Hello! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update this! Its been a slow process. For waiting, here are nearly 7000 words for the chapter. I appreciate all of y'all for reviewing and following and reading this fic. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think?
Morning came much too quickly for Ed. As he expected, he barely got any sleep, which only resulted in tossing and turning. His nerves twisted his stomach into an anxious ball the moment he woke up, and the incoming snow clouds didn't make it much better.
Wait, snow clouds?
He scowled up at the sky, silently cursing their luck. Drachman snowfalls were known for how cold they could be, usually many degrees below zero. It's going to be a problem if it starts snowing tonight. The snow could pile up, making it hard to walk through.
He sighed, looking around for Jack. He found the man surrounded by his wife and two men. "I saw snow clouds earlier." He said. Jack frowned, running his fingers through his beard. "They shouldn't prevent us from doing what we need to do. Even if it does, we'll have to continue right on through it." Jack's tone irritated him; he hoped the man knew what snow did to automail.
"You don't have automail," He grumbled, walking back to his bunk. It would be another hour before they had to get to work, and Ryler would join the other children where they sorted out the stones.
It was quite close to twenty minutes before the loud sound of the door crashing open had everyone jumping. The barrack supervisor scowled in the doorway; his dark hair messy and uncombed. He glanced behind him to another soldier, this one, to Ed's disinterest, had red hair and a roundish face, which was slightly unusual as Drachman's had broad faces and dark hair.
The loud noise had startled Ryler, who sat up quickly, looking at the two men with surprise. The boy leaned into Ed, nervously grabbing his hand.
"Slushay, lichinki! Vse deti byli oprosheny vrachami. Oni budut okrugleny cherez desyat' minut
(Listen up, maggots! The doctors have requested all children. They will be rounded up in ten minutes)."
Ed didn't understand what the Drachman had said, but going by the way, many of the adults blanched and paled, it wasn't good. He looked back towards Jack, who met his gaze and walked his way. The man had a mixture of horror and terror on his face, something Ed hadn't seen before.
"What'd he say?" Ed demanded. Jack released a slow, shaky breath. "He said that the doctors are requesting all children." The horror Ed felt was almost instantaneous. What were they planning to all of these kids, to Ryler, to him?
Was it possible that someone had overheard the meeting from two days ago? If that were the case, then the adults would be rounded up too. He swallowed hard, willing himself to not think of the worst-case scenario.
"Ed, what's going on?" The small voice beside him asked. He turned to the small boy, who had curled in on himself. He hated looking into those terrified eyes that had learned much too quickly the horror of this place.
He'd heard too many stories from prisoners of war that if he'd been in that position, he would have had lasting trauma. Anxiety twisted his stomach into knots; there was practically no way of knowing what those doctors had in store. If the soldiers were cruel, then there was no way the doctors weren't worse.
Ed stared at the child for a second, thoughts lingering on what he could say to reassure him. When his thoughts came empty, he knelt next to the boy, bullying his expression into something that didn't look like horror.
He could tell the boy that it was going to be okay, could lie, and say that the doctors didn't mean any harm, that they were only making sure the kids were healthy. However, the thought of lying and things turning out to not be alright hurt him more than he ever thought it could.
So, all he told the boy was, "I don't know." The way Ryler's face crumpled, and he buried his face into his shirt, made him wish he'd lied. The boy was shaking in his arms, and when he looked down, tears were trailing down his cheeks. It hurt, god, it hurt to watch him cry and be able to do nothing about it.
He held the boy in his arms until multiple soldiers walked from bunk to bunk, searching for children. He was up and out of his bunk by the time they arrived, carrying Ryler in his arms as one soldier jabbed the muzzle of his rifle into his back.
"Zaderzhis' na sekundochku; u nego yest' vorotnik. On dolzhen byt' alkhimikom (Hold on a moment; he has a collar. He must be an alchemist.)" The second soldier abruptly said. The soldier with the rifle sighed.
"Chto oni skazali delat' s alkhimikami? (What'd they say to do about alchemists?) "
Ed didn't understand what either soldier was telling each other; he didn't dare to move a muscle as he fixed his golden gaze to the barrack entrance. The soldier shuffled behind him, and suddenly, a lead was attached to the front of the collar. He growled as his head was wrenched up, and the lead was then attached to his hands.
