"So, what do you say, Colonel? Not too shabby, eh?" The interruption jarred the man out of his observations and he beheld the young teen and suit of armor in front of him for a brief moment, before returning his gaze to the detained criminal in the distance.
During a mission in the small southern village of Rettenir, the Elric Brothers had apparently stumbled across a dangerous group of mass murders, which had been at large for the past two decades or so. Of course, the young alchemists had never heard of this famous Amestrisian killer and his cronies before their encounter with him, but the Fullmetal Alchemist had taken him down all the same, walking away from the fight with a few minor scrapes.
He had been lucky. Incredibly lucky. And it made Colonel Roy Mustang's chest ache when he thought about how wrong the fight could have gone for his precious subordinate. He surveyed the scene before him in distaste, eyeing the criminal being shoved gruffly into the backseat of a military vehicle and noting with trepidation the way the crook never seemed to take his eyes off of the fifteen year old boy.
"Vilem Krosnuk and Company: South City's most prevalent gang of serial killers. He's been loose for seventeen years, you know... No one's been able to apprehend him." Edward placed his hands on his hips and scoffed in amusement, flipping his blonde bangs back away from his face.
"Yeah... Until now." Mustang grimaced as he realized that Edward was searching for some sort of reward for his accomplishment.
"Yes, Fullmetal, you did well." With a sigh, the Colonel turned on his heel and began walking away without so much as a second glance in the child's direction. He heard the sound of hurried, mismatched footfalls coming towards him, and the man repressed a scowl when the Fullmetal Alchemist finally caught up to him and began walking backwards in front of him, his brother keeping pace beside him. The teenager's face was set in a determined scowl, eyebrows knit together as he regarded his superior with bewilderment.
"I 'did well'? That's all I get? No promotion? No secret code to give me access to important documents on the Philosopher's Stone? Nothing?" Alphonse attempted to object at his older sibling's crassness.
"Brother..." Before the boy could speak any more, Mustang interrupted him softly, trying his best to control his volume. It was common for the Colonel to become worked up and lose his temper when arguing with his young subordinate.
"How about the knowledge that the seventy-four families who were separated from their loved ones will finally be able to rest peacefully tonight knowing that the murderer is locked behind bars?" The blonde stopped walking suddenly, effectively causing the dark-haired man to stop as well, and answered Mustang's question with a small shrug and lopsided grin.
"Eh. I'm not one for the sentimental side of things..." Before Roy could retort to the alchemist's cynical response, Second Lieutenant Havoc came running over from behind Edward and wrapped an arm around the boys front, playfully tousling the blonde locks as he was joined by the other members of Mustang's team.
"Hey, Chief! Nice work! Your success is all over the news already!" Edward growled low and tried to smooth out his hair, the blonde antennae sticking straight up atop his head regardless of what he did to fix it, and shot a fiery glare the Lieutenant's way. Alphonse laughed good-naturedly at his brother's misfortune before a starry-eyed Kain Fuery threw himself in the midst of the gathering, sidling up next to the blonde teen.
"So, how'd you even find him anyway?" He asked Edward, who appeared to be bored with the innocent question. Get used to it, kid. You'll be getting plenty of unwanted attention from this case, Mustang thought as he smirked. Edward's scowl faltered a little, and then faded completely as he broke out into a brilliant smile as though he had just remembered the funniest joke in the world.
"As it turns out, walking down dark alleyways is a really good way to end up on a serial killer's 'hit list'." He chortled, startling his colleagues out of their merriment and throwing them all into a state of unease and concern. The Colonel, now standing a few paces behind the brothers, raised a brow but said nothing. It was Jean Havoc who voiced the question in everyone's mind.
"He came after you?" Ed glanced over at the Lieutenant and grinned like an idiot, his face nearly splitting in two from the enormity of the smile as he burst out in laughter.
"Yep. Worst mistake of his life!" The members of Mustang's team followed along in Edward's jovial mood and joined him in his laughter, with the exception of the Colonel himself. Breda slapped the boy lightly across the back as he choked back his laughter.
"I'll say! Where's the son of a bitch now?"
"About three cars back. He's got about a dozen guards around him right now, so it's kinda hard to get a good look." Edward jerked his metal thumb behind him, gesturing towards one of the parked military cars out on the street. The same one Roy hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of. Krosnuk was clearly visible in the backseat, and his eyes were still locked on Edward's back as though, if he stared long enough, the young alchemist would suddenly drop dead. It worried the Colonel to an unbelievable extent, and he was glad to discover that he wasn't alone in his concern.
