What Lurks Beneath

Eighteen

The tremors finally subsided. Envy was curled over Edward, a living shield. His back still ached from being hit by boulders the size of baseballs. Luckily, the larger debris was deflected by Ed’s alchemy, though Envy wasn’t sure if the alchemy had triggered the first tremor or not. Still, it was nice not to get crushed to death. Envy withdrew form his position and surveyed the damage. Their path wasn’t blocked, not yet, but now it could be a thousand times more dangerous. Envy frowned deeply. When he got out, he swore, no matter where Goetz hid or ran to, Envy would find him and break every last bone in his body while he was still alive.

He heard Edward slowly standing, heard the odd creak of his automail shoulder. The damage was getting worse; Ed wasn’t letting his injured arm rest, so it was probably getting closer and closer to malfunctioning. Then they would have no alchemy, Ed would starve, and Envy would be stuck. He hoped they were getting closer and closer to the exit - or a exit, or somewhere safe enough that Edward could transmute them an exit - but that hope never seemed to pan out.

“C’mon, pipsqueak.” Envy said, his voice echoing. “Let’s get out of here.”

“And go where?” Ed asked. “We’re going to die down here, aren’t we?”

Ed shifted to look back the young alchemist. “We’re not going to die down here. We’re going to get out.”

There was something in Edward’s gold eyes, something Envy had never seen before. It was fear. Not the kind of fear he’d instilled when he’d fought the boy in Laboratory Give, or the kind of fear that came in the heat of battle. No, this fear was the kind that began as a doubt, then festered and grew until it consumed the mind, allowing not thoughts of survival. That alone frightened the homunculus more than he ever would admit. Ed looked away after a moment, then started forward, placing one weary foot in front of the other.

They made decent progress, in between stops so Envy could force raw meat and blood-water down Ed’s gullet or so Ed could get a few minutes sleep while Envy went on, exploring. When he returned, he found Ed staring into the darkness, as if he were catatonic. Then the young alchemist would lurch to his feet and wearily trudge after Envy.

They lost track of time. They didn’t know night from day down here, and their eyes were beginning to finally see in the gloom that surrounded them. They kept the lantern, though, as if the light would finally lead them out of the vast network of caverns. Edward kept his mouth shut, but his worry was starting to become infectious. Now Envy was worrying that they wouldn’t get out, that both would die down here, even if Envy couldn’t die. They just kept walking because it was the only thing they could do.

Ed thought about Alphonse. What would happen to Alphonse when Ed died? And Winry would cry again, so Ed couldn’t let that happen. And then Ed’s thoughts turned inevitably toward the whole reason he was out here. His thoughts focused on Colonel Roy Mustang.

Ed was mature for his age, even if he didn’t act like it all the time. He’d had to grow up fast and hard in a few short years, and his failed human transmutation gave him an insight to the workings of people far more acute than some would like. He’d known for a long while that Mustang was interested in him, far more interested than just a commanding officer. Edward was a genius, after all. He’d recorded mentally each innocent touch or brush of that taller body against his own, each harsh word and action, each glance. The Colonel was interested, but Ed finally began to wonder if he wasn’t interested as well.

He’d given himself very little room to be happy on purpose. He had to get their bodies back - or at least Alphonse’s - before he could just be a kid. But he hadn’t been a kid for a long, long time and he wasn’t sure if he could be one now. He knew for certain, though, that he was going to find Alphonse as soon as he got out of here, and they would go back to Resembool for a while, a vacation. He had to get his automail fixed anyhow. His shoulder ached, and something felt loose within. If it hadn’t been for that shitty Colonel... with his dark eyes... and his dark hair...

Ed shook himself. He would not become a squealing little girl. Roy was handsome, he had to admit. That deep voice was like velvet, and El knew he listened intently to it, and it wasn’t to make sure he heard the orders being given to him. So maybe he was in love with Mustang. Or at least in lust. Ed was a teenager, after all. Never cared enough to use his hand, never cared enough about a girl to let himself get lost in soft flesh. But Mustang... Not that he would ever admit it, even under pain of death, would he admit of having daydreamed being pinned on Roy’s desk by the Colonel. Of having daydreamed what it would be like to be vulnerable, and have sex wit that particular man.

Edward blinked, pausing. Even Envy paused, looking around the small cavern they’d entered. The river they were following disappeared under a great sheet of rock, leaving them alone.

“Are those voices?” Edward asked, looking toward Envy.

The homunculus frowned, listening. There were voices, muffled and indistinguishable. Envy set his hand on the stone wall and listened, putting his ear to the wall. Edward stood nearby, waiting. Too suddenly, the voices stopped and Envy frowned. Why would the voices just stop talking?

Envy got his answer a moment later as the wall exploded inward, flinging Ed and Envy halfway across the cavern, boulders raining down on top of them. There was a flash of alchemical light as Edward molded the stone floor for a shield for himself. He was quick, but the falling debris was quicker. A coconut-sized rock struck his automail shoulder and Edward lost all feeling in his right arm.

When the rumbling subsided, both Ed and Envy were nowhere to be seen. Raymond Goetz stepped into the new opening, bleeding from his forehead. His eyes were wild, crazed. Alchemical light flashed again, as he rebuilt the opening, then took a part of it down, slipping out of his own trap, and closing the wall securely. Then he settled to wait, because Roy would be here soon. He’d made sure of it.