The position was slightly uncomfortable, and he found that he moved his hands, his head would wrench into a very awkward position. Why would they take so many different precautions? He wondered, gritting his teeth when they muzzle of the rifle shoved him forward, a message to get moving.
The soldiers guided them to the clearing, shoving them down beside other children. Many were young, but there were a couple of older children around Ed's age or a little younger. Beside him, a small girl cried and was drawn quickly into the arms of her older brother, who glared at the soldiers as they walked by.
It took twenty more minutes before all the children were in the clearing. Ed was overcome by anger as he scanned the small faces. Kids this little shouldn't be here, a hissed sigh escaped from between his teeth at the thought.
At least many of them will be able to leave tonight, the thought should've comforted him, yet it didn't as he watched the soldiers come back together around their leader, a captain by the looks of his epaulets.
Ryler had been quiet for the past little bit, but now he lifted his head, gazing at the other kids. He still trembled slightly, and the fear hadn't entirely left his eyes. The kid was scared. If he could, Ed would've hospitalized the soldiers that caused the boy to be so frightened.
You'll get the chance to get out of here; Mustang's probably been devising a plan, the stupid bastard, he snorted in amusement.
He froze, a small look of surprise coming over his face. Why did he expect Mustang to go after him? And why was he thinking of the bastard right now in such a fond manner? There more important things to think about at the moment then his idiot superior who he was supposed to be angry with.
He's come after you before and wasn't in a panic then? Remember Kastu? His inner self reminded him.
He sighed, internally rolling his eyes. I didn't need him to come after me; he snapped at his inner self. Except he had required the man to save him because Al had been scattered all across the city, and the ransom sent out was for Mustang to come to Kastu and reveal the secrets of his fame alchemy.
Ed didn't get the look in the man's eyes when Mustang arrived, raging fire in his eyes and teeth bared in an angry snarl. It couldn't have been because his superior was worried about him. The man had never worried about him.
Except he was worried about you and what makes this time any different, his conscience said in a singsong voice.
Whatever now's not the time to think about all that, so shut up, he snapped, pulling his attention from his mind to the muffled cries of the children around him. Ed situated himself onto his knees, frowning as small, pointed stones dug into his flesh knee.
Ryler pulled himself away from Ed and stared at the soldiers for a moment, the fear in them disappearing for the moment as if he decided they couldn't possibly be all that scary. The five-year-old then turned to Ed, and he was surprised to see those big blue eyes blazing with determination.
"Don't worry about them, Ed. They won't hurt you if I can help it." The boy's high pitched voice announced.
Ed blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then Ed laughed.
It was different from the laugh of mischief that he would make when he did something to the colonel or pulled a prank. It was more like the laugh of when someone heard a good-natured, hilarious joke. And he couldn't stop once he started.
Ed knew he must've looked insane; he felt like it a little. Ryler joined in his laughter, his giggles making the fourteen-year-old laugh even harder. The other children were perplexed by what they were witnessing; a few joined in on his hysterical laughter.
The soldiers turned around, a mixture of annoyance and astonishment on their faces. A flash of surprise came over the captain's face before the frown overtook it. Finally, after many more seconds of laughing, it ceased as the captain placed his hand on his gun's barrel, his face showing that their laughter was unacceptable.
Ed quickly righted himself, Ryler following his emotions. He glowered at the man, who stared back at him with an air of superiority. Finally, as if they had had a staring contest, the captain blinked and shook his head, turning to his subordinates and saying "vse zdes'. Idi i voz 'mi ikh (everyone's here. Go ahead and take them.)"
Ed didn't know what the man said, but the other soldiers were prodding them with the muzzles of their rifles and quickly getting them up. "I'm going!" He hissed over his shoulder at the soldier behind him, really, what were they in such a hurry for?
The room they were in, Ed decided, was dull and unimpressive. The walls were plain white with no windows; grates covered multiple air vents throughout the room. It was a little odd, why would there be a need for multiple air vents in a place that looked unused, Ed thought.
The room smelled of a chemical that Ed couldn't put his finger on. It was intense, like something he'd smelled in the hospital before. It wasn't an antiseptic, those smelled different.
