Chapter 4
"Alright, so do we have any new information about who may be behind the kidnapping?" Hawkeye asked as she swept her tawny gaze around the room and its occupants. The sunlight streaming in through the window of the colonel's office gave the lieutenant an almost ethereal glow, her blond hair gleaming brilliantly in the light.
"No, but Breda and Falman are investigating a lead right now. Someone has claimed they saw the same van as Alphonse." Havoc said from where he stood in front of Mustang's desk, looking down at a thin stack of papers with a small frown. "It may be another false lead though, so don't get your hopes up."
Al let out a small sigh as he took in the scene before him, feeling worn and tired even though he had no true body to experience it with. He and the crew, now joined by Major Armstrong, had been searching for Edward and Mustang for weeks now.
All they had found at the scene of the kidnapping, what now seemed like ages ago, had been nothing but a few scuff marks left behind in the dusty rubble. Since Alphonse hadn't been able to get the license plate number from the car, they were only going by the make and color of the van. Whoever had taken the two had been thorough enough to leave behind barely a trace; the scene had held not one helpful clue.
They hadn't gotten much farther in the investigation since then, and without the help from military police it could very likely stay that way. Hawkeye had insisted that no higher ups were to know of either the colonel's or his brother's disappearance for fear that they would lose what little control of the investigation that they had. The military would most likely take full control of the case, and if they were to find out that Mustang had withheld information from even anyone in his immediate command there could be consequences. Instead Hawkeye had told her superiors that the colonel was on sick leave until further notice, hoping they would find the two abducted alchemists soon.
Over the past few weeks they had been chasing dead lead after dead lead. Though Alphonse had given his description of both the van and its driver, no names had come up in the police database that matched anyone. They had searched through both Ed and Mustang's belongings but had found nothing detailing the mission Al and his brother were to investigate. Not even Armstrong had heard of it, concerning everyone even more.
It almost seemed as though Edward and the colonel had vanished without a trace.
Alphonse himself had been spending his sleepless nights in the office, trying everything he could to help find information on his brother's kidnappers. While it hadn't helped much that the hotel had essentially kicked him out, since Ed could no longer pay for the room in his absence, it had only served to give Al an excuse to stay overnight in the colonel's office. He would do anything he could to find both Edward and Mustang; he would not rest until the two were back where they belonged.
A sudden wave of dizziness overcame Alphonse, causing him to stumble slightly as the voices of the others wavered in the air. He shook his head in a useless attempt to clear his sight as spots began to dance across his vision.
"What was that? This has never happened before…" Al thought to himself, fear beginning to slowly consume him as the world continued on, oblivious to his growing terror. For the first time since he had become nothing but a soul encased in armor…He suddenly felt dizzy?
"H-Hey…" Alphonse's voice came out as a weak whimper as another wave of vertigo struck him. Unsurprisingly no one heard him as they continued to talk amongst themselves, their voices beginning to fade in and out of Al's mind. Everything was starting to feel like a bad dream, even though he hadn't had one in the many years after the dreadful transmutation that had stolen his body.
"W-What is happening to me? A-Am I fading away? But how is any of this possible?" Alphonse's vision was growing darker and darker, the room spinning around sickeningly as he fell to his knees. The loud clang that sounded as Al slumped to the floor seemed to bring silence to the once busy room. Attention was finally focused on him as the crew let out cries of concern and confusion.
"Alphonse, are you alright?" Al heard Hawkeye's voice, the low and fearful tone echoing in his head. He could sense that his hollow body was trembling, metal clattering against metal as the world slowly faded to black.
Alphonse heard Armstrong's deep and unmistakable voice, now low and full of dread sound close to him. A loud clang sounded from around Al as he realized that the man had wrapped his arms around him. The startled faces of Mustang's crew whirled around him sickeningly, Hawkeye's terrified visage being the last sight he saw before the darkness that clouded his vision finally took over.
"Am I dying?" Al thought to himself as he began to feel an unsettling falling sensation. As the darkness that surrounded him on all sides began to fade into a bright white, the feeling reached its peak. "If only Ed were here…He'd know what was happening…"
As if that final thought had been heard by whatever force that was pulling Al down, the falling sensation slowly faded away. He could hear the sound of his feet hitting the ground echo around as he took in the sight before him. Alphonse now found himself in the middle of a vast and empty white plane, confused as his gaze roved over this strange new place.
"A-Al?" He turned his head to see a hazy, humanoid outline slowly form before him. It was like Al was seeing the figure through rippling water as it flickered and danced like it was having trouble even existing. The voice was so aching familiar though as shock coursed through him. "Is…Is that really you?"
"E-Ed?" Alphonse choked out, his eyes never straying from the wavering form. As though Al's trembling voice had summoned him, the figure before him began to solidify. Golden eyes glimmered brightly for a moment as Edward slowly appeared, both brothers taking in the sight of the other.
His brother looked nothing like how he had when Alphonse last saw him. Ed was so pale and terribly thin, scars crisscrossing his flesh limbs and showing through a thin hospital gown. But at the sight of him Al had to hold back a cry of fearful joy.
"Oh Ed, what happened to you?" Alphonse asked as he took the last few steps that brought him to his brother's side. As gently as he could, Al wrapped his arms around Edward, sensing that his brother was now returning the gesture.
