Authors Note: Alright, so this story is from the work of four great minds (mine included~!).
It is from a roleplay that I wanted to put into story format, only because it is so cool. xD I will tell you that I am currently working on revamping my writing style, and that this story gets started off very quick, mostly because it is a roleplay, although I have changed and added things; just because I have my own little idea for how this story will end.
Anyways, I won't keep you any longer—enjoy chapter one!
Chapter one
"Ed!"
Golden orbs flickered open as Edward Elric sat up straight on the leather couch he had been laying on in the living room, that was until he heard Tess Michaels' mezzo-soprano voice call his name from the kitchen. Tess was a foreigner from Lior, a friend of Alponse's that happened to be the same age as himself, twenty-one, and was interested in studying alchemy. So Alphonse, being the amiable person that he was, offered for her to come and stay with them in Central, which was…alright for the most part…Tess and he had completely opposite personalities that clashed at the wrong times. "What?" He called, refraining from moving from the couch until he knew what she wanted.
"Phone is for you!" She said, setting a black cordless phone down on the counter in order to free her hands up to continue making dinner for herself.
Raising a slender brow, Edward set his book down on the oak coffee table and brushed his hands off on his fitted black shirt before standing. Walking out of the study, he casually walked down the hallway, only to deviate from his path when he reached a doorframe that led into the kitchen. "Who is it?" He asked and walked in, moving to the counter to rest his forearms on its surface and lean over it.
Turning her head to focus a pair of jade eyes on Edward from the sink, Tess lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "They didn't say—all I know is that it's a man." The brunette explained, reaching for a paper towel to dry her hands off before leaving the kitchen.
Frowning, Edward hesitated before picking up the phone and placing it up to his ear. "Hello?" he asked, glancing at Tess' slender form briefly as he moved to lean his hip against the counter, resting his right hand in the front pocket of his faded jeans.
"Lieutenant Colonel Edward Elric? This is Major Greg Sanders." A male's voice began, "I'm sorry for calling this late, but I have an urgent message I was told to give you."
Although the name of the man was unfamiliar, Edward willingly allowed himself to continue the conversation. "Okay. Well…spit it out." He said, his eyebrows knitting together. There was the sound of paper being shuffled around before Greg drew in a deep breath.
"As I'm sure you are very good friends with General Mustang, Major General Yamasaki has found it imperative that you are aware that he has been missing for over twenty-four hours, and that Major General Yamasaki will be recruiting a team to go out on a search, and would like to extend the invitation to you." Greg replied, his voice formal; like he was reading this message from a sheet of paper with dialogue prepared on it.
Edward's face hardened, his lips pressing into a tight line. Had he heard that correctly? Mustang was missing? He had just seen the bastard the other day—where had he disappeared to in such a short amount of time? Golden orbs shifted to the calendar that hung on the front of the wall near he sink. Nope, it was not April first, so no joke here. Besides, would this really all be fake with this Major Greg Sanders calling him? Typically all pranks were pulled off by Riley Grant and Kyle Miller.
"Sir?"
Shaking himself from his thoughts; Edward cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to his feet. "Tell Lieutenant General Yamasaki I said I will be going on my own to look for General Mustang." Edward finally said, his tone remaining collected, even though he was now gripping the phone so tightly Edward thought he had heard the plastic crack.
"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel." Greg complied before shortly ending with a "Goodbye," and hanging up; he seemed rather rushed…probably had more phone calls to make, Edward assumed. Placing the phone back on the receiver quickly, Edward swiftly walked out of the kitchen and back down the hallway.
Having been eyeing Edward from the doorframe after leaving the kitchen just before, Tess frowned and quickly followed after Edward. "What was that all about?" She asked, jogging down the hallway to catch up with him, "Did something happen at Headquarters?"
Briefly looking at Tess, Edward looked a bit torn; it was either tell her and have her involve herself in something she did not need to, or have her remain ignorant and take care of things himself. Besides, if Mustang had been missing due to the work of people that were not safe to be around, then he did not want to risk the chance of someone else close to him getting hurt.
"Don't worry about it," He said as assuring as possible, "Mustang just needs some help, so I'm going up to Headquarters to do that."
