Winry looked over at a broken Edward Elric. His long blonde hair was down, splayed out on his shoulders and back. He stared down at his missing left leg, eyeing the bloodied bandages.
Colonel Roy Mustang stood at the foot of the bed, glaring at his subordinate.
"Just the leg, Fullmetal?" He asked, voice cold.
Edward looked down in shame, shaking his head. "15 years off of my lifespan, added with the 3 I've already wasted fixing myself one time. And..." He clutched his right shoulder, pain spiking through his body.
"So you're even worse off now than before. That's Pathetic, Fullmetal."
"I'm not you're dog, Mustang, remember? Without alchemy I'm useless."
Roy suppressed the urge to laugh. "You say that, yet you preformed human transmutation. Tell me, Elric, are you going to tell me you just lost your limbs by accident?" Roy asked, a cruel smile plastering his face. Edward's breathing staggered, his head dipping low.
"Fine. When Father attacked, I didn't give up my gate... I gave the promise I would return and the price would be doubled. Are you happy? You think it's funny that I'm a failure, huh?" Edward growled, his voice rising. The crippled alchemist's eyes shot up. "If you came here to reinstate me as your personal servant, I'm not going back... In fact, as soon as I get my automail... I'm leaving..." Edward spat, cold golden eyes revealing hatred mixed with sadness.
"To go where? This whole country is monitored by the military. I could put out a warrant of arrest for the 'Hero of the People' and have you captured." Roy spoke, glaring at the bedridden teen.
"Tell me, Mustang, why are you here. You need me to play your dog, right?" Edward growled at the man.
"Aerugo is declaring war on Amestris. Word is a group from the South fled to their country when the war broke out and raided a town. Killed 12 in a fire, 30 more in gunfire, several dozen more in explosions. The military is being called in to 'calm the storm.'" Mustang declared.
"So it'll be Ishval all over again, huh? If that's the case your offer of fleeing the country doesn't sound too bad." The 17 year old growled, closing his eyes.
Roy mustang glared at the alchemist before swiftly turning on his foot and walking out.
"Edward you shouldn't be out of bed!" Winry yelled, running towards the blonde haired boy.
"Shuddup gear head I'm fine." The teen said, pushing himself off of the wall with his left hand.
"Ed you'll overwork the new ports, sit down." Winry said, ushering the blonde to sit back down.
"I need to go back on my feet Winry, you can't stop for long." Ed spoke, pushing against Winry to stand back up. The girl sighed, placing a hand on Edwards chest, lightly pushing him back.
"Edward I know that you-"
"No Winry... You don't." He whispered, looking down.
"He was all I had, and I screwed up... I killed him, Winry.. I have to try,even if it kills me." Edward said, his voice breaking.
"You're missing 3 limbs, yet you still think there's more you can lose. What's next, Ed? Your organs, your only remaining limb, how about your eyes, or your life? You act like you have no one left. I'm still here!" Winry cried, tears forming in her sky blue eyes.
"That's why as soon as I'm strong enough I'm leaving. If I stay all I'll do is hurt more people. I'll be the military's weapon. If I couldn't help him, Winry, I'm as useless as the damned Colonel in the rain. Besides... When you put it into perspective like that Winry, there's nothing left for me. I'll start fresh somewhere, in a place they won't find me." Edward spoke, his voice steady.
Winry could do nothing but stare at the teenager in her, tears threatening to fall. 'No matter what... Just don't die...' She thought.
Edward stood in the middle of the burned out husk that once had been his childhood home.
"To think it had all started here." He said softly, his left hand resting on a charred banister. "The two of us, just wanting to see her smile and laugh, and what did I do, Al? I created a monster... I know you always said it was both of our faults, that we were in this together... But I still know that it was my responsibility to look after you, to keep you safe. I shouldn't have dragged you into it." He whispered, staring at the green grass growing between burned floorboards.
"I thought I'd find you here." A low voice spoke. Edward didn't bother to turn, already knowing its owner.
