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The Sound of Silence	By : ZaKai Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 11395 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Review Replies:

Kikiko:� No, he didn�t drug him.� I simply gave Ed a low alcohol tolerance
level.� Bookworm51485: �I really feel
for Al too.� I think that both him and Ed could benefit from some counseling�of course,
Mustang could too, but he�s not going to get the chance.� Amethyst-eyed
Koneko:�
Thanks for letting me know I left out �how� *went back and fixed
that.� Yeah... I
can�t believe it�s almost finished either.�
All we have left after this is the epilogue.� RizafromKeron:� No worries about not reviewing every
time.� I understand.� *pats*� I appreciate your comments when you do
leave them.� Anonymous Sister of the Author:� *nods*
yes he is.� empress-eerian-sadow:�
Thank you.� This is a lot to take
in for one sitting.� I�m glad that you�ve
taken something away from it, and in fact that is probably the biggest
compliment anyone can offer on this story.�
So thank you, thank you so much.� MustangsHavoc:�
Not too much longer.� There is
only the epilogue after this.� Angst-Addict:� *nods* yeah, just because someone feels
remorse for something, doesn�t mean it�s enough to make them change�whether
it�s on a large or small scale.� Athena: <3 Thank you.� Onyxlight:� *hands you a box of tissues*� You�ll probably
need them for this chapter too...� thief:�
I�ve added you to the list.�
Thank you for reading.� TrulyWished:�
*nods* yeah, so true.� GypsyWorker:� I�ve
already answered most of your review in email, so just want to say thank you
for looking me up here.� I hope this
chapter was worth waiting for.� Chloe:�
Thank you for your compliments.� Pmyi:�
Yes, you�re added.� pokezejello:� In
chapter 11, Ed is practically asleep so he�s more just acting on instinct or
impulse, or whatever you�d like to call it.�
Perhaps even the deep desire just to have someone
close.� I hope that helps.�

-

The Sound of Silence

Chapter Twelve

Revenge

-

Ed looked
up at the sky as he exited the apartment building.� Dark clouds had started to move in and a low
sound of distant thunder rumbled in the distance.� A cool breeze ruffled his bangs, making them
tickle his forehead, and Ed absentmindedly reached up and brushed at them.�

�Looks
like it�s going to rain...� he mumbled to himself.

�Do you want
me to go get the umbrella, Brother?� Al asked, stepping out behind him.� Ed looked down and stared at his
brother.� For himself, he�d just deal
with any rain, but it was a rather cool autumn day and it might be too much for
Al.�

�Yeah, I
think so,� he said, then added, �And go put on your coat instead of your
jacket.�� Better to be safe than sorry.�

As the
boy hurried off, Ed watched him with a melancholy feeling.� He�d tried really hard in the last couple of
months to be a better older brother�and things had improved some�but there were
still times that he yelled at Al and others when he pushed his brother aside,
trying to pretend he wasn�t there.

A shiver
ran through him, though whether it was from the wet breeze or from his
thoughts, Ed didn�t know.� He knew how he
acted toward Al was wrong, but what mattered most to Ed was that, except for
that one night, he�d never done anything sexual to the boy and he�d never hit
him.� But he was still afraid, and always
watchful.�

Ed
suddenly had the urge to go inside and get himself something to drink before he
headed to Central Headquarters.� It was
always stressful going to headquarters, and there was always the chance that he
could run into Mustang.� He chewed
lightly on his lip and tapped his fingers against the leg of his pants.� He was so tempted, but he wouldn�t.�

Ed didn�t
hold his alcohol well at all, and, even if he had a small amount, it would be
obvious that he�d been drinking.� He
sighed and leaned against the doorframe.�
This was one of those times that he regretted ever trying alcohol.� It had probably been one of the stupidest
things he�d ever done, and he�d done some pretty stupid things...

Running
his fingers through his bangs again, Ed thought of the night he�d had his first
beer, then scowled.�
One beer had been plenty to get him drunk, yet that bastard had given
him another one just to be sure he wouldn�t be able to fight back.� Ed couldn�t remember everything from that
night, but he remembered going there, and remembered bits and pieces after that
second beer.� One of those pieces was him
saying �no� and Mustang fucking him anyway.

