Fic: Finding Sunshine After Rain (ch 9)
Oh my God, I updated! O.O I'm hoping to update this more often in the future, since I really want to finish it soon. Also, this is my absolute favorite chapter, so enjoy!
Title: Finding Sunshine After Rain
Rating: R
Pairing: Edwin
Series: Anime 1. But there will be a few shout-outs to Brotherhood
Summary: In order to get revenge on the FullMetal Alchemist, someone sends Winry over to the other side of the gate and forces her to act like another Earth-lookalike of herself, but there's more at stake than just a broken heart...
chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7 chapter 8
“What’s this about, Masten?” Ed glared, plopping down in the chair before the sergent’s desk. “And what’s he doing here?” he demanded, pointing at Lang, leaning against the wall with the usual grin on his face.
“He helped me out with my investigation,” Masten explained.
“What investigation?” Did it have to do with that Smith guy?
He was right. Resting his chin against his folded hands, Masten began, “I’ve been informed by my sources that someone named ‘Smith’ is stalking you.”
“Tch,” Ed waved it off. “Just some weirdo. I can handle it. Dunno why you’re bothering to look into it.”
“I’m looking into it because this man has already proven he’s not against harming others in his plans to seek revenge. This isn’t just about you anymore, Elric. Innocent people could get hurt now.” Ed’s eyes sank to the floor. Yes, he knew…Smith or whatever was a dangerous man, but that didn’t mean he wanted to work with Masten about it.
The more Masten dug into it, the more he might find out, and if he found out too much-
“You know something Elric, I know you do. And you are going to tell me.”
He was caught.
Ed glared back at Masten, gritting his teeth. “Really? And how did you come to that conclusion, Sergeant Bastard?”
“I…might have followed you the other day and told everything to him,” Lang said, twiddling his fingers innocently.
Ed growled at him, about to shout a few choice words his way, but Masten caught his attention again. “We know you conversed with him. We’re not sure what you talked about, but we know you know more than you’re telling us. And you are going to tell me. Now.”
Ed stood up, folding his arms across his chest. “You can’t make me. I’m out of here.”
He turned for the door, and that was when Masten slammed papers on his desk. Ed saw them through his peripheral vision; his and Al’s birth faked birth certificates. “You know, I’m still surprised you two were able to get into country with this,” Masten smirked, peeling off the cheap gilded seal off the bottom of Al’s. “I could have you deported for this, you know.”
Ed’s fingers formed a fist, and he snarled, “That’s dirty-”
“If it’s what works,” Masten said, his smirk falling. “The longer you keep silent, the more danger you put innocents in, do you realize that?”
Ed continued to glare Masten down; fucking bastard sergeant, bastard dirty tactics with his bastard theories-Damnit, he didn’t owe him anything! He didn’t ask for help! How dare he threaten them when-
“That girl Wendy, she is an illegal as well, isn’t she,” Masten said casually, taking Ed and Al’s birth certificates off the table. “Once you two are gone, it wouldn’t be long for immigration officials to come looking for her, wouldn’t you agree-”
Wham!
Ed’s metal fist had slammed on Masten’s desk, rattling the sergent’s pens and papers. Ed’s fist shook slightly as he glowered at the man, before flumping back down into the chair. Damnit. No way around it now-Bastard!
“Ready to explain what’s going on?” Masten asked, his sly tone replaced with one of concern. “I’m here to help, Elric. Just explain what the Hell is going on and I’ll do anything I can.”
Ed’s glare faded He glanced down at his lap; hands folded. For a brief moment, his eyes lingered on that slight hint of his metal arm underneath the white glove. “Heh. Guess you’re not so stupid after all, are you? You guessed right; Al and I…we’re not from Germany.”
Masten leaned back in his chair, reaching for his mug of tea. “But you were in Germany before, weren’t you? There was a bit of a scuffle with the German police…”
“Yeah…” Ed sighed; he didn’t want anyone here to find out. People finding out only led to bad things…But it couldn’t be helped now. Innocent people-Wendy-were involved now. “Five years ago, I came from my home country to Germany. I didn’t intend it but…I can’t help what happened. My brother Al came two years later. We’ve been trying to find our way back home ever since but…I dunno if we ever will.”
Masten sipped his tea, his gaze never once leaving Ed’s-he must be picking up on it. “And your home country is?”
Amber eyes stared back at him. “A place not on this world.”
The slight twitch in Masten’s eyebrow was the only giveaway that he was surprised. He had a reputation to keep up, after all. “Your world and mine are connected, by a gate-you can’t normally get through this gate but…five years ago, I made it through. My brother came through two years later. But unless we find a miracle, we won’t be able to get back. You’re-you’re not supposed to be able to get through the gate alive.”
Masten set his tea down, clearing his throat. “So this man, ‘Smith’. He seemed to know you. Is he also-”
“Yeah, he’s from my world,” Ed swallowed. “I don’t know how he got through the gate, but he must’ve done it a different way. In my world, we can do this thing called alchemy. It’s like…the power to manipulate atoms to your will, I suppose. I was an alchemist back in my world. But here, it doesn’t work. I tried so many times, but it’s impossible to do alchemy here.”
“Alchemy…” Lang repeated, “Smith did something once-I saw him transform the ground into a shield. There were read sparks-”
Ed nodded. “That’s alchemy. But like I said, it’s not supposed to work here. I don’t know how he’s doing it.”
“Hmm…” Masten tapped a finger on his desk, causing tiny waves in his cup of tea. “Alchemy…another world…It’s so unbelievable that I’m forced to believe it. But that doesn’t answer the question, Elric-why does this Smtih seem to have a grudge for you?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Ed, lowering his eyes. “He says he came here to take revenge on me, but…” He remembered Smith’s words, “Rack your brains, Fullmetal Alchemist. You should be able to find something.” “I don’t know why.”
“If you don’t know why, I suppose threatening you won’t be of any help,” Masten sighed, looking wistfully at the folder where he had stuffed Ed and Al’s faked birth certificates.
“Yeah, Smartass, so don’t you dare-”
“Relax, Elric, I’ve gotten all the information I need now,” Masten said, grabbing a pen and a notebook off a table. “All that’s left is the matter of security.
