A/N: Hey guys! I've materialized from the world of relentless one-shots to bring you a new project of mine! This is a story I intend to build on over time, with your reviews as motivation, of course. This chapter was written to set it up. Tell me what you think!
Chapter 1: Heavy Stuff
Two weeks ago, Edward Elric sat alone at a small table in a local coffee shop, reading that day's newspaper. Around him, the shop buzzed with activity, people ordering their highly-caffeinated drinks in order to wake them up for a long day…at their jobs. He envied them, their busy lives and their sense of purpose. These people were making money for their families. He was sitting by himself, looking desperately for employment in the classifieds, circling things he had even a small possibility of qualifying for.
The ex-militant returned to Amestris two and a half years after visiting other countries and learning so much about other cultures and uses of alchemy. Alphonse, however, returned to Central after only a year in Xing, having gathered plenty of information on alkahestry and having had seen it being used with the experience authentic only to the Xingese themselves. He had planned to live there, but his heart was calling him back to Amestris after spending so much time there with so many unfamiliar faces. He was able to afford a two bedroom apartment with his salary as a publisher, right at the heart of Central. When Ed came back, Al welcomed him with open arms.
After Edward began to feel useless without contributing to the rent, he began looking for jobs. He had searched many places for an opportunity of employment, but even with his old famous title, he just didn't have enough qualifications. He eventually turned to Alphonse, asking him to put in a good word for him at his office. He was doing everything in his power to avoid having to settle for, yet again, a military job. After his application (even with a strong recommendation from his brother) to the Amestrian Publishing Office fell through, he wound up at the doorstep to the building he had entered angrily so many times before. His emotions weren't too different this time around.
In a passive-aggressive manner, he maneuvered himself to Mustang's office; he wasn't sure where else to go in order to get re-employed. Foolishly, he instinctively went to his old office to find it inhabited by an officer he didn't recognize. Confused, he asked the man he could find Roy Mustang, to which the man directed him to the highest floor, a bit taken aback by his informality. Right, Ed forgot…the man had been promoted to full-fledged General years ago. He made his way up the building and finally found the room with Mustang's official title engraved on a brass plate on the wall next to the door. He took a lung-filling breath and then pushed the doors open, not sure whether or not he actually wanted to find the man on the other side.
"What is it, you know I really can't afford any more distractions –Fullmetal!" Mustang said, looking up from his work. "What are you doing here?"
"You seem excited to see me," The blond regarded him casually, taking a seat in one of the chairs he had in front of his large desk. "Besides, I hardly think that title is applicable anymore." He slouched in the seat, spreading his legs and getting comfortable.
"Sorry, I'm just surprised. It's been years," He replied.
"Yeah, it has," Edward said. "Look, I'm actually here…looking for a job," He stubbornly refused eye contact.
Mustang looked at him incredulously. "A job? But you're retired from the military."
"If you're saying you don't have any positions, I can just leave!" He spoke hastily, sitting up slightly. Mustang casually shuffled a few of the papers on his desk.
"We might be able to find you something," He responded, disregarding his tone. "But it could be hard, considering you're no longer able to perform alchemy."
Edward narrowed his eyes, knowing the older man was right. "Are you saying there's nothing I can do here?"
Mustang sighed, regarding the youth directly. "I'm not sure. If you're really in a bind here, I guess we could find something for you. Your reputation might get you somewhere good this time," He jabbed.
Edward left that building with vague opportunities and little reassurance. A few days later, he got a call from the General himself. After a few snide remarks and continuous doubts of his capabilities, Mustang informed him that he did prove to be of some use to the military, which was the use of information itself. Although he couldn't demonstrate or apply it, Ed had an extensive knowledge of alchemy. The military wanted to use his high intelligence to not only provide them with information they didn't have, but to teach new recruits. Even in his desperation for work, he was reluctant to accept at first, not liking the whole teacher stigma. After Mustang casually mentioned that the only apprehension the military had about his employment was his temper, he was much quicker to accept the position in an attempt to prove himself.
Edward worked rather diligently his first few days on the job, teaching recruits new things and the dangers that came with them. In any spare time he had on the job, he was to write information about whichever specific branch of alchemy the military requested. After all, he had no specialization and had always studied a broad range of the art. When he found himself lacking in any particular region, he were to research it extensively. It was a lot of work that often seemed tedious, but he knew that's what he had signed up for.
One week ago, Edward had been called into General Mustang's office for who knows what.
"What's this about, Mustang?" Ed asked, concerned because he was rarely called in directly. "I'm not getting fired or anything, am I?"
"No, nothing like that. Take a seat," He responded. He did as he was told.
"Edward, do you know anything about the conflict in Bamacrowe?" Mustang asked, his tone serious.
"Bamacrowe?" He said, confused. "That's that small town in the west, right?"