Ed sighed
heavily, remembering the morning after.�
It had been a terrifying experience.�
He�d woken up in Mustang�s bed completely naked; that, in and of itself,
had been frightening.� He�d never spent
the night at Mustang�s place�ever.� But
he�d been so sick that he hadn�t been able to really think about it for a
while.� He�d crawled to the bathroom and
puked his guts out.� Halfway through,
he�d realized that someone was holding his hair, but it hadn�t been important
at the moment.� Not until he felt that he
could spend ten seconds away from the toilet did he think about who was behind
him.

Mustang
had urged him to go back to bed, and halfway there Ed realized that he�d never
told Al he was leaving.� Panicked, he�d
tried to explain why he had to go as Mustang carried him the rest of the way to
the bed.� Cold fear had spread through
him when Mustang told him that he�d already gone to check on Al and that he was
fine, but he�d felt a little better when the colonel wryly told him that Al had
refused to let him in so they�d ended up talking through the door.

Before
passing out again, Ed had called Al and promised he would be home soon, but it hadn�t
been until that evening that Ed felt well enough to go anywhere; hadn�t been
until he was really aware of himself and his surroundings that he noticed the
bruises and marks on his skin from whatever Mustang had done to him while he�d
been unconscious.

Ed pulled
out his watch and glanced at the time before looking down the hall.� What was taking Al so long?�

Stuffing
the watch back in his pocket, Ed felt shame as he remembered going home that
night.� Al had been curled up in that
black and red bedding, in the middle of his bed, and hugging his pillow as he
slept.� When he�d gotten close, Ed had
been able to see tearstains on the boy�s cheeks, and his heart had felt as
though someone was squeezing it tightly.�
It had been that experience that had really changed the way he dealt
with Al.� Sure, he�d wanted to change
before, but that experience had taught him just how selfish he�d really
been.�

Al needed
him.� Ed was the only one that was even
semi-familiar to his brother, and even then, he�d realized that his brother
really didn�t see him as his brother.� He
was the parent now.� Al�s brother, Al�s
friends, Al�s life had all been taken
from him.� To Al, his brother was someone
who was only a year older than him, not eighteen-year-old.� He was someone he could play with all day and
giggle with at night until someone told them to go to sleep or they�d be
separated.

Ed wasn�t
that person.� That person had died long
ago.

He looked
up as a raindrop hit his cheek and was glad he�d sent Al back for the umbrella
and also that he�d told Al to wear his coat.�
It would be too wet and cold for Al not to be protected.�� Turning his head, Ed saw Al close the door
to their apartment and lock it before slowly starting down the hallway.� He was dragging the umbrella behind him as he
fiddled with the zipper on his coat, making Ed shake his head.

�Hurry
up,� Ed called, feeling slightly impatient.�
He didn�t really care about being late, but he wanted to get out of
there before he caved in and got himself a drink.�

Ed knew
he drank too much, though he was too ashamed to admit it out loud.� He wanted to lie to himself, say he could
stop whenever he wanted, but as much as he thought it, he knew it was still a
lie.� He wanted to stop, wanted to very
badly, but he couldn�t, he didn�t know how.�
Every day, he�d tell himself that today would be the day.� Today he would stop wasting his money on
alcohol.� Today he wouldn�t drink so much
that he passed out.� Today he wouldn�t
hide from his problems, and today he�d stop looking for answers at the bottom
of a bottle.�

In fact,
he�d told himself that same thing just this morning, yet already he was
thinking about the next drink...� Really,
he felt so pathetic.� He should be able
to have more self control than this...

�I can�t
get it to zip up,� Al whined.

Sighing
in exasperation, Ed stepped inside the building.� �Come here and I�ll do it,� he growled.� Al looked up at him with an unsure expression
and Ed cringed inwardly when he realized the tone he�d used.� Kneeling down, Ed fiddled with the zipper
until it slid up, then said, trying not to sound irritated, �There we go.�� He smiled at Al and the boy smiled back.� �Good call on the umbrella, Al,� Ed praised,
trying to make up for his earlier tone.�
He stood up, took the umbrella, and led Al out the door.� When they were outside, Ed opened the
umbrella, then looked down.� �Stay close to me so you don�t get wet, okay?�

A big
smile spread on Al�s face.� He grabbed
onto Ed�s hand and scooted close.�
�Okay!�

Ed forced
a smile, and fought the urge to push Al away.�
Instead, he slightly squeezed Al�s hand, and started walking. ��Maybe if we hurry at headquarters we can get
some hot chocolate on our way back.�

�Great!�
the boy exclaimed happily.