“Security?”
The sergeant nodded. “Since this man is after you, it’s not safe for you, Alphonse, or apparently the Miss Wendy.”
“Al and I are fine, thanks very much. And…Wendy…” he gulped. “She’s staying at Madame’s. Isn’t that enough?”
“Since that shooting at the bar, apparently not.”
Ed grunted. Masten had a point.
Masten began writing something on the notepad. “I can draw up a security detail for you-”
“What? No!” Ed folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I can handle this Smith on my own. Your people don’t understand alchemy-one wrong move, and you could be slaughtered! Al and I know what we’re dealing with-we can handle it.”
Masten paused his pen, looking up at Ed. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”
“Well, deal with it! I’m not going to have a bunch of your little toadies following me around!”
“Ed might be right,” Lang interjected, stepping closer to Masten’s desk. “A team of police agents isn’t very subtle. It might attract unwanted attention and have the opposite effect. Since Ed seems to know what he’s doing, why not have Miss Wendy stay with them? I’m sure he’d protect her.”
Ed’s cheeks flushed as he stammered, “Wendy? Stay with m-me? But that’s-that’s not-proper!” Besides, the very idea of it might just get him clobbered with a wrench-um, maybe a bar mug instead-over the head.
Whatever Masten had been writing, he gave up on it, crumpling the paper up and throwing it over his shoulder. “Elric, when you’ve already slept with the girl, I don’t think it being ‘proper’ is an issue anymore.”
Ed made a squeaking noise, sputtered, and nearly fell out of his chair as he yelled, red faced, “Does everyone know about that?”
“Yes?” Lang grinned, amused.
Ed groaned, hiding his face in his hands, willing his embarrassment to go away. “Okay, okay, fine. Al and I will-we’ll find some accommodations for Wendy. Happy?”
“That’s what I should be asking you,” Masten said, reaching into a desk drawer. “But since you’re stubborn and won’t accept my help, maybe you’ll accept this,” he took out something from the drawer, and placed it on the desk with a metallic clatter. It was a gun.
Ed stared at it. “I don’t like guns. Guns hurt people.”
“Don’t think of it as a weapon that kills,” Masten said, sliding it closer to him. “Think of it as a tool for your protection.”
Ed hesitantly reached a hand towards it, picking it up. It felt cold and hard in his hands. The edges were sharp, unforgiving. He never liked guns; while alchemy was something that could be used to hurt, it had many uses for good as well. But guns…they wounded. They killed. He didn’t see any good use for a gun.
But here in this world he didn’t have alchemy, did he? He didn’t have a choice. With one last look at Masten, he pocketed the gun.
Ed stood up from his chair, sure the interview was over. “Well, thanks, I guess. But if your people find Smith, don’t try to take him on; he’ll destroy you. Leave him to me; I’m the one he wants, anyway.”
Masten nodded, “I’ll tell my people that. Thanks.” Masten noticed he was about to leave and said, “Wait, Elric, one more thing.” Ed stopped on his heel and looked back. “While researching you and Alphonse, I noticed I could not find any trace of a ‘Wendy’ in any German immigration documents.”
“Well, she has amnesia, doesn’t she? She can’t even remember her last name.”
“That’s true, but there were no records of any German immigrants missing, particularly with her looks. I scoured lists of recent immigrants, but I could find no mention of her. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
Ed sighed, “Look, Masten, she told me her parents are dead. She could’ve come alone. That way, there wouldn’t be any missing records, right? Besides, you said yourself you suspected she got here illegally, so why are you looking for records in the first place?”
Masten continued to give him a strange look. A look of…urging? Ed wasn’t sure… “I suppose. Or maybe…”
“Or maybe what?”
Masten gave it a second’s pause before shaking his head. “Nevermind. Just some thoughts. You can go.”
“Right.”
Masten and Lang waited until Ed shut the office door before exchanging looks. “He’s really stubborn, isn’t he?” said Lang, as Masten nodded.
Ed turned the gun over in his hand, looking over it as he sat at Madame’s bar, idly drinking his beer. Al had gone down to Chinatown to hang out with this girl he found that seemed to have a bit of a crush on him.
Ed rolled his eyes. He told Al they needed to stick together and be careful, and Al promised he would-but first, he wanted to go find this girl (“his little girlfriend” Ed had teased him) and explain to her he wouldn’t be able to visit in a while. Ed was reluctant to let his little brother go by himself, but Al had won the argument (“Ed, I can’t talk to her while you’re there! Jeez!”). Ed only caved once he made Al promise to be back before midnight or he was going after him.
Once Al got back, he was going to make sure he never let his little brother out of his sight. Well, him, and Wendy…
Ed cast a glance across the room, catching the blonde as she leaned over to clean a table, her lips slightly pursed as she continued…
Ed shook his head. No. He wasn’t gonna think about that now. He’d have to tell her the plans eventually tonight, but for now, he wanted to put it off.
It was easier, not thinking about it until later. For now…
He looked back at the gun in his hands.
He still wasn’t sure about using it-guns were weapons, meant to hurt people. He didn’t like having to rely on one to save himself-save everyone else. But what choice did he have? He didn’t have alchemy in this world.
Ed sighed, setting the gun back down at the bar, and glancing about the room again. Wendy had finished cleaning the table, now picking up empty glasses off another. She straightened up, placing the glasses on her tray-and then looked right at him.
Ed blushed, quickly looking away. It didn’t matter; she had noticed. And, as usual, she had to come check. “Hey, are you upset? You looked like you were thinking hard about something…”
“No,” Ed said, though he knew it was a lie. Right now, he had too much on his plate, and he wasn’t about to share it all with Wendy. He didn’t want to worry her about Smith-besides, being from this world, how could she even understand what a danger he was to all of them? Also, if he succeeded, if he took down Smith…perhaps he could learn his secret to crossing the gate.
Perhaps he could learn how to go home.
And if he and Al went back to Amestris, he’d never see her again.
Yes, as he told himself, a thousand times, he wanted to go home and see Winry. More than anything. But all the same…he glanced at Wendy out of the corner of his eye, still looking concerned. She looked and felt so much like Winry but…she wasn’t.