"It's so good to see you again Al." Ed said through a small and quiet sob, his arms wrapping tighter against him. "I've missed you so much…"
The two brothers were silent for a moment, each taking in the presence of the other as a heavy feeling of uneasy joy pressed down on them both. While Alphonse was unbearably relieved to see Ed once more, he knew that none of this was right. As much as he didn't want this moment to end, Al had no choice.
"How is this happening, brother?" Alphonse asked as he tightened his grip on Edward, reluctant to let him go just yet. "What is this place, and how did we get here?"
"I-I…I don't really know…" Ed's voice was suddenly full of fear as he pulled away from Al's embrace, his golden gaze slowly wandering around the vast and seemingly endless expanse of pure white. "This place…it seems familiar…And what are you doing here?"
"I have no clue how I ended up in this place either," Al said as he kept a watchful eye on his brother. Ed seemed to be shivering weakly, as though he were cold, his gaze continuing to take in their surroundings. "All I remember is feeling dizzy…And then I was here."
That seemed to alert his brother as he stopped looking around and shifted his now terrified gaze to Alphonse. "W-What do you mean…you felt dizzy?"
"I-I just stared feeling this sense of vertigo…" Al said as Ed began to run his hands over his armor, seemingly looking for any defects in the metal. He continued on in a desperate hope of easing his brother's concern. "I was with Lieutenant Hawkeye and the rest of the crew…We've all been searching for you, and Colonel Mustang, brother. It's been close to a month now since you two disappeared…"
As Edward slowly took that information in, his eyes went wide as though he had reached a terrifying conclusion, his hands falling from Al's armor. Ed turned to gaze down at the floor, his eyes now hiding behind his blond bangs as he clenched his trembling fists." I-I…I'm so sorry, Al…I never meant for any of this to happen…"
"None of this is your fault, brother." Alphonse said as he placed his large hand to his brother's thin shoulder, hoping to ease some of Ed's apparent guilt. "It's not your fault at all…"
"N-No…You don't understand, this place is-." Edward cut himself off as his eyes hazed over momentarily, his already almost transparent form flickering slightly. "A-And that means…Oh god, none of this was supposed to happen…"
"W-What do you mean, Ed?" Al asked, suddenly fearful as he allowed his gaze to leave his brother and once again take in the white and endless plane. It all seemed so horribly familiar to him now, like he should have known this place already… "Where are we?"
"Mustang…H-He's all alone there now…" Edward ignored Alphonse's question as his terror began to grow. This seemed to cause his brother's already hazy form to blur, as though he was beginning to fade out of this strange existence. Ed's wide and fearful eyes were the only steady part of his ghostly presence. "I'm sorry Al…I-I can't just leave him there on his own!"
"Where is he brother?" Alphonse was suddenly desperate as he felt his own body begin to tremble. He looked down at his hands to see that, he too, was beginning to fade away. Now Al could hear the crew's voices echo faintly at the back of his mind, sounding far away as he tried to stay a moment longer with his brother. "Where are you two?!"
"T-There's no time to explain now…I'm so, so sorry Al!" Edward's voice turned into an anguished wail as tears glittered in his brilliant golden gaze. As they left his eyes to roll down his cheek they shimmered before being whisked from existence. "I-I have to go back…As much as I've missed you, I have to make it back to Mustang!"
Now Ed's form was flickering more violently, fading away for a few seconds before blinking into view once more. The crew's voices were louder now in Alphonse's ears, seeming to rise in panic along with him. But he couldn't leave Ed just yet…Not without getting some sort of information from him.
"B-Brother! Please just stay with me for a little longer!" Al cried out as Ed, and their surroundings, began to grow fainter and fainter. "At least help me find you two!"
"N-North…Cold h-here…" Edward's voice was low and full of despair as he began to fade away to nothing. "D-Doctor…Find doctor…M-Mark Kramer!"
The once vast and endless white plane began to grow dark around Alphonse, Ed's form glowing against the darkness for a moment longer as Al called out to him. "Brother, don't worry! We'll find you!"
Edward's golden eyes gleamed back at him, full of pure love and sorrow as they too winked from existence. A cacophony of sound echoed around Al as the darkness pressed against him, buoying him up like a wave. It felt like his head finally broke to the surface of the dark waters as he let out a gasp.
"Alphonse? Alphonse!" Many different voices were calling his name as the office slowly came into view. The first thing Al saw was Hawkeye, her auburn eyes glittering with panic as she held onto his hand tightly. When Alphonse squeezed her hand gently back in response, she closed her eyes and let out a breath of relief.
"God, Alphonse…You had us all so worried…" Al could sense that Armstrong was still holding onto him, a small sniffle sounding from behind his shoulders as Hawkeye went on. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"You've been out for close to fifteen minutes, we were so worried!" Havoc cried out.
"Are you okay now, Alphonse?" Armstrong's worried voice almost made his hollow armor tremble.
"Don't ever scare us like that again!" Fuery called out as well.