Tess made a face as she followed Edward into his bedroom, "Since when do you willingly help Mustang?" Frowning slightly, Edward went over to the nightstand and opened up one of the two drawers there.
Pulling out his silver pocket watch and M1911 Colt, Edward then closed the drawer and turned back around to look at Tess. "He just really needs the help, that's all," the Elric lied again as he started toward the hallway again, though this time Tess was blocking his path.
"Tell me what it is," She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest like a three year old. Letting out a sigh, Edward stopped in front of her, lifting his left hand to slide through his long blonde hair that had been tied back into a ponytail.
"I can't tell you," Edward inwardly grimaced at the hurt expression Tess wore after he said that, "But I promise I'll be back soon, okay? When Al gets back from the library, tell him that you two can start the research without me."
"But—"
Edward put up a hand to stop Tess before she got going. With that same hand, patted her shoulder before gently pushing her aside. "Quit worrying and enjoy your time here. I'll even give you some money for Al and you to go out if you really don't want to start." He said, pulling a few twenties from the front pocket of his jeans and waving them at her.
With a reluctant sigh, Tess waved him off, "No, no, go kiss up to Mustang." She intoned, turning around to start toward the study, earning a scowl from Edward. Biting his tongue because he knew that once they got arguing, he would never be able to leave, the Elric turned, stuffing the money and his pocket watch into the front pocket of his jeans and placing his pistol in the back of his pants. Hiding it underneath his shirt, his walk turned into a jog down the hallway as he made his way toward the front door, which he opened and hurried out of.
Ignoring the blank stares officers gave him as he hustled up the staircase to the second floor; Edward quickly ran his options over in his mind as far as acting on Mustang's disappearance. One, sit back and do didly squat. Two, tell people to go do stuff for him. Three, go find Mustang on his own, or four, find Riza and get her help. Although Edward did not want to drag Riza along with him on a private search, Edward knew he would need help with this one, especially with Alphonse off doing his own thing. Once reaching the correct level, Edward jogged down the hallway, taking the right turn up ahead before stopping outside Mustang's familiar office.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Edward drew in a deep breath before lifting his right hand, making his automail hand into a fist before knocking on the door. "Riza?" he called from outside the door, "It's Edward, are you in there?"
The door swung open almost instantly to reveal a more sober-looking than usual Riza Hawkeye, causing Edward to blink a couple of times in surprise. Without a word she opened the door wider and stepped away to stand at her desk, pushing a few papers around before apparently finding the one she needed. Crossing her legs at the ankle, Riza leaned back and sat on the edge of her desk, reviewing the writing on the document. Edward had closed the door before following the Lieutenant, and had come to a halt in front of her desk.
"So what do I need to know?" He asked, moving to fold his arms over his chest. There was no need to tell her what he was talking about—Riza would know.
She sighed heavily, "The General didn't show up for work this morning and after an hour I called his apartment and received no answer. Breda was sent to his home and also received no answer. Shortly after Breda returned to the office I received a call informing me that the General had not shown up for an evening appointment with an ambassador last night. I immediately went to his apartment myself and confirmed that General Mustang had not returned home that day," No mention was made of how she made entry, "I asked around with a few of his casual associates—"
What a nice way of saying, "those girls he hangs out with."
"—and coworkers, but only revealed that he had left early from work without telling anyone where he was going." Finally, Riza Hawkeye lifted her gaze from the paper and leveled it on the Elric in front of her. "I'm in charge of his schedule and I know the only thing he had planned that evening was the meeting with the ambassador. I notified Major General Yamasaki as soon as I found his apartment empty"
"Sounds like a typical Mustang to do…vanish without a word." Edward uttered; at which his subconscious reminded him that he was being a hypocrite.
Ignoring that remark, Riza continued, "What really worries me is this." Hawkeye offered the paper she was holding to Edward, which he silently took. Curious eyes skimmed over the paper before glancing up briefly to look at Riza, who had an ancient book in her hands and was gingerly flipping through it.
"What's that?" He asked, nodding toward the tome. Riza turned it to face Edward, pointing to the page it was opened to.