She just wasn’t.
She didn’t grow up with him…she didn’t have all that history…no matter what they had been through here on this Earth, she could never replace Winry. He could stay here, stay with Wendy, yes, be loved, but…he’d always wonder.
Always have that bit of regret.
What if Winry was waiting, back in Amestris, and he never returned?
And if he went back to Amestris…what if he and Al finally went back, but Winry had moved on? There was no guarantee she waited for him like he waited for her. He would lose both of them.
“Ed, please tell me what’s wrong,” Wendy asked, sidling closer to him. “I want to help.”
But you’re part of the problem.
“You can’t help,” he said, hoping that would be the end of it.
She slammed her tray on the counter, the empty glasses clinking against each other. “Don’t do that,” she said, glaring at him. “I want to help you, Ed. Don’t shut me out when I know something is bothering you. Now what is it?”
If it had been Winry, he would’ve caved and admitted it. Winry…for so many years, he had lied to her, hidden things from her. After all this…she deserved to know. But Wendy…
“Look, Wendy, I’m just dealing with some stuff, all right? But I can handle it-” He was about to tell her that the danger was bigger than him now, and she’d have to come live with him and Al in his apartment until it passed.
He didn’t get the chance to even start, because Wendy shouted, “Edward Elric, don’t treat me like this! If something’s going on, I deserve-”
Deserve? Winry deserved to know, yes, but Wendy? She wasn’t Winry. She wasn’t-!
All that anger and frustration and anxiety and pent up feeling after feeling exploded as Ed slammed his hand on the counter, yelling, “Listen, Wendy, just because we-you know-doesn’t mean that I need to share everything about my life with you!”
The second he heard that little gasp, saw the hurt in her blue eyes, he regretted it. “Wendy…”
Though Ed spotted tears in her eyes, Wendy didn’t take long in lashing back, “Why do you have to do this? You’ve always been like this? Always! Always trying to keep quiet about your problems, even though I’m here to help! You’ve been like this forever! Ever since-” Upon seeing his confusion, her eyes widened slightly, and she stopped. Swallowed. “Fine. If you don’t want to tell me…that’s fine. It’s not-it’s not like I expected you to treat me any different now, anyway.”
“Wendy, wait-”
She grabbed her tray off the counter, glaring, “Just because we slept together doesn’t have to mean anything, right? I should’ve known.”
“It’s not like that-!”
“Then what is it like, Edward Elric?” Wendy snapped, giving him an intense glare that could only ever be matched by his own. “Maybe I’m getting a bit tired of you hiding things from me all the time. I’m your friend. But if you’re not even going to explain to me when something’s really wrong, then fine. Be that way! I know where I stand.”
“I told you it’s not like that,” Ed snapped, grabbing a side of the heavy tray, pulling her back. The glasses clinked and slid dangerously close to the edge as he yelled, “Wendy, will you just listen-!”
“Why should I? You’ll just say the same old things!”
“But how am I supposed to explain if you won’t let me-”
He stopped himself there. Explain…explain what? If he tried to explain Smith, then he’d end up explaining everything like he did to Masten. How could he explain about everything to Wendy when he might-even accidentally-bring up Winry in the telling of it?
Then she’d know. She’d probably think that he was using her as a replacement for Winry and then…then she’d hate him. Yes, it was better that Wendy never knew.
But lying to her…that was wrong, wasn’t it? If he was honest, he’d lose her too.
Though if he was honest with himself, Wendy-and Winry-were never his in the first place. Neither of them were destined for him, it seemed.
Alone…yes, for everyone around him, that was safest. But…
Oh God, there he was, at it again. Unable to decide. Wallowing in his misery. This thing with Smith had fucked him up so much. Well, even without Smith, the situation was pretty fucked up.
Because no matter which way he choose, he’d end up regretting it. There was no right answer. Both answers were wrong in their own way.
Ed didn’t believe in fate, but it would be nice if the universe would just hurry up and give him a hint so he didn’t have to live this agony every same damn day-
“Come out, FullMetal Alchemist,” echoed a voice throughout the bar.
Patrons screamed, Wendy gasped, Ed looked around. There! High on the wall, transmuted megaphone still emitted the red alchemy sparks. Ed looked toward the door-Smith was out there.
“Ed!” Wendy grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Wait, what are you-?” She looked shocked-worried-but why was she? She didn’t know what “FullMetal Alchemist” meant, right? She didn’t know Smith was calling him. She didn’t know he would have to answer the call to keep them all-her included-safe.
He pulled out of her grip. “Sorry-I’ll be back soon. Stay here!”
He ran out of the bar. He didn’t see Wendy’s eyes drift toward the gun he left on the counter…
As soon as Ed had run outside, he heard Smith say, “I’ll be waiting at the usual place, FullMetal. Come and find me.”
Even though Ed knew it was probably a trap, that Smith had called him specifically to torment him, Ed couldn’t back down from the challenge. Putting it off only put Al and Wendy in danger.
As long as he had people here he cared about, they were in danger. He wouldn’t let Smith get his hands on him. He’d beat that bastard to a pulp before he had a chance to touch them!Ed found the place easily. It looked the same as before, with dusty barrels and ladders hidden in the corners, except the transmutation circle he had spotted once was gone; scrubbed off the cracked concrete. Damnit, he was hoping if he saw it again, he might get more ideas…
“So, you made it here,” Smith spoke from the darkness.
Ed raised an eyebrow to the darkness. “Are you really there, or are you another megaphone? That trick was pretty boring once I figured it out.”
“Oh no, I am here now, FullMetal,” As he said it, a figure emerged from the shadows. He appeared; a brown haired man with brown eyes, he didn’t look all that remarkable. Ed searched his brains, but felt that he had never met this man before. “I am here to face you, like you wanted.”
“Fine. Just tell me what you want with me,” Ed growled. “It’s getting pretty annoying having you stalk me if you’re not going to give a reason, damnit.”
Smith threw his head back and laughed. “Mad already, are you? Does it hurt, FullMetal, seeing the shadow of the girl you once loved and yet know she will never be her?”