Ed�s
forced smile turned into a real half smile.�
Such a small thing, but Al seemed so happy over it.� He nodded.�
Yeah, after he got all the stupid stuff done that he needed to do, then
they�d go get something warm to drink; hot chocolate for Al, and coffee for
him.�

Ed�s
smile faded at the thought that he really didn�t like hot chocolate much.� He used to, but somewhere along the way he�d
come to hate the stuff.� He wasn�t sure
why...� Shrugging, Ed pushed the thought
out of his mind.� It wasn�t anything
important anyway.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;

�What do
you mean it�s gone?� Ed yelled crossly.

Kain
Fuery cringed and took a step back.� �I�m
sorry, sir... I think Falman took it somewhere...�

Ed
stomped over to the master sergeant.�
He�d grown some over the past couple of years and was able to look Fuery
in the eye without any problem, and he took full advantage of that by staring
the man down.�

�And
where the hell is Falman?� Ed breathed out dangerously.�

The timid
man took a step back and held out his hands in a pleading gesture.� �I don�t know, sir.� I�m sorry; I think Lieutenant Havoc knows...�

�Well,
then go find his cancerous ass and get him down here!� Ed barked.

�Yes, sir!� Fuery cried, giving a hasty salute.�

Ed
glanced over to where Al was huddled in the corner of the research room, trying
to hide himself from his brother�s rage.�
Looking back at Fuery, Ed said, �And take Al
with you.�� He didn�t want to chance
taking out his frustration on his brother.

�Uh, yes,
sir,� the master sergeant said hesitantly. Turning, he gave the boy a small
smile and said kindly, �You want to help me find Lieutenant Havoc?�� Al glanced warily at Ed before nodding and
cautiously making his way to the sergeant�s outstretched hand.�

After
they left, Ed angrily began going through the other books and the folders that
were on the table.� That one damn book
had been extremely important and he needed it back.� Ed rubbed at his eyes, suddenly feeling the
urge to get as drunk as possible.� His
hands shook and he had to press them against the table.�

I should have had a drink before I
came, he thought
anxiously.� I would have been a lot calmer...�
But he hadn�t had that drink, and he wasn�t calmer.

Suddenly,
Havoc strode into the room with Fuery scrambling behind him.� �Something you wanted, sir?� Havoc asked flatly.� At
the look on the man�s face and at his tone, Ed scowled.� Mustang�s other staff may not like it, but he
did outrank them.�

�Where
the fuck is Falman?� Ed asked irritably.�

�What do
I look like?� A
babysitter?��

At
Havoc�s condescending tone, Ed�s scowl deepened.� �That�s not a proper tone to use with your
superior officer, Lieutenant.��

�Excuse
me, Sir, but I don�t like your tone
either.�� This was said politely, but
there was a definite note of anger in it.

Ed ground
his teeth together.� Mustang might put up
with such flippancy, but he sure the hell wasn�t in the mood to do so.� Raising his voice, Ed started to lay into the
lieutenant, then stopped cold.� Blinking, Ed glanced around, then said in
confusion, �Where�s Al?�

The two
other men looked at each other, and Ed wondered vaguely if it was because of
his question or because of the sudden change in him, but it wasn�t important
enough to dwell on.� They looked back at
him and Fuery said, �I left him with the colonel, Sir.�

At that,
Ed felt all the blood drain from his face.�
�You left my brother with that pervert?� he asked slowly.

