Ch.4

Alphonse looked out the window at the moon that peeked out from behind some storm clouds. The rain had lessened its onslaught, but it still fell with great speed and strength. It was still light out when his brother and his squad left to search for the Colonel, but the moon outside practically sneered as if to say, 'Heh! They're probably lost. Good luck finding them too!' Alphonse looked away and had he any lungs he would've sighed.

Suddenly a loud thumping against the door rang in the lobby. Al went to unlock it and found Mache and Northrop, covered in mud and rain, gasping for breath as thought they had just run a marathon. "Are you two okay? Wait… Where's my brother?" Al asked and his soul was clenching as he waited for their answer.

"M… Major Elric… Elric is okay. He told us to… To run ahead and… And…" Marty gasped as he tried to find his breath. Chris put a hand on his back and he continued for him. "Edward told us to run ahead and make sure a place could be set up for Colonel Mustang when they bring him back."

"You mean you guys found him!? That's great! I'm so glad he's okay!" Al felt a little bliss as he heard his friend was all right. Unlike Ed, Alphonse had no official business with the Colonel, so the man often spoke to him naturally. Their friendship was less strong then his brother's was, but it was more relaxed.

Both men in front of the armor looked at each and then back to Alphonse. "Well, I wouldn't say he's 'okay,' but he's alive." Al grew slightly concerned. "What do you mean he's not 'okay' I mean, you said you needed to find a place for him here, right? Then that means he'll recover from whatever happened, right?" Marty shook his head after he got his breathing under control.

"It's not that simple, kid. He isn't the same." Alphonse closed the door and stared at the two soldiers. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. Chris turned to head up the stairs and headed into the room Ed had used temporarily.

"Let's just say the City has a new resident."

The two left Alphonse alone in the lobby. The only sounds came from the movement of supplies being moved around by them as they set up the room for the Colonel, and the rain that beat against the door and windows. Al had absolutely no idea what they meant.

The moon was even higher in the sky and the rain was now only a normal drizzle. Alphonse was sitting on the lounge, watching the fireplace as the flames jumped and danced. The soldiers from Ed's team had already talked to all the other men about the situation, thought Alphonse was too busy trying to keep from worrying about his brother to go be briefed on the Colonel. If he was alive, then everything was fine…

Right?

Alphonse again jumped at the sound of pounding on the door.

He hurried over and pulled the door so fast it squeaked on its hinges. He looked down and saw Lieutenant Hawkeye covered in mud and water, just like the others, but she also had a few black feathers stuck to her uniform coat and her hair. She was breathing heavily as she stared at Alphonse. Then she looked behind her and Al saw Edward a little ways off, dragging something very large and dark in the rain. Hawkeye turned back to Alphonse.

"Are all of the soldiers aware of our issue at hand, Al? Is a place set up?" Alphonse nodded at both, making sure to leave out how he himself didn't know what was going on. She sighed with relief. "Good. Keep the door open, Al, while I help your brother bring the Colonel inside." He nodded again and held the door open wider.

She ran off back to his brother and he watched as they exchanged a few words (that were inaudible to him) and took the other side of whatever it was Ed was carrying. They began carrying it toward the house when a guard walked behind Al. He looked out the door and saw the massive inky form and he ran toward the armor.

"Shut the door, you fool! They'll get in!" Alphonse shoved him off. "Yeah! That's the idea!" The man growled and he drew out his gun and pointed it at the creature's head.

Hawkeye immediately drew out her own gun and stepped in front of Roy. She raised it to point at the other soldier's head. Edward felt his vision fade and focus as he looked back and forth between the two guns. Hawkeye stepped closer, showing her rank that decorated her shoulders. The Corporal swallowed. He stepped back, but kept his gun at the ready. "State your business!"

"Lieutenant Hawkeye and Major Elric bringing back Colonel Roy Mustang for protection and recovery from the field. Now, let us in, or I can't say what will happen to you." She kept her eyes focused and sharp. The man felt fire burn into in his soul and he put away his gun. He suddenly remembered the briefing he had been dragged to and quickly saluted.

"I apologize, ma'am! I'm sorry—I somehow forgot you were coming back, ma'am! Again, my sincerest apologies!" Hawkeye lowered her gun as well and she nodded. She headed inside and waited for Edward to enter, but she raised a brow when he wasn't moving.

