Another Hero of the People- Chapter 1- Another Day, Another Life


Ed wiped his forehead, satisfied with his work. After a whole three years of traveling, especially in times of war, they had one, managed to stop the plans to a uranium bomb, only to miss the fact that the Americans had a hydrogen bomb that blew up two cities in Japan (Al had to stand Ed's cursing when they saw the news), and two, here they were in their apartment, not knowing if it would work. Well, in the end, they were fully satisfied.

Al, who was munching on his small breakfast, watched as Ed circled around their transmutation circle, one that they had spent weeks and weeks calculating. It was fairly large, taking up the whole room, but somehow, they still felt doubtful. Ever since they came to this world, it was like they weren't really the great alchemists of Amestris, but more like the everyday mysterious guys who walk along the street. They still hadn't like this, but it was no real matter.

"Brother…" Al noticed the look on Ed's face. He was intrigued with how his brother acted, in almost everything.

"Al, can you pass the chalk over?" Ed looked up from where he had been kneeling. "One of the marks is smudged."

The younger brother nodded, and ran over with the box of the white powdery writing implements. The other smiled, and reached in, taking the longest one, and then continuing to do his work. Strangely, and suddenly, it had been the previous year the one day, Ed had shot up in height, a foot taller, maybe almost Hoeinheim's height. Ed did twitch his brow when Al mentioned that, but the older brother was glad he was at a reasonable height.

"Alright, Al," Ed placed the chalk back. "It's done! And now I think our ride to Reesembool will be coming in no time."

Al nodded and smiled. He was happy whenever his brother was happy. Well, better enough, Ed had mellowed out in temper over the years, now knowing that he had no reason to beat anyone for calling him short, so that was good.

"So, brother?" Al asked. "Do we need to bring anything back?"

"Hm?" Ed looked up. "No. I don't think so, unless you want to bring home something metal and shiny for Winry to tinker with."

Al smiled and felt a lump of fur crawling by his leg. Nina, the brown-black tabby cat, was purring softly. And finally, Al was able to get a cat. Calling it Nina, however, gave nostalgic memories to the older brother, though.

"Can we bring Nina back with us?"

Ed seemingly froze for a moment, but then he recollected himself. "Sure! No problem!"

Al smiled warmly at his brother, and this lasted for a moment when Al turned on his heel. "We're going now, right?"

"Yep!" Ed cheerily jumped to his feet and then headed for the coat rack. Al was already at the center of the transmutation circle, cuddling the tabby kitten in his arms. Ed hastily jumped in, and immediately then clapped their hands together and placed side by side on the circle. As expected, the circle turned blue, crackling with electricity, and the it danced round about them, engulfing them in light, when suddenly they saw not a gate, but a single black hole.

"Wha-" Ed didn't get a chance to finish his words before disappearing with Al.

They both landed with a thud on a grassy lawn. They shook their heads to ease the dizziness, and they were in a park, a quiet and blissful one. Al then turned his eyes on his brother, and he suddenly turned pale. Ed looked up in question.

"What's with your face?" Ed teased. "We made it back."

"E-Ed…" the younger Elric pointed at Ed. "Why are you exactly my height..."

"Huh?"

"And… you look like you're only fourteen…"

Ed then scrambled to a nearby fountain, found his reflection, and his mouth gaped. He wasn't really short as he was before, thank goodness… but he was definitely younger… He looked up at Al, who was still pale.

"Uh… Al… my clothes feel looser… and since when did you lose a foot in height? You're no taller than one quarter of that lamppost back there!"

Al then turned white as a sheet as he stared at his one reflection.

"What kind of Equivalent Exchange is this!!!???"

---*---

"Roy Mustang." Riza's voice echoed. The man looked up at his worried subordinate. "Are you tired, General?"

He smirked. "I'm not General around these parts anymore. Just call me Roy."

"Sorry, but it's too much of a habit…" Riza bowed. Roy practically enjoyed this moment. The day when female subordinates wore miniskirts, will sort of. Riza was wearing a business set of attire. A lavender dress shirt under her black blazer and tie. Her hair was pinned up as usual, and she held a clipboard in one arm. In addition, she wore high heels.

