Redemption
An FMA fanfic by Steph O'Dell and Zev
(She helped lots! w)
Chapter 1—Wandering DeadDecember 17, 1923; Munich Post:
"Two months following the failed insurrection of Adolph Hitler, the country has been in an uproar. Many people are trying to flee the country, fearing a war. Many Nazi sympathizers are among the escapees. Many are caught at the border, but many others are able to slip out. An estimated total of 500 Nazi sympathizers have reportedly fled the country.
"In a chaotic border riot today, several people had been shot down by a Nazi sympathizer who had been held at the border pending an arrest.
"At the border between Switzerland and Western Germany, a man named Steinburg Rothenbach, opened fire upon the mass of people trying to cross the border on their way to see relatives during the holiday.
"Reportedly, among the casualties was several well known people…including…and Edward and Alphonse Elric, all of whom were involved in the putting down of the insurrection on November 8th."
--Translated from a German newspaper, dated December 17, 1923.
Doctor's Log, December 19, 1923; Doctor Heinz Whiecherland, Berlin General Hospital:
Time: 22:04 Hours
Patient(s): Elric, Edward and Elric, Alphonse (Brothers)
Blond hair; gold eyes/ Blond hair, brown eyes.
Diagnosis: Deceased; Shot wound; Colt .45
Notes: The brothers appeared to have been standing front-to-front. The bullet entered Edward Elric's back, travelled at a 45-degree angle, and passed through his body, and then through his brother, Alphonse's body, before exiting cleanly. Bullet never recovered. Murder weapon confirmed to be a Colt .45, recovered from shooter at the scene. Death would have been quick. The bullet pierced Edward's left lung, before exiting his body, and piercing Alphonse's right ventricle. Edward's COD was asphyxia caused by blood in the lungs, and Alphonse's COD was heart failure due to trauma. Both bodies are now in the morgue pending their claim. No funeral has been arranged.
--Translated from the notes of the coroner on-duty the night of Edward and Alphonse's autopsy.
"The bodies of Elric, Edward and Elric, Alphonse have been recovered. DNA is being stored on file for later use."
--A piece of a letter to the secret service in Germany from the head of the medical development. The rest of the letter is beyond salvaging.
So…where am I now…?
Edward stared at the light that seemed to get farther and farther away. He couldn't seem to get close to it. It just kept slipping back. The faster he ran, the faster it faded away from him.
DAMNIT!
Edward fell to his knees. He was beyond tired. It seemed pointless. He wasn't getting anywhere.
The last thing…the last thing I remember is…
The shooting.
That's right. We died. Me and Alphonse are dead.
Edward looked at the light again, flickering far away, taunting him.
Edward gritted his teeth in rage. Is this death? Is this it? Because it sucks. It really, really sucks.
Edward paused for a moment, his eyes searching the darkness. So, then… where's Alphonse?
Umi stared at the doctor, her eyes misted over with sadness.
The doctor cackled gleefully, the way he did when something went his way. He hobbled over to Umi, his left leg in a heavy metal brace due to an injury sustained many years ago. Now he walked with a stiff limp, his left leg nearly immobile.
"It's almost ready, my pet," the doctor cackled. "The bodies are almost ready. Perfect, aren't they?"
Umi stared up at the glass tubes that housed the bodies. She shuttered.
They were giant things, those tubes. Great tubes of tinted glass, with wires and tubes running into them. It was like something out of an old science fiction movie.
But it's real, Umi thought in disgust.
Suspended in the liquid inside the tubes were the bodies of two teenage boys. Wires and tubes were hooked up to their lifeless bodies, giving them air and nutrients.
Umi touched the glass gingerly. They were alive, but they had no souls.
The doctor touched Umi's shoulder, causing her to jump into the air with a sharp shriek. The doctor cackled with glee.
"Dr. Lorca," Umi stuttered. "Don't do that. You frightened me so."
Dr. Damien Lorca cackled again, his eyes gleaming eerily in the low light. "Umi…do you know why you're here?"
Umi looked at her toes. "No, sir," she whispered. But she was lying. She knew. She knew all too well why she was there.
"You are here," Dr. Lorca continued. "To put the souls of those two boys into their new bodies. You are the only one who can, my dear."
Umi shuttered. But I don't want to…
Dr. Lorca grabbed Umi tightly, and shoved his face into Umi's, his breath brushed her cheeks.
"You can bring the Elric brothers back, Umi. And you will. Because if you don't…" Dr. Lorca didn't finish.
Umi swallowed hard. She knew the doctor didn't need to finish his threat. He meant every word. Ever since Umi had arrived at the facility 18 years ago, she had lived in fear. She never knew a life outside the dark underground lab. The doctor was her caregiver and personal warden.
Umi put her hands against the glass of the tubes again, and began to sing in a clear, high voice.
Me-e-e jee naowai yehey
kats... keivaa... Keivaa... keivaa... Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats...
keivaa... Keivaa...
keivaa...
Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats...
keivaa...
Keivaa...
keivaa...
Keivaa...
Me-e-e jee naowai yehey kats... keivaa...
Keivaa... keivaa...
Keivaa...
The sweet melody seemed to form threads in the air. Like vapour trails, the words drew the wandering souls towards the slumbering vessels. The song led them to their destination.
Umi was the Pied Piper, leading the children.
The reaction was slightly delayed, but was apparent. Both boy snapped awake, terrified by their surroundings, and began to panic.
The doctor quickly drained the liquid in the tubes, and the boys were slowly lowered to the floors of their chambers. Gasping for breath, they tore their masks off, and threw them against the glass.
Umi stared, horrified. What have I done?…
Edward was the first to begin interacting with his surroundings. He pushed his hands against the glass, becoming aware of the fact he was trapped, in a giant glass cylinder, and completely nude. Blushing, and gritting his teeth, Edward began to pound on the glass, screaming.
"Hey! HEY! What the heck is going on here?!" Edward pounded away, getting angrier and angrier. "ANSWER ME!!"
Umi backed up, terrified. She stared at Edward, tears gathering at the edges of her eyes. The doctor put a hand on her shoulder and smiled darkly.
"You have done well, Umi."
Umi felt a weight come to rest on her shoulders. The realization of the sin she had committed was crushing her. She fell to her knees, sobbing.
Edward glared at the doctor, his eyes smouldering in rage. His fingers clawed at the glass holding him prisoner.
"Where am I? What's going on?" Edward was clearly agitated. He stared at the doctor, until his gaze came to rest on his right hand. He stared in shock, and his gaze travelled up his arm. He began to feel it, testing that it was real. He checked his left leg, and it, too, was real.
He was whole again.
"M-My arm…" he whispered, confused. "My leg…what…what's going on here?"
The doctor cackled again. "You, my dear boy, have been reborn. Reborn anew, ready to live the rest of whatever life you had left."
Edward's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I-I don't understand. I…I was dead. I got shot. I REMEMBER that."
The doctor waved Edward's comment off like an insect. "You WERE dead. You WERE shot. That was in the 20's. This, my boy, is the year 2007. And science has re-built you. Better, faster, and stronger than you ever were."
Edward digested the words the doctor had said. Reborn…? Edward glanced down at Umi sobbing on the floor. There was a flicker of something, like he knew her from somewhere, but it was a distant feeling, like a long-forgotten memory. The feeling faded quickly.
Alphonse banged on the glass as well, panicking. "Brother! What's going on?"
Edward glanced over, and was relieved to se Alphonse was alive and well also.
"I don't know what's going on, Al, but…I don't like it at all." Edward growled at the doctor. "What do you mean by that? Reborn? Reborn how! Life only flows in one direction!"
The doctor chuckled. "In the year 1996, scientists preformed the first cloning experiment on a sheep called Dolly. It was a complete success. Since then, science has progressed in that particular field by leaps and bounds. Using DNA, salvaged from 84 years ago, we have managed to successfully clone your bodies. With a few slight altercations, of course."
Edward stared at the doctor in horror. The very idea of creating a human by way of science was beyond Edward's grasp of the normal. Or plausible, for that matter. Alchemy had taught him that life was not to be tampered with, that bringing back the dead was not right. And here, science had done just that.
Edward fell against the side of the tube, mentally overloaded. It was too much for him. He stared off into space, his eyes glazed over in confusion.
Alphonse recovered quicker than Edward. "And…and how did you put our…souls in these bodies?" he asked in a low voice.
The doctor smiled. "That was dear, sweet little Umi's doing. She has a unique ability to channel the spirits of the dead. You two just happened to be in limbo--neither here among the living, nor there among the other dead. The trauma of your death would not allow you to move on. Umi was able to guide your souls into these new bodies." He patted Umi's head, and while it seemed to be an affectionate gesture, there was no love behind it. The gesture was cold and hollow. Umi stared up at the doctor with a look of fear.