He abandoned his thoughts as the door they entered from crashed closed, startling the small children and causing Ryler to grip his shirt tightly. He stared at the door, a slight feeling of uneasiness came over him as he took everything in. This type of room was something he'd read about before...if only he could put his finger on it.
Wait
His eyes trailed up to the vents, gears in his head, turning as he worked out what they had to have been for. Vents push air along…
Then it hit him like the car that hit him two years ago.
Gas! They were going to use some form of gas! They had to get out of here, or he'd be unable to stop them from doing horrible things to all of them. He jumped to his feet, gently peeling Ryler off of him, ignoring the confused look the boy gave him.
He kicked and pounded at the thick metal door until his knuckles were bloody until his heart raced wildly in his chest until his lungs craved oxygen and begged him for sweet release. He screamed at them as he pounded at the door and screamed out everything he had wanted for the last two months. He spat and snarled, and his knuckles cried out in protest, and the force of his kicks reverberated up his thigh, causing it to ache.
...and yet, there was no answer. Not a single soldier was threatening to kill him if he wasn't quiet and submissive. There was nothing.
"E-Ed…" A tiny voice quivered behind him. He spun, lips twisted into a snarl because what, what do you want from me?
Ed's scream of anger was cut off by the look on Ryler's face. Ryler's lip trembled, tears hung in his eyes, casting them a stunning blue. He was caught off guard by the terror he saw; he shouldn't have been so terrified.
"W-What's wrong—"
Ed stepped towards the boy, and Ryler scooted away.
Ryler scooted away from him.
Shame and regret filled him almost instantaneously, and it was nearly too much to bear.
"Rye—God, I never meant一" He choked, a lump filling his throat. I would never hurt you.
With his lungs begging for air, Ed tried to formulate how to respond to the boy standing in front of him, terrified. The chance never came as a rumble startled him before he could speak. His head swung to the sound of the noise一the vent.
His eyes stung with angry tears as one by one, the children coughed, trying to remove the odorless gas filling the room. He threw himself over Ryler, dragging his shirt up to his nose.
It didn't work; however, whatever was in the room had filled his head, causing the room to blur and sway as he tried to force himself to his feet.
When did I fall?
His arms gave out on his as he feebly tried to haul himself up, causing him to collapse beside the boy whose chest was heaving. He struggled onto his side because if this was there last moments on earth, the white ceiling was not the way to go.
Ryler's eyes, drenched in panic and terror, rolled back in his head, and his eyelids closed, and he was still, and Ed would've thought he was dead if not for the faint rise and fall of his chest.
"R-Rye," He tried, the words slurred as he tried to fight the fogginess filling his brain, causing his vision to blacken around the edges.
He...he had to...get to him...make sure he was alright…
He needed...damn it...what did he need to do? He had to do something, but the fogginess wasn't allowing it.
He needed...to get to Ryler...why wasn't his body responding?
Ed struggled to lift his head, searching through the blurriness for the small boy. Against his will, his head thumped dully to the floor, and Ed found he didn't have the energy to pick it up as his cheek pressed into the coldness underneath it.
"'m...sorry." He breathed out between a desperate, gasped breath.
Please forgive me…
His eyes felt so heavy...if only he could close them…
I'm sorry, Ryler…
His consciousness slipped..inch by inch...vision filled with black...one last attempt to hold on.
The attempt didn't work...
I'm sorry...Alphonse...for not making it back...
I'm sorry…
All-encompassing darkness.
Nothing.
Dr. Krayev Ilyich did not understand why he let his superiors ship him off to this miserable hell hole. He could admit that he was not the best with people, could be cold to patients at times. If the number of complaints he'd received was anything to go by, that was the case.
Still, though, did that warrant his current predicament? Given the horrible task that his colleagues didn't find wrong. He still hadn't wrapped his head around the orders he'd received the day before, to check up on the children housed in the mining barracks.
He found himself now, staring down at the unconscious boy with blonde hair and golden eyes, debating why these people were kept in such terrible conditions. He'd been here for all of a week, and he'd seen so many patients, young and old. They were malnourished, terrified of him; they shied away from his touch.
