Sand. Sand. Dying of thirst. Metal absorbs enough heat to peel flesh when touched. Underneath the ground, in the coolness, scorpions lurk. Poisonous scarabs, too. Mistaking the runoff from a military vehicle for water. Thirsty enough to drink blood…and there was plenty of it around…
"Hei!" The scream jolted him out of his slumber, dying away at the edges of his consciousness as he sat up abruptly. The pain in his shoulder caused him to lose his breath for a second and then he remembered.
Shion dead. Yin and Suou imprisoned. Mao lost.
Yin's delicate features and shy half-smile rose before his eyes, and the pain he felt intensified. His heart hammered around in his chest. If harm had come to her…his brain became dizzy with the terrifying possibility. I would know. I would know. He was supposed to have gone to the prison with her. He was supposed to have controlled the twins.
The contractor took a shallow breath. He'd slept more deeply than he had intended, and dreamt, too, though all that remained of his nightmares now was the lingering scream and the sense of deep terror on Yin's behalf. Glancing over at the other couch, he confirmed that the younger alchemist was already awake – the couch was empty, the blankets neatly folded at one end. Judging by the sun, which was threatening its way around the curtains, it was around seven. Lying back down in an effort to relax, Hei found his thoughts drifting. His body was sore because of the awkward position he'd been forced to sleep in with his hands cuffed, and the burn from the previous night throbbed.
The sound of raised voices from the bedroom caught his attention. He sat up again, with some difficulty, and tried to listen, but the closed door muffled the sound. Hei sat and listened anyway until the door finally flew open.
"Nii-san, quiet, you'll wake – " Al trailed off mid-whisper. "Oh. Good morning."
Ed gestured at him. "Get up. I'm taking you to processing."
"Please wait," Al protested, evidently picking up where they had left in their argument of a few moments before. "At least have breakfast before you go."
"I'd like that," Hei ventured. "I don't imagine the prison fare is very good."
Simultaneously the shorter brother told him to shut up while Al said, "Oh, it's fine, we even eat there sometimes instead of cooking…you shouldn't be so rude, Nii-san."
Ed seemed to be struggling between his desire to have Hei out of their quarters (he inferred that was the source of the argument) and his desire for breakfast. While he thought over it, Al made his way to the kitchen. "I'll make crepes," he offered.
Breakfast seemed to have won. Both of the brothers were in pajamas, anyway. Ed padded back into the bedroom while Al made busy-sounding noises in the kitchenette behind Hei. When Ed shut the bedroom door, presumably to get dressed, the younger brother left what he was doing and came over to Hei's side.
"Good morning," he said with a tired but bright smile. "How did you sleep?"
"Fine, thank you."
"I'm sorry about my brother. He isn't much of a morning person."
Hei shook his head, returning Al's smile. "Really, it's fine."
The young man's body relaxed, displaying his relief. Studying his face, Hei thought wonderingly, They really are still just children…
It was rare that he was around children of such power who weren't mostly devoid of human emotion. Even Suou, who was remarkably imbalanced for a contractor, had an overall cool edge to her emotional displays. He wondered how she was handling her brother's death. Since there'd been no news of violence in the prison, he guessed that she was stable, at least for the moment.
"How is your shoulder? Can I look at it for you?" Noticing Hei's surprise, Al smiled again. "I'm usually the one who works with the new contractors when they come in to Central. I'm used to the rudiments of treating wounds."
Hei nodded and offered his shoulder willingly. Al clapped his hands and undid the handcuffs, making it easier for him to examine the contractor. "What about your brother?"
"Nii-san conducts most of the research." Carefully, Al unwrapped the burn and examined it. It was not serious, but could use a fresh dressing. He fetched some things from the kitchen and then came back, motioning for Hei to take his shirt off. His touch was smooth and practiced; Hei barely felt a twinge, though it felt odd to be tended to with such care by an alchemist. Al's face was screwed up in deep concentration while Hei watched him in silence.
"So I'm a test subject, am I? Or will be soon, at any rate."