Edward finally came around. He shook his head, clearing away his thoughts. "Okay, so you brought us back. Why? We don't even know what year it is, or where we are. How are we going to help you?"
Dr. Lorca cackled again. "As I've said, Edward, it is the year 2007. And this little building is located somewhere in Russia. And as for why we brought you back…we need you to work for us. You know things we need to know."
Edward pounded on the glass, enraged. "Screw you! Take your head, and stuff it up your ass! No way! I'd never help you! Never!"
Alphonse looked worried. "But…alchemy doesn't work here, does it? What else could we possibly know?"
The doctor chuckled. "Leave that for now. You WILL work for us, so don't say you won't. You won't have a choice. But, for now, you need some rest. Can't have you wearing out those new bodies now, can we?" The doctor pressed a button, and gas filled the tubes.
Edward and Alphonse coughed, and promptly passed out.
The doctor smirked, and a couple of guards entered the room. One took Umi gently by the arm, and led her out of the room.
"Come with me, Miss. It's time for you to return to your room." The man sounded gruff, but he tried to be gentle with Umi. Umi was used to such treatment, but looked sadly over her shoulder at the lifeless bodies of Alphonse and Edward.
"Take these boys to their rooms. Secure them, and clothe them for God's sakes. And feed them too, I suppose. I'll deal with them shortly. I have a phone call to make." With those words, the doctor waved off the guards, who carried the lifeless boys to separate rooms elsewhere in the building.
Edward awoke later that day to the light filtering through a barred window on the far side of the room. He blinked, and groggily looked around.
The room he was in was no better than a cell. It had a small bed, which was bolted to the floor, and a door was in the wall across the room from the bed. Twisting his neck, Edward saw a small metal grate above his bed. He wondered what it was.
It was at this point Edward realized he was clothed in plain white clothes—a shirt and a pair of slacks—but no shoes. He grumbled, and noted the strong wrist cuff that chained him to the bed frame.
"Friendly people, these scientists…" Edward muttered bitterly. "Never liked science…now I know why."
A soft knock on the door made Edward look up. He glared at the door for a moment before saying, "Come in."
Umi shyly opened the door, and poked her head in. Edward relaxed.
"Are-are you comfortable?" Umi asked quietly. She entered the room, a tray of food in her hands. She closed the door, and set the tray on the bed in front of Edward. Edward grabbed the fork and began shovelling food in his mouth using his free hand.
Umi gazed at Edward, a faint blush staining her cheeks rosy. She had a small smile on her lips. Edward paused and looked at her curiously.
"What? What is it? Something on my face?" he asked.
Umi blushed furiously, and turned away, embarrassed. "Oh, no…it's just…"
Edward put down his fork, and picked up the mug of coffee on his tray. "So…you put me in this body, huh? How'd you do that?"
Umi glanced at Edward shyly. "I-I-I…don't really know…I sing…and the spirits follow my voice. I've always been able to do it."
Edward stared at Umi curiously. "Sounds fishy…" He shrugged and set his cup down. "But…whatever. Anyway…that guy…is he…is he your father?"
Umi shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. I've lived here for as long as I can remember. The doctor…Dr. Lorca…he was always making me do experiments…he wanted to know how my power worked." Umi tilted her head. "Then one day he got a letter from a group in Germany. They told him they'd recovered lost DNA from the Elric brothers. Dr. Lorca got all excited, but neither the German science community nor the government would let him perform the procedure in Germany. He finally got an offer from Russia to let him work here. So he moved everything. I was blindfolded for the whole trip, so I don't remember much."
Edward stared at Umi in amazement. "How can you let him treat you like that?"
Umi shrugged half-heartedly. "I-I'm too scared to do anything. I've tried escaping before. It was hopeless. I can't seem to find a way out." Umi sighed sadly. "I gave up after a while. Now they let me wander freely. I do chores and cook, and that kind of thing. I'm rarely bored."
Edward gently took hold of Umi's hand. She blushed, and looked surprised. Edward looked deep into Umi's eyes.
"Umi…you need to get out. And so do I. I have to get information about what's going on here. And I need your help. If we work together, we can do it." Edward's eyes were bright.
Umi looked at the door nervously. "I…I don't know. What if…?"
A bang on the door sounded, and Umi jumped. "I-I have to go. I need to feed Alphonse now." She took the tray back from Edward. "He's in the room next to you. I think you can talk to him through the grate." Umi walked to the door, and opened it.
"Take care…Edward Elric…" Umi said softly as she left.
Edward looked at the door as it closed. That girl…
Edward waited for a bit before trying to talk to Alphonse through the grate above his bed. Standing on his knees, with his wrist painfully being yanked on by the short chain attached to his bed frame, Edward hissed through the grate.
"Psst! Al! Al, are you there?" Edward said quietly.
Sure enough, Alphonse responded almost immediately. "Brother!"
Edward couldn't see Alphonse, but the sound of his voice was enough. Edward felt relief. "Are you okay in there, Al?"
"Yes, Brother. They didn't hurt me. Umi fed me a while ago. She told me what's happening. Brother, I'm worried." Alphonse's voice was concerned.
"Me too, Al. I'm going to find a way to bust out of here, so don't worry. Something will happen, I'm sure." Edward tried to sound confident.
A few hundred meters from the main wall of the facility, a man stood, watching the building through a pair of binoculars. He put them down after a while, and rubbed his cheeks to warm them.
"Man…it's cold. Russia in spring should be warmer than this," the man complained.
"It's not quite spring yet, sir," a woman said, coming up behind him. He turned to see her, smiled, and turned around again.
"Katharine," the man said. "How many times must I tell you not to call me sir?"
Katharine cleared her throat. "Brystan…sir…we're on-duty right now. I can't be formal."
Brystan smiled. "Lighten up a little, Katharine. It takes the edge off."
Katharine frowned. "Yes, sir. Anyway, the men are in position. They're waiting for your signal."
Brystan smirked. He turned on his wire, and prepared to give the signal. "On my mark, gentlemen…MARK!"
Edward leaned against the wall, trying to drift into sleep. He thought he could faintly here the sound of gunfire off in the distance, but he wondered if it was just his imagination.
Shouts began to fill the hall, and Edward became interested. He listened silently for a moment. He heard some words in a language he didn't understand. Then something came through that he understood clearly.
"We're being attacked! Fire! Fire!"
Shots rang out, and Edward heard the sound of mortar rounds being fire. He cursed loudly, and banged on the wall.
"AL! Get under your bed! Do it now!"
"Why, Brother? What's going on?" Alphonse sounded nervous and confused.
"Do it, Al. I think this place is being attacked." Edward rolled off the bed, and scooted as far under it as the chain would allow.
There was a moment of quieted fighting for a moment, and then a loud explosion. A round went off against the wall of the cell. The wall shattered, and Edward threw up his arm to protect himself from the debris.
When he looked up, the wall had an enormous hole in it. Most of the wall separating Edward and Alphonse had given way as well. They looked at each other through the hole.
"Brother…are you okay?" Alphonse asked, his face white with fear.
"Yeah…what could do that much damage I wonder?" Edward mused angrily. "This is getting out of hand."
Suddenly, the walls shook, and the ceiling groaned. Edward looked up, terrified. He knew that sound.
"Al! The ceiling's collapsing! Get down!" Edward yanked as hard as he could on the chain, and squeezed his eyes shut.
A huge chunk of concrete landed on the bed frame, and crushed the chain so much it snapped. Edward took advantage of this, and rolled all the way under the bed.
Alphonse was also able to snap his chain as well, and the two bunkered down under the beds as the roof collapsed.
Umi had been running through the hall when the commotion started. She glanced around her, confused and scared.
Through the haze and commotion, a man grabbed her by the arm. Umi turned and saw the man was dressed in a military uniform. He was not rough with her, but held her arm gently, but firmly.
"Miss Umi, I presume?" the man asked, his voice calm and soothing.
Umi blinked. "Y-yes…my name is Umi. Who are you?"
The man winked. "I'm Agent Williams Hess. I'm here to bring you home, Miss." William ran a hand through his short, auburn hair, and grinned.
Umi looked puzzled. "What? Take me…home?"
Brystan and Katharine came up behind William. "You found the subject?"
"Yes sir," William said. "She's fine, sir. Not injured."
"Then get her out of here," Brystan said. "We have orders to take this place down."
Umi panicked, and grabbed Brystan's arm. "No!" she cried. "Not without them! I can't leave without them!"
Brystan was puzzled. "Who? Without who?"
"The Elrics! I can't leave without them." Umi looked at them with pleading eyes.
"Where are they?" Katharine asked, hanging her rifle over her shoulder.
"I'll show you…just promise me you'll take them with us." Umi pulled at William's arm.
