CW:

(Blood and gore)


Chapter 8

Thick gray clouds hung heavy in the sky, promising to unleash the last of autumn's rain as the sun tried desperately to escape from the grasp of the growing storm. The very rare and occasional beam of short lived sunlight would dapple the gloomy office for a few moments before being obscured by the thick fog once more.

Alphonse and the crew stood huddled around the colonel's desk, hunched over all the information they had amassed regarding Mustang and Ed's disappearance. Armstrong stood by Al's side, his usually cheerful demeanor gone as he focused on the case. The state alchemist had just returned from his own search in the east with nothing to really show of it. No one working at the area's lab seemed to remember a man going by the name of Mark Kramer. Only one staff member had recalled that someone of that name had visited long ago, but after that the man had vanished without a trace, just like Ed and the colonel…

"Maybe we should expand our search to include farther out areas? There's bound to be a lab somewhere that has the info we need." Havoc said as he chewed on the end of his lit cigarette in frustration. Earlier today he and Breda had been sent out on another useless lead regarding the kidnapper's van, only to find that the van reported had absolutely nothing to do with their case. Since their return Havoc and Breda's nerves were pulled taunt, promising to snap at any moment.

"But there are tons of alchemic labs scattered around Amestris…what area would we even focus on first?" Fuery piped up from where he stood closest to Falman, who was nodding his head in agreement. "We'll be searching for months at that rate!"

"Well the east is out," Breda growled, voice slowly filling with irritation. "The major already checked the main lab, and surely all nearby labs would have the same information shared between them, especially if this man was blacklisted from working there."

"There's a chance, but he could have also applied to a privately run lab, in which case they probably wouldn't have access to that information." Fuery's voice trembled slightly, as though fearing his colleague's wrath for objecting. Even Al could feel the tension hanging thickly in the air, threatening to unleash an even worse storm than the dark approaching clouds outside could.

As the days and weeks passed with no leads, everyone's patience was starting to grow thin. While Alphonse knew that the crew would never come to physical blows, it was easy to see that they all were on edge. They all were seemingly unraveling in the colonel's absence, with only one person able to keep their rapidly fraying ends together.

"Enough." Hawkeye's one commanding word sliced effortlessly through the growing turmoil, the room going silent in its wake. Her fierce tawny gaze flickered over each crew member, effectively silencing Breda and Havoc, the latter of whom closed his mouth tightly around his cigarette in response. "I will not stand for any infighting. We're all in this together, and everyone here will have equal say in this case."

The group around Al nodded in unison, Havoc and Breda sharing an apologetic glance with Fuery as the lieutenant continued on. "I suggest that we start looking for information from local private labs, along with government run. Once we've checked those out then we can start branching out into different districts, then to different main cities."

As the crew began to discuss this new course of action, Alphonse stepped away. The only one who paid him any attention was Armstrong, who gave him a questioning look as Al walked away from the others to sit down a little bit farther from the commotion. He needed to think to himself in relative silence right now, maybe he could remember something useful if he focused hard enough.

Alphonse leaned his back against the nearest wall and let his mind wander freely, taking in past memories through new and critical eyes. There must be a clue hidden in the recesses of his nonphysical brain…he just needed to think back on all that had happened…

His memories flashed back to the moment his brother and Mustang had been taken. There was the building collapsing…dust obscuring everything around him as an engine revved through the still and silent air.

Then there was the white van fleeing the scene, not a speck of grime to be seen over its ivory exterior…the blond haired man with blue eyes focused completely on the road as he sped away down the street and out of sight. It had gone by so fast that Alphonse had failed to get the plate number…but right now he doubted that the van was still even in Central at the moment…

"A-Al?" He nearly jumped as Ed's wavering voice rang clearly through his mind. At first Alphonse had worried that he'd finally gone crazy, but then memories of his strange vision came flooding back to him, rushing like water through an open sluice.

The vast and seemingly endless expanse of pure white…his brother's partially translucent form flickering in and out of this strange new reality like sunlight through an early morning fog…Ed's urgent and fearful voice echoed through his mind…But what had his brother been trying to tell him? What had they talked about before Al had returned to the waking world?

"Think Al, just think..." Alphonse thought to himself as he delved fully into the memory, diving in deeper like he was swimming through a dark and murky lake. There must be something hidden in those half-forgotten depths…something useful…all he had to do was concentrate… "There is bound to be something there…I just need to find it…"

Suddenly Edward's golden gaze flashed like lightning through his mind. The pure desperation, sadness, and fear that glittered in those eyes…his brother's lips moving urgently as he faded away…Ed's words slowly becoming audible to Alphonse once more…

"C-Cold here…"

Al sat up straight, slamming his fists against the thinly carpeted floor of the office. That was it! His brother really had given him more than a single name; he had just forgotten the extra detail along with most of the dreamy vision. As Alphonse stood once more he felt relief flood through him, maybe this little clue could actually help in the investigation!

"What if we started our search somewhere towards the north?" Al's voice seemed to startle the team as they all turned to stare at him. Alphonse walked back to his former spot beside the colonel's desk, renewed energy flowing through his hollow body. "Maybe we've been looking in the wrong place. What if brother and the colonel were taken there instead?"

