Take It All Away 2/25
Title: Take It All Away
Genre: Action, Drama
Pairing: Roy Mustang/Edward Elric, side Riza Hawkeye/Jean Havoc
Rating: T (PG-13)
Summary: In a time when a hero is needed most, tragedy befalls Roy Mustang. Someone is aiding the Homunculi from within Central and whispers of a completed Stone echo through the corridors. Can Roy stop this disaster before it's too late? Roy x Ed
| Part One |
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, not me. This is written for entertainment purposes only-- so please, no suing.
Chapter One
Six months had passed since Scar's fall and Central still struggled to find some semblance of order. The attack had left the Lieutenant Colonel comatose and approximately one third of the army's force had been demolished. Not only was this a serious blow to the State's pride, but it had left the military in a state of panic. That someone had been able to breach their security with such ease-- despite even the Alchemists’ attempts to keep the man at bay-- unnerved the military to say the least.
Certain aspects of the battle had been overlooked in the report, but not because they went unnoticed. The State turned a blind eye on the fact that the Elric brothers had been the assailant's target, and that they had disobeyed direct orders to retreat to safety. It was deemed the ‘neater’ approach to the incident, and so the technicalities of the event were soon dismissed.
If only the Elric brothers could have forgotten so easily.
After Mustang was hospitalized Edward had taken to sitting next to the comatose man, staying till the early hours of the morning when one of the workers would prod him awake and insist that he returned to his own quarters. Edward would return as soon as visiting hours began again, unless he was needed elsewhere. In such cases he would find his way to Mustang's room after his work was finished, sometimes arriving as late as three a.m.
The youngest Elric spent most of his free time in the library, studying alchemy with newfound determination. He didn't want to be defenseless anymore. The Colonel had nearly died protecting his brother and himself. Alphonse decided he wanted to be able to protect the ones close to him. Of course he knew more than the mere basics of alchemy. He had studied with Edward after all. Now Alphonse was attempting to begin from scratch once again, absorbing even the smallest detail.
Lieutenant Hawkeye and the others who worked directly under the Colonel spent most of their day sitting around the office in silence.
It was as if Central had put it's life on hold since the attack. Mustang's subordinates visited him daily, asking Edward if there had been any improvements. Each day they received the same synopsis from the blonde teen.
Hawkeye had taken to sorting the papers she'd left on Mustang's desk the day of the attack, going so far as to throw them on the floor so they would need to be reorganized. She spent much of her time closed up in Mustang's office. Havoc had come into the Colonel's office and found Hawkeye crying on more than one occasion. Each time he would silently close the door, giving the Lieutenant her privacy.
Havoc sat at his desk throughout the day, going through a pack of cigarettes before and after lunch. He found that no matter how much of the nicotine he managed to get in his system, it did nothing to dull the pain of losing his friends and comrades.
Havoc blamed himself for not being there to aid Roy. He had been out looking into one of the latest cases at the time of the assault. By the time he had heard wind of the attack and made it back to central the battle was over. Havoc wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get the image of Edward cradling Roy's broken body out of his head.
Fate loves irony-- that had always been one of Roy's famous sayings. Only now did everyone realize how true it really was. After the Flame Alchemist's fall he had been promoted to Brigadier General. Havoc, Hawkeye, and Fuery, and the others who worked directly under the Colonel came to offer their congratulations, though there was no hiding their sorrow as they said them.
For all they knew, the Colonel-- now General-- would never wake to accept his new role.
R-2-F
Edward walked into Mustang's room, glancing around at the plethora of gifts that the Brigadier General had received from the other military officials. The presents ranged from balloons emblazoned with cheerful well wishes to a wide array of books and records. At first the books and records had surprised Edward. He'd never imagined Mustang to be into such normal things.
But then again, Edward couldn't have imagined Roy out of uniform six months ago either. Now he was hard-pressed to recall what the General looked like when he wasn’t cocooned under a mound of covers and robed in a flimsy hospital gown.
