Welcome to Look Before You Listen. I'll warn you now - this is going to get incredibly dark. I'll next update on Sunday.
I hope you enjoy.
Capture
For as long as he could remember, he had always been by his brother's side.
No, don't…
And for the first time in an eternity, he felt ready to move forward in his newly reclaimed body.
You can't…
They had done it. They had got his body back.
Not him take me instead…
Al wanted to smile.
Don't you dare!
But…fate wasn't on their side.
I CAN'T LEAVE HIM!
Nothing seemed to be on their side.
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK-
A month ago, Al wouldn't have believed that anything could have been worse than getting his soul ripped away from his body. Look at how wrong he had been…
~One month before~
"How does this vanilla sundae taste so good?" Al muttered hazily. Ed could see it in his bony complexion – absolute happiness at indulging himself with ice cream. He was already on his fifth helping and Ed was finding his pockets become lighter and lighter. Hell, Al had five years of over-indulging to catch up on. He didn't care about how much money he wasted today.
Despite the bright sky of summer that even made Ed feel ridiculously happy, a scowl settled over his face. He was being reminded of someone who could swim in the wages they earnt, and still was as miserly as…well, nobody else. The bastard, his thoughts softly growled.
At least Ed wasn't a skinflint like the Colonel.
Suddenly without his appetite, Ed dropped the spoon which had been sitting in his mouth, dripping with melting ice cream. It landed into the bowl with a clatter. Al looked up; his golden eyes alight with surprise and worry. "What's the matter, Brother?"
"Mm? Oh, nothing Al. Just not hungry," Ed pushed the bowl towards his brother, tilting his head down at the bowl. Al had finished his fifth portion, and must have been eyeing Ed's untouched serving. Al picked up his own spoon, and lightly took a scoop of strawberry ice cream from the bowl and was lost in his sensory paradise again.
A ridiculous smile spread across Ed's face. It was so damn irritating that this was making him so damn happy.
Ed stretched his arms and legs, hearing the familiar clink of his automail as gears whirled inside the prosthetic. His ports were becoming a little numb – it was getting cold, and becoming late. There was perhaps an hour of sunlight left, at most. And still he wore his gloves and cloak. Al must always be embarrassed walking around with him in public.
But his red cloak made him feel so pumped that Al would just have to deal with it.
He gazed at the clock situated in the middle of the plaza, a cobbled street from this historic town called…damn he didn't care about the town's name. They were here, they had good food, and that was all that mattered. It was somewhere out in the east near the border…Hell the sun was making his mind foggy.
Ed heard Al sigh contently as he pushed his finished bowl away from him. Now Al would have to learn what it was like to be bloated for the next couple of hours. That was going to be a fun experience to watch. "Any more ice cream for you, Al?" Ed teased.
"Ughhh," came the discernible moan from Al in response.
The train was supposed to be departing at 8 O'clock that evening. Ed's legs tried to crouch and lie down on their own accord, and he had to command every inch of his willpower to stay awake. It was approaching midnight. And still, there was no sign of any train.
They had been lucky to find a bench to sit on. The wrappers of sandwiches were scattered by their sides. Ed's eyes were drooping and heavy, distracting himself by counting how many cobbles there were as far as he could see. Al had exhausted himself; he had been asleep on Ed's lap for an hour or so. Ed wasn't too sure. He was exerting all of his focus on staying awake.
His reactions were delayed because he blinked and the next second, someone was shaking his shoulder. They were speaking to him, but his mind slurred at the words as if they were in a foreign language. He couldn't speak Cretan or Xingese…
What was this person going on about? They were the conductor – train cancelled – due tomorrow – find accommodation – have to leave.
"Bloody children these days," the conductor complained under their breath. But Ed's ears pricked like a dog's. Children. Someone had called him a child. Someone had called him-
"Who are you calling so small that an ant is a giant?!" Ed shouted vehemently, shocking a half-asleep Alphonse. The conductor suddenly looked terrified and backed away a little. "I have grown an inch in the past year I'll have you know!" Ed continued to rant, pounding his arms in the air in frustration. Their little fiasco was attracting some attention, notably the attention of security.
"Sir, I apologise-" the poor conductor waved his hands apologetically.
"That's really going to help," Al added, rubbing his heavyset bags beneath his eyes, as if etched there by blackened ash, but the conductor didn't seem to grasp the sarcasm – he continued to echo apologies across the train station.
"Nobody listens – or cares – but I am becoming taller! Just you wait until-" Ed stopped stamping his feet on the cobbled pavement beneath him. A cold hand had just clasped his shoulder. A looming, hulking figure with larger rippling muscles than Armstrong stood an inch behind him. And this man was scowling, without any sparkles to add to his finesse as the Major had.
This bodyguard did not look too happy.