"How did you reach such a conclusion?" Havoc asked him, his blue eyes narrowing as confusion spread from him to the rest of the crew.

"Ed told me when I passed out, I only just remembered it." Al said quickly, hoping that they wouldn't think he was making it up. "He said it was cold where he was."

"But it's cold out in the east during late autumn too." Fuery spoke up, sharing a curious glance with Havoc and Breda, their fight seemingly forgotten as they stared back at Alphonse with disbelief gleaming in their eyes. "The cold doesn't necessarily mean they're up north."

The group then fell silent, their gazes locked onto Al as he tried his hardest not to flinch away from the incredulousness that radiated off them in waves. He knew that what he was saying sounded crazy, but he just knew deep down that this was right…that he had truly spoken with his brother. Alphonse also knew that it would be hard to believe, but after all he and Ed had seen in their travels, it didn't seem as unbelievable to him anymore.

"I say that we have nothing to lose by starting our search in that direction." Hawkeye's voice rang clearly through the silent room, all attention now focused on her. Al felt hopeful when he saw the warmth and faith glowing in the lieutenant's eyes as she gazed at him for a brief moment before continuing on. "Alphonse is a bright and intuitive young man, and I believe him without a doubt."

The rest of the crew seemed moved by Hawkeye's words, their cautiousness still remained but Al could see that they no longer held any confusion in their shared gazes. As though her words had been a direct order, the group split up and set to work on their new task, leaving Alphonse standing in front of the colonel's desk with Armstrong.

"What the lieutenant said is true, Alphonse." Armstrong said as he wrapped his arms around Al's large metal body and hugged him tightly. He relaxed into the man's embrace, feeling like he was truly just a normal child in Armstrong's overpowering grasp. "I believe you completely and I swear to any divine being that nothing will stop me from finding your brother or Colonel Mustang."

As Armstrong pulled away, emotion gleaming in his light blue eyes, Hawkeye moved from around the large desk that separated them to stand at Al's side. Armstrong then clapped a strong hand against Alphonse's shoulder, the sound reverberating through his hollow armor body as the major began to speak once more. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few connections in the northern region that may be able to aid in our search. I plan to visit them at once and I will hopefully return with some good news."

With a final salute to both Al and Hawkeye, Armstrong crossed the office and threw open the large doors, leaving them open as he disappeared from view. Alphonse stared at the vacant doorway as hope soared like a bird in his heart. Maybe the major really would find something useful; surely they were due for some good news.

"I'm proud of you for speaking up, Alphonse." Hawkeye's gentle voice nearly startled him as he looked down at her. The soft warmth in her auburn gaze seemed to reach deep into Al's being, bringing with it joy and relief. "I want you to know that I believe you and that I will stand by your side, always."

"Thank you so much…Hawkeye." He said, catching himself before calling Hawkeye by her title for once.

The lieutenant smiled before nodding at him, turning back to the colonel's desk as she spoke to him from over her shoulder. "I'll start looking into any leads I can find in the north, feel free to help anyone you want with this new search."

"Of course, and thank you!"Al said as he turned to fully face the office, watching each crew member start their work and wondering who could use his help the most. As he decided to help Falman, who seemed to be looking through a few stray files, something caught his eye.

From the doorway Alphonse could have sworn that he had seen a figure standing there, leaning into the room slightly before they seemed to sense his gaze and fled quickly down the hall. Al caught the sight of a blue military uniform and blond hair before the figure disappeared, leaving him to wonder as to the identity of this person… and how much they had overheard.

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"Is Sammy sure about this?" Ed asked as he gazed curiously at his fellow chimera. He had gradually awoken on this almost unnaturally warm and sunny morning to see Sammy sitting wide awake in his cage. The light brown chimera had seemed full of a mixture of anxiety and eagerness as he had told Ed that today The Pack would be set free.

He could hardly believe it, wondering if he was still dreaming as he had stared at his friend in confusion. Yes, yesterday had been rough for the three of them…it had been awful and was bound to have happened eventually…but compared to all they had suffered, it had been on the milder side. And while Ed never wanted it to happen again, the thought of escape had been pushed to the back of his mind, being replaced by anxiety of what was to come.

"Yes, Sammy is very sure he can do this." Sammy said with a confident smile as he gazed at his fellow chimera, whisking his tail happily before closing his eyes. His friend was clearly enjoying the faint sunlight that was shining through the skylight high above, letting out a contented sigh before opening his eyes once more. "Pup and Roy will be free of this place soon. Sammy's plan was once theirs."

Ed cocked his head to one side as he tried to remember back to when he and Roy had talked of escape…they had still been human then…It all just seemed so long ago now…how long had they even been trapped here? It had to have been a little over a month now…right?

As he contemplated this, Ed was distracted by a low whimper that had come from Roy. He turned to look at the black furred chimera as he shifted in his sleep, letting out another whine as though trapped within an unpleasant dream. Ed gently ran his tail down his guardian's back, hoping to ease some of his distress. His touch seemed to work as Roy let out a small sigh and leaned deeper against the bars separating them, causing Ed to smile as he took in the dark furred chimera's now peaceful expression.