"I-I'm sorry everyone…" Al said as he tried to focus on one concerned voice at a time, his mind still reeling from what he had just experienced. The room grew quiet as he went on. "I…I don't really know what happened…It was almost like a bad dream…"
And like with almost every dream the details were growing foggier and foggier by the second. Alphonse tried desperately to grab ahold of them, but the memory was slipping through his fingers like smoke. He had to tell them now before it disappeared completely.
"I-I saw Ed…" The room collectively gasped in disbelief as he went on. "We were in this strange place…And we talked…He gave me someone's name…A doctor's name…"
"But was it just a dream though?" Havoc asked in a voice soft with disbelief, a small hint of desperate hope to it even as he tried to explain it away.
"No…This was something different…It was all much too real to have been a simple dream…" Al said as he tried to sit up straighter, his dizziness slowly fading into a bad memory. He sensed Armstrong's arms move along with his body as Al finally sat up fully. "Besides, I haven't had a dream in a long time."
"What was the name?" Hawkeye asked, her voice holding no traces of her earlier fear and sounding much more professional.
"Mark…Mark Kramer? I'm pretty sure that was it." Alphonse could still see Ed's hazy form standing before him in the back of his mind, so vivid that he wondered if the sight would ever truly leave him. The desperation that had been in his brother's voice echoed in his ears...The fear that had glittered in those golden eyes…
"Then we have a name to search for," The lieutenant said in a voice that left no room for argument. Her light brown eyes snapped to look towards Fuery, who stood off to the side. "Fuery, I want you to start looking through military records for anyone of that name. Havoc, you and the major are in charge for the moment. Hold down the fort while I take Alphonse home."
The two soldiers saluted and went to complete their own tasks, Armstrong almost reluctantly letting go of Al as he stood up, Alphonse cast a confused glance at Hawkeye. "But lieutenant…I don't have a place to stay, and I'm feeling much better. I can just stay here…" He trailed off at the stern, yet gentle look the lieutenant gave him.
"You have somewhere to stay now; you'll be staying with me." She said as she hoisted Al up as best she could with the hand still holding onto his. "After all that just happened, how can I even think of leaving you on your own? What if this happens again and there's no one here to help you?"
"T-Thank you, lieutenant. That's very kind of you." Alphonse said as he finally stood up on his own, swaying slightly as he tried to regain his balance. Hawkeye moved to his right side, letting his armored body lean on her for support as they left the office behind them.
"It's no trouble at all, Alphonse. You can take care of Hayate while I'm gone, and of course I'll bring you here with me every morning." The lieutenant said with a smile, her voice light.
"Of course. I'll do all I can to help, lieutenant." Al said as the two of them wandered down the various hallways of Central Command, slowly making their way to the front gate.
"I know you will. And Alphonse? Feel free to just call me Hawkeye." If Al had possessed his true body he would have smiled as he nodded gratefully at his seemingly new caretaker. And for the first time in the past few stressful weeks, Al felt like they were finally closer to finding his brother.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Night had fallen in the basement and the freezing temperature had only gotten worse as the sun set and stars began to glimmer in a nearly moonless sky. It was so cold now that Mustang could see his own breath billowing like a small cloud, fading away gradually in the dim light. The colonel was lying on his side and as he bundled himself under his own thin blankets, in search of any warmth, he heard Edward let out a small whimper. His movement had caused the poor boy to shift in his arms, and Mustang felt a small flash of guilt course through him at the thought of bringing any more discomfort to him. As the colonel turned his head to look more closely at the boy, he felt his already broken heart crack once more at the sight of him.
While Mustang could say that Ed looked better than he had earlier in the day, the thought wasn't as much of a comfort as it should have been. The boy was still much too cold and pale, his frail body shivering in the colonel's embrace. One of his arms was curled under Edward, pillowing his head slightly while also still able to rub against the boy's shoulders and back. His right arm was relatively free, currently being used to run gentle fingers through Ed's tangled hair in an attempt of comforting the suffering child. Ed's chest rose and fell unevenly as he took in quick and shallow gasps of air, his body tensing in Mustang's arms as he let out another distressed whine.
Edward had yet to fully regain consciousness, only waking up slightly in a terrified daze every once and awhile from nightmares unknown to the colonel. The poor boy would weakly cry out for Mustang, too lost in the haze of slumber to even notice he was by his side. Ed would fall back into an almost uneasy sleep when the colonel would rub gentle circles against his back while murmuring quiet words of comfort, hoping to soothe the boy. Edward's left hand would remain resting against Mustang's arm though, tightening when the nightmares threatened to take over.
The boy was currently hooked up to IV fluids, some of the scientists suggesting to Vance that it would help Ed's body replenish its blood stores on its own. Mustang himself could see that the effort was futile, the poor boy had been silently suffering for over an hour now, showing very little signs of improvement as his body was continuously wracked with violent tremors. Edward needed more blood to help his body heal properly from all the stress it had been put under earlier in the day, and the colonel was beginning to worry that Ed would be left to suffer on his own without Mustang even able to help.
Mustang himself was still feeling the effects of his own blood loss as well, though not nearly as bad as Edward. His body felt so cold even though he had been burrowed deep into his blankets for hours now. The colonel felt so weak and his body trembled from the mixture of cold and malaise, nauseous even though he hadn't eaten much of anything in days. Mustang was still secretly surprised that he remained conscious; every part of his body was screaming with exhaustion and begging for rest.