"That paper is part of a collection of notes General Mustang was keeping. He only told me he had a suspicion about some old maps, mentioning that there was something suspicious in a recent tunnel collapse in a sewer system being built in Central." A slender finger tapped the page, a sketchy drawing of an old trade line that ran straight through the future site of Central. "I looked through everything on his desk. When you overlap these maps he found, you'll find something interesting. There used to be a city here, but it was completely obliterated."
"A lost city?" Edward grimaced, already not liking what he was hearing. It was no surprise that Mustang would dedicate his time to looking over something like that, especially since cities just don't disappear without something strange going on.
Hawkeye sighed, looking at the book. "That's what he wrote in his notes. I have a feeling he went out to look around. The military sealed off the cave-in site and are preparing to seal it off with concrete." Reddish-brown eyes shifted back to Edward. "I told General Yamasaki this but he refused to investigate that area, saying it was too dangerous to risk any personnel." The book was closed and returned to the desk behind her. Riza looked determined, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm glad you're here, Edward. I intend to look anyway, and I know you've helped out around cave-in sites before. Will you go with me?
Figures…that was just like Yamasaki to say something like that. The man honestly needed to get his head leveled with the real world. "But finding a missing General should be imperative to a higher up, especially Yamasaki. In other words, Yamasaki shouldn't be concerned about losing a man or two." Even though that man lived in his own little world, he generally went to Mustang for many things; help with getting his way was one of them. Apparently Mustang could be very convincing about things even if he didn't like it. After dropping his gaze to stare at the surface of the desk for a moment, Edward slowly nodded to Riza's question before lifting his gaze to meet hers. "Let's go now." Edward stated, almost fiercely. No matter how much he thought of the General as an arrogant jerk, he knew Mustang needed to be found and soon; there was no telling if he would be dead by the time they found him, so why keep waiting around?
"Thanks, Ed. I feel better with you going with me." She gestured to the wall beside her desk where a military-issue field pack with a coil of rope attached rested against. "I was planning on going myself, but I was concerned about the instability of the cave-in. That's full of climbing equipment." The officer slipped off her uniform coat and draped it over her desk, unconsciously patting the newly exposed shoulder holster and the holster and extra clip at the bend of her lower back.
The bag was over her shoulder in a moment. "I'll drive."
The ride to the disaster site was held in relative silence. Mustang's car was still sitting in his driveway when they had drove by, so the logical assumption was that he took a cab wherever he went, and an examination of the dirt lot beside the site as Riza pulled in showed no vehicles other than the expected earth movers. Setting the brake and gathering her bag before exiting the car, she waited for Edward to join her, and then set out through a fresh cut in the chain link fence.
"Isn't this welcoming…" Edward grumbled sarcastically as got out of the car and followed Riza through the chain link fence before walking up to the cave. Rock and construction debris were scattered everywhere near the surprisingly narrow opening, the entry to the interior was a concrete-surrounded doorway stood partially open.
Riza pushed the door in, leaning in to inspect the locking mechanism. "It's burned," she noted aloud, touching the melted metal experimentally. This wasn't the first time the Lieutenant had seen this type of damage before. Reaching around behind her, Hawkeye unfastened a corner of the pack and removed a high-powered flashlight. Being the dependable person she was, Riza had replaced the batteries with fresh ones while packing. She flipped the switch and trained the beam of light forward, leading the way once again.
A flight of stairs led them deeper into the interior to a hallway lined with pipes of all sizes. It was deathly quiet. "Reports said only a few people were injured. Strangely, the walls and roof collapsed ahead of the workers."
"Oh. Well, doesn't that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…" Edward replied, rolling his eyes. Honestly, hearing that anyone had died down here due to any sort of accident was intimidating, but the Elric didn't turn back; he knew they needed to find Mustang before he thought of retreat. In a couple minutes of walking, Riza's flashlight fell on a pile of crumbled concrete, rock, and dirt. The light roved around the scene and suddenly paused on a warped section of the mess, revealing a hole big enough to crawl through.
Riza shook her head. "He melted the concrete." Anything will melt at a high enough temperature, but it was risky in such a narrow area. Mustang risked burning all the oxygen up in this small area and suffocating.
"Why didn't he just melt the whole thing down?" Edward wondered aloud; another rhetorical question. Edward knew Mustang was strange with the way he did things, but honestly, for once in his life, couldn't he have done something a little more logical instead of making his life more difficult than it was?
