It was only after the ominous, dark, smoke drafted up his nose did Edward really realize what had happened. He rubbed his eyes furiously to overcome the daze that was brought on by shock - his brain was functioning rather slowly, but could you blame him?
But the boy was a genius, so it didn't take too long for him to gather his bearings. As soon as he did though, he felt his stomach drop and a panic seize him unexpectedly. His wary eye scanned his surroundings, hoping, praying...
Nope. Just two people; two blondes, no suit of armor.
"ALPHONSE! AL!" The blonde boy screamed in horror as his golden orbs drifted their attention to the growing bright orange on the building. He watched, unable to move, as a chunk of dark asphalt came crashing down from the tops of the roof.
It was a cruel joke. Only two years ago, on a similar starless night like this, Ed and his brother had watched their own house burn down. He couldn't lose anything else to a fire - especially not his brother.
His mind wandered, trying to piece together what had just happened in the past few minutes.
About two minutes ago, the three of them were inside the building conducting research for a job they were assigned, when the Lieutenant spotted a hazy outline of smoke. Then, Ed saw a flicker of orange in the corner, its lethal flames licking a stack of books. It didn't take long for the pair of them to put two and two together.
The building was on fire.
Without hesitation, Edward sprinted out the door, unaware of his carelessness. He forgot to check whether Al - so faithful, concentrating, Al - had heard him and followed him out. He didn't.
It was ironic; it was always Ed who ended up shutting out the world, lost in a book. Of course, today of all days, it would be Alphonse who concentrated hard enough to ignore everything and everyone.
'How stupid can I get! If Al doesn't...His armor and blood seal could melt and...It's all my fault...'
Ed shook his head furiously. What kind of selfish, dumbass older brother was he? He pretty much abandoned his younger brother!
No, Al was not going to go down with the building. Ed would make sure of that. 'I will not fail you again, Al. I promise. I'm coming for you.'
Ed spun on his heel to find the first Lieutenant just pulling herself up to her feet. A small needle of relief struck his body - at least he hadn't left her inside as well.
Like Ed, after Riza regained her senses - quite faster than Ed, probably due to her experience with fire - her eyes widened when she noticed the lack of a very important suit of armor. Ed decided that now was not the time to explain his mistake.
"Lieutenant, I'm going in," Ed told her, and he started to run towards the burning building. He didn't get very far when he felt a strong hand cup his shoulder, preventing any movement.
"Lieutenant..."
The rising smoke thickened as it drifted through the air, fogging Ed's view of the building and clouding his nostrils. Damn it! He didn't have time for this! He needed to get Al out of there now!
"I can't let you go, Edward. You'll die if you go back in there."
As her words wound up in his brain, Ed twisted his head to look at her and snapped, "Heck, no. Alphonse is still in there! I need to get him out!"
Hawkeye's lips tightened, "I'm sure Alphonse will be fine." Inside, she was praying for those words to be true.
Ed glared at her, "Look, you don't understand, he's my-"
"He's your baby brother, which is why I'm holding you here. There's no point in you going there. If you do, you'll probably only end up dead," she told him harshly. 'He's going to be okay. He's going to be okay.'
"I have to try! I can't just sit here and watch!" He shrugged off her hand and managed to get a step in, before two hands stopped him. He kicked and struggled, trying to wrench his body away from her bear-tight grip, but was met with no avail. He thrashed and twisted, contorting his body into various shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, his thirteen year-old body wasn't putting too much of a fight against her, so he tried a different tactic.
"I'm pulling my rank, Lieutenant. I'm a Major, I order you to let me go." His face morphed, showing his displeasure of having to spout out an order. He probably felt like he was acting like his favorite Colonel.
"I'm sorry, Edward, but military ranks don't mean much to me. I follow orders only from Mustang and Roy told me to protect you on this mission, which includes making sure you come back alive." She said sternly.
Al was a suit of armor, he was indestructible. Except...metal burns. 'He's going to be okay. He has to.'
Ed looked down, his voice filled with bitterness. And maybe, to an extent, horror. "Do you really think I'm going to stay a dog of the military if Al doesn't get out? Do you think there's anything left for me? It's not going to matter if I come back alive! If Alphonse is gone then...then...Look, the only way you can protect me now is by letting me go in and find my brother!"
Riza's heart ached as she saw his brilliant golden eyes filled with a desperation she hadn't seen them filled with before. This was the look of someone who couldn't afford to lose the only bit of family he had left.
"Please..." He asked, his face twisted into hopelessness. "Al...I need to find him."
Something was etched on his face. Something that reminded Riza that she was currently just speaking to a child. A child who only had one thing left for him in this sick, twisted world. A child thrown into darkness with only one light - something that was currently being taken away from him.
Instantly, she was reminded of everything these boys had been through. It was hard to see it most of the time, but, especially now, it was undeniable that the boys were just children. She couldn't bring herself to separate them now. No one could.
