I couldn't use internet yesterday. So I kept writing. This story is the result. It gets worse towards the end... Wrote it late at night xD
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
MIND CONTROL
Chapter 1
Faint.
"I hate you, Colonel Bastard, I HATE YOU!" Edward screamed and kicked the door open. Roy sighed and looked at the watch on his table. A little over midday. Wow, Ed was up early.
"Fullmetal, what are you doing in here?" he asked sternly and motioned for the young Alchemist to take a seat. Ed stormed towards and slammed his hands to his desk, papers flying everywhere. Roy raised his eyebrows angrily. The kid just couldn't behave for even once.
"WHY, COLONEL!? Why the heck did you cut my budget to half!? I don't have enough money for anything anymore and I have a few months before I'll get money again! What do you expect me to do!? I need money and I need it NOW!" Ed continued furiously. Roy sighed.
"I suggest you to learn from this and start saving your money, Fullmetal. Money doesn't grow on trees. And I needed to cut a bit out of your budget to pay for all the damage you've done and I assume you that it wasn't even a quarter of the money you had", Roy nodded and looked Ed angrily in the eyes. "If you feel like screaming, go to somewhere else. And could you lift the papers you dropped?"
Ed's hands trembled as he hung his head. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I NEEDED THAT MONEY! I don't even have a roof over my head! I need my money, Mustang! I won't be able to live without anything for three months! I can't!"
Roy grumbled and signed another paper. "Get another job."
"YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY!? DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M JUST OVERREACTING!?" Ed screamed. Roy had hard time not to smile.
"Actually it does a little", he answered and leaned back. "You'll get over it Fullmetal."
Ed slammed his hands to the desk again, making more papers fall to the floor. "You just don't get it!? I don't have any money left! I have nothing! I don't have enough to get food or a roof over my head! You think I'm overreacting!? I'm not leaving this room before I get some damn money!"
Roy shook his head. "I can't allow you to stay Edward. I have work to do. And I don't have enough money to throw to you, your missions' results have eaten a big punch of my money too. I have nothing else to say I'm afraid. Now leave."
"HOW CAN YOU JUST THROW ME TO THE STREETS WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING UPSET!? ARE YOU REALLY THAT COLD-HEARTED!?"
Roy sulked. "I'm not cold-hearted. I have nothing else to say. Please leave before I'll ask Hawkeye to throw you out. Or shoot you out would actually be more likely…"
"You wouldn't even care if I'd die there, would you?" Ed hissed furiously. "You wouldn't give a shit."
"Less cursing here, Fullmetal. If you need to curse, please leave the building."
"You wouldn't give a shit if I'd just collapse, would you!?" Ed screamed. Roy slammed his hands to the table.
"OUT FULLMETAL. That's an order. Leave."
Ed looked at him angrily, faltered and his eyes went unfocused.
"…Fullmetal? Are you okay?" Roy asked hesitantly as Ed collapsed to the floor. He gasped. "Fullmetal! Edward!"
Edward hit the floor with a loud crash and Roy quickly came to shake him. "Damn it Fullmetal! I didn't need a performance in here!" He lifted the kid's head on his lap. "Come on Ed. Wake up. Wake up, that's an order!"
Edward's eyes snapped open. "Huh? What happened? Hey… LET GO OF ME!" he screamed and quickly sat up and backed away. "Keep your filthy hands off me!"
Roy sighed. "Thank god you're awake Ed, you scared the hell out of me…"
Ed raised his eyebrows. "Huh? How did I get on the floor anyway?"
"You just collapsed, don't ask me, it was you who fainted…"
Edward shook his head angrily. "I don't faint. I never faint."
"When was the last time you ate? Drank?" Roy asked worriedly. Ed growled.
"I ate yesterday and drank today morning. Havoc bought me a coffee. So it can't be from that. I just did like this and-" Ed's eyes glazed again as he began to fall backwards.
"DON'T, YOU IDIOT-!"
CRASH.
Roy growled furiously and walked next to the kid. "You've got to be kidding me! Get up Ed, you can't faint just like that, that's all just a huge act so GET UP."