"No, I see him.." Kain proclaimed quietly, then froze as he caught sight of the murder's expression. "Shit, Ed! He looks pissed as all Hell!" Edward quipped an eyebrow at this remark before laughing it off. The others, however, did not allow the man's enraged expression to slip so easily from their minds. Havoc's eyes were wide as saucers as he attempted to imagine that heated look being directed at him instead of the fifteen year old.
"Chief... he's staring right at you." Edward rolled his eyes and huffed, using the exhaled air to blow the hair away from his eyes.
"Let him look! I want him to fucking memorize the face of the fifteen-year-old who kicked his ass and locked him away for good!" Colonel Mustang reached out and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder, pressing down ever so slightly to convey the urgency which he felt. The teen glanced up at him and Roy noticed that he had gained Alphonse's full attention as well.
"Fullmetal, I wouldn't be so bold about such claims... Especially when the topic of conversation isn't even behind bars yet." The blonde angrily shrugged off the clothed hand and turned to face his commander, a fire blazing in his eyes.
"What's he going to do? He's been beaten. He knows that." The boy crossed his arms over his chest, watching as the Colonel was taken back a bit at Edward's fierce tone before matching the teen's ferocity with his own and countering his argument.
"You should have never retaliated against him. You could have been killed! Why can't you just leave these things to us adults?" The tension was evident on the small street corner. Mustang and Edward stood, facing one another, in the middle of their circle of companions who alternated between looking worried and looking terrified. Havoc, having seen this argument unfold under a variety of circumstances, promptly lit a new cigarette before walking away from the scene, leaving the others to attend to the feuding alchemists.
"Quit your worrying! It all worked out in the end, didn't it?" Edward shot back, hotly, refusing to back down from the fight. "And, in case you forgot, he came after me. It's not like I went out looking for him!" His face was set in a deep frown, and Roy knew immediately that he wasn't about to win this argument, no matter what he said to deter the young alchemist. He sighed in deep aggravation and took to massaging his temples.
"My mistake. It's so much easier to handle the fact that my subordinate almost died now that I know that the danger came to him!" He exclaimed in exasperation, watching as his subordinate's expression changed from pissed off to stunned as though Roy had flipped a switch without even knowing it. Mustang watched in shock as the boy's lower lips gaped open like a fish- looking for the words to retaliate with- before snapping shut once more.
And then, to the Colonel's absolute bewilderment... Edward smiled at him... As if the whole thing had been a joke.
"Fuck off, ya Bastard." Without another word, the Fullmetal Alchemist shoved past the stunned officer and walked down the street, with Alphonse running to catch up to the older boy, before disappearing around the corner.
Mustang could not have been more caught off-guard than he had been at that moment.
When the team arrived back in Central, the entirety of the Command Center was alive with excitement, its staff and personnel bustling with the news of State Alchemist Edward Elric's latest success story. After all, a mere fifteen year old had finally accomplished what countless others had sought to do time and time again. Even in the small military office of one Colonel Roy Mustang, the room was buzzing with the crackle of electricity from the moment the teenager entered through the large doors.
Various congratulations were in order and, after being jostled around and heckled by his coworkers and brushing off a great many quips on his stature, the blonde was ultimately called into the side room to speak with his commander. Though Mustang wasn't a simple man to read, Edward could feel the Colonel's calm facade slowly slipping as the lively environment began to encompass him, and his leering smirk faded into a simple smile as he regarded his young subordinate. With a wave of his ungloved hand, he beckoned for the teen to make himself at home in the small office. Edward took the invitation and sat down lazily, crossing his legs and throwing his arms over the back of the rather large couch before flashing his signature grin in the man's direction.
"Was there something you wanted, Sir?" Mustang sighed inaudibly at the realization that his willed conversation with the boy was not going to go as easily as he had primarily assumed. Naturally, Roy had wanted to find some way to apologize to the teenager for their earlier fight, but knew that, as soon as the words left his mouth, Edward would find some way to embarrass him and make him regret even feeling sorry in the first place. Though the alchemists hadn't seen one another for the better part of a day, taking two different trains back to Central City, there was little tension between them. The blonde boy, sitting on the leather sofa, appeared as though he was willing to completely forget about their argument and call it a day.
Still..
"I probably don't say this anywhere near the amount that I should, but well done, Fullmetal." The Colonel offered a genuine smile at the confused child, whose face had fallen out of its confident smirk. Edward scowled.