A moment later, the shock of the shell hitting the building shook the entire complex, and Umi screamed. William pulled her to the ground, and covered her.
"A stray shell…" Brystan sounded upset. "That wasn't very professional. Damage report?"
Katharine listened to the headset for a moment. "No one wounded, sir. Structural damage to the east side of the building. Apparently, it was near an above ground set of storage rooms."
Umi gasped. "That's were they are! Hurry!"
The group moved quickly towards the storage rooms. The door was half-open, having been blown open during the blast. Brystan cleared the door away, and began sifting quickly through the rubble.
"I'm gonna need a hand," he said.
Everyone began helping, clearing the rubble away. Finally, Brystan moved a piece of concrete.
"I found someone!" he called.
Edward could faintly here the sounds of digging. There are people trying to get me out of here… he thought. Is it…is it Umi? Is it you?
A piece of rubble was lifted, and Edward could see out into the room. He blinked a few times, his head reeling. Through the blur, Edward was positive he saw someone he knew.
Roy…? Edward thought.
"R…oy?…General…Mustang?" Edward weakly asked before fading into unconsciousness.
Edward slowly opened his eyes, and squinted against the bright lights. He looked around slowly, still disorientated.
He was laying in a hospital bed, with tubes and wires stuck to him, and in him. He realized he was bandaged, and his head hurt when he tried to lift it.
"Ugg…ow, my head hurts," he groaned, holding it gently in one hand. He slowly looked over at Alphonse, sleeping peacefully in the bed beside him.
Edward smiled softly at Alphonse, and then looked at the ceiling again. He could hear the soft beeps of machines, the voices of orderlies and doctors, the clanking of dollies getting wheeled down the halls, and the dripping of the IV's. Alphonse's gentle breathing was a soothing sound amidst the harsh sounds outside.
Edward sighed, and slowly felt his face falling into a frown. He was already bored to tears.
"I can't sit still…it's driving me NUTS…" he muttered, sitting up. His head reeled, but Edward clutched his head and beared it. He reached for the needle in his hand to yank it out…
"Hey! Whoa! Careful kid! That's not a smart move," a nurse yelled at Edward, and ran over to him. She took his hand away from the needle, and laid him back down on the bed. "That needle is your IV. Can't have you removing that."
Edward scowled at the nurse. Nuts…
"Good thing I came in here to check on you," the nurse said cheerfully, busying herself by straightening sheets, and fiddling with the IV and other machines. That would have been bad, if you'd gone and pulled your needle out."
Edward groaned. "Where am I?"
The nurse smiled at Edward. "This is Walter Reed Army Medical Centre, in Washington D.C. You have nothing to worry about here, Mr. Elric."
Edward blinked. "Washington…D.C.? What?"
The nurse looked at Edward, surprised. "Washington D.C. …The capital of America. Remember?"
Edward tried to look like he knew what she was talking about. "Ahh…right…America." He laughed. "Silly me."
The nurse smiled. "It's probably your concussion that's making it hard to remember things. Just relax, and take it easy for a while."
Edward rubbed his sore head. Concussion? Oh great…
The nurse finished up. She turned to Edward. "See this little button here?" she asked, pointing to a button on the wall beside Edward.
"Edward saw it. "Yes. What about it?"
"That's a call button," the nurse explained. "If you need something, just push it, and someone will come and take care of it for you."
Edward blinked. "Anything? Anything at all?"
The nurse blinked, and then laughed. "Well, things like food, or if you need a blanket, or you hurt yourself. Things like that."
Edward grinned evilly to himself. Oh how I'm gonna abuse this…
The nurse left, and Edward began laughing evilly under his breath. His finger inched towards the button on the wall.
"Keh keh keh…time for some service…" Edward murmured maliciously.
But just as his finger was about to press it in, someone walked through the door.
"Hey! Good! You're up!" the man said brightly.
Edward turned, and stared.
"G-General?!" he shrieked. "What are you doing here?"
The man blinked several times. "General?" He laughed. "No, no. I'm a Federal Agent. My name's Brystan Cabanot. You are Edward Elric, I presume?"
Edward blinked. "Yeah, that's me…but…you look just like him. Like Roy Mustang."
Brystan blinked a few more times. "I'm sorry, I've…never heard of him."
Edward studied Brystan carefully. Brystan looked like Roy, all right, but…Brystan's eyes were warmer. The sparkled with mirth, and he was constantly smiling. His whole face seemed more inviting than Roy's. And, to top it all off, Brystan had a dark freckle under his right eye. The more Edward looked at Brystan, the more he could tell this wasn't Roy. He sighed sadly.
"Sorry…no, you're right. You aren't Roy. You're too nice to be Roy."
Brystan laughed. "That's alright. They say everyone has a twin." He smiled warmly. "Maybe mine just happens to be your General Mustang."
Edward rubbed his neck. "Yeah…maybe. I didn't like him very much."
Brystan sat on the chair beside Edward's bed. "I heard you tried to take off earlier."
Edward grumbled. "I hate hospitals…"
Brystan smiled. "You'll get used to it. We're doing everything we can to get you out of here." The man rubbed his neck. "It's been a long few days…"
Edward looked at Brystan without any emotion. He humphed, and put his chin on his hand.
"So…what exactly do you do, anyway?"
"Me?" Brystan replied, surprised. "I work for the Government. The CIA are members of a special network set up to maintain peace in America. We're a very specialized unit."
Edward blinked. "Government? Secret Network? You guys sound like spies."
"Some of us are," Brystan said, shrugging.
Edward stared at Brystan. "Why are you telling me this anyway? Won't you get in trouble?"
Brystan laughed. "Maybe a little," he replied. "But I think you ought to know the truth. All I know about you two is what Umi has told me."
"Umi…how is she?" Edward asked, his tone softening.
"She's fine…she wasn't hurt. We were actually in Russia to retrieve her." Brystan scratched his head. "Dr. Lorca was a very thorough man, always covering his tracks…but he managed to slip up recently. It was in his transfer to Russia. He was so rushed, he missed a few transfer slips. We were able to track him down from there."
Edward blinked in astonishment. "How long have you been after that guy?"
"Eighteen years. Umi was kidnapped as an infant. Her father hired us to get her back, but we never succeeded. Until now." Brystan looked sad suddenly. "He's a very high-profile man. We tried everything to find her, but he never once let us stop."
Edward stared at his fingers. "No wonder she looked so lonely…"
Brystan's brow wrinkled. "It was an odd case…the infant daughter of a business tycoon suddenly gets kidnapped. No ransom, no notes, no clues. It was eerie."
Edward said nothing. Where her talents apparent even at that age? Or did they already know something…?
Brystan patted Edward on the shoulder. "Once we get some ID on you both, you'll be going home too. I promise."
Edward looked puzzled. "What did she tell you about us?"
Brystan looked surprised again. "Oh? Well, she said that you two were kidnapped as well. And that you'd arrived a few days before."
Edward said nothing again. She lied for us…why?
Umi appeared in the doorway at that moment. Edward's eyes met hers, and Umi looked away, blushing.
"Umi," Brystan got up, and walked over to the shy girl. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," she said quietly. "I was a little hungry, but…I wanted to see how Edward was doing."
Edward waved at her, pasting a fake smile on. "Hey! Come on in! Brystan was just telling me about you. You're a lucky girl, to be going home."
Umi sat down beside Edward on the bed, and Brystan took the chair again, sitting in it backwards, so the back faced the bed. He braced his arms on the chair back, smiling.
"Yes…to see my father finally…after all this time…" the girl's eyes were edged with tears. "I'm…so happy…"
Edward gathered her in a hug. "Don't cry. It's okay. It'll be fine, I promise."
Umi sniffed. "Really?"
Edward looked at Brystan. "I…need to tell you some stuff. But I don't want it to leave this room. Understand? Me, you, Umi and Al. That's it."
Brystan blinked. "Of course." He got up, and shut the door before sitting down again, his face serious. It looked a lot like Roy's serious face, and Edward grimaced.
"I…me and Al…we're not from here," he began. "We're from a place called Amstris. Our parents are both dead. We have no living relatives." Edward's face felt as if it was made of stone; it seemed so heavy. His eyes stung, but he held back his tears.
Brystan seemed shocked. "I-I've never heard of Amstris. Where is it?"
Edward was quiet for a moment.
"Through the gate…another world…"
Brystan stared at Edward, struck. "Another…world?"
Edward nodded.
"Amstris…is a world where alchemy is the way of life. It is greater than science. Alchemists are in high order. The world is ruled by the Military. Alchemist that worked for the Military were State Alchemists…dogs of the Military, they called us." Edward swallowed. "Me and my brother…we committed a sin. We tried to revive our dead mother, and paid the price for it."
Brystan put his hand over his mouth, but said nothing.