Havoc rolled
his eyes. ��Oh come on, Chief, it�s only
women who aren�t safe from him.�

Ed
ignored the flippant comment and rushed past them.� Running down the hall, Ed hurried towards
Mustang�s office.� He�d normally be upset
about his brother being left with the man even if there were other people around,
but Hawkeye was attending meetings all afternoon, which meant that no one else
was around Mustang�s office today.�

At that
thought he sped up, pushing people out of his way in his haste.� Reaching the office door, Ed grabbed the
handle and tried to turn it, but it was locked.�
Well, fuck that.� Ed turned it
with his automail hand and quickly broke the lock mechanism in the knob before
throwing it open.�

Breathing
heavily, Ed stared at the scene before him with rising fury.� Mustang was sitting on one of his couches with
his arms around his brother; one hand on Al�s stomach, the other on one of the
boy�s legs.� They were both looking up at
him; surprise, fear, and a little embarrassment on Al�s face; a bland
thoughtfulness on Mustang�s.

�Al...�
Ed said through panting breaths, then stomped over and pulled his brother off
of the man�s lap.� Quickly, he dragged
the boy to the door and pushed him out.�
�Stay out there and don�t come in, okay?� he said as calmly as he
could.� Al nodded while rubbing the arm
that Ed had been gripping.� With that, Ed
slammed the door shut and turned around to face the now standing man.� �You...� Ed breathed dangerously, and walked
toward the colonel.� �What the hell were
you doing?�

Looking
unconcerned, Mustang shrugged.� �Your
brother was very upset at your unprofessional behavior.� I was simply trying to calm him down.�� He paused, then
said, �I don�t appreciate you yelling at my staff.�

Ed�s eyes
narrowed.� He could imagine just how
Mustang was calming Al down.� Ignoring
the colonel�s attempt to put the focus somewhere else, Ed folded his arms and
growled, �Stay away from my brother.� Never touch him again; never even look at him again.�

Mustang
walked to his desk, turned around, and leaned against it while staring at
Ed.� �You�re being unreasonable,� he said
flatly.� �I think you should calm down.�

�I am calm,� Ed said tightly in an effort
to keep his anger under control.� What he
really wanted to do right now was slam Mustang�s face into the desk a few times,
but he was refraining.� In Ed�s view that
definitely qualified as calm.

Mustang
eyed him thoughtfully before pulling a small hip flask out of one of his
pockets.� He looked pointedly at Ed and
lifted the thin, metal flask where he could get a good look at it.� �Have a drink, Ed.� It will make you feel better.�

Ed eyed
the flask guardedly and licked his lips.�
His mouth started to water slightly and the sheer need to have what was in that flask almost overwhelmed him.� Closing his eyes, Ed took a deep breath.� It was always like this...� Mustang always knew...� He always tried to change the subject...� He always...

�I don�t
want it,� Ed lied in a soft breathy voice, then opened
his eyes.� His palms were sweating and he
tightened them into fists to keep them from shaking.

A small
smile formed on Mustang�s face as he unscrewed the lid from the flask and took
a drink.� He raised an eyebrow at Ed
before saying quietly, �You�re lying.��

Ed
swallowed hard, but said nothing until finally Mustang pushed away from the
desk and walked toward him.� When he was
close, Mustang leaned down a little and pressed his lips against Ed�s.� Ed tried to pull away, but the colonel
grabbed the back of his head to hold him there while he pushed his tongue into
his mouth.

The taste
of the liquor Mustang had just drunk flared the need for a drink even more, and
when the colonel pulled away, Ed grabbed the flask from Mustang�s hands.� Taking a drink, Ed coughed a little as the
hard liquor burned his throat.� He
brought the flask to his lips again, but Mustang relieved him of it before he
could take another drink.

�You
don�t want to get drunk here, do you?� Mustang asked with a smirk as he
replaced the lid and tucked the flask away.�

�I
wouldn�t have gotten drunk,� Ed protested weakly, though he knew that was a
lie.� His tolerance didn�t allow him to
drink much hard liquor.� Still though, he
didn�t fell like he�d gotten enough...�
If only he could have had one more swallow...

The
colonel slipped his gloves off and tucked them into another pocket.� �You don�t know how to quit, Ed,� the colonel
whispered as he stepped closer to Ed and wrapped his arms around him.�

Ed
squirmed a little in his grasp, then looked at the
door, remembering why he was here in the first place.� �Stop it!� he hissed as Mustang reached down
to fondle him.

�No one
is going to come in,� the colonel murmured against Ed�s neck.� The man wasn�t listening to him.� He never listened.� Ed pressed his lips together and decided that
he�d just have to find a way to make
Mustang listen.