"You may leave or stay, whatever you like…" Roy smiled. He, too, was in a modern business suit. He rather much liked his uniform, and his own suit and long coat, but he and the others knew they couldn't walk around with Amestris written all over them.

Why was he and Major Hawkeye like this? Simple. They made a huge mistake. On the same exact day Ed and Al returned to the other world. Al had given Roy the job of destroying the Gate. He did it, eventually, but at great costs.

Winry, Havoc, Breda, Fury, and Armstrong were present at the site. They too wanted to watch the Gate close, when suddenly, once Roy succeeded in breaking one wall of the gate, the other fell with it. And a large black hole replaced it instead. A strange gust of wind swept all of them through the hole, and that was how they ended up in the grass of a park.

The Equivalent Exchange, of yes, the price they paid, was a years. They rubbed their heads in annoyance, only to find that obviously Roy and his crew, and Armstrong were unharmed, but as for Winry… she looked and talked like as if she were fourteen again. They soon paled at the sight when they realized.

Roy dismissed the thought. He felt less happier by the second. Of course, he missed the times when he could taunt Ed for his height, and hear the younger boy's screams and rants. If only Ed and Al were here…

Their entry to this new world was different, more modern, one could suppose. It all started when they were walking around, the streets, when a passersby brushed right past Winry's shoulder, reaching an arm out to grasp her shoulder. She had shrieked, and the others whirled around, and without delay, Riza drew her pistol and hit the man dead on. Nothing surpasses this eye of a hawk.

Strange enough, no one actually minded that the man Hawkeye shot was dead, which made Roy even queasier… What kind of civilian world was this?

They remembered meeting someone very similar to Van Hoeinheim, but he had no idea who they were, however. But he took them in, and noticing how unfamiliar with their surroundings, he helped them out a bit or two…

Luckily, they were all able to return to supposedly "normal" lives again for two years, once they got the hang of the technology. Havoc, Breda, and Fury shared an apartment, while Riza and Roy had their own. Armstrong, of course, had his own special apartment (not really, he just called it "special"), and Winry was all by herself. Ever since the fact that she had lost some years, she had to start her four years over again. However, Roy always said:

"At least you're luckier than Fullmetal."

Tired of reminiscing, Roy stood up and decided to go on a brisk stroll in the park. This new city they were living in… it was rather more advanced than what he had been used to. Now, telephone calls could be made without the use of a wire, and the new sleek design was rather intriguing. This was what Cattania was like…

He let the breeze sweep past his ears until he heard a familiar voice…

"What kind of Equivalent Exchange is this?!!!!!????"

Roy jumped at the voice, nearly crashing into a nearby trash can.

"Fu-Fullmetal?" The words barely reached his lips.

"My god! I can't believe I'm not short when I'm fifteen again!!!!" Ed's voice rang out from behind the grove of bushes. That was definitely Ed's voice, Roy thought to himself, and he dashed right round the corner to see the least expected.

Ed was merely staring at his reflection in the fountain, gawking as Al was running in circles exasperatedly. Roy couldn't help but burst out in laughter when Ed stood up, and clenched his fists.

"General Bastard, what's so fun-" Ed realized something, and cranked his head sideways to look at the General. "G-general?"

"You're Edward Elric?" Roy stopped laughing, and was asking.

"Of course, you idiot!" Ed stomped his automail foot. "Who else would I be? Armstrong?"

"Uh… Fullmetal…" Roy stifled a laugh. He still hadn't changed. "You've gotten shorter…"

"Oh, really?!" Ed folded his arms. "I think I realized that I've turned back five years younger! Thanks for reminding me, bastard!"

Roy then stopped his humorous thoughts when he realized Ed's last retort.

"Younger?"

"What?"

"I mean… you've lost a couple years?"

"Yes! Do I need to speak any louder?!" A stress mark was developing on Ed's forehead. Al then noticed the look on Roy's face.

"General…" He began. "Did it happen to someone else, too?"

"Uh… um…"

"Finally!!!" Ed stretched his arms wide open as if he were waking up. "We're back in Amestris!"

Roy then looked up at Ed's statement, and then he looked down. Both brothers noticed that, too.

"Is… is something wrong, Mustang?" Ed asked carefully. Roy turned back with a stern look on his face.