He shook himself from his thoughts and walked over to the General's bedside, glancing at the heart monitor to assure himself the man was still alive, despite his motionless form. Gold eyes turned back to the seemingly sleeping man. "I'm back again, Mustang. Sorry I took so long, the Fuhrer wanted to see me." Edward explained as he sat in his usual chair. "He's been having me report any findings on the stone directly to him." Ed paused for a moment and propped his chin on his left hand, tapping his foot absently. "He's up to something..."
The blonde's thoughts were interrupted as a methodical thumping came down the hallway. He glanced up in time to see his brother open the hospital room’s door.
The suit of armor glanced around the room, shoulders sagging ever so slightly when he laid eyes on his brother. Al had hoped that Ed had been distracted long enough by the Fuhrer to forget about visiting Mustang at this late hour. Apparently his prayers had fallen on deaf ears. "Brother, you really should be in bed."
"In a minute." Came Edward's standard reply. The blonde's eyes returned to the comatose form in the bed, the far off look he'd had before returning to them. It seemed that Ed could go for days without leaving the General's side. Alphonse reminded himself sadly that his brother had done just that on countless occasions.
"Brother, you need to get some rest. You'll be no use to anyone if you are exhausted again tomorrow. You're already behind on paperwork as it is. If Mustang were here he'd tell you-"
"Well he's not!" Ed snapped, rising to his feet. "He's not here, Al! He may never come back! And you know who's fault it would be if he doesn't?" Edward's eyes were flashing dangerously as he approached the suit of armor. The shorter teen was on the verge of losing it, that much was obvious even to the thickest of people. "Mine! It's my fault he's like this! Had I listened to the bastard and gone to HQ like he said, maybe he wouldn't have insisted on holding Scar off! If I'd retreated then he wouldn't have had to fend Scar off alone! He could have fallen back to Central where backup was waiting! But I never gave him that chance! I was too...too stupid to..."
Al rested a hand on his brother's right shoulder, a habit that he'd adopted since the accident. If he felt the need for contact badly enough or if Edward needed some form of comfort, he'd always lay a hand on his right shoulder, so that he wouldn't risk hurting his brother's flesh limb by carelessly patting his shoulder or putting too much weight on the joint. "Brother, there was nothing you could have done. Mustang was- is," He immediately corrected himself seeing the glare his brother sent him at his choice of words. "A stubborn man. Even if we had gone to Central he would have fought Scar. He never believed in leaving a fight unfinished, or forcing others to fight in his stead. He chose his own actions."
Ed tilted his head up slightly so Al could see the forlorn look they held. "It doesn't matter who held the gun, but who pulled the trigger, Al." Ed sighed, shaking his head and looking down. His bangs fell to curtain his eyes and the difference in height hindered his brother's view as well. For once Edward's height impediment was useful. "I want to be there when he wakes up, Al." He said, setting his jaw. He clenched his hands into fists, to fight back a wave of tears.
Alphonse smiled at his brother's attempt to appear strong. Even though the boy had lost so much throughout his life, he tended to cling to those closest to him. Before this Al would have never dared to assume that Mustang was one of those select few, but this incident had proved that to be the case. Though they constantly bickered, both men seemed to hold a significant amount of respect for the other.
"I understand, brother." Al conceded, seeing no point in arguing any further. He just had to remind himself that the General had been steadily improving over the span of the past two weeks. He just hoped that he would wake up soon, if not for his own sake, for everyone else's.
R-2-F
Author’s Note: Hey guys, short chapter, I know. It’s also unbearably rough. However, there was really no way I could go about rewriting this chapter all together without somehow messing it up even worse. This said, I’m afraid we’re stuck with the ‘05 version. Never fear, however. The chapters do progressively get longer as the story proceeds, so please bear with me. It’s once we get past all of this hospital business that the plot begins to thicken.
Also, allow me to rectify something I said in the previous posting. I implied that the updated versions of these chapters would be posted daily, when in fact they’ll be posted every other day. Technicalities, I know. However I’m trying to keep from making promises I won’t be able to keep concerning the posting schedules.
Thanks for reading, as always! Whether you’re a veteran reader or a newcomer, I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line!
