Chapter 2: Aftershock

Thank you so much to all who read my first chapter and/or left a review! I forgot to mention lst chapter, I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way. Sure wish I did, especially Vic Mignogna—I mean—n-nothing! Enjoy!~~~ XD

As reluctant as Edward was to accept the Colonel's help, he decided to suck it up and grab his hand. Being on a train that was about to crash into the abyss below didn't leave him with a whole lot of other options.

"Finally." Mustang remarked. "Now hang on as tight as you can. Trust me, Fullmetal."

Trust him? Weren't they in this situation because he didn't wake him up in the first place? No. That was stupid. The Colonel was a lot of things but clairvoyant wasn't one of them. He didn't know this was coming. Edward had no one to blame but himself for this.

All because he couldn't stop the damn train!

Ed just glared at Mustang. "Fine." He grumbled, hopping onto Mustang's back, his arms wrapping around his neck, piggy-back style.

God, this was humiliating.

Mustang began his ascent through the debris of the train. Everything was turned on it's side, which was a little disorienting, but he pressed on. He had to use the seat booths to climb up to the top where there was an exit point.

Ed was impressed. Mustang didn't seem phased by the weight of his own body and the heft of his automail. Ed knew he was challenged in the height department—ugh-but he certainly wasn't light. It would have been heavy enough if he had just one automail but he had two. Ed felt himself make a pained noise, as much as he tried to stifle it. His back was really, really hurting.

Mustang didn't break stride, if anything this pushed him to go even faster. "You okay back there, Fullmetal?" he asked, refraining from sounding the slightest bit concerned.

"Ye-yeah." Ed replied. It wasn't really a lie. He felt the impact of him landing hard back-first against the train when he fell. As painful as it was, he knew his life wasn't in any danger. But it was just sore as hell. But still, he seemed to be hurting a lot more than he should. He'd been roughed up enough times in his life to handle something as small as this. He then cast his gaze upward—to the sky. Shit, it was overcast and gloomy. That was why he was aching to the extent he was. It was threatening to rain, or even worse, snow.

Ed could always feel when rain or a storm was coming his way. His automail parts would ache like a sonofabitch. The metal would seize and it would become difficult to move, if he could at all. On top of that, the metal limbs felt like they weighed double their usual weight.

Mustang was nearly at the top—to safety. The feeling of relief soon passed when the two heard a loud, droning creak.

Shit.

The car snapped and began to fall down to the depths below. Mustang and Ed were shook off their purchase and began to fall through the car. In one swift motion, Mustang used one arm to grab the nearest booth and the other to grab onto Ed.

Ed began to let out a startled scream until he felt the Colonel catch him.

"You still with me, Fullmetal!?" Mustang called down to him. God, the kid was heavy.

Ed nodded. "Yeah...more or less."

"Okay." Mustang answered. "I need you to climb up to the top. I'll guide you, but you have to get ahead of me. Climb up my body—carefully." It was the only way. Mustang wasn't going anywhere while hanging on to the booth and Fullmetal. Once Ed was up, he could begin worrying about his own climb.

Ed knew this wasn't the time to argue with his superior, so he complied. "Won't it be too heavy on you?"

Mustang scoffed. "Stop worrying about me and just do it." he said. "I'm tougher than you think, kid."

Arrogant bastard.

"Whatever." Ed retorted. Wondering why he even cared about the jerk. With that, he carefully made his way up. Mustang didn't seem to be having a hard time, to Ed's secret relief.

"See? Just like climbing a tree." Mustang assured him.

Ed scoffed. "A Colonel jackass tree." Mustang shook his head. That was Fullmetal for you. Finds a way to be a smart ass despite any situation he's in.

"You've almost got it." Mustang told him. Just as Ed was nearing the booth and off of Roy, the seat began to crack and break. Stupid, cheap, useless train seats! Ed fell backwards, only to have the Colonel catch him again. He felt him grab his automail and throw him as hard as he could up to through the opening of the train, roaring with the effort of the action.

Everything happened so fast. One second he was falling, the next, he was on the grass. On steady ground once more. He remembered being glad he landed on his abdomen as apposed to his back. But the collision with the ground send shock waves of pain throughout him.