A glint of silver caught Ed's eye and he tensed fearfully at what he saw. Under the empty cage beside Roy's was the knife from yesterday's torture, gleaming menacingly in the morning light. Ed remembered that Vance had cleared away the mess left behind by Doctor Kramer, but his usually keen eye had seemingly missed this one object. He shivered as he looked down at his right paw, seeing the jagged hole in the thin flesh that the knife had left behind. The metal innards gleamed faintly, the fur around the wound now gone to show more of the inner workings of the automail arm.

Ed shook his head, trying not to dwell on unpleasant memories as he focused his attention back to Sammy. His friend was gazing sympathetically at him and Ed drew strength from the depths of those soft blue eyes as he voiced his earlier doubts. "Ed and Roy talked of many different plans though…none would work. How will Sammy succeed where they failed?"

"Pup will find out when scientists wake up." Sammy winked teasingly as a smile slowly spread across his face, the only sign of his own doubts showing in the nervous twitching of his tail. "All will be fine; there is no need for Pup to worry."

"But, why now all the sudden?" Ed asked as he stared at his friend with genuine curiosity in his voice. "Ed and Roy have been tortured many times now…have grown used to it…So why does Sammy think of escape now?"

The smile faded from Sammy's face as he cast his gaze forlornly down to the stone floor between them, eyes glistening with sadness. His body grew still, as though now made of the same material that surrounded them on all sides. This sudden change of emotion almost shocked him, Ed now growing worried that his friend had returned into the depths of his now common depressive thoughts.

"Because Sammy has watched his friends suffer enough." The raw anguish in Sammy's voice nearly broke his heart as the light brown chimera returned his glistening gaze to Ed. A single tear leaked from the corner of Sammy's eye and he held back from licking it away, waiting for his friend to continue. "Pup and Roy have been hurt enough…they must leave this place before they start to lose human memories too…"

Ed could think of no response as he gazed at Sammy in silence. What would happen if he and Roy lost their memories? They had already lost quite a few of them to the haze of the dog's mind…Ed had even forgotten his own brother for a while…So what horrid fate would befall them if they forgot their past?

The questions flickering through his mind must have been reflected in his eyes as his friend continued on. "Sammy can't remember being human anymore…all he remembers is pain and fear, can't even remember what he looked like…Other chimeras have lost their memories too…lost themselves…and most have given in to the dog inside. Only Sammy and Star remain from the first group of experiments…the rest have died or gone mad…"

"Sammy will not let this happen to Pup and Roy." Sammy's voice grew fierce as he stared intently at Ed, his sorrow now replaced with determination. "Pup and Roy need to find human friends, have to keep their memory or they will lose themselves to the dog too. Pup needs to save his brother, and Roy needs to lead his friends. They are too important to suffer the fate of the others."

Still too overwhelmed for words, Ed leaned forward and gently nuzzled Sammy's cheek, lapping at his tear stained fur as he reflected on everything his friend had done for him and Roy. This chimera that had already suffered through so much pain and sorrow still remained brave in the face of the evil contained in this stone hell. Sammy had even suffered by his side, never once giving in to the beast within even though he had seen more of the horror and cruelty here than Ed had. Sammy truly was one of the best friends that he had ever had, and he was forever grateful to have him and Roy to protect and guide him.

"Ed is very grateful to have Sammy as his friend." Ed said as he drew back to gaze into his fellow chimera's glistening eyes, now holding back tears of his own as he swallowed back his sadness. "But Sammy can be saved too. When Ed and Roy find their friends, they can fix him as well."

Sammy only shook his head sadly, letting his eyes close for a moment as though fighting back strong emotions. When he opened them again, they held such a sorrowful acceptance within their depths as his friend held Ed's gaze steadily.

"No…it is too late for Sammy…can never be human again…But Pup and Roy still can, and they will. Sammy is a dog forever now, and he has accepted it." His despair filled tone cut deep into Ed's heart, bringing with it a strong and crushing sadness. But while his friend had seemingly given up hope, Ed had not.

"But Sammy is still himself, he has control. Ed is sure that Sammy can be saved; Ed will never give up on his friend. Sammy may be able to be human once more." Ed leaned in a little closer, hoping some of his own determination and optimism would be able to transfer over to his fellow chimera. He gazed imploringly at his friend as he continued on. "Sammy just has to hope. Never give up hope, Sammy."

Sammy only gazed at him sadly, doubt written clearly in his troubled features as he shifted in his cage. Ed watched him closely, wishing with all his heart that he could say something to reassure his friend. Before either of them could say anything, a new voice spoke up and caught their full attention.

"Sammy is brave to accept such a terrible fate so easily." Ed turned his head to stare at Roy, who seemed to be trying to shake away the last remaining traces of sleep from his mind and body. His guardian gazed at the light brown chimera with admiration glowing in his onyx eyes. "Those lesser than him have lost themselves at that thought, but never Sammy. Roy is very proud of Sammy for still being willing to risk everything for others and staying strong in the face of such horrors."

Ed returned his gaze to Sammy, watching as a small spark of happiness lit up his gloomy gaze before he bowed his head. For the first time today it seemed as though life and a small semblance of true joy had returned to him. "Thank you. It means much to Sammy that Roy thinks so highly of him. Roy and his pup have truly changed Sammy's life for the better, and he is forever grateful."

