Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Sound of Silence ❯ Rage ( Chapter 7 )

 

The Sound of Silence

 

Chapter Six

 

Rage

 

Ed climbed onto the large pile of bricks and surveyed the damage to the city. It wasn't… that… bad… It could be worse…

 

“Brother...” Al moaned. “You've destroyed more than half the city!”

 

Ed chewed lightly on his lower lip. More than half the city… He was so screwed. Fear pricked at his heart and he felt slightly sick to his stomach.

 

Mustang was not going to like this…

 

“Oh, it's not a big deal, Al,” the fourteen-year-old said, forcing an `I don't care about it' tone.

 

“But, brother…”

 

“But nothin', Al. These people needed new buildings anyway. Who better to pay for it than the military?”

 

His brother turned to face him. “Brother! I can't believe you're taking this so lightly!” he chided.

 

I'm not. “That's because it's not a big deal.” Mustang will be so mad. “Mustang will just piss and moan about it for a while, that's all.” Don't make me go back, Al, Ed silently pleaded; but of course Al only heard the words Ed spoke.

 

“You're so irresponsible!” Alphonse shouted in exasperation.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll just explain it all to him before I give him the report,” Ed muttered, climbing down off the brick pile. “Talk down the damage, you know. Besides, it isn't like it was all my fault. Come on.” Ed waved to his brother to follow him. “Let's go back to the hotel and we can sleep on it until tomorrow.”

 

I'm just putting off the inevitable...

 

“No way! You're supposed to report to the colonel by Thursday. If we don't leave now, then you'll be late. You don't want to make him even angrier, do you?”

 

No...

 

“Oh, Al, don't be ridiculous. It will be fine,” Ed said, and started off toward the hotel, but his brother grabbed him and started carrying him toward the station. “Put me down, Al!”

 

“No! You're being irresponsible again. It's my job to make sure you do what you're supposed to.”

 

“Since when?” Ed growled, giving up the fight. It was no use. He'd let Al have his way. Then his brother would feel like he was able to contribute more...

 

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

 

The sun had just disappeared behind the horizon when Ed pulled open one of the large doors to the main military building in East City. People were walking past him on their way home. It was done. They had put in their time and now they'd go home and…

 

And what?

 

What did normal people do with their time? Ed couldn't say. He'd never been normal.

 

His feet felt heavy, as if blocks of lead were tied to them, and he desperately wanted to wait until morning. But it was Thursday, and he was supposed to report in today. Waiting until tomorrow would only make it worse.

 

Ed shifted his written report to his other hand before pressing the call button for the elevator. As he waited, Ed listened idly to the echoing footsteps and voices of the few remaining people in the building's large foyer.

 

There was a `ping' noise and the elevator doors opened. He was about to step inside when a woman's voice call out to him. He put a hand out to stop the doors from closing, then turned around to see Lieutenant Hawkeye walking quickly toward him with a thick folder. “Are you going to see the colonel?” she asked. When he nodded, she held the folder out to him and asked, “Could you give this to him? I have a dinner appointment, and I don't want to be late.”

 

Ed grinned and took the folder. “Ooooh, a date?”

 

She returned his grin and nodded. “Be sure to tell him to lock up when he leaves. Everyone else has already gone home for the night.”

 

His smile slipped a little at that.

 

Everyone was already gone?

 

She moved to leave, then stopped. “And Edward, I'd recommend not getting sassy with him today. General Hakuro called him into his office for some sort of meeting earlier today and he's been really uptight since then.”

 

Ed nodded and watched her go with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Everyone was already gone, and the man was upset; not exactly the best two combinations.

 

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

 

Ed knocked on the door and when he didn't immediately hear anything he hurriedly turned around and started away; but moments later he heard the door open and a voice said flatly, “Don't even think about it.”

 

Ed stopped, disappointment filling him, but didn't turn around. Mustang didn't sound very happy to see him. He couldn't already know, could he? Ed didn't think so, but…

 

Turning around, Ed forced a smile on his face, and raised a hand. “Yo! Old man! I thought maybe you'd gone home for the night!” he lied. When his commanding officer simply stared at him, Ed's false smile faded.

 

“Inside. Now,” Mustang ordered coldly, then walked into the office.

 

Ed flinched at Mustang's tone, but did as he was told. Might as well get this over with. As he walked into the office, he passed the colonel, who shut the door after Ed was completely inside. He swallowed hard as Mustang pulled a key out and locked the door.