"Sorry…" He said sympathetically. "This isn't Amestris, Fullmetal. You jumped through another world again."

Ed and Al's eyes widened, as they then scrambled over him for questions.

"Didn't you destroy the Gate?!"

Roy was quite flustered. "Well, yes, but-"

"Why am I younger?!"

"That I canno-"

"How about you? How did you get here?!"

"Fullmetal! Alphonse!" He yelled at the two. "Get a hold of yourselves! Now everyone's looking at us!"

Funny thing, Ed was screaming and shouting his heart out when everyone seemed to stop in their place to glare at him.

"Uh… um… sorry?"

---*---

Roy calmly took the brothers back to the apartment building he lived in, adding in about how he got through a strange black hole instead of a gate and landed in Italy. He didn't mention the others who were with him, however, for that was their own surprise.

He approached the door of his apartment, and jammed the key into its place. Ed had been so intrigued with the technology himself when they passed by the streets. Well, here was the new modern world, wasn't it?

"Riza, I'm home!" Roy called out, and the brothers paled. Why was Riza here?!

The familiar blond woman gave the former general a heartwarming hug when she looked over past his shoulder to see the least expecting sight.

"E-Edward…? Alphonse…?" She stuttered those syllables, and Ed gave a nice smirk.

"Sure am!" He said proudly. Alphonse was too busy clinging on this his kitten to wave. Then immediately, the two were squashed into a tight hug.

"Oh, I miss you two so much?!" She said as she turned to Roy. "Roy… do the others know they're here?"

"Not yet…" Roy smiled, and she smiled back. Ed's eyes trailed from her happy face to the clear diamond ring on her finger. He immediately stepped back to point from Riza and Roy, well, he kept pointing back and forth.

"Hawkeye… Mustang… YOU TWO ARE MARRIED?!!?!!?" He shouted, and Al nearly fell over at the side. Even if the two of them were fifteen again, some things never change…

Hawkeye smiled and Roy walked over to help her up.

"Come, we've got more people to show you."

---*---

"ED?!!!!??" The deep bellowing voice was too good not to miss. Ed cringed as a tall buff man began to squeeze the living daylight out of him and his brother, the feet dangling above the floor by a foot.

"Can't… breathe…" Al gasped, and they found themselves crumpling upon the floor.

"I didn't expect to see you again!" Armstrong started his passionate oration. "How dramatic! How touching! How tear-jerking is this meeting!"

"Uh… hi, Major…" Ed nervously waved, his hands still numb.

A nearby door opened, and a brown haired man with a cigar in his mouth peeked out, and saw the party going on outside.

"Ed! You're here!!!" Havoc rushed back into the room. "Breda! Fury! Guess who's back!!!???"

"Who?"

"Ed! And Al!"

All three of them scrambled out of the apartments to reach the young alchemist, and everyone was jumping and welcoming each other. Thank goodness they occupied the whole floor of the apartment here. Then the silence stopped when the final door creaked open. Ed froze, knowing just who it would be… when a wrench immediately came flying at his head. He was immediately thrust back, and probably causing a dent in the opposite wall, he crumpled to the floor a second time.

"Why do you leave at the wrong time!!" A voice yelled into his ear. Ed chuckled.

"Good to see you, too, Winry…" He said.

"Brother!!!" Al ran to his side, helping him up. Ed felt completely out of balance. Being hugged and then hit with a wrench was not so fun, really…

Then a round of laughing and hugging and storytelling ensued when finally, Ed finally brought up a question.

"So, General," he began. "Since you're not a general anymore, what do you make for a living now?"

Roy then froze, paling very profusely until he was as white as a sheet. Riza jumped at the question, and Breda, Havoc, and Fury swallowed nervously. Armstrong then stopped posing. Winry was still holding on to Ed's automail arm for support. Al looked at the scared ones, not understanding what was going on.

"Well, speak up." Ed said loudly.

"We… we…" Riza tried to speak, but couldn't bring herself to say it.

Roy then took the light. "We've been part of the mafia since we came here. It's like we're killing machines again, Fullmetal. We're hitmen now."

A/N: yup! total rewrite. thought the plot wasn't so great at first, so I had to start a different one.