Hey everybody!
So once again I've hit a wall of writer's block with Kingdom. I'm not discontinuing the story by any means just taking another quick hiatus. When you work on the same story for a long time you get burnt out every once in a while. I just need a little time to refuel. You will see the end of Kingdom some day.
But for this story this was an idea that I've had for a while about if Ed and Winry were the same age as Mustang, Hawkeye, and Hughes. This is set in my own version of the canon where the two characters and a few others are aged up. You'll figure it out as it goes along.
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Broken: Having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order.
Maria Ross was worried.
This was the first time she'd ever been up North and she couldn't find her commanding officer... again.
"Where are you this time, Colonel Elric?" She questioned out loud as she quickly walked down the almost obnoxiously elegant hallway. He wasn't in his hotel room when she had come to collect him earlier. Nor had he been in the lobby waiting for her with a cocky smile either. That's what he had done at the last hotel.
Colonel Elric was a unique officer, Maria remembered that as she quickly descended the flight of stairs that lead back down to the first floor. She was about to check one more location. This particular place was where she was hoping he wouldn't be. Unfortunately, the hotel's concierge had seen her superior officer heading in that direction earlier in the morning.
Maria got to the bottom of the stairs and walked down the hallway after that. Finally she reached her destination, the hotel's dining room and bar. Maria stopped briefly outside the door and collected her thoughts before moving in.
She slowly pushed the door of the room open and entered.
It was a rather large space, Maria noted as she looked over the barren tables. According to a talkative busboy that she had encountered, several evenings a week the hotel would host parties or possibly a visiting comedian. In the right side corner, opposite to the door she was standing by, was the bar. The room wasn't officially opened until 5 p.m and it was currently 7:15 a.m. But a State Alchemist could get anything if he really wanted it. The lights on the room's ceiling were off, but the bright fluorescents at the bar were completely lit up. And leaning over the bar was the familiar shape of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist.
Maria let out a sad sigh as she slowly made her way over to her superior officer. She had heard rumors about Colonel Elric when she was first promoted to the position of his Second Lieutenant eight months prior.
Most of them had been about his cavalier nature, others were simple gossip. Like how he'd sometimes show up to work without his uniform. For the most part those rumors were true. But others that she had heard said that he was a deeply troubled man. It had taken Maria two months in her new position for her realize some of those rumors were true.
Some.
At first, she hadn't seen it. At first glance, he appeared to be a happily married man with a slightly crude sense of humor. But after a while, Maria began to see some of the cracks in his mask. Sometimes it was fatigue, like he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. In rare moments, he would seem like he was far away in his own thoughts. Despite these moments of uncertainty, Maria still held him in the utmost respect. She had been worried that all Colonels in the military were like the infamous Roy Mustang when it came to flirting with woman. But thankfully, Colonel Elric never made any crass comment or flirtatious gesture towards her. She knew that he had a wife, but that usually didn't stop other married military men from being creeps.
Looking at him right now, Maria couldn't help but feel pity for the Colonel. She knew that he would have a fit if she ever said that fact out loud. He wasn't terribly older than her yet he seemed far more aged than she could ever be.
As Maria made her way towards the bar, she could tell the Colonel was aware of her presence. Despite that, he made no movement to greet her or acknowledge her in any way. This alone caused her to worry a little bit more.
'It must have been really bad this time.'
From what she could see, he looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot and his face haggard with his golden hair slightly disheveled. He was dressed in his uniform, though it was improperly buttoned and wrinkled in several places. His standard issue State Alchemist watch had been haphazardly thrown on the bar's flat surface. In his hand was a bottle that looked almost drunk to completion. The bartender was standing off to the side with a slightly nervous look on his face. He looked relieved to see her approaching. She came to a stop a few feet away from the Colonel.
"Lieutenant Colonel Elric, sir?" She questioned cautiously.
"Second Lieutenant Ross." He responded in a surprisingly clear voice. It was quiet and composed, though he still didn't look at her. His face was down at the bar in front of him. She followed his gaze and saw that he was staring down at his watch.
"Are you alright, sir?" She asked, moving to take a seat next to the Alchemist on one of the stools.
He let out humorless chuckle as she sat down. "Thank you for the concern, Maria, but I'm almost finished up."
