Crimson and Clover, Ch. 1
Title: Crimson and Clover
Author: infinitesimi
Genre: Plot/gen
Summary: Ed would do anything to save his brother. Anything, even the impossible.
Note: Manga based with nearly no spoilers, unless you don't know about GreedLing. No pairings. Featuring crazy!Ed, or maybe he isn't crazy?
Chapter One
“Yo, Elric,” called a voice, but the young man with the blond braid did not look up, merely flashing his military ID card in the direction of the speaker, leaving his gaze on the floor and his bangs covering his face, muttering alchemical formulas under his breath.
“Elric!” came the voice again, and the man in the blue uniform nearly jumped back when the blazing gold eyes finally met his own.
Ed stopped in his tracks, lifted his head defiantly and growled out, “What?” in a tone that clearly demanded that the man at the counter be asking for something important.
Used to Elric’s disposition, the man shrugged. “Mail’s in, you got a letter,” he said, holding the envelope out for him to take.
Ed snatched the letter, putting it in with his folders of notes, and stormed up the stairs of the military dorms. Once in his room, he let his keys drop on his nightstand and flopped backwards on the bed, sliding the letter out to see who had written him. He half expected it to be from Winry; she sometimes wrote him quick notes here and there even though he never wrote her back, but it was from his brother, and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
He had failed him. He swore he would never give up trying to find a way to restore his brother’s body, and he never did, but it had been over seven years now, and five since he had become a State Alchemist and he was no closer than he had been when they started.
”I don’t want to live like this, Brother,” Alphonse had said, and it made his heart twist. He didn’t want his brother to live like this either, but every time he thought he had a lead it turned into another impossibility, and now Al had gone off on his own to find the stone.
Because he wasn’t doing a good enough job. Al tried to say that he wasn’t able to help Ed in Central, so he might as well persue a different lead. He argued that the military had become more strict about who it allowed to access information only intended for State Alchemists, and since Al could never be a State Alchemist without a body he wasn’t even able to join Ed in the government research facilities these days. But Ed couldn’t help feeling that Al knew he wasn’t getting anywhere with his research and decided to take matters into his own hands.
He folded his hands behind his head, feeling the automail through his gloves: hard fingers pressing into his skull, causing five points of dull ache beginning to seep through his head. He’d never been away from his brother for this long. They always did everything together and he couldn’t imagine life without him. That was why he had done the impossible, risking his own life and limb, to bind his soul to a suit of armor: he couldn’t bear to be without him.
With a jerk he flung himself off the bed and onto his feet, grabbing his other, personal notes off the desk and heading to the library for another, different round of pouring over ancient texts. A new section of the library had been added that housed a collection of rare alchemy texts found in the home of a long-since-deceased alchemist, and Edward hoped in vain that there would be something in them that would help him restore his brother.
He stomped in the door of the library, displaying his State Alchemist’s watch as he crossed into the restricted area of the building, all the while staring down at his boots and letting his bangs cover his face. He wasn’t much for looking people in the eyes these days; he saw disappointment, judgement, and criticism in every response whether it was present or not, and often it was, if not for the reasons he suspected. Claiming one of the tables by the window, he hauled out the ancient texts and dove in.
Ed stiffened when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder, instinctively snapping the book in front of him shut, effectively concealing both what he was reading and the notes he was taking. “What the-“ he sputtered, twisting around in his chair.
Familiar black eyes glinted down at him, part of the Colonel’s famous smirk. The man in the blue uniform ran a hand through his hair, expression still smug, and raised his eyebrows. “I was afraid I might find you here,” he said, and Ed couldn’t shake the feeling he was being laughed at.
“If you want the report,” the boy said, glaring, “I put it on your desk. I couldn’t find you when I stopped by, so I just left it there for you. You must have been taking a break or something.”
Roy pulled out he empty chair next to him, and sat down, his smile becoming slightly more genuine. “A break, what a novel idea,” he said, his tone amused. “Perhaps you should try it some time, Fullmetal.”
Ed muttered something incoherent, curling an arm protectively around his book and opening it up again, picking up his pencil and beginning to scan the pages once more.
The Colonel watched him for a moment, noticing the way the boy’s lips moved slightly as he read, and then reached over and pulled the pencil right out of those gloved fingers. “Edward,” he said, the smirk gone, his voice serious. “Do you know what time it is?”
He glanced up at the large windows that lined the library walls. “What?” he said defensively. “It’s not dark, they’re not ready to close up yet!” He turned his gaze on Roy, puzzled at his question.
“Do you even know what day it is?”
Ed stared at him blankly. “It’s Wednesday- shit. I forgot,” he groaned, putting his hand to his forehead, frowning. He looked at Roy from between his fingers. “Sorry?” he offered. Then he pointed a finger at him. “Hey, if you had been in your office when I stopped in to drop off the report, then maybe I would have remembered,” he accused.
Roy stood up, pushing the chair away from the table with a scraping sound that turned several heads in the library. “Come on,” he directed, trying to haul Ed up with him, but the boy resisted.
“I can’t, Colonel, just tell everyone I’m not coming. I’ve got to get through all this new material-“
Roy rolled his eyes, saying quietly, “Ed, you’ve been through all these books, I’ve seen you devour every one of them. Something new isn’t going to just magically appear in them-“
“You don’t know that!” he protested, a new touch of desperation in his voice, and Roy sighed.
“Come on,” he said patiently, “We were counting on your company tonight, poker night is never as good without you there and you’ve bailed on us the past three weeks.”
Ed groaned. “I can’t, it’s not fair to Al, he’s all alone out West researching stuff too, I can’t be goofing off here in Central. Playing poker, drinking, hanging out with friends, that’s for normal people like you and Havoc and Falman and everyone else. I’m busy,” he said roughly.
He jerked his shoulder back when he felt Roy’s hand come down on it a second time. “I’m sure your brother doesn’t want you holing up in here every minute of the day. And you know, maybe we’re not all as normal as you think. Maybe we’re just doing this to make sure we stay sane.”
“I don’t need to stay sane,” he muttered, snatching his pencil back from Roy and streaking graphite all across his white gloves. “I need to find a way to fix my mistakes.” He opened his book a third time, letting the ancient cover slap against the wooden table top, refusing to pay any more attention to the Colonel whatsoever. Once again his lips began moving in silence along with the words and he scribbled furiously and unintelligibly in his notes, and Roy knew it was a lost cause.
“Where’s the Boss, Roy?” Havoc asked when he saw Roy enter his apartment alone.
“You didn’t make him angry with you, did you?” Riza asked, a touch of accusation on here voice.