 

A feeling of nervousness pricked at Ed, making him feel a chill tingle uncomfortably over his skin. It wasn't as if he couldn't use his alchemy to leave if he really wanted to, it was just… the principle of the thing… Even though no one was around, Mustang wanted to make sure they weren't disturbed.

 

It was then that the smell hit his senses and he stopped cold.

 

Alcohol.

 

Mustang had been drinking.

 

Drinking at work.

 

It wasn't beer either. It was that other stuff the colonel only drank when something bad happened, or when he was really upset; and even then, that only happened rarely.

 

“Well?” Mustang growled, pulling him out of his thoughts. Ed swallowed hard and made his way toward the two couches that were in the middle of the room, but when he was about to sit on one, Mustang said, “You don't have permission to sit, Fullmetal.”

 

Sighing, he straightened and watched the colonel walk toward his desk. Instead of sitting in his chair, Mustang half sat, half leaned on the front of the desk, then held out his hand. For a moment, Ed wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, then he remembered his report and the documents Hawkeye had given him to take to the colonel.

 

He handed the lieutenant's information over first. Mustang looked down at it and asked, “What's this?”

 

Ed cleared his throat and said, “Hawkeye asked me to bring it to you.”

 

Mustang's eyes narrowed. “I thought you said that you thought I'd gone home.”

 

“Oh, well…” he scrambled to find an excuse, “If I saw you… she told me to give it to you if you were still here…”

 

Anger flashed across Mustang's face as he tossed the folder on his desk. “The lieutenant knew I was working late, Ed.”

 

Ed thought of saying something, but nothing he could think of would help him cover his lie, so he said nothing.

 

When Mustang held out his hand again, Ed sighed heavily and handed over the report. He expected the man to begin reading it, but instead the colonel simply tapped the folder against his leg and stared at him. Though Mustang looked calm, Ed knew him well enough to know rage was bubbling hot beneath the surface.

 

“What happened?” Mustang asked quietly.

 

Ed started giving the story he'd worked up, skirting easily around the parts he'd rather Mustang read than hear directly from him. It wasn't that he was lying—not really—just... not giving the whole truth...

 

Suddenly he stopped when the colonel stepped forward and backhanded him hard across the face, leaving a stinging sensation that spread painfully over his skin. Stunned, Ed blinked back tears of pain and gently laid a hand on his cheek.

 

“What the hell was that for?” Ed yelled, anger and pain lacing together in his voice.

 

“For not telling me the truth,” Mustang growled. “Now start over.”

 

He scowled at his commanding officer, but dropped his hand and started in a different spot. When Mustang started another slap, Ed was ready and grabbed the man's hand with his. Unfortunately, the colonel had anticipated this and was already swinging his other hand.

 

After being backhanded a second time, the teen furiously threw Mustang's hand aside and raged, “If you already knew what happened, why the hell did you want me to tell you anything? It's all in that damned report, so why don't you read that?”

 

“Fuck the report!” the colonel yelled savagely, and threw the folder against the wall, making the papers scatter over the floor. “I wanted to hear it from your own lips! Do you know how much trouble this is causing me, you little shit!”

 

“I don't care!” Ed yelled back. “It wasn't all my fault anyway, so why don't you just fuck off! You can't just start hitting me whenever you want, you know! I want you to just leave me alone!”

 

Except for his heavy breathing, there was silence in the office. Ed's whole body was trembling and he thought he was going to be sick. How long had he wanted to tell Mustang to leave him alone? And now he'd just said it…

 

“I just want you to leave me alone,” he whispered again.

 

The colonel's eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them again Ed could see the black orbs flash with suppressed anger. Mustang pushed himself away from the desk and slowly advanced on his short subordinate.

 

Ed swallowed hard, but stood his ground. Now that he'd said it, he wouldn't unsay it. When the colonel took a hold of his chin, Ed shook the man's hand off, but instantly Mustang grabbed it again, this time more roughly.

 

“You listen to me,” the man hissed. “I'll do whatever the fuck I want with you.”

 

Ed's eyes narrowed with hate. “Get your hands off of me, or I swear I'll show you what kind of damage my automail could do to your face.”

