Price of Happiness

Part 2

Three Weeks Later . . .

Chapter 7


Al, Noa, Hues, and Gracia sat in the solitude of the cave enjoying the warmth of the small fire and a nice, cooked dinner. Jason, Elysia, and Trinity lay huddled together underneath blankets on the ground only four feet from Noa and Al. Al felt a chill pass through him and looked out of the mouth of the cave. He silently got up and stepped out peering first into the forest and then into the sky.

He could feel it, something had happened to Ed, but he was certain that Ed was still alive. He looked at the stars and thought about all the nights they had just sat lying in the grass looking at the stars, sleeping under the stars, the memories they shared . . .

Ed grunted and then shifted his weight on the cold, damp, hard floor. He let out a sharp gasp of pain. The cuts on his arms, legs, stomach and the one deep cut on his cheek throbbed. He reached his sore hands up to his face and wiped the fresh blood that had seeped out from his movement with the back of his hands. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness quite well spending all this time in the cell, but bright lights hurt his eyes a lot more now.

He looked at his wrists and noticed the blood. He cursed in his mind, his throat dry from the screams of pain that he could no longer hold back after three weeks of her sending her minions in to do her dirty work. Three big guys came in and while two held him down, because he managed to break her leg restraints most of the time. Then the other one would threaten him and slices up his arms and legs.

Ed sighed and thought to himself, 'The torture sucks, but it will take more than that to break me you bitch.' He flexed his legs wincing when the shallow cuts stretched. He flinched involuntarily when the the door opened. He shut his eyes tightly to the light that poured in, once he heard the door open he looked to see Ry and Pride walking over to him.

Pride stopped ten feet from him and Ry walked over to his right staying the same distance back. She knelt down and looked at him, ''So Edward, torturing you doesn't work, discouraging you with words doesn't work . . . ''

Ed glared at her, ''Get on with it Ry, what are you thinking about doing now?"

She smiled, ''Well, since physical and mental means will not break you, I will try emotional and then work your pride and self respect. Your voice is hoarse and as much as I would love to hear your cries, I think gagging you would be a wise decision. That mouth of yours gives you too much confidence.''

Ed looked from her to Pride and shut his eyes turning his head away as the door opened again. Ry stood up and joined Pride while the three brute, husky, familiar men walked into Ed's prison. The two that always held him down had a tendacy to kick and punch him, mostly because if they were in range and stupid enough to not pay attention, he did the same thing.

Ed sat up and clenched his fists, ready to fight, but he notced them stop by Ry who handed them something, it appeared to be a needle. Ed felt his heart beat rise slightly, fearful of needles to begin with and then whatever Ry had as it's contents.

'This is a first, turning to drugs . . . what the hell is she going to do . . . ' He looked back at the two guys as they approached him, but then they stopped a few feet away. Ry walked in front of Ed kneeling just close enough to him so that he couldn't kick at her. He watched her as she clapped her hands and then touched the ground. Ed moved his legs away tucking them to his body, but then he felt something grip his ankles painfully and pull them back.

He struggled against what held his ankles, but the grip grew tighter and before long the grip had moved to his knees and held them firmly against the ground. Ed then concentrated on his arms trying in vain to break free of the chains and cuffs. But then the two men seized his arms, one on either side of him.

They had their strong, big hands on his forearms and elbows and no matter how much Ed struggled he couldn't break their hold. His blood was boiling now, he glared at them and then watched the other man approach his left side. He yelled in anger, ''Get your fucking hands off me!"

He tried to twists, but the alchemy holding his legs and the men holding his arms didn't allow for much movement. He kept yelling, "Damn it, fucking let me go!"

"Let go of me bastards!"

The third man stuck him in the arm with the needle and then they all stepped away from him releasing him. Ed felt his arms fall, their grips were definitely going to leave bruises on his arms. He blinked a few times, his vision was getting blurry, his muscles were becoming relaxed. He tried to turn his head, move his arms and legs, but nothing happened. He slumped back against the wall unable to stop himself.

He felt his head nod downwards lazily as though he were tired. He could still think clearly, but he couldn't control his body. He moved his eyes to Ry who was slowly drawing near him with Pride on his other side while the three brutes stood at his feet, watching him.