The Lieutenant only glanced at Edward as she shrugged out of the pack and climbed up the side of the fallen debris to the hole, tossing the bag through first and following right after. The light went with her and the area around Edward plunged into darkness. All that could be heard at first were shuffling noises and the rattle of falling rocks, then a silence. After a few moments of stark quiet: "Oh... my..."
Edward frowned as he eyed the hole warily; feet or head first? Edward just waited to climb through until he heard Riza's voice, and when he did, he shifted closer to the hole. "What do you see?" He called through the hole, lowering his head to peer into the hole, the Elric waited in complete silence for a response.
"C'mon through… You need to see this for yourself." Riza replied, her tone sounding distant, like she was distracted by something.
Curious as to what she had found, Edward moved to quickly climb through the hole, praying to whatever god was out there that the hole would not close up on the other side or debris would not kill him as he crawled through. After a few mere seconds, Edward reached the other side unharmed, and as he got to his feet to stand up straight, the Elric swiftly walked over toward Riza, where the light was, only to feel his lips part; his jaw dropping just slightly. Unbelievable, he thought…so the city that had originally been above ground was now down here? Who could've done this? Who would want to do this?
"No wonder he wanted to come down here..." Edward breathed out, unable to pull his eyes off of the city that lay out right in front of them. Riza said nothing, just stared in awe at the buildings; though she did nod in agreement—this was definitely something of Roy's interest. After a few moments of complete silence passed, the Elric returned his attention to Riza. Just as he motioned to speak though, the corner of his eye caught something. Quickly turning his head, Edward noticed a human figure retreating from the roof of a building before disappearing.
Eerie…
Edward wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him, "Did you see that? Someone was just there." He said to Riza, pointing at the building and glancing at her before starting down the eroded stone steps.
"I saw it. Let's hurry." Her breath quickened at the sight, at once sure that it was Mustang. Who else could it be?
The pair picked their way carefully and quickly descended from the edge of the city. The entire landscape laid out concave, like an unimaginably large bowl. Something bothered her however, something that didn't match up. The doorknob and concrete had been cold to the touch. The General should have been there last night, not just arriving right now. Not unless he was still exploring the city, which was too irresponsible, even for him.
Making sure Riza was following him, since she had the source of light; Edward broke into a light jog as he went over to the decaying building that he had seen the form sitting on just a few moments ago. As he rounded the corner though, he came to an abrupt halt. "What the—" Head canting to the side, Edward shifted his gaze up and down a large, sand edifice decorated with a large transmutation circle. It was a door. Though he only was sure of this because just as he had rounded the corner, it had been closing, although it barely made a sound at all. Turning his head to look at Riza, the Elric nodded toward the door. "Through here." Looking away then, Edward started toward the door. "Can you shine that light over what you can of the door?" He asked, allowing his eyes to once again size up the huge door.
Having followed Edward over, Riza nodded and flicked her wrist up, casting light over he once dim array. "Good enough?" She asked, turning her head to look at him.
"Yeah, thanks." He muttered, seeming distracted now as he lifted a hand and gently ran it over the rough surface of the door before taking a step back. Clapping his hands together then, Edward moved to press his automail and flesh hand upon the surface of the door. Instantly a blue light flashed from underneath his hands before it lit up the entire door; outlining the transmutation circle upon it. Listening, a loud cracking sound reverberated off of the buildings around them, at which Edward found as his cue to lower his hands and take a few steps back. Slowly the door opened just enough for two people to walk through before the cracking sound diminished and the door stopped moving.
Raising a slender brow, Edward inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. "Well…this is getting more interesting by the second." He uttered as he walked back toward the door and peered into the pitch black that was inside it. "I think you should go first." Edward said, moving out of the way, lifting his thumb to point it at the darkness, "You're the one with the light."
Riza gave him a loaded look at his chivalrous offer but forged ahead without a word, not really minding at all. Being a military and war veteran, charging ahead wasn't anything new.