But Ed gave no reaction at all, no matter how much Roy tried. He bellowed in Ed's ear, tried to tickle him and even called him the smallest shrimp of all the ones he had seen but with no result. And if he got no result from his last attempt Ed really was unconscious, there was no mistake. He shook the boy lightly.
"Wake up, Ed. If Hawkeye comes in she'll think I knocked you out and that's the last thing I need…" he muttered. After a while Ed opened his eyes again.
"Huh? Hey, DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Ed bellowed and backed away. Roy motioned him to sit on the chair.
"Are you in pain or why do you keep collapsing?" Roy asked. Ed laughed.
"I am not in pain! It's actually really funny, I just do like-"
"NO PERFORMANCES."
"Oh. Okay", Ed answered hesitantly and tried to move his bangs behind his ears, failing miserably.
"Sit down Fullmetal. That's an order", he ordered. Ed snorted and crashed to the chair.
"That was quite funny, actually…" he stated but Roy crashed his hand on his desk which made Ed jump a little.
"That was not funny, Ed! Not funny! Never, ever do it again! Never, you hear me?! And can you please explain to me how did you do that but not with performances!"
Ed stared at him blankly. "…Sorry. I don't know how I did it, I just sort of… I don't know… I never knew I was able to do that, but now…"
Roy sighed. "Just please, don't repeat your actions. You're giving me a heart-attack."
Ed's face turned to mischievous. "Give me the money that I need and I'll stop it."
"Do not try your limits with me, just stop it! That's an order!" Roy yelled. Ed drew in a deep breath.
"And since when have I followed orders!?"
"Since NOW, you hear me!?" Roy bellowed back. Ed narrowed his eyes before they started to get foggy again.
"DON'T YOU-!" Roy bellowed but Ed had already fallen limp and went ahead straight to the floor. Roy pulled his hair and bellowed.
"I hate you, Fullmetal… You're nothing but troubles", he snarled and put Ed on a little more comfortable position and lifted the papers from the ground.
Just how did Ed do that?
Ed woke up about fifteen minutes later, his head feeling uncomfortably sore. He rubbed his eyes and whimpered slightly.
"Oww… It takes energy…" he complained silently. Roy snarled.
"You're awake again, I see. If you'll do that again I suggest you to find a comfortable position yourself because I won't be helping you this time."
Ed stretched his neck. "…Bastard."
"Now leave. I'm done with you. If you really have that much problems go and ask for Maes a place to stay."
Ed sulked. "Like the hell I'm going to beg for someone to give me a place to sleep in. I'll rather stay at the streets."
Roy signed another paper. "Well then I suggest you to go and find as comfortable spot you can find."
Ed growled as he walked to the door. He laid his hand on the doorknob but hesitated.
Roy sighed and raised his head. "You still have something to say, Fullmetal?"
Ed stared at him for a while. "…No. Sorry."
He left the room. Roy growled as he turned to his never-ending pile of papers.
A few hours later Roy heard people in awe chuckling and hooraying on the hallways. What was that all about, he thought angrily, stood up, walked to the door and opened it. People had gathered around something. He made his way through the crowd.
"What is going on in here, people are trying to try to work…" he snarled as a very familiar voice reached his ears.
"Who wants to see again? And please, give your tips to the armoured guy over there! Come on, I know you enjoy the show!"
Roy growled angrily as the crowd hoorayed again and threw their hands in the air, screaming for more. Ed collapsed. Women screamed and men laughed. Roy stepped in.
"Okay people, the show is over. Back to where you belong."
The people started to vanish muttering angrily insults that barely reached Roy's ear. Roy stepped in front of Alphonse.
"Would you mind to explain me what the heck is going on!?"
Alphonse stepped back fearfully and tried to motion Roy that he was sorry. "I'm sorry Colonel, but we don't have any money so we had to try to get it from somewhere! Brother's fantastic isn't he, I have no idea how he does it-"
"Me neither, Alphonse, but I'd be glad if you'd put up your shows on the streets and not in the Head Quarters", Roy stated still angrily and kicked Ed gently. "And you better get him out of here. Being famous means troubles. We don't want any kidnappers after him, do we?"
"No! Of course not! Do you think he has kidnappers after him!?" Al asked fearfully. Roy shook his head.