�Al...�
Ed started, intent on making Mustang promise to stay
away from his brother.

�...won�t
come in because you told him not to.�
Your brother does what you tell him to, doesn�t he?� Mustang said, and
Ed could hear the sexual innuendo in the question.

�I don�t
tell him to do anything like that,� Ed growled furiously.

�But you could,� Mustang suggested, then thrust his hips forward to rub his crotch against Ed.

Ed
swallowed hard and gritted his teeth as the colonel continued to touch him and
rub against him.� He knew it was only a
matter of time before Mustang unzipped his pants and demanded something from
him; a blowjob, or at the very least a hand job.� Yet it wasn�t that realization that made him
sick to his stomach, it was the knowledge that Mustang was trying to convince
him to do this same thing to Al.� And, in
the end, to convince Ed to let Mustang do this to Al too.� His body felt cold as he realized that over
the years Mustang had gotten whatever he wanted from Ed.� He�d always broken down in the end... always
given in...�

Mustang
pulled his head back a little and looked into Ed�s eyes, before leaning in
close and licking Ed�s lips.� �Kiss me,
Ed,� he whispered.� Ed narrowed his eyes
and searched Mustang�s face for a moment before sighing and doing what he was
told.� He always did what he was told,
didn�t he?� Suddenly, Ed felt very
tired.� When had he lost his pride?� When had he lost himself to this?� When had he given up?� When had he let Mustang start using him as
his own personal fuck toy?

He didn�t
know.

What he did know was that he couldn�t let
Mustang push him into involving Al.� He
wanted better for his brother.� Al deserved better...� Ed would make sure Al had better...�

Feeling
desperate to make him listen, Ed reached up, wrapped his arms around the
colonel�s body, and slid his hands down the man�s back as he rocked his hips
against Mustang�s.� He didn�t know if
this would work, but he needed to try.�
When his fingers met the holster of Mustang�s gun, Ed quickly undid the
clasp and pulled the pistol out before stepping away.

Breathing
hard, Ed raised the gun and took another step back.� �Put your hands where I can see them.�

�Ed,�
Mustang said with a half grin.� �What do
you think you�re��

�Now!� he
yelled sharply.

Still
wearing that damn half grin, Mustang drawled, �If this is some sort of kink, I
don�t��

Ed
narrowed his eyes and undid the safety before growling, �Hands... now...�� He wasn�t really going to shoot, but he
wanted Mustang to know that he was serious about being heard.

The grin
slipped a little and Mustang slowly lifted his hands.� Quirking an eyebrow, the colonel said,
�Anything else?�� Ed pressed his lips
together and exhaled through his nose.�
Mustang wasn�t taking this seriously; wasn�t taking him seriously...

�I want
you to stay away from my brother...� Ed breathed out slowly.� His body began to shake and he had to tighten
his grip on the gun.� The last time he�d
seriously told Mustang to not do something, he�d ended up being beaten and
raped, but this was different.� This time
Mustang didn�t have anything to hold over him.�
This time Ed was older and more weathered.� This time he was saying �no� for Al.

This time
was going to be different... ��

�Ed,
don�t be ridiculous, I��

��won�t
do to him what you did to me,� Ed finished.�
�I won�t let you ruin his life!�

Mustang
smirked. �I don�t know what you�re talking about.� You wanted it.� You always said you did, and you enjoyed it.�

�Shut
up!� Ed yelled angrily.� �Just shut the
fuck up!�� He knew Mustang was provoking
him, but it was hard to keep in the fury that was eating him up inside.� Mustang was trying to turn this in another
direction.� He always did that!� Why
couldn�t he just listen for
once?� Ed wanted to continue telling him
to stay away from Al, but he couldn�t go back to that without defending himself.� �I never wanted it!� I hated
it.� I only said those things because
you made me!�

The
colonel made an exaggerated shrug and said, �I don�t see how I could possibly make you say anything.� You�re the one who opened your mouth and let
the words out.� If you didn�t mean them,
then you shouldn�t have said them.�

Ed�s eyes
widened in shock and he couldn�t seem to get enough breath.� He could only stare at the colonel in
disbelief.� How could he say that?� How?�
Yes, it was true that Ed could have not said them, but then the colonel
would do things or say things to him that made him feel like shit...� It was just better to say them, but...�

�You...
I...� he stuttered, starting to feel confused.�
Could he really have not said those things?� Had he really had the choice?� Had he actually meant them?� NO!� Of
course he hadn�t!� But...
He... Mustang...� Ed shook his head,
trying to clear the disorder in his mind, then cried, �You�re
the one who came to me!�

�It was
your fault, Ed,� Mustang returned seriously, no longer grinning.� He started to fold his arms, but stopped when
Ed lifted the gun higher.