The concentrated look on Al's face was momentarily disrupted by a flicker of some emotion (regret? sadness? Hei had occasional trouble with recognition) before smoothing itself out again. "We don't like to think of it that way," he explained. "We're trying to figure all of this out for your sakes, as well. If we understood how contractors operate under the laws of alchemy, then the people wouldn't be so frightened and there would be less social strife."
"We don't like to think of it that way?" Hei repeated. "Do you speak for your brother as well? Or the military at large?"
"I can't possibly speak for the other state alchemists." Al paused, nearly done with his work, to glance toward the bedroom door, but it remained shut. "Things have been difficult for my brother lately. He's not usually like this."
"Hm." Al finished, and Hei shrugged the ripped shirt back on as the bedroom door swung open. Ed's frown became deeper as he saw what his younger brother had been doing, but he made no comment. Instead, he returned to the desk where they had been working the previous night, sat down, and began lacing up his boots. Hei caught the gleam of metal through the gaping tongue. Automail. So this shorter one, the older brother, was the supposed genius.
"Breakfast will be ready in a minute," Al called from the kitchenette. Hei took this as the signal to rise. To his credit, Ed only stiffened a little when Hei sat down opposite of him, but he went on lacing his boots nonetheless. It seemed a little sleep had made him more tractable.
Deciding to try his luck, Hei addressed the alchemist. "Would it be alright if I gave your brother a hand in the kitchen?"
For a good half minute there was no reply, and finally Ed grunted his assent. Hei rose again, careful to move slowly, and made his way to the kitchenette. As he walked, he took the opportunity to glance around the quarters more carefully.
The main room consisted of the two couches, the large desk (which also seemed to serve as a table), a smaller coffee table and a few rugs. The only ostentatious thing about the living quarters were the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, which spanned two walls. They were covered in thick, musty-looking tomes. Partially sectioned off, on the left of the main entrance, was a small kitchenette, and to the back of the room was one door. Only one bedroom for the two of them, Hei noted, and the bathroom must be in there as well. There were two pairs of small windows on opposite sides of the main room, which looked out, respectively, onto the courtyard and the street. It was somewhat bare, but a decent home, for military quarters.
In the kitchenette, Hei found Alphonse juggling three things at once – the crepes, a frying pan with eggs, and a whistling teakettle – and offered to relieve him. The younger brother accepted his help gratefully. The kitchen was something of a mess (understandable, Hei thought, for two children living alone), but seemed well-stocked. While he finished the eggs, Al poured tea and transferred the crepes to three plates. Together they carried out the food, Hei recognizing with something akin to regret that he would have to curb his usual appetite.
They ate in silence for a few minutes aside from Ed's initial praise for his brother's cooking. Food also seemed to put the older alchemist in a better mood, though Hei noted that the crepes were gooey, and the eggs under-seasoned. The tea tasted as if it had steeped for a while too long, as well. He couldn't afford to be picky on a completely empty stomach, however. After some time had passed, Hei ventured another question directed at Ed: "So what will happen when you take me for processing?"
Not bothering to look up from the book he was skimming (in spite of Al's protest of "Nii-san, please don't read at the table") Ed shrugged. "You'll find out when you get there."
"I'm not used to being a prisoner."
Both brothers glanced up at this. "It really isn't like that," Al protested. "Every contractor gets their own quarters, not too different from these. We want to work with you. While this law is in place – "
"Al." The older brother cut him off. Addressing Hei, he replied, "You'll get used to it. If you didn't want to be here, you shouldn't have been skulking around in Central in the first place."
Now it was Hei's turn to shrug. "That's true enough. But I couldn't very well entrust the children to anyone else. I could hardly have imagined that one of them would be killed in order for me to be here." He paused. "I didn't think the military was detaining prisoners of war any longer."
Al was glaring at his brother over the empty plates. "Nii-san."
Ed sighed, and seemed to struggle with himself. Eyes glued back on his book, he said in a low voice, "I apologize for your loss. And…for last night. I was tired. You're not a prisoner, and there's no…war. We just can't have you wandering around the city; it makes the people nervous."
"I understand," Hei acknowledged. "I know it must be difficult, with the events of last month still fresh in everyone's minds."
The alchemist's head shot up. "What do you know about what happened last month?"
