Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Replacement ❯ Behind Your Back ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA but if I did there would be more nudity on Roy's part.

 

~*~

 

8 - Behind Your Back

 

~*~

 

Al was not happy, he had been told to wait in his room for the past three days as the Colonel and the others searched for his brother, it was too much for the metal encased soul to take and he made up his mind.

 

While a very peaceful and kind person, Al was more than a force to be reckoned with, he had fought off Number 66, he had beaten Major Armstrong with some help from Ed, he wasn't as weak as the others thought he was. Laketon was almost a city, but there were still things about it that were old fashioned, small town characteristics. Al knew all about small towns and he was going to use that knowledge to find his brother.

 

Al snuck out soon after the others left to help search for Ed and Woodgrove. He knew he should start at Woodgrove's apartment, however, he didn't want to risk running into any police officers, so the next choice was the cemetery, it would be nice and quiet, he could be alone to think about his options there. Then it hit him, the town hall would have a ton on information of Woodgrove and her family. Al began to walk with a bit of determination in his step.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Ed struggled with his chain, trying desperately to escape. He had to save Al, no one else would notice the change until it was too late, and then…then Al would be gone, the others would be dead, and he would be trapped down here until the woman found someone else that looked like the old Marcus and then he'd be a chimera!

 

“You shouldn't struggle so much,” the Marcus-chimera stated in the darkness of the cell and Ed heard Havoc move on his bed. “I'm going to free your mouths, don't scream please.” Slowly malformed hands removed the gag and Ed coughed a few times before hearing Havoc cough.

 

“Can you get the chains?” Havoc asked and there was a sigh.

 

“Once upon a time I could have. I had a great talent for alchemy, but without my eyes, I wouldn't be certain the circle wouldn't harm you. I'm not quite used to my hands,” the Marcus-chimera said with a note of sorrow in his voice.

 

“Well, it's the thought that counts,” Ed sighed in disappointment. “Where is she?”

 

“Mother went out with the armored one, she really wants to kill your friend and use her armor to replace him. She's scared of men in armor, which is why she transmuted that one's soul into the armor instead of making him bigger to fit in it,” Marcus-chimera stated and Ed felt the foot of his bed sink under the weight.

 

“Why aren't the others down here with you?” Havoc asked.

 

“They fear Mother, they have since she made them,” Marcus-chimera said. “She's not exactly the nicest person to chimeras.”

 

“She's not a nice person anyway,” Ed snapped and there was a shifting of the Marcus-chimera.

 

“Once upon a time she was, then things went bad when I got sick and Father wanted me to go to Central, but Mother was set against it, when I got worse Father tried to take me away. That's when Mother changed into this,” the Marcus-chimera confessed. “She gave up her life for me, put me before all the others. I loved her once, part of me still does even after all she's done. However, I won't ignore her faults, if I was whole I would have stopped her long before it got this bad.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Al looked at the staring clerk, he sighed as a bead of sweat moved down his brow.

 

“Excuse me,” he stated and the clerk jerked before nodding.

 

“How may I help you?” he asked and Al wondered what it was about his armor that made so many people act weird.

 

“I'd like to get all the information I could on Angelina Woodgrove if you don't mind, I'm helping with the investigation,” Al lied, thankful he didn't have he true body or the lie would be easily detected.

 

“Right away, sir,” the clerk said before disappearing into the shelves behind the counter. Al sighed as he turned to lean against the desk, his eyes falling on a bulletin board where the familiar face of Ed was staring back at him with a smile, Al's shoulder barely in the background, but enough there that he knew it was him. Who else had metal spikes on their shoulder?

 

“Um, sir?” Al turned to look at the clerk, who was fiddling with his tie nervously.

 

“Yes?” Al asked, wondering an Ed-like fit of rage would get him the files faster.

 

“The files are marked classified…” the clerk muttered and Al held up Ed's State Alchemist watch, of course, it was a very big crime for Al to pretend to be a State Alchemist, but people were always mistaking him for the Fullmetal Alchemist anyway, what could it hurt? “Right this way, Sir.” Al smiled as only he could with a metal head.

 

“Here you go, Sir,” the clerk said before dropping a rather impressive pile of papers in front of Al. “I'll check back on you in a few hours.” With that Al picked up the first paper, a clipping from a newspaper, to see a ten year old Woodgrove standing beside a man in front of a large statue that appeared to have been made out of a tree.

 

`Local Girl Follows in Father's Alchemic Footsteps' Al looked at the girl as she smiled at him, it was almost eerie how the girl resembled his brother, save for her dark, dark hair.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“So why us?” Havoc asked and the chimera sighed.