Ed sneezed. Despite how sweltering the days could become, and his automail seemed to steam like a frying pan, it felt like he was in Drachma at night. It was so goddamn cold. He huddled close to his suitcase considering he had lent his cloak to Al who was stumbling by his side, cloak draped over his shoulders. Small smoke clouds billowed where his breathed, illuminated by the streetlights. The pair of brothers resembled how the Colonel and Hughes looked stumbling from a bar with these senses a little astray.
It was later than late. It was early. Early enough that everyone was asleep. Except for him and Al, even though Al was the one who needed to sleep the most.
Guilt stabbed at Ed's chest. He had been selfish and driven by his desires not to be called short. Even Al with his malnourished body was already the same height as him. It was petty, he knew, but his height was one of the things that he wanted to have pride over. Still, nothing would do as an excuse. They had to find somewhere for Al to stay, a warm bed where he could sleep for a week if he wanted to. Ed didn't mind – not for his little brother anyway.
He would mind if it was anyone else. He wasn't a goddamn babysitter, and he wasn't a goddamn child.
Why did people still call him that? Ed's golden eyes glowed in the darkness, unreadable and lost in thought, teeth gritting subconsciously. Strangers would call him a child since he was sh-, shor-, that. That he could understand. But even people he knew, like the people he saw on the streets, staring as if he was a freak, whispering the words of so young – so much potential – a dog to the State – poor boy – poor child. Joining the military had been his choice, damn it! Ed just wanted people to stop staring at him with eyes of pity. He was nearly sixteen. And he hadn't been a child in a very, very long time.
It pissed him off.
"Brother, we're here," Al said, his teeth chattering in the cold. Al must have directed Ed down an alleyway and he was standing before a musty building with the word Vacancies imprinted on its cover. It smelt like decay and rubbish. The aroma to the place was off and cold, with an icy tint to it; this place was unwelcoming. But like his stomach growled for food, his mind growled for sleep and his duties as a big brother kicked in. Anywhere would have to do as long as Al could be safe and warm.
"Let's go, Al," Ed spoke, and realized how weak his voice had become, as if it was a ghostly tune lost to the wind.
"Ed…are you alright? You seem off," Al asked tentatively. Of course Al noticed that Ed was distracted tonight. But Al had just confirmed the suspicions in his mind – something was off, something drifting in the air. He couldn't explain it, but it was like a gut-wrenching twist in his abdomen that told him something was wrong. Not right.
"I'm fine, Al, it's just…strange, and I can't seem to pinpoint it," Ed shrugged and pushed his way to take the lead. He saw through the corner of his eye that Al was moving forward to keep up with his pace. He cried silently as he lost his balance, and tumbled to the floor. As if his tiredness could be switched on and off, Ed darted to Al's side and swiftly caught his gentle brother in his arms. Al's face was blue, and he had become too weak to shiver. Dammit!
They needed somewhere to stay. And now.
Ed hoisted Al's arm over his shoulder. He couldn't see Al's expression, but he was breathing faintly, too faintly for Ed to be comfortable with. Unease flickered through Ed like a jolt of alchemy. He shook the feeling away like he was shaking away bugs. He didn't need doubt in his mind now, as dangerous as a parasite.
The front door to the building creaked slowly open. Ed's body instantly stopped shivering and he started goddamn sweating. This place was stifling, as if a volcano was situated behind the door. Al shuddered. So it was not just him.
Ed's boots echoed across the reception. There was a desk with sheets of paper and keys behind it. Most of the keys were attached to the wall; this hotel wasn't too popular with the locals or tourists. However, as Ed silently peered closer, the weight of Al heavy on his shoulder, he noticed the phone wire had been severed. The papers on the desk were collecting dust. And there was only one pair of keys missing from the wall. 013.
Suddenly, the lights in this room shuddered off, like a person taking their final breath. Ed silently growled in frustration and moved Al's weight to his other shoulder. He had to get his arms free…to transmute.
The lights in the room next door flickered on.
The tingles of alchemy leapt to Ed's fingers like flames. He crouched to the floor, letting the blue light of alchemy wash over him as he removed a transmuted rod from the pit he had left in the ground. A loud thump followed of the doors being locked shut.
"Oh fuck," Ed swore. There was far more of that to come, he regrettably knew. A part of him wanted to sprint away as fast as possible, but with Al, he wouldn't make it out of the building. His face was drenched with sweat, pooling on the floor by his sides. He felt like they were trapped in a furnace, breathing heavy, strained.
Damn it focus, Edward! There is someone dangerous here. No ways of contacting the bastard – phone lines severed. Must be another way. Just have to deal with it ourselves…
Ed took a hesitant step forward, blending into the shadows. Yet as he moved, every light in the building flared back on again. An acrid stench filled his nostrils. He gazed down at his feet, sickened, as the inky tar-like flow of blood lapped at his feet. He hadn't noticed in the dark but he had been wading in blood. Crimson, stagnant blood.
