149Chapter 1: Hydrogen
ROY'S P.O.V.
"He...lp..." I heard a small voice faintly whisper out in the darkness of night in the middle of East City.
I was just arriving home from my long tour (too long if you asked me) duty in Ishval A.K.A Hell on earth.
All those lives I put down must be getting to me, to hear whispers of people who aren't really there...
Maybe I should take Riza advice... Talk to someone about the Hell I've been through...
Especially if I'm hearing voices...
"...Some... one... pweaze... he...lp... me..."
As I walked further down the street the smell of copper filled the air, meaning... there was blood near by and a lot of it...
Alright that is no figment of my imagination, someone really needs help... And I'm not going to ignore that especially how weak it the cries sound...
I walked closer toward the cries and found myself at the end of an alley way seeing a sight I never wished to see again...
A small boy no older than two or three was curled against the wall of the flithly alley, his breath labored, his body shaking, and he covered in layers of his own blood, which began to pool underneath him. He was covered in cuts, brusies, gashes, and scars of all shapes and sizes, that ran all over his entire body.
The boy turned slightly and I saw how grave his injuries really were. The boy's left arm from the elbow down was missing and part of the meat of his remaining arm was gone as well showing the raw bone, that was broken in pieces. It looked like someone has methodicilly cut it off...
This was a kid! Who the hell would do this?!
The boy looked up at me with bright green eyes hidden behind broken glasses and he whipsered out, "I-I'll be g-good...pweaze he-help me... I-I'll be... a g-good Fweak..."
I stared in horror as the child spoke...
Forget on wondering who did this, I'm going to find out so I can personally tear them apart! Who would dothis to a child?!
I looked at the boy and saw how pale he was turning as the tears streamed down his bloody face.
He cried out, "I-I'll be g-good... Fweak will be g-good..."
This child... This poor child!
Without a second thought I wrapped him in my officers coat and gentley picked him up, cradled in my arms. Being as careful as I could I began running towards the hospital with the boy wrapped in my arms, wondering who in there right mind would do this... to a little boy...?!
RIZA'S P.O.V.
"Roy? What's going on?" I asked as I arrived at the hospital.
He had called me and said to come as soon as possible and he would explain when I arrived. Well that was the message left to me from the front desk, I had just got back from Ishval myself...
All the State Alchemist were sent home first for their honored service...
He never spoke so urgently, now even in Ishval...
He kept all his emotions from there pent up...
Was that why he was here...? Was he taking my advice and seeking help...?
I looked at him with suprise when I arrived. He usually looked so calm, so in control... Right now he looked like a train hit him.
His black hair was a mess, his skin, two tones lighter than normal, his eyes had a tad bit of fear in them, along with that his officer's coat was missing and his shirt had small bits of dried blood on it.
Did he have an Ishval relapse? Did he accidently hurt someone?
He looked up at me and said quietly, "Riza, you need to hear this."
He motioned me to sit down next to him, and I did so. He then said without looking up in a voice that was almost a whisper, "I was on my way home 3 nights ago when I heard a small cry for help in the form of a whisper... I followed the cries until I found it's source..."
He leaned down and said, "You and I have seen our fare share of Hells in Ishval but... What I saw in that alley... That took my breath away..."
I looked at him and asked, "What did you see Roy?"
He directed me to look inside the door. I carefully peared in through the small window... And my heart sank...
There inside was a little boy no older that three, covered in bandages, machines, IV bags, and cast. His left arm from the shoulder down was gone, and he was covered in brusies and various scars. Even now you could see all the writhing pain the child was in.
He looked like he was in a train accident but... No, Roy found him in a alley way... Meaning someone did this to him and left him there...
I looked back at Roy as he said, "He was barely alive when I found him, his arm looked like someone tried to cut it off with bolt cutters, the doctors have been in there non stop for the last three days. I've only heard bits and pieces of his condition but the doctors say he had too many scars for any boy to have let alone a boy his age, and he severely malnurished. That boy in there is a six year old! SIX!"
I looked at Roy and said, "Dear God..."
He trembled a bit and said, "But the worse of all is what he said... Who ever had him... Actually told him that his name was Freak..."
Those words hit me hard... What kind of monster does that?!
I hissed out, "The bastards..."
He nodded and yelled out, "Who ever those people are, they're going to feel my wrath! Who would do that to a child let alone a boy his age?!"