 

“You probably do look like me and Father,” the Marcus-chimera stated. “It's not fair or believable, but you do. I showed the first one a picture of the family and he said it was like looking at a picture of himself.”

 

“How long have you been like this?” Ed asked and there was a shifting.

 

“I don't know for sure, I couldn't tell time for quite a bit, the first chimera told me it's been about seven years since she took him,” Marcus-chimera sighed. “I don't know how long I've been in this form.”

 

“I still can't believe she did this,” Havoc growled and there was a rattling of chains.

 

“Join the club,” the Marcus-chimera sighed. “I kept hoping someone would come, but she covered her tracks too well, no one suspected a thing.”

 

“We have to get out of here!” Havoc snarled and there was more rattling and Ed fought the urge to do the same. Havoc was bigger than the woman, probably stronger, and he had all his limbs.

 

“You would die you left the room,” the Marcus chimera admitted and Ed stared in the darkness where it had to be sitting.

 

“Why do you say that?” Ed asked.

 

“She's set up traps, something that only reacts to human energy that isn't her own. Mother was always good at using alchemic energy. She wrote a theory that alchemic processes can recognize their creator due to the type of alchemic energy they are best at, because every alchemist has something their better at. Elemental manipulation, transmutation, photo processes, healing processes, botanic processes, it's how Mother bases her alchemic booby traps. They don't work, on her energy or on non human energy. Because I'm her son and I'm a chimera, I'm doubly protected,” the Marcus-chimera stated.

 

“Wait, because you're her son?” Ed asked. “I didn't think sharing genetic material would allow for such an energy sharing as well.”

 

“Oh no, it does, you still carry your parents' energy influences, be it the energy generated by cells to create blue eyes or brown eyes, fair or pale skin, alchemic tendencies,” Marcus-chimera continued. “Mother and Father were both very good alchemists. Father studied the actualities in alchemic energy, the reasons that chimeras need to produce as many animals as are used in the transmutation to create them, the reason you need exact portions of chemical and matter in non-living transmutation. Mother worked with theory, the alchemic possibilities. That's why she's so talented, she could use her theories to rework Father's formulas.”

 

“She's a psycho,” Havoc stated, sounding calmer than before.

 

“Oh, I won't deny that, but she's still a genius, imagine what she could have done for society if she hadn't been insane,” Marcus-chimera whispered and Ed shivered, it was awesome how something so powerful could belong to someone so horrible. It just wasn't fair.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“The Midnight Alchemist,” Al whispered as he held up a picture of Woodgrove in uniform, she looked very scary, the laughter and humor gone from her face as she stood at attention.

 

Al pulled out the military information. A copy of her State Alchemy Exam results, she had filled out the entire test with only five wrong answers. She had gone through a physical which seemed to state perfect physical and mental health. For her practical she had been blindfolded and drawn seven transmutation circles which had become seven statues of various leaders at that time. The Fuhrer still had his in the courtyard of his home.

 

“Impressive,” Al muttered as he read about the Midnight Alchemist's achievements, it was kind of interesting how she went about trying to give alchemists a good name, much like a certain missing alchemist. “Transferred into the Chimera Squadron two years before the military started moving into Ishbal.”

 

Al looked at a few other pictures from the military files, drunk disorderly conduct had a picture of Woodgrove with two men from her squadron, they looked as if they had been in a fight. The report stated that Woodgrove had started it.

 

The next folder had a copy of her letter giving her the name Midnight Alchemist for her ability to work alchemy in complete darkness.

 

Suddenly, Al stopped and dropped the file as he stared at the photo from a newspaper. His fingers shook as he pulled up the official report and began to read.

 

“Angelina Woodgrove is to be put under the care of Hohemheim Elric as an apprentice of photo-alchemy studies. They will be studying the possibilities of alchemic light,” Al whispered as he stared at the picture of Woodgrove shaking hands with his father. “The Midnight Alchemist and the Light Alchemist will be making their report on the possibilities of alternate uses of alchemic light in the next week.” The date was several months before Woodgrove's dishonorable discharge.

 

“She worked with Dad,” Al whispered, staring at the picture of his father.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Is there anything we can do?” Havoc asked.

 

“Not that I know of, if I could just draw a transmutation circle I could free you…but…I messed up the last one I tried so badly…I wouldn't dare try again,” Marcus-chimera whispered and Ed sighed.

 

“This is getting us no where, if I could draw a damn circle I could get us out too, but I can't really bend my wrist enough to do that,” Ed growled.

 

“You're an alchemist too!” the Marcus-chimera hissed with a voice that seemed filled with hope. “If I hid chalk for you when she freed you next do you think you could draw a circle?”

