Hello, everyone! Here is yet another chapter! Thank you so much for your responses to this story! You guys are absolutely phenomenal and are nothing but encouraging! I'm super excited for the beginning of this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it! Just a heads up, this chapter is slightly shorter than some of the others, but I hope the content makes up for it! I think some of your questions should hopefully be answered!
I still do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.
Roy continued down the seemingly endless tunnel. It was completely silent except for the sound of his footsteps. He tried his best to keep track of the time as he and his subordinates agreed to meet back at the hidden door to the library in an hour.
He tried to gauge where he could be. He felt as if he should have walked beyond the borders of the Sanct by this point, but there were so many twists and turns to this tunnel that he didn't know for sure.
The dim glow of the lantern guided him on. Even with the light, he could barely see what was directly in front of him.
It certainly explained why he nearly tripped when he finally came to another staircase. Apparently he was still under the Sanct.
He took a step forward, but froze when he heard voices. Taking a deep breath, he hesitantly ascended the steps and pressed his ear to the door. The voices were muffled. It might be a risk, but he needed to hear what was going on.
Cautiously, he cracked open the door.
The room was empty.
"You gain absolutely nothing by remaining silent! Just tell me what I want to know!"
The voice came from somewhere down the hall, but it was loud. He crossed the small room and peeked out into the hallway.
He was just a few doors down from Ed's prison.
"You still can't seem to learn. Maybe this will change your mind."
That was Absalom's voice. He sounded furious, but not as furious as the Colonel was when he heard a choked scream that tapered off into a pained whimper. What could he be questioning Ed about? What the hell was he doing to the kid?
He had to quickly duck back inside the room when the door to Ed's prison open.
"Stubborn brat," Absalom muttered as he walked past Roy's hiding place.
Once the footsteps faded, he snuck straight into Ed's cell.
He thought he would be mentally prepared for what would await him. He had seen Corinthian beat the kid senseless and break his ankle. He had seen Absalom whip him. He had been hoping that was the worst the Jones brothers planned on doing to the young alchemist.
Those hopes were shattered the second he laid eyes on his subordinate.
Ed was propped up against the wall, his head falling forward. His blonde bangs shielded most of his face, but the agony it held was still completely visible
His stomach dropped when he eyed the awkward angle at which Ed's knee was bent, as if breaking his ankle wasn't bad enough.
"Those bastards."
The words were barely audible, that much was obvious when Ed still didn't seem aware of his presence. The teen's eyes were clenched shut and he was taking shallow, uneven breaths through gritted teeth. His eyes traveled down Ed's bare upper body until he noticed the belt around the kid's waist.
Blood streamed down from the belt and into the waistband of the black slacks, the only clothing Ed still had on him. He took a few steps closer to his tortured subordinate, hoping that this was some sort of nightmare and he would wake up when he finally touched the kid.
Now that he could get a better look, his brow furrowed when he saw the transmutation circle sketched onto the belt.
"What the hell?" the Colonel asked aloud, slightly louder than before.
Ed's eyes peeled open. Roy was surprised. He didn't understand how the kid was still conscious. A part of him wished the kid would just pass out. He wouldn't feel the pain if he was unconscious.
Ed opened his mouth to speak, but only a strangled cry came out.
Without thinking, Roy dropped to his knees by the teen's side. He racked his brain for anything he could say to Ed that might comfort him, but he couldn't. This was too much.
This needed to end.
"P-Please don't."
Eyes cold, Roy finally made eye contact with his young subordinate. It was as if the kid had read his mind.
"You better have one hell of a good reason for me not to order our forces to come in this second."
"You can't put innocent people in danger because of me! I know we're getting close…." Ed started, but trailed off as he grimaced. After a few shaky breaths, he spoke again. "Absalom is behind this. He can do alchemy."
Roy swallowed thickly, then nodded in agreement.
"Havoc, Hawkeye, and I found a library under the sanctuary. He's been conducting human transmutation experiments."
Despite the ever-present pain in Ed's eyes, Roy instantly noticed the understanding that flashed in them for the briefest moment.
"That's why he's been asking me about human transmutation."
The Colonel's face darkened.
"You gain absolutely nothing by remaining silent! Just tell me what I want to know!"
"He's been asking you about human transmutation?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Ed nodded. Considering the state the kid was in, it was safe for Roy to guess that he hadn't told Absalom anything on the subject.
He looked at Ed's knee, then to the belt around his waist.
"Did he do this to you because you haven't told him anything?"
Again, Ed nodded. However, he was much more hesitant considering his commanding officer's hands were curling into fists.
"I'm going to incinerate them."
The Colonel didn't even realize he said those words out loud. He was alarmed when Ed's eyes widened and he frantically shook his head.