Maria was still eyeing her officer closely. In the eight months that she'd served under him, she'd only ever seen him close to this state once before. And she remembered what had helped him the last time.
"Would you like me to get your wife on the phone, sir?" The young woman asked gently. "Would you like to talk to her." She was hoping that he would.
He stilled in his movements, a look of consideration on his face. Eventually he shook his head.
"Nah, it's the third Monday of the month. She has that day off." He said, a faint smile on his face. "Besides, I don't want to bother her over nothing."
With that he took a big swig of the bottle.
"Sir!" Maria said, slightly alarmed. Her hand shot out and grabbed the bottle, trying to pull it from his lips. He held firm and she let go when he fixed her with a glare. His eyes were not glazed or intoxicated, but sharp and focused. His harsh gaze quickly softened and he placed the bottle down on the counter and leaned back in his chair with a tired sigh.
"It's alright, Lieutenant." He said. "I've been down this road before. I know when enough is enough."
She watched him with unsure eyes as he suddenly stood up and stepped away from the bar, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Any other man would have been swaying considering how much alcohol he'd just inhaled. But Edward Elric walked away in a straight line.
"Is the car ready?" He asked over his shoulder.
"Yes Sir." She responded a little cautiously.
"Then let's head out."
OoO
OoO
The snow seemed different up here.
Maria had grown up in Central City. She had been born and raised there. Never really traveling too far from her home. Because of that, when she had signed up for the military she wanted to go somewhere else. Her parents lived in Central and although she missed them greatly, it was interesting to experience a new part of the country.
This place was something else.
Snow glistened everywhere. There was not a single inch of ground that was not covered by it. The sky though was surprisingly clear. Despite the lack of clouds, a chill still permeated the air. She felt it creeping through the rolled up windows of the car and not for the first time since they had set out, Maria wished that she had worn gloves.
Maria was currently driving them to Briggs, the great walled fortress of the North.
Most Colonels were positioned in a city to watch over and uphold the military's law. Colonel Elric was an exception to this, though he mostly conducted his business in East City alongside Colonel Mustang. Maria had once asked her superior officer why he didn't move to a different posting to have full command. He response had been simple.
"Mustang and I have been together too long to break up now."
As unsatisfying as that answer was, she didn't ask any more. While Colonel Elric worked mostly in East City, sometimes traveling outside to conduct research or to participate in a military operation. There was one major assignment he had that was required, though. About once a year for about a month, Colonel Elric would have to travel to the various military border outposts to conduct an inspection of each and every one to assess their condition. It was a tight schedule with most of the time being spent in train cars, whisking them from one place to another. Maria had no idea why Colonel Elric was the one to do this. His answer, as per usual, hadn't shed much light.
"Somebody had to."
This was her first 'Tour' as the Colonel called them. He had been doing them for the last eight years, and despite doing it dutifully, she could tell he hated it. In the days leading up to their departure he had become more irritable around the office. He'd also taken more days off in the weeks leading up than any other. At the moment, the two of them were about three fourths of the way through the Tour. It had started in the East and then to the South working its way around the country clockwise before it would eventually be ending back in the East.
Maria glanced behind her at the Colonel who was sitting in the back.
He was leaning back against the leather seat, staring lazily out the window. He had been mostly silent since they set out from the hotel. He had straightened out his uniform and tamed his long hair. For a man who had spent most of the morning trying to drink himself into an early grave, Maria didn't see any sign of drunkenness. He was visibly tired though as the persistent bags under his eyes signified. Maria looked away from Elric and returned her gaze to the road.
"I owe you an explanation."
Maria blinked in surprise and turned around to look at the Colonel. He was seated up now and looking directly at her with a serious expression. His hands were folded in his lap. In one of them was a photograph which was facing away from her. She hadn't noticed him taking that out.
"Sir?"
"I owe you an explanation for this morning." He said. "As you have more than likely surmised, I do not enjoy this extended road trip."
Maria nodded, her attention solely on him.
Elric glanced to the side of her.
"Word to the wise, the road curves just up ahead."
Maria's eyes widened a little as she spun around and turned the car just in time to get the curve. Elric kept talking as she quickly went back to watching the road.
"Being out and on the move is difficult for me." Elric said. "Especially for a whole month."
"Sir, you don't have to worry about me filing any kind of complaint-" Maria said.
"I know you won't." The Colonel gave a small smile. "But it would be disrespectful if I didn't explain myself."
