DA: Hello and welcome to another chapter of Darkness to Dawn! I have a feeling this one will be cheerful and full of hope... HAH no. I don't do cheerful. Like ever. The best I do is sarcastic. I deal best in angst, hard bloody angst. Mmmmm. Anyways, sorry this is later than normal, I've been struggling all day on a short story I'm writing for a Danny Phantom 30 day theme challenge on tumblr. But here I am!

Disclaimer: If I owned, there totally would have been full on physical torture in FMA. Just sayin.

DA: Usual warnings apply. Enjoy the chapter.

Darkness to Dawn

Chapter 13

Roy felt sick to his stomach, his dark eyes remaining on the frail form writhing in the middle of the circle. And this was why he'd thought Ed should have stayed at the hospital, where it was safe. It would be just like a Cretan bastard to leave something like this behind. They would have guessed that their captive would come back to make sure of their destruction and then stumble across the circle and accidentally activate it. The enemy was getting creative. He hated it when the enemy got creative. Al was screaming for his brother, voicing the raw terror that Mustang himself was feeling. Hawkeye was pale, a hand covering her mouth, open from shock. His hand shot out to hold the suit of armor back as it began to storm forward, another concern raising to his mind. "No, Al. You can't. We can't risk you getting caught in the reaction as well."

"But Colonel, I can't just leave Brother there alone!" The dark-haired man swallowed at the tears in those words, wincing internally at the blow they dealt. "He's in agony! He needs me there!"

"I know, Alphonse." His own voice had grown soft, his own emotional turmoil weakening it. "But we can't just barge in there half-assed. That's what got Ed in this situation. If we do the same, we could end up just like him." The soul red eyes stared down at him, pleading with the older man to just let him help. Ed would have his hide if he let Al rush into danger without thought. A gun cocked behind him, the sound causing him to whip around to glance inquiringly at his lieutenant.

"Colonel!" Hawkeye called, her pistol aimed somewhere above his head. "11 o'clock. Near the ceiling." Frowning, he followed her instructions, his eyes coming to a rest on a man, dressed noticeably in a Cretan military uniform. Well then. This was awfully convenient. The man's eyes were on them, a pleased smile curling his lips.

"Welcome Colonel Roy Mustang," he greeted, his voice booming around the large basement. "My name is Major General James Mallano and I am the one who orchestrated the incarceration and torture of your subordinate." It was only through sheer force of will that Roy stayed his hand, his fingers pressing tightly together. The bastard was bragging as if he'd done something wonderful for him. When he got his hands on him, there wouldn't be a body left to bury. The general might not have dirtied his hands physically, but as the mastermind, Ed's condition was more his fault than anyone else's. Mustang could almost smell flesh roasting. "I assure you Colonel, it was nothing personal. We needed a skilled alchemist to complete something for us, and the boy just wouldn't cooperate, and this is the result of such actions. I take no pleasure in doing this."

"Bullshit!" Roy all but snarled, onyx eyes burning as they glared up at Mallano. "You enjoy this. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you almost wanted it to end like this. And I don't know what you're doing to Major Elric, but I demand you put a stop to it now before things get uglier than you can handle, Major General." The acid in his words could have burned a hole through solid steel.

"Maybe you're right Colonel. I really should stop denying my sadistic side. A part of me did want it to end like this, with agonized screams. And now that's it's activated, there's nothing I can do to stop it. It will end when Elric's heart stops beating." The man paused to grin down at them, eyes twinkling in devilish pleasure. "Though demands Colonel? I don't believe you're in any position to be making demands. Not with your subordinate in this situation, powering up my secret weapon." He paused, a sinister laugh bursting from between his lips. "Would you like to see what Creta has been developing behind our borders? It will be the last thing you ever see." Mallano lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, maintaining eye contact with Mustang.

The far wall exploded, a metal arm reaching out from behind the concrete. Roy broke eye contact with the bastard, a sharp gasp rising in his throat as another blast shook the floor. The other hand had broken through the stone, its head and torso soon following. Damn. The thing was huge. As it shook the debris from its frame, its helmet grazed the ceiling, eerily familiar red eyes staring down at its targets. "Holy shit," he heard Riza curse next to his head, voicing the one thought he knew they all were having. Its head was a silver dome, a mouth opening and closing to reveal spikes that served as teeth. The torso was shined, dark crevices in the armor indicating where it might open to unleash devastating weaponry. Etched into long arms were intricate designs, created with acid so as to not blemish the armor more than necessary. The arms tapered off into slender hands, the fingers sharpened to deadly points. If any of them were grabbed, it might mean the end of them. Thick legs supported it massive weight, the feet similarly sized.

"So what do you think, Colonel Mustang? Impressive, yes? I believe it would be just enough to wipe Central off the map, don't you? And to think, all of this is powered by the energy in a single child's body. It's amazing what a blend of alchemy and engineering can do. If only the major could live, then perhaps I might be able to run tests on what kinds of machinery can run off a similar power source. It would be most intrigui-" A gunshot cut off the rest of his sentence, a cry of pain bubbling from his lips instead of the garbage it had been spewing. Roy shot Riza a grateful glance, noting the satisfied look on her face as smoke billowed from the tip of her pistol. "Damn you Amestrian bastards!" Major General Mallano cursed, clutching his leg, which was gushing blood thanks to the Hawk's Eye. "Don't blame me when you're choking on your own blood and straining for breath. You signed your own death contracts. GO!"