Roy merely shook his head, hanging up his coat and running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t do anything to him,” he protested to Riza. “But he still isn’t coming,” he told Havoc.
The sandy-haired man frowned, wheeling himself away from the poker table to the small bar set up in the corner. “He hasn’t been over in weeks,” he said as he picked up the ice tongs, adding three to his glass before pouring a generous amount of whiskey over them. “Anything for you?” he offered, looking over his shoulder.
“Whiskey,” Roy said distractedly, taking a seat at the poker table. Breda was nudging Fury in the ribs and snickering over something, and Roy wished he could relax as much as the rest of his men. He watched as Havoc wheeled toward him, holding both glasses between his knees, and took the one he was offered, draining it in one gulp, feeling the liquid burn all the way down to his stomach. “Thanks,” he said after setting the empty glass on the table. “Deal me in?” he said to Falman, who nodded and began to collect the cards from each player.
“I worry about him,” Havoc said, aside to Roy. “It’s almost like he’s a different person without his brother around. Why’d they split up, anyways? They’re never apart for anything!”
The Colonel shook his head. “I don’t know, I can only guess. Alphonse just said he wanted to be doing something useful. It’s hard to believe he doesn’t see how important he is in keeping his brother afloat.”
Havoc peeked at the cards he had been dealt. “Maybe he sees that just fine.”
When Ed returned to his dorm it was late. He had unintentionally kept the library open an extra half hour, and his mind was spinning with alchemical theories. He didn’t turn the light on when he flung open his door, intending to flop down onto the bed again and mull over the things he had read, but stopped short when he saw the grinning, shadowy figure perched on his pillow.
Out of instinct he had his automail blade out, and the blue crackle of alchemic light threw a weird glow onto the creature before it faded back to the blacks and greys of shadows. “Greed,” he greeted the intruder with a sneer, only to be met with an even wider grin.
“Ling,” the foreign man corrected, hopping off the bed and standing directly in front of him, seeming to tower above him in the poor lighting.
“What do you want?” Ed demanded, blade still out in front of him. “Greed?” he added.
The man spread his hands at his sides, as if to show Ed that he had no weapons. “I’m coming to you as Ling, Ed, your friend, not the homunculus.”
Ed scoffed. “Ling is gone, he was gone the very minute he decided to give in. You’re not him; you just look like him.”
“I am Ling,” he insisted, and then, grin becoming sharper and more menacing, “and I am Greed.” His expression returned to normal. “I’m still your friend. How is your search going?” He eyed the automail blade. “I see your body is not restored, should I assume the same is true of your brother?” When Ed didn’t answer, Ling looked around in the shadows, half expecting the suit of armor to be somewhere behind Ed. “Where is Alphonse, anyway? Isn’t he always with you?” When Ed still didn’t respond, Ling pressed, “Did you quarrel?”
“No!” Ed snapped. “He’s looking for something, that’s all! We didn’t fight. What are you doing here?” he asked warily, retracting the blade when he determined that the homunculus truly had no weapons on his person. He slid his hand over the switch on the wall to turn on the lights and saw Ling blink at the sudden brightness in a disturbingly human way.
“I know where you can find the Philosopher’s Stone,” he said bluntly, still with that maddening grin, and Ed frowned.
“I don’t trust you,” he said, equally blunt.
Ling pouted. “Why not?” he protested, sounding hurt. “What would be in this for me?”
Ed raised his eyebrows, taking on a cocky tone. “Well, the Philosopher’s Stone, for one. Obviously if you really do know where it is, then you can’t get to it yourself. So you and the rest of the homunculi want to use me. Why should I believe this isn’t some kind of trap?”
“Why would I want to trap you?” Ling said innocently.
A sarcastic sneer spread over Ed’s face. “Greed might want to trap me.”
Dropping the innocent wide-eyed look, Ling-Greed lowered his voice to seriousness. “Something is happening in Amestris,” he said levelly. “Something big. The stone is going to be created with or without you. I’m only telling you this because I know you devoted your entire life to finding it, and as your friend, I want you to succeed. Nothing more.” With that statement, Ling was out the window, presumably the same way he came in.
Ed stood staring at the place where the homunculus stood. Could it really be true? There was a way to make the Philosopher’s Stone? It sounded like a trap, but it also sounded like a lead. Why wasn’t his brother here? He needed to talk to Al about this!
Remembering his brother’s letter, he searched for it in the pile of notes on his desk, tearing it open and scanning the page. It was just a short note, written in code of course, basically saying that he was finding interesting things but nothing concrete. Just like Ed had been doing in Central for the past six months. They were both stalled.
When Ed slept he didn’t dream about homunculi or alchemy or red stones, he dreamed he was once again in Aquaroya chasing the theif Psiren, but he wasn’t fifteen anymore, he was seventeen, and instead of calling him “little boy” in a teasing grown up voice she grabbed him by the chin and kissed him, and the kiss went on through the dream as if time were suspended. When he woke up he woke with a start, sweating and aroused and disgusted with himself and unable to fall back asleep.
“You’re wasting your time,” Greed said lazily, lounging against a pillar and eating from plates of fruit that were piled around him. “He’s not going to help you create the stone.”
The whirring noises that came from the center of the room increased, and the Father turned to face him. “Perhaps not willingly,” came the deep voice, rumbling through the room.
“Humans are so stupid,” complained Envy, his voice changing as his form changed from that of a plain farm woman to the androgynous green haired shape he seemed most comfortable in. “They’re all determined to be miserable no matter what happens. I thought it was every alchemist’s dream to possess the Philosopher’s Stone?” He looked around for Gluttony but saw only Greed, dressed as always in his brightly colored Xingian robes and devouring plate after plate of exotic fruits. “Why do you eat, anyway?” he demanded, coming to stand behind the new homunculus. “You know that body doesn’t need it.”
Greed looked up at him with that damnable grin. “I’m Greed,” he said, mouth full. “I’m always hungry.”
Envy sighed loudly. “I’m tired of keeping that Fullmetal brat out of trouble just in case we need him. If he’ll never cooperate, I’d rather just get rid of him.” He threw a glance toward the bearded man in the white robes. “Can’t I just get rid of the brat?” he begged.
“And who would take his place?” the Father inquired, and Envy shrugged.
“Another alchemist? There’s got to be other alchemists, what about that Dr. Marco?”
Greed looked up from his meal long enough to speak. “He won’t cooperate because he doesn’t trust us,” he said, swallowing nearly an entire pear. “He wants that stone for his brother; he’d never let it fall into our hands. We’ll have to find a selfish alchemist who wants nothing but the power of the stone and doesn’t care about the rest of the world. Ed’s not selfish.”