Hei looked surprised. "Every information net has leaks," he said, by way of explanation. "I heard that there were contractor-related murders somehow connected to the military. Your brother mentioned that the last month has been difficult for you, so I assumed..."
"You know nothing," Ed shot back. His left hand clenched and began to tremble slightly.
Chastised, Hei fell silent. "I'm sorry." A glance in the younger brother's direction confirmed the preliminary report he had been given; they had been personally connected to the murders. It looked as if both of them were suffering under the burden, and Hei understood implicitly that they had not been able to bring themselves to talk about it honestly. Strange, considering how close they seemed. But then, they were children, he reminded himself; he'd been able to witness that with his own eyes.
Abruptly Ed rose. "Let's go. I want to get this over with."
Hei had no choice but to comply.
Once in processing, however, things did not go smoothly. Hei watched impassively as the young alchemist raged at the female officer in charge of booking.
"A transfer to Western Headquarters? On whose authority?"
The officer was clearly intimidated, but she struggled not to show it. "It's mainly a problem of overcrowding, sir. State regulations indicate that we must keep a certain ratio of contractors to other prisoners, and with the one we brought in last night…"
Ed swore under his breath, though audibly enough for both Hei and the officer to catch. The latter colored furiously, while Hei allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his lips. When Ed whirled to glare at him, though, he quickly replaced the smile with a blank expression, though inwardly he was just as alarmed at the suggestion as Edward had been. This wasn't a contingency he'd planned for.
Time passed, and Hei observed that the young man appeared to be thinking hard. From the grimace he pulled, it was not a particularly pleasant thought, but since he didn't curse any further, it seemed to be something more palatable than the option of Hei's transfer.
Turning back to the officer, Ed explained, "This is an important research subject. I'd rather not lose him. Are there any other options?"
"Well…" She did not seem particularly happy to discuss the subject with him. "Some of the other alchemists have kept subjects in their personal quarters, though you would have to obtain special permission via Colonel Mustang – "
Ed cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I know damn well about that option." The line of his mouth had hardened. "Are there any other ways?"
The officer's gaze flicked from Ed to Hei, whose hands had been re-cuffed in front of him, and she lowered her voice considerably. "There is one other way. Depending on the sort of research you're looking to carry out, there's always room in cold storage…"
Though Hei heard, understood, and did not flinch, Ed recoiled as if he'd been bitten. Turning on his heel, he announced, "We're leaving."
Hei followed him as the officer called, "Sir! Please! You have to clear this!"
The young man ignored her. As they boarded the elevator, Hei said quietly, "Thank you."
Ed's face looked annoyed, as if the gratitude was a burden. "Don't thank me. I need you alive, and I don't want those idiots out at Western Headquarters stealing more of my research material." He checked his watch and sighed. "I have to report to work soon. I'm going to drop you off back at the apartment. Al is working from there today, I think."
"You trust me alone with your younger brother?"
"Don't make me laugh. Actually," Ed seized Hei's arm, spun him around, and yanked up the back of his shirt, examining Al's work and 'hmph'ing in satisfaction at what he saw. "He's better at hand-to-hand combat than I am, so without your ability, he'd probably be the better matched of the two of us. That is, if you were foolish enough to try something like that, and I doubt you are, given that we have your companions in our custody."
When Hei turned back around, he was nearly nose to nose – considering Ed's height, it was closer to nose to hairline – with the alchemist, whose golden eyes were glaring at him fiercely. He smiled mildly and was gratified to see Ed's eyebrow twitch in frustration. "I wasn't planning on anything."
"Good." They had reached the brothers' quarters sooner than Hei expected. He realized that Ed had taken him to and from the prison a different way each time, and thinking back over it he was unsure he could find it unaided. The kid was smarter than he seemed.
To say that Al was surprised at his return was an understatement. This was not helped by the fact that Ed said simply, by way of explanation, "He's staying here. I have to get to work," and left, leaving Al gaping at his brother's departure. When he turned to Hei for an explanation, the contractor smiled a little and shrugged.
"You couldn't get rid of me, it seems."
Al poured some more tea for them while Hei explained.