Cheers,
R2F
Genre: Action, Drama
Pairing: Roy Mustang/Edward Elric, side Riza Hawkeye/Jean Havoc
Rating: T (PG-13)
Summary: In a time when a hero is needed most, tragedy befalls Roy Mustang. Someone is aiding the Homunculi from within Central and whispers of a completed Stone echo through the corridors. Can Roy stop this disaster before it's too late? Roy x Ed
| Part One |
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, not me. This is written for entertainment purposes only-- so please, no suing.
Chapter One
Six months had passed since Scar's fall and Central still struggled to find some semblance of order. The attack had left the Lieutenant Colonel comatose and approximately one third of the army's force had been demolished. Not only was this a serious blow to the State's pride, but it had left the military in a state of panic. That someone had been able to breach their security with such ease-- despite even the Alchemists’ attempts to keep the man at bay-- unnerved the military to say the least.
Certain aspects of the battle had been overlooked in the report, but not because they went unnoticed. The State turned a blind eye on the fact that the Elric brothers had been the assailant's target, and that they had disobeyed direct orders to retreat to safety. It was deemed the ‘neater’ approach to the incident, and so the technicalities of the event were soon dismissed.
If only the Elric brothers could have forgotten so easily.
After Mustang was hospitalized Edward had taken to sitting next to the comatose man, staying till the early hours of the morning when one of the workers would prod him awake and insist that he returned to his own quarters. Edward would return as soon as visiting hours began again, unless he was needed elsewhere. In such cases he would find his way to Mustang's room after his work was finished, sometimes arriving as late as three a.m.
The youngest Elric spent most of his free time in the library, studying alchemy with newfound determination. He didn't want to be defenseless anymore. The Colonel had nearly died protecting his brother and himself. Alphonse decided he wanted to be able to protect the ones close to him. Of course he knew more than the mere basics of alchemy. He had studied with Edward after all. Now Alphonse was attempting to begin from scratch once again, absorbing even the smallest detail.
Lieutenant Hawkeye and the others who worked directly under the Colonel spent most of their day sitting around the office in silence.
It was as if Central had put it's life on hold since the attack. Mustang's subordinates visited him daily, asking Edward if there had been any improvements. Each day they received the same synopsis from the blonde teen.
Hawkeye had taken to sorting the papers she'd left on Mustang's desk the day of the attack, going so far as to throw them on the floor so they would need to be reorganized. She spent much of her time closed up in Mustang's office. Havoc had come into the Colonel's office and found Hawkeye crying on more than one occasion. Each time he would silently close the door, giving the Lieutenant her privacy.
Havoc sat at his desk throughout the day, going through a pack of cigarettes before and after lunch. He found that no matter how much of the nicotine he managed to get in his system, it did nothing to dull the pain of losing his friends and comrades.
Havoc blamed himself for not being there to aid Roy. He had been out looking into one of the latest cases at the time of the assault. By the time he had heard wind of the attack and made it back to central the battle was over. Havoc wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get the image of Edward cradling Roy's broken body out of his head.
Fate loves irony-- that had always been one of Roy's famous sayings. Only now did everyone realize how true it really was. After the Flame Alchemist's fall he had been promoted to Brigadier General. Havoc, Hawkeye, and Fuery, and the others who worked directly under the Colonel came to offer their congratulations, though there was no hiding their sorrow as they said them.
For all they knew, the Colonel-- now General-- would never wake to accept his new role.
R-2-F
Edward walked into Mustang's room, glancing around at the plethora of gifts that the Brigadier General had received from the other military officials. The presents ranged from balloons emblazoned with cheerful well wishes to a wide array of books and records. At first the books and records had surprised Edward. He'd never imagined Mustang to be into such normal things.
But then again, Edward couldn't have imagined Roy out of uniform six months ago either. Now he was hard-pressed to recall what the General looked like when he wasn’t cocooned under a mound of covers and robed in a flimsy hospital gown.