"Alphonse lost his body, and I traded my arm to bind it to a suit of armour. I'd lost my leg already. I had mechanical ones—automail—made to replace them. Then we went in search of the Philosopher's Stone. We knew it was the only thing that would return our bodies.
"But as we looked, we met all kinds of obstacles. Eventually, Alphonse sacrificed himself to give me my body back, and I did the same. I ended up here, in the real world. On the other side of the Gate." Edward sighed. "That was in 1920. That was when I got here.
"In 1923, I got mixed up in a group called the Thule Society. They were trying to open a gate to Amstris. I followed them, and managed to seal the gate, with the General's help. Alphonse," he paused, looking whimsically at his brother. "Alphonse followed me, the cheeky brat. So we got stuck on this side of the gate, with no way home.
"Eventually, war was threatening to break out. A group of rebels were organizing an escape of refugees. They were going to send them to America, where they believed they'd be safe.
"But the Nazis caught wind of the plan, and someone opened fire during the escape. Alphonse and I were shot. It all happened so fast, I…don't really remember it all."
Umi put her hand on Edward's. "It's all right, Edward. I'll finish."
Edward looked at Umi, then nodded, tired.
Umi spoke softly. "The Nazis kept the Elric's DNA on file, hoping to use it later. However, after the end of the war, the DNA was lost. However, a few years ago, someone got a hold of the DNA, and informed Dr. Lorca about it. He immediately began reconstructing clones of the brothers. He'd been informed that they held a key to something the Russians had been working on.
"Dr. Lorca finished the clones, and declared them perfect. However, they had no soul, and were therefore useless. He…exploited my talents, and I was forced to place their souls back into these new bodies."
Brystan fell back in his chair, flabbergasted. He slumped against the wall, in total disbelief.
"You…you're a clone?" he whispered.
"Apparently…" Edward muttered unhappily.
"How…why…but…" Brystan stumbled for an answer. He looked at Edward, who shrugged.
"Don't ask me," he said irritably. "I don't want to be here. But now that I am…" he trailed off.
Brystan rubbed his temples. "What am I supposed to do with you?"
Edward shrugged. "I don't know. Give us some clothes, and we'll take care of ourselves. We always have."
Brystan shook his head, his face set in a serious look. He grabbed Edward by the shoulders.
"No. No, no. Absolutely not. I'll…arrange something. I don't want you two going ANYWHERE, understand? Now, stay here, rest up, and get better. We're going to fly Umi home to her father after you've recovered." Brystan stood up and left the room, pulling out his cellphone.
Umi sighed. "I think he's taken a liking to you," she said softly, giggling a little.
Edward blushed. "No way! Not cool!"
Umi laid a hand softly on Edward's shoulder. "He'll be okay. I think you should trust him. He seems like a good person."
Edward sighed. "I know…but he looks like Roy…that bugs the crap out of me."
Umi giggled behind her hand.
Edward blushed a little again, and Umi stopped. Her eyes were wide, and she turned away quickly.
"A-anyway," she went on. "Your things were being kept in the facility as well. The clothes are ruined, but the other things are still okay." Umi stood up, and retrieved a box that was under the bed. "I brought these with me, before we left."
Edward took the lid of the box, and stared in amazement. Inside were his and Alphonse's clothes, as well as their wallets…and Edward's watch.
"Wow…I don't believe it…" Edward murmured. They look…pretty good, for being about 80 years old…" He picked up the clothes, which disintegrated as he lifted them. "Oops…"
"Moths and other organisms can do a number on cloth. It almost never preserves well." Umi smiled sadly. "I think it's all there."
Edward carefully took his wallet out of the box. The leather had dried, and cracked as he opened it. He carefully removed its contents. Some francs, and some change, and a couple of faded photos. One was of Alphonse and Edward, when they were still children. And the other was a group photo of the Eastern Command staff. All the faces he knew where in it.
He traced several faces with his finger. "It's so strange…it feels like yesterday…"
Umi looked at the picture and smiled. "You were so young in this photo," she said. She touched the younger Edward in the picture, tracing his face.
"I was 15 in this picture," Edward explained fondly. I had been a State Alchemist for some time. Hughes…" Edward pointed at a tall man standing beside Roy. "…He said he wanted to give us all photos…for posterity."
Umi smiled. "He looks like a nice man."
Edward's face fell. "He was…he was killed shortly after this was taken."
Umi cupped her hand over her mouth again. "I'm…sorry."
Edward shook his head. "That's in the past. I don't look back."
Edward pointed out all the people in the picture, telling Umi their names, and a little about them. He didn't even notice Brystan had returned, meanwhile, and was gazing at Edward with a whimsical expression as he leaned against the doorframe
"…And this one's 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye," Edward was saying. "We called her Scary Hawkeye. She was always so serious looking, and she used to scare us all." Edward laughed. "She potty-trained Black Hayate by SHOOTING at him!"
"Goodness!" Umi said. "That poor dog!" She laughed in spite of herself.
Brystan snatched the picture out of Edward's hands. "So…which one's this Roy fellow?"
"Give me that!!" Edward roared, trying to get his photo back. "Give it here! Hey!"
"Is that you?" Brystan commented, laughing. "You were awfully small!"
"SHUT UP!" Edward howled. "STOP CALLING ME A BEANSPROUT MIDGET!!"
Some of the nurses looked in questioningly at the noise, Brystan smothered Edward's face with a pillow.
"Hush you…you're too loud. This is a hospital, remember?" Brystan chuckled. But his eyes fell onto Roy, and he stopped.
"This…this can't be…" he gasped. "He…looks just like me!"
Edward screamed muffled complaints into the pillow. Brystan hastily pulled it away from his face.
"Sorry, Edward. I guess I kind of forgot about you…"
Edward seethed. "GRAHH! You could have KILLED ME!" he yelled.
Brystan sat down. "This man…is identical to me…"
Edward sighed. "Now you know why I was confused."
Brystan blinked. "I know ALL the people in this picture."
"WHA-at?!" Edward shrieked, confused. "How…how can that be?!"
Brystan pointed to Riza. "That girl. That's Katharine Thompson. She's my best field agent, and a crack shot." He pointed to Havoc. "And that's William Hess. He's a dynamite search-and-rescue operative."
"Of course," Umi said. "I saw them when you rescued me. I didn't notice that until now. But you're right. They DO look the same."
Edward felt a shiver go up his back. Oh my God…it's Alphonse all over again…
Alphonse sat up in bed. "Brother…" he asked sleepily. "What's going on?"
"Al…uhh…" Edward looked worried. "How you feeling? You okay?"
Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, I'm not sore or anything…"
Lucky… Edward thought angrily.
Alphonse looked at Brystan. "Gen-General Mustang?"
Brystan stopped Alphonse from saluting. "No, no. My name's Brystan, Alphonse. It's nice to meet you."
Alphonse blinked. "Oh…uhh…sorry, sir. It's just…"
Brystan smiled, and pointed to the photo. "I can see."
Alphonse looked embarrassed. "You can call me Al if you like, sir," he said shyly.
Brystan and Alphonse shook hands. "Hello, Al…it's nice to meet you."
Edward snatched his picture back. "Careful with that thing. It's 80 years old. Probably more. And it's the only one I have."
Brystan put up his hands. "Okay, okay!" He laughed.
Alphonse shot Edward a look. "Brother, don't be rude!"
Edward stuck out his tongue at Alphonse. "Nyaa! So what? I can if I want to!"
Alphonse growled a little. "Brother!"
Brystan sat down, laughing. He wiped away tears.
"What's so funny?" Edward snapped.
Brystan waved his hand. "Oh, sorry. I…I just find you two refreshing."
Alphonse wrinkled his brow. "How so?"
Brystan went serious. "I have no children of my own, you see. I just think that it'd be interesting taking care of kids like you. You'll be a handful."
Edward twitched. "Kid?! I'm 18! How's that still being a kid?!"
Brystan sighed, smiling. "Yeup, a handful."
Umi stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "I'd best be getting off to sleep. It's awful late."
Brystan looked at the clock. "Oh gosh, you're right. It's almost 8 o'clock! I'll take you to the hotel."
Edward blinked at Brystan. "Leaving? So soon? The fun was just starting."
Brystan waved as he left. "Yeup. Busy day tomorrow. You two are gonna be released tomorrow, so rest up." And with that, the door closed, and Brystan and Umi were gone.
Edward stared at the door. "What the heck was that all about?"
True to Brystan's word, the next day Edward and Alphonse were released from the hospital. Edward stared at the clothes he'd been given and sighed.
These clothes are weird… he thought. They don't fit me very well either.
Brystan looked at Edward and Alphonse as they studied their clothes. "Those are temporary," he said. "We're actually going clothing shopping. Right now, in fact. So hurry up and let's go."
Alphonse laughed happily, and followed Brystan. Edward sighed, and slowly trudged after the two.