 

“Yea I could draw a circle, but against her, I wouldn't stand a chance missing my arm and leg!” Ed groaned.

 

“But if you could draw a circle or two to free me, I could carry you and you could make a back door,” Havoc stated.

 

“It wouldn't work, she'd be on me too soon,” Ed grumbled. “I'm not very quiet or fast on just two limbs.”

 

“Perhaps if I managed a distraction…still, she might not leave you unbound,” the Marcus-chimera added.

 

“What about getting the other chimeras into it?” Havoc suggested.

 

“No, they just want to live, they're too afraid of her now to go against her…but I could trick them,” the Marcus-chimera muttered.

 

“Now that sounds better than laying on my back and doing nothing,” Ed smirked.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Roy was not happy. Hawkeye was not happy. Armstrong was not happy. As for Detective VanBuren, well, she was very not happy. Actually, Detective VanBuren looked like she was going to pop out her baby any moment as she sat at her sister's desk yelling at someone over the phone.

 

“Apparently, they still haven't found Detective Woodgrove,” Maes stated as he looked through more deeds to the Hollows. “She's managed to avoid us for three days, I don't think we're going to catch her.”

 

“Maes, your attitude about this is not appropriate,” Roy stated as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“I double that,” VanBuren growled as she slammed down the phone. “She's purposely trying to piss me off now.” The group looked at her.

 

“Could you tell us a bit more?” Maes asked, Roy did not miss the mischievous look in his friend's eyes.

 

“My officers have found several of the lesser quality bars…refurnished…several of the town's regular troublemakers have been surrounded by the walls, clearly alchemic work,” VanBuren growled. “Plus at each sight there's been a countdown. `One down so many more to go.'”

 

“Sounds like she's looking for something,” Roy stated.

 

“A way to clear her name no doubt,” Armstrong added.

 

“Maybe she's got an idea where to find the real kidnapper,” Maes stated as he continued to mark off the deeds belonging to dead people. VanBuren glared at him before getting another phone call to increase her very not happy mood.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Al walked through the cemetery; he had quite a lot to think about. At the moment he was walking down the main path through the cemetery, this was the way to Woodgrove's son's grave. It was curious, he wasn't buried in her family's crypt, instead he was at the top of a hill, overlooking the rest of the cemetery.

 

As Al moved he heard the sound of smaller, lighter feet moving almost stealthily behind him. He turned and saw nothing, that didn't mean the person wasn't still out there. Al stopped and moved to look at the village. There was a soft breeze blew his feather out in front of him. He watched it dance before him and he looked down at the newspaper clipping with Woodgrove holding onto a man as they overlooked the coffin of their son. She looked so broken as if she wanted to die. Al wondered if his mother would have felt that way if it had been him or Ed who had died.

 

“Hello,” a voice said and Al looked up in shock. It was such a familiar voice…but who was it? Al turned around and gasped. He was looking at himself.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Mother still hasn't returned,” the Marcus-chimera hissed, she had been gone for a day now, the Al-imitator was with her.

 

“She might not return until after she's gotten Al,” Havoc stated and Ed growled before he began fighting with his chains.

 

“No! I can't let her kill Al! I won't!” Ed screamed in rage as he pulled and yanked on his chains.

 

“You mustn't!” the Marcus-chimera hissed. “If she returns to this you'll end up with your head on her mantel!”

 

“What?” Havoc cried.

 

“Mother keeps the heads of the look-a-likes in jars on her mantel, in her room!” Marcus-chimera hissed and Ed felt sick. He froze, his body slowly growing a layer of cold sweat at the thought.

 

“What about Al…what would she do to him?” Ed asked and the Marcus-chimera was quiet in the darkness of the cell.

 

“It would be quick, most likely painless,” he whispered.

 

“No….Al….,” Ed whined in the dark nothing of the cell, an image of Al as Scar's blast rendered a leg and half of his torso to shards kept repeating in his head. “Don't let her get you.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Who…who are you?” Al gasped as he stared at the imitation. “Envy?” The imitation stared at him for a moment.

 

“No,” the imitation stated and Al stared behind him, a cloaked woman was in the tree line watching.

 

“Answer me, who are you?” Al stated, preparing to defend himself. The imitation stepped forward.

 

“I was once called Rift, I can't remember my real name anymore,” it stated and Al slowly realized who he was talking to.

 

“You're one of the missing boys!” he whispered in shock and the imitation nodded.

 

“Yes, if I take your place, she'll let me go, even this body is better than remaining trapped in her clutches,” the imitation hissed and Al watched at the other armor rushed him. It was sloppy, as if it still hadn't gotten used to its body. A mistake it wouldn't have time to realize.