"Alright." Maria said after a moment.
"So as I said, this whole trip is hard for me." Elric continued. "I won't go into specifically why but thank you for not freaking out earlier."
Maria bit her lip. She had been pretty close to freaking out.
"Might as well mention that I lost my last Lieutenant during this part of the trip." Elric said. "He got spooked and requested a transfer. If you're on the fence at the moment, I can tell you from past experience this part's always the worst, the rest should be smooth sailing." He glanced out the window for a moment before looking back at her. "Any questions?"
"Sir, excuse me if this is going to far. But does this have anything to do with Ishval?" Maria asked. She knew his record and had encountered a few soldiers that had also been veterans of that conflict. So she knew some of the signs.
Elric gave another small smile.
"They told me you were smart." He chuckled. The Colonel had told her that that on her first day serving with him and he repeated the line every once in awhile. His eyes travelled down to the photograph in his hands. He held his gaze on it for several seconds as his smile grew slightly. Whatever was on that picture, it was able to lift his spirits, if only a little bit.
Elric looked out the window. "Forty minutes until we get there. Wake me up in thirty five."
"Sir?" Maria turned to look at her commanding officer, but he had already fallen asleep.
OoO
OoO
Maria couldn't help but gawk at the sight of Briggs.
The wind had picked up as they'd gone farther north and heavy clouds with snow had moved in. So much so that Maria had barely been able to see what was happening around her. It wasn't until she was directly in front of the massive wall that she stopped the car. At the moment she was standing next to the vehicle with Colonel Elric stretching behind her.
"Stare at that thing any longer and they'll shoot you for suspected espionage." She heard the Colonel dryly speak behind her as he fished through his pocket for his pack of cigarettes.
"They?" Maria asked.
"Oh the dozen or so Briggs guards that have us surrounded by now." Elric said casually as he finally lit a cigarette.
Maria looked around, startled by this. But when she glanced nervously around the white landscape, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She was beginning to suspect that the Colonel was screwing with her when he spoke again.
"They've been tailing the car for the last five minutes." He turned from her to the snow taking a few steps out. "Colonel Elric here to see Major General Olivier Armstrong!" Elric shouted, holding up his watch.
The response was silence.
"Buccaneer!" Elric called out. "Get your big, ugly ass out here already."
Maria looked from her superior officer to the snow bank. After a few moments a shape materialized out of nowhere. Maria stepped back as this shape got bigger as it approached them. By the time she could fully make the man out, her eyes widened. He was as big as Major Alex Louis Armstrong, but more fearsome looking. Colonel Elric remained nonplussed. Maria did a double take when she saw that he was smirking.
"Bucky." He grinned, taking a puff of his cigarette. "It's been too long."
The tall man glared down at Colonel Elric. Maria saw a muscle twitching in his jaw as he grimaced.
"Elric." Buccaneer growled.
"Look at that arm." Elric said as he stepped closer. "Wow, I think it's even bigger than last year's model."
Maria followed his gaze to the large man's arm. Her eyes widened when she saw a vicious looking automail limb with spiked fingers. Colonel Elric kept on talking.
"Mine's more or less the same as it was last year." He pushed his sleeve back revealing a metal limb of his own. "Not that I'm complaining, see when you've got a mechanic as special as mine, everything's top quality."
For whatever reason, this made Buccaneer extremely angry and she saw the large man clench his fists in an attempt to control his anger.
"I'll escort you in." Buccaneer growled again. "Don't expect a warm welcome, she doesn't have time for you."
"I'm honored by the very idea of General Armstrong's company." Elric said as he began walking to the massive wall. "Shame I caught you on such a busy day." He raised a hand and gave Maria a quick signal to follow him. Buccaneer made no further comment as he took the lead in going to the wall. More soldiers materialized from the snow as they walked down the path. They were like ghosts. Maria was almost startled when Colonel Elric gently grabbed her arm and pulled her in.
"Briggs is an interesting place with interesting people." He said. "My advice for surviving it is keep your head down and more importantly don't say anything dumb to Olivier. In fact maybe just don't say anything at all."
"Yes sir." Maria said. She moved to step away from her commanding officer when he pulled her back. They were now walking into the small entrance. The harsh winds were gone but the cold remained.