Ed noticed that he could focus on Ry and Pride once they were within five feet of his eyesight. He glared at her opening his mouth to speak, "What the hell did you do to me . . . " his voice was soft, like a whisper, weak as though he were sick. It angered him, he became enraged when he didn't feel that anger course through him like it normally did, the adrenaline was only present in his mind. He could only glare at her, his eyes the only thing that displayed his frustration.

Ry knelt down right beside him and smiled sweetly at him, "The only thing that responds are your eyes and mind, your body won't listen to you for at least a good twenty four hours. See Edward, since science progressed so rapidly here, I took it upon myself to invent things like this particular drug. It only paralyzes the body, but the emotions and the mind stay alert and aware. It was a new technique I thought up when I couldn't figure out how to break you. But making you completely helpless like this should do fairly well. If it proves to give me even the slightest hopes of what I have in mind, then I will a daily dose for you until I break you."

Ed could only glare at her with a peircing stare that made him wish looks could kill. His eyes were glazed to a light shade of brown in rage. He whispered, his voice even weaker than before, "Fuck you . . . "

She laughed, "I will extinquish the fiery light in your eyes, those lions eyes will be nothing more than the eyes of a scared kitten by the time I get through with you."

She stood up again and then she and her goons, including Pride left the cell. After only twenty minutes the cell door opened again and two figures stood in the doorway for a moment. Due to the darkness, the effect of the drugs, and the fact that he couldn't see that far because of them he couldn't tell what they looked like.

He looked up with his eyes at them once they had moved to where his feet were. The man carried a small lantern in his hand held in front of him illuminating both of their faces . . .

Al shuddered in his sleep waking up with the chill and sickening feeling from earlier hitting him stronger than before. He could feel the cold sweat on his skin, the heavy breathing and racing heart scaring Noa awake. She sat up with her head in her hand propped up on her elbow next to him. She touched his hand and he flinched away without realizing it.

He looked at her and calmed himself down, "Sorry . . . it was a nightmare."

She sat up all the way and faced him grasping his hand in hers. She pulled back her hand shock written in her features, she met Al's eyes, "Al . . . how could you dream about . . . that was Ed . . . "

Ed's face went white, his eyes a bright yellow at who stood before him. The female looked exactly like Winry and he immediately thought it was Ry again, but the way she held herself, it was different. 'Ry must have transformed this girl to look like Winry, but I know that it isn't her.' The man who stood next to her was who he knew to be Greed, but without the humunculi attributes. The night he killed Greed flashed across his mind and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again the girl changed, now she looked exactly like Rose. Ed looked at her confused, 'How in the hell, what the hell just happened?'

Then his eyes watched her move over to his left and up close she looked completely different. Her skin was ligtly tan, from the looks of it due to the light of the lantern. Her eyes glinted making part of her green eyes look like they had a yellow glint. Her hair was short, spiked, and deep red. Ed thought to himself, 'Shit, this drug has side effects, I am starting to see things that aren't really there.'

The man walked over to his right with the lantern in his hand and knelt down next to him placing the lantern on the ground. Ed moved his eyes to him, but then he felt a firm grip grab him by the chin and his eyes moved back to the woman.

She shook her head, "Now, now pet, don't take your eyes off me."

Ed tried to shrug her off, but to no avail once again. He was starting to fear the inablility to control his body. But her touch on his chin he had felt, it made his skin crawl. He cursed in his mind, 'Damn that vindictive bitch, she managed to keep me from controlling my muscles, but I can still feel. I am going to kill her when I get out of here."

She released his chin and then she lightly ran her fingers up his limp arm, goosbumps formed under her fingers. Ed felt his distaste and his anxiety over what they were going to do exactly grow. He hated the fact that all he could do was look at her, hated that he had to go through the emotions, and the physical agony of what he guessed was going to take place. He could see the predatory look in both their eyes, could see their eyes light up in a wicked smile at how helpless . . . That struck a nerve and Ed hissed in anger, his voice getting stronger, but his body still wouldn't listen to him.