"Please… Help him…! Please… I can't move…"

Alphonse gasped and began to exit the door before Riza pushed him back. "You'll sink in the mud too, Al, just be ready when I hand Colonel over to you—AND BE CAREFUL WITH HIM." Alphonse nodded, hiding the shock he had when he saw that by 'Colonel' they were meaning the chimera Edward was holding up.

Hawkeye stepped into the muck and took the other side of Roy's form, taking all of his weight on her shoulders. She sank deeper in the mud as well, though, still noticeably less so than Edward. Edward sighed when the weight was removed from his small frame. Mustang may not be all that heavy, for he only weighed around forty pounds now, but all the rain and mud had weighed down his feathers and hair.

The water alone had added around twenty pounds to the weight Edward had to carry, and he was glad that the weight was gone. He tried pulling himself out of the mud as Alphonse carefully took the colonel. He cradled the chimera in his arms, and tried his hardest to keep himself from accidentally hurting him. He looked to Hawkeye and watched as she and Ed struggled to get out of the mud, but Ed was deeper in than she.

"Where do I put him?" he asked the soldier to his right, who was eying the beast nervously. "The first door upstairs, at least, that's where I think they said to keep him." Alphonse nodded and began his way up the stairs.

How could he have not heard that the colonel—Colonel Roy Mustang—was found a chimera!?

He looked down at the mass in his arms. Its face was even paler than Roy's face had been before, and that was saying something as the man almost never went out in daylight. The colonel's tail practically poured water onto the stairs as he was being carried to the room. His breathing was soft but raspy, and Al could swear he could hear whimpering.

It had to be his imagination.

He nudged the open door to enter the room. He found the bed, which had been doubled to accommodate the creature, and he laid him down gently. He kept his head raised until he could prop a pillow under it and when he did he let the chimera slowly sink into the cushion.

Alphonse stepped back and looked at the full form of what was now Roy Mustang.

He was speechless to say the least.

He looked back to the door and headed back outside the room. He saw Hawkeye inside, her boots absolutely covered in mud. But Edward still wasn't inside.

"Argh! You know what? Screw this!" Edward yanked his automail foot out of the boot and lunged forward to make it meet the marble floors from inside. He pulled his flesh leg forward as well, and he left both boots outside in the mud. "Edward!" Hawkeye groaned.

"What!? I'll get them later! Besides, right now we… Need to focus on… Mustang… Ugh…"

He suddenly became very shaky in his footwork and he slipped on some of the rain water that was now puddled inside. Hawkeye's quick actions were the only things that kept him from splitting his head open on the hard floor. "Edward! Edward, what's wrong?" She sounded so concerned, like a mother.

Edward shook his head and he tried to stand again, but he again started to fall.

This time, it was Alphonse who caught him. He looked up at his younger brother and faked a grin. It was so obviously false that Alphonse sighed and picked his brother up in his arms like he had Roy. "Brother, first the colonel, and now you? What happened!?" Ed looked back at his brother and grinned, though more of a pained one. "Well, I can officially say… That I, Edward Elric… Ugh… Am the living… Light bulb…!" he trailed off to a moan.

"Wait, do you mean to say you were struck by lightning!? Oh my God, Ed!" Alphonse almost started shaking, but the lieutenant stepped in beside him. "No, but he was transmuting for practically half of the mission to give us light." She jumped when Alphonse shouted at his older sibling.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!? YOU COULD'VE DIED OF EXHAUSTION!"

Edward squirmed out of pain, his ears ringing. "BUT I DIDN'T! And can you keep it down? Mustang… Needs… Ugh…" He trailed off again, raising a hand to his head which Al noticed wasn't actually covered in rain, but in sweat.

He carried his brother into Roy's room and looked around for where to set him down. He found nowhere else but the bed, which was half covered by Roy and his trembling form. Wait.

Trembling?

Maybe he's cold… Al thought to himself. He turned to his brother. "Sorry, Brother, but I'm going to set you down on here too, okay?" Ed smiled with one eye closed and nodded. "That's… That's fine, Al. Thanks…"

Alphonse set his sibling down and the boy tried sitting upright but he lost his balance and he fell to his side, his back against Roy's wing. He turned over to look at his boss. He did NOT look good. Ed rolled onto his back and rested his left hand on the beast's shoulder, getting the appendage soaked from mass that practically oozed water like a sponge.

Alphonse ran down the stairs to go get help for the two alchemists. Hawkeye walked over beside Ed and knelt down to brush some hair from his face. "Why didn't you tell me you were injured? I could've carried the colonel more than you could, you know." Her eyes flashed a look of sadness and Edward smiled to try and cheer her up.

