Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Training Edward Elric ❯ The Collar ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: I'm soooo sorry for the wait. I've actually had this done for a while, but I forgot to post it here! Thankyou XO9-C for reviewing because that reminded me that I hadn't put this chapter here yet. (Thankyou to the rest of you as well for reviewing as well. MediaMiner hates me so I am rarely able to send review replies through email…)

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Training Edward Elric

 

Chapter Four

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The Collar

 

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Ed stopped and looked into the room. There were five people waiting for them. They were all dressed in loose gray pants and gray shirts with long sleeves. On the upper right arm of the sleeves was a band of color.

 

Red.

 

Whatever that meant.

 

There were two tables in the room. One near the wall with some…he felt a flash of panic…needles…and other stuff…. The other table was smaller and stood near the center of the room. On it was a small knife and silver circlet.

 

A collar.

 

A collar?

 

“You can still back out,” Mr. Roberts said. “But once you cross the threshold and we shut the door there is no turning back.”

 

Ed turned his gaze to Mustang. The older man's eyes seemed to plead with him to decide against it.

 

Without a word, he walked into the room and shut the door himself.

 

Daniel turned to Mustang and said, “You have everything memorized?” The colonel nodded. “Good, then we can begin.” Mr. Roberts looked back at Ed and pointed to the center of the room where a circle had been drawn. “Please stand in that circle.”

 

Slowly, the young alchemist did as he was told. When he reached the middle of the room he let out a breath he hadn't been aware that he was holding.

 

“Now take off your clothes and lay them on the table.”

 

“What!” Ed exclaimed and looked around. Two of Mr. Robert's assistants were female…

 

“Take off your clothes and lay them on the table.”

 

Hesitantly, the short alchemist did as he was told. First came the long red coat, then the silver lined black jacket, then the black tank top. Even that much was uncomfortable. He didn't relish the thought of showing the scars and automail to people he didn't know… Hesitantly, he began undoing the wide brown belt, then pulled it slowly through the belt loops. He could hear the hissing sound it made as it slid against his pants. The metal buckle clunked on the table when he laid it next to the other clothes.

 

That was where he paused. The young alchemist felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he thought about getting completely naked in front of six people he didn't know and the normally arrogant man who was his commanding officer. But as the silence dragged on, Ed thought that they would probably wait all day without ever saying anything.

 

Swallowing hard, Ed undid the button on his pants and slid the zipper down. He had pulled his tight leather pants down half way before he remembered the boots. Grunting in irritation he sat on the floor, yanked the heavy boots off and tossed them up onto the table before forcing the pants over his feet. His socks caught onto the pants and were halfway off by the time Ed yanked them off.

 

Blushing furiously, the young alchemist stood and, keeping his eyes to the floor, slowly pulled off the gray boxers he was wearing. He wadded them up with his pants and socks and laid the clothes on the table. When the leather pants clunked on the wood, Ed remembered his watch and thought that they'd better not mess with it.

 

“Your hair tie as well,” the director said.

 

Okay... Ed thought in confusion as he slipped the black tie out of his braid.

 

“Very good. I will leave the rest to you Colonel Mustang.”

 

Ed, his eyes still on the floor, listened to the sound of the other man's foot steps as he crossed the room. There was a scraping sound as Mustang picked up the silver collar. The short teen looked over and saw that the man's hand was shaking.

 

“Fullmetal Alchemist, Major Edward Elric,” Mustang whispered in an unsteady voice. “Face me and look into my eyes.”

 

He swallowed, turned, and stared up at the colonel. The taller man looked pale and serious, and Ed almost jumped when he felt a hand brush back a few wisps of his hair from his neck, then something soft surrounding his throat.

 

Soft? Ed was sure that it had been a metal collar he saw.

 

Mustang didn't fasten the collar around Ed's neck. Instead he let it hang there while he picked up the knife. Ed moved his head to look down, but the colonel grabbed his chin. “Keep looking at me,” the older man whispered.

 

The short alchemist looked back into the dark haired man's eyes, then saw the obsidian eyes wince slightly. The sound of the knife dropping back onto the table sounded and suddenly Ed could feel the colonel's fingers holding the collar once again. Something warm dripped onto his collarbone and it trickled wetly down his skin.

 

Blood?

 

Mustang's blood?

 

Ed wanted to ask, but didn't. He was sure that he'd just be told to stay quiet anyway.

 

“Fullmetal Alchemist, Major Edward Elric, I, Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang put this collar around your neck as a sign that you have accepted the responsibility of a State Alchemist certified at the fifth level, and with that, the burden of training.”

 

The dark haired man paused a moment and Ed could see he was thinking about the next thing he had to say.