A huge crash followed behind him just as he went flying. The train! The train had fallen!

Edward made it to his knees and crawled over to the cliff's edge and peered down.

"COLONEL!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. He didn't seem him. Him or the train. Panic began to spread in his chest. No, not him. Not Colonel Mustang. He couldn't be gone.

"Stop your shrieking, I'm fine!" Ed heard the bastard's voice call to him. He looked around but still didn't see him.

"Colonel?" Ed said in surprise, the ache in his chest fading. "Where are you?"

"Just calm down and look to your left." he sad calmly.

The teen did as he was told and scanned the cliff edge. Then he finally spotted him. Mustang was clung to the side of the cliff, hanging onto a ledge that seemed anything but sturdy. His left arm was limp and his right was starting to buckle.

Why wasn't he climbing up? Mustang just demonstrated that he could climb a wall like that like it was nothing. It was then that Ed spotted it. A pipe from the stupid, piece of shit train had ran Mustang through on the left side of his body, just missing his heart,

Ed let out scared breath. "You're...you're hurt." he said in a weak voice. This injury was his fault. This whole damn mess was his fault. Why couldn't he of just stopped the fucking train!?

"Fullmetal, you have to relax and listen to me, okay?" Mustang said with an amazing amount of calmness given his situation. "This isn't a fatal injury. But I just can't use my arm while I'm, you know, impaled?"

Was that supposed to be funny? Was the bastard really trying to put Ed at ease when he was the one dangling from the side of a mountain? Why? Why would he do something like that? All of this was his doing!

Ed heard Mustang's voice again. "Quit blaming yourself for this and use your damn alchemy to get me back up to you." He said firmly.

Ed didn't give a verbal response. He didn't know what to say. He just nodded and clapped his hands together, and then placed them against the ground. He lifted the section of the rock that Mustang was on to bring him slowly upwards. Mustang sighed in relief when he was finally on solid ground again. The two alchemists took a moment to catch their breath. Soon the moment of reprieve was broken when Mustang's voice turned serious.

"Fullmetal," he said calmly. "I'm going to need you to pull this out for me, okay?" He tried to sound as unaffected as possible. He knew the kid wasn't going to like this one bit. It had to be done though, and he couldn't pull the pipe out himself.

Still looking shaken, Ed nodded his head. "Okay." he said in a meek voice, and scooted beside Mustang. He touched the longer end of the pipe with his hand and snapped part of it off. The less he had to pull out of the man, the better. "Are you...you know, ready?" he asked, grabbing onto the the rest of the pipe.

Mustang just nodded. Ed couldn't believe it. He didn't look in pain or worried at all. Could it be that he had that much faith in him? Or was he just tough as nails after Ishval? Maybe both? It had to be a front, no way a wound like that didn't sting.

Ed took a deep breath and tried to ease the trembling in his hands. "I pull on three." Exhaling one more time Ed began to count. "One-" And then pulled the pipe from Mustang in one quick motion. He heard the Colonel make a muffled groan through gritted teeth. After that, he let out a pained laugh.

"You're so predictable, kid." Mustang chuckled. "I knew you'd pull something like that."

Ed pouted. "I'm not that predictable." He insisted. "I was just trying to make things easier for you. Maybe next time I'll wait until a hundred...ungrateful asshole."

"Don't throw a hissy fit." Mustang said. "I was teasing you." He groaned and looked at his shoulder.

Ed was brought back to reality when he saw that Mustang was bleeding pretty badly. He was growing pale and his breathing becoming more intense. The mask he was putting up to hide the pain was fast crumbling.

"Okay," Mustang began, "maybe it's starting to sting a little bit."

Ed started to look worried again. "What should I do?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know medicinal alchemy, Fullmetal, and I'm going to need you to close the wound for me." he answered. "It doesn't have to be perfect. You just need to stop the bleeding."

Edward hedged a little bit. Sure, he had preformed medicinal alchemy once or twice in the past, but it was hardly his forte. He wasn't confident enough in his skill to heal Mustang safely. He found himself just staring at the bleeding wound for a few beats.