"What? Am I supposed to gawk and faun over the fact that you actually gave me a compliment for once in your bastard life? Don't count on it, Colonel." The mismatched arms folded over his chest and the teenager flopped back on the couch, slumping slightly and grumbling under his breath. Mustang sighed. Why couldn't they just have one nice conversation? Did the kid really detest him that much?
"Wasn't planning to, Major." He responded dryly, watching as the boy quirked an eyebrow in his direction. At the moment, however, whatever Edward had been about to say was abruptly cut off as Havoc burst into the office, company in tow. They all seemed to be laughing and having a good time together as they swarmed over to Roy's desk, and the Colonel noticed with amusement that Edward was attempting to use this interruption as a distraction to escape the small office. His ears perked substantially, however, at the Lieutenant's next comment.
"So, you're buying tonight, right Boss?" As Mustang's face crumpled at the suggestive inquiry and the rally in caused amongst the troops, the blonde teen returned to the front of the mahogany desk, standing alongside his brother, behind Havoc.
"Buying? For what?" The Second Lieutenant yelped a little in surprise, which caused Edward to seethe quietly, and when the man turned around to see the young alchemist, he wrapped his arms around the boy and ruffled his hair a bit. Edward quickly swatted him away, transmuting his arm into a steel blade in warning as he assessed the damage done to his neat plait.
"Drinks! We're celebrating your big achievement, Ed! You're coming, aren't you?" The alchemist grumbled incoherently, transmuting his auto mail back to its original form before un-tying and re-braiding his hair and sighing loudly.
"And watch a bunch of old guys get drunk off of their asses while I sit there sipping on my juice? I don't think so." He scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. The Colonel smirked from his position behind the desk as he watched Jean's face fall at the prospect of Edward not coming with. It was a celebration for him, after all. Roy spoke up.
"You could drink with us, you know. You are of legal status." Ed managed to contain his laugh before he responded.
"How? I'm fifteen." Roy simply nodded his head, knowing full well how old his subordinate now was. He placed his elbows on the wooden surface and laced his fingers together beneath his chin.
"You're a State Alchemist, aren't you?" The teen nodded in confusion, and suddenly the older blonde piped up, regaining his earlier enthusiasm.
"Oh yeah! State Alchemists automatically gain legal adult status once certified, right? Forgot about that.." Edward blinked in surprise and turned to the Colonel, as though asking for confirmation.
"That's right. So how about it, Fullmetal?" It took a moment for the teenager to think it over. He uncertainly pulled at his sleeve, glancing between the floor and the window and biting his lip every now and then. As much fun as he knew it would be, he couldn't just leave Alphonse at the hotel while he got smashed. What kind of older brother would he be?
"As fun as that sounds, I think I'll pass. I have to get Al back to the hotel anyways." He voiced aloud, grimacing at how pathetic it all sounded. Alphonse placed a metal hand on his brother's shoulder, causing him to look up into the glowing red eyes.
"Oh, Brother, don't worry about me! You should go out and celebrate with the others! It'll be fun!" He was about to protest, to say that he'd rather just go home and get some rest after the long day... even if it wasn't true... but Breda cut in.
"Alphonse, why don't you come along?"
"Really?" Breda shrugged his shoulders and clapped a hand on the suit's upper arm, since no one was tall enough to possibly reach the shoulder.
"Sure. It's not as though you'll be drinking anything so they can't exactly turn you away at the door. And besides, who in their right mind is going to assume that you're only fourteen?" The man laughed. Alphonse nodded his helmet excitedly, raising up his arms and turning towards his older brother.
"Okay! Let's go, Ed!" Raising up his auto mail arm to rub the back of his neck, Edward groaned feebly and began to protest.
"I don't know... It's been a long day..." Mustang sighed audibly, knowing there was only one way he could get the alchemist to accept the offer.
"I'll pay for your dinner and buy you a drink." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than Fullmetal was throwing on his coat and practically dragging the group out of Central Command.
In the end, only the men on the team met up at the bar that evening. Hawkeye refused to join them with the excuse of the night being 'boy's time', and so it was a party of seven for the evening. Mustang, who was apparently friends with the owners had called ahead to get them a big enough table in the far back of the building to fit the entire group, and the older officers had crammed the Elric brothers into the middle of the booth so that they weren't able to escape.
It was hilarious to watch Edward slam back his first shot. His face had puckered at the taste and he had begged for a soda afterwards, choking on the bitterness of the drink while the others laughed at his misery.
Despite the fact that he couldn't indulge in the alcohol, Alphonse seemed to be having a great time, forcing his brother to drink what he couldn't to the amusement of Havoc and Breda. After an hour or so, the group was without one of its members, as Fuery had to head out early, and the party was only just beginning.