Umi was waiting outside, blushing a little. She offered her hand to Edward, who took it, blushing slightly as well.
"You…may not be ready for what's outside…" she said softly.
And Umi was right.
Edward and Alphonse gaped in amazement at all the traffic, and the tall buildings made of glass and concrete. It was nothing like what they knew.
"So…many vehicles…" Edward gasped. "They're…everywhere."
"And the buildings…" Alphonse added, craning his neck to see them. "They're so tall! And shiny!"
"Welcome to the new Millennia," Brystan said. "Where everything is bigger and better. Well, at least that's what they TELL us."
Edward groaned. "Don't tell me…we're gonna get lost out here, right?"
"Or run over," Brystan joked.
"Brother, I think we should, uh…Brother?" Alphonse looked at his brother in horror. "What are you doing?"
Edward walked over to Brystan, and patted him on the chest. "Brystan, ol' buddy ol' pal…so, where about are we going, anyway?"
Brystan gave Edward a look, but answered the question. "I was going to take you to a clothing shop on Main Street. You two need some clothes, right?"
"Right…" Edward said. "And we'll need to get there…how again?"
"Main Street is a few blocks in that direction," Brystan said, pointing. "I was planning on walking over there—"
"OKAY THANK YOU BYE!" Edward yelled, grabbing Umi in one hand and Alphonse in the other. He leapt onto the hood of a car, and car hopped across the street. Cars honked their horns noisily, and people yelled at the kids as they crossed, but Edward ignored them, and made it to the other side. He grinned at Brystan, and waved.
"We'll go on ahead! Don't wait up!" Edward sneered, and dragged the others off in the direction Brystan had pointed.
Brystan felt his cool fading. This kid got under his skin like a splinter. He wondered if this was how Roy felt dealing with Edward.
"Edward!" Brystan yelled. "Get back here!" Brystan knew it was pointless, but he yelled anyway. He sighed, and patted his chest. Suddenly, he realized something.
"EDWARD! BRING BACK MY WALLET!"
"Keh keh keh," Edward laughed evilly as he tossed Brystan's wallet up in the air and caught it. "So sad…"
"You horrible person!" Alphonse cried. "Brother! How could you? That was wrong! What if he needed that? You should go back, and return it to him ri—!"
"Relax, Al!" Edward laughed, cutting his brother off. "He was going to pay for it all anyway, wasn't he? We'll just pay him back later! Besides," Edward continued, smiling. "He's no fun anyway."
"You don't like him because he looks like Roy," Alphonse muttered darkly under his breath.
Edward punched Alphonse in the shoulder. "Did you say something?"
"Nope!" Alphonse squeaked.
"I didn't think so," Edward replied, his face mean.
Umi sighed. "Edward…"
Edward walked ahead of the group, looking up in awe at the shops. Umi snagged Edward by his shirt, and drug him into a clothing shop he'd passed inadvertently.
"I think this is the one," she said. "So get in here."
"Yipe!" yelled Edward "Hey! What's the big idea?!"
The boys stood, looking around the store in amazement. "What…an odd assortment of clothes…" Alphonse whispered.
Edward picked up a small black skirt. "What's this? A belt?"
Umi blushed, and looked embarrassed. "It's called a miniskirt. They expect girls to wear them."
Edward put the skirt down hastily. He looked around the store, a little confused.
"I'll say this much…your style hasn't evolved all that well." Edward sighed. "Let's get some clothes, and get out."
Umi sighed. "I don't wear a lot of designer clothes myself…"
Alphonse was in another section, looking at pants. "Brother…look at these." He showed Edward a pair of jeans.
Edward laughed. "I'd never be able to walk in those."
Alphonse laughed as well. "I'd feel so demasculinated…"
Umi looked embarrassed again. "That's because those are women's jeans."
The boys put the jeans down hastily.
Edward sighed, and scratched his neck. His gaze suddenly fell on a pair of pants he liked. Grinning evilly, Edward scooped them up.
"I think I found something," he said to Umi.
Umi pointed out the change room, and Edward hurriedly tried them on, as well as a shirt and a pair of boots he scooped along the way. Finally, he stepped out.
"Well, how do I look?" he asked.
Umi and Alphonse stared at Edward.
Edward was dressed in a tight pair of black plether pants, with chains hooked into the sides that dangled down the leg. His shirt was a tight black muscle shirt that showed off his midriff. And the boots were chunky Goth boots that came up to his knees.
"So…?" he asked.
Alphonse looked a little embarrassed. "You can't stay away from black, shiny pants, can you?"
Edward stuck out his tongue. "You're just mad because I make this look good."
"You certainly know how to wear plether, Edward," Umi said, stifling giggles.
"Well, I like it, so there," he said, looking in the mirror.
Alphonse sighed. "Let me change too, okay?"
It only took a minute for Al to change. He ended up in a tight plether top that had straps across the chest. It too had a high midriff, and came high than Edward's. He also wore a pair of blue jeans with holes in the knees, and a pair of simple sneakers.
Edward burst out laughing. "Now THAT'S ridiculous!"
Umi sighed inwardly. What's with all the plether…? she thought.
The boys laughed at each other, while Umi turned to see Brystan entering the store. Umi swallowed. Uh oh…he's going to be awfully mad…
But instead of getting angry with the boys, Brystan was very calm, and told Edward he was upset he took his wallet and ran off. Edward return the wallet, grumbling.
Umi was surprised. She felt a little disappointed that she'd been wrong.
Brystan looked the boys over, and laughed. "You have the strangest sense of style…" he said, chuckling. "And yet…it fits you two."
Edward looked offended. "Oh fine! Mock me!" He stuck out his tongue, and refused to talk to Brystan.
Brystan shook his head, laughing.
"I'd say this trip was sort of a disaster," Alphonse said gloomily.
"I don't think anyone can take Edward out in public," Umi added.
Edward twitched. "HEY!"
Edward looked around the large hotel room, his mouth gaping. "Is this…really where you stay, Brystan?" he asked.
Brystan nodded. "More or less. I'm still in the process of finding permanent residence, but due to my work, I'm rarely in one place too long. I figure I'd get somewhere you two could stay while I'm away." He shrugged. "It's not much, but…"
Alphonse opened a window, and stuck his head out, grinning in amazement. "Wow! I can't believe how high we are!" he said, awestruck.
Edward pretended not to be impressed. "Big deal…we've been to high places before, Alphonse."
Alphonse looked at Edward. "But not like this, Brother. I've never been in a building this high before. It's kinda spooky." He chuckled, closing the window.
Edward sighed, sitting down in a chair, and putting his feet up, which were still in his boots. Brystan cleared his throat.
"If you'd be so kind as to take your shoes off," Brystan said dryly at Edward. "It'd keep everything much cleaner."
Edward looked at Brystan. "Huh? Oh…" He removed his feet from the end table, and took his boots off. He stood up, and put them by the door.
Alphonse giggled. "Do we have to tell you everything, Brother?"
Edward gave an indignant look. "No! I just forgot."
Brystan cracked a smile. "Right…"
Edward sighed, plopping back down in the chair and putting his feet back on the table. Brystan sighed.
"Feet off the tables, please."
Edward snorted, and took his feet off the table. Alphonse caught the sound of Edward mocking Brystan under his breath.
Brystan sighed. "I hope this all works out okay…I'd hate to go with the secondary plan."
"Which is?" Edward asked, not really caring.
"I hand you back over to the CIA, and they do experiments on you to see how you tick." He chuckled darkly. "You two are pretty special. No one has ever successfully cloned a human completely through artificial means before."
Edward looked unnerved. "You wouldn't…"
Brystan became serious. "I had to pull a lot of strings to get you two here. If anything happens, it's my ass that'll get it."
Edward smirked evilly behind his hand. "Really…"
Brystan's face fell. "Don't get ideas…" He sounded more like Roy than ever before. "I know I remind you of someone you don't like, but I'd appreciate some respect. I'm doing everything I can for you two."
Alphonse smiled warmly. "If it means anything, I'll do my best to behave, and I'll keep Edward in line as much as I can."
Edward snorted. "You were never very good at that, Al."
Alphonse looked upset. "Well, it's not like you made it any easier, Brother."
Edward smiled. "Hey, I never pretended to like following orders."
Brystan chuckled. "You sound like a terror, Edward."
Alphonse giggled. "Let's put it this way…when my Brother got kidnapped, the Military feared for his captives, not him."
Edward looked insulted. "Hey! I'm not that bad!"
Alphonse gave Edward a look. "You completely warped the entire building! Not to mention you took out close to thirty men by yourself."
"Five of which you and Mustang caused!" Edward shot back.
"It was either that, or accidentally get you hurt in a crossfire!" Alphonse argued back. "Between the two, you should be happy I was thinking of your safety!"