The streets were dark and mute; the silence so heavy that it discouraged her from calling out Mustang's name. The signs above what were once storefronts were written in a language she had never seen before. Street after street passed without any sign of life. After a few minutes further into their journey, Riza suddenly froze, lowering the beam of light to the ground. Edward stopped as well, only a little startled at the Lieutenant's actions. "What is it?"
She squinted through the darkness, making sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Finally, "I see a light up ahead. A large building filled with light..." The flashlight beam pointed ahead of their feet once again and her steps hastened. It was almost like an oval cathedral on the outside, with wide, curved steps leading up to the oversized doors that stood agape. Turning her head to look at Edward, she nodded a and started forward again, the Elric right beside her as she did so.
Once they reached the cathedral, Riza and Edward slipped inside, eyes darting about for any sign of life. None showing, the Lieutenant and Elric wordlessly made their way down the hallway that curved around the interior of the outer wall, following another source of light. Eventually they came upon another open door with light spilling out of it. Riza flicked off the flashlight and tucked it back into her pack, sidling up to the doorframe with her back the wall and peering around the edge. Edward joined her shortly, although he had to crouch down beside where Riza was standing in order to get a good look into he room.
"Got a plan?" He breathed out, mystified albeit wary as his eyes shifted around the interior of the room.
Riza grunted, raising both of her brows. "That depends… Do you see anyone?" She asked.
"Nope," Edward replied quietly, only to suddenly move away from Riza.
"Ed…!" She hissed, reaching out to grab his shirt, but the Elric had moved too quickly and was already slipping into the room with cautious steps. "Men…" Riza grumbled, swiftly moving out from behind the wall and into the room; making sure to stay close to Edward, protectiveness overriding her caution.
The dim room before them suddenly became more illuminated, torches flaring and their light dancing along the large space. It was mostly empty, but there seemed to be something along the far wall. A laboratory maybe…? There was a table with beakers, a liquid settled in a large, glass bowl and bubbling slowly. The crimson glinted with the movement of the light and gave off an eerie glow as it filtered through the room.
Coming to a halt beside one another, Riza's eyes darted all around the room, taking in not only the strange trappings but looking for exits and places enemies could hide. "Ed..." Nothing felt right about this. Honed instincts or frayed nerves perhaps, but something was wrong. The Elric felt just as unnerved as he drew his gaze away from the crimson liquid, only to focus on a rather large looking "throne" that was across the room, his brows knitting slightly.
A mass of wires and tubes traced from the floor and walls, gathering and attaching to the back of the mechanical device. In a world that focused so much on alchemy, such a device seemed out of place. A form rested within the chair, old hands holding an equally old looking book. The pages flipped once then the covers met as the reading stopped. Fingers traced the leather binding before the object was tucked away and hidden from view. "So, we have guests..." A deep voice spoke, one slightly roughened with time and laced with wisdom. "Why don't you greet your friends? They've come a long way looking for you."
With the command given, the sound of boots against the old stone echoed about the room. A form approached and began to step from the shadows. The blue of his uniform was a familiar sight despite its slightly worn appearance in some places. It was him, from his dark hair, to the white gloves, down to the military issue boots. "Yes, Father… Since they've come this distance..." He stopped just outside of the darkness, a hand on his hip while the other was tucked within a pocket. A smirk was placed upon his lips. Something seemed a bit…off from his usual self, but he was okay; he didn't appear to be injured or harmed in any way.
Edward had instantly drawn his attention away from the old man and strange chair as he heard that familiar annoying voice cut through his mind. The Elric stared, dumbfounded, as the raven haired man calmly walked out of the shadows. "General?" He muttered, almost in disbelief. Same voice, raven colored hair, military uniform—it had to be the bastard; no one else could pull off such an annoying appearance like he did!
That smug grin, like the cat that ate the canary, after all they had gone through to find him... Riza glanced at the old man suspiciously. Hesitantly, she addressed the man they had come to find. "General, what are you doing here?"
Mustang took a few steps forward, the confident aura never leaving his frame and the smirk never falling. They had been looking for him. Well…they found him. The hand upon his hip slowly lifted and he gazed upon the array stitched upon the back of the white cloth. Then with a bit of a huff, he raised his other hand to remove the item, the second following, and toss the pair haphazardly upon the floor. He flexed his fingers and revealed the black gloves that had been hidden beneath.
