Two Colonels - Chapter 12
Title: Two Colonels
Rating: NC17 (for subject matter; overall)
Rating this chapter: PG 13
Pairing: Roy/Ed; previous OC/Ed
Warnings: Rape, Yaoi, AU (no Homunculi and BXB)
Spell-checked but unbeta'd
Summary: One Colonel was gentle the other was not.
Disclaimer: Sure... if I would own FMA... there would have been a second season starting with the Elrics back in Central and more R/E action ;)
Last time on Two Colonels:
“Being shot is the best thing that could have happened to Maes because now he has evidence he can investigate.” Roy looked back to the soldiers who were watching them. He knew he could trust them. “And Maes will say so, too.”
Chapter 12 / ??
They were escorted through the hospital. There were a lot more soldiers in there than Ed had presumed. They stopped in front of a plain white door. Roy knocked and seconds later it opened revealing another hallway. Ed hoped that he wouldn't have to go back alone because he was sure that he couldn't find his way back alone. He sighed and let his shoulders slump. Around another corner he could see faces he recognised. Broche and Ross were sitting on chairs outside another hospital room. Ross was looking pale holding a paper cup in one hand while Broche had a hand on her shoulder talking to her.
When they saw Roy and Ed approaching they stood up saluting - to Roy because Ed really didn't like that. Suddenly both bowed deeply to the teen. He was confused and looked up to Roy who looked surprised at the behaviour of the two soldiers.
“We are very sorry. We shouldn't have been talking. The Lieutenant Colonel had been injured because of us and we were lucky that you hadn't been injured any more.” Then Maria stood straight again clapping her hand to her mouth. “He can hear us, Sir, can't he?”
“I can hear you.”
She bowed deeply again.
“I'm very sorry.”
“Don't be. 's not your fault.”
Ed muttered looking to the door because he really didn't want to look her in the eye.
“Is the Lieutenant Colonel awake, yet?”
“He is, Sir. He has been asking for you. I'm sorry.”
Roy sighed deeply.
“Don't apologize. We were taking a walk and you had to watch his door so he couldn't escape.”
Broche and Ross saluted again trying to hide their smiles. Of course they knew that Hughes couldn't lie still as couldn't Ed and the bespectacled man had already tried to walk out of his room. Roy walked over and knocked once taking Ed with him inside the room.
They didn't get very far. Suddenly Ed was lifted from the ground and found himself in a tight embrace. His lungs didn't get very much air but somehow it made him happy - now at least Alex was behaving like Ed was used to.
“Major you should let go of Ed. I don't think he likes his position very much.”
Suddenly the teen could breath again. He looked to Roy who had turned his back to Ed and then to Maes whose mouth was a thin line and he nearly - nearly - fell for it if there hadn't been a twitching of his mouth's corner. He scowled at the two men then his gaze fell on the other person in the room. The Judge was standing on the other side of Maes' bed looking shocked. Maes followed Ed's gaze.
“Judge Roberts? Is everything alright?”
“I... I mean yes. What was that?”
“Major Armstrong's normal behaviour towards a person he likes or adores. In Ed's case its both and a little more due to Edward's past.”
The old man just nodded still looking aghast. He took a handkerchief from his breast pocket whipping his forehead with it.
“You took awfully long to get to me. Didn't you want to see me?”
“Well we had to make sure that your surgery went well and then we really needed a little walk.”
“A little walk and ice-cream as far as I heard.”
Guiltily the teen looked to his shoes. This time Roy couldn't say that it hadn't been his fault.
“Edward, why don't you come over here for a bit.”
The teen obeyed and walked over to Maes who was padding his bed. Ed climbed on it and sat with his face to the older man. Immediately there were hands prodding his throat gently.
“Knox told me that your tonsils are inflamed and that you have a little problem with your hearing. You can hear me, can't you?”
Ed rolled his eyes at the question.
“I can.”
“Oh and the voice is back. Ice-cream is good. Elysia will be delighted and I will never hear the end of it.”
The older man sighed and rubbed the teen's head.
“Anything else hurt?”
Ed just shook his head. His right shoulder hurt a bit but he thought it was due to the fact that Hughes had fallen right on him as he tried to protect the teen. His Automail couldn't be hurt by a simple stray bullet - at least he hoped that because having to see Winry and/or Pinaco at times like these... Well let's say he wasn't looking forward to his next visit to Resembool. He sighed as he let his head rest on Hughes shoulder. The teen hadn't even noticed that the dark-haired man had gotten him to lie next to him. He listened to the low conversation in the room. As he heard his name being said by the judge his head snapped up.
“What's with me?”
The blonde blinked up at the men in the room. Roy had taken a seat next to Hughes' bed and the judge was leaning against the window frame while Alex stood guard at the door sparkling.
“We are discussing where we should bring you to wait if the judge has any questions. The court yard isn't safe as long as we have to bring armed soldiers with us we can't trust. I had hand-picked them all by their record and if they have ever met Ryans. None of them had ever met Ryans or been in a command where Ryans had been as well. I couldn't find any connections with our shouting friend either. I don't know why he would want to hurt you or even kill you.”