But someone had to keep an eye on Edward, since Vance couldn't stay with them constantly. Sammy had fallen asleep an hour or so ago after Mustang first awoke, giving Ed one of his own blankets to help him stave off the cold. While the chimera had seemed uneasy to leave his two friends to fend for themselves, he had caved and gone to sleep at the colonel's urgings. Sammy's fluffy tail was still resting against Edward's back in a hopeful attempt to help warm the boy up, though as of late nothing the two of them had done seemed to be working as much as they hoped.
As Mustang continued to fret over Ed's wellbeing he was broken from his uneasy reverie by the telltale sounds of someone walking down the metal stairs from the ground level of the building. The sound echoed around the cold and quiet dungeon until the noise's owner appeared at the base of the staircase, their form silhouetted against the pale lights.
Vance stood motionless for a moment as he looked the colonel and Edward over from afar before making his way towards them. His steps were slow and quiet, carefully placed to make as little sound as possible. In his arms a few stray medical supplies were held, a small bag slung over one shoulder seemed to hold more equipment.
Mustang kept a slightly wary eye on the young scientist; his involvement in the experiment that had nearly taken Ed from him was still fresh in his mind. While Vance had been the one to bring the boy back to life, he was still apprehensive of the young man and his motives. Despite the uneasy look that was locked onto him, Vance continued on until he knelt at the front of both cages.
"Sorry I'm so late, Doctor Lawrence kept a few of us longer than I expected." The young scientist said as his gentle green eyes slowly wandered over Edward's fragile form in the colonel's arms. Concern flickered in Vance's gaze as he took in the sight before him. "But I'm here now, and I'm going to help you two. First I'll start by hooking Edward up to some more blood…I see my colleagues were wrong in thinking that just an IV drip would work."
As Vance began to dig around in his bag Mustang's wandering eye noticed that a small white bandage was now wrapped around the scientist's elbow. Their gazes met for a moment as Vance gave a small and almost rueful smile. "Doctor Kramer wasn't too kind in taking my blood. He's a rough man, and I'll probably have a nasty bruise there by tomorrow…But none of that is of concern to you."
The young scientist then began to pull various bits of medical supplies from his bag, lying them down neatly onto the stone floor. Mustang felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of a bag of blood being set in front of him. This one was much smaller than the ones that had been taken from him and Edward earlier that day, but the sight alone was enough to give the colonel a terrifying reminder.
Mustang's gaze instinctively wandered back towards Ed, more guilt and sadness flowing through him at the sight of the suffering boy. Edward was still trembling in his arms, eyes closed as he squirmed in his sleep, letting out a small moan before burying his face into the colonel's arm. He felt his eyes begin to slowly fill with tears as the overwhelming memories from the day began to play back in his mind. To avoid reliving the nightmare he instead looked back towards Vance.
The young man was silent as he stood to change the bag Edward was currently hooked up to, reaching up along the IV stand between their cages. One hand moved up the pole to remove the empty bag while the other held his own blood close to his chest.
"Why?" Mustang suddenly blurted out, receiving a confused look from Vance as he continued on with his question. "Why do you feel the need to help us when the other scientists clearly don't even bother?"
The young man smiled slightly to himself as he unhooked the now empty bag of IV fluids before carefully replacing it with the bag of blood. "Because I genuinely care about those being held captive here…I know the feeling a little too well…"
This only raised more questions in Mustang's mind. Was Vance actually a captive here too? If so, then how did he manage to remain human? The colonel opened his mouth to ask some more questions but Vance had already turned away from him. With the blood bag now securely held in place, the scientist dropped back down from his outstretched position.
"There, that should help him in the long run." Vance said as he looked at the needle still embedded in the back of Ed's hand, letting out a satisfied grunt when he saw it was still properly in place.
"What do you mean by that?" Mustang asked once the young scientist had gone back to checking over his various supplies. "Are you being held captive here as well?"
Vance let out a sad sigh, sitting back on his heels as he gazed at the colonel with forlorn green eyes. "Not in the same way as you and Edward are, but in my own way yes. I…I made some bad choices, and in the end they brought me here…I never thought this was what Doctor Lawrence was hiring me for…"
"But you could leave here anytime, can't you?" Mustang asked, wanting to know more as to why Vance looked so distressed. Surely if he had the chance the young scientist would leave, wouldn't he? "If this is like any other job then you're not bound here by anything other than pay."
"No, you don't understand…" Vance's sadness was now turning into fear, his eyes going wide as they gazed imploringly at Mustang. "No one leaves this place, worker or not. All of us are currently living on site here…there is no way out. If I were to try and leave, knowing what I now know, there would be serious consequences…and not just for myself…"
The colonel wanted to ask more, to try and understand exactly what these disturbed scientists really had planned, but Vance shook off his fear and returned to his professional demeanor. Clearly the young man didn't want to tell him more as he looked back over his supplies, grabbing two fairly large syringes in one hand.
Mustang flinched in fear of the clear substance held within the vials, holding onto Edward tightly as he prepared to protect the poor boy from any more pain. Vance seemed shocked and reeled back in the face of the colonel's response, quickly shaking his head before he started to talk.
