Alchemist in the S.O.S Brigade

Chapter 1: Safety procedures

"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Edward Elric screamed at the top of his lungs. Many people could hear his voice from inside the colonel's office, he didn't care. The Flame Alchemist was not getting away with this.

"This is for your own good, Fullmetal." Roy Mustang said calmly. He was expecting this. Roy knew that this wasn't fair for the kid but this was the only thing he was allowed to do. Fullmetal always disagreed with what the colonel had to say just because he didn't like him, but this time Edward was dead serious.

The night before this occurred, a report was sent out that a famous kidnapper was in the area. This kidnapper was named Baneful, and he wasn't just a kidnapper, he was a homunculus. Children started to disappear one by one and the military traced the evidence to the source. After they managed to corner the criminal, he admitted to the crimes and then disappeared for months.

After a while, he was back in business and hitting harder than ever. The State Alchemists began to worry what the homunculi were doing with all the children. But later a State Alchemist reported in that a homunculus approached with this information,

"Baneful, oh that scumbag, he walked out on us after all the work we did to nurse him back to health. He said something about 'working alone' and 'I don't care if you helped me, I live my own story.' Now I'm stuck having to track down the guy and kill 'em. That's all the info I have for you, stupid human. By the way, say hi to the Fullmetal pipsqueak for me. Later." After that the monster ran off. (You can probably tell which homunculus it was now.)

Soon afterwards, a citizen reported that a man with the kidnapper's description was seen on the outskirts of Central. Concerned for the children's safety, the military ordered everyone with children 16 and younger to be sent to live with relatives out of central. I expect you can now see why 15 year-old Edward Elric was fuming at this moment. Because he had no family to stay with, Winry and her grandmother were on a vacation to an Automail convention, the military ordered Edward to go to Tokyo and stay in an apartment and go to their school to protect him. Edward had to go, but his little brother Alphonse, had to stay.

"Why can't Alphonse come with me!" Edward yelled. He was on the verge of tears, but he didn't want the colonel to think he was a child, so he held them back.

"Because he is a suit of armor, he won't be kidnapped, plus your little brother will attract attention. You may find this hard to believe, but they don't have suits of armor in Tokyo." Mustang said flatly, he didn't want Fullmetal to leave, he could be useful in tracking down Baneful, but it was ordered by the Furor

"So what! We'll just disguise him as a statue, bring him into a safe location and-"

"-and what? Coop him in there for who knows how long!" Roy finished.

Edward had to admit, the colonel had a point. The last thing he wants is to deprive Al of his freedom, but he still didn't like the idea.

"Why do I even have to go? I'm a state alchemist! I can look after myself just fine. No kidnapper can pin me down!"

"The military is ordering all children 16 and under out of the city, that includes you, Fullmetal."

"I don't care what the military wants! I'm not going to abandon my brother, or postpone our search for the philosopher's stone! You-"

"You're going, Fullmetal! You leave in the morning! That's an order!" snapped the colonel, he was getting impatient and he really didn't want to listen to the boy's complaining.

Edward couldn't hold it in any longer. He pointed his face to the sky and let out the loudest yell he could muster. Tears flooded his eyes. When he was out off scream, he gave one last glare to the colonel, hiding his tears, and stalked out, slamming the door behind him.

Mustang sighed he hated to yell at the kid, but it was the only way to stop the raging. Anyway he was to busy to deal with that, he had a criminal to catch.

Edward ran. He didn't know how far or how long but he had to get away. "It isn't fair! Damn Mustang." Edward thought, as tears streaked across his face "Damn the military. Damn it, damn it, dam-." He tripped. And fell hard on the ground. He appeared to have stumbled into a forest.(no pun intended) He laid in the middle of the forest road and went into his mind. "I-I-I can't leave" He told himself "Al has been abandoned by so many people, and now I'm leaving him!" He laid there, face down on the sidewalk, as tears fell to create a puddle underneath him. His mind flooded as he went back to when they preformed human transmutation on their mother, the pain, the fear, it was to much! He remembered placing Al in the armor, he remembered the time spent searching for the philosopher's stone. It was all his idea and his fault! Now Alphonse would be alone, with out anyone to be with, while Edward ran like a coward to Tokyo. He wondered if Al would forgive him. He wondered if he would hate him. He had to tell him and find out.

But all he did right then was lay still, and wait for the sting of his fall to go away. It felt like he had gotten several cuts and scrapes along his stomach and wrist, they stung badly, but he didn't care, all he knew was that he was leaving without a brother at his side, and that was the worst sting of all.

He didn't know how long he lied there, but a familiar voice brought him to his senses

"Brother? Is that you? Are you okay? What are doing- ahh! You're bleeding! Can you sit up? Brother! Brother!"

Edward looked up, sure enough, there knelt Alphonse, with a bag of groceries in his arm. Ed would have seen concern on Al's face if it wasn't for the fact that his face was a metal helmet. They stared at each other for a long moment

"Al….I-I-I'm sorry!" Edward choked, looking back to the ground, panting. Al picked him up, shouldered him on his back and started back to their apartment they had rented. "It's okay brother." Al said. "Good old Ed," he thought to himself, smiling (on the inside of course). "Always blaming himself." Alphonse already knew the Furor's orders because it had been posted all over central, and Riza Hawkeye had told him about Edward's orders and the fact that he ran away. Al had decided to go looking for him since it was getting late, and that's how he ended up finding him there.

When they got back to the apartment, Alphonse bandaged up Edward. Al offered to make food, but Edward said he wasn't hungry and went to bed. When he shut his eyes he had dreams of being alone.

The train station was flooding with parents with children that were leaving for a relative's house, the mothers were giving the children one last good bye hug before letting them board the train, tears swimming in their eyes. The only thing that lightened the mood were the children who told them they were being too emotional and that they would be fine.

Down near the end of the train was Edward giving Alphonse a sad smile. "Just be safe, brother." Alphonse said, handing Ed his suitcase. Ed accepted the suitcase. "I should be the one telling you that." Ed laughed, trying to sound as happy as possible, but that just made him feel worse. "You don't need to worry about me, brother, I've got Ms. Hughes, Colonel Mustang, and all the officers to look after me. You just care about yourself." Al said. "Last call for Tokyo, all must board now." cried the intercom. It was time. Al gave Ed a last hug and stepped back from the train.

"Right," said Ed. "well, I guess I'll be seeing y-"

"OH, EDWARD ELRIC" suddenly, something tall and muscular came from behind Edward, picked him up, and gave him a spine popping hug. Ed tried to yell, but was cut of by the suffocating squeeze that came with the hug.

"Go easy on him, Major. You don't want to kill him" said a familiar voice. Instead of trying to help his brother against the attacker, Alphonse just laughed. "Colonel, Major Armstrong, what are you doing here?"

Armstrong set the half-dead alchemist down. "Someone needs to look after Edward, and the colonel picked me for the job." At this, Edward glared at Mustang, but he couldn't say anything because of the surprise attack. Mustang found this extremely amusing, but didn't show it. "Don't even start Fullmetal, it wasn't my idea to have someone look after you, so don't complain to me." the Colonel stated before Ed could make a comment. Edward was all argued out so he just went with it.

Before Ed could get on the train himself, Armstrong hoisted him under his arm with one last 'so long' to Alphonse and the Colonel and climbed aboard. The train started to move after the two travelers found a place to sit. Edward stared out the window towards his brother, who was waving goodbye. Be safe.

Off they went, towards a new home, and new future.