 

Instead of complying, Mustang went on as if he hadn't said anything. “Do you know why I'll do whatever I want with you? Because, if you don't cooperate with me, some very interested parties are going to learn about a certain human transmutation and a very unique soul attachment.”

 

Ed stiffened and he whispered, “You wouldn't…”

 

“Do you want to try me?”

 

Angrily, Ed pushed Mustang away and yelled, “If you tell anyone about that, I'll tell them about what you've been doing with me!”

 

He hadn't really thought about what he was saying until it was said; and when he realized what he'd just threatened, Ed felt the blood drain from his face. Truthfully, he didn't know if he'd be able to go through with it, but maybe Mustang wouldn't know that.

 

The colonel smirked and said, “Oh really? Go ahead. Tell. No one will believe you Ed. I'll just tell everyone that you've been propositioning me, and you're spreading lies about me because I refused you. Who do you think people will believe? Me, an adult, a well-respected colonel, who everyone knows is very much into women, or you—a teenage brat who is only smart when it comes to books, has a very explosive personality, and is willing to lie when it suits him best.”

 

Ed felt tears come involuntarily to his eyes and he tried in vain to force them away. They'd believe the colonel... of course... Mustang was right. No one would believe him. No one would believe that the colonel had ever done anything indecent with him... no one would believe...

 

“But then, none of that would matter once they learned about what you and your brother have done. They'll haul Alphonse off like a prized sample to some lab, just like they would have done with the Tucker girl.”

 

Ed's lower lip trembled slightly at the colonel's words. He couldn't let that happen to his younger brother. He just couldn't… not like Nina…

 

“You bastard,” he said, and a sob broke from him. “You bastard.”

 

Mustang stepped forward, grabbed Ed's chin again, and tilted the boy's face up toward him. “You see, I know you're a very talented fighter, and if you wanted to you could probably beat me at hand to hand combat where no alchemy was involved. Hell, you're a talented alchemist and you can do amazing things with your hands…” At the last few words, Mustang grinned lecherously for a moment, then let it slip before continuing. “But, I have the upper hand, because I have the knowledge and knowledge is power. If I were you, I'd just take your punishment like a good boy and stop giving me problems.”

 

Mustang let go of Ed's face and Ed hung his head in defeat. It wasn't fair. He'd finally been able to tell the bastard to leave him alone. His lower lip trembled slightly and he fought to keep the pain inside. Mustang did have the upper hand. Ed couldn't let anything happen to Al, and even if he did tell someone about him and the colonel, no one would believe him.

 

“Now,” the colonel muttered. “Give me your belt.”

 

Ed lifted his head and looked at the man.

 

His belt?

 

When Ed only stood there and stared, Mustang said, “Your belt. I mean it. Pull down your pants too.”

 

It was then that a thought entered his brain and he felt a cold chill run through him. “What… what are you going to do with it?” Ed asked nervously, hoping he was wrong.

 

“What do you think, Edward? If you're going to behave like a child, then you're going to get punished like one,” Mustang responded flatly, then said quietly, “Your belt... now.”

 

With trembling fingers, Ed unbuckled the wide, heavy belt and pulled it slowly through the belt loops. He could hear a faint hissing sound as leather slid against leather. He held it in his hands and looked at it for a moment. Every part of him screamed at him to either run away or fight—and hadn't he been doing just that for the past two years? Every time he and Al went on a mission, they fought or fled. It had become a part of him.

 

But now he couldn't.

 

For Al.

 

He would do anything for Al.

 

Hesitantly, Ed held the belt out for the colonel to take. Mustang looked at it for a moment, grabbed it, then whispered, “Now your pants.”

 

As Ed began undoing his pants, the colonel walked around his desk, and sat in his chair. Ed looked at the man for a moment, then walked over to him before hesitantly letting his undone pants fall to his ankles.

 

Blood rushed to his face, and he looked away in embarrassment. This was just so humiliating. Ed didn't have to see Mustang's face to know the man would be running his eyes over his exposed body. Ed's eyes flitted to the colonel when he was grabbed around the waist and pulled closer.

 

“Over my knees,” Mustang commanded in a tight voice.

 

Ed hesitated and looked away.

 

He didn't want to.

 

Please don't... he begged silently.

 

Suddenly, the colonel grabbed Ed's hair and savagely pulled his head forward, yelling, “Now, you little son-of-a-bitch!”