"I don't think Jeremiah and Corinthian know anything about what he's doing. The last time he came, he explained to Jeremiah that he put the belt on me because the Darkness inside of me was trying to deceive him. Corinthian visited me not long after to read the 'Scriptures' to me to prepare me for the sacrifice. I tried to tell him that his own brother was an alchemist, but he just said that the Moon would punish me for my lies. I'm certain those two truly believe everything they claim to about the Moon."
The Colonel was taken aback. So the other brothers were completely in the dark about the experiments? That didn't make sense. Why would Absalom work without his brothers?
And who was helping Absalom?
"Considering he has an alibi on each night of the callings, we think someone else is helping him…." Roy trailed off when Ed bit his lip, trying to contain his agony. "Fullmetal?"
Ed took in a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry. It just hurts."
Roy's eyebrows rose. Ed never admitted when he was in pain. Although, it was rather obvious. It looked as if every breath the kid took caused him nothing but agony.
Every breath….
"Fullmetal, why is there a transmutation circle on that belt?"
The young alchemist tensed, but didn't answer. Roy's gaze lingered on the blood streaming down his subordinate's stomach. He needed to get rid of that belt. Unconsciously, he reached out toward it.
"Don't touch it!" Ed snapped before his face twisted with a bit of remorse. "Sorry. It's just…Absalom transmuted nails into this belt. During his last visit, he thinned the nails and made them longer. It…it really hurts when I breathe."
"All the more reason for me to take it off."
"You know you can't do that, you idiot! Absalom will know you were here. You're finally making progress and you can't afford to mess that up now!"
Roy grit his teeth, but not from the insult. His young subordinate was so stubborn, but he was right. Still, there had to be a way to get that belt off.
"Did he say he would take it off if you answered his questions?"
Ed nodded.
"Then tell him whatever the hell he wants to know!"
Now, Ed shook his head and looked down, refusing to meet his gaze. Anger bubbled within the Colonel. Couldn't the kid just follow his orders for once?
"Quit being so stubborn! Why can't you just…."
The microphone.
Roy nearly winced when he realized how harsh he probably sounded. Of course Ed couldn't say anything.
He leaned in close to his subordinate so that his lips were right next to his ear.
"Tell him whatever you know about human transmutation," he whispered, knowing they couldn't be overheard. "If there is any evidence of what you say, I will personally destroy it. Should General Grumman or any other higher-ups hear about it, I will cover for you. I just don't want him to hurt you anymore, so please trust me."
He pulled away and tilted Ed's head up to look at him. He saw that Havoc was right. In those pain-filled golden eyes, there was a sliver of trust.
"Please, Fullmetal."
"All right," the young alchemist whispered.
Ed's voice was weak. The kid couldn't have had much energy in him, and this conversation probably took a lot out of him.
Roy moved his hand from under Ed's chin to rest it on top of his head.
"We're going to stop Absalom, and this will all be over soon. I promise you that."
Ed nodded, his eyes fluttering shut afterward.
As much as Roy wanted to stay there with his young subordinate, he had to leave. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he figured he should be meeting back up with Hawkeye and Havoc soon. As quietly as he came in, he left and stealthily maneuvered to the hidden door. As he descended down the stairs and back into the tunnels, he couldn't help but be relieved that Ed trusted him.
However, there was a part of him that thought maybe the kid had a little too much faith in him.
They knew at least one of the people behind that transmutation circle and the murders, but that person had an entire guard at his beck and call. Then there was the fact that whoever was helping him still remained a mystery.
The three military officers definitely had their work cut out for them.
*break*
"Absalom!"
He turned over and pulled the blanket over his head.
"Absalom!"
"What is it Jeremiah?" he all but growled.
"Can't you hear it?"
He blinked a few times. Finally sitting up, he saw his brother sprawled out on his back. His wide eyes were gazing at the clear night sky. He looked up and was greeted with the sight of the bright full moon between the branches of the trees.
"The moon…it's speaking to me…."
"What the hell?" Absalom muttered.
A crackle and pop grabbed his attention. He looked toward the dying campfire. Corinthian was lying on the ground next to it. He shook his head. He didn't understand why Corinthian was so insistent on building a fire. The least he could do was put it out before falling asleep.
He made his way over to the fire, making sure not to step on the few belongings they had brought with them that were scattered across their campground. He smothered the rest of the dying embers. He then scoured Corinthian's backpack for a blanket, then draped it over his brother.
"No, Absalom! I can't fall asleep yet! The moon is saying things to me. What's it saying to you, Jeremiah?"
His brow furrowed. Noticing the discarded mug near Corinthian, he bent down and picked it up. His eyes widened as he saw the few remaining leaves within the mug.
"How much of this did you drink?" he demanded.
"It's just mint," Jeremiah slurred. "Nothing to be concerned…what are you saying?"
He winced as Jeremiah raised his voice, seemingly yelling at the sky. At least his brothers' behavior made sense.
Those leaves in their tea were definitely not mint.
"Absalom."
