Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Replacement ❯ The Hunter or the Hunted ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA if I did then Ed would be 18 and perfectly legal, but since I don't I'll just have to rape Roy.

 

 

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7: The Hunter or the Hunted

 

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Ed stared at the woman as she pulled the pieces of metal together into a large pile. She pulled out a piece of paper and sat there for a moment.

 

“Carry the three, still missing several pounds,” she whispered before marching out of the room again.

 

Havoc grunted and he looked at Ed as if asking what the hell was going on. Ed shrugged and the woman piled a few more pieces of metal on the floor before she began to draw a large transmutation circle.

 

“Must match that big one…” she muttered as she drew more and then looked at something on the paper. “Yes, like that…”

 

Ed watched her, dread building in his heart.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Don't shoot!” VanBuren cried, ripping Hawkeye's gun out of her hand and the group stared at the shining eyes of the chimera as it rocked back and forth in mid pounce. “Dear God, it's only a rocking horse…er…chimera.” The group stared at the part horse, part lion, part serpent as it moved back and forth on its rockers.

 

“A child's toy?” Hawkeye muttered and the lights were turned on in the room. It was perfectly clean as if the child was expected to come back at any time to a room that Mommy had recently cleaned. The scent of lavender was strong, but not musty like a room with several locks on the door should be.

 

“This was his room,” VanBuren stated and the group stood in the doorway of the almost sacred room.

 

There in the corner was a bed, the comforter was covered with embroidered chimeras and transmutation circles, all of the circles were nonsense though, nothing but pretty designs. On the bed was a stuffed chimera, part dog and part dragon.

 

“He loved her alchemy. He thought she was amazing and she was flattered, gave him everything he wanted. He wanted something that reminded him of her alchemy and she gave in. She gave him chimeras,” VanBuren stated and the group spread out in the room. There by the bed was a crutch, so small and tiny Maes felt his heart break. By the window there were several pictures of a much younger, much happier Woodgrove, in her arms a baby waved his only arm, in other shots she performed alchemy as the child laughed.

 

In the back of his head, Roy could imagine the high pitched, joyful squeals of laughter and the softer, fuller laugh of Woodgrove. Armstrong opened the drawers to smell clean clothes, not the musty, dust ridden scent of clothes left to decay in a drawer. On the ceiling stairs between transmutation circles and behind clouds.

 

“She put a lot of work into this room,” Hawkeye commented as she inspected the artwork on the walls, a stick figure with dark hair stood before an explosion of white blue smudges.

 

“It's all she has left,” VanBuren explained as she picked up a picture and glared at it.

 

“Who's that?” Maes asked as he stared at Woodgrove as she sat with the little boy on her lap, in the lap of a tall, blond man with a striking resemblance to the missing Havoc.

 

“That was her husband,” VanBuren stated as she set the picture down and looked in the closet while an officer looked under the bed.

 

“I thought she went for dark haired men,” Maes stated casually.

 

“Why do you think she does that now? She sees fair men as a reminder, our brothers were fair and they died, leaving her, our father was fair, he died, leaving her, her son was fair, he died, leaving her, and her husband was fair, he walked out, leaving her,” VanBuren stated as she hit the back of the closet walls and floor. “She has one night flings with dark men so that they can't reminder her of the men who hurt her and she doesn't have to get attached.”

 

“One question, Detective,” Roy stated as he held up the picture of the little boy, one leg and one arm stumps. “Why didn't Woodgrove have automail attached?” VanBuren stared at him before shaking her head.

 

“Quite simple really, Colonel, she wanted him to grow. Attaching automail at too early of an age and the child's growth would be stunted. She has the money stored in the bank, three years ago she told me she had saved enough to buy him both an arm and a leg. I asked her why she was still saving it and she told me. `I have nothing else to do with my money',” VanBuren stated. “There's nothing in here. Continue to the rest of the apartment.” Slowly the group left and Maes stared at the picture of Woodgrove, her husband, and her son. The woman looked completely different in the picture, as if it had been another lifetime all together.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The woman stood before the pile of metal before placing her hands over the pile and the light flashed. Ed couldn't contain the scream as he saw the exact replica of Ed's armor. He began to thrash and suddenly the woman was over him and Ed froze. She was going to turn him into a chimera, he closed his eyes, fighting the tears.