�How can
you say that?� Ed asked shakily.� He
didn�t want to believe it, but somewhere inside of him was a small child that
did believe, and he felt guilty and dirty.�
He blinked, trying to get the tears that were now threatening to go
away.� �I don�t under... I... Why?�
Why me?�

Mustang
stared at him for a moment before saying, �You acted like you wanted my
attention.� If it wasn�t for that I never
would have approached you, so you see, this isn�t my fault.� I was just trying to help you.�

�I... I
never wanted that attention!� Ed
cried in disbelief, trying desperately to remember how it had all started.� Had he wanted Mustang�s attention?� He couldn�t even remember!� It was only six years ago, yet Ed couldn�t
remember how it had even come to this.� �Why!?�
he yelled, shaking the gun at the man.� �How...� How could you do that to me?�

Mustang
eyed him for a moment, then said in a calm, serious voice, �Ed, put the gun
down.� You�re overreacting.�� The colonel paused, and when he spoke again,
his voice was soft and held a calm tone that was threaded with emotion.� �I care for you.� I always have.� I�ve treated you like my own son...� If I didn�t care for you, do you think I
would have tried to help you so much?�

Ed�s eyes widened in wounded shock.�
Mustang cared for him?!� �That�s bullshit!� he shouted in hurt
disbelief.� He couldn�t believe Mustang
would say that!� �Fathers don�t do things
like that to their kids.��

The colonel
was silent for a moment, and his eyes took on a slightly injured and far away
look before he murmured, �Well... if it makes you feel better thinking that,
then go ahead.�

Hurt and
anger mixed together inside of him and he just wanted to run away.� He�d known for a while that he actually cared
what Mustang thought of him; that in some fucked up way, he�d actually seen the
man in some sort of role that mattered�perhaps even in some sort of parental
role�and he�d hated it.� Unaware of the
tears in his eyes now, Ed shook his head.�

�You
never cared for me...�� It hurt to think
that Mustang actually did care for him... it hurt in two very opposite
ways.� The first being that he hated the
bastard and didn�t want to think the man had any sort of heart. �The second being that Mustang had been the
main adult in his life, and to suddenly be told that this adult�someone who had
done so many terrible things to him�actually cared...� It was just too
much... It hurt too much...

Mustang
studied him with a grave look in his eyes, then said
quietly, �I did... I do care...�

�How can you say that when you did all those things to me!?� Ed cried, not registering the
tears trickling down his cheeks.� He
didn�t want to believe it!� But... he
cared for Al... and he treated his brother badly at
times even though he knew it was wrong.�
He would yell at him, ignore him, or get way too drunk even though he
knew he shouldn�t�even though he knew it hurt his brother...

A sob
broke from him and he said, �I don�t want you to care about me...�� He didn�t.�
He wanted to believe the colonel was a heartless bastard who was only
using him for his own pleasure.� Only...
he did want to believe...� He still wanted someone to care for him and
protect him and...� But Mustang had never
protected him, he thought, desperately trying to argue with himself.� Instantly his mind conjured up memories of
when the colonel had covered something up for him, or done things when payment
hadn�t been asked for.� He was just so
confused!� He didn�t know what to
think!� Why was this happening to him
right now, of all times?� Why?� Why?!� Why?!

To that,
Mustang said nothing, simply watched as Ed bawled like a child in front of him
for a moment before letting one of his upraised hands move forward, reaching
out to Ed.� �Ed...� Mustang pleaded
softly.� �Just put the gun down,
alright?�

�No...�
Ed moaned through his tears.� He couldn�t
put it down... He had to protect his brother... He had to make Mustang listen
to him...