"On another note, I wasn't kidding that much when I said they'd shoot you for espionage." Colonel Elric said. "It's kind of a 'us vs the rest of the world' mentality here. Anyone not one of them is a potential spy for Drachma."
"Did they ever think you were a spy?" Maria asked.
Elric chuckled. "No, they love me here. But a relatively new Lieutenant visiting Briggs for the first time? They're going to keep their eyes on you."
Maria glanced to the men around them as they walked through the maze of metal hallways. None of them were looking at her, but she trusted Colonel Elric.
"I'll do my best not to look like a spy." She responded.
Elric chuckled again. "Don't try too hard or they'll shoot you for that too." His face became more serious. "If anyone tries to give you any of that shit, let me know."
Maria looked at the Colonel and saw the seriousness in his sharp golden eyes. One of the things she admired the most about this man was his commitment to those serving under him. If she or anyone else had a problem, it was his problem too. He had an amazing ability of shouldering the weight of the world for others. She gave him a nod.
Colonel Elric walked on and Maria couldn't help but glance at him.
While she respected him immensely, any affection she had for him was on a strictly professional level. It was true that he was tall, handsome, and had a wit that she couldn't possibly match. But he was married so Maria never even considered making a move for him. What self respecting person would try to advance their career by trying to solicit an affair with a married superior?
Maria shook her head as her boots clicked against the floors. Even though they were now well into the fort, the cold was still following them. Maria thought the winters that they got in the East were bad. This was a new kind of cold. The type that would kill you if you even tried to underestimate it. As she walked, Maria thought back to the heavy banks of snow that stretched on for miles outside. She morbidly wondered if there were any frozen bodies out there, trapped forever under the eternal snow. Ahead of her, Colonel Elric was walking as if he didn't have a care in the world. There almost seemed to be a skip in his step. His hands were stuffed into his pockets and from what she could see, there was a smile on his face.
Quite a reversal from the state that she had found him in this morning.
They were led quietly farther into the large fortress. Even on the inside it was intimidating. The walls were dark and gloomy. Every guard had the same stern expression on his face. The men who had surrounded them outside had disappeared back into the snow. Now they were flanked on both sides by two armed guards. Buccaneer was still leading them. Eventually they came to a waiting room. The walls were gray and lifeless looking here as well but at least it was slightly warmer here. Maria put one of her slowly warming hands against the steel and felt a chill.
Only slightly warmer.
There were two other doors to the room. One was was small and another that was big. The two guards had followed them in and were watching them from the walls, standing in strict position. Besides them there were a few metal chairs attached to the wall.
"Stay here." Buccaneer ordered. And with that he walked off, pushing his way through the large door and having it slam behind him.
"Great people here." Colonel Elric said to her as he swayed slowly from one foot to another. He turned to one of the guards. "Is there a civilian phone nearby, I want to make a personal call."
The two guards looked at each other for a moment. Maria thought for a second that they were going to tell Colonel Elric to shut up and sit down.
"Down the hall." One of them said pointing at the small door. "No longer than three minutes."
"Yes sir." Colonel Elric gave a mocking salute and started to head towards the door. As he was about to leave he turned to look back at Maria.
"I'd just sit there and wait." He said. "Anyone comes, point them in my direction."
"Yes sir." Maria responded.
Colonel Elric walked out of the room with the door closing behind him. Maria felt slightly uneasy sitting there by herself but she kept a neutral look on her face. Colonel Elric would make a personal call about once every two days so she was used to waiting on him. The two guards stood motionless at the wall across from her. Although she didn't catch either of them, she could tell that they were scrutinizing her. Maria kept her hands firmly in her lap. A childhood habit that she had was pushing her hair behind her ear when she was uncomfortable. She didn't do it much anymore, thanks in part to her cutting her black hair short.
The seconds ticked on, each one seeming like a minute. Maria was starting to question if it had been three minutes when the large door opened. Buccaneer's frame came into view and he glared at her when he saw that she was the only one in the room.
"Where is he?"
"Taking a personal call." Maria informed the man, standing up from her seat.
"Get him. The General is waiting."
With that, he disappeared into the large door again. Maria saw the two guards looking at her expectantly so she made her way over to the door that Colonel Elric had used. She opened it and looked both ways. Down to her right was Colonel Elric. She made her way towards him.