 

Instead of having his body forced into some unnatural shape he heard the woman cooing, stroking his hair and cheeks.

 

“It's okay Marcus, it's okay, Mommy's here. It's only a puppet, Mommy wouldn't let that mean one take you away,” she whispered as she cuddled his head against her breasts. “Mommy will take care of you, don't you worry about it, Marcus, they will never take you from me again.” Ed stared over her shoulder at the empty armor that resembled Al's armor perfectly.

 

“Mommy will trick them using her puppet, don't you worry, Mommy will never relinquish her family again,” the last part was growled as she held Ed almost to a choking point before she let go and began to inspect the armor.

Ed suddenly had a flash of Majhal and his Karin dolls. Who would she use to animate the Al armor? Ed looked at Havoc, no, she wouldn't use them, who else would have to suffer because of this woman's madness.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Roy looked at the pictures in the box, he had found it in Woodgrove's closet. There was a picture of her and three men in uniforms, she had an arm wrapped around the tallest man's neck and she was messing up his hair. The other two were pulling on each other's ears.

 

Roy smirked, it was rather cute, the four siblings goofing off for the camera. The next picture was of the three holding Woodgrove down as they exposed her tattoo. She was staring at the picture taker with a look of guilt that seemed more appropriate on a child's face. The tallest was holding her while the other two were pointing at the tattoo.

 

The next picture was of her and the blond man, she was sitting on his lap obviously flirting with him as the blush on his cheeks suggested. Woodgrove was wearing a tiny little skirt, exposing legs that Roy could only dream about some nights. Her tight shirt and styled hair made her beautiful in the picture.

 

Roy flipped through many more pictures before a wedding photo fell to the floor, her gown was rather conservative for the wild woman and he stared at the two. She held her bouquet as she looked lovingly at her husband to be.

 

He couldn't stop, Roy knew it was an invasion of Woodgrove's privacy but he wanted to know this mad woman that kidnapped and murdered boys that reminded her of her lost son. Then came a picture of her asleep, she was curled up on a bed, the sheet wrapped around her legs, falling down the swell of her belly, the silkie, girlie thing she was wearing did little to hide the enormous stomach under it. Her face was positively glowing as she lay in her semi-fetal position, that long hair spread over her pillow. Roy stared, how could this fertile goddess asleep on her bed in the last weeks of her pregnancy turn into a lunatic? It blew his mind.

 

“She was meant for motherhood,” Hawkeye stated and Roy jumped in shock, spilling the content of the box across the floor. He looked at his second in command and wondered if she did such things on purpose.

 

“She certainly looked lovely in that picture,” he stated as he began to pick up photographs, stopping as he looked at the photo on top.

 

Several women and men were gathered around the entrance to a mausoleum, Woodgrove was younger, standing beside her sisters and two of her brothers. What caught his eye was that all the other family members were crying, Woodgrove was glaring, her eyes were aimed several people over, to a woman completely shrouded in black veils. The light in Woodgrove's eyes was undeniably hate, Roy had seen that look directed at himself enough times to know it.

 

“Any luck in here?” VanBuren asked and Roy walked over and handed her the picture.

 

“Who is that woman?” he asked, pointing at the veiled figure. VanBuren stared at if for a moment.

 

“That has to be our mother,” she stated and Roy stared at the picture.

 

“When was this?” he asked. “Did Woodgrove have a bad relationship with your mother?”

 

“That was our baby brother's funeral, right after our father left our mother,” she said, looking at Roy with a sharp glance. “Angelina blamed our mother for chasing our father away, she was always a Daddy's girl, Genevieve and I were closer to our mother. Why?” Roy looked at the picture.