Round after round was passed around and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Every so often, Havoc would place down a drink in front of the teenager and Mustang would snatch it away just before Edward could take it, their fingers brushing as they reached for the glass at the same time. The blonde would blush profusely as his commander stared at him with his intense obsidian eyes and tossed the drink back, shuddering and telling the boy that he didn't need anymore. He found it endearing that the Colonel wasn't about to endanger his life and allow him to overdo it on his first outing.
They all shared some stories and, of course, Edward regaled them all in his thrilling capture of Vilem. The others all listened on with interest, although the alchemist was fairly certain that the two Lieutenants could no longer comprehend what he was actually saying.
Though Edward had slowed down substantially in his alcohol consumption, it seemed as though Havoc and Breda had no self-control whatsoever when it came to drinking and, before long, Heymans could hardly walk straight without falling into something.
The group decided to call it a night and, as they left the bar, Falman took off in the opposite direction than the rest of them. Leaving Mustang and Havoc to drag Breda back home while the brothers followed behind them, joking around lightly. After stopping to allow the inebriated man time to empty his stomach in the shrubbery lining the sidewalk, the team finally made it to a white washed, two-story home on the street corner.
The woman who greeted them at the door was almost like a female version of Breda, short and plump with curly red hair which fell down to her shoulders. Upon seeing the passed out man hanging limply over his friends' shoulders, her brilliant smile faded into an annoyed grimace. Marta, as Edward later found out her name was, directed Mustang and Havoc to lay the unconscious soldier on the living room couch while she went to make a pot of coffee to sober him up.
"You boys be careful out there, alright? I don't want to hear about any of you getting yourselves into trouble, especially with the little ones." She instructed, placing a blanket over the snoring man and setting the coffee mug on the table beside him. Edward didn't have the energy to get fired up over the comment on his height, but it didn't stop him from blistering at the words none the less.
"Who're you calling 'little', lady?" Roy placed a cautionary hand on his subordinate's shoulder.
"Settle down, Fullmetal." He warned. Marta's eyes grew wide as she straightened up and regarded the teenager before her in a new light.
"Fullmetal? As in, the Fullmetal Alchemist, 'Hero of the People'?" She questioned. Edward blinked as though in a daze before nodding in affirmation.
"Yeah, that's right." The woman suddenly clapped her hands together and appeared to be overjoyed at the news. The blonde wasn't entirely sure where the woman was headed and was trying desperately to decide whether he should stay put or run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
"Well, now at least I have a face to put to the name! Heymans sure is fond of you, Mister Elric, he talks about your escapades all the time!" Edward blinked again, startled by this new piece of information.
"Oh... I- I had no idea.." Suddenly, Heymans leapt up off the couch and raced off to what Edward could only hope was the restroom. Marta sighed in exasperation as she heard his stomach contents make contact with the porcelain bowl.
"That's my cue to send you boys on your way, I'm afraid... Time for me to clean up after that drunken idiot." She quickly ushered the man over to the door. Mustang looked apologetic.
"Understandable. Again, I'm very sorry for keeping him out so late, Marta." She waved her hand dismissively at the Colonel, brushing off his apology.
"Oh, hush up! He needs to go out more and socialize with his friends. I only wish you men didn't see the need to always mix alcohol into your get-togethers.." She replied, raising a suggestive eyebrow at Mustang as she all but pushed him through the doorway. He rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand, looking sheepish.
"I hope we haven't caused you too much trouble." Marta rolled her eyes, but smiled gently at the man, reaching out a hand to pat the brothers' heads.
"Don't worry about it, Colonel... Now, get going! These two should be in bed at this hour!" Edward didn't even bother formulating a response as the woman shut the door in their faces. The time was nearing midnight and he was exhausted, the alcohol in his stomach finally seeping into his system. As they walked down the street, Edward threw his arms up lazily over his head and stood as though he were lounging on the beach side.
"I didn't even know Breda had a wife." He piped up, throwing a look of curiosity in the Colonel's direction. The man's mind had apparently been elsewhere, and he shook himself out of his daze.
"Hmm? Oh, Marta's not his wife-"
"-Though we all wish he'd just propose already-" Havoc jumped in, laughing. The Colonel shot an irritated look at his less-than-lucid subordinate and continued, speaking directly to Edward.
"They've been dating each other for six and a half years now." The teenager flushed beneath the intensity of the man's stare and felt his face heating up.