"So I take it you know nothing," He said resolutely. Ed shook his head.
"We'll get straight to it, then." He idly straightened a few things on his desk. "There's an alchemist living there named Randall Hummer. He was no former state alchemist or anything, but he actually was up for a position similar to your current one many years ago," Mustang informed. Ed crossed his legs and popped his neck.
"So why didn't he get the job?" He asked, minimally interested.
"He simply wasn't qualified enough," He responded. Edward snorted, and he was? "And honestly," Mustang continued, "He's quite off-putting. Not the face we wanted representing us to the new recruits." Edward nodded understandingly. There was a brief lull in the conversation as the general chose his next words.
"Several tenants of the town have been reporting to the West City authorities some suspicious activity relating to Hummer," The older man spoke.
"Wait, what does this have to do with me?" Ed asked, cautious of the answer. Mustang sighed.
"Bamacrowe has also reported several inexplicable cases of homicide," He explained, ignoring his question. "Ten reported, to be exact. We think they're related."
"So you think this guy's committing murder because he's suspicious? What's his field?" Mustang looked pained.
"We don't know," He said. "We want you to find out."
"Me?" Ed asked, surprised. "Don't you think that's something you should have figured out during his interview?!" He raised his voice.
"The guy was secretive!" He defended. "He was so quiet that we were surprised he even showed up. He wouldn't even tell us why he wanted the job in the first place."
Edward rubbed his temples, unsure how he felt about going on a mission after all of these years. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared for his own defenses. During his travels in the west, he was injured a few times simply from the brush-ups he got in with the thieves and crooks that skulked about. He still had yet to learn how to fight efficiently without the aid of alchemy. Coupled with the replacement of his automail arm with his real one, his fighting technique was slowly undergoing some significant changes. Too slowly, if you asked him.
"I don't know if I'm ready," He mumbled.
"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that," Mustang asked, having indeed caught that.
"I said I don't know if I'm ready!" He yelled.
"You don't know if you're ready?" He regarded him in disbelief. "What could you possibly have to prepare?"
"I'm rusty," Ed admitted. Funny, with the absence of his metal limbs, he described himself as 'rusty'. "I'm not sure how I could fare if I were to get into a fight," He said dejectedly. Mustang waved a dismissal hand.
"I'm sure you'll be fine. Any 'fight' you would possibly get in would be minor if that," He assured.
Edward mulled over this information, concentrating intensely on the proposition. On one hand, he felt powerless and angry even that he had to feel concerned over his own safety, like he had to doubt his own skills. On the other hand, he could use some action and excitement in his life. Part of him missed the adrenaline rush that came with intense and potentially life-threatening combat. He realized his input probably wouldn't matter anyway if he planned on keeping his job.
"So you'll do it then?" Mustang confirmed passively.
"Yeah, I guess," Edward agreed. "I wouldn't be court-martialed for bringing along Al, would I?" He exaggerated.
"Go ahead," He said. "We would like this investigation started as soon as possible. The next train to Lisberth leaves tomorrow at o-eight-hundred hours." Edward sighed, knowing very well he couldn't argue about the time at which a train departs.
"Alright," He said, standing to leave. "I'll go."
Today, Edward was regretting staying up late as he completed the rest of his natural sleeping cycle on the train. Alphonse gently shook him, rousing him from his heavy slumber. Ed was momentarily dazed as he evaluated his surroundings: they had just arrived at the train station. 'Already?' He thought, checking his watch. They made it on the dot: four P.M. 'I slept until four?' The brothers hazily shuffled off the packed train, luggage in tow.
"This is so exciting!" Al proclaimed. "Just like old times!"
Ed smiled, nudging his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, just like back then."
Ed stretched, relieving the various cramps and sense of stiffness that came with riding the train for hours. Al yawned, rubbing the tiredness out of his eye. They had, after all, taken the early train from Central. The train only went as far as Lisberth; they would have to take a secondary route to accomplish the rest of the trip.
Edward didn't know what to expect from this investigation. Like in previous years, he was given a general idea of what he was to accomplish and an even vaguer notion of what to expect from a small town he had never visited before, seeing as he had no reason to. On top of the inevitable uncertainties that came with any mission, Ed had been out of the job for a little over two years…but this didn't mean he hadn't seen any action during that time. It was nothing compared to the consistent skirmishes he encountered in Amestris prior to his travels to western countries, but he did encounter some trouble during said travels. It seemed that he could never get away from it. Not that he minded, he was more than used to it…besides, it gave him a semblance of purpose. He was learning to fight without the use of alchemy, something he'd obviously been intending to do.
"Alright Al, so how'd you wanna get to Bamacrowe?" Ed asked, casually surveying their surroundings.
"What? You mean you didn't plan how we're to actually get there?"
Ed looked at him peaceably. "Didn't think it really mattered. Want to walk then?"
