AN:/ ... This is simply something that had been plaguing my mind. I had gotten it down on paper in the shortest, yet most detailed way possible. Now that I have little writers block, I thought to just type it here. Since I have quite a lot of space to do just what I want to. And I want to say that this wont be a long-running fanfiction, but I make no such promises.
Bright sunlight filtered through the curtains, and the sound of bare feet rapping against floor boards and sheets being thrown out along lines to dry, the wind blew harshly as many people young and old scuttled and drove along the familiar roads. It was a normal, light day.
Following the line of many young men, as they themselves slowly grew weary of their own jobs, and families to take care of. Of course, 1 out of 5 of these men were trained professionals in the fine art of the Military. It wasn't anything new to come by and see the badge, or the symbol stitched like the scars that lined their faces, and their hearts, rest against thick blue jackets.
Oddly enough, to the people of Central City, this was as everything should be. Protected, guarded, safe.
A few wondered from what, and those were the town gossipers, the whisperers, the rumors themselves.
Pondering about what could it really be that they were here for. Of course, everyone remembers those days. Days of the secrecy, the controlled ways of living. The death, and the horrors. But, that's a story for another day.
Today was, as it is, quite lovely in the eyes of a young woman, as she folds clothes beside two large oak trees, with the thick line connecting the two moss covered giants. Blonde hair swaying in the wind, just as such for her nature counterparts, and companions. She smiled a bright, and knowing smile. It was going to be a good day, she just knew it.
Though the scars weren't visible against the young mans skin, as he himself left the house the two of them shared. After the previous moment of watching the woman prepare what his was to wear that evening, he smiled a deep, and intelligent beam. Walking down closer, he goes to assist the daydreaming female. He, as she knew, could never allow her to over exert herself. Even on days like this.
Giggling like she had on the day she remembered so well, she rested the palm of her hand gently against the strong and willed one of her husbands. He sent the grin her way, looking directly into her crystal blue eyes, her staring into the same mesmerizing yet strange golden hue.
"Ed, you should know I can very well fold the laundry without your help." She huffed, though still sporting her soft grin.
The honey-blonde laughed, shaking his head, and took the basket from her iron grip, " Oh, no no, I'm not letting you work today. You've been like this ever since August!" He grinned at her, raising an eyebrow at her puffin-like state.
"Ed! Give me the basket! I can finish this, its not too difficult!" She pouted, eyes narrowing at his raising ones.
"Hoh? Really? Well your shaking hands tells a different story, Winry!"
"THATS FROM ANGER! EDWARD ELRIC, GIVE THAT BACK! BEFORE I SEND DEN AFTER YOU!"
"NEVER!"
The couple shared more laughter, as the wife snatched the basket back, only for the proud husband to tug on it back, twirling her around, only for them both to lose their balance and land in a heap on the ground, covered in now dirty laundry.
"Oh Ed! Now look what you've done!" She scolded, crossing her arms, forcing a frown to appear against her slightly tanned face.
"What I've done?! Your the one who couldn't take 'I'm ACTUALLY HELPING YOU, WINRY!" For an answer!" Playfully retorted Edward.
"When did you EVER say that?!"
"Just now, silly."
"GAH!" The platinum blonde tackled her husband, in a choking hug, as he stood up, holding his wife tenderly.
"Careful now, you might just turn into Fullmetal if you keep acting like that, Mrs. Elric."
The new voice sent both to looked over across the yard and to the road ahead. Immediately feeling her husband tense up, she set her hands to his chest, and chuckled. She could practically feel the anger radiate off of him.
"What was that, Mustang?!"
"You heard me, runt."
"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A RUNT, FIRE-CRACKER!"
"Fullmetal, you need to learn to keep your place, as I am your higher-official.-"
"THAT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOUR INSULTING MY WIFE!"
Screamed the ticked off blonde, now holding his also irritated wife in his arms tighter.
"I had never said such things towards your wife. More or less they were to be demeaning you yourself, Fullmetal. Learn instead of rant."
Before the man could say anything else, the dark haired half-Xingese man had grown ever more serious, the look upon his face said it all.
"Edward, no more banter. There is something wrong with the U-enforcement."
That had caught the attention of the rather content man. He stepped away from his wife, as she had adapted a confused but worrying look on her face. Edward bid his wife a careful goodbye, and comforted her worries as best he could without telling her anything. He needn't get her mixed up, not again.
"What is it, Mustang? Couldn't it of waited?"
"You now just as well as I do it couldn't."
"We are finally enjoying ourselves a bit, and even though its been 4 years, how can you tell me now of all times that I need to go back there?"
Asked Edward, as he glared at the calmer man before him. Earlier on, Mustang had asked of him to follow him to another, more barren area of the city, to discuss everything without a 'delicate' audience.
"And your insulting my wife again," Muttered the conflicted alchemist.
The man from across the vehicle shook his head, and adjusted the weight of his elbow against the hood of his new Forde'' Model T. He looked over to the wide expanse of field before focusing on the glowering man just over the other side of his car. "It's not like the other emergencies, not just the background checks, or the personal roll calls. Its different this time."
Sensing the tone of his higher up, he squared his shoulders, now looking ahead, not meeting the Major Generals calculating eye. "What exactly am I to do, then?" He barely whispered, as his eyes roamed the dirtied and torn road.
The hesitation was enough for him to prepare for the worst.
"Your to be expected to roam discreetly, as your had 2 years ago. You found nothing, in your reports you gave. We had to believe you, of course. It is a secret organization, how could you of found anything?"
"WELL HOW ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY, 'THERE IS SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY GOING ON INSIDE THIS SECRET SUPPOSED UNIHABITATED BUILDING, PLEASE BLOW IT UP FOR US ALL'!"