At that the three of them fell into an amiable silence, basking in both the presence of each other as well as the light and warmth of the rising sun. Ed turned his attention back to Roy, leaning against the cage bars separating them to press his muzzle against the dark fur of his shoulder. His guardian let out a small grunt of surprise before he lapped softly at Ed's ears, the two of them relaxing as they huddled as close as they could get to the other.

As Ed leaned closer to Roy, he could see Sammy gazing at both of them fondly from out of the corner of his eye. His fellow chimera let out a small sigh before he settled down into the blankets in his cage, his nervous energy dying down as though he was now completely sure of his decision. Ed could hear the sounds of the other chimeras slowly waking up around him; their low voices becoming a faint chattering that always distantly reminded Ed of birds calling to each other through the trees.

Then the scientists began to wake up, the sounds of various voices and differing footsteps echoed down into the cold stone depths of the basement. As their voices rose above those of the chimeras, Ed instinctively curled closer to Roy. He flinched as footfalls reverberated from the metal catwalk above them, thoughts of yesterday's torment still all too fresh in his mind. Roy leaned closer to him as well, their tails twining as Roy leaned over and nuzzled the side of Ed's neck in a comforting gesture.

As more and more scientists began the start of their day, Ed could see the other chimeras also cowering fearfully in their own cages, their voices growing quieter. The only one who seemed completely unfazed was Sammy, who was looking steadily up at the catwalk above with an intense gaze. He seemed to be looking for one scientist in particular, and as Ed continued to stare at the light brown chimera, Sammy's body grew tense once more. He knew then that his friend had located his target.

"It is time," Sammy said as he turned his attention to Ed and Roy. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath, smiling lightly as his blue eyes opened to stare at the two of them. "Whatever happens now, do not be alarmed."

Ed and Roy gazed at each other for a quick moment in confusion before Sammy stood and let out a loud and dreadful howl. He stumbled loudly in his cage, bashing himself against the bars as another long and terrible wail left his throat. Sammy then suddenly collapsed, slamming hard against the floor of his cage and going limp, not another sound escaping from his body.

He never knew that the lab could become so quiet so quickly as both chimeras and scientists alike went silent and looked around in confusion. The few chimeras that remained in control of themselves began to howl aloud their concern for Sammy, the light brown chimera not reacting to their panic. Ed and Roy huddled closer to each other as they gazed in confusion and fear at their friend. What was Sammy doing? How was his plan supposed to work?

"Someone get Doctor Lawrence! That was Number One who made all that dreadful noise!" A scientist called out as his colleagues leaned over the catwalk railings to look down into the basement, muttering quietly to each other. The loud sound of frantic and heavy footsteps echoed throughout the stone prison, their owner swearing loudly under his labored breath as he finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

Doctor Lawrence himself stood rigid at the bottom of the staircase, his olive green eyes rounding as he took in the sight of Sammy's motionless form. Every chimera grew completely silent as their menacing master quickly rushed over to the light brown chimera's prison, Ed instinctively cowering away as Doctor Lawrence knelt in front of Sammy's cage and reached into his lab coat pocket.

Ed gazed at his friend's still form, heartened to see that Sammy was still breathing. He tried to wrack his brain for any sort of plan that would include hurting themselves to no avail. A quick glance at Roy confirmed that his guardian was also drawing a blank as well, his dark eyes wide with concern as he leaned in closer to look towards Sammy.

"Shit! What the hell is going on? How could something like this have happened so damn quickly? Did Kramer do something to him yesterday that I don't know about?" The man's voice was low and quick as he withdrew a remote from his pocket, looking down at it only to hit the correct button to open the cage. As soon as Sammy's prison door loudly clattered open, Doctor Lawrence leaned in closer to inspect his chimera. It was when most of his upper body was completely in the cage that Sammy struck.

The light brown chimera leapt upwards with a shocking amount of speed, an enraged howl escaping from his now wide open mouth. His sharp teeth gleamed in the sunlight momentarily before they became deeply buried into the side of Doctor Lawrence's neck. The man seemed too stunned to do much but feebly raise his arms in an attempt to get free of his attacker as the force of Sammy's lunge sent them both tumbling onto the stone floor outside of the cage.

Ed felt frozen in place as he watched his friend savagely thrash his head back and forth, his fangs slicing effortlessly through muscle and arteries as blood splattered against the stone floor. Doctor Lawrence tried to push the enraged chimera off, but as Sammy held on tighter and the crimson pool below them grew larger and larger, his arms flopped limply to the ground.

There was a horrible choking gurgle that bubbled up from the man's torn throat as he tried to futilely call out for help, blood now gushing from his nose and gaping mouth as his eyes grew wide with terror and agony. Doctor Lawrence was able to let out one final gurgling breath that seemed to rattle from deep within his chest before he went completely limp and his rounded eyes grew dull.

Sammy continued to hold onto the man's neck for a few moments longer, shaking his head a few more times for good measure before letting go, blood dripping from his muzzle. His friend stared coldly down at Doctor Lawrence's motionless body, letting out a snarl full of hatred before he turned his gaze to Ed.

He flinched as he took in Sammy's blood splattered appearance, seeing little to nothing of his carefree friend in his crimson stained features. Ed hesitated to look Sammy in the eye, worried that if he looked up he would see a wild and feral gleam to his familiar blue eyes. Had his friend finally given in to the beast buried within in order to free his friends? Was there anything left of the Sammy he knew so well?