He whipped around at the sound of the new voice. It had been over a year since he had heard it. A figure emerged from the trees.
"Jonathan!"
He ran forward and embraced the man. The mayor put his hands on the younger's shoulders when they finally ended their hug.
"It's been so long…."
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "My brothers and I…we just left after the accident. We haven't spoken to anyone else since. We've been trying to find peace."
Jonathan nodded in sympathy.
"I completely understand, but it still hurt to see you go. You were my student, after all."
He tilted his head to the side. There was something his mentor wasn't telling him. The grin that slowly stretched from ear-to-ear told him all he needed to know.
"You've done it, haven't you?"
The mayor motioned for him to follow. They made their way through the trees. His eyes widened at the massive stone encampment in his view once they reached the tree line.
"Not yet, but I have a new lead," Jonathan said. "It's going to take a lot of research and testing, but I think we can do it."
He perked up at the elder's words.
"You'll take me on as your student, again?"
Jonathan chuckled.
"I know it's been a while since you've studied, but I think you and I will make a great team once I help you catch up."
He couldn't help but smile.
"How are we going to test this theory?" he asked.
"I think your brothers will agree that the moon will have a few ideas."
"We have a problem."
Absalom was snapped out of his thoughts when Jonathan barged into their library. His mentor didn't look pleased in the slightest.
"I had to come in through the east tunnels. The military is set up west at the edge of the tree line. They're onto us!"
"You just need to calm down," Absalom tried to reason. "They're probably there because they heard Corinthian get a little rough with the officers they sent into the Sanct. From what I've seen, Jean and Wren have been following Zayne around, and Elizabeth has been spending most of her time with Jeremiah's wife. They seem to be settling in quite nicely. Once the military realize they're willing members of the congregation, they will think it's just a misunderstanding and leave."
"What about the state alchemist?" Jonathan demanded.
"They know he's not dead, and we destroyed the microphones we found on the two that arrived yesterday as well as the ones hidden in the barracks. They don't know about the sacrifice. We can just tell them that he believes the truth about the Moon."
Jonathan sighed. He was slightly more relieved, but still visibly tense.
"Have you searched the rest of the Sanct?"
Absalom nodded.
"We didn't find any more microphones. After a couple of days at the very most, they should leave."
"I still think they're onto us."
Absalom chuckled and shook his head.
"I think you're being a bit too paranoid."
Jonathan grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
"We wouldn't be in this position if you would learn to control your brothers!" he snarled. He took a few breaths to calm down. "We can't let them stop us. We're getting so close to performing a perfect human transmutation. Maybe if we give them something, they'll realize how much progress we're making in our work. Maybe they'll leave alone and allow us to continue."
Absalom's eyebrows rose.
"What did you have in mind?"
His mentor let him go. He raced over to the desk and searched through the notebooks.
"We could make a Red Stone," he said as he found the notebook he was looking for, flipping through it. "Supposedly, it can heal anything. All we need are human souls. We wouldn't need too many members of the congregation."
Absalom shifted his stance slightly. Noticing the discomfort of his student, Jonathan continued.
"Just pick a few people and tell them to come to the sanctuary and pray with you. If it makes it easier for you, I can pick the salvia for you. You can drug them just like your brothers. They won't even know what's happening. I can almost guarantee they won't feel a thing."
Absalom took a deep breath and nodded. If it made his teacher feel better, he would have to do it.
They had made too much progress to stop now.
*break*
Roy couldn't get himself to move. His blood had turned to ice and kept him frozen in his spot.
He continued to watch the two between through the crack in the door, but he no longer heard what they were saying.
The mayor of Freyvale was behind this too…and he was willing to sacrifice members of the congregation in an attempt to get the military to leave. It was just sick.
If there was any bright side, it would be that Absalom was naïve enough to think the three military officers were truly a part of the Disciples of the Moon and he hadn't found any of their other bugs. Ed had been right about playing along. It was certainly working out in their favor.
He jumped out of his skin when an arm wrapped around his waist and a hand clamped over his mouth. Another hand grabbed his wrist, keeping him from dropping the lantern.
"It's just me," a voice hissed. "Sorry, but I've been trying to get your attention. You didn't respond."
The Colonel was released and he spun around.
"Havoc, what did you…Falman?"
His eyes widened at the sight of his Warrant Officer with the Second Lieutenant. He quietly shut the hidden door.
Havoc didn't need to say anything. He simply motioned for his superior to follow, and the man did so with no hesitation. The three sprinted off through the dark tunnels. The Colonel grinned to himself. If Falman was here, then that meant Havoc and Hawkeye definitely found a way out.
He was already formulating a plan.
I'd say chapter nine was pretty fine! Anyways, I would like to once again apologize that this chapter is slightly shorter than the others. This just seemed to be the best place to end it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, especially the Parental!Roy at the beginning.
Anyways, I will hopefully post the next chapter sooner rather than later. Until then!