Mustang sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to recollect his jumbled thoughts. The sudden appearance of more than one late UE-Military official had sent the investigation team that was on hand that evening through the roof. They had appeared so suddenly. Even if it was so low in number, about a handful in Central City standards they still affected the balance of 'peace'. If you could call it that.
"Listen, Fullmetal, no one would've believed you anyway. It was some good that you did when you lied straight to my face before asking me to visit you at that crummy home of yours."
"ITS NOT CRUMMY! MUSTANG! GET SERIOUS! And they said it was devoid of life! THERE WERE PEOPLE SWARMING THAT PLACE! It was difficult to get In there before I even went into the warehouse!"
The sudden chuckle almost sent the poor man off the road itself. He stared in shock at the now laughing man before him. Surprise etched his face in patterns, before he furrowed his brows, questioning his old-friends change in mood. He grumbled, and shot his heated glare to a flower blooming early through a crack in the asphalt.
"No, no... Its just,"
The ebony-haired man turned his head to the side, and scowled at the younger boy.
"You wont be coming back truthfully this time...I'm sorry, Edward. But you have to play dead once more."
I just don't get it... Staring at the thin sheet of paper that held his own locked words folded up, and hid away for so long, now had begun to eat at him, bit by agonizing bit.
He had been given this on his way to the grocery store, as Winry was sick in the early mornings these past few weeks. She was also craving some weird things, so in order not to freak out at her list of odd foods, he just flipped off the porch and walked the way there. He was given a car, since apparently staying fit was something frowned upon in close village societies.
There was no connecting the dots, standing there, the dramatic tension building. More like it was from a nearby a flower-lady person who just happened to be stopping by her friends own shop. And she had the familiar cream-colored parchment In her grip, and as soon as she saw him, she blabbered away until he had it in his hands and was out the door in the time it took her to say, "GET OUT!"
Sighing at the memory, he bit his lip at the contents of the specific letter.
Dear Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, Major Elric, ect-
There seems to be a drop in temperature along the borders of Central City, and though we have sent many a soldier there to scan the area, none of them have returned. So we need you to enlist into the roll of agents we have sent out...-
Placing a hand to the tip of his chin, he tapped the thickening stubble that was coating along his jaw-line for the past 3-5 days.
'There will be no trouble concerning you and your family, as long as you continue to do your job fruitfully and with no arguments.'
That's what they're REALLY saying. He shook his head and groaned, not wanting to think at a time like this. It was about 4 in the morning.
The second letter held little room for conversation. It was just a simple demand on word play.
-..Come by the main Central Gate at 0600 hours.
Seriously? It was odd at first since Hawkeye gave it to him in dark clothing at a maternal store, as he had followed Winry there to keep everything she bought in check, and for her not to get a few new wrenches. It had worked for the past few months, but he doesn't need her teaching their child how to wack him on the head with a sparkling nibble-toy to call their own.
But as soon as he read it in the bathroom as he was shaving that night, he almost choked on his toothbrush. Mustang needs to get his head out of the past expeditions, and into the normal way of sending out a secret message.
They had called for him three times in the last 2 weeks, he had just now counted. And that's a pretty damn big deal, Winry had said. Because the Military doesn't give two shits about anybody unless they need them.
He knew it was about time for them to start tugging on his leash again, no matter how long he made it seem.
The Third and final slip was nothing short of terrifying. It was pretty recent as he had just received it last night. They were legible and truthful. But he had gotten it from Mustang himself, when he told him that he needed to read it in few days' time.
Finally able to open it, today, he groaned at the luck presented itself invisible at the moment.
-... Edward Elric is to be sent out on Mission 145 to the outskirts of Ametris, hence that is the newest location for the villages...-
-Bullshit. They know that I know what's really going on.
But..
Why would they want me to play that drastically of a move? Scanning over the worn document, he closed his eyes and laid his hand against the flat of the marble table, shaking his head, he threw the important slip amongst the pile of several others.
...-It has come to my attention that there is a limited time set on discovering these hidden areas of land...-
About 35 miles out into the country, farther than the farthest outskirts of the city, and yet they still sent out their most talented, cruelest, coldest mutts. To intimidate me. He mumbled in his head, as he gently placed the side of his ear on the cool table, sighing in relief as the ice-like structure gave his preceding headache a good kick in the ass.
He jumped when he could hear the slamming of a door echo throughout the entire house.
He slammed his hands against the edge of his chair and shot out from his comfortable position, and sped off from his spot in his library upstairs. Hearing a loud yelp, he ran faster, until he was met with a shocked and angered Winry in front of the now opened door, with three men blocking the entrance. He stood rigid, as he had now been spotted, and turned to grab the gun seated against the kitchen table, only to be met with a blue chest.
Shoving them away, he stumbled near his frightened wife, as she now clutched onto his arm.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" He yelled, demanding answers for the things he already knew.
The three by the door nodded to the main man leering at the younger one. Suddenly, two pairs of arms swung around his own, as he kicked and slid against his own floor, clawing at the walls, screaming, and yelling profanities. He couldn't do anything. He wasn't able to. All he had was his wits, and his fists. That was all he ever truly needed, and right now, he was being taken into another, larger cage. Something even he couldn't clap his hands out of. Even if he still held the ability. But, being shoved into a black vehicle, and knocked unconscious, tied up, thrown down into a chair with lights streaming down his face.
I guess he knew how terribly normal everything was. How cautious everyone is, what they tread upon. It wasn't anything new. It had happened before. He just shouldn't of waited so very long to give them an answer.
AN:/ And yes, there is to be more than one single part. Thank you for reading, and have a splendid day!