Edward snorted. "Well, you didn't have to call me a little bean!" He pouted angrily.
Alphonse smiled. "Well, I knew you'd react to that. And I did apologize for it, remember?"
Brystan shook his head, listening to the conversation. He had a feeling Edward's temper was going to get them all in hot water more than a few times.
Umi knocked softly on the door as she peeked in shyly. "H-hello…"
Brystan turned. "Oh…Miss Umi, you should be resting. You'll be going home tomorrow afternoon."
"I-I know…" Umi said quietly. "I-I just wanted to talk for a while. I'm not very tired…"
Brystan smiled softly. "If the boys are all right with it…"
Alphonse blushed shyly, and nodded. Edward had his back to them, and waved his hand to say he was okay with it.
Umi blushed a little, and closed the door softly behind her. She sat down in a chair near the entrance to the room. Edward still had his back to her.
Alphonse and Brystan each found spots to sit as well. Umi looked at them shyly, her fingers twisting around each other in her lap.
"Umm…I wanted to say that my Father phoned me earlier today, and seems interested in meeting you both. And, to be honest, I would feel more comfortable having both of you there. So," she hesitated for a moment. "I-I-I'd like to formally ask both of you to come with me."
Alphonse looked surprised. "I thought we were going anyway?"
Brystan nodded. "The decision is ultimately up to you. In any case, I think she's just trying to be polite."
Umi nodded, her face red.
Alphonse felt his face was a little warm as well. "Well…I'd be happy to go. I'd like to meet your Father." He turned to look at Edward, who was sitting still, his back to them. "Brother? What about you?"
"Y-yeah…no problem. I'll go too." Edward said it without turning.
Umi nodded respectfully. "Thank you…both of you."
Edward stared at the wall, his face red. He had been shaking nervously ever since Umi had walked into the room. He tried to reassure himself, but the thought kept coming up.
I've met her before…but where? She reminds me of…
Umi stood to leave. "I should rest up. I'll head back to my room, and I'll see you both tomorrow." She smiled, and walked to the door.
Brystan had followed her, and opened the door for her. "Have a good rest, Miss Umi."
Umi smiled. "I will."
Brystan shut the door, and sighed. "She's so polite…I can't believe it…"
Edward took a few cleansing breaths before he got up, and faced everyone with a smile plastered on his face.
"Okay, so we get to meet her Dad. What's he like anyway?" Edward tried to sound interested, but his mind kept wandering.
Brystan grinned. "He's one of the wealthiest men alive. Raiden St. Claire; he owns businesses in almost anything you can imagine. The strange thing is he's constantly donating his money to charity. He only keeps about half of what he makes." Brystan shook his head. "Very strange man."
Alphonse blinked. "He sounds like he cares a lot for things."
Brystan nodded. "I suppose he does…he was very worried for his daughter when she was kidnapped. He was so relieved to get her back. The phone call she mentioned was 8 hours long."
Edward's eyes got big. "Man…that's long…" He thought of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes' phone calls to his family, and the thought made him smile for a moment.
Brystan nodded. "He's also a bit reclusive. No one really sees him. It definitely keeps him out of the public's eye."
So…not a lot of people would know about him, unless they knew his business…" Alphonse concluded. Brystan nodded.
"Even though he's worth so much, he's never in the lists of wealthy people. He leaves himself out on purpose." Brystan scratched his head. "Weird…"
The phone rang suddenly, and Brystan answered it. "Hello?"
He was silent for a moment. "A package? What kind of package? Does it say?" There was another pause. "All right…I come down and get it then." He hung up the phone.
"What was that all about?" Edward asked.
"A package just arrived for me…weird…" Brystan shook his head. "I'll be right back." He walked out of the room, and towards the elevator.
Alphonse closed the door. "Everything is happening so fast, Brother. I wonder…what do you think it all means?"
Edward snorted. "Someone's laughing at us."
Alphonse looked amused. "You think someone likes to watch us suffer?"
Edward shrugged. "Yeah, probably."
Alphonse looked sadly thoughtful. "Brother…do you think we'll be okay? I mean, a lot has changed, and we don't know anyone anymore…"
Edward smiled, and turned his head to look out the window. "We'll be fine, Al. We always have been. We'll just stay low, and have a little fun for a while."
Alphonse was quiet for a bit. "Umi…what do you think of her, Brother?"
Edward's face flushed, and he refused to look at Alphonse. "She's nice…she's just a girl after all…"
Alphonse blinked. "Brother…do you like her?"
Edward snapped his head around, his face red. "NO! Al, how could you SAY that?!"
Alphonse smiled, enjoying the reaction. "But…you blush when you're around her, or if someone mentions her. And you're so nice to her…Brother, I think you like her."
"I DO NOT!" Edward yelled angrily back. "She just…reminds me of someone, that's all."
Alphonse blinked. "That's odd…she reminds me of someone too…"
Edward was calm now. "Who does she remind you of, Al?"
Alphonse thought for a moment. "Like…like Winry a little…"
Edward nodded. "Yeah, her…and Rosé…and Noah…" Edward came to a conclusion. "Yeah…she reminds me of Noah."
Alphonse looked shocked. "You don't think…"
Edward's face was hard. "There has to be some kind of connection, Al."
Brystan walked into the room at that point, carrying a small parcel. He put it down on the coffee table, and looked at Edward and Alphonse.
"What are you two up to now?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.
The boys fell silent. "Nothing…really." Edward swallowed as he spoke.
Brystan sighed. "Well, you two need to rest. It'll be a long trip tomorrow, and you two have never been on a plane, I'll bet."
Edward grimaced. "I wouldn't say 'plane'…more like a rocket-powered aircraft."
Brystan laughed. "Commercial aircrafts are very smooth. It shouldn't be a bad experience. But it'll be tiring, so get some rest." He shooed the boys off to bed.
Edward grumbled a little, and paused at the door. "Uhh…Brystan?"
Brystan looked at Edward, surprised. "Yes?"
Edward stood for a moment, trying to find the courage to say what he wanted to say. Finally, he spoke.
"T-thank you…"
Brystan smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it, Ed."
Edward smiled a small smile, and closed the bedroom door behind him.
Alphonse got into his pyjamas, stretching. "I like him…he's nice."
Edward took off his shirt, and reached for his pyjama top before he spoke. "He's okay…sure is a lot nicer than Roy…"
Alphonse carefully took his elastic out of his hair. "I think he genuinely cares about us…"
Edward stuffed his head through his pyjama top, his face upset. "But…he works for the government…he probably has his own agenda. I still don't fully trust him."
Alphonse looked sad. "Brother…how can you not trust him? You heard what he said. He could have given us to the government, and they'd have done experiments on us!" He shook his head. "I trust him more than those government people."
Edward took off his pants, sighing. "Al, just because he didn't give us to his superiors doesn't mean he doesn't have us under surveillance. I'll bet we're being watched, and he'll force us to do stuff just to satisfy his own agenda. He'll wait, and use us to further his own career." He got into his pyjama bottoms. "Just like Mustang."
Alphonse scowled. "The General never did that."
"He did too, Al. You just didn't see it." Edward looked upset. "Because of us, he got promoted to Colonel, and eventually got moved up to Central. We were his stepping stones."
Alphonse looked upset. "Brother, how can you be so bitter?"
Edward took his elastic out of his hair. "Easily, Al. I remember the past."
Alphonse looked away. "You won't let it go, you mean."
Edward looked at the other wall for a few moments. "Goodnight, Al."
Brystan sat in his chair, staring at the package. If what those two boys said is true, I can't let the CIA get a hold of them. Who knows what they'll do to them? No…I have to protect them however I can. Even if that means lying to the CIA…the Government even.
He blinked, breaking his thoughts. "Anyway…what's in this thing anyway?" He opened the package. Lying on top of the contents was a letter addressed to him. He opened it.
To Mr. Cabanot;
The contents of this package are not intended for you. As to whom they are for, that will become clear very shortly after you receive it.
I have sent this to you in the hope that I have done the right thing. The outcome of the future will depend on you and your commitment to what happens. I will say this right now: trust no one. Those you do come to trust, keep close, and protect with your life.
You have started down a small, winding road, one that has no firm outcome. Whether humanity is wiped out, or saved is up to you and the people around you.
Ask yourself right now: do you believe in the concept of another world, opposite our own? Can the spirits of those people cross the threshold into this world, and back again? And what is death really?
As you come to the end of this note, reflect on what has been written, and sleep on it. All will happen in due time. We will meet soon enough.
Brystan sat the unsigned letter down, and looked thoughtful. What did it mean? Who had sent it? And just what was in it?
He reached for the box, and hesitated. He stood up instead, and walked off to bed, sighing. What am I doing? he thought to himself.