"I didn't say because I'm NOT. I'm not hurt, I'm just… Drained… There's a difference." She sighed and shook her head with a grin. It faded quickly though as she gazed at her friend.

His breath was shaking as was his frame. She ran her hand through his bangs and rested it against his forehead. "Well, he's a little warm, but not terribly. I think it's just shock." Edward turned to the woman. "What do you mean, 'shock'? What could've put him into shock?" She pulled her hand back and she walked quickly to the bathroom to grab all the towels. "Perhaps it was the sudden ability to breath properly again, or the blood flow being allowed back to his head, or even the fact that he had been down there for what appeared to be a long time…"

She returned with the towels and she folded one of the smaller ones and dabbed away the sweat that was on Ed's face. He blushed a little at the act of compassion. "Ya know… I think Mustang might need this more…" She sighed and nodded. "Yes… But I can tell you that Al is going to go get some of the soldiers to help him, men who are far more skilled than I."

Edward tried to lift himself to his elbows, but the woman pushed him back down. "But he isn't human anymore! They could hurt him when they think they're helping him!" Hawkeye closed her eyes and stayed still for a moment before adding on. "Yes, perhaps so, but what if we were to do the same?"

Edward frowned and looked at Roy. It was true, they could accidentally hurt him by trying to help. He heard Alphonse running through the lobby, and many feet followed the sounds of the armor. Edward ran his hand down the chimera's jawline and smiled sadly.

He'll be okay… Now…

It was now the very wee hours of the morning and Alphonse and Edward sat against the wall opposite of Roy, watching him rest. Edward laid his head against his brother's chest plate and sighed. He had slept for a few hours and then abruptly awoken when in his semi-conscious state of mind he remembered the colonel being cared for. He had looked over and seen the chimera sleeping, a cool compress against his forehead and his brother sitting next to the bed.

Looking at his commanding officer now it was almost impossible to tell he had been suffocating in a sewer line had he not been there himself. His breathing was no longer labored or struggled, but it was now slow and calm. Ed still caught a whimper every now and then, but from what he heard from Alphonse about what all happened after Edward fell asleep, it was expected.

Upon getting the colonel dry, the medical team had noticed some blood was coming off on the towels and they quickly looked to where the source seemed to be from. It was found that the chimera was in fact injured heavily at one point around his head, neck, and midsection. However, all were too minor to be of concern now, and they were washed out, dried, and left to heal on their own.

Edward felt a twinge of pity. He had been hurt badly before to where it hurt so much he could barely stand it, but the only thing doctors could do was to give him pain medication and advise him to stay in bed. There was no telling how long Roy had been down in that pipeline injured with open wounds.

Their main concern with him right now was finding out what he could eat and get him at a healthy weight again, and to watch out for infection.

Edward's mind had a different priority.

How to turn him back into a human being again.

He knew he had lacked knowledge and power to help little Nina, but if he focused on researching the people of this town and chimera research, then maybe he could figure it out. He closed his eyes. No one had ever reversed a chimera. No one that either lived or the chimera lived. Chimeras were already considered a sort of moral taboo of alchemy, but it was believed it was impossible to reverse an already made chimera.

Hopefully I can shatter that perception… Edward thought to himself.

Alphonse nudged Ed lightly and he pointed back to Roy. His tiny whimpering was a little louder and clearer. He also turned his head back and forth as though trying to avoid something the brothers were unable to see. "You think he's having a nightmare?" Alphonse said worriedly. Edward crossed his arms and watched the creature fight against whatever internal struggle it had. He sighed heavily.

"Who knows…?"

The sound of screams died down and all that could be heard was the soft crackling of energy and chains moving. Roy forced his eyes open, ignoring the pain. He had to know he was alive. His eyes struggled to focus just as Roy struggled to stay conscious. When they did focus, Roy could only stare at the sight before him.

Locke and Thompson, or what used to be them, stood with chains straining against their newly strengthened captives. Locke was on all fours, his body looking like a mix between a dog, spider, and crocodile. His long sharpened teeth dripped saliva and blood onto the floor beneath him and his empty, white eyes looked on without focus.

Thompson hissed with pain, his long beak leaking blood from its inside and nose. Barbs decorated his back and two large horns jutted out from the back of his head. He raised himself to his legs, spreading his long, deformed wings out. Roy felt himself get nauseous despite the lack of anything in his stomach when he saw that the Corporal had little to no support for his innards from his skin. His organs were easy to see against the thin grey skin that covered him from neck down.