"What if I-" Ed began.

"You won't." Mustang assured him, cutting him off. "You'll do fine. But you have to do it now. If I pass out it will only make things harder on you." He was trying hard not to show it but he was getting dizzy.

Mustang was right. He had to do this and he had to do this now. Ed sucked in a deep breath and looked to the sky. The snow falling gently. He just had to center himself and concentrate. He brought his gaze back to the injury and place his white gloves against it. The blood immediately began to soak his gloves.

Blue electricity began to spark around the wound, but after a few seconds it crackled and faded away. Mustang bit back a scream, but noise still managed to escaped, causing Edward to jump a mile.

Ed jerked back in horror. "I'm so sorry!" he cried.

It took Mustang a few seconds to shake the pain off. "It's okay, Fullmetal." he said. "But you have to try again."

Ed shook his head rapidly side to side. He just couldn't do it. Mustang would just be another casualty in the hellfire of a mission if he tried again.

"No, I can't." Ed's voice trembled out. "Let me just find something to dress the wound with!" He began to scramble to try and find something to do just that, when he felt Mustang firmly grab his hand.

"That won't work." Mustang said. "The pipe went all the way through. Dressing it would slow the bleeding, but not stop it. You have to try again." he repeated. He took Ed's hand and brought it back to his shoulder. "You're too into your own head. It sapping your focus. Just relax and concentrate."

Mustang sounded so calm. You wouldn't have any idea he was bleeding out.

Ed closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "You can do this." He heard Mustang say gently. He was right. Ed was the Fullmetal Alchemist. Closing a wound wasn't something he couldn't handle. This was child's play compared to all he's accomplished. And his Colonel's life was on the line. He had far too many good insults to call him before he croaked.

Moments later, the faint blue light returned, only this time, more strong and fierce, closing the wound closed beautifully. Soon after, Ed collapsed on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. Medicinal alchemy was the stuff of miracles, but it was very taxing on the user. If it was performed without the use of a Philosopher's Stone, it fed on the life force of the user. Edward wasn't in any danger but it still was exhausting.

Mustang's grunt of pain faded into a sigh of relief. He turned to his subordinate and patted him on the shoulder. "See? I told you you could do it. Great job, Fullmetal." he said with a smile. "Thanks."

Ed blushed and looked away, brushing off the Colonel's gratitude. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Next time you can be your own damn nurse."

Mustang chuckled. "You can sure heal wounds, but your beside manner needs work, kid."

Ed opened his mouth to snap back again, when he saw a shady looking figure sneak into a cave a little ways ahead. He titled his head in the direction of the figure so Mustang could see it.

"What do you bet that he's up to something shady?" Edward asked.

"Well, he's out here in a near blizzard heading for a dark, dank cave. I don't think shady begins to cover it. Mustang remarked. "Can you walk?" he asked, looking to Edward.

"Pssh." Ed uttered in response. Sure, he felt drained and his back was sore as all hell but he could handle it. No problem. "I'm not the one that was ran through by some measly old pipe. I got this. Let's get moving."

"I was only ran through because I was trying to save your scrawny, little ass." Mustang retorted with a smirk.

"DON'T CALL ME SO SMALL I BLEND IN WITH THE SNOWFLAKES!" Ed screamed at him. When someone tended to call him out on his...'height deficiency' as he called it, he only heard the adjective used to do it.

So, the two headed towards the cave. They only had walked a few feet when Mustang stopped suddenly. "Seriously, if you feel like it's too much, speak up." he said. "That's an order."

Ed snorted. "Whatever." Why did people always underestimate him? Didn't they know how awesome he was? He was the youngest alchemist to get into the military. He wasn't some child that couldn't defend himself.

Mustang was very aware that the only way to get the kid to cooperate was to order it, sometimes not even then. Even so, Fullmetal never asked for help. To him it was a sign of weakness. He always thought he had to get by on his own, carrying the guilt of not only his actions, but Al's as well. Still, Ed was in a lot more pain than he was letting on.

Damn stubborn kid.