“Stop fucking with me!” Ed roared, clenching his fists and getting into a fighting stance. “I thought you wanted to fight, not talk. Or are you too much of a coward to-”
Ed was cut off as a flash of red sparks shot up from the floor. Ed saw it and dodged, missing stone spikes by inches. This was gonna be difficult-
“Don’t tell me what to do, FullMetal! It’s all you deserve!” Smith raised his hands once again, and the floor gave an earthly groan as he sent concrete spikes at Ed once more. Ed jumped back, glad he could still move as fast as he used to. “Seeing the pain of a lost loved one, and knowing it will never, ever be her-for your crime, that suffering is perfect for you!”
“What crime?” Ed yelled back, ducking as a stone spike sailed for his head. “What did I do? Tell me, damnit!”
“It’s for what you did to me! To countless others!” A stone fist shot up under him with a crash-Ed jumped off it just in time and landed hard on the floor.
“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Of course you don’t-it’s worse because you don’t know, because you never knew-and yet the cause of our suffering is yours!”
“Tell me, damnit!” Smith responded by shooting another rock spike at him, and Ed barely jumped out of the way-there was a loud riiiip as the spike impaled his brown overcoat. Ed cursed and shrugged off the ruined coat, discarding his white gloves and rolling up his shirt sleeves past his elbows. “You can’t just yell at me for something I don’t even remember doing!”
Smith glared, extending his arms once again, the alchemy circles on the backs of his hands on full display, “Because of you, FullMetal Alchemist, my lover is now gone-everything left for me in Amestris is gone! For that, I’ll do the same to you!”
“What can you do, huh?” Ed roared back, sick of this insane man’s ramblings. “I have no life in Amestris! I can never go back; you should know that! Why do you care? What the Hell could you do to me to make it worse than it is?”
Ed was in the middle of yelling his thoughts. He didn’t see the red sparks in the corner of his eye until it was too late. He tried to dodge-but he couldn’t dodge completely out of the way.
Ed cried out in pain as a transmuted pipe impaled him in the shoulder.
He slumped to the ground, pain swirling in his head and vision and feeling warm blood trickle down his arm...down his chest…a blinding flash of pain struck him as his arm brushed the ground as he knelt before Smith-the victor in this game-and damnit, he didn’t want to give up but it hurt so much hurt so-
Ed had a brief flash of a vision-himself, younger, wearing a fur-lined version of his old red coat facedown on concrete, a metal bar through his abdomen. The pain now was almost as then-but wait, he had never lived that, he had never seen that so how could he compare how much it hurt now to how much it hurt then-if “then” even happened-
When he opened his eyes, Smith stood before him. “I told you before…for what you did to me, for thegall of you to forget about it…I want to see you despair.” Smith fiddled with something in his hands…something red…something sparkling…Ed had seen it before…yes…back in Amestris.
His jaw fell slack. A Philosopher’s Stone!
That was it. That had to be it. That’s how he was able to do alchemy on this side of the gate! The souls in the stone, they were able to power alchemy even though he wasn’t supposed to be able to do it here!
For the simplicity of it, all the times Ed had thought it over and over and had never thought of such a simple idea when that very thing was something he had obsessed about when he was younger-he couldn’t help it, he gave a chuckle. “A Philosohper’s Stone, huh? I should’ve known. But you’re at a disadvantage, Smith; the souls in the Stone won’t last forever.”
“I know that,” Smith replied, kneeling down to be at Ed’s level. “But I have enough to get revenge on you. Now it’s time, FullMetal, for me to fulfill that revenge.”
Smith reached for him, Stone in hand, and Ed’s mind raced, thinking of something-anything-to get him out of this mess, but-but-
He could think of nothing.
“No, you won’t!” came a voice. Both Smith and Ed turned-someone was there. But who-
The barrel of a gun came into view as the person stepped into the light. A gun, then thin, arms-the edge of a red, floofy skirt and long, blonde hair, and fierce, angry blue eyes-Wendy?
For a second, Ed could only stare, confused and shocked. “Wendy? What-what are you doing here? How did you-?”
But Wendy ignored him. She wasn’t even looking at Ed; her eyes glared at Smith, who only gave her a look of indifference. He stood up to face her, pocketing the Philosopher’s Stone. “You said-you promised that no harm would come to him! You promised me!”
Ed craned his neck so he could see her face around Smith-her eyes were shining, full of welling tears. “Wendy, what are you doing? What are you talking about?”
Smith ignored him as well. “The FullMetal Alchemist is the reason my lover is dead! He deserves nothing more than a fitting punishment! You were only a means to achieve that end.”
Wendy gave a little gasp, and then closed her eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek. “I agreed…I only agreed because you said-promised-that he would be safe.” She opened her eyes, now they were icy, determined-enraged. “Every day… Every single day I pretended to be another person because I promised! And it killed me, destroyed me inside, but I did it because you said he would be safe!”
Ed could only stare, his brain trying desperately to keep up. A promise…pretending to be another person…every day….killed her inside…no…it can’t be…it can’t be!
Wendy’s hands shook on the gun as she continued to point it at Smith; his expression had not changed. “You broke your promise, so I won’t do it anymore! I won’t let you hurt him after all you’ve done to him and me!”
Bang!
Smith fell back, groaning in pain, clutching his right hand-the bullet had grazed him, right across his tattooed alchemy circle-the circle he needed to transmute. His eyes-looking surprised, maybe even panicked, glanced at both of them in turn. “We’ll settle this later,” he spat, rushing out the back entrance and leaving them both alone.
Alone…
Ed slowly turned back to Wendy as she lowered the gun, shocked expression on his face. He couldn’t bring himself to speak. “Oh god,” Wendy whispered, rushing to him and falling to her knees. More tears formed in her eyes as she looked at the wound, still bleeding freely. “Oh god! Ed, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault-I could’ve prevented this, I could’ve-”
But he wasn’t listening to her babble, he was looking at her face-a face he knew so well-looking and studying and trying to understand, trying to come to terms with what his brain was screaming inside his head.
He couldn’t keep silent anymore, he had to know. “Win…ry?”
Her breath caught in her throat as he said it.