Roy flinched at the sound of a loud crack and he looked back over to Locke. Chain links chimed and rang out as they flew out over the floor. Locke staggered before regaining his footing. He started to growl at Thompson, as he was the only thing his eyes could see. The beaked chimera pulled back strong on his chain and it snapped as well, chain links repeating the actions of the ones done before them.

Roy slowly shuffled back against the wall behind him, but his chain was stronger than he was. He didn't have the raw strength the others did. He watched in fear as the two once friends began circled each other in a sort of death waltz. They snapped at each other, more and more drool coming from their mouths as they circled closer and closer together until they were finally only feet away from each other.

Suddenly letting out an ear piercing roar, Locke lunged for the horned beast, which ducked under the jaw of the four-legged creature. They began to fight in what appeared similar to wrestling, but with their teeth, claws, and roars. They rolled over each other and jumped and clawed and mangled one another—sending splatters of blood every which way around them, forming a ring.

Roy raised himself to the sitting position and tried to get as far away as he could from the bloodbath, but he could only get so far as the wall before his chain stopped him. His eyes were wide with terror and he felt his teeth chatter. He called out, hoping to stop the two. Stop! Please! You'll kill each other! Please!

All he heard was a garbled mush up of sounds.

He froze.

It sounded like an animal wanting to challenge the others. The two chimeras stopped and stared at him, each other's throats in their jaws. Blood gushed from their necks and they both whimpered as they fell.

Thompson looked at Roy and let out a scream, a human scream, and he was dead... Staring at Roy with eyes wide open and blank. Roy's breath shuddered and he moaned quietly as he choked back a scream. He heard a growl and his head snapped to look at Locke.

He was dragging himself across the floor, his spine visible from the ribs down, and organs spreading out on the stone. He barked at Roy as he crawled ever closer. Blood rained from his body, but he continued. He had no memory of Roy. He had memory at all. Only instinct.

Kill…

Kill…

Kill…

Kill…

… Kill…

Roy was now trying to claw himself away from the monster before him. His voice was alien to him, and yet he still screamed for help as best he could, but it just sounded like an animal about to attack its prey. That wasn't what he meant. But Locke heard the sound for what it seemed like. His advance grew quicker as his body grew heavier and heavier with death. Roy cried against his chain, but it still remained secure to the stone.

Roy looked around himself frantically, trying to find something to throw to fight back, but he found nothing but himself, which had not even seen yet. He would've frozen from the shock, but his adrenaline kept him focused. He saw out of the corner of his eye his new tail. It was heavy and long, and he quickly whipped it forward and he winced as he heard a snap.

He covered his head and neck with his new wings to shield himself from the attack, sure that it would come.

But it never did.

He peeked through his feathers and felt his eyes swell with fluid as he stared at the chimera before him. Its body was twitching and it let out a shuddering gasp before it went limp. Roy lowered his arms and stared at what he had done. He slowly moved his tail back to his side, trailing blood from the long hair that lay at the tip along the floor.

The blood from Locke's neck seeped over the stone and dripped from Roy's tail. The beast's head was now staring at the wall behind it, bones protruding from the skin of its neck. Mustang felt himself shake.

He had killed him.

Murdered him.

His subordinate.

He looked down at what had once been his hands and his jaw trembled as he stared at the talons that jutted out of the claws atop his wings. He moved the claws back and forth, not out of curiosity but from horror. He was an animal. An unnatural animal. A murderer.

A monster.

He let out a scream of terror as his buried his head into his wings, claws gripping at his hair. He screamed again and again. He screamed until he didn't even know what he was doing it for. He stopped after he had to gasp for breath. He heard a soft click and his head shot up, face covered in tears and sweat.

The green-eyed man was leaning against the door frame with a cane.

He was smiling.

Roy felt all of the anger and horror inside of him boil over. He lunged forward and roared. He tried to run at the madman and his clawed feet scratched into the stone as he tried. The man only seemed to relish in his pitiful attempts at attack. "So, tell me, are you mindless as well? Or are you still something more than a mindless killer?" Roy stopped and he felt himself snarl.

He was snarling.

He fell back and ran back to the wall and covered his mouth. He was snarling! Growling, snarling, roaring, screaming! All weren't his conscious actions! He moaned.

The man calmly walked over to him, keeping a safe distance. He thrust his cane down onto Roy's tail and kept a blank expression as the beast roared with pain. He turned the cane right and left, digging it farther into the creature's skin. He lifted the cane off and it seemed he was done.