"What the Hell is this-" Ed clasped a hand over his mouth, eyes agape and body frozen in shock, horror, horror-
Someone clapped. Someone fucking clapped.
"Excellent! You came!" a voice exclaimed in apparent delight. They seemed unfazed by the sea of blood.
Ed grasped at Al, shrugging his brother, hoping he would wake up. They had to get out of here why did he even want to come in oh God-
Ed bared his teeth and lashed out with his rod. It waved through empty air. He started backing away towards the desk. He prepared his hands to clap, and the lights started to dim again. Not again.
The resonance of his clapping sounded across the room. Ed's gloves and sleeve ripped apart as his automail blade slipped forth like a dagger. It was growing, forming, as the hum of alchemy controlled his concentration…
Someone with inhuman strength grabbed the tip of his blade. With a wrench, it was pulled backwards and dented. Just like that. The lights were flickering. His boots were soaked with blood. The air was stifling hot. Ed was panting, feeling feverish.
Damn he couldn't give up now.
He clenched his steel fist and pummelled it forward, hoping to smash at his attacker and disorientate him enough to grab Al and get out of here. With his left hand, Ed felt his brother's silky golden hair. He was alright and here. Now to attack.
His fist flew forwards. But it was stopped. Just like that. The inhuman force touched the metal, and dug into his palm. Even if he couldn't feel it, his shoulder felt like it was being wrenched in half. He bit his lip, stifling a scream.
The force did not stop there. The pressure vanished for an instant and returned, digging into his arm, pulling at wires, grinding gears and pulled.
It was the most painful sensation Ed had ever felt in his life. Automail was a thorn in his foot. Having his leg and arm ripped away from him a graze. This was like someone was pulling him apart.
He had to hold back a scream with every ounce of strength he possessed. His legs buckled and he fell to his knees into the sea of blood. His mind was an inferno, every tip of his body wreathing in agonising fire. It burnt and fuck it hurt and oh God he was pulling harder and harder. Imagine an insect's body being twisted until it popped into two pieces. Ed had seen his classmates doing it once at lunchtime.
But God it wasn't supposed to happen to people.
Now he was being twisted too, churned and chewed with unbearable strength. He was as still as could be; moving caused more pain like shooting stars to blaze up and down his spinal cord. It wasn't supposed to be this painful-
The air. Wasn't right. Felt off. Contained gas? Inducing receptors for pain?
"GODDAMN!" Ed's mind shrilly screamed, but he didn't care about his own pain. He couldn't scream out aloud…it wasn't fair after what Al had been through…but God it hurt…He would swallow molten metal if it meant keeping Al safe. And yet Al was here with him but he was still unconscious. Please Al you've got to get out of here. You've just got your body back. You've got to live.
After twisting came the shredding. Every inch of his shoulder port was being ripped into a thousand pieces, skin, metal, wire. It was all the same. Being pulled apart as if it was cotton. Ed kicked out he had to transmute something. So much iron in the blood. Come on…
Howling at the force of agony pulling at his automail, Ed closed his eyes and dipped his hand into the viscous blood. It was gloopy and nowhere near as runny as he thought it had been. He sketched an array onto the back of his palm, and slapped as soon as the last drop of blood had dribbled onto it.
As alchemy hummed through the air, Ed struggled to move away, kicking, snarling, biting, trying to get some distance to he could throw his transmuting dagger into the attacker's leg and hold them down if for a second-
But Ed lost all ration thought as his shoulder port, horribly dented and broken, was wrenched off his shoulder. He felt nauseous. Wires still dangled from his remaining port, blood ejecting from the wound as if pumping out from a syringe. His blood.
The dagger must have finished transmuting by now. It had to have finished transmuting by now.
Holding his breath, he clutched his hands around the dagger.
Which was not there.
Which meant it either hadn't transmuted or someone had grabbed it.
It couldn't have been Al, meaning-
Time slowed down as Ed's golden eyes widened in disbelief. Disbelief was an understatement. For a second, pure terror flashed in the Fullmetal Alchemist's eyes. The face of the attacker became visible in the flickering light – cold pits of eyes, teeth stained with blood, black hair soaked with sweat – their muscular hand held a weapon – Ed's dagger – and he was lunging as if from nowhere from Ed's right side-
And the dagger buried into his automail port.
AL!
A….l….
…
But that was only the start of the pain that the Elric brothers would feel. Unbeknownst to them (even after so much goddamned suffering already), there was much, much, much worse pain to feel.
The story follows canon up until the Fifth Laboratory but then deviates. Look Before You Listen takes place several months after the Fifth Lab and Ed finds a way to get Al's body back. Ed still has his automail.
Roy's team and the Elric brothers are aware of the existence of the Homunculi and know how a Philosopher's Stone is made, but beside this, they do not know much else.
Details will be covered during the story. With that, please enjoy the rest of LBYL :)