As Ed finally managed the courage to look deeply into his friend's eyes, he was relieved to see a faint and humanlike intelligence gleaming back at him. Their usual spark of conscious thought remained, the beast inside had not taken over as he had feared when he had watched his friend's brutal attack.

The lab was silent for a few moments until the scientists above them began to panic, some fleeing in blind terror as they caught sight of the bloodied and torn body of their boss. A few brave souls began to advance down into the basement, Doctor Kramer and Vance among them, all bearing differing expressions of anger or fear. Before they could reach the bottom of the stairs though, Sammy let out a loud howl that caused them to freeze with apprehension.

"Sammy has killed the bad leader!" He yelled victoriously, his tail raised high as he stood firmly in the sanguine pool that continued to sluggishly grow as Doctor Lawrence's body lost the last of its blood. Sammy's blue eyes flashed as he gazed at his fellow chimeras, his triumphant smile bearing his bloodied fangs for all to see as he lifted one pawn and slammed it down hard onto the dead doctor's remote. Every cage door clattered open at once, and Ed looked towards Roy in complete shock as Sammy continued on. "The Pack is now free! Run from here friends, only kill if needed!"

With that the chimeras let out their own howls of celebration as they all leapt from their prisons, standing free for the first time since their transformation. Most seemed shocked but were overjoyed as they stretched their taunt muscles and shook out their fur before turning their attention to the scientists. By now the small group had recovered and were now rushing down into the basement, only to be met by the angry chimeras.

As The Pack descended onto their enemies with pleased howls and enraged snarls, Ed slowly emerged from his cage. He could see Sammy standing over Doctor Lawrence's corpse only a foot or two away, shuddering as he gazed down at the blood that stained the stone much too close to him for comfort. From out of the corner of his eyes he saw a black shadow move and he turned towards it fearfully, only to relax as he recognized Roy.

"Ed and Roy must get out of here…" The dark furred chimera said as he gazed around at the ensuing chaos. Ed looked around at his fellow chimeras as they continued to attack the few scientists that had been brave enough to trespass into their domain. Some were all too eager to attack their captors, but a few of them huddled away from the action, too hesitant to help or outright flee.

Through the throng of terrified humans and snarling chimeras he saw Vance standing back against a nearby wall, fear gleaming in his wide green eyes. But the chimeras ignored him completely, dodging around the young man as they attacked the few scientists that still remained. Ed caught Vance's eye and nodded, clearly The Pack would not harm the only one who had never hurt them. The young scientist nodded back in understanding as he then fled up the nearest staircase.

"Ed, come with Roy." He turned his attention back to his guardian, who was now standing near the wall just past their former cages, his dark eyes wide with concern as he spoke urgently. "Must get out before something bad happens."

Ed was still seemingly frozen to the spot as he glanced back at Doctor Lawrence's maimed body, seeing that Sammy had left it and was now helping his fellow chimeras that seemed as scared as he himself was. The pool of blood had grown larger and he tried to avoid stepping into the sticky red puddle as he slowly turned towards Roy.

But before Ed could move to follow his guardian a man had stepped out of the fray and blocked his path. He looked up to see Doctor Kramer standing about a foot away, a gun in his hand as he aimed it directly at Ed. Fear rooted him to the spot as he gazed into the man's hate filled eyes, his usual sneer full of nothing but pure loathing.

"Say goodbye, you worthless whelp!" Doctor Kramer yelled as he cocked his gun, the sounds of the battle around them fading away into a dull roaring as time began to slow. Ed could feel nothing but terror flowing through his body as he stared up at the man that had tormented him and Roy for so long…the man now seemingly ready to finish what he had started…

"ED!" He could hear the frantic sounds of Roy's claws scraping against the stone floor as his guardian rushed to his aid, eyes wide and full of distress. Ed wanted to close his eyes, wanted to block out Roy's anguished features, but he looked on as fur flashed before him followed by a loud bang as the gun finally went off.

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Roy watched the ensuing chaos around him from the front of his now open cage, stunned into silence by just how fast everything had happened. No one, chimera or scientist, had been prepared…Not even Roy, who had known of Sammy's plan long before it happened. While he himself had long ago gotten used to remaining calm and collected during stressful situations, even this ballet of mayhem amazed him none the less.

From above him he could hear the sounds of the panicked scientists that had wisely chosen to remain on the various metal catwalks instead of going into the basement. Roy trained his gaze upward for a moment and saw many different people rushing from room to room. Some carried huge stacks of papers and various equipment in their arms while other were fleeing the building with little more than what they could carry in their pockets. It was clear though that the scientists had never foreseen something like this happening, and they had no clue as to what they should be doing, especially now that their boss was dead.

Roy glanced towards Ed, seeing that his pup had just exited his cage, golden eyes wide with horror as he began to tremble. He followed Ed's gaze to look at Doctor Lawrence's body that lay only a few feet away in the center of a pool of his own blood. The large and ragged tear Sammy had opened in his throat was clearly visible from where they stood; still leaking out the man's remaining blood. Roy shook his head, ignoring the corpse as he left his cage. His sudden movement startled Ed, whose eyes only grew wider before he relaxed as recognition glimmered in their golden depths.