"With our suitcases and everything?" Al asked.
"It's not like we haven't done it before," He reminded.
'Yeah,' Al thought. 'When I didn't have a body that would get tired.' Regardless, the boys started walking in the direction of the small town. Al wasn't sure which way to go, but Ed seemed to be sure enough for the both of them. Time lapsed painfully slowly as the brothers trekked on through the countryside. Even though it was late in the year and the weather was rather chilly, enough physical exertion caused the younger brother to sweat; he began questioning his brother's humanity as he noticed the walk had not fazed him physically. On foot, the trip would then be measured in the span of hours. It had been one and a half before Al regarded the arduous walk.
"How long…" Al began, practically panting. "Was walking supposed to take?"
Ed indifferently referred to his watch. "About another hour," He informed. "Why, you tired?"
Al looked at him as if it should be obvious. "Yeah, actually, I am."
"Oh, alright." Edward then plopped right down into the grass near the trail, his suitcase falling near him. Al regarded him momentarily with disbelief, under the impression they would stop at an actual establishment, but quickly decided that, in light of his physical struggle, he wouldn't be picky. A little less than graciously, he joined his brother, who at that moment seemed to be deep in thought as he stared down the trail in the direction they were heading. His face was blank. Usually Alphonse didn't bother his brother when he was in such a deep and thoughtful state, but this pensiveness seemed to be dotted with a little more sadness than he was used to seeing.
"Brother," He broke the silence, quickly gaining Ed's attention. "What's troubling you?" Al knew his brother better than anyone; the straightforward question was appropriate.
Ed looked into his eyes. His expression gave him away quickly, and Al could tell he was trying to fabricate a reason for his consistent silence. The older brother sighed, knowing he couldn't get around his brother's intuition.
"Winry," He spoke finally.
Al was surprised. "What's wrong with Winry?"
"Nothing's wrong with her," Ed began. "It's me."
He became a bit impatient with the vague answers. "What do you mean?"
Edward wistfully cast his gaze towards the sky, in which the sun was now quickly setting. Al studied his brother's expression as countless words weaved through Ed's mind, the boy obviously unsure of which ones to chose. A couple times he looked as though he were about to speak, but held his tongue. This was another thing Al was used to seeing from Ed, as he didn't pressure him to speak. He knew his answer would come eventually and any rushing of the impatient male's thoughts would result in an even longer wait.
"I don't think I can give her what she wants."
Al stared at him. It was obviously something that had been plaguing his mind for a long while, and he knew that confession in itself was a lot for him to admit. Still, he didn't quite understand what he was referring to…a lot of things could be interpreted from that statement.
"Brother, clarify please."
The older blond finally made eye contact with his brother, effectively destroying his aloof demeanor. "She wants me to settle down. Move to Resembool with her, maybe even start a family," Ed explained, his tone thwarted.
"And…you're not sure about taking that next step?" Al questioned.
He stared at him like the problem should be the most apparent thing in the world. "No, Al, I'm not ready to settle down," He confessed. "And honestly, I don't think I'll ever be. That's just not who I am."
"I don't understand," Al reasoned. "You moved to Central to settle down, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but what am I doing now? I'm not stuck there, I'm off doing stuff…adventuring."
No more needed to be said for the issue to come to light. The evidence was overt before it was even spoken, and was detectable with a bit of thought. Al supposed he just hadn't really thought about it. Winry was a real home-dweller, regardless about whether or not that is a result of her own discretion. She needed security and safety. Edward, on the other hand, could not stay in one place for very long, whether it's from room to room or city to city. He was an obvious victim of wanderlust for many reasons; the most driving one being his insatiable thirst for not only knowledge, but apparently action as well.
"It's selfish, what I'm doing to her," Ed spoke, shaking Al from his thoughts. "She doesn't deserve to be worried about me all the time, or to be waiting for me all the time. I've put her through enough."
"But wait, didn't she say men who lay around doing nothing are boring? Are you sure you didn't misinterpret her when she asked this of you?"
Edward sat a moment, trying to recall Winry's words. "I don't know," He admitted. "I guess she changed her mind."
The younger man nodded understandingly. "So what are you going to do about it?"
"The only thing I can do," Ed grumbled. "I have to break her heart."
Both brothers felt the downhearted tension the last statement immediately wrought. Alphonse wanted to say something to console him, tell him that it didn't have to come to that, but he could tell his brother made his mind up about it long before he had uttered a word on the topic. The pair had undeniable chemistry, but that wasn't enough to maintain a healthy relationship. He resorted to a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry," He muttered.
"Don't be," Ed said, resolute. He stood up. "That's some pretty heavy stuff. What do you say we get the rest of this stupid walk over with? I'm starved." He offered a hand to his younger brother.
Al smiled, accepting his aid. "Of course."