The first day he arrived, he'd desperately tried to save a teenage girl, dying from Hansaniaspora. No amount of treatment had been able to save her; she'd been suffering for weeks. Her kidneys had shut down, and she died on the table twenty minutes after arriving.
He had expected to treat them, send them back to their assigned sections, to make it out of this place one day intact hopefully.
"What will become of this one?" He'd questioned in his native language, gesturing to the unconscious eight-year-old lying on the surgical table with a then repaired bullet wound to the leg.
The head doctor had looked at with annoyance, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "This one will be used in project Novi hominem," His boss said as if he knew what that meant. "Sorry, sir. I haven't had that explained to me yet." He had apologized.
" didn't explain to you what the entire purpose of this compound is for?" The doctor had groaned, acting as if should've known. He'd shaken his head and begun to explain.
"This," the man had help up a vial, "Is virus R-O," his superior held up another bottle, "and this is virus SP-1912," He'd nodded to his superior and urged him to explain what that meant.
"They were created in the homeland by our greatest scientists after listening to my superior's wishes to match Amestrian alchemists." Dr. Yanovich stated with a smile, which sent chills up Ilyich's spine as he thought about it now.
"I'm not too sure I'm following, sir. How will these help us match the Amestrians?"
"Ah, but Dr. Ilyich, that is not the point. I cannot explain why, as it is much too high above your paygrade, but all will be revealed," He chuckled, a strange smile had appeared on his face before he continued, "Yes, all will be revealed."
"May I ask you a question, sir?" He asked nervously as Yanovich's eyes became distant yet again. He hadn't thought the man was listening, yet his superior nodded.
"If I'm correct in assuming that these viruses can be deadly, then what will become of those who do survive and don't survive? Surely there must be a reason for testing two very new and deadly diseases."
Yanovich had turned his gaze onto him and smiled. "I can show you. I thought at first may be above your clearance before I remembered that I could not show you all of them, but one will have to do for you to understand."
He'd swallowed nervously, trailing behind his superior, while a cold sense of dread filled his heart. Yanovich showed his clearance badge to a guard who nodded them along and backed away. Ilyich nodded to the man and received a nod in return.
The room they entered was filled with many doctors he'd yet to work with, none glanced at him, but their eyes lingered on Yanovich, flickers of respect entering their expressions as if the man was famous.
"Feast your eyes on what will bring Amestris to its knees!"
Ilyich turned his green eyes to the sight in front of him, and he blanched. It shouldn't have been possible; he'd seen its body with his own two eyes. It most definitely hadn't looked this way at death. Ilyich turned to his boss, horror in his green gaze. This...This was most definitely wrong, and children that survived were going to be turned into this thing?
"S-Sir," his voice trembled as he stared wide-eyed at his superior. "What is this?" His superior forced his gaze away from the tank and fixed him with an uncomfortable, curled smile that now chilled him to his core.
"This, my good man will defeat the Amestrians once we've received the results from the Fullmetal Alchemist!" Yanovich declared.
After that, he'd numbly returned to his office, trying to understand what he'd seen and make sense of it. But he couldn't understand as he read more into the project because in this compound were people—actual human beings who deserved the right not to be here.
So, that's how he found himself staring down at the boy who was the Fullmetal Alchemist, hand trembling as he wondered if this boy's body could handle what was to come.
This boy looked much too young to be here. He briefly remembered entering the chamber and finding his unconscious body protectively over the body of a young boy, much younger than the age of the Fullmetal Alchemist.
Lingering will do you know good; this is for the good of your country, he reminded himself. It was irritating, his compassion, that it decided to come out the wrong moment. Yet it would have to be ignored for the greater good. Banishing his thoughts, he quickly uncapped the needles and inserted them into the most prominent vein he could find.
He couldn't stay in this room a second longer; he would suffer a moment of helplessness. He stepped out into the main area, breathing in the antiseptic and nodding to the soldier who brushed past him with a child with light blond hair.
For a moment he turned back to see the soldier look both ways before entering the room he just left, it was odd, the soldier had been next to him when he'd been told by Yanovich to work on Fullmetal, but the man hadn't seemed interested.
