Winry got up and rubbed her eyes. She almost smiled when she remembered where she was.
The kidnapping. The cell.
What should I do? I am trapped with no way out! I wonder if Granny is okay.
She got up and felt around the room. She could see no window. Suddenly she came upon a handle
Must be the door. I'll try to open it.
She pulled hard on the handle. She twisted and turned it but to no avail. Dejected, she sat down on her seat.
"What should I do?", she wondered aloud.
And then her mechanical gears began to spin.
Wait a minute. That door had a keyhole.
She went and felt the keyhole.
Yes! It's a SPX-170 keyhole. It has a smooth key with no ridges with a length of about 2 cm.
"Ahh! But where am I to find such a metal here?"
In frustration, she grabbed her head and suddenly she had an idea. She reached back into her hair and pulled out her hairpin!
Yes! It is a bit flimsy but I can make it work. Now all I need is a grip and a handle to attach it to.
The door opened suddenly. Winry hastily sat back on her seat and hid the pin. A tall man entered. Winry's eyes grew wide in recognizance.
"You!"
"Yes, me. I told you that you would regret disobeying us. Now perfect this design and we'll let you go. If you do not comply then who knows what will happen to you Grandma? She's old and frail. Such a shame if she fell down the steps.
"Leave her alone!"
"Good. You understand the situation then. You have 3 hours to decide. You'll receive food and water shortly. Don't worry, its not drugged. After all, we want you to take this decision of your own free will."
In the meantime, a guard came in and placed some food and water on the seat. The door shut behind them.
"Make sure she doesn't try anything."
"Sir!"
The footsteps faded away. Winry cried out in despair.
What should I do now? Is there really no way out of this.
Then her hand felt the pin.
No, I should not give up. I'll first find a way to get out of here.
She felt around for the plate. She did not find it but found out some cans.
Canned food! This must be some kind of military base! Wait, if I open up this can and make a double layer from its covering then I can slip the pin inside and make it into a makeshift key. But what should I use to stick those pieces together?
She felt around more. She felt some soft grains.
Rice! Cooked rice! Yes, that should do it. First I'll mix the rice with some water then crush it to make a paste. It should hold the plates for long enough.
Strange though. Why would a military base have rice as its staple food? Its extremely high in carbohydrates.
Nevertheless, she did as she planned. She cut up the tin can with the help of a blade which she kept in an inside pocket within her bra.
Alright, now I need to distract the guard.
Then she overheard someone talking. She put her ear to the door.
"Hey, wanna take a break?"
"I cannot. I have strict orders to guard this door. Maybe next time."
"Oh come on, it's a girl. What can a girl do?"
Suddenly, Winry burst out crying. Her sobs could be heard all the way across the door..
"See. A helpless woman, hahaha"
"Yeah", the guard grinned. "Let's go"
"We can have some fun with her when we return"
"Agreed. Nobody will ever know"
The guards walked away. They however did not notice that the sobs had died almost as suddenly they started.
Inside the cell, Winry smiled.
I am no ordinary girl
She placed her makeshift key inside the keyhole and took a deep breath. It was time for the great escape.
The door slid open soundlessly. Winry poked her head out. The entire corridor was empty.
Good thing that this keyhole does not require any turning around to do. Slide in and open.
Winry dashed to the left and climbed up the stairs. Suddenly, she stopped. She overheard some men talking. Tiptoeing, she tried to overhear the conversation.
"Man, why do we need to guard a mere boy?"
"Be careful. He is the Fullmetal Alchemist."
"He was the Fullmetal Alchemist. Now he is just a boy with temper tantrums"
"Haha, yeah. Did you hear him just now? Moaning and writhing when the poison was applied?"
Poisoning Edward?
Winry was furious but she kept quiet.
"Yeah and also crying out Winry, Winry like a wimp."
Winry was both glad and angry. Glad that Edward did that and angry at those who captured him.
I need to find a way to get him out of there.
"Anyways, little does he know that the Rockbell kid is here too. Murphy must be having fun with her right now."
Shit! I forgot about that guard. I need to get back quickly.
Winry ran back into her cell and shut the door just in the nick of time. She heard the footsteps of the guard. Then she saw the door open.
The guard was a big man with muscled arms. More like a super soldier.
That cannot be natural. Compared to his height, his physique looks unnatural.
The guard looked on with eyes of lust. He grinned and shut the door behind him. While he was doing so, Winry spotted a bunch of keys on his belt.
I bet one of the keys must belong to Edward's cell.
Still, Winry could not subdue the rising feeling of terror. She was afraid of the look in the guard's eyes. In them was something feral, something that she had never seen in Edward.
How can two men be so different?
"Please don't hurt me."
"Oh, don't worry miss. I would never hurt you. I just want to have some fun with you. I bet you never experienced love at the hands of a man."
"N-n-o, I-I-I have."
"Don't lie. I can tell by a glance that you are a virgin. I have had a lot of experience", the man grinned wickedly.
Winry felt sick from inside. Adrenaline shot through her veins.
I have to defend myself. I have to get away from him.
Then suddenly, the man pounced upon Winry. His hands started fondling her breasts. His lips tried to kiss hers.
No! This cannot be happening! I won't submit! I won't…
SLIT!
Something gave way above her. The man slumped forward and his blood stained her clothes. She looked behind him expecting to see her saviour… but she found none. Then her eye fell upon the blade in her hands.
They were bloodstained.
She had just killed someone.
"NO! No please don't die. She desperately tried to stop the blood but to no avail. A few minutes later, the man succumbed to the blood loss.
No way! He – he cannot be dead. No!
Winry choked and sobbed. She was confused and did not know what to do. The adrenaline was gradually fading and a rising terror was instilling itself into her. She had just killed someone. She had become a killer.
Suddenly, her hands brushed against the keys. Then she remembered the conversation that the guards had among themselves.
Edward! He is here and he is poisoned. He needs help!
That thought calmed her down. That fear was replaced by deadly calm.
I'll get us out of here.
She took the keys and walked out of the cell door. She even took the guard's gun. Fear was replaced by courage and certain degree of coldness. Nobody would hurt her dear ones and not face the consequences. She walked down the hallway and was almost prepared to shoot when she remembered.
"Don't shoot Winry"
She remembered the time when she was about to shoot Scar. She remembered how Edward bade her to stop.
That's right. If I pull this trigger now, there's no going back. I may have killed someone in self-defence but I am not going to be a murderer.
She put the gun down and looked again into the hallway. The guards were snoring. Winry tiptoed towards them and whacked them across the head, rendering them unconscious.
She then tried every key until one of them fit. She opened the door to find Edward standing bewildered. Then she saw a beautiful smile of relief.
"Winry….."
Edward slumped into her arms, unconscious.