been avoiding the last few days. "Lin! You owe me! Don't let him leave me here."
"You're right," Lin agreed easily. "I do owe you. I lied to you about Greed and I'm repaying that debt in my way. You don't make all the decisions on how it should be repaid."
"Edward," Al interrupted. "Behave and don't try to escape. You'll only hurt yourself. You wouldn't want Elysia to see you like that if you did?"
"That's not fair, Al," Edward said miserably, the guilt card played too well.
"We'll be back," Al said, then clapped his hands.
"Wait, you forgot something," Lin said stopping Al.
"Oh yeah." Al came back in and began to search Edward's pockets.
"What are you doing?" Edward asked nervously.
"Looking for something you took from Lin."
Edward shut his mouth tight, fuming. It didn't take long for Al to find what he was looking for. He tossed the pack of pills back to Lin then went back to the opening. He sealed it shut but for a small opening high enough for Edward to look out.
"Al!" Edward shouted one last time pulling against the stone pillars that then came loose. He ran to the other side, clapped, placed his hands against the wall and watched as the blue light of alchemically charged power fizzled out. He stared down in disbelief then through the opening at Al on the other side. He was holding up a small circle of iron that was glowing and began to fade.
"You can't use alchemy within twenty feet of this," Al explained as he placed it on the ground. "It's a neutralizing transmutation circle I developed combining Amestris and Xing alchemy. Once activated it renders alchemy useless."
"You're all assholes!" Edward yelled reaching through the opening trying to grab at someone but all three of his captors were well out of reach.
"Edward, calm down," Al said, trying to soothe his brother. "We'll be back."
Edward hit the wall hard with his automail hand. "I swear I'm going to beat the shit out of all three of you when you get back! So you better fucking return so I have the pleasure!"
Al, Havoc and Lin grabbed packs of their own. Disappearing around the bend they headed off.
"That went easier than I thought it would," Jean joked as they walked away, Edward's threats fading away as they continued along the dimly lit passage.
"I think I've lost my patience with him as I've gotten older," Al commented with a sigh. "He's so exhausting to deal with sometimes. I really hope he'll forgive me for this," he added, the full reality of trapping his brother starting to set in.
"He will, once he sees Elysia and Richard," Lin assured.