He was talking quietly into the phone, but Maria could see a smile on his face. It was the same smile that he had shown while looking at that photograph in the car. She felt bad about interrupting him. However, he saw her out of the corner of his eye when she was close and she was able to catch his last few words.
"-I have to go now, baby. Call ya again tomorrow?...Ok...Bye."
He hung the phone up and turned to her. His smile had disappeared and he now wore a professional frown.
"The Ice Queen has summoned me?"
"Yes sir." Maria said.
"Then let's not keep her waiting." Colonel Elric waved her after him as he walked. They came up to the door that Buccaneer had used.
"How's your cardio?" Colonel Elric asked as he pulled it open. The guards didn't move to help them.
"Above average, I'd say." Maria responded as she looked through the door to see a winding staircase..
"How are you with stairs?"
"As good as anyone." She answered as her eyes widened at seeing how high it went.
"Good. Because we're about to do a shit-ton of walking."
OoO
OoO
"If the General wasn't a woman I'd be questioning if they were compensating for something."
The endless winding staircase had led to a ladder, which had finally let them outside. The two were now standing on the top of the wall. It was less cloudy up here than down on the ground but still just as windy.
Maria was slightly winded though. Standing next to her, completely unfazed, was Colonel Elric. He patiently waited for her to catch her breath.
"You don't have to wait for me sir." She said.
"No one left behind, Lieutenant." Elric stated. "Remember that."
When Maria was ready, she stood up to full height and turned to face Colonel Elric, at attention. Colonel Elric gave her a friendly nod and turned to walk towards the edge of the enormous wall. Maria looked ahead and saw a figure standing at the edge. Long, yellow hair flowed wildly in the wind, yet the figure stood unperturbed. Maria assumed that this was Olivier Armstrong. Her blue coat flapped as well and in one of the her hands, Maria could see a heavy sword. She had her back towards them and did not turn as they approached.
"Elric." The General said, once they came to a stop a few feet away from her.
"Olivier." Colonel Elric greeted friendly. "Wow, would you look at this view."
Maria stayed back as Colonel Elric stepped forward so that he was standing right next to Olivier, facing the Drachman tundra in front of them. Their coats billowed together.
"How's that southern automail treating you?" The woman asked coldly. "I'd hate to waste any more resources saving your life again."
"It's treating me just fine." Elric said. "And I'd hate to be a burden."
Oliver turned sharply to look back at Maria, causing the younger woman to take a small step back in surprise. While the General had a beautiful face, her eyes were terrifying. They looked like a wolf as it was about to lung at its prey.
"Your new assistant is skittish." She turned back to to the sight in front of her. Dismissing Maria entirely.
"Leave her alone." Elric cut in. "And why might I ask are we up here? I'm a sucker for a good long look at nature any day, but this seems a little theatrical even for you."
"In all the long years that you've come here, you've never had the pleasure of seeing Briggs repel an attack." Olivier said. "I decided to give you the opportunity to change that."
Colonel Elric glanced at Olivier for a moment than back out towards Drachma. He opened his mouth but Olivier cut him off.
"Our spies warned us of an incoming battalion of Drachmans." Olivier informs him.
"Seems like a suicide run on their part." Elric said.
"We may have let slip that we were experiencing difficulties that would have made defense nearly impossible." Olivier's lips curled into a cruel smirk.
"In the purpose of?" Elric asked with a growing frown.
"Reminding Drachma that we don't have weaknesses."
Through the snow, Maria could just barely make out a mass of men approaching the wall. Behind her she suddenly heard the sounds of machinery and metal being strained. She turned to see that dozens of heavy cannon guns had been raised from inside of the wall. Each one of them was manned by a soldier and they were all aimed at the oncoming and unsuspecting Drachmans.
"Guns ready, General!" Maria saw Buccaneer standing on one of the guns.
Maria turned back to Olivier who stood coolly at the edge. Many moments passed in silence as the army in front of them got closer.
Suddenly.
"Fire!" The General ordered.
The top of the wall exploded in gunfire.
Maria had to cover her ears at the thunder of the enormous guns. They kept going off, one after another. Seconds would separate each shot as the soldiers attending them kept a steady reload system. Maria turned back to see Colonel Elric watching the explosions tear into the Drachman army. The who battalion was quickly being covered in fire and black smoke. She faintly heard the distant screams of the dying. The General unflinchingly watched the slaughter. Colonel Elric seemed to have a different opinion as his body language had gone rigid.
