Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Training Edward Elric ❯ Rules ( Chapter 6 )

-

-

Training Edward Elric

 

Chapter Six

 

Rules

-

-

Ed moaned and rolled over onto his back. He was cold and his body ached. The floor beneath him was hard and he... Suddenly, memories of the night before flooded into his mind and his eyes flew open. The first thing that caught his sight was a dull-gray metal ceiling.

 

Metal...

 

Ed squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again before lifting his hand to rub at his eyes. With a sigh, Ed raised his automail hand up as if to touch it...

 

At least...

 

He'd meant to do that, but nothing happened.

 

The teen's forehead crinkled in confusion and he glanced over to his side. Where his automail arm should have been, there was nothing. Panic began to rise in him as he realized his automail arm was gone.

 

His eyes shifted and he caught sight of heavy metal bars beside him. Caged... His apprehension grew as he remembered the two times the day before that he'd tried to use alchemy but nothing had happened. That was frightening enough, and normally he'd just revert to drawing arrays if someone took his arm, but if clapping his hands together hadn't worked, then what guarantee was there that drawing an array would work either? Besides, he didn't have anything to draw an array with...

 

Footsteps met his ears and a moment later those strange heavy rubber boots came into his sight. Ed looked up to see Mustang staring down at him through the cage. The man was dressed in loose black pants, and a black long-sleeved shirt. The only color that was to be seen was a band of red on the right sleeve. The man said nothing, simply stared at him for a moment, then walked away.

 

Angrily, Ed sat up and groaned when he felt the stiffness in his body. Looking down at himself, he realized he was still naked, but if that wasn't enough, his left leg was missing too! Turning, Ed grabbed one of the bars of the cage and stared out to where Mustang had sat in a chair and was reading that little book of his.

 

“Where's my arm and leg!” he demanded and glanced down again. Not only did he feel angry, but he felt humiliated as well. There was simply no way to cover himself well enough for it to matter... When he got no answer, Ed looked up and yelled, “HEY! I'm talking to you!”

 

Still, Mustang ignored him. Glaring, Ed turned around and pressed his back against the bars. Well, this way, at least, he could hide his front... He tried to think of some way out of this situation, but nothing was coming. As he thought, the teen's mind traveled back to what Mustang had said last night about him being his master.

 

What a load of shit! He was his own master! No one commanded him!

 

Growling angrily, Ed pounded his fist on the floor then turned on his knees and faced the room again. “I want to know what's going on!” he demanded. “That Roberts guy said that you could tell me about this whole C-5 business after that psycho ceremony they had.”

 

The teen frowned when the colonel continued to ignore him. The man shifted in his seat and turned the page in his book. This made Ed even angrier and he yelled, “You bastard! You can't just ignore me, you know!”

 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Mustang lifted his head and looked toward the door before standing and crossing the room. Ed crawled to the side of the cage so that he could see the door. When the colonel opened it, Ed saw a tall woman with short brown hair wearing a white, knee-length skirt, with a white short-sleeved top tucked into the top of the skirt.

 

The woman was holding a tray of... Ed's stomach growled and he licked his lips involuntarily. He didn't know what kind of food was on that tray, but it smelled great.

 

“I've been asked to bring this to you,” the woman said in a docile tone.

 

Mustang nodded and stepped out of her way, then pointed to the bed. “Just put it there.”

 

The woman bowed slightly and murmured, “As you wish, sir.”

 

Ed followed the woman with his eyes and he noticed that she was barefoot and had a band of black around the right sleeve of her arm. The same spot Mustang had his band of red... He watched her set the tray down and as she turned, he pulled himself up by holding onto the bar with his left hand and standing on his right leg, and shouted, “Hey! Hey, you!”

 

So what if he was bare as a baby! If she could help him, then it would be worth the embarrassment. She ignored him, however, and began walking toward the door. He followed her as best as he could in the cage. “Hey, can you help me? This guy is crazy!” As she neared Mustang, the woman did a small curtsey, then left the room.

 

Shutting the door, Mustang glanced at him, then walked beside the cage; though not close enough that Ed could reach out and touch him. “You're being very bad today.”

 

“Fuck you,” Ed snarled, tightening his grip on the bar.

 

The colonel walked the side of the cage to where Ed couldn't see, and a thought flitted though his mind at how odd it was that there were bars all around the cage yet outside the bars, on the sides, there was a sheet of metal and on the back of the cage there was the wall behind the bars.