 

“This collar is not only a symbol of your training, but it is also a representation of the new position you will hold; not only in the military, but also in the relationship we will form from this day on.”

 

He paused.

 

“Do you understand and accept this Edward Elric?”

 

Ed's mind was reeling. The collar was a symbol of his new position? Collars were for… for… animals…and in relation to the military and to Mustang? What the hell? He swallowed painfully. No, he wasn't understanding all of this, but he could probably ask about it later…

 

“Yes,” Ed answered softly.

 

The young alchemist felt the collar being hooked together and he could see a faint glow on Mustang's face for a moment. An array had just been activated. Ed wondered if there was one on the collar, and if so, what was it for? At Mustang's next words, all thoughts of an array left his head.

 

“As your trainer and new master, I understand the responsibilities of caring for a C-5 and will do my best to fulfill those responsibilities until the day of my death or that of yours.”

 

Master? What the fuck? Ed wanted to ask questions; demand answers… but the shock of it all kept him silent.

 

Mr. Roberts walked up beside Mustang and said, “Colonel, if you'll just step over to that table… Don't worry, I promise they've been doing this for years.”

 

The colonel nodded, then looked at Ed and whispered, “Stay here.”

 

The teenager nodded in confusion. He just didn't understand anything that was happening…

 

Mustang walked to the table and sat down, his back to Ed. The blond looked to Daniel, but the man was already walking away from him. The short alchemist reached up and wiped his skin where he had felt the drip. Pulling his hand away, he saw a dark red smear.

 

It was blood.

 

He had hoped it wasn't.

 

Again Ed reached up, but this time it was to touch the collar. When his fingers met cool metal he blinked in surprise. The inside of the collar against his neck felt nothing like metal… Running his fingers lightly along the smooth surface of the right side, Ed felt around until he touched an array engraved into the metal. This part of the collar was also wet… He looked at his hand and wasn't surprised to see more red.

 

Feeling around on the other side of the collar, Ed's fingers touched another engraved array. What he wouldn't have given to study the arrays before Mustang had attached the fucking thing on him…

 

The blond felt his anger rise. Master? No way in hell! He was going to set this straight after…

 

A yell from the table near the wall caught his attention. The shout was followed by a loud groan. One of the females said loud enough for Ed to hear, “This is going to hurt for a while after, but the initial pain is the worst. You shouldn't worry though, he's the best; been doing this forever practically, so it shouldn't take too long.”

 

Ed wasn't sure what they were doing to the man, but whatever it was didn't seem pleasant…

 

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

 

Despite the woman's admonitions that it wouldn't take long, Ed was sure he had been standing there for at least an hour before a man's voice said, “Alright, we're just about done. Just need to do a small transmutation to bind the ink to your skin, or else it will fade rapidly. You don't want to have to do this again.”

 

A small flash of light followed the man's statement, and then the man spoke again. “There you go. That also helped with the bleeding, so you won't need any bandages. They'll be tender for a few days though, so try not to over do it.”

 

Ed saw the dark haired man nod, then get up from the table and make his way back to where the teen was standing. The colonel's face still looked pale, but he also looked tired and worn out. Ed was about to ask what had happened when the director joined them and said, “Come with me and I'll lead you to your room.”

 

Mustang nodded and started following the man, but stopped when he noticed that Ed wasn't following. When the colonel looked back, Ed said, “What? I'm not going out there naked!”

 

The dark haired man sighed in exasperation. “Yes you will. Now come on.”

 

“Hell no!”

 

Mustang closed his eyes, in frustration or exhaustion Ed didn't know. “I really don't want to start this here. You'll be doing us both a favor if you just come.”

 

Again the blond was confused. Start what here?

 

The colonel opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Daniel. “Perhaps we should just have him delivered to your room. This isn't an uncommon thing to happen at this point, and we prefer the first lesson to be in a closed environment.”

 

Mustang stared at the blond long and hard before he nodded.

 

A movement to Ed's right caught his eye and he saw one of the men walking toward him with a small syringe. The young alchemist growled. He hated needles and there was no fucking way he was going to let that man stick him with one.

 

Clapping his hands together, Ed dropped to his knees and slammed his hands to the ground. See how long the guy would be able to walk on a broken up floor!

 

Nothing happened.

 

Ed blinked, then tried again.

 

Nothing.

 

Panic filled him as he tried once more with no success.

 

Suddenly a sharp pain flared near his shoulder blade and Ed saw that in his confusion he had let the man get too close.

 

The world moved and swam in his vision. The teen lifted his hands from the floor to try again, but instead he fell forward. He could hear the director's voice, though it seemed far away.

 

“Don't worry; he'll only be out for ten, maybe fifteen minutes.”

 

The cool ground against his body and cheek seemed distant as he closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness.

 

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