“So you think there is somebody behind all this? Ro... Colonel Mustang said something like that.”
Hughes nodded thoughtfully. He didn't say anything about Ed wanting Roy to call by his given name and his face hadn't changed as well.
“There must be a connection between all the incidents of the past 6 months. Ryans hadn't shown any behaviour that suggested that he would want to have some kind of relationship to a male minor. His file was clean as it could be and even Roy has some dark marks in his. So there must be somebody who would want to harm you.”
Green eyes looked into golden.
“Don't be afraid. We already checked all the alchemists who had taken part in the exam you have passed - none of them had ever been in contact with Ryans. We checked all the military officials who had been in charge when you convicted them of sweating and fraud - they are either in prison or are far far away to even have heard of Ryans. That leaves very few people and I really don't like that thought much.”
Ed raised an eyebrow and looked confused to Roy.
“Why is that bad? I mean that makes it easier to get the right person.”
Roy gave a small laugh and Hughes patted his head smiling sadly.
“That makes everything even more difficult. All people left are the top-brass of the military and high local politicians or a combination of both.”
Ed swallowed at the older man's words. He couldn't imagine who would think up something like that and why would he be talked into doing something like that to a teenager who had done a lot for the military and the country. Confused he sat up and rubbed his head. The throbbing of his head made the buzzing noise louder in his head. He couldn't think clearly.
'Tsktsktsk... Edward, Edward. I know how you lost your limbs and what you did to your brother.'
“He knows... Of course... maybe...”
The young alchemist looked up at Hughes.
“He knows how I lost my limbs. He said he knows. What if he really knows something because someone had tipped him off?”
Roy was shaking his head.
“Nobody knows despite me, Hughes and Riza as well as the Rockbells.”
“But there are rumours in Resembool and if he had heard them or has been there...”
“We investigated that as well. He sent an officer to Resembool who had shown Ryans' picture around and nobody had recognised him. He had never been in Resembool or one of the neighbouring villages before. He can't have heard of any rumours unless they have started in Central where he had been stationed until he had been sent to East City.”
Roy sighed heavily as he ended his little speech. Of course he wanted to have a clue where they could start their further investigation. Now they had only the evidence that therre was somebody behind Ryans.
Ed kept on scowling. His mind was racing. There had to be a connection.
“Who was Ry...Ryans' Commanding officer in Central?”
Roy and Maes looked at each other.
“General Hakuro. Most of us are under his command. Even you although you're reporting to me and not to him in person.”
“And who was he reporting to?”
All Hughes could do was shrug. He hadn't thought about something like that. Why would he? Normally all came back to someone higher up who wanted to harm Ed. But what if there were even more people behind it?
“Could he have had anything to do with Grand?”
“Do you mean General Grand, the Iron-Blood Alchemist?”
The three of them looked to Armstrong who had stopped sparkling but was watching Ed closely. The teen nodded shortly.
“Why General Grand, Ed? What would he have to do with all this? He doesn't report to Hakuro or anyone. I don't think that he had anything to do with Ryans.”
“Sometimes the General has to reprt to Hakuro - don't forget that Hakuro is the vice-fuhrer.”
Angry Hughes was punching his mattress. It didn't have the effecct he wanted but came close enough.
“Roy, Ed. I really don't want to destroy your little scenario but why would Hakuro hire Ryans to RAPE Ed after Grand had told him something?! It doesn't make sense!”
Hughes was breathing heavily. Of course he wanted this riddle to be solved as soon as possible but he couldn't let himself be carried away with some wild speculation by Ed and Roy. He sighed heavily and looked at Ed. Calmy he spoke his next question. He didn't want to offend the teen but there really - really - wasn't any connection.
“What would Grand want to report to Hakuro that the man would send Ryans to East City to hurt you, Ed?”
“Tucker.”
Now Hughes was really gone.
“Tucker?! The man is dead, Ed. He has been for years.”
“But he knew.”
“He knew nothing. Why would he?”
“Because I told him.”
That comment left him speechless. He looked to Roy who was looking at the teen as well with his mouth a little open and his eyebrows raised.
“Why would you tell him the one secret you really have to keep, Ed?”
“That night when I talked to you about his wife. You know the incident with the killed woman and me blacking out?”
“Of course I remember it. I carried you back to his house.”
So now the teen at least knew who had been so gentle.
“Well when I woke up he was sitting next to me and I had talked in my sleep and he asked questions and I told him because I wanted to be honest with him after all he had done for us. That night Grand came and threw us out of Tucker's house.”
“So you think he had told Grand what you have told him?”
The teen nodded slowly. The older man thought a bit over everything the young blond had said. Somehow it made sense. A connection was still to be found. The older man sighed then patted the teen's head.
“I will have somebody to look that up but, please Ed, promise me that you won't be sad if there isn't anything behind that.”
The teen nodded. He knew all he could do was hope now that somehow they could solve this.