And then he pulled the cane apart to reveal a sword.

Roy screamed with a remarkably loud and high-pitched wail.

The man's eyes shot open and he shook his head back and forth, as though he were a dog with a whistle. He slashed the weapon against Roy's middle and heaved his chest as he breathed with fury. He calmed as the chimera cried with agony and doubled over. "Quit your whining, Mister Colonel. It is not severe and will heal within a few days. But I would let this be a reminder to you…"

He pointed the sword at Roy's neck right under his face.

"You belong… To me."

And he was gone. Vanished.

Roy gulped. He began shaking violently. He curled up in a ball and tried to cover his wound. It was bleeding, but like the man had said, it was not serious. Roy hissed with pain.

But it seriously hurt.

He heard a loud crack, like one of far off thunder.

He looked up and froze. He wasn't in the chamber anymore. He looked left and right, taking in the surroundings. He suddenly felt the chain wrap harder against his neck and he felt it become coarser and less cold.

What the-!?

He was suddenly being wrapped in the now long rope and he struggled against it.

What the hell is going on!?

His vision faltered for a moment and he shook his head to try and take the pain off.

He opened his eyes again and saw only darkness. The darkness swirled around him like smoke. He felt water suddenly fall on his back and neck. It was cold and oddly slimy.

The rope around his neck twisted until it looked like a hoop and it pulled tight on his throat. He gasped for breath as the cord strangled him. He tried to claw it away but to no avail.

He noticed a pale blue light appearing from what seemed the edge of whatever it was he was in.

He looked at it, hoping it was help.

The light entered the room, which as it turned out, was nothing more than a dank pipe. The light bounced off of the metal that adorned the arm of the person who carried it. Roy's eyes widened.

Fullmetal!?

But he froze. The person was laughing. He lifted his head and instead of Edward's face, the emerald eyes of Roy's torturer flashed against the blue light.

He cackled as Mustang struggled to get away from the terrifying creature. He stepped closer, changing his arm into a sharp metal blade. The light grew stronger and it illuminated the pipe. Roy couldn't help but scream as he realized it was filled with corpses and blood.

It was blood that was spilling onto him from above.

He looked up as the beast lunged at him with the blade, his laughter echoing in the tunnels.

And he screamed as blood poured from his once human face onto his own.

And the sound of ripping flesh reverberated in the tunnel as the metal pierced heart….

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Edward struggled against the strength of the chimera on the bed. It jumped and squirmed under his grip. "Grr… Colonel! C'mon calm down! It's just a dream! Colonel!" The creature still screamed and fought against Ed's attempts to keep it still. Edward felt his worry bubble into anger and finally into frustration and he snapped.

"ROY MUSTANG, WAKE UP, DAMN IT!"

And the chimera's eyes shot open and it gasped.

It stared up at the ceiling, a tear falling from its eye. It blinked and glanced around itself, shaking as he registered nothing in the room was familiar. He felt a weight on his wings as though someone were fighting him and he growled out of instinct to fight.

Edward jumped back as Roy roared in his face, the chimera's once calm mask now contorted in a terrifying snarl. He raised his automail arm up to shield himself. He swallowed as the creature fell out of the bed and stood, ready to attack.

"Colonel, it's me, Edward! Calm down! You're safe here, I promise! You were having a bad dream I swear. Look at me! Remember? I set you free from those ropes?" Edward watched as Roy's face faded from a look of fury to one of shock and then into anguish. He fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands (or lack thereof).

Edward rested his hand on his shoulder and he smiled as Roy looked up at his face, tears streaming down his face. "Hey, it's okay, I know you didn't mean it." Roy choked and he thrust his head into the boy's chest and cried silently. Edward brushed back the chimera's hair and he hugged the beast. He rubbed its back as it sobbed silently into Ed's shirt. The teen closed his eyes and shushed the chimera. "It's okay, now, ssh… There… It's okay, Mustang… Ssh… You're okay…" The chimera calmed only a little. He buried his head deeper into Edward's shirt, his tears soaking it. The teen sighed and hugged it tighter; trying to assure Roy he was safe.

The beast looked up from his temporary shield and he smiled against the tears. Edward smiled back and wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders. The chimera blinked and he scoffed quietly as he returned the action with his own wings.

He shut his eyes and now cried tears of joy at Edward's words.

"Welcome home, Colonel Mustang."