She reluctantly relinquished her grip on Edward's shoulders. One hand drifted down, cupping his face, the other traveled up and made its way through his braid. She never realized that the hair color wasn't that different from hers. She noticed him stiffen under his touch, standing still, like a deer caught in headlights. 'I've never seen him look so much like a child, and yet...he seems all grown up? So strange...This can't be the last time I see him. And Alphonse...I haven't even seen him yet. They can't die...'
Her throat thickened as her shaking hands floated off of him. Gold met brown. No words were exchanged, and yet, she could see the gratefulness in his eyes. There were so many things she could tell him, but all words seemed to have left her dry mouth at this point. Mouths were like metal; they rusted. Without any hesitation, the boy - no, man - turned away and pressed his hands together. Blue sparks flew, ready to react to his command.
"You have 15 seconds." Riza called out hoarsely.
He grinned, "Who do you think I am, Mustang? I'll be back in ten. With Alphonse." What he really meant to say was: If I don't come back, don't be too upset. Also, say goodbye to the Colonel for me. And take care of Al. Get his body back for me.
Maybe it was because Mustang loved cryptic messages as well, and used them so often - maybe it was just an alchemist thing - that Riza could easily comprehend them. "I will."
As the boy with the billowing red coat rushed into an equally bright flame, she shut her eyes and counted, almost like a child. With each number, her heart raced faster and faster. She couldn't hear anything beyond the obnoxiously loud cackle of the flames.
1...2...
She shouldn't have let him go. He was freaking thirteen years old.
Riza grew up in a household of an alchemist. She'd never believed in god, though, she's never really been an avid follower of science either. Still, Riza prayed to whatever god that might listen that she wasn't wrong. She prayed that within eight more seconds, a blond, grinning face would emerge from that building along with a suit of armor.
3...4...
He wouldn't get killed by a stupid fire, would he? He had things to do, a brother to save.
5...6...
He's been on so many dangerous missions, and even earned the Colonel's respect. He survived human transmutation. A fire? Please.
7...8...
He had people counting on him. Riza couldn't even remember when she began caring for him more than just a teammate. Obviously, he was a child, so some compassion was always there, but it morphed into something stronger as he kept frequenting visits to Mustang's office. Maybe it was his out-of-place child-like innocence...You didn't see much of that in the military.
He would be fine. He's the Fullmetal Alchemist.
9...
But metal burns.
...10
Riza forced her eyes to open as a huge bang filled her ears. She gasped as she saw the entire building slowly tumbling to the ground, as if suspended in slow motion. A bright blue flash lit up in the sky, just as the building collapsed on the side, a pile of ashes.
For an agonizing heartbeat, she saw nothing. The pin-drop silence was heart-breaking - that feeling of uncertainty. They could be alive or...
Her eyes brightened as she saw a familiar suit of armor clambering towards her, and sighed in relief. He was carrying something red in his arms, as well. Thank god.
"Alphonse! E-" Her blood ran cold. What roller-coaster was she on? Relief-dread-relief-dread...
For, it was only when the armor came closer did she notice that her assumption was wrong.
Her hand shot up to her mouth to cover her screams of distraught as she saw the singed coat in the armor's shaking arms. The Flamel insignia still stood out, even in the darkness of the night.
"B-Br-" Al stopped, unable to get the voice out.
Riza wished she had the foresight to chide the little boy before he ran away. If Al was the only thing that mattered to him in the world, wouldn't it be the same, or at least close to the same for Alphonse as well? How was he supposed to cope with this loss?
For the first time in so long, Riza Hawkeye didn't have an answer. And she never would.
The two sat in silence, watching the smoke dissipate. A long stone boulder stood out in the middle of the rubble. There was a small skull on the side - a trademark.
"Brother's last transmutation," Al had explained to her, as he slowly overcame his initial shock before slumping into another wave of sorrow. The recovery would take longer. So much longer.
After what seemed like hours, Riza pushed herself off the ground.
"I'll inform the Colonel," her voice was steady, hardened. He wasn't going to take the news well. It was better she didn't end up crying when she told him.
That said, Riza knew she wouldn't cry. She couldn't cry. Because he didn't need her pity; he never did. Always so driven, always willing to throw everything away.
She would miss his infamous grin, the mischievous way he rubbed his hands, the gleam in his eyes as he devoured priceless knowledge; The rage on his face at being called short, the pint of happiness he tried so hard to hide when he fought with Mustang; the childishness; the maturity.
The metal had burnt. But it had endured quite enough during it's time. It was time for it to rest.
Burn, Metal. Burn.
A/N: HELLO! If anyone read this and liked it - or even hated it - please review! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!
I hope you like this story! And if you do, there's one more story like this - not really, it has a completely different plot - that I'm currently working on.