 

Mustang walked around the side of the cage and toward the bed carrying a small folded table. Unfolding it, the colonel sat on the bed and set it in front of him, then set the tray on the table. Again, Ed's stomach growled as he saw steam rising from the large pile of scrambled eggs, the fat pieces of bacon, the plump sausages, and the thick pieces of crusty toast. A small bowl of green melon pieces lay off to one side, and a tall frosted glass of some sort of red juice sat on the other side. Two small shakers for the salt and pepper sat in front of the plate.

 

“This looks really good,” Mustang murmured as he too looked at the food.

 

“I don't think that's going to be enough for both of us...” Ed said quietly. He suddenly had a feeling that the breakfast wasn't meant for him, but for Mustang only.

 

Mustang didn't grace Ed's comment with a reply; instead, he picked up the fork and took a bite of the eggs before reaching over for the salt and pepper. He tasted it again, then sprinkled a little more pepper on the eggs before setting the shakers down.

 

Without looking at Ed, Mustang said, “You don't deserve to know anything. At this point you should already know what's going on, but since you were stupid and didn't take C-2 training like you were urged to, I am going to be merciful to you.”

 

“You're going to give me some of that food?” Ed quipped hungrily.

 

Again ignoring him, the colonel said, “As I said yesterday, I am your master and you will address me as such.”

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“If you wish to ask me a question you will address me as master. If you want me to acknowledge anything you say, you will address me either as master, or you will use a tone of voice suitable for someone speaking to their master. Doing those is no guarantee that I'll acknowledge you, but you will not be acknowledged at all if you do not follow those guidelines.”

 

Ed scowled. “Fuck you, master.”

 

Mustang glanced at him, raised an eyebrow, then leaned over and pressed his hands to the floor. Suddenly a shock raced through his body and Ed fell with a groan. He was barely able to hold himself up on one knee and one hand and finally he let himself fall to his side before getting to a sitting position.

 

“You will not use my title flippantly. Next time, your punishment will be worse,” Mustang warned flatly.

 

Ed glared painfully at the man, but said nothing.

 

“Now that we've covered that, the next thing you need to know is that you won't get anything to eat until you ask for it,” Mustang said and took a bite of one of the pieces of bacon.

 

“Fine. Give me some food. Now,” Ed demanded, but he was ignored. He was about to start ranting at the man when everything that had been said sunk in. To be acknowledged, he would need to call Mustang `master'. To get food, he needed to ask for it... That meant if he wanted food he'd have to call the colonel...

 

With a grunt, Ed turned and pressed his back against the bars. “I'll starve first,” he muttered.

 

“I'm sure you're wondering why your arm and leg are gone,” the colonel said.

 

“Well, no duh!” Ed muttered.

 

“As I said yesterday, you are property. You own nothing. I own you. Since you forced my hand yesterday, I decided to take yours. I decided to take your leg simply because I could. If you're really good, I might let you have it back soon, but that's really up to you.”

 

“Go to hell,” Ed said, staring dully at the back of his cage.

 

The sound of a fork scraping against a plate sounded in his ears and Ed's stomach reminded him that it still hadn't been fed. The teen sighed. He was sure Mustang wouldn't really let him go very long without food. That would just be cruel. If he could hold out for a day or two, he was sure he'd get something.

 

“There's also the matter of your name,” the colonel said after a moment. “Edward, and Ed are both the names of someone who is free. You are not free. You are property. Perhaps I could say you're my pet, though I really don't think you've earned such a high status.” Mustang paused, then said thoughtfully, “I think I'll call you Eddie.”

 

Ed's eyes widened in hot fury. Turning to face the man, he yelled, “You fucking call me that damn little-kid name and I swear I'll beat the fucking shit out of you, you asshole, son-of-a-bitch, mother-fucking bastard!”

 

Taking a drink of the red juice, Mustang nodded and said, unaffected by Ed's rant, “Yes, I think Eddie will fit you well; a good name for a pet. I'm sure you'll be a good pet once you're trained.”

 

“Pet! You fucker! I'm not being trained to be a damn pet, I'm supposed to be trained as a C-5!” he raged, the anger hot within him. When the colonel ignored him and began eating his fruit, Ed turned around and again put his back to the man. If Mustang thought that he would answer to such name, the bastard had another think coming.

 

“I will take you out to do your `business' three times a day. If you need out more than that, you'll need to ask me,” Mustang said, and Ed scowled. He couldn't be serious!

 

“I'm sure if I pissed out of these bars I could hit your bed,” Ed growled, though whether that was true or not, he didn't know. The bed wasn't exactly close to the cage... Well, if he couldn't hit it, he'd at least be making a point.