"So, any reason he's delaying the inevitable?" Alphonse wondered aloud. The Lieutenant scoffed, placing his hands on his hips as they crossed an unlit intersection.
"Breda's a damn coward, is all. He's afraid Marta will up and leave him once they make it official. The thing he doesn't understand is, if he continues to keep her waiting like this, that's exac- hic- exactly what she's bound to do." Alphonse nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. It made perfect sense after all. If you don't show the person, outwardly, that you want to be with them, eventually they'll just lose interest and distance themselves from you. The blonde teenager shuddered suddenly before glancing up at his superior, seeing the face just as calm and collected as always.
"Can't you talk some sense into him?" Edward asked the man. Mustang's brow furrowed together as he considered the question, not looking at the other alchemist when he finally replied.
"Won't do any good. We've already tried to approach him on the subject but he just shuts us out every time." Edward cast his eyes down to the ground and heard Alphonse and Havoc continue on the conversation, while the other two remained silent, walking side by side, down the dark street.
A few minutes passed in silence between Edward and Roy, their companions making small talk behind them a ways, but the younger found that the quiet walk was not uncomfortable. When Edward finally turned to glance at his commander, he was shocked to find the Colonel had also been looking at him. At the eyebrow, which raised in question, Mustang voiced his thought.
"Which way is the hotel you boys are staying at?" It took a while for the teen to gather the information on his surroundings for him to know their exact location, and when he finally did, he gestured off down the street a ways.
"It's about five blocks east of here, but don't worry about it Colonel, Al and I can find our own way back." He smiled sweetly. His words were a bit slurred together and he assumed that that was because of the alcohol, but he knew that his judgement wasn't impaired in the slightest and that was a positive. Mustang shook his head, denying the boy's request.
"Nonsense, we'll walk you. It's too easy to become confused in the city at night." Edward's face instantly heated up in anger and he stepped a bit closer to the man.
"Dammit, Colonel! I'm not some kid you need to babysit!" The Flame Alchemist didn't even blink, but merely continued walking down the sidewalk, unaware that they now had the attention of Havoc and Alphonse. His reply was soft and controlled, without a hint of anger.
"We're not babysitting you, Fullmetal. I won't be able to sleep tonight unless I see each of my subordinates off. Believe it or not, I'm not completely heartless." Edward stopped dead in his tracks as the Colonel walked on ahead, not believing that the man actually thought that the boy perceived him in that way.
"No... I didn't mean.." The deep onyx eyes turned and focused on the young alchemist's troubled expression. "I know you're not a complete bastard, is all." The teen finally relented. Roy suppressed a chuckle, knowing full well that the Major couldn't possibly be aware of how much that small side comment actually meant to him.
"Well, thank you, Fullmetal." It was true, he'd grown fond of the boy, pain in the ass though he may be at times. But there was something so incredibly alluring about the bright fire which burned deep within him, refusing to be extinguished time and time again. It was the fire that drove him forward, that kept him moving on when things took a turn for the worse, that made him who he was.. It was a fire that, long ago, the Colonel himself had possessed. A fire which the War of Ishval had extinguished within a month's time, for obvious reasons.
He desperately hoped that the beautiful fire inside of Edward Elric would never be put out in such a manner... or at all, if possible.
An arm was suddenly thrown over his shoulder as Jean Havoc stepped in front of Edward to reach his commander. "Aw, Colonel! Does this mean you'll be walking me home, too? I've always wanted a big, strong man to accompany me at night! I get so scared!"
The boy, who had been beside him, was shoved backwards a ways and laughed loudly at the Lieutenant's antics. Ed was now the furthest back in the group as the two older men and Alphonse made a straight line, and he hung back for a bit, staring up at the brilliant night sky and tracing patterns in the specks with his eyes. The conversation between his friends slowly became background noise as he was lost in his own little world.
"Havoc, keep it up and the only place I'll be walking you to will be the infirmary." Al's laughter echoed through the hollow armor, but Mustang's response didn't seem to deter the blonde any.
"But, Mustaaaaaaaaaaanng! You're supposed to be the gentleman!" Edward closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the sounds of his friends bickering with each other and laughing together like a family. And, in that moment, he couldn't have been happier. Maybe it was because of the earlier events of the night, with him consuming a bit too much alcohol... But Edward truly believed that this night would go down as one of his favorite memories, without a doubt in his mind.
Then, he felt sudden pain in his abdomen as he was thrust against the wall of a nearby building. Edward's eyes opened wide in sheer terror and a gasp caught in his throat.