"Ed and Roy must get out of here…" Roy said as he gazed at his pup, a strong surge of protectiveness rushing through his body like a lightning strike. Even though their leader had been killed, the scientists were still very much a threat to them. He watched as Ed gazed around the basement, taking in the hectic scene unfolding around them as Roy followed his gaze, searching for a safe path to freedom.

He caught sight of Anna's black fur from across the stone prison, the female chimera was snarling viciously at any human who got too close as Cale led Faye away from the battle raging around them. A little way off, William let out a jubilant howl as he leapt at a nearby scientist, plowing the man over as his jaws snapped closed just a few inches from the scientists face.

Just behind him Star was gently guiding Twenty two towards one of the spiral staircases, but the old chimera hesitated as he gazed almost longingly around the room, clearly wanting to join the fray. Colin's sandy brown pelt flashed before Roy as the smaller chimera leapt easily over a group of attacking feral chimeras, heading quickly towards Anna as a scientist drew nearer.

Through the chaos Roy had been able to scout out a relatively safe route of escape. If he and Ed stayed low to the ground and hugged the wall behind the cages, then they could avoid most of the fighting. But they had to hurry before any scientist could see and try to stop them.

Roy began to move, making it a few feet before he realized that Ed wasn't at his side. He turned his head quickly to see that his pup had not moved, his horrified golden eyes still locked onto the bloodied corpse lying a few feet away. The crimson puddle of blood was just an inch or two from Ed's paws and was clearly the reason as to why he was hesitating.

"Ed, come with Roy," Roy spoke quickly as Ed finally took his gaze from the body to look at him, terror still gleaming in his wide eyes. He flicked his tail, gesturing for his pup to follow him as he added in urgently. "Must get out before something bad happens."

At last Ed seemed to hear him as he nodded, looking down at the ground in an attempt to dodge the sanguine pool before him. Roy looked away for only a moment to check to see if their route was still clear, and in that single moment, Doctor Kramer made his move. He heard a loud shout sound from behind him as he turned quickly to see what was happening.

The vile man now stood in between him and his pup, his back to Roy as the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked reached out to him over the sounds of battle. He froze for only a heartbeat before he raced desperately towards Ed, hoping to knock Doctor Kramer aside as his short claws scrambled for a solid purchase against the smooth stone floor.

"ED!" Roy howled aloud his panic, fearful that he wouldn't be able to reach his pup in time. Memories of Ed flashed through his mind like photographs caught in a gale. All of the bad…the testing, twisted experiments, and that terrible transmutation…alongside the few good times they had shared here. The sight of Ed resting peacefully beside him, the feeling of soft fur brushing against Roy's nose as he buried his muzzle deep into Ed's golden fur…Every good and bad memory replaying in his aching heart as Roy wondered how many times his poor pup had suffered because he had been unable to help…

Before the gun could go off he caught the briefest glimpse of light brown fur as Sammy appeared from out of the fray. The chimera leapt clear over Ed and slammed into Doctor Kramer, sending them both crashing to the ground. The impact of the fall jarred Doctor Kramer's hand and the gun went off, the bullet missing its target. Sammy bit into the man's right arm and began to wrestle the weapon from Doctor Kramer's hand, blood oozing down the doctor's arm as he cried out in rage and pain.

While both scientist and chimera were preoccupied, Roy dodged carefully around the fight, his paws narrowly missing the pool of Doctor Lawrence's blood as he rushed to Ed's side. In one swift motion he nudged his pup to his paws before bundling him against the wall just beside Sammy's cage. As Roy crouched protectively over Ed, pressing his own body close to his pup to shield him from any harm, he watched as Sammy continued to attack Doctor Kramer.

The man was putting up a good fight, quickly dodging the sharp and bloodied fangs that flashed above him, aiming for his throat. Doctor Kramer used his right arm as a shield while he moved his neck in a snakelike motion, making sure the chimera could not land the same blow that had done in Doctor Lawrence.

Doctor Kramer tried to cock his gun once more as he held Sammy back with his right arm, the fabric of his lab coat now ragged and stained with crimson from the chimera's relentless attack. Sammy bit down harder into the man's arm, shaking his head violently as Doctor Kramer cried out and stopped reaching for his gun for a moment to strike hard at the side of Sammy's jaw.

Roy watched on, unable to move as he observed the fight before him. He wanted so desperately to help his friend in some way, but he needed to keep Ed safe…So Roy could do nothing as Doctor Kramer finally grabbed his gun and took shaky aim at the side of his attacker's neck.

A sudden howl seemed to freeze time as a gray blur flashed towards Doctor Kramer's head, sharp and glistening fangs descending to sink deeply into the man's forehead. The vile doctor let out a loud shriek of agony, his aim being thrown off once more as he now attempted to escape from the grasp of his new attacker.

"Twenty one! Twenty one!" Roy finally recognized who the enraged chimera was as he howled aloud the name of his dead mate while tearing viciously into Doctor Kramer's scalp. Twenty two savagely thrashed his head from side to side as the man let out scream after scream of pained horror. The gun went off one last time, but it was useless against this new threat as Twenty two knocked the weapon from his hand and sent it skidding across the stone floor.