Her name.
That was when she closed her eyes, another tear escaping to roll down her cheek, and she whispered, “Sorry…”
Title: Finding Sunshine After Rain
Rating: R
Pairing: Edwin
Series: Anime 1. But there will be a few shout-outs to Brotherhood
Summary: In order to get revenge on the FullMetal Alchemist, someone sends Winry over to the other side of the gate and forces her to act like another Earth-lookalike of herself, but there's more at stake than just a broken heart...
chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7 chapter 8
“What’s this about, Masten?” Ed glared, plopping down in the chair before the sergent’s desk. “And what’s he doing here?” he demanded, pointing at Lang, leaning against the wall with the usual grin on his face.
“He helped me out with my investigation,” Masten explained.
“What investigation?” Did it have to do with that Smith guy?
He was right. Resting his chin against his folded hands, Masten began, “I’ve been informed by my sources that someone named ‘Smith’ is stalking you.”
“Tch,” Ed waved it off. “Just some weirdo. I can handle it. Dunno why you’re bothering to look into it.”
“I’m looking into it because this man has already proven he’s not against harming others in his plans to seek revenge. This isn’t just about you anymore, Elric. Innocent people could get hurt now.” Ed’s eyes sank to the floor. Yes, he knew…Smith or whatever was a dangerous man, but that didn’t mean he wanted to work with Masten about it.
The more Masten dug into it, the more he might find out, and if he found out too much-
“You know something Elric, I know you do. And you are going to tell me.”
He was caught.
Ed glared back at Masten, gritting his teeth. “Really? And how did you come to that conclusion, Sergeant Bastard?”
“I…might have followed you the other day and told everything to him,” Lang said, twiddling his fingers innocently.
Ed growled at him, about to shout a few choice words his way, but Masten caught his attention again. “We know you conversed with him. We’re not sure what you talked about, but we know you know more than you’re telling us. And you are going to tell me. Now.”
Ed stood up, folding his arms across his chest. “You can’t make me. I’m out of here.”
He turned for the door, and that was when Masten slammed papers on his desk. Ed saw them through his peripheral vision; his and Al’s birth faked birth certificates. “You know, I’m still surprised you two were able to get into country with this,” Masten smirked, peeling off the cheap gilded seal off the bottom of Al’s. “I could have you deported for this, you know.”
Ed’s fingers formed a fist, and he snarled, “That’s dirty-”
“If it’s what works,” Masten said, his smirk falling. “The longer you keep silent, the more danger you put innocents in, do you realize that?”
Ed continued to glare Masten down; fucking bastard sergeant, bastard dirty tactics with his bastard theories-Damnit, he didn’t owe him anything! He didn’t ask for help! How dare he threaten them when-
“That girl Wendy, she is an illegal as well, isn’t she,” Masten said casually, taking Ed and Al’s birth certificates off the table. “Once you two are gone, it wouldn’t be long for immigration officials to come looking for her, wouldn’t you agree-”
Wham!
Ed’s metal fist had slammed on Masten’s desk, rattling the sergent’s pens and papers. Ed’s fist shook slightly as he glowered at the man, before flumping back down into the chair. Damnit. No way around it now-Bastard!
“Ready to explain what’s going on?” Masten asked, his sly tone replaced with one of concern. “I’m here to help, Elric. Just explain what the Hell is going on and I’ll do anything I can.”
Ed’s glare faded He glanced down at his lap; hands folded. For a brief moment, his eyes lingered on that slight hint of his metal arm underneath the white glove. “Heh. Guess you’re not so stupid after all, are you? You guessed right; Al and I…we’re not from Germany.”
Masten leaned back in his chair, reaching for his mug of tea. “But you were in Germany before, weren’t you? There was a bit of a scuffle with the German police…”
“Yeah…” Ed sighed; he didn’t want anyone here to find out. People finding out only led to bad things…But it couldn’t be helped now. Innocent people-Wendy-were involved now. “Five years ago, I came from my home country to Germany. I didn’t intend it but…I can’t help what happened. My brother Al came two years later. We’ve been trying to find our way back home ever since but…I dunno if we ever will.”
Masten sipped his tea, his gaze never once leaving Ed’s-he must be picking up on it. “And your home country is?”
Amber eyes stared back at him. “A place not on this world.”
The slight twitch in Masten’s eyebrow was the only giveaway that he was surprised. He had a reputation to keep up, after all. “Your world and mine are connected, by a gate-you can’t normally get through this gate but…five years ago, I made it through. My brother came through two years later. But unless we find a miracle, we won’t be able to get back. You’re-you’re not supposed to be able to get through the gate alive.”
Masten set his tea down, clearing his throat. “So this man, ‘Smith’. He seemed to know you. Is he also-”
“Yeah, he’s from my world,” Ed swallowed. “I don’t know how he got through the gate, but he must’ve done it a different way. In my world, we can do this thing called alchemy. It’s like…the power to manipulate atoms to your will, I suppose. I was an alchemist back in my world. But here, it doesn’t work. I tried so many times, but it’s impossible to do alchemy here.”
“Alchemy…” Lang repeated, “Smith did something once-I saw him transform the ground into a shield. There were read sparks-”
Ed nodded. “That’s alchemy. But like I said, it’s not supposed to work here. I don’t know how he’s doing it.”
“Hmm…” Masten tapped a finger on his desk, causing tiny waves in his cup of tea. “Alchemy…another world…It’s so unbelievable that I’m forced to believe it. But that doesn’t answer the question, Elric-why does this Smtih seem to have a grudge for you?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Ed, lowering his eyes. “He says he came here to take revenge on me, but…” He remembered Smith’s words, “Rack your brains, Fullmetal Alchemist. You should be able to find something.” “I don’t know why.”
“If you don’t know why, I suppose threatening you won’t be of any help,” Masten sighed, looking wistfully at the folder where he had stuffed Ed and Al’s faked birth certificates.
“Yeah, Smartass, so don’t you dare-”
“Relax, Elric, I’ve gotten all the information I need now,” Masten said, grabbing a pen and a notebook off a table. “All that’s left is the matter of security.
“Security?”