At the strength of his hiss he tried for a more verbal reaction, "Get your fucking hands off me," angered even more that his voice was still only a whisper. She smiled and moved her hand to stroke his cheek. Then with her fingers she lightly caressed his neck and collar bone lightly brushing his now stained, torn, gray, red, and brown shirt, the one that used to be a pale white. She started to unbutton his shirt.

He hissed his anger, disgust, and frustration that he couldn't physically stop her driving him mad. He hissed again in hatred and tried his voice again, now a stronger whisper, "Stop it you bitch!"

She stopped and looked at him, her eyes darkening in anger, "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Ed saw her hand raise and then she slapped him hard across the face managing to bust his lip. His face had turned and his upper body shifted slightly. That made him even angrier because he couldn't brace himself for her strike, hhis face had turned, his body was now uncomfortable, and the blood from his lip was running down his chin and down his shirt to his chest.

The vile woman looked at the man, "I think you should gag him Jack, Lady Ry said he can get pretty mouthy. I don't like his language."

Ed opened his mouth the reply to what she said, only to have Jack place something forcefully in his mouth. It tasted vile and made him want to choke. But when he started coughing to try and get rid of it Jack then took a piece of cloth and tied it around his mouth forcing it farther in, he forced Ed's head to move forward and tied it with a painful tug behind his head. When Jack leaned back up Ed's head hit the wall behind him painfully making his head throb.

The woman looked back at Ed and picked him arm up by the wrist then let it go, it fell lazily back to his side. She smiled and looked at Jack, "Even if he has a dirty mouth, I love the fact that Lady Ry used her new drug on him. It seems to be working like a charm, with the exception of his mouth. But . . . " She looked at Ed again and his skin crawled as her eyes looked him up and down.

"He is a beautiful one, toned, well tanned, his long golden blond hair would be nicer if it was washed. But his eyes," Ed cringed at how she was describing him, he knew his body didn't but he cringed inwardly at the way she went over his features as though he were some new doll.

Ed averted his eyes as her met up with his again. She smiled, "His eyes are so unique, they are like the sun, especially with all that emotion in them."

Ed flinched in his mind remembering what Winry used to say his eyes reminded her of, he hated that statement coming from this demented woman who spoke of him as though he were nothing but a plaything, like he wasn't even human. He looked back at her with his eyes as she stood up and then his eyes followed Jack as he did the same.

She smiled at him and then they walked out of the cell, Ed felt a wave of relief go through him, but it only lasted fifteen minutes. She returned alone, with a bucket of soap water and a sponge. He withdrew into his mind for a moment to repeat to himself, 'I will not let her break me, no matter what. Not now, not after everything we have already been through.' Then his mind drifted to Al and the only thing that came to mind was that Al had not been captured, that he was safe and grateful that he wasn't here to see what Ed knew was about to happen.

Al looked at Noa and felt as though he was going to cry, the dream had felt so real, he had never felt that much hatred and anger in his life. He had stood watching from the sidelines in his dream as two brutes held Ed down, then a third one slid a blade across his brother's skin, cutting him, slicing his skin. He heard and felt his brother's screams of pain. Then he had to witness the man with the knife punch him and then stand up and kick him as Ed yelled in anger. He heard his brother yell out profanities only to him him grunt in pain as more blows were delivered for his outbursts.

Noa met his eyes with a soft look in her eyes as she said quietly, "She won't break him Al, he's still fighting them every step, still staying true to who he is. Ed is the strongest person I know, he will make it through this."

Al nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that coursed through him. He closed his eyes thinking of all the obstacles they had to endure to just stay alive, then what they went through to achiheve their goals. Al had wanted to return Ed's arm and leg, but right now that goal seemed so insignnificant, right now all he wanted was to save him, to get him back, to know that he was okay and that they weren't too late. He wanted to get Ed back before Ry figured out how to break him, before she took away his rebelliousness, his will, his strong heart, the things that made Ed, Ed. Al wanted to save his brother before he lost him, he wanted him alive and whole. But no matter what words Noa said to reassure him, he still felt a knot in his stomach and a weight in his heart, he was afraid for Ed, his strong, older, short-tempered, brother that would stop at nothing for his or others' sakes.