I looked at him and said, "I'm not sure but I'll be happy to help send those bastards to Hell."
"Roy Mustang."
Roy turned to the doctor as he exited the child's room and he asked, "How is he...?"
The doctor looked at him and said, "He'll survive... We had to amputate the rest of his remaining arm due to the fact the blood wasn't flowing back up... One of the reasons why we've been working non stop to save his life was that he had lost so much blood to begin with... He has several broken ribs, a broken ankle, a large amount of lasorations from what appears to be a kitchen knive. Multiple broken ribs along with heavy brusies. We had a pair of glasses on hand matching the perscirption of his so that when he wakes up he can use those to see with."
He looked at the clipboard and said, "He also had multiple infections and a high running fever which we have him on a steady antibiotic regiment, along with some vitamins to help growth. Along with that we were disturbed to find the boy had a huge amount of scars, bruises, and cuts... All done purposely... As we found the word Freak repeatedly carved into his back and a lighting bolt scar carved into his forehead... The scars are old, but it appears that they have been... Renewed... and recently by the amount of infection there..."
I gawk in shock of what the doctor just say...
How the hell... is there people like that?! Willing enough to carve that into a boy's skin, let alone multiple times!
These bastards are sick! Truly sick to do that to a child especially one his age!
The doctor looked up and said, "That's his physical state but, as for his mental state it's a bit more complex... From what he said before he was sedated and to you, Mr. Mustang, he has been taught that his name is Freak or at least has been called Freak enough to think it's his name. With that he also been taught that he doesn't deserve to be treated like a person... One of the nurses told me that he said, don't hit me too hard... He was expecting her to hit him for her kindness..."
Roy punched the wall in frustraition and said, "What kind of animal does that to a kid?! He's a boy for God sakes! A child who has bearly got to live and now may never get to be a kid... If I ever get my hands on that bastard... I'll... I'll..."
"Mr. Mustang control yourself!" The doctor stated.
Then continued by saying, "The person who did this is in fact a monster but you need to keep in mind that this child is scared... He fears for his life... Any angery outburst or wrong word could send him into shock... Until his wounds heal, the wrong words could kill him..."
Mustang sat down a bit and said with a sigh, "I-I'm sorry... It's just... Wrong... That boy doesn't deserve that..."
The doctor nodded and said, "There's not a doubt in my mind this boy was severely abused Mr. Mustang and by all means once he's healed he'll need a lot of help to undo what they shoved down his throat."
He looked through the door at the child and said, "Though... no matter he'll never be a simple boy that's for certain... He may retain his jumpiness around people and possibly look down on him self as a person... Who ever takes in this boy is going to have to gain his trust... Something that won't be easily won from him..."
That's right... The boy's going to need a place to stay...
I looked at Roy as he prosessed the Doctor's words... He seemed far to concerned...
Perhaps it's because he found him... Or maybe he reminds him of himself...
The doctor looked at Roy and said, "You can go in, he'll be waking up at any moment... Just no loud noises and use calm words... One outburst or word could send him into a panic attack... Which after this... He'll be dealing with them his entire life..."
Roy nodded and said, "Thank you Doctor."
He nodded and walked away with the clipboard in hand.
Roy gently opened the door letting me and himself into the room of the small child.
Roy took a chair and set it along the small boy's bedside looking at the child's broken and beaten face as he slept. He watched as the small's child's chest when up in down with smallest bit of relief.
Roy placed his hand on the boy's black mangly hair and lightly petted the boy trying to bring some sort of comfort. To whom I'm not sure, but I didn't stop it.
Maybe this is what Roy needed... Someone to care for...
He seems to be genreally conserned about the boy... And the boy seems to need some affection...
Maybe this is what they both need...
The boy's eyes began to flutter open as he stirred.
Finally a pair of emeral green orbs stared out at me and Roy squinting a bit to see us.
He squinted a bit more and said in a whisper, "He-Hello...?"
Roy gently picked up the pair of glasses from the side table and placed them on the boy.
The boy blinked a few times as he looked around and said with a stutter, "Wh-Where am I-I...?"
ROY'S P.O.V.
"You're in the hospital... My name is Roy and this is Riza..." I said calmly to the boy as he looked at us.
The boy looked around as he sat up and said in quiet shaky voice, "Hos-bit-tal...? Uncle said, hos-bit-tals aren't for Fweaks l-like m-me..."