 

For a few minutes neither said anything, then Mustang said, “You must memorize this litany.” Then quoted:

 

When my master is happy, I am happy.

When my master is sad, I am sad.

Without my master, my life is nothing, so I will serve him loyally

My master is my only joy. He will care for me as long as I am loyal.

My master has the right to punish me if I ever disobey or displease him.

Whatever my master commands me to do, I will do.

If my master tells me to kill, I will kill, no matter who it is.

My master's word is law, and I will obey him and only him.

 

“I will expect you to recite it before each meal, before I let you out to relieve yourself, and before you are allowed to sleep,” Mustang said, then silently began eating again. Ed thought about what the colonel said in horror. If my master tells me to kill? The other lines were unbelievable, and he almost wanted to laugh at them, but that one... That one line stood out above all others. Would he be expected to kill someone to get his C-5 rank?

 

Ed turned around and grabbed a hold of one of the bars, his anger over the new name forgotten in his worry. “I changed my mind! I don't want to do this! Just let me out and let's go back to Central, okay? You never said I'd have to kill someone! It's not worth it to me if I have to take someone else's life!” he pleaded, but the colonel only continued eating, studiously ignoring him.

 

“You bastard! Let me out!” He tried to shake the bars but it was no use. After a few minutes he let go and pressed his back against the bars once more. Sitting despondently on the floor, Ed tried to be angry, but he couldn't. For the first time since he'd started this, he was truly worried. He and Al had always said that they only wanted to get things right as long as it didn't come at the expense of other people's lives...

 

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

 

Why does Ed have to be so stubborn? I suppose I don't blame him. If I hadn't known what was going on when they did that part of the C-3 training...

 

As I sit here, writing this entry, Ed is just silently sitting in his cage. For now, that's fine. I feel too sick to try handling anything right now anyway.

 

The breakfast they served me was incredible, but I had to force it down. Even now, I feel as if I could throw up, but I needed to eat it to make a point. I know Ed is hungry. If he didn't whine about it, his stomach is loud enough that it would alert me. I felt so evil, sitting there in front of him, eating my breakfast while he had nothing. I wonder how many days Ed will wait before he finally caves in and asks for something to eat.

 

Probably not as long as it will be before he begs for sleep...

 

I really don't look forward to that.

 

I wanted to give into Ed when he begged me to let him return to Central on the chance that he might have to kill someone to obtain his certification. It's amazing that the threat of horrible unknown things being done to him seemed not to faze him at all, but to think that he'd have to harm someone else...

 

I suppose that really shows how kind Ed truly is.

 

I hope someday he'll forgive me for what I'm going to do to him.

 

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

 

Ed stared dully at the large bowl filled with water to the side of his cage. It looked like a dog dish. He'd been staring at it for the last hour since his `conversation' with Mustang. Apparently the `no food' rule didn't apply to water...but, a dog dish?

 

Frowning, Ed looked back over his shoulder to where Mustang was writing in some book. When he was sure the man wasn't watching him, the teen clumsily crawled over to the bowl, sat down by it and tried to pick it up off the floor.

 

Frustration and embarrassment filled him when he found that the metal dish was welded to the metal floor of the cage. If he was thirsty, he'd have to drink out of it like... A sound caught his attention and he looked up to see the colonel walking toward him. Ed scowled and turned his back to the man.

 

“Alright, Eddie,” Mustang said softly. “If you need to take care of business, now is the time.”

 

Ed turned and growled furiously at the colonel. `Eddie' was not an acceptable thing to call him. “Don't call me that, you bastard!” Ed yelled as the man looked down at him with folded arms.

 

Ignoring the teen's protests, Mustang said, “You need to recite the litany before I'll let you out. Since we're just starting, I'll say it and you repeat after me.” The colonel said the first line, but Ed simply glared at him. If that fuck head thought he'd ever say those words, he was mistaken.

 

After waiting almost two minutes for Ed to repeat the words, Mustang shook his head and said, “I see. I guess you don't need to use the restroom,” before walking back to his chair to scribble in that book of his... Ed watched him go with a wary gaze. Actually... he did need to go... He'd hold it until he couldn't anymore, then he'd show the bastard what he thought of his rules.

 

Looking down at the dish of water, Ed scowled at it. He wasn't going to drink out of that bowl like an animal either.

 

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

 

I don't like that look in his eyes. He's up to something... I have a bad feeling that I know what he's about and I don't think he's going to like the consequences...