The sergeant nodded. “Since this man is after you, it’s not safe for you, Alphonse, or apparently the Miss Wendy.”
“Al and I are fine, thanks very much. And…Wendy…” he gulped. “She’s staying at Madame’s. Isn’t that enough?”
“Since that shooting at the bar, apparently not.”
Ed grunted. Masten had a point.
Masten began writing something on the notepad. “I can draw up a security detail for you-”
“What? No!” Ed folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I can handle this Smith on my own. Your people don’t understand alchemy-one wrong move, and you could be slaughtered! Al and I know what we’re dealing with-we can handle it.”
Masten paused his pen, looking up at Ed. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”
“Well, deal with it! I’m not going to have a bunch of your little toadies following me around!”
“Ed might be right,” Lang interjected, stepping closer to Masten’s desk. “A team of police agents isn’t very subtle. It might attract unwanted attention and have the opposite effect. Since Ed seems to know what he’s doing, why not have Miss Wendy stay with them? I’m sure he’d protect her.”
Ed’s cheeks flushed as he stammered, “Wendy? Stay with m-me? But that’s-that’s not-proper!” Besides, the very idea of it might just get him clobbered with a wrench-um, maybe a bar mug instead-over the head.
Whatever Masten had been writing, he gave up on it, crumpling the paper up and throwing it over his shoulder. “Elric, when you’ve already slept with the girl, I don’t think it being ‘proper’ is an issue anymore.”
Ed made a squeaking noise, sputtered, and nearly fell out of his chair as he yelled, red faced, “Does everyone know about that?”
“Yes?” Lang grinned, amused.
Ed groaned, hiding his face in his hands, willing his embarrassment to go away. “Okay, okay, fine. Al and I will-we’ll find some accommodations for Wendy. Happy?”
“That’s what I should be asking you,” Masten said, reaching into a desk drawer. “But since you’re stubborn and won’t accept my help, maybe you’ll accept this,” he took out something from the drawer, and placed it on the desk with a metallic clatter. It was a gun.
Ed stared at it. “I don’t like guns. Guns hurt people.”
“Don’t think of it as a weapon that kills,” Masten said, sliding it closer to him. “Think of it as a tool for your protection.”
Ed hesitantly reached a hand towards it, picking it up. It felt cold and hard in his hands. The edges were sharp, unforgiving. He never liked guns; while alchemy was something that could be used to hurt, it had many uses for good as well. But guns…they wounded. They killed. He didn’t see any good use for a gun.
But here in this world he didn’t have alchemy, did he? He didn’t have a choice. With one last look at Masten, he pocketed the gun.
Ed stood up from his chair, sure the interview was over. “Well, thanks, I guess. But if your people find Smith, don’t try to take him on; he’ll destroy you. Leave him to me; I’m the one he wants, anyway.”
Masten nodded, “I’ll tell my people that. Thanks.” Masten noticed he was about to leave and said, “Wait, Elric, one more thing.” Ed stopped on his heel and looked back. “While researching you and Alphonse, I noticed I could not find any trace of a ‘Wendy’ in any German immigration documents.”
“Well, she has amnesia, doesn’t she? She can’t even remember her last name.”
“That’s true, but there were no records of any German immigrants missing, particularly with her looks. I scoured lists of recent immigrants, but I could find no mention of her. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
Ed sighed, “Look, Masten, she told me her parents are dead. She could’ve come alone. That way, there wouldn’t be any missing records, right? Besides, you said yourself you suspected she got here illegally, so why are you looking for records in the first place?”
Masten continued to give him a strange look. A look of…urging? Ed wasn’t sure… “I suppose. Or maybe…”
“Or maybe what?”
Masten gave it a second’s pause before shaking his head. “Nevermind. Just some thoughts. You can go.”
“Right.”
Masten and Lang waited until Ed shut the office door before exchanging looks. “He’s really stubborn, isn’t he?” said Lang, as Masten nodded.
Ed turned the gun over in his hand, looking over it as he sat at Madame’s bar, idly drinking his beer. Al had gone down to Chinatown to hang out with this girl he found that seemed to have a bit of a crush on him.
Ed rolled his eyes. He told Al they needed to stick together and be careful, and Al promised he would-but first, he wanted to go find this girl (“his little girlfriend” Ed had teased him) and explain to her he wouldn’t be able to visit in a while. Ed was reluctant to let his little brother go by himself, but Al had won the argument (“Ed, I can’t talk to her while you’re there! Jeez!”). Ed only caved once he made Al promise to be back before midnight or he was going after him.
Once Al got back, he was going to make sure he never let his little brother out of his sight. Well, him, and Wendy…
Ed cast a glance across the room, catching the blonde as she leaned over to clean a table, her lips slightly pursed as she continued…
Ed shook his head. No. He wasn’t gonna think about that now. He’d have to tell her the plans eventually tonight, but for now, he wanted to put it off.
It was easier, not thinking about it until later. For now…
He looked back at the gun in his hands.
He still wasn’t sure about using it-guns were weapons, meant to hurt people. He didn’t like having to rely on one to save himself-save everyone else. But what choice did he have? He didn’t have alchemy in this world.
Ed sighed, setting the gun back down at the bar, and glancing about the room again. Wendy had finished cleaning the table, now picking up empty glasses off another. She straightened up, placing the glasses on her tray-and then looked right at him.
Ed blushed, quickly looking away. It didn’t matter; she had noticed. And, as usual, she had to come check. “Hey, are you upset? You looked like you were thinking hard about something…”
“No,” Ed said, though he knew it was a lie. Right now, he had too much on his plate, and he wasn’t about to share it all with Wendy. He didn’t want to worry her about Smith-besides, being from this world, how could she even understand what a danger he was to all of them? Also, if he succeeded, if he took down Smith…perhaps he could learn his secret to crossing the gate.
Perhaps he could learn how to go home.
And if he and Al went back to Amestris, he’d never see her again.
Yes, as he told himself, a thousand times, he wanted to go home and see Winry. More than anything. But all the same…he glanced at Wendy out of the corner of his eye, still looking concerned. She looked and felt so much like Winry but…she wasn’t.
She just wasn’t.