 

“Where's your mother now?” he asked and VanBuren shook her head.

 

“She died over ten years ago, freak boating accident on the lake, a ten foot gator was upturning boats, when we found Mother's boat soaked in blood, we were pretty sure about what happened,” VanBuren stated and Roy sighed.

 

“What about the graves?” Hawkeye asked. “Do you have a family plot?” VanBuren's eyes widened and she nodded.

 

“We do, the family crypt, let's go!” with that the pictures lay strewn on the floor, various stages of Woodgrove's life, exposed to the room and world.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The rodent chimera screamed as the woman tightened the ropes securing it to the chair, its inhuman voice filled with fear and agony. Ed could feel the tears in his eyes as the woman finished knotting the ropes, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

 

“Bad Pet, you must do as I say, or I will do to you what I did to the other Bad Pet. Only I will not kill you first,” she growled and all occupants of the room froze, the three other chimeras tied to the far wall didn't move, Havoc didn't move, and Ed sure as Hell didn't more. The thought of being turned into a sack of flesh with no way to breath and no where to run caused Ed's bladder to release and the sound of urine hitting the bedpan was enough for the woman to snap back to work.

 

She drew the circle on the floor, muttering to herself as she erased it and started over again.

 

“Yes, like that. No…bigger. Yes, with a curve there, yes.” Ed closed his eyes so he didn't have to see what he knew was going to happen. He whimpered behind his gag as she happily cried out. “Ready.”

 

Ed couldn't stop his eyes from opening, from focusing on the woman as she pushed the Al armor into the center of the circle across from the chimera.

 

“Now, to give the puppet life,” she hissed and then the light filled the room and all the others in the room screamed.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“This place is huge!” Maes declared and the echo moved down and back through the underground crypt. The rest of the group glared at him and Maes smiled.

 

“Father made this for the family,” VanBuren stated and the group watched as she passed several sarcophaguses. “He wanted his children and grandchildren buried here.”

 

“Well, find Angelina's,” Roy ordered and VanBuren stopped, the group surrounded her. The sarcophagus marked `Angelina Woodgrove' was open, the interior exposed an empty box and on the box was a letter marked `Hughes'. The group looked at Maes and he shrugged as he walked over and opened the envelope. He pulled the letter out and read it, his carefree expression becoming completely serious in three seconds. He folded the letter up and tucked it in his jacket.

 

“We should go visit your brother's home in the Hollows,” he stated. “She says she found something there that you might want to see.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Ed stared at the armor as it stood up and an inhuman howl escaped it.

 

“What have you done to me?” it screeched and the woman placed a hand up, Ed noticed the tattoo on the back of her hand.

 

“I gave you a metal body, unless you wish me to make it a toilet you will obey me,” she ordered and the armor froze. “You will destroy and replace that stupid piece of junk following those Traitors. You will lead them one by one to me so that I can make them pay for the wrongs they've done me. Do you understand?” Ed felt his heart pound. It was going after Al, it was going after his baby brother! Ed began to thrash until he heard Havoc cry out and he looked at Havoc shaking his head. Slowly, Ed calmed down, it wasn't the time for freaking out, he had to think, he had to find a way out of this.

 

“I'll do what you ask,” the armor spoke as it looked at the dead chimera body that was once its.

 

“Take that out and dump it, then do as you were ordered,” the woman snapped and Ed watched the Al imitation pick up the chair and rodent-chimera corpse, stomp out the door. The woman released the other chimeras and they quickly scurried away. The Marcus-chimera stood in the doorway, one ear cocked toward the woman before leaving.

 

“Hush, Alexander, hush Marcus, Mommy will make sure those vile creatures are destroyed. You'll never have to fear them finding you again,” she cooed before leaving Havoc and Ed in the darkness again.

 

 

~*~

 

 

They stood in the basement of the house under Joshua Woodgrove's name, in the corner was a trunk filled with Havoc's clothing and all the things on him when he was taken. On the wall was a message written in the alchemic light Woodgrove had used to find the house with Ed's things in it.