“Ed’s not selfish,” Envy mimicked, sneering at him. “They’re all selfish, those humans,” he said, waving a hand in the air and turning around with a flounce. “Every last one of them. I’ll find a way to make him selfish.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Ling called after Envy’s retreating form.
“I would never,” Envy called back, and Greed turned his attention back to the plates of food in front of him.
The Colonel folded his hands in front of himself, letting his wrists rest on the deep green of the blotter on his desktop. “Yes, a mission, and yes, now,” he said blandly.
“I thought you were trying to help us!” Ed protested. “You’ve let me keep up my research uninterrupted for this long, what’s so important that you have to send this alchemist?”
“I’m sure you’ll find it very important,” Roy said in the haughty tone of a man who knows when he’s right. “I need you to go to Youswell.”
Ed opened his mouth as if he was about to let out a barrage of objections, stopped, and then closed it again. “Youswell?” he echoed meekly. “What’s in Youswell?”
Roy waved a hand as if to dismiss all conversation. “Same thing as every town in the west, a mine. I need you to inspect it.” He let a smile creep into the edges of his lips. “And your brother is in Youswell.”
“I know my brother is in Youswell,” Ed said loudly, but with no fight in his voice. “What, did he ask you to send me there?” he said almost hopefully, but Roy shook his head.
“No, I really do need an inspection of the mine. If you and your brother blow anything up, or damage any property in any way, I’ll have you both inspecting every mine in the west before you’re allowed in the front doors of the Central library again,” he said sternly, his eyes narrow. “And don’t slack on writing a full report, in fact, I want it on my desk before you even arrive. Send it ahead of you on one of the military trains.”
Ed was quiet for a full minute. “Thanks,” he said finally.
“Behave,” Roy warned him.
Ed tried to keep a low profile on the train but after several days of travel when he finally arrived in Youswell he knew it was impossible. He was somewhat of a celebrity there, after all. So was his brother. He wondered what Alphonse had found so important to study out there in the mining town, and couldn’t wait to see him again.
He felt yet another pang of guilt stabbing at him. It had been so long that Al had been a soul trapped in a suit of armor that when his mind though “Alphonse” he automatically envisioned that armor. That horrible, hulking, clanking, frightening looking armor that was nothing like the sweet, smart, gentle soul inside. Thinking harder, his mind didn’t even next recall Alphonse as a child, but the starving, emaciated body with the tangled hair and empty eyes he had seen at the gate. “I can’t go with you,” it had told him. “You aren’t my soul.”
The town hadn’t changed much since he had been there, when had it been? When he was twelve. When he got off the train he spotted his brother’s familiar armor right away, talking to one of the townsmen, and, swinging his suitcase at his side, waved and hollered at him.
It was almost comical how the suit of armor turned its head and seemed to jump in surprise, and Ed was certain he could see those strange glowing eyes light up at the sight of him. “Brother!” cried the tinny voice.
A grin spread across Ed’s face for the first time in months. “How ya doin’, Al?” he said, barely able to restrain his excitement.
“What are you doing here?”
He stuck himself in the chest with his thumb. “Colonel Mustang sent me to inspect the mines,” he said importantly. “I told him I’d be glad to, seeing how I’d get to see you!”
If it was possible for a helmet to show a concerned expression, Al certainly did. He poked Ed in the side with one of his leather gauntlets and Ed jumped, dropping his suitcase on the ground.
“Hey!” he protested.
“You’re too skinny, Brother,” Al admonished him. “Have you been eating enough? Remember, you have to eat enough for my body too, I don’t want it to starve before we can get it back!”
“I have been eating, I-“ he began, but Al was already ushering him into the only inn in the town, picking up the suitcase he had dropped. He was recognized immediately, and a cheer went up around the inn hailing the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed glowed with all the attention and was soon hamming it up in typical Edward fashion, allowing himself to be stuffed with good dinner and drink.
The story of how he traded the deed for the town for a meal and a nights stay was told twice by the townsmen and once by Ed himself, and Al wasn’t sure which of the three versions was the most outrageous, but he knew it was all in fun.
“You’ve grown, boy!” said one of the men, shoving a mug of golden-colored beer into his hand. “Last we saw you you were just a little thing, you even eighteen yet?”
Ed held onto the drink and took a sip, feeling the carbonation go straight to his head. “Seventeen,” he said proudly. “By the time I’m eighteen I’ll be even taller!”
Although he could not physically smile, inside Al felt like he was glowing with pride for his brother. Not because he finally gained a couple inches, but because of all the little things that showed how he was starting to grow up. The wild stories about the antics of the Fullmetal Alchemist were just that anymore: wild stories. They made for good legends but weren’t likely to be repeated. Ed was growing into his talent, less likely to demolish half a city in order to catch a villain and even less likely to throw a tantrum at being teased about his height.
“Hello Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist,” said a girl who had been standing shyly to the side of his brother for several minutes now. Al watched Ed blink a few times, then say “hi,” warily.
She smiled. “You don’t recognize me?” she teased, and Ed screwed up his face trying to remember a girl from Youswell he may have met.
“Uhh,” he stalled, and Al could see his cheeks were turning faintly pink as the girl batted her eyelashes.
“I know who she is, Brother,” Al put in, having recognized her right away.
“I see you’re still wearing that armor,” she said smiling.
“Yeah,” Al said, unsure of what else to say to that. “I guess I’m the only one of us who looks the same… what are you doing here in Youswell?”
“I came to visit my uncle, just for a few days, my cousin and his wife just had a baby-“
“Klose!” Ed burst out finally, and she laughed at him.
“I was wondering how long it would take for you to remember me, Edward. What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked curiously.
He promptly took out his silver watch and showed it to her. “I’m a State Alchemist now, I’ve come to inspect the mines.”
She laughed again. “I know you’re a State Alchemist,” she told him, her eyes twinkling. “Everyone knows you’re a State Alchemist.” She touched her fingers lightly to his arm. “Would you like to go outside with me for a bit?” she asked boldly. “Look at the stars?”
“The stars?” Ed repeated dumbly. “Uh, but everybody’s in here.”
“I know, it’s crowded isn’t it?” she said. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other,” she added, her fingers tightening around his arm.
Ed looked over at his brother, who for some reason seemed to be laughing at him. He frowned, feeling like he was missing something important in the conversation, and then yelped as the empty glass was tugged out of his hand and replaced with a full one.