"I'm flattered you came all this way." Not through yet, he began to unbutton the thick military coat and once opened, tossing it aside as well. For someone being rescued, he seemed far too relaxed…plus the removal of clothing was never mentioned in any kind of search party manual. Did they know? Would they understand? Eyes narrowed as his smirk deepened, waiting for them to figure out what this all meant. "But I'm afraid I won't be needing either of your help."
"Cut the crap, Mustang. What the hell did you come down here for?" Edward suddenly said, rephrasing Riza's question. Though he continued, his attention suddenly directed toward the old man. "And who are you?" He paused, "Are you the one that built this…labyrinth of a city?" Edward did not mean for that to be funny, he was actually being quite serious. If that old man was, then what was his purpose and how did he do it?
"Don't be ridiculous, Ed. This city is ancient, and how can one man build an entire city?" Riza muttered, giving him a quick glance before looking back at Mustang.
The old man made no move to rise from his seat, but instead shifted his weight enough to rest an elbow upon the arm of the chair, his hand to his jaw. He seemed to want to observe, watch as this played out, so he did not answer any of the questions that were asked of him. Instead, he focused upon the General and the interactions.
If there was anything more that irked Edward other than being called names, it was people just ignoring him. He had so many questions and no God damn answers. Like that old man who decided to just sit there and pretend like he was not even here! The Elric grit his teeth; that man had some nerve…
But someone did finally speak, it was the Mustang. Sadly though, he did not give any answers that Edward wanted. In fact, he digressed—venturing off to his own subject of interest like he always did. "An impressive figure, a tempting form..." Mustang practically purred as he approached Riza.
With admirable restraint, Riza did not back up a step at the "General's" strange approach, but her hands did tighten their grip around the shoulder straps of her pack. Her eyes narrowed nearly to slits. Not even when Mustang was completely wasted did he talk to her that way.
Mustang grinned wryly, lifting his right hand to touch Riza's chin in a light graze. "No wonder he keeps you around…"
He? Third person? Riza twisted her face away from his touch with a light hiss between her teeth. "Don't," she growled firmly.
The raven haired man chuckled, drawing his hand away from her cheek before he placed some distance between them and the white dress shirt was opened, his thumb hooking into the waistband of his pants and pushing down just slightly and revealing upon his hip…
Having been silent and unmoving as Mustang had made his approach, Edward finally found something to say, although he wished he did not have to. "Ouroborus…" He uttered, shifting his gaze to the beakers full of red water and back to the ouroborus. Catching on then to what must have happened, Edward felt horror and rage rise within him. Mustang wasn't…he couldn't… "You…" Edward struggled briefly to find the correct word, though once he found it, he didn't hesitate to blurt it out, "IDIOT!"
Hawkeye's eyes never left the sin's face. "No... That's impossible, the General is still—" Wasn't he still alive? Didn't this require the death of a human and an attempted human transmutation? Edward's outburst broke her from her shocked stupor, and for once, she wholeheartedly agreed. Mustang was an idiot, an imbecile, a fool-hardy... jerk. If this were him, he would get an earful.
Edward was not even close to being done scolding the former alchemist, in fact, his voice even went a little louder, becoming more intense. "You come down here and let this happen to you?!" He shouted furiously, jabbing a finger at Mustang, or…the form that used to be known as Mustang.
"Edward, does this mean... General Mustang is dead?" Though Riza addressed Edward, her eyes never left the face of the homunculus. She pulled the gun from her holster and held it to her side, her mind locked in confusion on who to aim it to—the silent old man or her former friend.
Before Edward had the chance to answer, "Mustang" parted his lips to speak, "No, he's not dead..." He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, making sure to hold the shirt back and show off his mark as he seemed rather proud of it. "He's locked inside...weak. I overpowered him and I now own this form."
The Elric clenched his teeth, glowering at the raven haired man; he was certainly the center of not only his, but Riza's attention, too it seemed. Though his attention was soon drawn elsewhere; to that old man. "Did you do this?!" He snapped, taking a step toward the large chair that he was still sitting in, acting as if nothing was happening—which only pissed Edward off more. "Don't just sit there ignoring me, I want answers!" He demanded, his anger becoming so intense now that it could be palpable.