The explosions kept on up for about five more minutes. After that the General raised her sword and the firing stopped. There was a large cloud over the area where the Drachamans had stood. When it was cleared there was nothing left of the army that had once stood there.
Armstrong sheathed her weapon and turned to face Colonel Elric.
"Lost the stomach for it?" She asked coldly.
Colonel Elric's face was a hard frown and his eyes glared back at Armstrong.
"I'm never been an advocate of needless slaughter." He said.
"You don't approve?" Armstrong asked. "I always wondered if my brother was the only alchemist to lose his spine in Ishval."
"How many men just died." Elric asked motioning towards the distant smoke.
"Less then what would have happened had Drachma launched a larger attack. After this they won't dare to try anything against us for at least five years." Oliver said dismissively as she turned to walk away from them. "Go back to your southern office, Fullmetal."
Colonel Elric stared after Armstrong as she walked away. Ahead of her was the gunners and Buccaneer. They were all standing at attention, waiting for her. They stood on a elevator platform.
"Does she expect us to take the stairs?" Maria asked.
Elric was silent for a moment before a smirk formed on his face. "No let's catch a ride."
With that he took off, walking quickly, with Maria moving fast to keep up. When they got to the platform Olivier was talking to a dark skinned man with sunglasses. She frowned when they stepped on and gave them a displeased glare.
"Mind if we come down with you?" Elric asked with a smile. "Sorry, but I'm just not as young as I used to be."
Olivier continued to glare as the platform began to move down.
"So I have to say, that was an excellent display of firepower from this fortress." Elric said.
"You going to write that in your report?" Buccaneer asked mockingly.
"Of course, Bucky." Elric grinned, before turning back to Olivier. "And I'll have to be incredibly generous in my reports of your successful espionage."
Olivier's somehow seemed to get angrier. "Go ahead, Elric. Look down on us for what we did. For what we've had to do everyday to keep this nation safe."
"Are you implying that I don't take the safety of the country seriously?" Elric asked, with fake offense.
"I'm accusing you of being a spineless bureaucrat." Olivier said coldly. "A glorified pencil pusher who slithers out of his warm office to judge the real soldiers of this country. The ones who risk their lives every day so that you can sit in East City and do paperwork. So inspect us about the capability of our defensives. Judge us on the brutality of our methods. But when you hand in your neatly written report to the Fuhrer, admit to yourself that you need us, not the other way around."
The lift came to a stop but no one moved. The soldiers were staring with an aura of triumph as their general finished talking down to Colonel Elric. Maria stood there awkwardly looking back and forward between the two commanders. She paused when she saw that Colonel Elric was still smiling. He looked back at her for a second and pocked at his hip. Maria followed his gaze and looked down at her gun at her hip. She brought her hand to it and looked back up at Colonel Elric who had turned back to Armstrong.
"You raised some excellent points, Olivier." Elric said. "Though just have one question...who the hell is this asshole?" He pointed behind the General to the group of soldiers.
Maria, along with everyone else, looked in confusion to where the Colonel had pointed. Maria's eyes widened when she saw a soldier pulling out a gun and aiming it at the General.
Bang!
Bang!
Maria had moved so quickly that she barely even registered it. In her hands, pointing forward, was her smoking handgun. The shooter was lying on the ground, a bullet wound in his leg. In front of her, Olivier Armstrong was standing as stiff as a board. Colonel Elric was practically draped over her. His automail arm was placed directly in front of Armstrong's face. There was a bullet embedded in the metal palm.
The frozen Briggs soldiers snapped out of it and quickly seized the would-be assassin. He was roughly dragged off while the rest of the soldiers stood there awkwardly. Elric unwrapped himself from around Armstrong and stepped back so he was standing next to Maria.
"It's a good thing 'my assistant' didn't kill that guy." He said, flexing the fingers on his automail hand experimentally. "That way I won't have to include how you have no way of figuring out how an assassin snuck into the Impregnable Wall of Briggs in my report. I look forward to hearing an explanation when I come back tomorrow."
Olivier growled, but didn't say anything as she turned to storm off. The other soldiers began to follow. Colonel Elric went back to moving his fingers.
"Do you need that looked at, Colonel Elric?" Asked the dark skinned man that Olivier had been talking to.