She didn’t grow up with him…she didn’t have all that history…no matter what they had been through here on this Earth, she could never replace Winry. He could stay here, stay with Wendy, yes, be loved, but…he’d always wonder.
Always have that bit of regret.
What if Winry was waiting, back in Amestris, and he never returned?
And if he went back to Amestris…what if he and Al finally went back, but Winry had moved on? There was no guarantee she waited for him like he waited for her. He would lose both of them.
“Ed, please tell me what’s wrong,” Wendy asked, sidling closer to him. “I want to help.”
But you’re part of the problem.
“You can’t help,” he said, hoping that would be the end of it.
She slammed her tray on the counter, the empty glasses clinking against each other. “Don’t do that,” she said, glaring at him. “I want to help you, Ed. Don’t shut me out when I know something is bothering you. Now what is it?”
If it had been Winry, he would’ve caved and admitted it. Winry…for so many years, he had lied to her, hidden things from her. After all this…she deserved to know. But Wendy…
“Look, Wendy, I’m just dealing with some stuff, all right? But I can handle it-” He was about to tell her that the danger was bigger than him now, and she’d have to come live with him and Al in his apartment until it passed.
He didn’t get the chance to even start, because Wendy shouted, “Edward Elric, don’t treat me like this! If something’s going on, I deserve-”
Deserve? Winry deserved to know, yes, but Wendy? She wasn’t Winry. She wasn’t-!
All that anger and frustration and anxiety and pent up feeling after feeling exploded as Ed slammed his hand on the counter, yelling, “Listen, Wendy, just because we-you know-doesn’t mean that I need to share everything about my life with you!”
The second he heard that little gasp, saw the hurt in her blue eyes, he regretted it. “Wendy…”
Though Ed spotted tears in her eyes, Wendy didn’t take long in lashing back, “Why do you have to do this? You’ve always been like this? Always! Always trying to keep quiet about your problems, even though I’m here to help! You’ve been like this forever! Ever since-” Upon seeing his confusion, her eyes widened slightly, and she stopped. Swallowed. “Fine. If you don’t want to tell me…that’s fine. It’s not-it’s not like I expected you to treat me any different now, anyway.”
“Wendy, wait-”
She grabbed her tray off the counter, glaring, “Just because we slept together doesn’t have to mean anything, right? I should’ve known.”
“It’s not like that-!”
“Then what is it like, Edward Elric?” Wendy snapped, giving him an intense glare that could only ever be matched by his own. “Maybe I’m getting a bit tired of you hiding things from me all the time. I’m your friend. But if you’re not even going to explain to me when something’s really wrong, then fine. Be that way! I know where I stand.”
“I told you it’s not like that,” Ed snapped, grabbing a side of the heavy tray, pulling her back. The glasses clinked and slid dangerously close to the edge as he yelled, “Wendy, will you just listen-!”
“Why should I? You’ll just say the same old things!”
“But how am I supposed to explain if you won’t let me-”
He stopped himself there. Explain…explain what? If he tried to explain Smith, then he’d end up explaining everything like he did to Masten. How could he explain about everything to Wendy when he might-even accidentally-bring up Winry in the telling of it?
Then she’d know. She’d probably think that he was using her as a replacement for Winry and then…then she’d hate him. Yes, it was better that Wendy never knew.
But lying to her…that was wrong, wasn’t it? If he was honest, he’d lose her too.
Though if he was honest with himself, Wendy-and Winry-were never his in the first place. Neither of them were destined for him, it seemed.
Alone…yes, for everyone around him, that was safest. But…
Oh God, there he was, at it again. Unable to decide. Wallowing in his misery. This thing with Smith had fucked him up so much. Well, even without Smith, the situation was pretty fucked up.
Because no matter which way he choose, he’d end up regretting it. There was no right answer. Both answers were wrong in their own way.
Ed didn’t believe in fate, but it would be nice if the universe would just hurry up and give him a hint so he didn’t have to live this agony every same damn day-
“Come out, FullMetal Alchemist,” echoed a voice throughout the bar.
Patrons screamed, Wendy gasped, Ed looked around. There! High on the wall, transmuted megaphone still emitted the red alchemy sparks. Ed looked toward the door-Smith was out there.
“Ed!” Wendy grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Wait, what are you-?” She looked shocked-worried-but why was she? She didn’t know what “FullMetal Alchemist” meant, right? She didn’t know Smith was calling him. She didn’t know he would have to answer the call to keep them all-her included-safe.
He pulled out of her grip. “Sorry-I’ll be back soon. Stay here!”
He ran out of the bar. He didn’t see Wendy’s eyes drift toward the gun he left on the counter…
As soon as Ed had run outside, he heard Smith say, “I’ll be waiting at the usual place, FullMetal. Come and find me.”
Even though Ed knew it was probably a trap, that Smith had called him specifically to torment him, Ed couldn’t back down from the challenge. Putting it off only put Al and Wendy in danger.
As long as he had people here he cared about, they were in danger. He wouldn’t let Smith get his hands on him. He’d beat that bastard to a pulp before he had a chance to touch them!Ed found the place easily. It looked the same as before, with dusty barrels and ladders hidden in the corners, except the transmutation circle he had spotted once was gone; scrubbed off the cracked concrete. Damnit, he was hoping if he saw it again, he might get more ideas…
“So, you made it here,” Smith spoke from the darkness.
Ed raised an eyebrow to the darkness. “Are you really there, or are you another megaphone? That trick was pretty boring once I figured it out.”
“Oh no, I am here now, FullMetal,” As he said it, a figure emerged from the shadows. He appeared; a brown haired man with brown eyes, he didn’t look all that remarkable. Ed searched his brains, but felt that he had never met this man before. “I am here to face you, like you wanted.”
“Fine. Just tell me what you want with me,” Ed growled. “It’s getting pretty annoying having you stalk me if you’re not going to give a reason, damnit.”
Smith threw his head back and laughed. “Mad already, are you? Does it hurt, FullMetal, seeing the shadow of the girl you once loved and yet know she will never be her?”