"Not from that trick. I don't know about those who would be after him for being the military's dog. Maybe. But if I were you, I'd put a line for it. Lying unconsciously on the floor isn't actually a good way of looking out for himself."
Al bowed. "Of course, Colonel! We just really needed the money, I don't want brother to sleep on the streets… He has gone through enough because of me, he doesn't deserve it."
Roy smiled tiredly. "Don't worry about it Alphonse. I'm sure he doesn't blame you."
"Maybe he should", the teen said sadly and hung his helmet. Roy shook his head.
"You were kids. You didn't really understand what you were doing. If it's someone's fault, it's both of yours. Not just one's. Don't take the blame on yourself", he said and waved his hand. "I really need to get back to work."
"Okay Colonel! I'll take care of brother, he should be up any moment…" Al said. Roy turned away thinking how innocent the kid managed to sound even though he was talking about something that burdened him. He was so much unlike Ed who sounded like he was burdened even at the moments he was really smiling and joking.
Funny how different the kids could be. It was quite refreshing.
"Awww, but Al…" Ed complained loudly as his brother dragged him out of the Head Quarters. "One of the funniest things in it was to piss of the Colonel Bastard and I didn't even see his face when he found out… Let's just go back, we got a little money, we can get more…"
Al sighed and shook his head. "No, brother. We can't disturb their jobs, you know how dangerous that might be for someone's life. And you should try to be nicer to the Colonel."
Ed laughed maliciously. "I'd like to see that day."
"Me too, brother. I'd really want to see that day."
Ed grimaced. "You wish, Al. The day I'm going to be nice to Colonel Bastard doesn't exist. I won't do it even over my bloody corpse."
"That is not nicely said, brother! Don't talk like that! Colonel always helps us-"
"Hah! He only makes us to do his dirty jobs! See under the surface, Al! He's nothing but an irritating, selfish bastard!" Ed yelled as he started capering. Al shook his head.
"Brother… since when have you capered?"
Ed smiled. "Since now. It's fun."
"…I'm starting to get worried brother. You need to eat something", Al said sadly. Ed took money out of his pocket.
"This should be enough for a lunch. I think I have to make my living with this for a few months."
"But brother, why can't we just ask someone? I'm sure Mr. Hughes would allow us to live with him-"
"I'm not asking for anyone's help. Forget it, Al. They have their own problems to worry about", Ed said determinately. "And it's not like we're anyone's responsibility. We are just fine by ourselves. We don't need anyone."
"…Right?"
Ed stopped. "What do you mean Al? Aren't you happy?"
"Uhh… It's not that Ed… I'm just a little… Well, you know, I just keep wondering what it would be like if… Just forget it."
Ed looked at him slightly sadly. "You aren't happy this way, are you?"
"It isn't that, brother! I promise! I'm happy!" Al started yelling but Ed smiled.
"I know Al. I know we missed most of our childhood and I never wanted that to happen to you. I'm sorry. But you know that we can't stop?" His eyes seemed determined again. "We'll get it all back. I'm sure we will."
"I know brother. We've come this far. We'll do it."
"Now that's the spirit I want to see! Hey, can we get noodles?" Ed asked as he stopped before a little noodle restaurant. Al felt like smiling but unfortunately he couldn't really do it.
"I guess it's your choice. Pick what you like."
"It's noodles, then!" Ed said and dragged Alphonse in from his hand.
Roy Mustang was drawing to one of the not-so-important papers. He was sick of signing. He needed a little break, right? Yes. That was just what he needed and deserved. The day had been one hell of a nightmare. Every time he had stepped out of his office he had heard people talking about Ed's new talent. Not that it wasn't weird enough for Ed to be able to pass out just like that but people were very excited as well. Like it had been a big show. Damn, it was just a kid passing out! It was rather nerve-cracking than exciting.
He just finished a drawing of a childish dog when he sighed and the phone rang.
"Damn it…" he muttered as he answered. "Colonel Roy Mustang's office in Central."
"Good evening, Colonel Mustang. I assume you're the commanding officer of Major Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. I have heard about his activities today and I have to say I'm very interested. I'm Doctor Moore. I'm working in Lab 1."
Roy raised his eyebrows suspiciously. "What do you want from him?"
How come Ed always gets in troubles?