Part of him wanted to chew out the soldier, yet he knew that they were required to guard the patient's rooms after he and his colleagues finished up. But other soldiers lingered outside of the rooms. A sense of suspicion filled his gut at the now empty doorway. The soldier now that he thought about it didn't look Drachman in the slightest.
He sighed, for now, he'd leave his suspicions alone, it was probably nothing but his imagination. There were important things to worry about.
Everything slowly fuzzed its way into focus, and all at once, Ed knew he was alive. He didn't know why or how he was still alive, but he was thankful that he was. His tired eyes opened after a few minutes and rested on the ceiling, fluorescent light nearly blinding him.
Huh, so I didn't die. Unexpected
He'd expected to wake up in some semblance of the afterlife, his mother in front of him, tears in her eyes. A relieved sigh slipped past his dry lips at the notion that he'd been mistaken. He shifted his position, noting how his limbs didn't feel restrained.
He allowed his vision to focus further, enough for him to raise his head and take in his surroundings. He was in a hospital-like room, disdainfully noting the antiseptic smell and the IV in his arm.
Thankfully he was alone一wait alone?
He gasped, forcing his tired body into a sitting position, he swiveled his head around, landing on the small boy with light blond hair in the bed beside him and nearly collapsed with relief. He was okay, they were okay.
The revelation chose to fill his chest with an emotion, choking him with relief.
Well, they weren't precisely alright; they were still in this miserable place. Ed winced as he carefully pulled the IV out of his arm, briefly giving himself the time to determine if there was a part of his body that was severely wounded.
And to his surprise, his body barely ached. Of course, there was a sharp pain that came after injections, and his body felt heavy after what he clearly knew now was knockout gas. He flopped back, pressing his flesh hand to his face, breathing calming breaths to relax the pounding in his head.
Quiet for once, he breathed a sigh of relief, allowing his body to soak it in.
He didn't feel guilty for the thought; he needed his space and quiet, something he hasn't had in two months. The quietness almost lulled him into a sense of drowsiness, but his eyes snapped open quickly when he remembered that anyone could come in at any time.
Better to be safe than sorry. Don't know what those bastards would do alone with these kids.
These people had already shown their lack of care towards those not like them; it wasn't out of the realm of the possibility that they could do what they wanted against defenseless kids. The buzzing in his ears finally stopped, and he listened for the slightest sounds.
Air conditioner.
Talking.
Eventually, the talking ceased, and the air conditioner merged into background noise, and it became all the harder not to fall asleep. Yet his body wouldn't let him sleep, he knew he desperately needed it, but his mind wouldn't allow it.
Al flashed into mind against his will. His brother was a common occurrence in his dreams and thoughts when he allowed them, which was right now. He glanced at Ryler; Al would love the boy. Al had always wanted a little sibling, and he knew that his little brother desperately wanted a little brother so that he could be a big brother himself.
Al really would love him, a small smile tugged at the corner of Ed's lips. He could imagine his little brother playing games with this small blue-eyed boy. The thought was pleasant, and for once, he didn't banish it immediately. He wondered if the small boy had siblings before this.
Maybe he was wrong, maybe Ryler did fit into his future. Perhaps he'd be able to find him after getting out of this place; maybe everything would eventually be alright. Maybe Ryler wouldn't hate him.
Maybe一
The doorknob twisted, and suddenly Ed was on high alert. He shut his eyes and let his arm drop to his side, controlling his breathing to make it seem like he was unconscious.
Steel-toed boots clicked quietly into the room. A sigh slipped from the owner, and Ed found himself holding his breath. The door closed with a soft click, and dread quickly built up in his chest.
Someone was in the room with him and Ryler.
He cracked an eye open, peeking through his bangs. The soldier had settled himself in the chair in the corner of the room, ginger hair hiding his eyes as he wrote in a notebook. Ed recognized the man from the barracks. It was odd; he didn't look, Drachman.
"I know you're awake." The man grunted in Amestrian, not looking up from his notebook.
Ed froze, slight fear tickling his veins before it was replaced with aggression and anger. He forced his tired body into a sitting position. Ed glowered at the soldier in front of him, resentment growing by the second.
The soldier sighed, setting down his notebook aside. His ore colored eyes stared at Ed, making the young alchemist.