“Stop fucking with me!” Ed roared, clenching his fists and getting into a fighting stance. “I thought you wanted to fight, not talk. Or are you too much of a coward to-”
Ed was cut off as a flash of red sparks shot up from the floor. Ed saw it and dodged, missing stone spikes by inches. This was gonna be difficult-
“Don’t tell me what to do, FullMetal! It’s all you deserve!” Smith raised his hands once again, and the floor gave an earthly groan as he sent concrete spikes at Ed once more. Ed jumped back, glad he could still move as fast as he used to. “Seeing the pain of a lost loved one, and knowing it will never, ever be her-for your crime, that suffering is perfect for you!”
“What crime?” Ed yelled back, ducking as a stone spike sailed for his head. “What did I do? Tell me, damnit!”
“It’s for what you did to me! To countless others!” A stone fist shot up under him with a crash-Ed jumped off it just in time and landed hard on the floor.
“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Of course you don’t-it’s worse because you don’t know, because you never knew-and yet the cause of our suffering is yours!”
“Tell me, damnit!” Smith responded by shooting another rock spike at him, and Ed barely jumped out of the way-there was a loud riiiip as the spike impaled his brown overcoat. Ed cursed and shrugged off the ruined coat, discarding his white gloves and rolling up his shirt sleeves past his elbows. “You can’t just yell at me for something I don’t even remember doing!”
Smith glared, extending his arms once again, the alchemy circles on the backs of his hands on full display, “Because of you, FullMetal Alchemist, my lover is now gone-everything left for me in Amestris is gone! For that, I’ll do the same to you!”
“What can you do, huh?” Ed roared back, sick of this insane man’s ramblings. “I have no life in Amestris! I can never go back; you should know that! Why do you care? What the Hell could you do to me to make it worse than it is?”
Ed was in the middle of yelling his thoughts. He didn’t see the red sparks in the corner of his eye until it was too late. He tried to dodge-but he couldn’t dodge completely out of the way.
Ed cried out in pain as a transmuted pipe impaled him in the shoulder.
He slumped to the ground, pain swirling in his head and vision and feeling warm blood trickle down his arm...down his chest…a blinding flash of pain struck him as his arm brushed the ground as he knelt before Smith-the victor in this game-and damnit, he didn’t want to give up but it hurt so much hurt so-
Ed had a brief flash of a vision-himself, younger, wearing a fur-lined version of his old red coat facedown on concrete, a metal bar through his abdomen. The pain now was almost as then-but wait, he had never lived that, he had never seen that so how could he compare how much it hurt now to how much it hurt then-if “then” even happened-
When he opened his eyes, Smith stood before him. “I told you before…for what you did to me, for thegall of you to forget about it…I want to see you despair.” Smith fiddled with something in his hands…something red…something sparkling…Ed had seen it before…yes…back in Amestris.
His jaw fell slack. A Philosopher’s Stone!
That was it. That had to be it. That’s how he was able to do alchemy on this side of the gate! The souls in the stone, they were able to power alchemy even though he wasn’t supposed to be able to do it here!
For the simplicity of it, all the times Ed had thought it over and over and had never thought of such a simple idea when that very thing was something he had obsessed about when he was younger-he couldn’t help it, he gave a chuckle. “A Philosohper’s Stone, huh? I should’ve known. But you’re at a disadvantage, Smith; the souls in the Stone won’t last forever.”
“I know that,” Smith replied, kneeling down to be at Ed’s level. “But I have enough to get revenge on you. Now it’s time, FullMetal, for me to fulfill that revenge.”
Smith reached for him, Stone in hand, and Ed’s mind raced, thinking of something-anything-to get him out of this mess, but-but-
He could think of nothing.
“No, you won’t!” came a voice. Both Smith and Ed turned-someone was there. But who-
The barrel of a gun came into view as the person stepped into the light. A gun, then thin, arms-the edge of a red, floofy skirt and long, blonde hair, and fierce, angry blue eyes-Wendy?
For a second, Ed could only stare, confused and shocked. “Wendy? What-what are you doing here? How did you-?”
But Wendy ignored him. She wasn’t even looking at Ed; her eyes glared at Smith, who only gave her a look of indifference. He stood up to face her, pocketing the Philosopher’s Stone. “You said-you promised that no harm would come to him! You promised me!”
Ed craned his neck so he could see her face around Smith-her eyes were shining, full of welling tears. “Wendy, what are you doing? What are you talking about?”
Smith ignored him as well. “The FullMetal Alchemist is the reason my lover is dead! He deserves nothing more than a fitting punishment! You were only a means to achieve that end.”
Wendy gave a little gasp, and then closed her eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek. “I agreed…I only agreed because you said-promised-that he would be safe.” She opened her eyes, now they were icy, determined-enraged. “Every day… Every single day I pretended to be another person because I promised! And it killed me, destroyed me inside, but I did it because you said he would be safe!”
Ed could only stare, his brain trying desperately to keep up. A promise…pretending to be another person…every day….killed her inside…no…it can’t be…it can’t be!
Wendy’s hands shook on the gun as she continued to point it at Smith; his expression had not changed. “You broke your promise, so I won’t do it anymore! I won’t let you hurt him after all you’ve done to him and me!”
Bang!
Smith fell back, groaning in pain, clutching his right hand-the bullet had grazed him, right across his tattooed alchemy circle-the circle he needed to transmute. His eyes-looking surprised, maybe even panicked, glanced at both of them in turn. “We’ll settle this later,” he spat, rushing out the back entrance and leaving them both alone.
Alone…
Ed slowly turned back to Wendy as she lowered the gun, shocked expression on his face. He couldn’t bring himself to speak. “Oh god,” Wendy whispered, rushing to him and falling to her knees. More tears formed in her eyes as she looked at the wound, still bleeding freely. “Oh god! Ed, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault-I could’ve prevented this, I could’ve-”
But he wasn’t listening to her babble, he was looking at her face-a face he knew so well-looking and studying and trying to understand, trying to come to terms with what his brain was screaming inside his head.
He couldn’t keep silent anymore, he had to know. “Win…ry?”
Her breath caught in her throat as he said it.
Her name.
That was when she closed her eyes, another tear escaping to roll down her cheek, and she whispered, “Sorry…”