�Edward,�
Mustang whispered, then held both hands out as if to
invite him in for a hug.� �Come
here.� I know you don�t really want to
hurt anyone.�� His voice was low and
cautious, yet sounding so kind and understanding.� �Just put the gun down, and we�ll talk about
it, okay?�

The man
started to take a step forward, but stopped when Ed yelled, �Stop!� and shook
the gun at him.�

The
desire to give in and put the gun down almost overwhelmed him, but he just
couldn�t...� Maybe the man did care for
him... perhaps... but he didn�t want to think about that right now.� It was all just too much...� He needed to protect Al, and, for this once,
he wasn�t going to let his brother down.�
Ed knew he was a failure as a brother and as a human being, but if he
could at least protect Al from this, if he could at least convince Mustang to
leave Al alone...�

�We are not going to talk anymore,� Ed
said through his tears.� �I am going to talk, and you are going to listen.�

�Ed...�

�NO!� You�re doing it again!�

Mustang
turned his head slightly and gave him a sideways look.� �I don�t know what you�re�� he began
cautiously, but Ed interrupted him.

�You�re
interrupting me!� You always interrupt me!� You never
listen to me!� Not ever!� Whenever I try to talk
about something you don�t want to hear you just change the subject!�

�Ed��
Mustang began again, but never got a chance to finish.

�SHUT UP!� Ed screamed and tightened his
grip on the gun, ultimately pulling the trigger.� He fell back a step as the gun bucked in his
hands.� Mustang�s eyes widened in shock
and he brought a hand to his chest where blood was beginning to soak his
uniform.

Ed�s
sobbing cut off sharply as he stared in shock at the man in front of him.� Mustang pulled his hand away from his chest
and stared at the blood for a moment, then returned the hand and looked
painfully at Ed.�

�You...
You really shot me...� Mustang breathed out in stunned surprise.

Ed�s body
shuddered from his previous crying and he felt a numb feeling spread through
his body.� He�d done it...� He�d shot Mustang...� He hadn�t meant to, had only wanted to get
Mustang�s attention�to convince him...�

He wanted
to feel regret, but as he searched for emotion inside of himself, he felt
nothing but the desire to pull the trigger again.� And then it came to him...� This was the answer.� Mustang would never talk him into anything
again because he�d never talk again at all...

�You may
care for me,� he whispered shakily, then tightened his finger on the
trigger.� �But I don�t care for
you.�� He didn�t...� Really, he didn�t.� He hated him... That was all he felt for
him... He tried to convince himself that he�d never cared what Mustang thought
of him, but he knew it was a lie.� Deep
down inside, he knew he did care because in Mustang�s own way, he had taken care of him.� There had been times that Mustang had been
kind and caring to him, and had done things for him without asking for anything
in return.� But right now none of that
mattered.� The only thing that mattered
was protecting Al.

He would
do anything for Al.

Anything.

Mustang
blinked his eyes causing a tear from each to trickle onto his cheeks.� �Ed...� he whispered shakily.

Ed pulled
the trigger and again the gun bucked in his hand, but this time he was ready
for it and held his ground.� The colonel
jerked violently and another blossom of red appeared on the chest of his
uniform.

Pressing
his lips together, a feeling of cold nothingness filling him, Ed stepped
forward as the colonel fell heavily to his knees.� Ed blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his
vision of tears.� Why were there
tears?� He just didn�t understand...�

Pressing
the gun against Mustang�s forehead, Ed said shakily, �I just wanted you to
leave me alone...��

�Ed...�
Mustang breathed, then coughed blood.� Red dribbled from the corner of the colonel�s
mouth as he struggled to speak. ��I
really did care...�

Ed�s face
crumpled painfully and hot tears spilled from his eyes.� His chest burned and felt tight, making it
difficult to breathe.� Ed shook his head
violently and pressed the gun even harder against Mustang�s forehead.��

The sound
of a door opening sounded far away in his ears and he heard, �Brother!!� but he
paid it no mind.� That wasn�t important.� His mind was a swirl of confusion and hurt.� If Mustang really did care, then why would he
have done all of that?� WHY?!�
Bracing himself against the expected bucking of the gun, Ed fired again,
sending a bullet through the colonel�s skull.