 

`You really think I'm doing this don't you, Cathrine. Rinny, Rinny, Rinny, you never were that close to me were you? I wouldn't pull shit like this, even when I was in denial about everything. I didn't do this, I'm stating it again just so you know. I would never do this to a child, especially not a child that looked like him. You can deny it all you want but I assure you of my innocence.

 

`I want you to know that I'm going to find Edward Elric and I'm going to take down the one who did it. I have a suspect and I will be keeping tabs on you, I wasn't Chimera Squadron because I could talk a priest out of his underwear. I may not have acted like it when I had someone calling me “Mommy”, but I am still the Midnight Alchemist and I won't let this case go!'

 

The group watched as the message slowly faded away and Roy stared at it for a second.

 

“It reacted to her, she was waiting for us,” he hissed and the group rushed out looking around.

 

“It's too late, she's probably a safe distance now,” Armstrong grumbled and the group sighed.

 

“Clever girl,” Maes stated. “Well, I'm beat, I've got to head back to the hotel and call Glacier and my little Elysia! Hey, have I shown you the new pictures yet, Roy?” The usual goofball Maes was back and Roy cursed his luck. The group headed back to the station, specifically to avoid the slideshow and Maes sighed before walking down a few streets and leaning against a wall besides a dark alleyway.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered in the darkness and Maes didn't look at her as he rested, placing his hands behind his head.

 

“I'm going out on a limb for you,” he stated and there was a shuffling sound.

 

“I know, but you're the only one I trust, Catherine doesn't know what it's like, you don't know how much you remind me of how I was,” she whispered and Maes pulled out the envelop and looked at the picture.

 

“This wasn't very flattering,” he stated and there was a coughing sound that resembled and stifled laugh.

 

“Wasn't meant to be, I needed you to understand,” she replied and Maes nodded.

 

“What do you want from me?” he asked and she began to talk, his eyes widened a few times as she hissed at him from the darkness of the alleyway. “You've got to be kidding me.”

 

“I wish I was, no one believed me then, but I was certain, now I want to prove it. Half the reason I was on those damned drugs was because of it. I know I'm right Maes, I know I am. I never took that damn medication except the days I knew I was having blood drawn. Help me, I'm begging you,” she whispered and Maes held the picture between his fingers, beneath his arm, someone on the street wouldn't notice it slipping into the alley's darkness.

 

“What do you need me to do?” he asked and she sighed.

 

“Just give me time, I'll do the hard work, I just need time to do it in,” she whispered staring at the picture of the woman in the hospital, the child covered in tubes and bandages. Her eyes haunted with the look of someone dying with their child. “If I can get the trap set, I can save him.”

 

“Alright, I'll do what I can,” he sighed and there was a brush of fingers against his arm.

 

“Thank you again, Maes,” she whispered and there was a crackling of alchemy but not a bit of light. Maes turned and looked down the dead end alleyway and sighed.

 

“You better be right about this, Woodgrove,” he sighed before heading back to the hotel to call his wife and daughter, he couldn't imagine a life without them, it would be easier to die himself than to live without them.

 

 

~*~

 

AN: Ow...ow..ow..ow, oh and can I say OW?! You people are harsh with your spelling and mistake attacks. How many of my reviews have been to tell me I screwed up Woodgrove with Grovewood or I made some obsure mistake. I'm working without a beta here people, cut a girl some slack, this is like walking a tightrope without a net, you people are like spikes underneath the tight rope. Not that I'm offending, it means you're really reading and paying attention. For all further Editors-to-be, if I make a mistake, E-mail me, don't get me all excited about another review when you're actually giving critisim, it gives me false hope. Anyway, it's Woodgrove, not Grovewood, I'm not going back to fix it because...well, I'm lazy and you all are smart enough to figure out what I mean. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and tell me how horrible I am to Ed and Havoc for barely mentioning them in this chapter.