"What?" Ed snapped, teeth bared. He clenched his fists, reigning in his anger. The man settled his gaze on Ed's face.
"You're sure you're the Fullmetal Alchemist? You look a little yo一".
With a screech snarl, Ed jumped at the man. The man dodged quickly, and Ed hit the floor on his hands and knees. The soldier chuckled at Ed's bared teeth and golden glare as if it didn't phase him.
"They said you were sensitive about your height," The soldier chuckled. Ed jumped to his feet, glaring down at his still pulled apart hands.
Ed glowered at the soldier, a snarl of frustration bubbling in his throat. He glanced to his right, Ryler was close to him.
He's too far away to get to Ryler; his eyes flashed from the boy to the soldier. Vague plans flashed through his mind before the soldier in front of him raised his hands in some form of surrender.
"Woah, kid. Not going to hurt you." He spoke in a calm voice, showing his hands to Ed.
That was when Ed noticed the tattoos on the man's palms; they were alchemic symbols, something he was very familiar with. His eyes squinted, and he stared harder at the hands. They were...yes, symbols for invisibility, a rare form of alchemy that took many years to master.
So, this man was an alchemist, but he couldn't have been a Drachman alchemist, that was already clear due to his appearance.
"Who are you?" Ed snapped. He crossed his arms as best as he could, trying to appear threatening despite his non-threatening state. The man slowly rolled up his right sleeve, allowing Ed to see what he was doing the entire time.
His breath caught in his throat at that tattoo that revealed itself when the man rolled up his entire sleeve.
A tattoo that symbolized an Amestrian spy.
"You一" He looked at the man with wide eyes as if he would disappear if he'd blink. Ed back away, allowing his body to sink onto Ryler's bed. Silence filled the room for what felt like hours until Ed turned his stunned gaze to the spy.
"Who are you?" His voice shook against his will. Someone had found him; he almost couldn't believe it.
The spy smirked slightly, holding out his hand for him to shake. "Amaron Destuy," he said quietly. "Phantom alchemist at your service,"
Ed stared at the hand, then cautiously took it. He glanced into the alchemist's eyes; it was surprising to see the unconcealed honesty, it'd been years since he'd seen real honesty without searching for the answers.
"Y'know kid, you got the whole of Amestris looking for you." Phantom whistled, rolling down his sleeve and picking the notebook back up.
"Clearly," he sneered, rolling his eyes.
Phantom's head snapped up, confusion flickering through his gaze. "Seriously, kid. You got the damn Fuhrer lookin' for you. You're superior is tearing this country apart looking for you, and so is that brother of yours," he paused a thoughtful expression coming to his face. "Alphonse, right?
"Yeah, his name is Alphonse," Ed said softly. His gaze traveled to Ryler, and he brushed his fingers through the soft, light-blond curls. "How is he?" He turned to the older alchemist.
Phantom clicked his tongue, a small smile coming to his face. "From what I hear, he and that lady friend of yours, Winry Rockbell?" He smirked. Ed bit his lip to stop the smile that tried to force itself on his face. "Yes." He hummed.
"Well, apparently that girl, between automail, hasn't let your brother's side on the search for you," His expression turned thoughtful. "You got yourself a good one, Fullmetal."
"We were friends for a long time. So, what's the deal with getting me out of here?" Ed changed the subject, not wanting to linger. His heart sank when Phantom's face fell. "I'm sorry," The older alchemist muttered. "But I can't guarantee you a time frame. We're working on it."
"So I'm supposed to wait here while like a good little soldier and do nothing to provoke them? Nah, screw that," Ed smiled bitterly. "I've kept my head down, thinking it would help things. It hasn't, so I'm done being careful,"
"Is the kid why you've been keeping your head down?" Phantom motioned to the small boy.
Ed took a moment to look at the boy's face, surprised to find the small boy's eyes fluttering open. A relieved breath escaped him; he was finally awake. "Ed," he whimpered. "My tummy feels bad."
"I'm sorry, bud." He comforted, glancing at Phantom, who mouthed 'Anesthesia.' He helped Ryler sit up. Ryler swayed in his grip, and Ed carefully held him as he sat before he was steady.
