If you are sensitive to the sexual abuse of a minor, please do not read.

Previously on Rebellion:

"We'll check his temperature in the morning after he's cooled down. Let's leave him be," Edward could hear Tucker's voice. He heard Alphonse walk out of the room before he felt the lips near his ear and waited to hear Tucker's newest statement.

"No one else will ever want you. You're lucky that I continue to stay with you."

Edward awoke to a thermometer in his mouth and bright light shining in his eyes. He must have slept in later than usual because the curtains on the window near his bed were drawn and the light was shining through, causing Ed to lose his vision for a moment. He could feel the calloused hands that he knew were Tucker's on his forehead.

"You could have blistered your skin, boy," Tucker said in a voice that Edward could just tell they were alone from. He knew he was in for it. "I need you to have smooth skin, it's one of your best features."

"Yes, sir." Ed said quietly. Tucker seemed pleased with this new title. He hadn't even asked Edward to call him by that.

"You're being good," Edward could hear the smile on the man's voice. "Maybe you'll be able to enjoy your birthday today."

Edward had forgotten, it was his birthday. He was finally twelve–years old. Maybe he was trying to forget on purpose because he wanted to remember being happier on his birthdays. When his Mom always made him a birthday cake and he got to do whatever he wanted instead of being with the man who became the new star of his nightmares.

"H-How did you know it was my birthday?" Ed asked, a little frightened of how the man could get his hands on such information. If he could get that information, what else could he get?

"You're not sick, go study." Tucker said–not answering the question–before leaving the room. Edward was getting dressed in his casual clothing when he overheard Tucker telling Alphonse he would be fine, and that he was not feverish. Al would probably have a lot of questions that Ed couldn't answer.

"Brother," Alphonse's voice filled the room when he walked in, seeing Ed pulling his wife beater over his head. "You're alright."

"Of course I'm alright." Edward spoke up. He didn't bother to say anything about what had happened in the shower, and Alphonse didn't bring it up either, so it worked out for the both of them. Edward didn't bring up his birthday either. He just wanted to forget about everything at the moment. He wanted to forget about the entire few days that had just happened.

"We should get to studying," Alphonse said after a moment of silence. "We're not gonna pass that test if we don't study, right?"

"That's right, we should hit the books."

Shortly after his birthday, E–Day came, and the brothers were ready to take their exams. They both did very well, both of them passing. Of course, the entire time that Edward was taking the test he had a nagging feeling at him, mostly his sore ribs from the kick that Tucker had placed on him the night before. Supposedly to encourage him not to screw up, or it was Tucker's ass on the line.

Of course, Edward being a prodigy, he did pass, and Alphonse did as well, apparently taking after his brother and Father in the natural talent they all had for Alchemy. When Alphonse was asked by Mustang to drop out of the test, Tucker wasn't surprised.

"I didn't train him to be as good a soldier as you are, Edward," he said once they were alone in the basement. "I trained you. You are my research, Edward. Didn't you know that? I'm constructing the perfect soldier."

This caused shivers to run down Ed's spine. He was just an experiment. He wasn't a twelve–year old boy, he wasn't even human to Tucker. He was just an experiment. That, and to Tucker he was a form of sexual relief.

"Is you raping me apart of your research?" Ed spat as he was pushed to the ground on his knees. He knew what was planned by the older man for this night, though didn't want to deal with it anymore. He was a part of the military now, dammit!

"You seduced me," Tucker whispered to his young student. "The way that you looked at me when we spoke and how you walked away, you wanted me to do this. You wanted me to touch you, and you wanted me inside of you."

"I won't be manipulated by you." Edward glared at the man. Tucker immediately had his hands at the boy's throat, clasping just enough to stop air from reaching the blonde's lungs.

"Oh, Eddie, boy, I'm not manipulating you," Tucker grinned. "I'm just speaking the truth. But don't you worry, you and I will be together for a long time. You'll never escape me, remember?"

The choking did not stop until Ed's golden eyes began to roll in the back of his head. Then Tucker allowed himself to release the boy, and Edward immediately fell back on the ground, gasping for air.

"I told you that you'd never escape me."

Edward must have passed out from the shock because next thing he knew, he was in bed. The room was empty. His mouth tasted like salt and he realized that Tucker must have continued on with what he was planning even while he was unconscious.

Ed groaned and sat up from the bed. He was wearing only boxers and his black wife beater. When he looked around the room he noticed that everything was in order just as he left it. He made the bed back up and after slipping on some sweat pants he walked around the house looking for the other inhabitants.

He checked the library for Alphonse first, though the armored boy was nowhere to be found. Then Edward went ahead to look in Nina's room for the little girl. Maybe Al would have been playing with her there. Of course he knocked first, though, he wasn't rude. There was no one in the pink decorated room.

Ed's next thought was to check in Tucker's room for the older man. Though, Tucker was a nightmare. Edward couldn't go in there, actually fearing that Tucker could do something to him, and that was the last thing Ed wanted.

"Edward?" a voice spoke from behind the pre–teen, and a hand placed itself on his shoulder. Ed immediately turned around and moved to defend himself, something that had started ever since Tucker began taking him to the basement. "Calm down, it's just me." Roy Mustang stood in front of him, having blocked the punch Ed had gone to throw out.

"Lieutenant Colonel? What are you doing here?" Edward asked. He wondered for a moment if the older man had seen through his act. If he had come to rescue him. Though, he had no such luck.

"Well, I was looking for Tucker, but I haven't been able to find him all day. I wanted to remind him of his assessment and how he would need to turn in his research soon." Mustang explained as he continued to look around the mansion.

At the mention of the research, Edward shuddered a bit. He knew what the research was, and he didn't want to think about it. The Lieutenant Colonel didn't seem to notice the shudder.

"I was looking for him too. No one's here except me." Ed admitted to the man. He was alone with Roy, he could finally say something. He could tell him everything that had happened, and the Lieutenant Colonel had brought up the research too. He could tell him he was the research. He could scream it to the rooftops and get the hell out of there.

He didn't.

I am so sorry about the problems there were with the last chapter! Oh god, so I'm guessing nearly everyone who has read this already knows that this happened. I don't blame you if you actually just skipped this chapter. Anyway, I won't screw up like that again, and I'll have more chapters to you guys soon!

Next Update: July 23rd.