 

Al stepped back and brought his fist around, throwing the armor down the road from where he had just been enjoying the view of the town. He quickly slipped his papers into his chest, he could collect them later out of his legs.

 

“You're fast,” the imitation stated. “But I have nothing to lose.” Again the armor came at Al and he deftly threw the armor into the forest, but the woman was gone.

 

“I'm sorry,” Woodgrove's voice stated and Al started at the woman's hand in his face as a blast of alchemic light threw his helmet into the woods and his body fell belly down at the woman's feet.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“For the others she snuck up on them and knocked them unconscious,” the Marcus-chimera whispered. “She brought them here naked, I assume she left their clothing elsewhere.”

 

“She did, she left their belongings in the basements of houses in the Hollows, all owned by people who had been dead before the kidnappings began,” Havoc stated.

 

“Of course, Mother has always hated the Hollows, it would make more sense in keeping the investigation from following her lead,” the Marcus-chimera hissed. “She always wanted my father to help her demolish the Hollows using alchemy. Together they could have decimated the entire section of the town easily.”

 

“Why didn't they?” Ed asked.

 

“No one knows how many homeless people live in those old buildings,” Marcus-chimera stated and Ed realized the truth of the matter. “Mother thought it was a cancer in our town. All evil and backdoor dealings begin and are planned in the Hollows. It is the unsightly part of a town on the edge of citydom.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

The cloaked woman sat across from the trio, her face hidden as she sipped her drink and indicated with her hand that the three speak their minds.

 

“What's in it for us?” the youth stated and the woman actually laughed.

 

“You're asking me, Puppet? I already told you, you're little errand boy is missing, he'll be dead before a year and you'll have to find another alchemist like him,” she stated as she ran her fingertips over the moist rim of her glass, creating an unearthly tone.

 

“Why should we trust you?” the woman of the trio asked and the cloaked woman shrugged.

 

“You shouldn't, well, you shouldn't trust me with your backs, I'd rather send you back to the void than work with you, but this is a necessary evil,” the cloaked woman stated.

 

“Than why do it?” the woman of the trio asked.

 

“I'm cleaning up a mess I allowed to get out of hand far too long ago,” the cloaked woman explained.

 

“And we're just going to trust her, how do we know if she's telling the truth? I mean, the Fullmetal pipsqueak could be fine,” the youth growled as he glared at the cloaked woman.

 

“Because if she's telling the truth then we're going to lose a resource we've but a lot of time and energy into,” the woman of the trio stated, smirking at the cloaked woman.

 

“And if she's lying?” the short, stocky, and final member of the trio asked.

 

“You know the drill,” the woman of the trio said with a nasty smile.

 

“I get to eat her!” the final member giggled and the cloaked woman rested back.

 

“Does this mean you'll come with me?” she sipped her drink, her face still hidden in the void of her cloak.

 

“We'll come, we'll save that brat, and if he isn't in need of saving then you're going to be,” the youth stated as the cloaked woman laughed.

 

“No, you will save the boy and I will take care of his captor,” the cloaked woman growled. “Then you will mysteriously vanish like you always seem to do.”

 

“We'll take care of his captor!” the youth snarled and stood up, trying to intimidate the cloaked woman. She stood up, her head taller than the youth's, as she reached over the table grabbing a lock of his hair before pulling them a breath apart.

 

“No, I have been framed and I will not be denied my revenge. If you take away the boy's captor from me, then I will take away Hohemheim from you,” she growled and the youth paused.

 

“You know where he is?” he whispered with an evil smile. She let him go and sat down.

 

“No, but I know where to start looking and I'm far more likely to find him than you ever are,” she stated before taking another sip of her drink. The youth glared at her before looking at the other two.

 

“Fine, we'll come along,” the woman of the trio stated and the woman held out her hand.

 

“I want your blood on it. You swear to save Edward Elric and leave his captor's fate to me,” the cloaked woman stated and Envy, Lust, and Gluttony slit their hands on one of Lust's nails before allowing the woman to slit her hand and collect their blood.

 

“So, where to, boss?” Envy asked, the sarcasm and hate filling his voice. The woman pulled down her hood and glared at him with lion eyes.

 

“We're going to Laketon, my trio of homunculi,” Woodgrove stated. “Hopefully, we won't be too late.”

 

 

~*~

 

AN: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, I've been very busy. My grandfather's been sick and because I only have classes on Tues and Thurs, I've been taking care of him, I've had papers, tests, and am trying to get a job. My apologies and as always. Enjoy the chapter.