 

He yelped and quickly scrambled over the sitting man's knees. Tears formed in his eyes from the pain in his head and from the degrading way he was being treated, but all of that was forgotten when his belt was brought down against his bare skin.

 

Ed screamed in surprise at the sudden excruciating pain. His fingers bit into the colonel's pants and he pressed his face against the man's leg trying to hold back any more reactions. He'd known pain before. The automail surgery was definitely a horrible example, and of course getting his limbs reattached was almost just as bad, but that pain was different. That was a dull hard pain that just drained the body of energy.

 

This pain...

 

This was sharp and hot. It stung like nothing he'd ever experienced. Ed clamped his teeth together as the next blow came. If he had been properly warned, he knew he wouldn't have screamed. Now though... now he refused to yell.

 

Tears flowed freely down his eyes as the belt hit him again and again, not only on his rear, but also on the back of the top part of his legs. Suddenly, Mustang angrily flung the belt across the room, then grabbed onto Ed's boots and, one by one, pulled them off, followed by the dark leather pants.

 

“Now, get up!” he growled viciously.

 

With a small whimper, Ed slid off of the colonel's knees and got shakily to his feet. He felt something hot and wet trickle down his leg. Gingerly, Ed swiped his hand over the burning skin and brought it up to see.

 

Blood.

 

Ed thought that perhaps he should feel worried or upset in some way, but he didn't. He didn't feel anything. Blandly, Ed brought his gaze up to meet Mustang's eyes.

 

“Do you understand what that was for?” Mustang asked furiously.

 

Maybe… Ed thought vaguely, but said nothing.

 

“That was for your fucking recklessness! It was for all the trouble you've caused me, and most of all, it was for lying to me!” The man was practically screaming into Ed's face. Then suddenly Mustang became very calm.

 

It was scary to see how suddenly it happened.

 

The colonel stood up and pushed the chair away before forcing Ed to lie face down on the desk. He didn't even try to resist. What was the point?

 

“And now, Edward, this is for trying to go back on our agreement. You said you wouldn't tell anyone, and I did too. Doesn't your word mean anything to you? I thought we had a deal. You've really let me down Ed. All this time I thought I could trust you, and now you do this. Why do you always have to be such a fucking disappointment?”

 

As hard as Ed tried to hold it back, a sob broke from him. It wasn't true. His word did mean something to him… and… and… he was a disappointment? Ed couldn't say why exactly, but that hurt in a way he couldn't even begin to describe.

 

The sound of a cap snapping met his ears, then almost instantly a lubed finger was shoved roughly up his ass. Ed's eyes widened and he sucked in a sharp breath. The burning inside of him throbbed painfully in sync with the stinging from the spanking.

 

“No! Please...” Ed whimpered, but Mustang ignored him and moments later he felt another finger forcefully invading him. Ed gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.

 

It had been more than a year since the colonel had started sticking his fingers inside of him, but in all that time Mustang had only gotten two fingers in without causing pain. Even then, that was only after lots of stretching and preparation. A few times Mustang had gotten three in, but that never happened without discomfort and a lot of pain.

 

This though...

 

Ed felt sweat trickle down his body from the strain. This was fast and hard. He could feel the man's fingers moving roughly inside of him, trying to quickly stretch him out. When a third finger was added, a tortured groan slipped from him and he pressed his forehead against the desk in an effort to stop any more sounds from escaping.

 

Suddenly the fingers were pulled out and Ed exhaled in sharp relief. It only took a few seconds for him to wish Mustang was still doing his rough preparation. When he felt the head of the colonel's large penis touch his opening, Ed felt cold panic shoot through him.

 

He'd had nightmares about the day when the colonel would finally try to have sex with him this way. Of course, in all his dreams, Mustang had been slow and careful about it, the way he'd been with the fingers all that time. But even then, that was enough to cause him to wake in a cold sweat.

 

Mustang's penis was thick and long, and definitely bigger than three fingers. Ed had never been sure how Mustang thought he'd be able to fit it in such a small space, but now… this… he'd never imagined something like this...

 

Ed fearfully opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to beg for mercy, but he never got a chance. Mustang grabbed Ed's hips tightly and brutally thrust himself inside Ed's small body. The words he'd meant to say came out as an agonized scream.

 

New tears formed in his eyes as his muscles tightened against this cruel and unnatural invasion. The pain was... tight... and… stinging... and... indescribable. His young mind fought against believing what was happening, but his body refused to be ignored. It wasn't only the inside that hurt. After forcing his way in, Mustang had stopped moving, but the friction between the colonel and his tender skin caused a burning that wouldn't go away.