The man standing before the young alchemist possessed a face which Edward would never forget. His breath reeked of blood and tooth decay and the man smiled as the serrated knife inside of his prey's gut twisted and shredded the organs beneath the skin.
Still his friends joked; still they laughed...
"Get off me, Havoc! You're such a clingy little shit, you know that?" They had no idea of Edward's current situation. I'm going to die here, the boy thought. They won't be able to reach me in time to say goodbye... He's going to kill me... He's going to kill me..
"That was rude, Colonel... Now you've hurt my feelings."
His attacker leaned in close to the alchemist's face, his hot breath fanning across his cheek and causing him to grimace in disgust and continued agony.
"Do you remember me, Edward Elric? Because I sure remember you." Edward couldn't find the strength to respond. Of course he knew who this man was... He had only captured him over a day ago and, yet, here he was, on the streets of Central, with his knife in the blonde's stomach. When he opened his mouth in reply, hot blood poured from his mouth, running over his lips and chin.
"Vi... lem.. " He gasped. A filthy palm was hurriedly laid over the boy's mouth as Vilem Krosnuk drove the blade deeper into Edward's front, tearing his organs apart and making absolutely sure that they could never be healed. The blonde alchemist screamed into the flesh of the criminal's hand and bit down, causing Vilem to smile maliciously before finally ripping the knife from the boy's midriff.
"Yes, very good." He watched with glee as Edward's face contorted in pain and tears ran freely down his face, mixing with the flow of blood streaming from his mouth. "Remember my face, forever more, as your murderer." With that, Vilem released his hold on his prey and fled the scene before hearing the Fullmetal Alchemist's limp body fall to the ground. The sound it made as it hit the pavement was absolutely deafening..
A loud thud resounded behind them, and the three men turned to locate the source of the noise. The sight of a motionless blonde, facedown on the sidewalk, caused the trio to start.
"Brother?" Alphonse yelled in a panic. When there was no response, the boy repeated himself and made to run over to his sibling, but a strong hand from the Lieutenant paused him in his motion. Havoc smiled up at the armor and laughed off Edward's unconsciousness as his light-weightiness.
"Ah, it's alright, Al. Looks like our young prodigy isn't able to hold his liquor as well as we- hic-thought." The comment seemed to calm down the younger brother some, and he visibly relaxed as the Colonel began to walk towards his motionless subordinate. Mustang shook his head and smirked. He had been waiting for the teenager to stop fighting it and just succumb to t-
Blood.
There was blood. Too much blood.
"Havoc! Get to the nearest phone! Call the hospital!" The Colonel shrieked, eyes wide in a panic as he raced over to the injured boy and gathered the limp body into his arms, head in his lap. Edward's front was completely soaked in red, and the wound didn't seem to be clotting any. Havoc took a few hesitant steps towards the Flame Alchemist, eyebrows raised in question.
"Sir?"
"NOW, HAVOC!" The blonde Lieutenant jerked back at the urgency in his commander's voice and raced off as quickly as he could to the nearest phone booth, leaving Alphonse to wonder what was happening. Roy raised his head and turned his terrified eyes on the younger brother.
"Alphonse! Give me a hand over here!" The boy snapped out of his daze and quickly sprinted over to his fallen brother and the Colonel, kneeling down beside the man as best as he could. Upon seeing Edward in such a state, however, Alphonse immediately froze and stared at the scene in horror.
"Brother!" Mustang reached down to lightly tap the blonde's cheek, praying for some sort of reaction which would signal that he was still alive. His fingers searched the veins in his neck desperately for a pulse. The two were in hysterics.
"Fullmetal! Edward! Can you hear me!?"
No response. No movement.
"Brother, please say something!"
No response. No movement.
"Wake up, dammit! Don't you dare die on me, Major!" Mustang's breath suddenly caught in his throat as Edward's pupils danced beneath his eyelids for a few moments before the lids cracked open slightly and he groaned in pain. His breath was short and ragged as he turned the golden irises on the Colonel and Edward smiled weakly, doing his best to keep the torrent of blood behind his lips.
"Don't write me off just yet, Bastard." The end of his artful remark ended in a violent coughing fit which doubled the amount of blood leaking from his mouth, and the boy rolled over onto his side in order to vomit the burning liquid onto the pavement beside him.
"Brother!" Alphonse reached his arm out to comfort his sibling from the pain, but another series of coughs caused him to jerk back. Mustang used his hands to smooth out the hair on the sides of Edward's head soothingly, tucking back stray pieces of red-tinted hair which had fallen from the braid, and rocked the boy in his lap.