“Hey, is he even old enough to drink?” one man asked good naturedly.
“He’s the Fullmetal Alchemist, he gave us this town, he can eat and drink here as much as he wants!” came the response, and another cheer went up through the inn.
It was late into the night when the brothers finally turned in for the night, and it was the first time they had been able to talk alone since Ed arrived on the train. Ed sat on the edge of the narrow bed facing his brother, who sat on the edge of the opposite bed, and looked out the window at the clear night sky. “Wow, Al, look at those stars, you can see every single one.” He was startled when he heard Al laugh at him. “What?” he demanded.
“Oh, Brother, it was so funny watching you and Klose!” he said between what could only be described as metallic giggles.
Ed folded his arms in front of himself. “Why was it funny? She sure was acting weird,” he added.
“Ed, she likes you. She probably has a crush on you or something.” Al laughed again as he watched his brother sputter indignantly.
“She does not!” he protested, but his cheeks were turning pink again.
“What are you doing here, anyway, Brother?” Al asked then, changing the subject.
Ed leaned back on the bed, folding his hands behind his head. “I told you, I came to inspect the mine.”
“Did you really? Or,” he asked, sounding hopeful, “did you just come to see me?”
Ed smiled up at the ceiling. “Believe it or not, I think Colonel Mustang sent me here because he knew I missed you,” he said. “Imagine that, he’s actually doing something nice for us for once!”
“Don’t’ say that,” Al chided. “He does everything he can for us, you know that!”
Ed raised his feet off the ground for a moment and that flung himself back into a sitting position so he could look his brother in the “eyes.” “Al,” he said seriously, “I’ve been doing everything I can to find a way to restore you, I really have.”
“I know,” Al said enthusiastically. “And so have I. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it all yourself-“
“It’s been years, Al, and we’re not any closer to restoring you than we were when we started out!” Ed complained. “We may know more about the Philosopher’s Stone than any other alchemist alive today, but we’re not any closer to our goal!”
“I thought we were going to stop looking for the Stone,” Al said softly. “I thought we were going to look for another way.”
“I am looking for another way!” Ed said miserably. “I swear to you, Al, I’m doing everything I can. I’m not just hanging around Central goofing off!”
He could hear the metal shifting as the suit of armor sat forward, those haunted glowing eyes coming closer to Ed’s. “Sometimes I wish you were goofing off in Central,” Al said quietly.
Ed blinked. “What?”
“You look like you haven’t been eating, and, Brother, you’re so pale, you look like you’ve been inside for weeks! I wanted to give you some time to yourself-“
“I don’t want time to myself!” Ed said loudly, standing up and starting to pace back and forth over the floorboards. He had taken his boots off for bed and his steps were a constant thump-STOMP thump-STOMP.
“You should enjoy life a little!” Al said. “I’ve been out here researching mineral alchemy so that you could take some time to be a regular guy! Have some fun, date some girls - Brother, you’re seventeen, you’re alive and there’s people who care about you! Don’t ignore life completely!”
“I don’t care about girls, I don’t care about other people! I want to fix what I did to you-“
“We did it together,” Al said sternly. “We’ve been over this time and again. You’re not the only one responsible for our sins.”
“Yeah but I’m the only one who paid the price,” Ed muttered bitterly.
“You lost your limbs!” Al protested.
Ed stared down at his automail hand, flexing the metal fingers open and closed. “I don’t mind the automail. It’s nothing. It’s nothing compared to what I did to you.”
“I’m sorry,” Al said quietly, and Ed stopped pacing and stared at him.
“For what?”
“I’m sorry I left you in Central. We’re not much good without each other, are we?”
Ed kept staring at him.
“I can’t get at the information I really want here, because I’m not you, I’m not a State Alchemist so I don’t have any authority. You, apparently, can’t even take care of yourself when I’m not around. Tell me you didn’t spend the night in the library.”
“I might have,” Ed mumbled, looking down at the floorboards. “Al, don’t be sorry. I’m the one who’s sorry. We won’t split up like that again, we work better together, all right?”
“Tomorrow we’ll go down in the mines, I want to show you some things I’ve been working on,” Al said brightly.
“You can look at my research, I brought it all with me,” Ed said, relieved that their conversation was falling into its old patterns.
Al didn’t sleep that night, he never did, he simply sat on the bed and stared out the window of the inn at the stars and thought and thought. Sometimes he stared at his sleeping brother, watching him turn and frown and mumble in his sleep, reaching over more than once to pull his shirt down over his stomach. Sometimes Al wondered, since he spent so much time just watching and thinking while the rest of the world slept, if once his body was restored he would sleep for another seven years just to give his brain the rest it deserved.
When Ed slept he dreamed of Klose blinking her twinkling brown eyes at him and laying her fingers lightly on his arm, and in his sleep he curled in on himself and groaned. When he woke briefly in the night he wondered why all his dreams lately had been about girls. He used to dream about alchemy text books and farm life and military life when he wasn’t having nightmares. But he never had nightmares when his brother was standing watch while he slept.
Roy Mustang stared out his window, trying not to look down at the mounds of paperwork that covered his entire desk. He was tapping the top of his pen against the tallest pile in a absent rhythm, taptaptaptap, when his secretary (the new one) appeared in the doorway. “Sir, an urgent phone call for you,” she said, and he nodded, picking up the phone on his desk.
“Colonel Mustang,” he answered routinely. Everything was urgent these days.
“Yes, is this the commanding officer of Major Edward Elric?” came the voice, crackling over the bad connection.
“This is he,” Roy said, rolling his eyes, wondering what kind of disaster had occurred this time. He had warned Ed not to make trouble!
“There’s been an incident-“
“What’s he done this time and how much does the military owe,” Roy asked, sounding bored.
“He’s been injured and is in the West City hospital-“
Roy’s eyes widened. “How seriously? What happened?”
“He’s in a coma,” the voice crackled. “There was some kind of explosion and there are reports that it was alchemical; witnesses say they saw a flash of light before the building was destroyed-“
“Is Alphonse with him?”
“We haven’t been able to locate the brother, only the armor he always wears. Fullmetal was found unconscious laying over the armor but there was no one inside.”
“You found the armor? Where is it?” Roy asked urgently.
“At West headquarters, in investigations, it’s pretty well damaged but we think we have all the pieces, but there was no way to tell where the brother might have gone.”
“Don’t do anything with it,” Roy instructed, his mind racing. “I need a full report, talk to all the witnesses, I want to know everything,” he barked out, not even fully aware of what he was saying. “I’m coming to West City to get him, don’t let anything happen to him!”