Phantom stood, stretching out stiff limbs. "Need to let them know; you're awake. The two of you have been unconscious the longest," His hand stopped on the door handle when Ed called out to him.
"What time is it?"
"10 p.m, like I said, y'all were unconscious the longest."
Damn it, not going to be much time to get everything ready
Ed shifted uncomfortably on the bed, nearly sighing in relief when Phantom returned a few minutes later, unfortunately, with a doctor. The older alchemist schooled his expression into one of disinterest.
Ed kept a careful eye on the doctor, curling into himself defensively when the doctor approached him. Ed's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. He curled around Ryler protectively, wincing at the small cry the boy released.
"Chem bystreye ya proveryayu yego zhiznenno vazhnyye organy, tem bystreye vy ukhodite (The faster I check his vitals, the quicker you get to leave)" The doctor...doctor Ilyich, snapped.
"Khorosho khorosho (Alright, Alright)." Phantom groaned. Phantom approached him, roughly pulling his arms away from him, giving Ed a silent apology as he pulled his arms away from him.
The doctor quickly moved forward and checked what he needed to, throwing Ed a sharp and annoyed look when he narrowly avoided the punch Ed threw at his face.
"Voz' mi yego obratno v kazarmu (take him back to the barracks)." The doctor snapped, evacuating the room as quickly as possible and ignoring Ed's howls of insults. Phantom took the hand restraints and dragged Ed, who held Ryler tightly in his arms.
The walk to the barracks was quiet, and Ed thought about how the Amestrian military was searching for him. He looked down at the tiny boy in his arms, who's half-lidded eyes dropped then wrenched themselves open.
"Phantom," He hissed quietly. The alchemist tilted his head but didn't stop. "An escape is happening tonight." He hissed as quietly as he could. He saw the barely visible nod and relief coursed through him.
"If they get across the border, then we can get them. Briggs can intercept." He said with a finality that nearly knocked Ed off his feet in relief. The exhaustion from the day almost caught up to him when they reached the barrack.
"Idti. Eti lyudi nuzhdayutsya v tebe (Go. These people need you.)" The restraints on his arms were removed, and he was pushed through the gate. People met him almost immediately, relieved for his safety.
"Did they hurt you?" Jack snapped the second he saw him. Ed shook his head. "Found an ally, there's going to be a slight change of plans," Ed smirked.
Jack's eyebrows rose. "I'm listening."
It didn't take long to get everyone caught up on the new plan. Surprisingly, everyone agreed that it was the best thing to do, and many were relieved that they weren't going to have to find their way of escape.
The hours passed by quickly, Ed grew more and more nervous. He looked down from time to time, and when people began exiting, Ed knew it was time.
Ryler was cold. It was something he realized vaguely through his tired mind. Blearily, he raised his head from its position on Ed's shoulder. That was also a little strange; he was never cold when he slept beside Ed.
He clutched Ed's shirt, trying to get his small body to go back to sleep. The headache that accompanied his exhaustion caused his lip to tremble, bile to fill his tummy. He didn't feel good.
"Ed, where are we going?" He mumbled sleepily.
It took Ed a moment to answer him, and he looked up at his big brother. Ed looked upset; he had tears in his eyes.
"We're going someplace where you'll be safe." The voice was rough like there was something in his throat.
Ryler's brow furrowed, he stared up at Ed's face, at the trembling frown on the face that generally held a smile for him.
In the distance, he heard the voices of people. Where were they going that had so many people? Malachai's family said they were going someplace safe, were he and Ed going someplace safe?
That was fine, as long as he got to stick with Ed, he was okay.
Ed would make everything okay. He was good at doing that.
The voices grew louder, and Ryler heard the attempts of whispering, and others cried. He didn't know why they were crying; they were going to a safe place.
Suddenly, he was placed onto his feet, startling him, causing him to grab onto the nearest available hand. He stared at the hand, that wasn't Ed's hand! Ryler cautiously looked up, finding himself staring into the brown eyes of a girl.
Eww!
Girls were gross! They had cooties. That's what Ghay had told him, and that's why he was cautious of them.
"Ryler," Ed's cold hand tilted his chin up to see his face; he was relieved to see that the tears were missing, and a small had come to his face. "I want you to stay with Miss. Rose, I have to go do something, can you stay with her?"