"Lust..." The older man finally spoke up, completely ignoring Edward as his gaze shifted to the sin, gaining his attention. "Since the plan has already changed, how about we complete our ranks?"
The newly named Lust smirked and turned, his gaze focusing on Edward. "You'll do."
Flashing his golden orbs back and forth between the old man and Mustang, Edward seemed to be momentarily distracted from his anger, looking more wary now. "What the hell are you talki—" Suddenly yanked forward, the blonde stumbled slightly as Lust abruptly grabbed the collar to his shirt and pulling him forward, away from Riza; practically dragging him deeper into the room and closer to the large chair.
Before she could react, Lust made his move and pulled Edward away almost faster than her eyes could follow. The gun flew up in the tight grip of her hand and aimed at Lust, then the old man, then back to Lust. Who was the greater danger? It seemed Lust was the one that imposed the greatest threat to Edward right now, but... Roy was in there…alive.
Edward growled in irritation, forming his automail hand into a fist. "Let g—aah!" He winced noticeably as he suddenly felt a sharp pain rake his spine and the back of his head as he was slammed into the stone; the wind knocked right out of him.
Lust only smirked, pressing the Elric's back hard against the stone surface as he pinned him. At the same time, Father had begun to make his move. Standing, the wires disconnected with a hiss and his large, robed form seemed to flow down the few steps there. A hand came to his forehead and an eye appeared at his touch, a crimson liquid bled from the new opening and dripped into a ready glass.
"What the hell..?" Edward's face distorted into one of disdain as he forgot about his fit with Mustang for being a complete moron, and instead becoming somewhat disturbingly fascinated with what he saw appear from the old man's forehead.
"Here...you have the task." He said almost emotionlessly as the glass was handed to Lust. The sin hesitated, seeming to just look at the liquid for a moment. Was he having second thoughts?
Edward stared, eyes suddenly growing wide as he looked back and forth between the old man and Mustang. "What? Hell no! Mustang, I swear if you don't get the hell off of me I will cut your fucking hands off!" He threatened, frustration rising in his tone. Maybe Mustang was fighting through and potentially stopping all this... But no, at Edward's rant, a wry grin appeared over Lust's lips as he took the glass from Father, drawing a newly clawed hand along the flesh of the Elric's neck, earning a frantic, wide eyed stare from the him. "Mustang, stop!" He blurted, his struggle becoming more erratic; desperate.
Riza's jaws ground hard together, baring her teeth as she lined up her sights on the white uniform shirt on Lust's back. Was it possible it had actually come to this? Mustang had made a pact with her, that if he was ever to step off the path, to pull the trigger. This was wrong; Mustang was the victim, but Edward was in danger. The sudden shout that echoed off the walls of that large room instantly settled the matter. Hating herself and this decision with every ounce of pressure on the trigger, she squeezed off a round without breathing, the bullet aimed for the back of the former General Roy Mustang's head.
With a confident smirk, Lust had turned to try and face Riza as he lowered the glass near Edward's neck, tilting it forward. Slamming his eyes closed, the Elric held his breath. This was not happening, not happening; Mustang really did not just do that—
Lust seemed to have only made it a few inches into the turn before the shot stopped him. "…!" The bullet entered high on one side of his neck, traveled through flesh and bone, and then exited the other side. The Elric's eyes opened wide as he felt the sin shift above him, only to see a very bloody and fortunate, in his case, event happen; Musta—Lust—being shot.
Blood sprayed and splattered with the force of impact, his body tensing immediately as onyx eyes went wide as the strength left his body, causing him to fall slack on the ground. All was on-looked by Father. His gaze never faulted and he never showed any surprise.
Edward stared, speechless. Was this divine intervention?
Hardly…
The glass fell from Lust's hand mid fall, tilting and letting its contents spill, and when he landed rather violently upon the stone floor, the crimson liquid hit the shallow wound and spread. It seemed to hold a life of its own and flowed "uphill" to actually enter the cut and absorb into Edward's bloodstream.