"There are no needles to these, they're both oral syringes. I know that both of your bodies are suffering from blood loss, so I mixed up a concoction that should help you regain some of your strength. I know you two are barely eating as is, and you both need nutrients to keep from getting seriously ill. I promise you that there is nothing dangerous to them, I'm sorry to have scared you so badly."
"S-Sorry…" Mustang replied with a weary sigh, believing Vance without question after the young man had been so kind and understanding. "Both Ed and I are just so used to syringes like that containing anything to hurt us."
"I understand," Vance said in a sad voice, closing his eyes for a moment as he held out both syringes to the colonel. "My fellow scientists can be quite cruel. But this will help you two, I promise."
As Mustang reluctantly removed his hand from Edward's shoulder he grabbed the two syringes before carefully examining them almost out of instinct. The young scientist continued on as the colonel stared at them a moment longer before drawing them closer to himself. "One is for you and the other is for him. They're both the same though, and I thought it better to let you give them to yourselves rather than having me inject you with them."
"Thank you…" Mustang said as he placed the syringes on the floor between his and Ed's cages, continuing to warily eye them up even as he hesitantly grabbed one and put it to his own lips. The colonel wanted to be completely sure that they held nothing harmful, he'd much rather make himself feel worse if this really was just a cruel prank than to let Edward suffer anymore.
Vance stared at him with an eager hope gleaming in his eyes as Mustang slowly emptied the syringe into his mouth, flinching for a moment from the strange taste. The mixture was both salty and sweet, tasting similar to an apple that had table salt poured over it. As the colonel swallowed the last of the strange concoction the young scientist smiled, his green gaze glowing with relief.
"That should help you to feel a little stronger," Vance said in an encouraging tone. "Now if you could just give the other syringe to Edward, I'd be grateful. I'm going to go and get both of you a thicker blanket really quick, but I'll be back very soon."
Mustang nodded as the young man stood up, dusting off his pants as he made his way to a small room across from their cages. Once Vance was gone from sight the colonel returned his attention to Ed. He could already feel the effects of the young scientist's mixture, his body didn't feel as weak anymore and his nausea was fading away. He silently hoped that after getting the boy to ingest the liquid that maybe Edward would regain consciousness, if only for a little while.
The colonel turned and tilted the boy's head slightly, reclining his head back just enough that the mixture wouldn't run from his mouth or choke him. He pressed the syringe to Edward's lips and, very slowly with as much care as his shivering body would allow, pressed down on the plunger.
At first Ed had no reaction of any kind, but after a few drops made it past his cracked lips his body seemed to realize that the liquid would help. Soon the boy was lapping up the mixture, his unconscious actions reminding Mustang vaguely of a hungry kitten getting its first taste of milk. The syringe soon emptied and the colonel placed the vial on the ground beside his own, a small smile on his face.
"Good job, Ed." Mustang whispered in relief. His hand, free once again, began to gently run its fingers through the boy's hair. "That should help you feel at least a little better."
As though his words had reached through the haze of slumber, Edward let out small moan, his brow furrowing as his eyes slowly opened. He looked blankly ahead for a moment before his glassy golden gaze landed onto Mustang.
"M-Mustang…What…" Ed's voice was weak and trembled in the cold air as a chill ran down the boy's spine. He opened his mouth as if to say more, but the colonel cut him off.
"Don't try to talk, Ed, save your strength. All you need to know is that you're going to be alright." Mustang said in a soothing tone, slowly rubbing circles against the poor boy's back. While he was overjoyed to see Edward awake and talking once more, he was still worried that the boy would only end up straining himself.
"M-Mustang…I saw him…" Ed continued on, seemingly desperate to tell the colonel of his dream. "I-I saw Al…"
"It's alright," He repeated, his voice gentle as he hoped to ease some of the anxiety that seemed to gain strength alongside the boy. "It was just a dream, there's no need to worry about it."
"He s-said he'd find us…T-That they've been l-looking for us…" Edward's eyes went wide as he gazed imploringly at Mustang. The colonel smiled reassuringly at the boy as he held him a little tighter in response.
"I'm sure he will find us, but until that happens you need to recover from what happened today." This seemed to break Ed from his dreamy daze as he stared sadly at the colonel.
"I-I'm sorry M-Mustang…I almost left y-you all alone…You m-must have been s-so scared…" Tears were beginning to glisten in the boy's eyes, his body trembling harder as he tried to hold back a sob.
"It's okay Ed, you're here now and that's all that matters. You're safe, and I won't let anything hurt you." Mustang said as he held the trembling form before him as closely to himself as he possibly could. Edward only let out a miserable whimper as he buried his face against the colonel's arm, tears slowly soaking into his skin.
"I'm sorry…s-so sorry…" The boy whispered in a voice that sounded so broken and fragile. Mustang felt like his heart would break all over again at the miserable tone.
"There's nothing to be sorry about," The colonel said as he gently wiped at Edward's tear stained cheeks. Ed gazed at him with wide and seemingly bottomless golden eyes, misery gleaming in their depths. "None of this was your fault, okay? It was completely out of your control…I'm just glad to have you back with me."
