This contains graphic content such as: Self harm, nightmares, and self hate. If you do not want to read anything containing this content, please do not read, as I do not want to offend anyone.
"So, Mustang, what kind of stupid mission are you planning for me to go on next? One that's a waste of my time and won't further my search for the philosophers stone at all, I bet." Edward Elric smirked as he sat down on the couch in Colonel Roy Mustang's office.
"Girls are going missing in Resembool, and since you did such an amazing job at the last one I figured you could be of some help to the investigation team. The train tickets have been purchased for you and your brother, since I know you two are attached at the hip." Mustang said, flipping through a file and placing two train tickets on his desk.
"I don't want to go to Resembool." Edward said blatantly. He was born and raised in Resembool until he was ten-years old before finally leaving there at the age of twelve. He didn't want to go back, it would go against his resolve to leave everything behind and never turn back.
"I don't care what you want, Fullmetal. You're going and that's final. Pack your bags, you'll be gone for at least a week," the Colonel said. "Your train comes in at six in the morning; meet lieutenant colonel Hughes and his team there by five thirty."
"Five thirty?" Edward raised his eyebrows. He was not a morning person. As it is his brother, Alphonse, had to force him out of bed by noon, and that was a difficult feat.
"Yes, Fullmetal, five thirty," Mustang rolled his eyes. "You're dismissed."
Ed sighed and stood, taking the train tickets before leaving to meet his brother on the outside of the building.
Edward begun walking with his younger brother Alphonse, whom for the time being was taller than him in a suit of metal armor, something that constantly had people believing that Alphonse was the 'Fullmetal Alchemist', when it was really Edward.
It turns out that the Fuhrer had a sense of humor-albeit a bad one-and declared Edward Elric with the title of 'Fullmetal Alchemist', a reference to his two automail limbs; his right arm and left leg.
"So what's going on, brother?" Alphonse asked as they walked on the street back to their hotel.
"Apparently the Colonel bastard has given us a mission to go back to Resembool." Edward growled out. It was obvious to anyone, not just the people that knew Ed, that he was angry about the whole thing. Only Alphonse could possibly know why.
"To Resembool? …Did you try to stop it…?" Alphonse asked. He noticed that he and Edward had both stopped walking at this point, now just standing on the sidewalk talking to one another.
"I did what I could. I told him that I didn't want to go, but you know how it is. Damn military has me on a leash. You don't have to go, though. You can stay in the hotel while I'm gone." Ed reasoned.
"No, brother, I want to go with you. Besides, if you're going to be in Resembool I can visit Winry." Alphonse said. Edward nodded, the two of them being silent for the rest of the night.
"Brother, wake up. Come on, we have to go," Alphonse said quietly as he gently shook Edward. This caused him to wince and roll over. Alphonse continued to shake him. "Brother, come up, wake up."
A groan came from the older teen as he tried to get more covered with the blankets. "Lemme sleep."
"You can sleep on the train, we have to be there in half an hour." Al continued to wake him. He had let Edward sleep in already, now he needed to wake him up.
"Fine." Ed mumbled as he sat up in bed. He had fallen asleep wearing his black jacket over his tank top and pajama bottoms, so he walked into the bathroom to change into his leather pants. After taking off his pajama pants, he locked the door, lifting his boxers a little to show his thighs.
There were small red slits that were fresh, well a few days in, but fresher than the other marks. He had been cutting at his legs for a few months. He didn't exactly know why he did it; just because it made things better, he guessed. Well, it made things feel better.
He let his boxers cover the cuts and finished getting dressed, covering the red slits on his arms, the white scars from previous markings, before walking out of the bathroom to see Alphonse carrying his suitcase.
"Ready to go, brother?" Al asked.
"Yeah, I just gotta put my pants in my suitcase." Edward responded. Alphonse handed him the suitcase, the older brother quickly opening it and placing his clothing in there before shutting it. Instead of handing it back to Al, he just carried it himself.
They walked to the station, Edward dragging his feet and rubbing his eyes. He never got enough sleep for a growing teenager, constantly being on the move, but when he did get sleep, he wanted to sleep forever. At times he would have dark circles under his eyes, though this was not one of those times.
Mustang was right, Hughes was there waiting for him with a couple of guys that the brothers had never met. They didn't deem them important anyway, the two was dreading going back home, one more than the other.
"Ed, Al, good, you made it." Hughes said. Edward noticed that Hughes was carrying a thermos in his hand, and judging from the time and the brown liquid stains, it was coffee.
"What? You thought we were gonna skip out on you? I'm not ready for that lecture from the Colonel." Edward rolled his eyes.
"That's Roy, always giving out those little lectures of his. It's okay, I'll get back at him for you by another full lecture on getting a wife." Hughes and Alphonse both laughed, while Ed was left with a smirk. The two assumed that Edward had given off a light chuckle that they couldn't here between their own sounds.
"You ever think he's just gay? I mean, come on, thirty–years old, no wife, no girlfriend, what does that spell?" Edward raised his eyebrows, and his smirk only grew bigger with his accusation.
"Please, Ed, the man may be nuts enough to send a fifteen–year old to the train station at five in the morning, but he's not gay. I've known the guy since we were kids, he's anything but." Hughes said, though laughed nonetheless.
Edward rolled his eyes, knowing that the accusation was obviously untrue. He had heard about Mustang's affairs for years since he started as a State Alchemist. For all of the Colonel's team was worth, keeping their mouths shut around a child was not one of them. Besides, while they thought that Ed was a child when he first started, they grew to accept that he was as grown up as any other guy; or at least had been through more than most adults.
They boarded the train when it arrived, quickly settling into their seats. Mustang had been kind enough to give them tickets for their own private booth, so that's what Hughes and the Elrics got to share. Hughes' team had their own booth somewhere else where they had taken themselves.
After the train began to move toward their destination, which would unfortunately come in three days time, Edward was lulled to sleep by the rhythmic shaking of the train.
"He can just sleep like that, huh?" Hughes asked with a smirk after Ed had fallen asleep.
"Yeah, I guess he's gotten used to it. I don't know how it feels, but he used to complain about it a lot when we were younger.." Alphonse trailed off.
"Hey, it's okay, you're going to get your body back." Hughes said gently to the boy. He had found out about Al being just a suit of armor when Mustang had confided in him drunk just after the boys had left his home and got their own dorm room.
"Yeah, I guess." Alphonse sighed softly.
And for the rest of their time, it was silent. Until they reached Resembool.
Depending on what day I get done with the second chapter of this, I'll decide if there will be an update pattern or not. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and please review, because I love hearing from everyone!