"No thank you, Miles." Elric responded. "There's only one mechanic for me...and while we're on the subject. Hey Bucky!"
Buccaneer froze in his movements and slowly turned to look at them.
Colonel Elric reached into his coat with his flesh hand and pulled out the photograph from earlier.
"Take a good long look Bucky. Because it's the closest you're ever going to get." Elric grinned the biggest shit eating grin Maria had ever seen on a grown man. She tried to see what was on the picture, but Elric quickly stuffed it back into his pocket. Buccaneer growled and stormed off as well, muttering about how life wasn't fair.
Elric turned to Maria. "Good shooting, Ross." He grinned. "I think with that little hero moment I can get one of the guys here to drive us back to the hotel."
Maria stared at her commanding officer in awe. "How did you know there was an assassin?"
"We'd heard rumors that Briggs was experiencing some cracks so I mesmerized the face of every member of Briggs." Colonel Elric said, simply.
Maria blinked. "You're kidding?"
"Nope." Elric said. "I kept my eyes open and spotted him the second we came up onto the roof I don't think he intended to kill her so soon. That massacre must have spurred him on, made him too angry and sloppy. He was too far away to take a good shot at Armstrong while the barrage happened so I figured he'd try and pull something on the elevator."
He looked back at his hand with the bullet still embedded in it. He looked up at the people around them.
"On second thought, could someone get me a pair of pliers?"
OoO
OoO
The ride back to the hotel was easier than the ride to the fortress. Maria was seated in the back next to Colonel Elric this time. True to his word, Elric had gotten one of the Briggs soldiers to drive them back. There was sound proof glass separating them and the driver, with a slidable pane in the middle in case they needed to talk. This was a detainment car, but Colonel Elic wanted the privacy.
"Sir, can I ask you a few questions?" She asked.
"Shoot." He grinned.
"Why do you and the General hate each other so much?"
The Colonel's face lost a bit of its humor. "I don't hate her." He admitted. "She definitely hates me though, no doubt about that. But I feel bad for her."
"You feel bad?" She asked incredulously.
"Yeah." He said. "You saw the display earlier. She believes that's the way to protect this country." He leaned back more against the leather. "When I was a kid, I used to think that life was the most precious thing. So much so that I couldn't even think about how you could take another's life from them. As you can probably guess, killing isn't such a enigma to me anymore but despite it all I still think life's precious. It should only be taken when completely necessary though. What we saw with the Drachmanns wasn't necessary."
"If you don't mind me asking?" She asked her second question. "If you hated killing so much, why did you join the military?"
"I came for the science and the perks that come with being a state alchemist. I was trying to fix a mistake." Elric smiled ruefully. "Ended up getting roped into more shit than I bargained for. Now it's just too late to get out now."
Maria nodded, accepting his answer. The Colonel was somewhere else though. From his facial expression, his thoughts were on whatever old mistake that she had made him remember. She quickly asked a new question.
"Do you and Buccaneer dislike each other for the same reason as you and the General?"
The Colonel laughed. "Kind of." He said. "But it's mostly for a different reason."
"What happened?" Maria asked.
"Well whenever I go on one of these trips I carry a picture of my wife around with me." Elric said, his hand reaching into his pocket and pulling out the photo that he had been unintentionally hiding from her all day. On it was a beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes. The familiar woman was wearing a red bathrobe and sitting at a table with a mug in her hand. Based on the surprised yet amused look on her face, the Colonel must have ambushed her with a camera.
"The two of you have met right?" He asked her.
"A few times sparingly." Maria answered.
"I know one thing that's going to change when we get back." Elric smiled immaturely. "She keeps nagging me to invite you over for dinner...well anyway back to Bucky. So I carry a picture of her with me, I usually get a new one each year. In the first few years, we used to send me out with pictures that...well I wouldn't exactly show to any kids I might end up having. Or anyone's kids for that matter."
"Oh." Maria said awkwardly.
"That and she always used to write something...specially explicit on it. We did that for the first three years until I got dumb enough to leave my jacket in a rec room with the picture half hanging out of a pocket. By the time I came back, Buccaneer and his cronies had found it and made assumptions as to the nature of her profession and our relationship."
"Okay." Maria said even more awkwardly. She regretted bringing this up.