He looked from Miss. Rose to Ed, then nodded. If Ed trusted her, then she was probably safe to trust. "I'll wait with her." He confirmed. Ed nodded, looking relieved before he stood and affectionately ruffled Ryler's hair.
He tightened his hold on Miss. Rose's hand. "What's he doing?" He asked. Ed was an alchemist; he'd learned that almost immediately after meeting him. What was surprising was that he'd been willing to teach him about alchemy. It was enjoyable to learn and easy to understand. One of the best parts was learning fighting alchemy. Ed, of course, hadn't fought him because he was so much smaller, but he learned what to do in case of an emergency.
"Ryler?" He yelped, quickly looking around. The world focused back in; he must've been in his head for a while. Ed sharpened in front of him, why'd he look so worried and stressed?
"Sorry, was thinkin'." Ed nodded, turning away from him to talk to Miss. Rose. Ryler took the time to look at where they were now that he was more awake.
Ryler surveyed where they were. It was the fence that he'd been told to go nowhere near. There was a hole now, and people were slipping through. He wasn't close enough, but he was sure if he'd got closer, he'd see signs of alchemy.
Distantly, he listened to the conversation going on behind him.
"Ed, what's wrong?" Miss. Rose sounded worried.
"Byron and Clarissa aren't able to go. Byron had a flare-up, Clarrisa won't leave him,"
That was too bad; he'd met the nice man and lady yesterday. The old lady had given him a warm hug and the man was very kind to him. He'd liked them immediately. It was worrying that they weren't going to the safe place, but maybe they'd eventually get out of this place that Ed titled a 'hellhole.'
"What are you going to do?" There was a gasp from Miss. Rose, he turned to look up at her face, concerned further to see the horror on it. "Rose, I want you to take him and get to safety." Ed's tone had no room for argument. That wasn't something Ryler hadn't heard directed at anyone that wasn't a threat.
Take him?
Wasn't Ed coming with them?
He didn't hear the race of the conversation; his mind was racing. Terror filled his veins. He'd already lost so much, his parents, his younger brother, his older sister. He couldn't lose another brother! He didn't want to leave Ed. Without Ed, there was nothing left.
No, Please, No. Don't leave! His mind wailed. Maybe if he told Ed that he didn't want to go, he wouldn't make Ryler leave. He could become a little less annoying, more dependant, anything to stay by Ed's side.
He didn't realize he was crying until he felt the tears falling down his cheeks, warm and cold hands wrapping around him, Ed pulling him to a crushing hug. "Don't make me go." He cried, tightening his grip against Ed's shirt.
Don't make me go. Don't make me go. Don't make me go.
He'd quickly come to realize how much Ed cared for him. Cautiously, then all in when he'd cried the first time, wailing for his parents after a nightmare. Ed was the only one who could calm him down, not Miss. Rose, not anyone.
Only Ed
He was being picked up, placed in arms that he didn't want to be in. He instinctively clutched Miss. Rose's clothes, glaring through the thick haze of tears. He saw the tears on Ed's face, and he didn't care. He didn't care.
"Go on. Waiting for him to stop crying isn't going to help anything," Ed told Miss. Rose, he gave Ryler a sad smile, ruffling his hair.
Miss. Rose held him tightly as if he was going to fight her; then, she started climbing through the hole.
He cried harder, screamed for Ed as he got farther and farther away. Wailed his hate for how he was never going to see him again, wailed his hatred for Ed. Miss. Rose tried to quiet him as they grew farther and farther away, but he couldn't stop the sobs.
He buried his face into Miss. Rose's neck, wailing and sobbing harder than he ever thought he had in his short life. Ed had gone away, just like his siblings and parents. Ed didn't want to see him anymore.
It hurt, it hurt so much. At some point, Miss. Rose stopped with the shushing and just let him sob his heart out.
And as he fell into an exhausted, uneasy sleep, he knew that the loneliness he felt wasn't going to go away.
He was alone. And that hurt.
And the small boy knew he would need to get used to being lonely.
What do y'all think? What are the Drachman plans? What did the doctor see and can he be trusted? Do you think the escapees will be safe? Remember, Drachman's will do anything to keep their prisoners and get what they want...