Blood
squirted and gushed from the wound; some getting onto Ed, some running down
Mustang�s face.� The man�s eyes rolled
back into his head, and he fell onto his back.�
There was screaming and sobbing in the background, but Ed still ignored
it and stepped over the man.� Sobbing, Ed
fired again.

You never cared about me! he
thought desperately.� There was no
way!� NO WAY!�
His thoughts were going wild and he couldn�t stop them.� Nothing made sense and he felt as though
something inside of him was clawing to get out, something that had been there
for a long time...

�What�s
going... Oh my... Ed!��

He only
heard the voices and shouts, but didn�t register them.� The only thing that existed was this.� Now.� But this wasn�t now...� He didn�t even know what this was...� Ed squeezed the trigger again.

I don�t care about you! he cried
mentally, trying to convince himself.

�Fuery!� Take care of Al!�

Ed shot
again and again, not registering the commotion around him.� Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and a
hand on his hands.� �Chief... He�s
dead...�� Still Ed continued squeezing
the trigger, then suddenly realized the gun was empty
and he hadn�t been shooting anything.�

Ed
dropped the gun and fell to his knees.�
Crying hysterically now, he crawled onto Mustang�s dead body and started
punching him viciously in the face with his automail fist.� �I hate you!�
I hate you!� I hate you!� he
screamed over and over again, as if this would somehow make all the years of
hurt go away.

Suddenly
arms were threaded under his and he felt himself being pulled away.� �That�s enough!� He�s already dead!� a voice yelled.

�No!� he shrieked
hysterically. ��It�s not enough!� Let me go!�
Al!� Help me!� Al!� he cried, not thinking of his brother as
the small child he was now, but as the large and powerful suit of armor he had
been.�

He was
thrashing around, trying to get free, when suddenly he was flipped over onto
his stomach and weight pressed down on him.�
�Fuery, leave him for a moment and go get security!� I don�t know if I can hold him!��

Ed
screamed loudly, trying to free himself.�
His mind didn�t comprehend that across the room Mustang was dead.� Instead, he felt as though it was the colonel
on top of him, holding him down, and that he was going to get it again.� Mustang was going to throw him over his desk
and force him again, and again, and again, and...

�Al!� Ed
screamed, thrashing wildly.� �Al, help
me!� Don�t let him do this to me!��

�Calm
down!� was bellowed into his ear by a deep male voice, but he couldn�t.� He was too terrified.�

�No!� he
pleaded through heavy sobs.� �Please
don�t!� I�m sorry!� I won�t do it again!� Please don�t hurt me!� Don�t do it again!� I�ll be good!�

A loud
scream joined with his from far away and he heard, �Stop it!� You�re hurting him!�

�Al, stay
over there!� the deep voice commanded.

Al... �He had to protect Al!� He had to get away!� Mustang was going to hurt him again!� But if he didn�t let him, then he couldn�t
help Al!� It seemed as though a million
thoughts were attacking him at once, and Ed couldn�t make sense of any of
them.� He just wanted to get away.� He just wanted to be safe!� He didn�t want to hurt anymore...

The sound
of a door crashing in sounded over his screaming, and then there were the
footfalls of many people running into the room.�
There were deep voices, many of them radiating shock at something.� Panic rushed through him and he tried even
more desperately to get away.� It was
those men!� Mustang had called those men
from the foyer up and they were going to take turns with him!�

He could
hear the sound of a child wailing, but by this time he couldn�t even let that
sink into his head.� He had to get
away!� It was just too much!� He couldn�t let Mustang force him again;
couldn�t let those men do him.� A primal
scream escaped him as more hands held him down.�
His automail fingers ripped the carpet in his attempt to get free, and
he cried desperately for Al to come save him, because, of course, Al would
always be there for him.� He�d protect
him!� He would!

Suddenly
a needle pricked his skin and he heard someone say, �That should take effect in
about ten seconds.�� Ed felt his body
begin to feel numb and tingly, and his brain was telling him that it needed to
sleep.� Realizing this was his escape, Ed gave up the fight and let the darkness overtake
him.

--

All that
is left now is the epilogue.� I hope to
have that up soon and wrap this story up.�
Thank you everyone for all your comments.� They�ve meant more than you�ll ever know.

--

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The Sound of Silence