Edward took in a shuttering breath as he grabbed Mustang's wrist with as much strength as he could muster. "I'm sorry…I-I almost stayed there…w-with Al…But I c-couldn't leave you…You n-need me…a-and I need you…"
"Everything's alright, Ed." The colonel spoke gently, noticing that the boy's eyelids were starting to droop, his energy seemingly spent. "Just get some rest, okay? I'll be here when you wake up; I won't ever let you go like that again…"
"O-Okay…Love you, M-Mustang…so much…" Edward breathed as his body began to go limp. Before his eyes closed he locked his glassy golden gaze to the onyx eyes before him. "I-I'd never leave y-you…No m-matter what…"
"I know Ed, and I love you too." Mustang said softly, watching as a small smile parted the boy's lips. "I'll always be here, you'll never be alone." At that Edward finally allowed his bloodshot eyes to close, peace starting to slowly take over his anxious features as sleep once again claimed him.
Mustang gazed at the fragile form cradled safely in his arms, a fierce and warm rush of protective love pulsing through his worn body. While their conversation had been short, the colonel was just relieved that Ed felt well enough to break free of his distressed slumber. The sound of shoes clicking over concrete alerted him as he tore his gaze from the still form before him, but he instantly relaxed when he saw that it was just Vance.
The young scientist was carrying two white blankets, both looking much thicker than what he and Edward currently had. His green eyes were bright as he walked nearer, a small smile on his face as he reached the cages and knelt before them.
"I heard the two of you talking, though I didn't really hear the conversation," Vance said as he pushed one blanket through the bars of Mustang's cage. "I'm glad that my mixture helped him, at least enough to regain consciousness. I'll give you both more of the same tomorrow; it should help you two in the long run."
As the young scientist began to carefully bundle Edward under his new blanket, careful as ever not to jostle the boy or the colonel's firm hold on him, curiosity overcame him once more.
"You said that if you tried to leave that there would be consequences besides your own punishment." Mustang saw Vance stiffen for a moment, but he continued on in an eager attempt to know the truth. "Who are you protecting?"
Silence met his question at first as the young man finished his task, Ed now tucked snugly under his blanket as Vance turned to look at the colonel. The sadness in his green eyes was almost too much for Mustang to bear, but the young scientist sighed and closed his eyes. As his body began to relax slightly, he opened them once more and began to help the colonel with his own blanket.
"My sister," He said as he wrapped the thick fabric around Mustang as carefully as he could. His green gaze glittered with fondness as he continued on. "She's ill you see, and I've been trying to find a good job that can pay for her treatments. Doctor Lawrence promised not only to pay for them in full, but he was able to provide a new type of treatment at another of his facilities in the East. I was stunned by his offer to say the least, and all he asked of me was complete loyalty…I didn't know what that truly meant at the time."
The colonel remained silent as the young scientist finished his task once more, Mustang burrowing deeper into the warm blanket gratefully. As Vance pulled away, sitting back on his heels, he continued his story.
"I was told this was just a simple research facility that made chimeras in order to better understand the effects of certain medications used for humans. I was tasked with keeping the creatures comfortable as well as to aid the other scientists in their own experiments. Then I reached the basement…and I learned what those poor creatures were truly made from."
"I found out all of Doctor Lawrence's intentions, and once I knew what I was ordered to do…What I had signed up to do…there was no going back. I didn't even try to argue against that cruel man, I knew no good would come of it anyway. So I foolishly asked Doctor Kramer for his help."
"That man is even worse, and he told me what would happen if I were to try and back out. Not only would I become an experiment…they would use my sister in similar tests. They have her hostage…I gave her to them…and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she were exposed to such horrors…"
Vance grew quiet, his eyes closing as he took in a shaky breath, trying to stay in control of his emotions. Mustang was rendered speechless from the young scientist's story, his sympathy for Vance growing stronger in the wake of this discovery. The young man and his sister reminded him so much of the relationship between Edward and Alphonse that it nearly brought him to tears as he finally understood why Vance was so different from the rest of the scientists.
"And that's why I care," Vance continued on in a more resolved tone. "If my sister were to be captured and imprisoned here, how could I even imagine doing such horrible things to her? All of you being held in the basement are human, even the fully transformed chimeras, and if I denied you of that respect then I'd be denying her. She's all I have left…I can't let her be tortured like this because of my foolishness. I will gladly bear this burden for her, and for those being held here. I'll never give up my humanity by treating these experiments as my colleagues do."
A silence descended upon them as the young scientist finished his heartrending story. The only sound was that of Sammy as he slowly woke up, his tail rustling through Ed's blankets and brushing against the colonel's arms.
"I understand, and respect your resolve." Mustang said as he gazed at Vance. "I know the feeling of protecting those you love with your own life all too well. It's a heavy and painful burden to bear on your own, and you are taking the toll of it well for someone as young as yourself."
Vance's eyes gleamed with so many emotions that the colonel couldn't truly tell them apart, but he knew that his words had helped the young scientist. It was the least he could do for Vance, his only way to repay the kindness shown to Edward and himself.