The utter brutality of Twenty two's attack stunned Roy, and he watched on with a sick sense of righteous triumph at the thought that Doctor Kramer was finally getting the ending he deserved. Blood and various bits of flesh splattered against the ground as Sammy stepped off of the vile doctor and stumbled back slightly, letting his fellow pack member serve out this much needed justice.

The elderly chimera continued to attack, dragging Doctor Kramer towards the end of their row of cages by his neck. The doctor let out a horrible gurgling shriek that was cut off as Twenty two's fangs tore through his throat. Doctor Kramer's arms flailed around in a futile attempt to find anything to harm his enraged attacker, but at that moment Roy turned away to look towards Sammy, no longer wanting to gaze upon the bloody scene.

Roy was about to thank Sammy for his help, but the sound of a single gunshot sliced through the air, echoing throughout the lab. The scientists at last seemed to realize that this was a battle they stood no chance of winning as the last remaining humans froze while one voice rose above the dying fight.

"There is no use staying here!" One man screamed from the catwalk right above Roy, a smoking gun in his hand as his voice grew shrill with panic. "Lawrence is dead and Kramer will be as well. Do you really want to share their fate? Let's get the hell out of here before we die with them!"

One or two scientists let out a horrified scream as they took in the sight of Twenty two brutalizing Doctor Kramer, who had now gone quiet as his body spasmed once more before going limp. Every scientist backed away from the snarling chimeras, a new light of fear glowing in their eyes as they now realized how dangerous these creatures they had helped to create could be.

In one swift and shared motion the scientists ran for the staircases, a few of the feral chimeras giving chase as the humans finally retreated. For a few minutes the sounds of their rapid and stumbling footfalls echoed throughout the lab, fear giving them all the speed they needed in order to flee this terrible place. Then doors slammed loudly and car engines revved before the world grew silent.

Roy looked around the basement, taking in the sight of the confused yet happy chimeras before his gaze fell to the dead bodies of their two most despised enemies. Blood stained the stone floor, showing that this final and desperate fight for freedom had been hard fought, and yet the impossible had become reality.

The Pack had been victorious. Sammy had been right when he said that they'd be free today.

The chimeras that had stood still and silent in the wake of the last fleeing scientists finally seemed to realize that the battle had been won. They were soon letting out howls of triumph, their tails whisking happily as they began to celebrate their freedom. Roy felt his tensed muscles finally relax as he let out a relieved sigh. They were all truly free now…no scientist would ever harm him or his pup again.

"Sammy!" He heard Ed bark as his pup wriggled free from under Roy's protective stance, happiness and pride clear in his voice as he raced to his friend's side. "Sammy did it! Sammy really did free The Pack! Sammy is a hero!"

Roy smiled as Ed skidded to a stop in front of Sammy, Roy himself following at a slower pace as he went to stand beside his pup, looking proudly at the light brown chimera. Sammy's blue eyes glowed with joy as he gazed warmly around the basement, taking in the sight of his victorious pack members as he let out a trembling sigh.

"Yes…The Pack is free now…Sammy is so happy…" Roy suddenly noticed that Sammy was shaking badly, and not from his earlier exertion alone, as he took in the sight of the growing pool of crimson rapidly appearing on the ground beneath his friend's paws. He watched in dismay as Sammy coughed violently, spitting blood out onto the stone below as his strength failed him and the light brown chimera collapsed to the ground.

"Sammy!" Ed howled in panic as he gazed down at his friend, just as shocked as Roy was as he watched his pup lean closer towards the injured chimera. The other members of The Pack grew quiet in their celebration, looking on in stunned silence as Roy took the last few steps that brought him to Ed and Sammy's side.

"No…Sammy can't die now…Sammy and The Pack are finally free!" His pup wailed loudly, their fellow chimeras forming a ragged circle around them as Roy placed his tail comfortingly over Ed's shoulders and took a closer look at Sammy. The light brown fur of his chest glistened with fresh blood that oozed steadily from a deep and jagged hole in the shape of a bullet. The crimson liquid was running from Sammy's mouth and nose freely now, his deep and labored breaths telling Roy that his lung most likely had been nicked by the bullet…and that meant that Sammy didn't have much longer…

"S-Sammy was never destined…to s-see that freedom…" The light brown chimera gasped as a glittering spark of humanlike clarity gleamed in his eyes. There was a calm acceptance in the way that Sammy gazed at Roy and Ed, no fear or regret in his rasping voice as he went on. "Sammy k-knew this…from the start…"

"But Sammy got hurt because he saved Ed…" Roy felt his already breaking heart shatter at the pure anguish in his pup's voice. Ed was trembling as tears flowed from his wide golden eyes like an overflowing stream and Roy leaned in closer towards his pup, offering silent support. Ed leaned heavily against him as he began to cry aloud in sorrow. "Ed can't be the reason that Sammy dies!"

"S-Sammy will never…regret saving P-Pup…" The dying chimera rasped as he placed a paw gently over Ed's, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears as he tried to keep himself composed. "Pup m-means a lot to Sammy…as does a-all The Pack…but all things m-must…come to an end…e-even Sammy…Do not b-be sad though…Sammy is v-very grateful…to have k-known Roy and Pup…"

By now the rest of The Pack had realized what was happening to their beloved leader, a few letting out their own sorrowful howls as they watched Sammy fade away before them. Ed hunched his shoulders as he choked back another sob and the dying chimera focused his glassy gaze onto Roy.