Chapter Two
Author: infinitesimi
Genre: Plot/gen
Summary: Ed would do anything to save his brother. Anything, even the impossible.
Note: Manga based with nearly no spoilers, unless you don't know about GreedLing. No pairings. Featuring crazy!Ed, or maybe he isn't crazy?
Chapter One
“Yo, Elric,” called a voice, but the young man with the blond braid did not look up, merely flashing his military ID card in the direction of the speaker, leaving his gaze on the floor and his bangs covering his face, muttering alchemical formulas under his breath.
“Elric!” came the voice again, and the man in the blue uniform nearly jumped back when the blazing gold eyes finally met his own.
Ed stopped in his tracks, lifted his head defiantly and growled out, “What?” in a tone that clearly demanded that the man at the counter be asking for something important.
Used to Elric’s disposition, the man shrugged. “Mail’s in, you got a letter,” he said, holding the envelope out for him to take.
Ed snatched the letter, putting it in with his folders of notes, and stormed up the stairs of the military dorms. Once in his room, he let his keys drop on his nightstand and flopped backwards on the bed, sliding the letter out to see who had written him. He half expected it to be from Winry; she sometimes wrote him quick notes here and there even though he never wrote her back, but it was from his brother, and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
He had failed him. He swore he would never give up trying to find a way to restore his brother’s body, and he never did, but it had been over seven years now, and five since he had become a State Alchemist and he was no closer than he had been when they started.
”I don’t want to live like this, Brother,” Alphonse had said, and it made his heart twist. He didn’t want his brother to live like this either, but every time he thought he had a lead it turned into another impossibility, and now Al had gone off on his own to find the stone.
Because he wasn’t doing a good enough job. Al tried to say that he wasn’t able to help Ed in Central, so he might as well persue a different lead. He argued that the military had become more strict about who it allowed to access information only intended for State Alchemists, and since Al could never be a State Alchemist without a body he wasn’t even able to join Ed in the government research facilities these days. But Ed couldn’t help feeling that Al knew he wasn’t getting anywhere with his research and decided to take matters into his own hands.
He folded his hands behind his head, feeling the automail through his gloves: hard fingers pressing into his skull, causing five points of dull ache beginning to seep through his head. He’d never been away from his brother for this long. They always did everything together and he couldn’t imagine life without him. That was why he had done the impossible, risking his own life and limb, to bind his soul to a suit of armor: he couldn’t bear to be without him.
With a jerk he flung himself off the bed and onto his feet, grabbing his other, personal notes off the desk and heading to the library for another, different round of pouring over ancient texts. A new section of the library had been added that housed a collection of rare alchemy texts found in the home of a long-since-deceased alchemist, and Edward hoped in vain that there would be something in them that would help him restore his brother.
He stomped in the door of the library, displaying his State Alchemist’s watch as he crossed into the restricted area of the building, all the while staring down at his boots and letting his bangs cover his face. He wasn’t much for looking people in the eyes these days; he saw disappointment, judgement, and criticism in every response whether it was present or not, and often it was, if not for the reasons he suspected. Claiming one of the tables by the window, he hauled out the ancient texts and dove in.
Ed stiffened when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder, instinctively snapping the book in front of him shut, effectively concealing both what he was reading and the notes he was taking. “What the-“ he sputtered, twisting around in his chair.
Familiar black eyes glinted down at him, part of the Colonel’s famous smirk. The man in the blue uniform ran a hand through his hair, expression still smug, and raised his eyebrows. “I was afraid I might find you here,” he said, and Ed couldn’t shake the feeling he was being laughed at.
“If you want the report,” the boy said, glaring, “I put it on your desk. I couldn’t find you when I stopped by, so I just left it there for you. You must have been taking a break or something.”
Roy pulled out he empty chair next to him, and sat down, his smile becoming slightly more genuine. “A break, what a novel idea,” he said, his tone amused. “Perhaps you should try it some time, Fullmetal.”
Ed muttered something incoherent, curling an arm protectively around his book and opening it up again, picking up his pencil and beginning to scan the pages once more.
The Colonel watched him for a moment, noticing the way the boy’s lips moved slightly as he read, and then reached over and pulled the pencil right out of those gloved fingers. “Edward,” he said, the smirk gone, his voice serious. “Do you know what time it is?”
He glanced up at the large windows that lined the library walls. “What?” he said defensively. “It’s not dark, they’re not ready to close up yet!” He turned his gaze on Roy, puzzled at his question.
“Do you even know what day it is?”
Ed stared at him blankly. “It’s Wednesday- shit. I forgot,” he groaned, putting his hand to his forehead, frowning. He looked at Roy from between his fingers. “Sorry?” he offered. Then he pointed a finger at him. “Hey, if you had been in your office when I stopped in to drop off the report, then maybe I would have remembered,” he accused.
Roy stood up, pushing the chair away from the table with a scraping sound that turned several heads in the library. “Come on,” he directed, trying to haul Ed up with him, but the boy resisted.
“I can’t, Colonel, just tell everyone I’m not coming. I’ve got to get through all this new material-“
Roy rolled his eyes, saying quietly, “Ed, you’ve been through all these books, I’ve seen you devour every one of them. Something new isn’t going to just magically appear in them-“
“You don’t know that!” he protested, a new touch of desperation in his voice, and Roy sighed.
“Come on,” he said patiently, “We were counting on your company tonight, poker night is never as good without you there and you’ve bailed on us the past three weeks.”
Ed groaned. “I can’t, it’s not fair to Al, he’s all alone out West researching stuff too, I can’t be goofing off here in Central. Playing poker, drinking, hanging out with friends, that’s for normal people like you and Havoc and Falman and everyone else. I’m busy,” he said roughly.
He jerked his shoulder back when he felt Roy’s hand come down on it a second time. “I’m sure your brother doesn’t want you holing up in here every minute of the day. And you know, maybe we’re not all as normal as you think. Maybe we’re just doing this to make sure we stay sane.”
“I don’t need to stay sane,” he muttered, snatching his pencil back from Roy and streaking graphite all across his white gloves. “I need to find a way to fix my mistakes.” He opened his book a third time, letting the ancient cover slap against the wooden table top, refusing to pay any more attention to the Colonel whatsoever. Once again his lips began moving in silence along with the words and he scribbled furiously and unintelligibly in his notes, and Roy knew it was a lost cause.
“Where’s the Boss, Roy?” Havoc asked when he saw Roy enter his apartment alone.
“You didn’t make him angry with you, did you?” Riza asked, a touch of accusation on here voice.