"Thank you, that truly means a lot to me." The young man bowed his head gratefully. "I only wish I could do more for you two. All I've been able to do is postpone your transformations…"
"When will that be happening?" Mustang asked warily as he forced his voice not to tremble with fear. He was unsure of if he really wanted to know…though would he ever truly be ready to accept his and Edward's terrible fate? No…He needed to know so he and the boy could prepare.
"I've bought you both at least three days to recover…I wish I could have done more, but Doctor Lawrence wants this done as soon as possible…" Vance looked at the colonel with despair glittering in his green eyes. "I'm so sorry…"
"I'm sure you did all you could, and I'm thankful." Mustang responded sincerely, a small and sudden thought nagging at the back of his mind. While he knew he'd probably get no answer, he was desperate to know before he lost his humanity…and Vance had been so helpful… "What are they turning us into chimeras for anyway? What is their plan?"
"I-I…I can't tell you…" The young scientist was suddenly fearful as he flinched like someone had physically struck him. His gaze left Mustang to dart anxiously around the room, seemingly focused on the floor above them. He understood without explanation that someone must be watching their exchange, someone who didn't want Vance to accidently leak their true intentions.
"Don't worry, I understand." The colonel whispered as quietly as he could to the young scientist, who shot him a grateful look. He continued on in a slightly louder voice, not wanting any suspicion to be put onto Vance. "Thank you for your help, all of it."
The young man gave him a sad smile as he stood back up, his gaze slowly roving over the line of cages before he nodded towards Sammy's prison. The chimera was now fully awake, and as Mustang turned his gaze towards Sammy he could see that he was staring at Vance with a sad acceptance in his blue eyes.
"I'll be back to check on you early tomorrow morning. I'll also make sure my colleagues know that Doctor Lawrence has ordered that no harm is to come to you two." Before the young scientist could completely turn away Mustang fixed a compelling gaze on him that caused Vance to freeze in place.
"Everything will be alright, Vance." The colonel said softly as they shared a sad smile, both trying to make the other feel a little better. After a short moment the young man took his leave, going back up the nearby staircase as quietly as he had coming down.
As Mustang returned his full attention to Ed, intending to continue in his long and solitary vigil, he was surprised to hear a low growling. At first he nearly panicked when he thought that the sound had come from Edward, but when he looked towards Sammy he realized who was making the noise.
"No." The chimera said in a stern yet gentle tone once he had gotten the colonel's attention. His growling ceased as he continued on. "Roy will sleep now. Sammy will watch Pup until Vance comes back tomorrow."
Mustang opened his mouth to argue, but the weak halfhearted glare that was shot his way made him keep silent. While his body was feeling better than it had been earlier, it still cried out longingly for sleep. Besides, if he made himself ill by ignoring his body's need for rest, who would take care of Ed in his place?
"Okay, you win." Mustang said in an amused tone as he settled himself deeper into his new blanket, relishing the warmth it held. He once again turned his attention to Edward, noting that the boy was breathing a little easier than before, some color returning to his pale skin. "Wake me though if something happens with him."
"Sammy will be best guard there is." The chimera assured him and Mustang smiled to himself at Sammy's eagerness. He held Ed as tightly as he could through the bars, glad to feel the boy's body warming slowly in his arms, before falling gratefully into the black abyss of slumber that softly overtook him.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Vance stood, still and silent at the top of the metal spiral staircase, listening to the faint conversation below for a few moments longer. He could hear Sammy's calm and reassuring voice, feeling both a sense of relief and sadness towards the chimera. All he had ever known of Sammy was that he was a very friendly and sweet dog creature, he had never gotten to meet the human he had once been.
A soft cough broke him of his thoughts and he turned towards one of the shadowed doorways that lined the walls of the second floor. Once Vance's attention had been completely focused on the nearest entrance, its occupant emerged from the darkness.
"You did a good job of giving nothing important away," Said a soft and very feminine voice. Its owner was a tall and intimidating woman with sharp blue eyes the color of sunlit ice. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a bun, a few stray strands hanging limply against her face as she gave Vance an approving look. "It seems that you're finally learning what it means to be a true scientist."
He winced at her words, looking away in response. Becoming a true scientist? What was this demented places definition of one anyway? Someone who did more harm towards their living experiments than good? And did he even want to be one under those circumstances?
The woman must have seen his hesitation as she let out a small sigh, her stiff posture relaxing slightly as she walked closer to Vance. "You were telling them about Abigail, weren't you?"
As Vance stiffened once more, finally returning the woman's sympathetic gaze, he cast her a helpless look. "I think of her every day, Vivian. I can't help it…I just miss her so much…"
Vivian continued to stare back at him, her eyes glittering sadly for a moment as she placed a gentle hand to Vance's shoulder. "But you know that she's in safe hands now, there's no need to worry about her."
"Is she really though?" He shrugged off her hand, unwilling to be comforted so easily as fear and sorrow filled his heart. "Will she ever be truly safe in Doctor Lawrence's hands? You know how twisted that man can be…How can I be sure that no harm will come to her?"
"As long as you keep your mouth shut she will be fine." Vivian snapped angrily back, her eyes narrowing in warning. Though as she saw Vance's eyes widen at her tone her features softened once more as she approached him again. "I just worry about you Vance, and I'm sorry."