"If you're here to bring me in, forget about it." Edward spat, letting go of the banister to turn.
"Fullmetal you and I both know how much you're needed in the military. I understand what you're going through. After the war-"
Edward growled, glaring at Mustang
"Forget your war! I refuse to be your dog, and especially to a country that's been doomed from the start. Id rather die then come back to Central with you. "
"What you're talking about is treason, You chose to become apart of the military, and as your commanding officer I order you to return to central in the time of war." The older man demanded, his right hand slowly edging out of his pocket.
"And what if I refuse." Edward argued, his glare deepening.
"The offer from 6 months ago. The warrant for you're arrest, I would stand to my word." Mustang growled. "Or, I take you back by force."
He poised his fingers as if he were to snap, a scowl directed towards the young man.
Edward sighed, his hands balled into fists. "Let me at least say goodbye. I'll be in Central in a day or two."
Mustang nodded, turning on his heel.
(- s-)
"Have to act fast.." Ed mumbled to himself as he ran to the Rockbells home. The blonde reached the house in almost record time, bursting through the doors.
"I have to get out of here, No time to explain." Edward yelled as he ran through different rooms. Winry's eyes widened at the teen, her mind fumbling to find words. Luckily, the small, elderly woman spoke for her.
"Where exactly do you plan on going?" Pianko asked, her wooden pipe in hand.
"Xing, Creta, Drachma, I don't know... As far away from Amestris as I can get." Edward replied, grabbing odds and ends he left in the house and stuffing them into a small bag.
Pinako eyed the teen carefully. "I hope you know what you're doing, Ed."
After a few more minutes of rushing around, Edward stopped in a mirror, Winry behind him.
"So you're really going through with it? Leaving I mean?" She asked quietly, looking into mirror with him.
Edward nodded solemnly, "Yeah..."
Winry watched with curiosity as he bent down to pick up scissors on a nearby table, stood up, and handed them to the blonde haired girl behind him. "Help me out, I cant go anywhere looking the way I do. People will recognize me." He said, looking straight ahead.
She hesitated before positioning the scissors at the top of his ponytail. "Edward... Just promise me something."
"And what would that be?" He replied.
Winry closed the scissors, his long ponytail in her hands.
"That you'll stay alive. I still care about you, even if you think you dont have anyone left." She spoke softly, cutting through the rest of his hair and setting the ponytail on the table.
His thin lips curled into a small smile. "I'll try, Winry."
She returned the smile, shiny scissors snipping away at the rest of his light blonde hair.
An hour later, a blonde haired man waved goodbye to the two mechanics in Resembool.
Edward sighed, bag in hand as he walked to the town's train station.
"What trains do you have to leave Amestris?" The young, blonde haired man spoke to through the ticket window.
"Two for the north, to Drachma and One to the great desert.. What business do you have?" A burly man replied, staring through the window.
The young man ran a gloved hand through short blonde hair. "Personal buisness, none that concerns you. I'll pay for one to the North."
The burly man grunted, begrudgingly accepting the payment and handing the blonde a ticket. Edward nodded in thanks, turning and briskly walking to a bench. He caught his reflection in a puddle, almost forgetting it was himself. With close cropped blonde hair and shorter bangs, it was if a new person had taken control of the Alchemist. He had traded in the black jacket and red overcoat for a brown jacket and slacks, something Edward would have never put on, but seeing the circumstances agreed to.
Shaking away his thoughts, Edward looked up at the train that pulled into the station. He stood up, expression grim as Mustangs words rang in his head. He would no longer be a dog of the military, a weapon in war. "Goodbye, and good riddance." He mumbled, boarding the train.
Alright, that's that so far. This is just an idea I have, so it's pretty rough. I'll get around to cleaning it up and adding in missing information. Also, to clarify, I will use extra spaces to start in places, the horizontal lines are for time jumps. Just to clear that up. Thanks.
-Valiant