Roy merely shook his head, hanging up his coat and running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t do anything to him,” he protested to Riza. “But he still isn’t coming,” he told Havoc.
The sandy-haired man frowned, wheeling himself away from the poker table to the small bar set up in the corner. “He hasn’t been over in weeks,” he said as he picked up the ice tongs, adding three to his glass before pouring a generous amount of whiskey over them. “Anything for you?” he offered, looking over his shoulder.
“Whiskey,” Roy said distractedly, taking a seat at the poker table. Breda was nudging Fury in the ribs and snickering over something, and Roy wished he could relax as much as the rest of his men. He watched as Havoc wheeled toward him, holding both glasses between his knees, and took the one he was offered, draining it in one gulp, feeling the liquid burn all the way down to his stomach. “Thanks,” he said after setting the empty glass on the table. “Deal me in?” he said to Falman, who nodded and began to collect the cards from each player.
“I worry about him,” Havoc said, aside to Roy. “It’s almost like he’s a different person without his brother around. Why’d they split up, anyways? They’re never apart for anything!”
The Colonel shook his head. “I don’t know, I can only guess. Alphonse just said he wanted to be doing something useful. It’s hard to believe he doesn’t see how important he is in keeping his brother afloat.”
Havoc peeked at the cards he had been dealt. “Maybe he sees that just fine.”
When Ed returned to his dorm it was late. He had unintentionally kept the library open an extra half hour, and his mind was spinning with alchemical theories. He didn’t turn the light on when he flung open his door, intending to flop down onto the bed again and mull over the things he had read, but stopped short when he saw the grinning, shadowy figure perched on his pillow.
Out of instinct he had his automail blade out, and the blue crackle of alchemic light threw a weird glow onto the creature before it faded back to the blacks and greys of shadows. “Greed,” he greeted the intruder with a sneer, only to be met with an even wider grin.
“Ling,” the foreign man corrected, hopping off the bed and standing directly in front of him, seeming to tower above him in the poor lighting.
“What do you want?” Ed demanded, blade still out in front of him. “Greed?” he added.
The man spread his hands at his sides, as if to show Ed that he had no weapons. “I’m coming to you as Ling, Ed, your friend, not the homunculus.”
Ed scoffed. “Ling is gone, he was gone the very minute he decided to give in. You’re not him; you just look like him.”
“I am Ling,” he insisted, and then, grin becoming sharper and more menacing, “and I am Greed.” His expression returned to normal. “I’m still your friend. How is your search going?” He eyed the automail blade. “I see your body is not restored, should I assume the same is true of your brother?” When Ed didn’t answer, Ling looked around in the shadows, half expecting the suit of armor to be somewhere behind Ed. “Where is Alphonse, anyway? Isn’t he always with you?” When Ed still didn’t respond, Ling pressed, “Did you quarrel?”
“No!” Ed snapped. “He’s looking for something, that’s all! We didn’t fight. What are you doing here?” he asked warily, retracting the blade when he determined that the homunculus truly had no weapons on his person. He slid his hand over the switch on the wall to turn on the lights and saw Ling blink at the sudden brightness in a disturbingly human way.
“I know where you can find the Philosopher’s Stone,” he said bluntly, still with that maddening grin, and Ed frowned.
“I don’t trust you,” he said, equally blunt.
Ling pouted. “Why not?” he protested, sounding hurt. “What would be in this for me?”
Ed raised his eyebrows, taking on a cocky tone. “Well, the Philosopher’s Stone, for one. Obviously if you really do know where it is, then you can’t get to it yourself. So you and the rest of the homunculi want to use me. Why should I believe this isn’t some kind of trap?”
“Why would I want to trap you?” Ling said innocently.
A sarcastic sneer spread over Ed’s face. “Greed might want to trap me.”
Dropping the innocent wide-eyed look, Ling-Greed lowered his voice to seriousness. “Something is happening in Amestris,” he said levelly. “Something big. The stone is going to be created with or without you. I’m only telling you this because I know you devoted your entire life to finding it, and as your friend, I want you to succeed. Nothing more.” With that statement, Ling was out the window, presumably the same way he came in.
Ed stood staring at the place where the homunculus stood. Could it really be true? There was a way to make the Philosopher’s Stone? It sounded like a trap, but it also sounded like a lead. Why wasn’t his brother here? He needed to talk to Al about this!
Remembering his brother’s letter, he searched for it in the pile of notes on his desk, tearing it open and scanning the page. It was just a short note, written in code of course, basically saying that he was finding interesting things but nothing concrete. Just like Ed had been doing in Central for the past six months. They were both stalled.
When Ed slept he didn’t dream about homunculi or alchemy or red stones, he dreamed he was once again in Aquaroya chasing the theif Psiren, but he wasn’t fifteen anymore, he was seventeen, and instead of calling him “little boy” in a teasing grown up voice she grabbed him by the chin and kissed him, and the kiss went on through the dream as if time were suspended. When he woke up he woke with a start, sweating and aroused and disgusted with himself and unable to fall back asleep.
“You’re wasting your time,” Greed said lazily, lounging against a pillar and eating from plates of fruit that were piled around him. “He’s not going to help you create the stone.”
The whirring noises that came from the center of the room increased, and the Father turned to face him. “Perhaps not willingly,” came the deep voice, rumbling through the room.
“Humans are so stupid,” complained Envy, his voice changing as his form changed from that of a plain farm woman to the androgynous green haired shape he seemed most comfortable in. “They’re all determined to be miserable no matter what happens. I thought it was every alchemist’s dream to possess the Philosopher’s Stone?” He looked around for Gluttony but saw only Greed, dressed as always in his brightly colored Xingian robes and devouring plate after plate of exotic fruits. “Why do you eat, anyway?” he demanded, coming to stand behind the new homunculus. “You know that body doesn’t need it.”
Greed looked up at him with that damnable grin. “I’m Greed,” he said, mouth full. “I’m always hungry.”
Envy sighed loudly. “I’m tired of keeping that Fullmetal brat out of trouble just in case we need him. If he’ll never cooperate, I’d rather just get rid of him.” He threw a glance toward the bearded man in the white robes. “Can’t I just get rid of the brat?” he begged.
“And who would take his place?” the Father inquired, and Envy shrugged.
“Another alchemist? There’s got to be other alchemists, what about that Dr. Marco?”
Greed looked up from his meal long enough to speak. “He won’t cooperate because he doesn’t trust us,” he said, swallowing nearly an entire pear. “He wants that stone for his brother; he’d never let it fall into our hands. We’ll have to find a selfish alchemist who wants nothing but the power of the stone and doesn’t care about the rest of the world. Ed’s not selfish.”