"T-Take good care of P-Pup…for Sammy…Roy is s-such a great guardian t-though…Sammy knows t-that he will take care…of Pup…and k-keep him safe…without S-Sammy's help…" It seemed as though each breath took more strength from Sammy than his body had left to spare. He was panting heavily now, fighting for each gasp of air as his trembling began to slow. Sammy managed to find enough strength though to raise his head slightly to gaze fondly at Roy and Ed, his voice growing faint. "Sammy was…lucky to…get to know…you two…"

"It has been an honor to know Sammy too." Roy said as he lowered his head and touched Sammy's cheek gently with his nose before pulling back slightly. He tried to keep the sadness deep within from reaching his voice, tears blurring his vision as he continued. "Sammy is the bravest chimera, and neither Roy nor Ed will ever forget him. Roy is so proud of Sammy and wants him to know that Ed will always be safe with Roy."

Roy watched as Sammy smiled, happiness gleaming momentarily in his glazed over eyes before his body went limp. The light in Sammy's eyes slowly faded away as he let out one final breath before closing his blue eyes one last time, his paw sliding off of Ed's as their beloved friend finally succumbed to his fatal wound.

"SAMMY!" Ed howled in pure despair as he crouched down low towards Sammy, practically lying down beside him as he pressed his nose deep into the light brown chimera's fur and began to sob. Roy leaned down for a moment, lapping gently at his pup's ears as another distressed wail lingered in the still and silent air.

"Oh, Twenty two…Please don't leave too…" He turned his head to see Star crouched beside the elderly chimera, running her tail soothingly down his thin back as she gently nuzzled his cheek. From where Roy stood only a few feet away, he could see the handle of a knife sticking out of the side of Twenty two's chest. Blood bubbled up from the deep wound as the ragged gray chimera gasped for every agonized breath. He noted with a pang of sorrow that the knife that had caused such a wound was the same one that had been stabbed through Ed's paw during yesterday's torture. Doctor Kramer seemed to have gotten one last hateful prank in before he had died.

"T-There is no need…f-for Twenty two…to hold o-on any longer…" The elderly chimera said as he shook his head in an almost dismissive manner. Star gazed at her dying friend with sadness gleaming in her beautiful blue eyes as William joined her by the gray chimera's side. "H-Have missed Grace…for so l-long now…will f-finally be able…to see her a-again…"

Twenty two's breathing soon became erratic, his body spasming for a moment as his rapidly dimming eyes widened in amazement. Roy turned his head to see nothing, the elderly chimera's gaze seemed to be focused onto something that only he could see as he took in his final breath. "T-There she is…Oh, Grace…I'm s-so happy to see you…I'm ready to go now…"

As Star buried her muzzle deep into Twenty two's ragged fur, the elderly chimera grew still, his wide eyes staring at nothing as he too succumbed to his wound. Roy felt sadness slowly chisel away at his already shattered heart, threatening to break it into splinters as he took in the sad scene before him. As William pressed comfortingly against Star, the female chimera threw back her head and let out a howl of pure sorrow.

Around the basement every chimera began to join in, voicing their despair over their dead friends until the surrounding stone rang with their anguish. A cloud obscured the sun above, casting shadows across the bloodstained ground as Roy gazed sadly down at Ed. He watched as his pup slowly raised his head from Sammy's rapidly cooling fur, grief gleaming in his tearful eyes as he too joined in on the mournful dirge.

Roy then lifted his head, adding his own voice to the sad symphony as he cried out for all that had been gained, yet lost, at the same time.


And so I've finally written down the single saddest moment in this story. I feel so bad for poor Sammy, but he was destined to die even before this story was a complete thought. Sorry Sammy, you were a good character and I loved you. Don't worry though, he's in a better place, and so is Twenty two, who never even got a name. ;^;

Anyway, so writing this chapter was even harder on me than most. For those of you that don't check my profile for updates, I sadly had to put my close to 16 year old cat down on 2/18. She was old and had cancer, her body was failing and so we made one of the hardest decisions of my life that I think I'll always regret. I won't go into the sad details here, but I loved that cat so much and I'll miss her forever. Hence why killing Sammy off here only made writing this so much worse, just such horrible timing...

Enough with the sadness though, and onto just some story updates. Chapter 9 is slowly being worked on, and I'm thinking that it will be finished around late April to early May. I have my event that I need to prepare for, and there's also Easter, so things get a little dicey around this time. This is by no means a hiatus, I'll still be working on this even then, it'll just slow it down a bit.

Well, I hope that you all liked this (sad) chapter. Thank you all so much for all the favorites, follows, and reviews. They make me want to keep writing this and to see it through to the end.

Also feel free to check my profile here weekly for any updates. I'm also pretty active on Reddit, and always easy to contact there or on this site.

So I will see you all in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!

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This chapter is dedicated to Suzy (aka. Fat Kitty).

It will be hard to continue without you here by my side, and I'll always remember all the good times we shared.
Sleep well my sweet Porky Girl, I hope to see you again on the other side, but until that day we must say farewell.

Suzy
2006-2022