Edward tossed and turned, unable to fully go to sleep. He moaned through his half-asleep state, his forehead clammy with perspiration.
Wake up, Edward…I'm waiting…free me…
Edward jolted up in bed at the voice that echoed through his head, but he was clearly not awake. His eyes were clouded and hazed, and he crawled out of bed without a sound. He walked, as though being pulled by an unseen force, towards the sitting room.
Alphonse woke at the sound of the door opening. He shot up, and blinked sleepily at the form of Edward standing in the door.
"Brother…? What is it?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up a little more. He finally noticed Edward's blank gaze.
"Brother? Are you all right? You're not sleepwalking, are you?"
Edward didn't reply, and walked out into the sitting room, towards the package on the coffee table. His long, loose hair swung back and forth as he walked, and some stuck to his wet face, giving him an eerie, dishevelled look. Alphonse got up, and followed Edward out into the sitting room.
"Brother…?"
Edward said nothing again, and instead rummaged through the box's packing material until he came out with the object he sought.
It was a bracelet, carved from silver in the form of a dragon; a dragon that eerily resembled Envy's earth-bound form. Its eyes flashed in the low light, and Alphonse realized they were made from a blood-red stone.
Edward paused for a moment, and then slipped it onto his right wrist.
Alphonse took a step forward. "Brother, don't! You shouldn't—"
Brystan had been waiting in the doorway of his room for hours, waiting for the events that were happening. He had his gun ready, but didn't think he'd need it. He watched, biting his lip.
Edward's eyes cleared a little as he looked at the bracelet on his wrist. "Huh…?"
There was a flash, and something akin to an alchemy transmutation happened. Alphonse gave a surprised cry, and stepped back, shielding his eyes. Brystan too withdrew a little, shielding his gaze.
It was almost instantaneous; no one fully saw the whole thing, or had time to react. The bracelet took a life of it's own, and plunged into Edward's arm. It slithered under his skin for a moment, and then came back up, wrapping tightly around his wrist, but now a part of his skin. The veins around the bracelet became prominent, and turned a black colour, almost like the thing had rooted itself in Edward's arm. The light faded, and Edward fell to the floor, screaming in pain.
Alphonse recovered quickly, and held Edward, supporting him. "Brother!" He wasn't sure what had happened, or what to do. Brystan ran to the boys.
"I-I don't know what happened…" Alphonse trailed off. "It happened so fast. Brystan…"
Brystan looked at Edward, and then at his arm. "What in the world…?"
Edward forced himself to his feet, chuckling, and his voice was low and raspy. He let his head arch back, his eyes snapping open. They had turned purple, and the pupils had narrowed into slits. They were they eyes of a Homunculus.
"Hello…Alphonse…long time no see…"
The raspy voice echoed with Edward's softer tone in an eerie duet.
Alphonse shuttered at the voice, backing away. "No…it can't be…Brother watched you die…"
Brystan backed up a bit, shocked. "What…what's going on?"
Edward pulled his back down to a normal position. "That's right, Alphonse…my body died…but I didn't completely fade from this world. No…the scientists had other ideas."
Alphonse looked afraid. "Envy…"
Envy chuckled darkly. "Those scientists…they took out a piece of my stone…they put it in that bracelet. They thought they could control me…but they were wrong." He licked his fingers. "My stone craved a new body, and ate the host alive…it wasn't compatible, you see. Pity…such a waste of life…" He smiled. "Now, Fullmetal here, on the other hand, is very compatible. Of course, he's not perfect…they did something to his genes when they cloned him…he's not a perfect clone. But he'll do." He smiled farther. "At least the stone won't eat him alive so fast…"
"What do you mean, Envy? What do you mean, 'eat him alive'?" Alphonse was panicking. "What are you doing to my brother?"
"Relax, Alphonse," Envy said. "I need Fullmetal to do something for me, that's all. You see, I can't pass from this world until this stone is destroyed. But there's only one thing that can destroy it. And I need Fullmetal to use it to destroy the stone."
Brystan wrinkled his brow. "What are you talking about?"
Envy turned his head to look at Brystan. "You humans call it the Sword of Damocles. It was said to have cut the chains that bound the Archangel Michael, and he then used it to defeat the demon, Lucifer. It supposedly can cut through anything. If that's true, it's the only thing that can cut through the stone."
"Of course…the Philosopher's Stone can't be destroyed by just anything…" Alphonse muttered, half dazed. "But…does it really exist?"
"It was made at the same time as the Spear of Longinus, the artifact used to capture me," Envy explained. "If the spear is real, then so too must the sword."
Brystan gritted his teeth. "If it does exist…then where would we find it?"
Envy shrugged. "You humans are pretty resourceful…you'll think of something. In the meantime, you should watch yourselves. I'm getting a vibe…a similar spiritual imprint as you and Fullmetal…I think you'll be expecting trouble." He looked at Alphonse. "I'll lend my service to the runt as long as I'm here…I'll change the shape of this bracelet into anything I can…a sword, for example. But I'll warn you, every time he does so, the stone's power will eat further into him. Equivalent Exchange, if you will." Envy gave a sadistic grin. "So, unless you don't want to lose him, get to work finding that sword."
Alphonse gritted his teeth. "Why should we? How do we know you won't try anything? I still don't trust you!"
"Believe what you want," Envy said dryly. "But I'm going to bed." He walked off into the bedroom, and shut the door behind him.
Alphonse sat silently for a while, and stared at the floor, his face a mess of emotions. Brystan walked over, and sat down beside Alphonse, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Alphonse sighed a little, and looked at Brystan. "I can't believe it…it doesn't seem real…"
Brystan's face was set. "Al…who is that? That wasn't Edward, was it? You called him Envy…"
Alphonse composed himself a bit, and then spoke. "Yeah…he was a Homunculus…we knew him back in Amstris. He came through the gate the same time Ed did the first time. I didn't even think he'd still be alive, but he was apparently. He'd been changed into a dragon, from what Ed told me. The Thule Society used him as a gate to Amstris…him and…Father."
Brystan looked shocked. "Your Father?"
Alphonse nodded. "Brother saw it with his own eyes…Envy had said his only desire in life was to kill Father…I guess he succeeded."
"Homunculus…what is that, exactly?" Brystan chewed his finger in thought.
Alphonse paused. "A Homunculus…is a being that is created when an alchemist fails a human transmutation…they have a heart and a mind…but no soul. Eventually, it will be corrupted by its desires, and becomes…well, maybe not evil, but…definitely dangerous."
Brystan was quiet for a bit. "Al…what do you think will happen to Ed?"
Alphonse shook his head. "I…I don't know…" He hung his head, tired.
Brystan sat for a moment, and then stood up, walking to the boy's bedroom. He paused a moment, his hand on the doorknob, and took a breath. He opened the door, letting his eyes adjust.
Edward was asleep, sprawled across his bed as though he had fallen there. He seemed at peace, and his breathing was calm and even. Brystan smiled a little, and carefully put Edward into his bed, and tucked him in. He looked at Edward's right arm, and felt his teeth clench together. The black veins hadn't faded any, and he could see Edward's fingers twitching a little now and then, as if something was irritating the nerves in his arm. He sighed quietly, rubbing his hand across his face.
Alphonse entered after a bit, and sat on the bed next to Brystan. He pushed Edward's hair out of his face, and straightened his clothes. "Always so sloppy…" he murmured.
Brystan stood up, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He felt tired, and heavy for some reason, and he sat down on the couch, holding his head in his hands, sighing. The whole day had been eventful.
While he sat there, he heard the muffled sound of voices in the hallway. He paused, and listened intently.
"…Down the hall a bit more…" someone said. "Don't hurt her; the boss wants her alive and unharmed."
Brystan stiffened. How the heck did they get inside the building?! he thought, drawing his gun and cocking it. He moved across the room to the front door, and paused before easing the door open quietly.
There were two men standing in the hall just down from his room, their backs to him. He contemplated the situation. I could probably sneak up behind them and put them down quietly, and then call for backup…His mind raced over the plan, looking for anything that might jeopardize it. He screwed his silencer on quickly. Taking a steadying breath, Brystan swung out into the hallway, and pointed his gun at their backs. The men turned, and looked surprised.
"Drop any weapons you two are carrying. Do it now," Brystan said, his voice low and even. His finger rested on the trigger of his gun, showing them he was serious.
The two men pulled their guns out of their pockets, and dropped them on the floor at their feet. Brystan motioned for them to kick them over to him, which they did. He stooped down, his gun still trained on the men, and retrieved their guns.
"You work for the VanHoust Organization, don't you?" Brystan asked.
The one man smirked. "What of it?"