The trio scattered as the behemoth began to move, dust clouds rising with each step it took. The area was soon shaded with a haze of dirt and dust, making breathing difficult. "Colonel," Al yelled, only a few steps behind the man. "What do we do?" Roy coughed, glancing around for something that might shield them for a few moments while he thought of a plan. An upturned table caught his attention and without a second thought, he dove behind it, Hawkeye following him within moments. Al was not that much farther behind, having erected a sturdy wall to further shield them. In that time, Mustang had already formulated a rough action plan.

"We have one objective. The Major General had mentioned that Fullmetal's energy is powering the machine. If we can destroy the array that Ed's under, it might cut off the flow of energy and thus stopping it cold. Alphonse, I want you to destroy the circle by any means necessary. When that's done, get your brother as far away from here as possible. I will distract the machine so it won't target you." Riza shifted next to him, worry for his safety clouding her expression.

"And me, sir?" Roy sighed, flinching as something crashed near their hiding spot. They were running out of time.

"I want you to apprehend Mallano. We can't let him escape. If he struggles, you have full authorization to knock him out, but don't kill him. We're going to need him for questioning later." He smiled faintly at the surprise in her tawny eyes. Yea, he wanted to kill the bastard. But he still did have other objectives. Capturing a terrorist would put him in a good position with the higher ups, maybe even a good enough one to let him execute the Cretan personally. Another crash, this one close enough for them to feel the impact of the oversized foot as it collided with the ground. "Are you all clear with your orders?" They nodded, drawing another smirk to his lips. He felt weird giving Al orders; the boy wasn't even in the military. "One more thing." Riza frowned, her eyebrows crinkling. Of course she knew where he was going with this. "If I go down, worry about getting yourselves out. Edward is your first objective. Leave me behind." He locked eyes with his lieutenant, his words for the most part intended for her. She looked down, appearing to check the gun in her hand.

"Yes, sir." Her voice was strained. Sighing again, he yanked his gloves tighter on his hand, relishing the roughness against the nerve-rich skin of his palms.

"Alright. Move out."

As a fist crashed through the makeshift barrier, they ran their separate ways, Al sprinting towards his brother, Hawkeye off towards the Major General, and Roy in front of the machine, a cocky smirk lifting his lips. His right hand was raised in front of him, already in the position to snap. Eyes narrowed, his other hand curled into a fist in his pocket. C'mon, a little closer. The behemoth, searching for its prey, settled its eyes on him, the red glowing in the haze. Its hand reared back, preparing to slam its fist down and crush the alchemist. Heh, as if he'd go down that easy. "Too slow," he muttered, snapping his fingers. An explosion rocked its frame, flames licking the chest plate. As they faded, the only noticeable damage was to the finishing, the shiny plating seared off in the heat. So much for this being easy. He only hoped that Al was having more luck than he was.

FMAFMA

Al slid to a stop next to the array, Ed's weakened cries of pain alerting him to his lack of time. But he still didn't know what he could do. Surely just interrupting the flow of energy would be far too simple. Then again, he wouldn't know until he tried. Scratching a circle into the floorboards with the chalk that he always kept with him, he activated it, lifting half of the pedestal up higher than the other. Even as the slab containing the circle cracked, the transmutation didn't stop, his brother's screams only growing in strength, not like that was a good thing.

He straightened with a swallow, trying to figure out any possible ways to break his brother from this array. Mustang cried out somewhere nearby, shock punctuating the yelp. It was only a small relief that there was no pain in the man's voice, just surprise. Even so, the machine was getting far too close for comfort. He had to hurry. Ed whimpered, twisting on the center of the circle and dragging his brother's attention back to him.

Wait a minute... Ed was the central focus of the circle, the object that gave it power. Maybe if he removed Ed, the reaction would stop. It was worth a shot. Keeping Mustang's earlier warning in mind, he quickly transmuted a large pole from the nearby wall. With this, he jabbed at his brother, as gently as he could of course, pushing him from the circle's effects. However, even as the blond rolled off the platform, the circle remained active, the smaller copy on Ed following suite. Without the lighting of the transmutation blocking a good view of Ed, he looked cadaverous, the skin bearing a blueish-tint unrelated to the crackling energy surrounding him. Blood smeared across his body, originating from the carving on his back. "Al," the boy moaned deliriously, eyes cracking open to reveal glassy, deadened orbs. More than anything, even the sounds of battle ringing from behind him, this reminded him of his time constraint. This circle had to be stopped pretty damn soon or his brother would pay the price.