At first nothing happened, dead silence seemed to take over the entire room before something pierced it. The sound was heart wrenching, and it was made by Edward, who was unaware of how agonized his scream was. It was like fire was being ignited underneath his skin, spreading throughout every vein in his body. The sensation was so unbearable, that Edward was sure he was going to scream his lungs out from the pain.
Never…in his entire life had he felt something like this; he would rather go through automail surgery ten more times then be feeling this.
The alchemist's hands flew to his head as pain raked through his system, causing him to shake almost violently as he writhed on the ground until he was facedown on the stone floor; digging his automail and flesh fingers into the ground as if it held his very life. This pain had to stop at some point, it couldn't last forever!
All the while, no one moved, though none shared the same expression. Lust seemed dead while Father watched emotionlessly and Riza stared, completely horrified by what she was witnessing.
The screaming slowly ebbed away to silence as Edward's body stilled; a new awareness now behind the eyes of the body of Edward Elric... This awareness was pushing itself to the forefront, and God consciousness was an amazing feeling… He was an amazing feeling… Hell, he was Pride. He was good.
But it felt new... Where was he now?
"Mmn..." He brought his hands down, eyes fluttering open finally, though he couldn't recall closing them. He shifted, hand combing back, ripping the hair tie free, hair falling down over his shoulders, haloing around his head on the ground. He sat up stiffly, taking in the sight of the fallen male, head tilting slightly, before he looked towards the old man, brow rising. He felt something sticky—wet slide down his cheek... What was it? Eyes moving towards the fallen form of Lust, the sin made a disgusted face, a hand moving to wipe his own blood from his cheek.
"Disgusting..." He murmured in a tone different then it was as Edward; darker, calmer...more serious. "What's going on here..?" He glanced at Riza, and then looked to Father. Something told him the old man would be able to tell him more then she would. He pushed himself to his feet, careful and graceful all at once. Pride moved, foot nudging Lust's shoulder, before he again eyed the two still standing, arms crossing loosely, "...."
He tilts his head, aware of his own...identity, but suddenly curious at the odd fabric covering him. He eyed the shirt...the jeans...and scowled. "How utterly lame, dull and impossibly not good enough..." The sin lifted his gaze, looking at Father, "I will require better." He notes, before eyeing the small spots of blood still splattered from Lust being shot in the neck, where his gaze suddenly flickered towards Riza. "I suppose you caused this mess..." He motioned to the gun, left hand flickering golden. "I should repay the action..." Pride's vibrant gold orbs narrowed to slits, moving forward. No speed really being used, just a slow steady walk, the gold slowly managing to return to his hand, but not nearly as strong as it could get if he had more time to work it up. It would hurt like hell to be touched...like ice and losing all sorts of ego. And more if he held long enough.
Somehow the action was too late. The gun lowered a few inches, her eyes widening in shock. "Ed..." Though she spoke the name, she knew it wasn't him, not anymore; it was shock at what had happened, what was happening right now. Hawkeye had just shot General Mustang, and now the elder Elric brother was advancing on her with a glowing hand. What a twisted rabbit hole she had fallen into.
He sneered, "Please...Don't move. I don't feel like running right now, much as it would do my figure well, I don't really need it, do I?" The sin smirks, free hand moving down his side, a playful look in his eyes. He was pride incarnate; vain, a bit greedy and definitely full of himself.
One last scan around the room confirmed the only exit was at her back. This was not the time to give in to panic, even if it was an excellent opportunity: it wasn't everyday that all of her nightmares came alive at once. Riza took a deep breath and let it out fast, eyes narrowing in angry determination. The gun rose hastily and shifted to the side, aiming at the former Fullmetal.
Riza realized with a hollow coolness that this was no longer a rescue mission; it was a last-ditch effort to save her own life.
Authors note: Hello again! x] Told ya' things would get moving along quickly.
Well, did you like it?! I hope you did; I know this was a long first chapter, but it was a good first chapter—unless you count in the fact that Edward has been taken over by Pride xD I will be doing my best to update this story as the roleplay goes along, but I will tell ya', it takes a long time to transfer roleplay stuff into story format.
A little aside; yes, Edward is supposed is not supposed to know who Father is…obviously the plot wouldn't work if he did know him. And obviously this story is not like my other two; it's in manga universe, or I guess the new anime universe xD Alright, that's all until next time~!