Brystan flashed his badge at the men briefly before continuing. "I heard the VanHoust Organization was funding Doctor Lorca's efforts, as well as several other people. They've been doing illegal cloning experiments for years, disguising it as genome therapy and medical research. Very clever of them, but they've gotten sloppy recently. Either they're close to what they're after, or they're running out of certain things. Most likely, their 'tools' are escaping them, am I right? Which is why you two are here, to retrieve Umi. Am I correct so far?"
"It's not like we'll tell you," the man retorted. "You're CIA. Telling you anything would be suicide. It's not like you can do anything anyway," he continued. "We're not stupid. Coming alone would be a suicide mission. And I don't plan on dying here." He reached for a hidden gun under his coat as three more men came around the corner behind Brystan. He swore quietly under his breath, and made a dive for the door across the hall as the men behind him fired.
Brystan took a shot at the gun in the shooter's hand, but missed as the man dodged. A second shot was fired, and the man dropped his gun, cursing. Brystan looked over, and saw Katharine standing farther down the hall in the opposite direction, her own pistol aimed, and her silencer smoking a little. She's fired the shot. He gave a sigh of relief.
"Get down!" Katharine yelled at Brystan, which he did. She fired several more shots, knocking more weapons out of the men's hands. The five men were in a state of disorder now, having had their weapons shot out of their hands. Brystan seized the moment, and threw the nearest men into the others, knocking them over.
Alphonse tensed, hearing the sounds of people being thrown. He lifted his head, and looked at the wall, his eyes wide. Edward moaned, and thrashed his head a little, still unconscious. Alphonse hesitated, and got up. He ran to the door of the suite, and pressed his ear to the door, which was still open a bit.
Brystan swung around after dealing with the group of men he'd thrown, and came face-to-face with a fist. He was thrown into the wall behind him, and a grunt escaped him as he touched his face, growling. "Hey! That hurt!"
The man who'd thrown the punch was big; a mountain of muscle. Brystan sized him up, grinning. The man grinned back. "I guess you'll be wanting some more?"
Brystan cracked his fist, and smirked. "I take punches personally."
The man swung at Brystan, but was intercepted by a blur coming from the suite. Alphonse had blocked the shot, having flung the door open without thinking. He now stopped the man's fist dead with his hand, their arms shaking a bit from effort. Al looked over his shoulder at Brystan.
"Sorry…old habits die hard, I guess…are you okay?"
Brystan stared in amazement. "Al…yeah, I am." His face became expressionless, and Alphonse was reminded of General Mustang as he walked calmly into conflict. He smiled a soft smile, despite himself.
The man grunted a bit. "You're not an average kid, Kid."
Alphonse was snapped back to reality. He turned back to the man. "Huh? Oh…heh, sorry, instincts kicked in there." He shoved the man's hand back at him, and smoothly kicked his legs out from under him. The man went down heavily.
Edward came to with a snap. He sat up in bed, a scream escaping him. He winced as his arm throbbed in pain, and he clutched it, feeling the bracelet imbedded in his arm. He blinked, trying to come to grips with what had happened, but the noise in the hall brought his senses into focus. Edward could hear Brystan in the hall.
"Don't let them get to Umi! Our mission is to prevent her capture at all costs!"
Edward's eyes widened as he heard the statement, and leapt up. He raced out of the room, and into the hall, turning on a dime to go right down the hall towards Umi's room. He leapt over a few unconscious bodies on the floor as he ran, weaving in and out of the fighting, his eyes fixed on one point—Umi's room.
Brystan and Alphonse both saw Edward race out of the suite, and stared in stunned surprise. Edward?
Edward kicked the door in, and saw a weasel of a man grabbing Umi by the wrist. She fought back, but he pinned her easily. Edward felt his blood boil.
"Let her go, you slimebag! Don't make me hurt you!"
"That's what I was gonna say, pipsqueak," the muscle man said from behind Edward. Edward jumped, surprised, but the man threw him into a wall before he could react. Edward slammed hard against the wall before landing on the floor with a heavy 'thud!' and a moan.
Umi screamed, terrified. Edward slowly got to his feet, now letting the hit faze him too much. He felt a heat racing through his blood like he'd never felt before. An all-consuming rage, like a fire, burned through ever vein in his body, and he felt himself throb a little. He felt possessed.
The weasel of a man holding Umi stumbled back a little as she fought him. He tried to right himself, and Umi twisted. She gasped as she hit the windowsill, and tipped backwards out the open window. Both men reached for her and missed.
Edward didn't miss a beat. He launched off the men on the floor, and shot out the window after Umi. Reaching, he grabbed her, and she clung to him, terrified. Edward felt his feel connect with the side of the building, and started running, having nothing to slow him down. He gritted his teeth. I don't know if this will work, but it's all I've got.
He ran down the side of the building, picking up a bit of speed. As he reached the bottom, he took a deep breath, and took a big step. Time seemed to slow as he landed on the ground, and ran for several more feet before finally screeching to a stop. Edward swore a little, and put Umi down, fanning his bare feet.
"I think I burned a layer of skin off my feet!" he moaned.
Umi blinked, trying to catch her breath. She stared at Edward, amazed. "How…how did you do that?" she asked.
"I dunno," Edward grumbled. "But I'm never doing it again."
Alphonse and Brystan had raced down the stairs with Katharine in tow. The other would-be kidnappers had given up, all except the muscle man. He had taken the route down the building that Edward had taken, only he slowed his decent by snagging ledges on the way down. Before very long at all, the man was on the ground, staring down Edward.
"Hmph…such a troublesome bug," the man said to Edward.
Edward twitched, angrily. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN INSECT TOO SMALL TO BE NOTICED?!"
The man chuckled. "Quite the temper on you," he gloated. "And you're fast too. You'll be interesting."
"He's not your opponent," Alphonse called out behind him. "I am."
The man turned, grinning. "Even better…you're pretty strong, Kid."
"My name," Alphonse interrupted angrily. "Is Alphonse."
The man grinned. "You can call me Snark." He cracked his fists and neck in anticipation.
Alphonse took a ready pose, and waved his hand at Snark, enticing him to attack.
Snark threw the first punch, and Alphonse caught it. Edward stared in amazement at Alphonse's strength. He smirked.
"Snark's in trouble," he said.
"Why's that?" Umi asked.
Edward grinned. "I never beat Alphonse in honest combat before."
Snark grimaced as Alphonse blocked attack after attack. Kid's good…I misjudged him…
Alphonse kicked at him, and Snark threw Alphonse off. He landed lightly a few feet away. Snark grinned, and wiped his lip off. "Not bad…you've got a lot of skill."
Alphonse grinned. "I had a lot of good training…and an excellent sparring partner."
Snark smiled. "Well, sorry, nothing personal, but I have a mission to fulfill." He ran towards a parked car, and lifted it above his head with a deep grunt of exertion. Everyone gaped, amazed.
"He…he's not human!" Katharine gasped.
"Alphonse! Look out!" Brystan yelled.
Alphonse took a deep breath. "I can't…do that…"
Snark heaved the car at Alphonse, and Katharine and Brystan, who were behind him. Alphonse bit his lip, and braced himself. "I have to…protect you…"
He stopped the car with his arms, and grunted as he was pushed back a few inches. He gave a cry, and lifted the car above his head, eyes wide.
Snark looked flabbergasted. "How…?"
Alphonse grinned, and threw the car in a safe direction. "I honestly don't know. But I like it." He flexed his hands.
Snark took another step back, and turned. Edward had stood, and was now getting ready to fight as well. Snark snarled. "Dang…two people…haven't you heard of fair fighting?"
"Afraid, Snark?" Edward asked, his voice strangely deeper than usual, his eyes becoming cold and hard, a sneer pasted on his face.
Alphonse looked scared. "Edward! Snap out of it!"
"Why Al? He tried to hurt so many people…I think it's only fair we hurt him back." Edward licked the tips of his fingers on his right hand. "Sweet justice."
Alphonse got upset. "Brother, that's Envy talking! You have to snap out of it! I know you're in there!"
Edward's face twitched a little. "En…vy…? Huh…? Al, what's…?"
Snark threw a punch at Edward, who blocked it with his right arm. He glared at Snark, his eyes burning. Edward's old self resurfaced.
"If I remember correctly," he said quietly. "You made a crack or two about my height." Edward's face was frightening. "Now I'm going to get even."
Edward twisted Snark's arm back, and kicked his legs out. Alphonse ran forward, a relieved grin on his face. Brother…
Snark rolled out of the way, setting up. "So…it's a fight you two want, eh?"
Edward and Alphonse stood beside one another, shoulder to shoulder. "You asked for it!" Edward yelled.
"And we're gonna give it to you!" Alphonse finished.
Next Chapter: Edward and Alphonse team up with Brystan and Katharine to take down Snark. Some surprising and disturbing things surface about the boy's clone bodies, and Edward struggles to keep Envy at bay. And what happens when an old friend turns up looking for Edward?