"Hang in there a little longer, Fullmetal. We've got you." He just wanted to make it go away... To make the pain fade. All he wanted... was to keep Edward alive.
The boy fought to stay awake and struggled to take in adequate amounts of oxygen with the cascade of blood blocking its pathway to his lungs.
"Al... Brother... come here..." Alphonse was immediately at his side, clasping Edward's metal hand between his own two, and staring desperately into his brother's eyes. However he could help... Whatever he could do to ease the pain..
"I'm so sorry, Al... I love you so much... you know that, don't you?" The blonde choked out his words through the pain, needing his brother to know what had always been so obvious to everyone around. Al's grip tightened around the older boy's hand in effort to mask his trembling.
"... O- of course, Brother. And I love you." Edward reached up a tentative hand and placed it on the side of the armored helmet, where Alphonse's cheek would have normally been, and ran his thumb over the surface. With a sudden jolt, his abdominal muscles violently spasmed and he cried out from the pain, allowing the tears to leak down his face. Edward bit his lip until it bled, desperately trying to hold in his screams of agony for the sake of his little brother.
"I-I lied, Al... I'm so sorry... I lied. I told you... I said we'd go and see mom together... I'm sorry.. so sorry..." Before he could stop himself, Edward was sobbing uncontrollably, his frame jerking from the muscle spasms shooting through his dying body in efforts to close the wound. But it was too big... And it was too late..
"Brother, I-" Another puddle of blood landed on the pavement beside Edward as he vomited the contents of his dilapidated stomach onto the cement, effectively cutting off the younger boy. Without hesitation, the alchemist reached up and gripped the Colonel's collar, bringing the man's face down level with his own.
"You'll look after him, won't you, Mustang? See to it that he gets his body back?" His breathing had turned ragged, the air coming to him in slow, short gasps as he trembled uncontrollably. Roy grabbed the teen's face in his hands and held his shaking form tight to his chest, placing his cheek to rest on top of the stained blonde hair.
"What are you talking about, Fullmetal? That's your job." He gasped into the golden locks, praying to whoever would listen that his voice didn't sound nearly as lost as he felt in that moment. Edward shivered in his arms as another wave of pain passed through him.
"Sorry, Colonel... I promised you I wouldn't... die... under your command..." Roy's eyes widened and his grip on the boy tightened. He was afraid. He was afraid... to lose him..
"You just have to hold on a little longer, Fullmetal. We're going to get you to a hospital and everything will be alright," he cried into his subordinates hair, willing for it to be true. Edward jerked back angrily and spit up another bout of red fluid.
"Stop lying to yourself, dammit!... If I can accept it, then so can you." After so much... the fire was still there. It was still burning bright through the pain; through the knowledge of the inevitable..
"Fullmet-" The blonde alchemist impulsively lunged forward and locked their lips together, startling the Colonel as well as his brother, but quickly broke away to gasp for air.
"Call me Edward.." Roy's eyes widened and flooded with tears, realizing that this moment... would be goodbye..
The Colonel crushed their lips together with a pained cry, reveling in the feeling of Edward's skin against his. They moved together- tasting each other... feeling each other... for the first time, and placed all their unspoken words into that single act of intimacy. Roy kissed him desperately, needing to convince himself that everything would be alright... That Edward would be okay... and they could finally be together..
Between their kisses, as he gasped for the air which had long ago refused to enter into his lungs, Edward whispered soft words into the brunette's ear.
"I'll... tell him... you s-say... hel- lo.." Then, Edward ceased to respond to the kisses as Roy brought their mouths together again and again. The golden eyes remained shut, peacefully, as though he was actually asleep, and not another breath passed through his soft, pink lips. His chest... his heart... went still..
And, on that warm April night, Roy Mustang was forced to watch as the magnificent fire inside of Edward Elric finally went out..
The funeral was beautiful. The military was sure to give the Fullmetal Alchemist a proper send off, the military rifles being the only sound among the heavy sniffling of falling tears. Alphonse stood off to one side of the lowering casket, holding onto the young Rockbell girl as she cried in his arms. Pinako Rockbell stood still as a statue beside them, holding back her grief at seeing the man who had become like a grandson to her being lowered into the ground.
For obvious reasons, the ceremony had been closed-casket. It didn't matter, everyone knew who it was inside of the wooden encasing. Everyone knew that what lie inside the beautiful mahogany was a boy, too young to leave this world and yet, who had seen more of the world than Mustang could ever hope to.