“Ed’s not selfish,” Envy mimicked, sneering at him. “They’re all selfish, those humans,” he said, waving a hand in the air and turning around with a flounce. “Every last one of them. I’ll find a way to make him selfish.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Ling called after Envy’s retreating form.
“I would never,” Envy called back, and Greed turned his attention back to the plates of food in front of him.
The Colonel folded his hands in front of himself, letting his wrists rest on the deep green of the blotter on his desktop. “Yes, a mission, and yes, now,” he said blandly.
“I thought you were trying to help us!” Ed protested. “You’ve let me keep up my research uninterrupted for this long, what’s so important that you have to send this alchemist?”
“I’m sure you’ll find it very important,” Roy said in the haughty tone of a man who knows when he’s right. “I need you to go to Youswell.”
Ed opened his mouth as if he was about to let out a barrage of objections, stopped, and then closed it again. “Youswell?” he echoed meekly. “What’s in Youswell?”
Roy waved a hand as if to dismiss all conversation. “Same thing as every town in the west, a mine. I need you to inspect it.” He let a smile creep into the edges of his lips. “And your brother is in Youswell.”
“I know my brother is in Youswell,” Ed said loudly, but with no fight in his voice. “What, did he ask you to send me there?” he said almost hopefully, but Roy shook his head.
“No, I really do need an inspection of the mine. If you and your brother blow anything up, or damage any property in any way, I’ll have you both inspecting every mine in the west before you’re allowed in the front doors of the Central library again,” he said sternly, his eyes narrow. “And don’t slack on writing a full report, in fact, I want it on my desk before you even arrive. Send it ahead of you on one of the military trains.”
Ed was quiet for a full minute. “Thanks,” he said finally.
“Behave,” Roy warned him.
Ed tried to keep a low profile on the train but after several days of travel when he finally arrived in Youswell he knew it was impossible. He was somewhat of a celebrity there, after all. So was his brother. He wondered what Alphonse had found so important to study out there in the mining town, and couldn’t wait to see him again.
He felt yet another pang of guilt stabbing at him. It had been so long that Al had been a soul trapped in a suit of armor that when his mind though “Alphonse” he automatically envisioned that armor. That horrible, hulking, clanking, frightening looking armor that was nothing like the sweet, smart, gentle soul inside. Thinking harder, his mind didn’t even next recall Alphonse as a child, but the starving, emaciated body with the tangled hair and empty eyes he had seen at the gate. “I can’t go with you,” it had told him. “You aren’t my soul.”
The town hadn’t changed much since he had been there, when had it been? When he was twelve. When he got off the train he spotted his brother’s familiar armor right away, talking to one of the townsmen, and, swinging his suitcase at his side, waved and hollered at him.
It was almost comical how the suit of armor turned its head and seemed to jump in surprise, and Ed was certain he could see those strange glowing eyes light up at the sight of him. “Brother!” cried the tinny voice.
A grin spread across Ed’s face for the first time in months. “How ya doin’, Al?” he said, barely able to restrain his excitement.
“What are you doing here?”
He stuck himself in the chest with his thumb. “Colonel Mustang sent me to inspect the mines,” he said importantly. “I told him I’d be glad to, seeing how I’d get to see you!”
If it was possible for a helmet to show a concerned expression, Al certainly did. He poked Ed in the side with one of his leather gauntlets and Ed jumped, dropping his suitcase on the ground.
“Hey!” he protested.
“You’re too skinny, Brother,” Al admonished him. “Have you been eating enough? Remember, you have to eat enough for my body too, I don’t want it to starve before we can get it back!”
“I have been eating, I-“ he began, but Al was already ushering him into the only inn in the town, picking up the suitcase he had dropped. He was recognized immediately, and a cheer went up around the inn hailing the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed glowed with all the attention and was soon hamming it up in typical Edward fashion, allowing himself to be stuffed with good dinner and drink.
The story of how he traded the deed for the town for a meal and a nights stay was told twice by the townsmen and once by Ed himself, and Al wasn’t sure which of the three versions was the most outrageous, but he knew it was all in fun.
“You’ve grown, boy!” said one of the men, shoving a mug of golden-colored beer into his hand. “Last we saw you you were just a little thing, you even eighteen yet?”
Ed held onto the drink and took a sip, feeling the carbonation go straight to his head. “Seventeen,” he said proudly. “By the time I’m eighteen I’ll be even taller!”
Although he could not physically smile, inside Al felt like he was glowing with pride for his brother. Not because he finally gained a couple inches, but because of all the little things that showed how he was starting to grow up. The wild stories about the antics of the Fullmetal Alchemist were just that anymore: wild stories. They made for good legends but weren’t likely to be repeated. Ed was growing into his talent, less likely to demolish half a city in order to catch a villain and even less likely to throw a tantrum at being teased about his height.
“Hello Mr. Fullmetal Alchemist,” said a girl who had been standing shyly to the side of his brother for several minutes now. Al watched Ed blink a few times, then say “hi,” warily.
She smiled. “You don’t recognize me?” she teased, and Ed screwed up his face trying to remember a girl from Youswell he may have met.
“Uhh,” he stalled, and Al could see his cheeks were turning faintly pink as the girl batted her eyelashes.
“I know who she is, Brother,” Al put in, having recognized her right away.
“I see you’re still wearing that armor,” she said smiling.
“Yeah,” Al said, unsure of what else to say to that. “I guess I’m the only one of us who looks the same… what are you doing here in Youswell?”
“I came to visit my uncle, just for a few days, my cousin and his wife just had a baby-“
“Klose!” Ed burst out finally, and she laughed at him.
“I was wondering how long it would take for you to remember me, Edward. What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked curiously.
He promptly took out his silver watch and showed it to her. “I’m a State Alchemist now, I’ve come to inspect the mines.”
She laughed again. “I know you’re a State Alchemist,” she told him, her eyes twinkling. “Everyone knows you’re a State Alchemist.” She touched her fingers lightly to his arm. “Would you like to go outside with me for a bit?” she asked boldly. “Look at the stars?”
“The stars?” Ed repeated dumbly. “Uh, but everybody’s in here.”
“I know, it’s crowded isn’t it?” she said. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other,” she added, her fingers tightening around his arm.
Ed looked over at his brother, who for some reason seemed to be laughing at him. He frowned, feeling like he was missing something important in the conversation, and then yelped as the empty glass was tugged out of his hand and replaced with a full one.
“Hey, is he even old enough to drink?” one man asked good naturedly.