 

Tears streamed down Ed's face and, try as he might to prevent it, a small sob burst from him when the colonel tightened his grip on his hips and began pounding into him. With each stabbing thrust, Ed had to hold back the scream of anguish and pain that threatened to come out. He wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of hearing him scream again.

 

Suddenly, Mustang stopped and brought his lips close to Ed's ear. “Never again, Ed!” the man breathed fiercely. This was followed by another thrust. “You will not threaten me with that ever again!” Another thrust. “Do you understand?” When Ed didn't answer, the colonel grabbed his hair, yanked his head back and yelled, “Answer me, you fucking little whore!”

 

“YES!” Ed screamed loudly. He hadn't meant for it to come out that way, but what little control he had was rapidly slipping away. Mustang released Ed's head with a push and his forehead slammed against the desk. The colonel thrust one last time, and he could hear the man breathing hard as he ejaculated inside of him.

 

They stayed that way for several moments; the sound of Mustang's harsh breathing echoed in his head as the office swayed in his vision. His head pounded and the desk seemed to move beneath him in a way that made him want to throw up. His rear and legs burned from the beating and from the colonel pounding and rubbing against them.

 

And inside… Inside his body… he felt… It was… hot and stinging, like someone had reached inside and tried to rip him apart, and there was this pressure…

 

Excruciating pain…

 

There was no other way to describe it.

 

A sob escaped from him as Mustang slowly pulled out. This was worse than any nightmare he'd ever had.

 

Wet stickiness from inside dribbled down his legs, causing stinging lines in his already burning flesh. He heard a drawer open and suddenly a box of tissues was placed unceremoniously on the desk beside him.

 

“Clean up and get the hell out of here. Just looking at you disgusts me,” Mustang muttered darkly.

 

Ed swallowed hard at the cruel words, and tried to hide the pain they caused, tried to hold himself back from breaking down completely. He had to leave… had to get away… He pushed himself off the desk, stood on wobbly legs, and grabbed a tissue from the box. The first tissue revealed lube, semen, and blood. Ed thought that perhaps he should feel alarmed. This blood wasn't coming from the beating...

 

But he didn't.

 

He felt nothing.

 

After cleaning up the best he could, Ed looked down at his boots and pants in the tired realization that he'd have to bend over to pick them up. His lower lip trembled as he slowly reached down for his pants, trying hard to ignore the new pain his body was registering. Gingerly, he slipped on the clothes and grimaced as the rough fabric slid over his tender skin. Ed stuffed his feet in his boots, and walked over to where his belt was laying on the floor.

 

He didn't want to pick it up, didn't even want to touch it; but Al would wonder why he didn't have his belt on, and someone was bound to notice it lying there. Then they'd wonder why it was there, and...

 

Ed slowly bent and picked it up. A torrent of emotions raged inside of him as he lightly ran his fingers over the leather, but he didn't feel any of them. They crashed against the temporary mental barrier he'd constructed to keep him sane until he could get home—until he was safe.

 

Blankly, he threaded the belt through the loops on his pants, then began crossing the office toward the door. Ed looked at the colonel, who had gulped down whatever alcohol had been left in the bottle he'd been drinking from. The man was now sleeping deeply on one of the couches, oblivious to his subordinate.

 

Ed stood beside the couch for a moment, numbly looking down at the colonel. His head turned back to the desk where he knew the colonel kept the short, knife-like letter opener… He coldly calculated the benefits and drawbacks of murdering the man before deciding against it.

 

It wouldn't work.

 

Mustang's `gifts' provided him with a lot of information that he wouldn't be able to get from anyone else. Besides that he'd probably get caught. And what about Al? Not only could he not bear his brother knowing that he'd killed someone, but he wouldn't be able to help him get his body back if he were in prison.

 

No.

 

It would never work.

 

He decided this must be part of his punishment for his sin. What he'd done was terrible, and Ed supposed that it was only fitting that the path to making things right was also terrible.

 

Besides…

 

Ed didn't think he'd actually be able to kill someone, even someone like Roy Mustang.

 

--

 

Child abuse, or any kind of abuse, is a serious issue. If you, or someone you know, is being abused, please find someone you can trust and tell them.