Edward lay among his few possessions: a silver pocket watch, his brilliant red coat, and his brother's armored helmet. Alphonse had made the decision the day before the funeral, deciding to transmute himself a new head out of some scrap metal he had found lying around so that his brother would be able to hold onto a little piece of him when he was buried.
That act, alone, had caused the Colonel to break down in tears and leave the room. Roy wasn't sure how it was possible... for someone to be as strong as Edward always had been. Sure, there had been times when the boy had broken down... when Nina died... when Hughes was killed... but he had never seemed as lost and broken as the Colonel now felt...
... As Alphonse now was..
Apart from the decision to bury a piece of him along with his brother, the younger Elric boy hadn't spoken a word since the eve of Edward's death. Mustang assumed that, by him being there... watching his brother- his only family- die... it had destroyed him. The Colonel, himself, had even begun to draw the forbidden array on the sidewalk, using Edward's blood, until Alphonse had tackled him to the ground and smacked some sense into him. After that... Roy didn't exactly remember much.
Only the pain of losing the one he had loved.
"If I can accept it, then so can you!"
The soldiers began to shovel dirt onto the casket, and each thud of another load of soil landing on the polished wooden surface caused Roy to flinch and bite back his tears.
Damned fool... You have no idea what you were even saying... You think I can accept this: what happened to you? I never even got the chance to say goodbye... You were gone too quickly..
The crowd began to thin as, one by one, with tears in their eyes, the attendees plucked a white lily from the wreath of flowers which had previously laid on the casket. Alphonse didn't seem to be able to bring himself to move, and the Colonel mirrored the armored boy, gripping his hands tightly atop the military sword. He watched with sorrowful eyes as Winry brought the Elric boy a pristine lily, since he hadn't gone up himself, and saw the metal hand shake as the child reached up to take it from her.
The priest, knowing that the Colonel had been Edward's commanding officer, walked over to the raven-haired man, wreath in tow, and held out the bundle to Roy.
"Mr. Mustang, would you like to take a lily as a memoir of Mr. Elric?" The burly man asked, voice wavering a bit as he saw a tear slip down the officer's pale cheek. Trembling violently, his teeth digging into his lower lip, Mustang reached out a hand and plucked a large flower from the center of the arrangement.
"Yes, thank you, Father." He replied gruffly, not meeting the man's eyes. As Roy stared down at the flower, his thoughts turned dark.
What a stupid tradition. He thought bitterly. What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Is it supposed to serve as a reminder of Edward? Flowers wilt, they die... just like him. Watching something as beautiful as this thrive for such a short amount of time before shriveling up and succumbing to death... All it will do is remind me of that night..
Before long, Roy Mustang realized that he was the only one remaining in the cemetery, save the workers, who were busy arranging the marble headstone at the top of Edward's grave. He stayed until they, too, finally departed from the site.
Then, he was alone.
Mustang smiled to himself, looking between the two graves, standing side by side. It only seemed right to bury Edward beside the Brigadier General... the man had been like a father to him, after all... and Roy knew how deeply Hughes had cared for the boy. He was silent for a long time as he regarded the (almost) identical stone plates with unending sadness before he finally spoke.
"... Why?" The wind swirled around him, tossing his coat tails in every direction, before dying down once again and leaving the man in utter silence. He was alone, and the tears fell freely now.
"Why didn't you ever say anything? Why didn't you tell me that you-" He choked back a sob and fell to his knees in front of the headstones, curling in on himself and burying his face in his hands. After a few moments, Roy breathed deeply and opened his eyes.
"We could have been happy, Edward.. I loved you... Even if I didn't know it until that night... I- I loved you.. I... love... you.. I still do... And I always will." He sat in silence on the grassy floor until the light of the sun began to fade behind the mountains in the distance, chilling the air around him. Impassively, he reached up and wiped the evidence of his pain from his face, not even noticing that they were immediately replaced the second he did so.
"I won't say goodbye... Because it isn't really... I'll see you again soon, I promise.." Wordlessly, Roy brought himself to his feet once more, brushing the grass and dirt from his pant leg, and then turned to the headstone standing proud beside that of the Fullmetal Alchemist.
"Hughes," Mustang smiled sadly, "take care of him until I get there, alright?... And wait for me. We'll see each other again someday soon.."
The Colonel ran a tender hand over the name engraved in the stone, which marked the resting place of his best friend, before straightening up and saluting the two marble plaques. A single tear cascaded down his face and fell to the ground below. Then, Roy Mustang turned on his heel and... finally... walked away..