His Uncle...?! That's who did this?! His own family did this to him, for God sakes! When I find that man...
Riza looked at him and said, "Well then it's a good thing you aren't a freak young one."
The boy looked up at her confused and said, "I-I'm n-not...?"
I nodded and said, "No you aren't. Freak is a mean word... Your Uncle should have never called you it. Freak isn't something you should call a person..."
He looked down and said, "If I-I'm n-not Fweak... W-Who am-m I-I...?"
I gave a soft smile to the boy and said, "Well that means you get to choose a new name... We can help if you want."
He looked at me with his green eyes glowing behind his messy black hair that fell over his bandaged head. He whispered out softly, "C-Can I be ca-called... N-Nicholas...?"
My eyes widen a bit at the complexity of the name he chose. Maybe there's more to him that we're seeing...
I nodded and said, "Sure, but why do you want to be called that?"
He looked down and said with stutter in his voice, "Well... Wh-When Aunt Tunie t-took Dudley to the li-library to see a bo-book get read every T-Tuesday and Th-Thursday, she made me wait in the other si-side of the library... A ni-nice man named N-Nicholas, taught me st-stuff, like reading and writting... But when Uncle Ver-Vernon and Aunt Tun-Tunie found out... I was locked in my cup-cupboard for a long ti-time... I wasn't allowed to go to the li-library anymore..."
They locked him a cupboard just for learning to read?! What the hell?!
And a cupboard?! He's lived in a small place like that, that is beyond cruel!
He looked down and said, "They didn't li-like it when I-I was b-better at le-learning than Dudley... H-He got to ride to school on the b-bus... Aunt Tun-Tunie drove me half w-way and made me w-walk the rest... D-Dudley had all kinds of fr-friends... No one talk to me... No one..."
Riza looked at him and said, "Nicholas... Why do you stutter like that...? Are you scared of something?"
He looked down and said, "I-I don't know... Uncle Ver-Vernon sl-slammed my he-head into the d-door of m-my cupboard-d one time and I-I've been doing it ev-ever since... H-He g-get's re-real m-mad, wh-when I-I forget-t to g-get the ma-mail..."
A brain injury...? It must have messed with his speech patterns.
This man is a monster for slamming his head in the door... No, he's a monster for existing to make this kid suffer to a Hell worse than Ishval!
Riza looked at him and said, "Well we'll have to try and fix it alright Nicholas?"
He nodded and looked down a bit to the left...
His eyes widen even further as whispered out, "M-My arm... Wh-Where'd i-it g-go...?"
I watched with sadness as the newly named Nicholas searched around his side for his arm until he finally placed his hand on his shoulder. He gasped and looked at his bandage shoulder in sheer horror...
He cried out, "Wh-Why is... Wh-Why is m-my a-arm g-gone...? M-Mr. R-Roy... M-Ms. R-Riza... Wh-Where d-did it g-go...?"
I watched at Riza look at him with sadness in her hazel hawk-like eyes as she said, "Nicholas... When Roy found you part of your arm was missing... And what remained was hurting you really badly... The doctors took off the rest so you could live..."
He held his shoulder in his hand and said, "I st-still feel it... It hu-hurts r-really b-bad..."
So he's in pain...? I'd expect as much... Let's see how bad he is hurting...
I looked at him and said, "Nicholas... On a scale from 1 to 10 can you tell me how much you hurt?"
He look up at me and said, "9... D-Do I-I ne-need to hu-hurt m-more...?"
I stared at the child in shock... He really is expecting to be punished for being hurt...
If there's a God out there give this damn kid a break!
I looked at him and said, "No Nicholas... We just want to know how much medicine to give you..."
He looked back down at his armless shoulder and asked softly, "Wh-When are th-they coming...?"
I looked at him a bit confused and asked, "When is who coming Nicholas?" "Au-Aunt Tunie and Uncle Ver-Vernon... An-Anytime I-I c-come to a d-doctor or sc-school th-they always c-come get m-me..."
He still thinks he's going back to them?! No way in Hell! He's never going back with them! Not if I have anything to say about it! I'll burn them to ash before they even step in the door!
I looked at him, quickly composed myself after a deep breath, and said calmly, "Nicholas, they won't be coming for you... They hurt you really badly, they lost rights to you... You'll never live with them again... They'll never hurt you again... Do you understand?"
