Co-written by LadyWolf.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

This story has a lot of Ed torture. If that bothers you, don't read. The main characters are Ed, Roy, and Izumi. Al is not in this at all. The poem at the end of chapter two is from "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan. The first chapter has been edited from what was first posted. We will continue updating as long as we keep getting reviews! There are no intentional pairings.

Ed stood shakily and turned to face the entrance of the alley where his assailant readily stood. "I'm waiting Edward." The man rose his hand in a "come get me" fashion and Ed all too eagerly rose to the challenge. Clapping his hands together he hit the ground and smiled as dirt rose beneath the man's feet in spikes, impaling him. He even started to laugh as the man's body fell to ground. But his amusement turned to dismay as the stranger stood easily and turned to him, pure hate boiling in those cold blue eyes.

"That wasn't very nice Edward." The stranger rose his hands and threw them forward, shooting spikes at Ed's head. The alchemist dove for cover behind trash bins but one of the spikes still hit his foot, handicapping him for the moment. He swore, biting his lip, forcing the spike out with a push of his hand. He groaned and leaned back against the alley wall, thinking of his options as fast as his exhausted mind could manage. "Damn you Mustang," he muttered under his breath, cursing his superior for correctly having correctly pointed out that he should have gotten more sleep the night before.
And then he felt it. The spikes were more than a nuisance, they were poisonous. The drug flooded into his mind causing more unbelievable drowsiness. He could barely get himself up, though trying was a waste of time as the stranger appeared, stepping up to him like a death sentence. The man smiled and leaned forward, his eyes eagerly searching Ed's face as the boy clapped his hands together, ready to pound this man into oblivion.

He never got the chance. The man immediately grabbed his arms, twisting them at unbelievably painful extremes. "I'm afraid I can't let you get away this time." the man pulled out a knife and turning it at an interesting level, began to cut down into Ed's shoulder. Ed squealed, writhing as the slow process dismembered his automail. He inhaled through clenched teeth, biting his tongue to distract himself. Dread creeped its way into his mind. The man continued his escapade until the metal arm fell to the ground with a clang.

"What the fuck do you want?" Ed panted it out with as much loathing as his hoarse voice could allow him.

"What do you think you silly boy?" The man bent down, not letting go of Ed's collar, and grabbed the arm. He hefted it thoughtfully and leaning back, he smacked Ed with it. The metal fingers scraped against the pale cheek and tore a strand of his golden hair out. The man laughed as Ed started his profanity, dealing a final swift blow that made the boy see black.

He hadn't slept for days. Just lying still hurt his stomach, and sitting was worse. So in the end he had resorted to huddling on the cold steel ground, curled up in a ball, gripping his stomach with one arm as he fought the tears. He tried so hard not to picture the millitary, out there looking for him, and Winry, sleeping calmly in her own soft bed, probably unaware of his plight. He felt once more the ache that had made him go on this mission in the first place. He had tried to fix Al, to bring him back. Ed felt nauseous as he thought of the mangled and bloody lifeless form his attempt had gained him. The words of his teacher echoed in his mind, "You're going to try and correct a mistake by making another one?" For the first time since he had been in this horrid place he let the tears slip through his eyes. Bitterly he wondered how many times in his life he had stepped on God's toes…
More weeks passed and the pain didn't cease. Ed had been resilient, letting the man beat him and cut him, making no sounds, determined to hide his agony. He had almost succeeded but his torturer was merciless. The man would wake him with a brutal kick and then head over to the table to reveal what today's torture would be. And this day was no different. The man returned, his cold eyes studying his captive. But now, he only held a marker. "I never told you I was an alchemist, did I?"

Ed fought the collar around his neck, clawing at it with blood-ridden fingers. He had been the target of alchemy before. He shuddered at the thought of laboratory 5 and his eyes filled with angry tears. He would have been furious if he had any pride left, but now survival was his only thought."No.. Stay back!" He gave up on the collar and tried crawling with his injured arm, dragging himself away as the man approached again. Ed fought with what strength he could gather to his arm, trembling in panic and hyperventilating from the fear. The man didn't say anything, just gave him that famously disturbing smile, bending down and holding his arm back while he drew the circle on the pale forehead.

Ed jolted his head back, trying to mess up the lines, but to no avail. The man clearly anticipated his moves and expertly drew the marker back, leaving no smudges or mistakes. Holding the boys head in one vise-like hand, he finished and touched the lines. Ed's cries had to be forced hard out of vocal chords worn thin by screams this past month. He could barely hear himself. Yet he couldn't stop. The pain from the circle had breached every boundary of tolerance and now had to force their way out of him by whatever means necessary. The more it hurt the more his instincts made him struggle, and the more he struggled the more it hurt, bringing everything back in a full cycle of torment.

Finally, the man grew tired of so easily hurting his prisoner. He withdrew to grab a more crude weapon. He picked his favorite: a dull, carving knife. Ed panted, twisting on the floor. Every part of him ached. And the man wasn't finished, was coming to hurt him more.

"Please...Please don't-" Ed made pathetic noises as the knife began tearing his flesh. The man laughed, encouraging his pleas and shoving the blade down further into his cheek and face, being sure to leave room for another transmutation circle. And that's when Ed heard it, from another room. The squeal of a girl.

"Shut up!" The man momentarily paused in his carving. But the noise came again and Ed heard it painfully clear. He felt like he'd been smacked by a train. The voice was too familiar. Winry.

His torturer stormed out and returned, forcing a gagged and bound Winry forward. He threw her against a wall. "You sick son-" Ed forced himself up as much as possible before the man shoved him back, bashing his head with a metal chain. "Mm?" Winry studied him with panic filled eyes as blood ran down his face, blocking his vision and gracing his last images before oblivion.

When Ed woke up he was on the floor of the room, only chained to the wall by his neck, like a dog as usual. Gazing about, his eyes caught sight of her. Winry, lying face up on the ground in front of him. Her face was blank, her eyes clouded. She was covered in so much blood he could barely tell if she still wore clothes. Revulsion ripped through him and he felt his insides were burning. She was gone. And he was alone again.

"Disturbing isn't it?" The man stepped forward and picked up her arm, severed from her body mercilessly. "Here. I thought you would want a souvenir." he tossed her arm to Ed and the young alchemist ducked away from it as his stomach heaved. When the man finally left him, Ed was barely conscious, still chained to the wall, sobbing and rocking himself as best as he could.