➤ 1st Transmutation

[unexculpable]

» Action 「1652 Albright Lane ☼ Early Morning 」

[This isn't right. This is wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. How was he here? Where was here? The last thing he remembered was going through the Gate. Again. What the hell happened

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[snipingmissy]

[Hawkeye heard the familiar voice on the phone and without a second thought, she told her coworkers that she had an emergency to take care of. She surprised herself at the skill with the lie, saying that one of her children was sick. Besides, it wasn't as if the nurses really needed her. She only stopped to be sure that her newly-acquired pistol was secure in its' holster and not in her locker before hurrying out the door.

A few minutes later, she's at Edward's door, knocking.]

Edward?

[unexculpable]

[THAT VOICE. HE KNEW THAT VOICE. He opens the front door -- eyes wide, trying not to let her see just how panicked he is right now.]

L-lieutenant Hawkeye?

[snipingmissy]

[It's okay, Edward. She would've shot her Not!Husband if she'd been armed; the man was lucky he only got hit in the face once. She breathes a sigh of relief at seeing his face; his panic on the phone had her worried that he was hurt.

It takes her a moment to take charge of the situation. She's typically not so forthcoming, but knowing that Lust was in Mayfield--and that Lust wanted to find Edward--prompted her to simply grip his shoulder and turn him around, guiding him back into the house. She finds the nearest chair, and guides him to it.]

Take a deep breath, Edward. Did you just wake up here now?

[unexculpable]

[he's too freaked out to mind. he plops down in the chair, unable to bring himself to look up just yet. he's still busy staring at his hand]

I... yeah. A couple hours ago. How... how are you here? [because the last time he saw you, you were kind of dying, lieutenant.]

[snipingmissy]

[She catches his gaze focused on his hand, and swallows. She didn't know what happened to the boys back home, and seeing Edward here only reminded her of that. Her hand is still on his shoulder.]

I've only been here for a few days now.

[She wants to comfort him and tell him that Mayfield isn't too bad of a place, but she won't lie to him.] Lust is here as well--

[She stiffens as her eyes catch the portrait on the wall. Whoever was in charge of this damned city had a terrible sense of humor.] Let's walk, Ed. Some fresh air might do the both of us some good.

[Once again, she does not give him the option of agreeing or disagreeing with her, she simply ushers him out the door, closing it behind them.]

[unexculpable]

[At the mention of Lust, Ed visibly tenses. His fists clench, his brow furrows, his shoulders stiffen. His voice betrays him as he speaks, cracking and wavering - a hint of something bitter, angry and hurt underlying his words.]

Y-yeah. Already know about her.

[AND APPARENTLY HE'S MOVING? He's shoved out the door before he has a chance to say anything else. He stuffs his hands in his pockets as they walk.]

[snipingmissy]

[When they are a bit away from the house, Hawkeye releases the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She can't quite hide the nerves from her voice, though she is making quite an effort to do so.][She closes her eyes and swallows. She wanted to protect Edward from some of the finer points of Mayfield, at least until he'd calmed down a bit.]

I'll tell you whatever you'd like to know about this town that I already know.

[unexculpable]

[Ed cuts her off in the middle of her sentence, finally managing to look up at her. blunt Ed is blunt.]

How are you still alive, Lieutenant?

[snipingmissy]

[She stopped as he cut her off, jaw slightly slack. What sort of question is that?! Finally, she closes her eyes.]

I'm not sure. The last thing I remember is...

[She ponders this for a moment.] ...actually, the last thing I remember is you. That, and being pried off of the Colonel.

[unexculpable]

... What?

[snipingmissy]

[She's looking at her shoes and not at him; clearly this was not a topic she wanted to touch upon. But for his sake, she'd relay what she can remember.]

I remember being underground and pinned by the candidates for Führer, and... [She trails off. Ed can fill in the rest of that story.] Pride and Wrath pinned the Colonel to an alchemical array, and forced him to do human transmutation.

When he appeared--you all appeared, actually, yourself, Alphonse, Miss Curtis and Mr. Hohenheim--again, the Colonel was blinded.

We went to the surface and confronted Father. [This was where the memories started to get fuzzy for her; blood loss did eventually have to catch up to her, and she looked a bit embarrassed to admit that.]

The last I remember of you, you were transmuting your brother's body. I didn't see what happened; they demanded that the Colonel and I go to medical treatment, and from there..I don't remember much at all.

[unexculpable]

[Ed's quiet for a moment as he puts this all together in his head. So they succeeded in forcing the Colonel to open the Gate, the Truth took his eyesight, they all survived whatever the fuck it was Father was going to do with them.

But why would he be transmuting himself? Unless...

Oh. Oh FUCK HE DID NOT. Al, you did something didn't you? What was it? Were you trying to save him? He had to think. Why would Al do something so drastic? What could he possibly have --

his arm.

He looked down at his right hand, flexing his fingers. He gave up his right arm for Al's soul. Did he offer his soul in exchange for Ed's arm?]

That last time you saw me... was my arm still automail?

[snipingmissy]

[It's obvious to her that he's trying to process, and she waits quietly.

At his question, she pauses, and it's clear she's racking her brain, grasping at the memory.]

No, it was flesh when you defeated Father.

[Hawkeye shakes her head slowly, and looks momentarily sheepish.] I apologize, my memory of the details fuzzier than I'd like.

[She closes her eyes, imagining the scene in her mind's eye.]

I don't know much about alchemy, but whatever it was you were doing, it was clear you had a plan for getting your brother's body back.