He looked up and said quietly, "I-I think s-so... But then... wh-where am-m I go-going...?"
That was the real question...
With his background and injuries, no way in Hell would he survive in an orphanage, let alone the street, and on the other side of the coin who would adopt this boy after all the Hell he experienced...
I looked back at the boy's hauntingly green eyes that just stared into the depths of my soul, as they began to tear up. I felt my heart breaking as small tears fell down his face.
I got a small tissue and began wiping away the little boy's tears, with him staring with amazement. I looked at him and said, "There's no need to cry Nicholas... Really there isn't..."
He just continued to stare back at me with those beuatiful eyes...
I'm I really considering this...?
I just got back from war and now I'm thinking about bringing a child into my life...
He so hurt, so deprived, so lost... Just like me...
I could feel the inner most turmoil as I tried to deside between keeping him or not. I felt like...
"Roy?"
I looked up at Riza as she said, "I know what you're thinking Roy... Do it. For both your sakes do it."
That's all I need to hear... Someone had my back on this...
I looked at little Nicholas and said while taking his tiny little hand into my own and asked, "Nicholas... How would you feel if I took you in and you'd come live with me?"
He looked at me with wide eyes and said in his whipsery voice, "L-Like ad-adopt...?"
I nodded and said, "Yes Nicholas, I would be adopting you. You would become my son and I your father. You would live with me and you'd never have to see your Aunt and Uncle again. You would go by Nicholas Mustang in the eyes of everyone one you meet... "
Riza looked at him and asked, "So Nicholas, do you want Roy to be your new Dad?"
His eyes began to brim with tears a bit as he cried out with joy, "Y-Yes...! Y-Yes...! I-I ne-never h-had a D-Dad or M-Mum... I-I w-wished every ni-night for th-this..."
Tears rolled down his face furiously and said with a heart renching smile, "P-Part of m-my wi-wish is really co-coming tr-true..."
He sat up a bit towards me and embraced me in a one arm hug, sobbing in pure happiness on my shoulder.
I gently hugged the boy back bringing comfort to Nic...
No... Bringing comfort to my son.
He's now my own presious little boy which no one will ever take away from me...
Ever...
DUMBLEDORE'S P.O.V.
Dammit all to hell!
The Blood wards have dropped on Privet Drive!
My weapon has disapeared! How is it possible?!
The Potter brat should still be at the Dursley's house, I had Arabella Figg posted their to make sure he did.
Sure I got monthly letters about the boy's 'treatment', but that made it more easy to manipulate the young boy into my perfect weapon against Tom.
I desided to Apparate to the number 4 house and see for myself what was going on.
I knocked on the door and the horse faced sister of Lily Potter née Evans came to the door, Petunia Dursley née Evans.
She hissed out, "What are YOU doing here?!"
I replied in my grandfatherly tone, "There seems to be a problem with your wards. The reading say that Harry is no longer in your home."
She snarled at me and said, "That's because he isn't! His vanished into thin air after an 'incident' with my Duddykins."
I looked at her and asked with my Legilimens kicking, "What happened?"
She focibly hissed out, "The Freak was trimming the hedges in the back yard with the bolt cutters when he cut off the string of Dudley's kite that was tangled in the bushes."
She evilly smirked and said, "So Vernon came up with a glorious punishment... Let my Dudley re-carve the word 'FREAK' into his back and slash him up a bit... Then Vernon say it was too good for him, that he wouldn't learn his lesson until it stuck to his bones." She began to laugh hysterically and said, "He picked up the bolt cutters and cut part of the boy's arm off! HA! The Freak truly deserved that! But then he disappeared in a flash of blue and white light... Ah, what a good waste of entertainment."
I under estimated the cruelity of this househould... My weapon is gravelly injured...
I need to find it as soon as possible, a dead savior is useless to me.
I looked at her and said while wiping her memory of what she said with my Legilimens, "Well Mrs. Dursley, I'll inform you if he is found, until then the payments on his upkeep will be cut down a little bit."
The money was the Potters, only made since they pay for his stay at their home.
The wicked woman smirked and said sweetly, "Till then... Get the Hell of my door step!"
She slamed the door. I smirked and said, "Now let's find you my boy... Shouldn't keep you from your family shall we?"
Or prevent the prophesy from coming true and letting me rise to glory as well.