 

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

 

Ed silently tapped his fingers on the floor and stared hard at Mustang. He was reading that little book again. If he wasn't writing in the other book, he was reading in the little on. Again, curiosity grabbed a hold of him and he wondered why the man wasn't doing anything else. Surely he must have something to do...

 

Well, that really didn't matter right now. What mattered was that for the first time that day, Mustang didn't seem to be watching him. Of course if he got up, that would probably change, but maybe if he just got on one knee? No, he'd stand.

 

Watching the colonel for any sign that he was watching, Ed pulled himself up on his knee, then pulled himself to a standing position by holding onto the bar. Mustang still seemed to be paying more attention to his little book than to him so he leaned against the bars to steady himself, then reached down, grabbed himself and said, “Yo! Asshole! This is what I think of your rules!”

 

At that, he started relieving himself. The stream of urine didn't reach to the bed, but it did make a nice little puddle at the foot of it. Suddenly Mustang pressed his hands to the ground and a moment later a shock surged through his body, not just from where his foot was connected to the metal ground, and where his shoulder connected to the metal bar, but also from his penis; the current making its way from the liquid on the metal floor to him.

 

It was odd how one moment he seemed to be standing and the next he was laying huddled on the floor. He couldn't even remember it happening. His hand was still holding onto his sex and he suddenly realized the intense pain he was feeling in his groin was partially from him squeezing.

 

He released his grip and let his hand fall to the floor where he felt warm liquid against his skin. He felt a slight sense of humiliation when he realized that his body must have released the rest of the urine as he was laying there. If he had been in less pain, he was sure he'd feel much more embarrassed than what he did, but he wasn't.

 

His skin stung where it had been connected to the metal floor and bars. The tip of his penis burned furiously, and the head throbbed. His balls had retracted, feeling tight as if his body were trying to protect that vital area. Waves of pain emanated from his groin and he thought that if he'd been kicked there with steel-toe boots, it would be a much more pleasant experience.

 

He couldn't seem to get any breath and his vision was white and fuzzy. Though the pain was staring to fade from the other parts of his body, it still remained, hot and stabbing, in his groin.

 

For a long time, it felt like an eternity but for all Ed knew it could have been five minutes, he laid there on the floor of his cage as his vision and breath slowly came to him. As the pain lessoned in his lower region he realized his whole body was shivering. The pungent smell of urine hit his nose as he was finally able to breathe in a non-gasping manner.

 

His eyes lifted and he saw Mustang standing outside the cage looking in at him with a blank expression on his face before blackness started to creep in on him and Ed embraced it. He didn't want to be awake, he wanted to sleep. He wanted to escape the pain and the reality of his situation. At that moment, a small shock when through Ed's body, enough to startle his mind and keep him from passing out.

 

“I don't think so,” the colonel said in an even voice. “Before you go to sleep, you need to recite the litany.

 

“The... litany...?” Ed croaked, then he remembered. His body begged him to do it. Just recite it, just say what Mustang wanted him to say so that he could escape this new hell, but his pride wouldn't let him. Instead he croaked, “Fuck you.” He closed his eyes and opened them when another small shock passed through him.

 

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

 

After Ed's defiance, I had to call in some of the workers on this floor to come clean up his mess. I wanted to have them clean Ed as well, but I didn't. I couldn't. Fortunately, he didn't get too much in his cage. He's not going to smell very good for a while though. Not the greatest for me, but I'll deal with it. I only hope his stubbornness doesn't lead to him getting sores on his body.

 

I actually felt real sympathy pains for him. I can't imagine what that must have felt like, but I'm sure it was extremely painful. I swear I feel a small twinge of pain in my own cock just thinking about it.

 

At the moment I'm watching Ed closely. He seems to want sleep, but I need to keep him awake. He'll need to be watched constantly as his body gets weaker from lack of food as well. He hasn't been drinking out of his water dish so he might get a little dehydrated too, but I think his survival instincts will take over and he'll drink some of the water soon. Maybe not today, but probably tomorrow.

 

My only hope is that after that demonstration, he'll recite the stupid litany so that he can at least take care of his business and I can give him a bath. I don't want another repeat of what just happened. Really I don't know if I can handle it.

 

Soon they're going to come bring me my lunch, but I really have no appetite for it. I can't let Ed know that though, so I'll have to force myself to eat as much of it as I can...

 

Ed... If only you knew how much I wanted to just take you out of that cage, give you your clothes and get on a train back to Central with you. But I can't. You asked for this, and I agreed to it. Now we both have to do our part...

 

--

Please Review.