He just had to think; the answer was here somewhere. He was smarter than this. The suit of armor knelt by his brother, resting a gentle hand on the teen's metal shoulder in what he hoped was comfort. What did he already know about Cretan alchemy? The energy flowed through the lines and into the symbols of the array, but he'd already broken the lines that supposedly supplied the energy. There had to be something else. The symbols themselves dictated what the transmutation would do, and in Cretan Alchemy, the central symbol was most important, for it supplied the job of the array. In a human-like motion, the boy slapped his leather palm to his forehead, cursing his stupidity.

In a matter of moments, another array was chalked on the ground and activated, a large wooden spike penetrating the center of the circle, destroying the central element instantly. The crackle of alchemic energy faded around the brothers, relief bubbling inside of Al. He'd done it.

FMAFMA

Roy glanced back at Al, feeling energy leech from the air. The kid had done it. With a grin, he dodged yet another cannon shot. It turned out that the markings on the machine's arms were transmutation circles that turned the arms into cannons. Talk about annoying. Blood dribbled down his forehead from a minor cut where a rock, or some other form of debris, had struck his head. His gloves were rubbing his skin raw, the cloth beginning to wear down from the number of times he'd used them. He was definitely going to need a new pair when they got out of here.

As a foot landed near where he was standing, Mustang realized something, his eyes growing wide. The array had been deactivated, and yet...the behemoth was still moving. Shit; well there goes his theory. Obviously the array had only been supplying the power. If it was still moving, that meant it was storing the harvested energy somewhere. The Colonel snapped his fingers to trigger another explosion to get some distance between him and the giant robot, his head spinning slightly. He was definitely overusing his own alchemy, but it wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter. Keeping his feet moving, he flicked his eyes around the basement turned arena. He needed a plan yesterday.

Riza had already captured Major General Mallano, not like he had any doubt that she would. He could see the glint of her pistol hanging over the edge of the balcony, primed and ready to shoot if necessary. A large (and sharp) hand smashed the ground near his feet, sending him sprawling. Landing hard on his back, the air left his lungs in a whoosh, his already spinning head wheeling in response to the sudden pain. Roy's vision blinked, fizzing out for mere moments. When it came back, the hand was heading straight for him.

Coughing, he rolled to the side, the metal merely grazing him. A surge of adrenaline forced the man to his feet, the same rush also allowing him to momentarily forget his aches and pains. He staggered around, his dark gaze always on his attacker. Laughter finally reached him, crazed with maniacal glee. "You won't win Colonel. My engineers have thought of everything in its design, including the possibility that the power source might be destroyed or interrupted," the general cackled, the pain obviously getting him. "And for all you know, the boy might be dead. I'd bet my money on it. I'll be counting the seconds till your-" The gun disappeared behind the ledge for a moment, the words halting a mere instance after it fled.

Roy, as punch drunk as he was, giggled between his harsh breaths to restore the lost oxygen. Damn this dusty atmosphere. A creak next to his head informed him of another attack, and he dodged deftly to the side, whirling around to face his opponent. The machine stared him down, the cannon arm morphing back to its original shape. Forcing the fog from his mind, he steadied his breathing, scowling deeply. He knew Mallano was right. He didn't know how to beat this fucking machine and this entire escapade might have been for naught if Al hadn't stopped the circle in time. He could hear the younger boy calling for Ed, begging for a response, any response.

The behemoth reached forward as if to brush the Colonel aside, its hand outstretched as if to display the gleaming edges to each slender finger. Mustang dove between its massive legs, executing a roll before hauling himself upright and wheeling back around. There he froze, gaping at the sight before him. In relation to the front, the back of the beast was rather plain. But there was one detail that made it very, very important to Roy. Affixed to its neck was a large black box, marked with a rune that he knew well, especially after studying it for as long as he had. He'd found it, the power source.

With that little discovery, it was as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. He knew for certain that if he destroyed that, it would fall. If not, he was royally fucked, but he couldn't afford to think like that. Lifting his arm, he snapped his fingers, directing the explosion to the power box. The machine crashed to the ground, a shock wave shaking the earth. Mustang, now on his knees, risked glancing up at the metal beast and grinned, his lips smudged with dirt. It laid where it had fallen, sprawled on the wooden flooring like a squashed bug. But this feeling of euphoria was short lived.

"BROTHER! EDWARD!" Al screamed into the sudden silence, his voice all but trembling with fear. "C'mon Ed, open your eyes!" The smile dropped from Roy's lips, his eyes widening in fear. "Colonel!" the younger boy cried, seeing the man's eyes on him. "H-he's not breathing!"

DA: AND THE END!

Just kidding. Don't kill me. Please. I won't tell you what happens next but just trust me, ok? You'll like the ending, just don't kill me now. Sorry if my alchemy information is a little off, I'm doing a bit of guesswork here, so just bare with me.

Anyways... Hot damn. 100 reviews already?! I wasn't expecting that... At all. Let's keep it up, ok? I have to go try and push out a short story for this theme month! Feel free to follow me on tumblr (URL is darkangelbk201) if you want to read the drabbles. I'll be doing one every day for the entire month of May. But so long for now! Don't forget to tell me what you think! See you all next week!

May your hearts stay strong,

DarkAngel555