“He’s the Fullmetal Alchemist, he gave us this town, he can eat and drink here as much as he wants!” came the response, and another cheer went up through the inn.
It was late into the night when the brothers finally turned in for the night, and it was the first time they had been able to talk alone since Ed arrived on the train. Ed sat on the edge of the narrow bed facing his brother, who sat on the edge of the opposite bed, and looked out the window at the clear night sky. “Wow, Al, look at those stars, you can see every single one.” He was startled when he heard Al laugh at him. “What?” he demanded.
“Oh, Brother, it was so funny watching you and Klose!” he said between what could only be described as metallic giggles.
Ed folded his arms in front of himself. “Why was it funny? She sure was acting weird,” he added.
“Ed, she likes you. She probably has a crush on you or something.” Al laughed again as he watched his brother sputter indignantly.
“She does not!” he protested, but his cheeks were turning pink again.
“What are you doing here, anyway, Brother?” Al asked then, changing the subject.
Ed leaned back on the bed, folding his hands behind his head. “I told you, I came to inspect the mine.”
“Did you really? Or,” he asked, sounding hopeful, “did you just come to see me?”
Ed smiled up at the ceiling. “Believe it or not, I think Colonel Mustang sent me here because he knew I missed you,” he said. “Imagine that, he’s actually doing something nice for us for once!”
“Don’t’ say that,” Al chided. “He does everything he can for us, you know that!”
Ed raised his feet off the ground for a moment and that flung himself back into a sitting position so he could look his brother in the “eyes.” “Al,” he said seriously, “I’ve been doing everything I can to find a way to restore you, I really have.”
“I know,” Al said enthusiastically. “And so have I. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it all yourself-“
“It’s been years, Al, and we’re not any closer to restoring you than we were when we started out!” Ed complained. “We may know more about the Philosopher’s Stone than any other alchemist alive today, but we’re not any closer to our goal!”
“I thought we were going to stop looking for the Stone,” Al said softly. “I thought we were going to look for another way.”
“I am looking for another way!” Ed said miserably. “I swear to you, Al, I’m doing everything I can. I’m not just hanging around Central goofing off!”
He could hear the metal shifting as the suit of armor sat forward, those haunted glowing eyes coming closer to Ed’s. “Sometimes I wish you were goofing off in Central,” Al said quietly.
Ed blinked. “What?”
“You look like you haven’t been eating, and, Brother, you’re so pale, you look like you’ve been inside for weeks! I wanted to give you some time to yourself-“
“I don’t want time to myself!” Ed said loudly, standing up and starting to pace back and forth over the floorboards. He had taken his boots off for bed and his steps were a constant thump-STOMP thump-STOMP.
“You should enjoy life a little!” Al said. “I’ve been out here researching mineral alchemy so that you could take some time to be a regular guy! Have some fun, date some girls - Brother, you’re seventeen, you’re alive and there’s people who care about you! Don’t ignore life completely!”
“I don’t care about girls, I don’t care about other people! I want to fix what I did to you-“
“We did it together,” Al said sternly. “We’ve been over this time and again. You’re not the only one responsible for our sins.”
“Yeah but I’m the only one who paid the price,” Ed muttered bitterly.
“You lost your limbs!” Al protested.
Ed stared down at his automail hand, flexing the metal fingers open and closed. “I don’t mind the automail. It’s nothing. It’s nothing compared to what I did to you.”
“I’m sorry,” Al said quietly, and Ed stopped pacing and stared at him.
“For what?”
“I’m sorry I left you in Central. We’re not much good without each other, are we?”
Ed kept staring at him.
“I can’t get at the information I really want here, because I’m not you, I’m not a State Alchemist so I don’t have any authority. You, apparently, can’t even take care of yourself when I’m not around. Tell me you didn’t spend the night in the library.”
“I might have,” Ed mumbled, looking down at the floorboards. “Al, don’t be sorry. I’m the one who’s sorry. We won’t split up like that again, we work better together, all right?”
“Tomorrow we’ll go down in the mines, I want to show you some things I’ve been working on,” Al said brightly.
“You can look at my research, I brought it all with me,” Ed said, relieved that their conversation was falling into its old patterns.
Al didn’t sleep that night, he never did, he simply sat on the bed and stared out the window of the inn at the stars and thought and thought. Sometimes he stared at his sleeping brother, watching him turn and frown and mumble in his sleep, reaching over more than once to pull his shirt down over his stomach. Sometimes Al wondered, since he spent so much time just watching and thinking while the rest of the world slept, if once his body was restored he would sleep for another seven years just to give his brain the rest it deserved.
When Ed slept he dreamed of Klose blinking her twinkling brown eyes at him and laying her fingers lightly on his arm, and in his sleep he curled in on himself and groaned. When he woke briefly in the night he wondered why all his dreams lately had been about girls. He used to dream about alchemy text books and farm life and military life when he wasn’t having nightmares. But he never had nightmares when his brother was standing watch while he slept.
Roy Mustang stared out his window, trying not to look down at the mounds of paperwork that covered his entire desk. He was tapping the top of his pen against the tallest pile in a absent rhythm, taptaptaptap, when his secretary (the new one) appeared in the doorway. “Sir, an urgent phone call for you,” she said, and he nodded, picking up the phone on his desk.
“Colonel Mustang,” he answered routinely. Everything was urgent these days.
“Yes, is this the commanding officer of Major Edward Elric?” came the voice, crackling over the bad connection.
“This is he,” Roy said, rolling his eyes, wondering what kind of disaster had occurred this time. He had warned Ed not to make trouble!
“There’s been an incident-“
“What’s he done this time and how much does the military owe,” Roy asked, sounding bored.
“He’s been injured and is in the West City hospital-“
Roy’s eyes widened. “How seriously? What happened?”
“He’s in a coma,” the voice crackled. “There was some kind of explosion and there are reports that it was alchemical; witnesses say they saw a flash of light before the building was destroyed-“
“Is Alphonse with him?”
“We haven’t been able to locate the brother, only the armor he always wears. Fullmetal was found unconscious laying over the armor but there was no one inside.”
“You found the armor? Where is it?” Roy asked urgently.
“At West headquarters, in investigations, it’s pretty well damaged but we think we have all the pieces, but there was no way to tell where the brother might have gone.”
“Don’t do anything with it,” Roy instructed, his mind racing. “I need a full report, talk to all the witnesses, I want to know everything,” he barked out, not even fully aware of what he was saying. “I’m coming to West City to get him, don’t let anything happen to him!”
Chapter Two