He could only stare sadly at his fellow scientist as she hesitantly hugged him. Her warmth was reassuring in this cold concrete hell and Vance couldn't help but hug her back. Thoughts of his beloved sister began to replay in his mind as Vance tried desperately to reel in his emotions. Vivian seemed to sense his sorrow as she leaned in closer, her soft breath warm against his neck.
While Vivian was sometimes harsh and almost uncaring with her words, Vance knew that there was much more to her. Deep down she was a kind soul, this place had just twisted Vivian's true self into something darker and crueler than she was. Sometimes she reminded Vance so much of Abigail that it hurt, and he wished with all his heart that the beautiful and kind woman in his arms would be able to break free of this place's terrible influence.
Once Vance had successfully pushed his grief to the back of his mind, something he had become all to accustomed with now, they broke apart. Vivian took in a long breath as she closed her eyes. When she opened them again they were once more professional with no hint of the somber moment they had just shared.
"So, when will those two be ready for the transmutation? You know Doctor Lawrence wants to do it as soon as he can." Vivian's voice held almost no emotion, as though she were asking about the weather. Vance was slightly envious at how she could turn off her emotions so easily.
"They need at least three days. While Colonel Mustang is faring better, Edward's body is not ready for such stress so soon. If you push them too hard they could both die from the strain." Vance glanced back down to the basement level, still able to pick out the gleaming gold of the boy's hair through the gloom. "Both of them have been mentally broken enough that they should lose their human memories in a few months. They…They'll make for obedient chimeras…"
When Vivian heard his voice crack at the end of his report she gave him a warning look, as though reminding him to keep his emotions in check. "That's good; Doctor Lawrence and Doctor Kramer will be pleased. I'll tell my team to get ready for the transmutation."
Before Vivian could walk away, Vance put a gentle hand to her shoulder, holding her back. As she gazed at him with confusion and a hint of annoyance gleaming in her blue eyes, Vance hesitantly spoke up. "Are you sure that what we're doing is truly the right thing? Will all this even help anyone in the end?"
Vivian shrugged him off, an irritated yet uncertain look on her face as she answered in a brisk and clipped tone. "It's too late for regrets and doubt now; it doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. We just need to follow their orders. You know what happens to those who disobey…"
They both glanced down into the darkness of the level below them, their eyes fixating onto William's brown pelt. He had doubted Doctor Lawrence and Doctor Kramer's intentions, had even tried to run away, only to end up back at the lab as a prisoner. The two lead scientists had gone to great lengths to use him as an example of what could happen…To show how cruel they could truly be…to destroy one of their own…
"Anyway," Vivian's brisk tone broke Vance from his troubled thoughts. "We have learned so much about the human body, mind, and soul. This will help our research for many years to come." His colleague averted her gaze from William and stared at Vance, her eyes once again full of sympathy. "I know this is all very jarring for you Vance, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. Now come on, let's get some sleep, you need to be up early to care for those two."
As Vivian turned towards the stairway that led to the barracks all the lower ranking scientists shared, Vance hesitated. Had he really been able to help others by assisting in the torment of those they held captive? Was there even any justification to what he had helped his colleagues do? Had any of this been worth it, or had he truly sold his soul for nothing?
As Vance followed Vivian up the stairs he couldn't help but remember the small twinge of happiness he had felt when Colonel Mustang had said he was proud of him. While Vivian meant a lot to him, why did those words feel so much nicer when they had been spoken by the colonel?
So we finally get an answer as to the figure Ed saw as he died, and another new antagonist has been introduced! Also we finally learn some more about Vance...
This chapter took me quite awhile to finish up, mainly because a lot of stuff has been happening in my real life that gets in the way of writing. It sucks, but in the end my friends and family come first, writing comes in at a close second lol.
That being said, I'll probably be taking a little bit of a break during October. This isn't a complete break in the sense of the word, I'll still be actively working on Chapter 5 when I can spare the time, but I won't go out of my way to try and write every single day. I never want to view my writing as a true "job", and doing it every day was starting to take a toll on me. So next month will be for me to just relax a bit and not worry about it as much, though I still will because that's just who I am lol.
I am going to say that Chapter 5 most likely will not be uploaded until 2022. My wish of releasing it around Christmas is still there, but realistically it's a big stretch for me to promise that. I mean, four chapters (and a prologue) in a single year is pretty good if you ask me. In the slight chance that Chapter 5 will be uploaded by the end of the year, check out my profile every week or so for more updates, or just hit me up here or on Reddit, since I'm usually there most nights after 4am lol.
Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! A lot of work went into this and I'll say that this was the most heavily edited chapter I've done so far. Nothing was cut from it, just tons and tons of rewrites because I didn't like how a single paragraph sounded lol. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to these stories.
Also, I'm going to be uploading the main scientist's references to Reddit sometime in October. The line work is done, just need to color it and all that. Keep an eye out for it on Reddit! All the known chimera's have also had their references posted there, so if you want to know what a single character looks like then check them out. I might make a reference for the environment (the layout of the basement and such) but I'm bad at scenery so that probably won't happen lol.
Anyway, I've kept you here long enough. So thank you for reading, and thank you all so much for the favorites, follows, and reviews. I love you all, and want you to stay awesome!
See you all in the next chapter!
:3