"And an unwritten law among soldiers that you might not know about yet is that you don't mess with another soldier's spouse." Elric said. "Like for example, if lovable Olivier got herself a husband and I started flirting with him with the genuine intention of sleeping with him, I'd be up for an asskicking." He let out a chuckle. "Back at the academy some guy made a couple of moves at a friend of mine's girlfriend. We ended up dunking his head in the bathroom." The colonel finished with a nostalgic look on his face. He looked back at her. "Anyway even if it's looking at a picture and calling her a hussy, it's a scum move. So after that fun little stunt, I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life to making that mohawk bastard pay." He was smiling. "He hates the fact that my mechanic is both a sexy blonde and my sexy-as-hell wife."
"I'm almost sorry that I brought this up." Maria murmured.
"Oh come on Maria, we got two left weeks on the road and then we'll be home."
OoO
OoO
Red...all he could see was red.
His boots splashed as he stepped through endless puddles of blood.
There was blood everywhere. On the street, on the walls, and in the buildings. It was all over him, staining his long white coat.
He wasn't too worried about that though, they would be sure to give him another one for tomorrow. Then another one the day after that.
Around him were bodies of those that he had killed. Bodies of men, of women, and of children. He didn't discriminate when it came to killing. Not anymore. It was easier this way.
They all seemed to stare up at him. Most were mangled beyond recognition but somehow all of the eyes were still intact. Perfect orbs displaying the humanity that had once existed.
And they were all pointed at him.
It was mostly quiet. All he could hear were the caws and chirps of vultures overhead. They always knew to follow him where he went. He gave them plenty of food. An all you can eat buffet stretched out for miles and miles.
His breath was ragged and animalistic as his tall figure moved through the town like a reaper. His bloodshot golden eyes stared ahead.
His gloved hands were clenched into tight fists, blood dripping through his fingers and into the dirt. His golden eyes were dead as they stared in front of him. His formerly white coat flowed behind him as he moved through the street. The sun beat down on him but he didn't care.
Suddenly the sounds of moving rocks caught his attention. He snapped to attention to look down an alley that he was passing. His emotionless face only hardened at the sight in front of him.
There was a man and a woman holding each other on the ground. She was hurt. Blood heavily stained her robes as she lay there in the dust. They looked young, even younger than him. Both were frozen in fear as they stared up at him, their red eyes wide with terror. His emotionless eyes never left them. Not when he clapped his hands, nor when he dropped to the ground.
He looked into their living eyes as the violent ripple made its way towards them…
Edward Elric woke up gasping.
"Shit...shit...shit!" He muttered into his hands. His breathing uncontrollable as sweat glistened over his bare chest. Ed could feel his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead as he stared between the cracks between his fingers. The moments began to pass and yet his breathing didn't slow down. Hearing a sound of wood creaking he lashed out violently, smashing a lamp on the bedside table with his metal hand. This sudden movement threw him off balance. Tangling his legs in the blanket, he fell to the ground hard. Rolling with it, Ed jumped to his feet, eyes darting around wildly. He stood there trembling, his arms were up defensively. He looked around desperately for any threats. When he saw none, the alchemist fell to his knees. His hands barely supported him as he stared down at the hotel rug.
"W...Win...Winry?" Ed gasped out as he looked up at the bed. He quickly looked around for her until he realized that she wasn't in the room.
"Oh yeah." Ed muttered as he sat back on his heels. Winry was back at their house in Eastern City.
Ed sat on the floor as he waited for the adrenalin to leave his body. It took a long time for that to happen. All the while, the ghosts of the past danced in front of his eyes.
'Calm the fuck down.' He ordered himself, his hands going into tight fists.
This was the tenth day in a row.
The bar wasn't an option today. He couldn't let Maria see that again. It was stupid of him to have done that yesterday before they went to Briggs.
He was just going to have to tough it out. His hands would be shaky and his attention would be off. But he was just going to have to power through it. Alcohol wasn't an option this time.
'If she was here…' He thought as he shakily grabbed for the bed to hoist himself back into it. The empty bed that waited for him.
It would be easier if Winry were here.
But she wasn't.
Two weeks left.
He had two weeks left until he was home.
OoO
OoO
Ok so this was part one of a three part short story. This also serves as a potential pilot for a series of short stories and one shots set in the world that this story creates.
Let me know what you think!