He shook himself from his thoughts and walked over to the General's bedside, glancing at the heart monitor to assure himself the man was still alive, despite his motionless form. Gold eyes turned back to the seemingly sleeping man. "I'm back again, Mustang. Sorry I took so long, the Fuhrer wanted to see me." Edward explained as he sat in his usual chair. "He's been having me report any findings on the stone directly to him." Ed paused for a moment and propped his chin on his left hand, tapping his foot absently. "He's up to something..."
The blonde's thoughts were interrupted as a methodical thumping came down the hallway. He glanced up in time to see his brother open the hospital room’s door.
The suit of armor glanced around the room, shoulders sagging ever so slightly when he laid eyes on his brother. Al had hoped that Ed had been distracted long enough by the Fuhrer to forget about visiting Mustang at this late hour. Apparently his prayers had fallen on deaf ears. "Brother, you really should be in bed."
"In a minute." Came Edward's standard reply. The blonde's eyes returned to the comatose form in the bed, the far off look he'd had before returning to them. It seemed that Ed could go for days without leaving the General's side. Alphonse reminded himself sadly that his brother had done just that on countless occasions.
"Brother, you need to get some rest. You'll be no use to anyone if you are exhausted again tomorrow. You're already behind on paperwork as it is. If Mustang were here he'd tell you-"
"Well he's not!" Ed snapped, rising to his feet. "He's not here, Al! He may never come back! And you know who's fault it would be if he doesn't?" Edward's eyes were flashing dangerously as he approached the suit of armor. The shorter teen was on the verge of losing it, that much was obvious even to the thickest of people. "Mine! It's my fault he's like this! Had I listened to the bastard and gone to HQ like he said, maybe he wouldn't have insisted on holding Scar off! If I'd retreated then he wouldn't have had to fend Scar off alone! He could have fallen back to Central where backup was waiting! But I never gave him that chance! I was too...too stupid to..."
Al rested a hand on his brother's right shoulder, a habit that he'd adopted since the accident. If he felt the need for contact badly enough or if Edward needed some form of comfort, he'd always lay a hand on his right shoulder, so that he wouldn't risk hurting his brother's flesh limb by carelessly patting his shoulder or putting too much weight on the joint. "Brother, there was nothing you could have done. Mustang was- is," He immediately corrected himself seeing the glare his brother sent him at his choice of words. "A stubborn man. Even if we had gone to Central he would have fought Scar. He never believed in leaving a fight unfinished, or forcing others to fight in his stead. He chose his own actions."
Ed tilted his head up slightly so Al could see the forlorn look they held. "It doesn't matter who held the gun, but who pulled the trigger, Al." Ed sighed, shaking his head and looking down. His bangs fell to curtain his eyes and the difference in height hindered his brother's view as well. For once Edward's height impediment was useful. "I want to be there when he wakes up, Al." He said, setting his jaw. He clenched his hands into fists, to fight back a wave of tears.
Alphonse smiled at his brother's attempt to appear strong. Even though the boy had lost so much throughout his life, he tended to cling to those closest to him. Before this Al would have never dared to assume that Mustang was one of those select few, but this incident had proved that to be the case. Though they constantly bickered, both men seemed to hold a significant amount of respect for the other.
"I understand, brother." Al conceded, seeing no point in arguing any further. He just had to remind himself that the General had been steadily improving over the span of the past two weeks. He just hoped that he would wake up soon, if not for his own sake, for everyone else's.
R-2-F
Author’s Note: Hey guys, short chapter, I know. It’s also unbearably rough. However, there was really no way I could go about rewriting this chapter all together without somehow messing it up even worse. This said, I’m afraid we’re stuck with the ‘05 version. Never fear, however. The chapters do progressively get longer as the story proceeds, so please bear with me. It’s once we get past all of this hospital business that the plot begins to thicken.
Also, allow me to rectify something I said in the previous posting. I implied that the updated versions of these chapters would be posted daily, when in fact they’ll be posted every other day. Technicalities, I know. However I’m trying to keep from making promises I won’t be able to keep concerning the posting schedules.
Thanks for reading, as always! Whether you’re a veteran reader or a newcomer, I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line!
Cheers,
R2F