"I see. I guess it's a good thing that I told Nii-san about your lack of remuneration, or he might have let you go." Noticing the look on Hei's face, he continued, "Not that it feels very good to have your conditions of life determined by your value as research material, I'm sure." He clapped, reached over, and gently touched the handcuffs around Hei's wrists. They fell away, and the contractor nodded his thanks and picked up his cup of tea. Al's face remained thoughtful. "In a way, I know what that feels like."
Interesting. Hei let the comment pass, but made a mental note of it. "The officer mentioned that other alchemists kept contractors in their quarters." Noting Al's pronounced wince, Hei changed tactics. "Are there many other researchers here?"
Al gave him a strange look. "For someone who didn't want any part of this, you sure are curious."
Hei smiled again and did not reply, figuring it best not to push his luck. The boy was not suspicious – not yet – perhaps unlike his older brother, but it was wise not to say anything else to rouse his suspicions.
As they sipped their tea, Hei studied Al without seeming to. He was a good head taller than his younger brother, and both his hair and his eyes were a few shades darker. In contrast to Ed's long braid, Al wore his hair short and tousled, and was a little on the scrawny side, although the cut of his jaw was less pronounced than his brother's.
Perhaps most startling was the difference in expression – Ed's face was solemn, bordering on sullen, closed-off, his eyes sharp and penetrating; Al's disposition, on the other hand, was open and engaging, though the perceptive gleam in his eyes mirrored that (if less aggressive) of his brother.
Some time passed before Al answered anyway, as Hei had suspected he might. With the tension between him and his older brother, the young man seemed starved for some friendly company.
"Most of the State Alchemists here participate in contractor research from one angle or another. We're learning a lot about alchemy that wasn't possible before. Even if they don't work with contractors directly, there are alchemists who work on Gate-related studies, and those who work with Dolls." Al swallowed another mouthful of tea, and then sighed. "All right. Speaking of work, I've got to get to mine." As he rose, instinctively Hei stood as well. "Let's get you settled in first."
Al guided Hei to the bedroom, where he picked out a shirt and pair of pants and, a little unsure, transmuted them so that they would fit. Hei watched with interest. "The fabric might be a thin," Al explained, "but they'll do for the time being. And they're better than the standard issue down at the lab. Would you like to shower before you change?"
"That would be great."
"The bathroom is through that door, to the right. Just let me check your array…" Unlike Ed, Al waited for Hei to turn and lift the hem of his shirt before examining his back. "Looks good. If you need anything, I'll be in the living room." With a small smile Al left, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Momentarily, Hei marveled that he had been left alone in the bedroom. He noticed, however, small arrays etched into the windowsill and into various drawers around the room. Probably anything valuable or interesting was kept locked up. Before going to the bathroom, Hei took stock of the bedroom. As he'd thought, there was only one double bed. The walls of the bedroom were covered with bookshelves. Here, too, amidst the books, were the only decorative objects Hei had yet seen in the apartment – several framed photographs and an assortment of curious-looking artifacts. He bent to examine a photograph which had been turned facedown in its place, tilting it up to catch the light filtering in from the window.
It was a group photo. Hei identified Ed and the Colonel. There was, in addition, a bearded man with glasses, a young woman with very light blond hair, a little girl of about three or four, and several pretty, middle-aged women in military dress. From the way the bearded man had his arm positioned about one of the woman's shoulders, and hoisted the small girl on his hip, it seemed that trio comprised a family unit. Standing behind all of them was a massive figure in armor. A confusing picture. Hei replaced it and decided not to snoop further.
The bathroom was a bit on the small side, but equipped with a tub, which Hei made use of – he didn't want to risk wetting his burn with a shower. Before he got in, he examined the array Al had drawn on him using the mirror above the sink. Its complex design was totally alien to him. When he recalled the excruciating pain it had caused, his jaw tightened reflexively.
It was the first decent bath he'd had in awhile, and he allowed himself to indulge a bit, lying in the hot water. He'd left both the bedroom and bathroom doors unlocked, in case it struck Al to check on him. Lying there, he forcefully cleared his mind of preoccupations and tried to relax.
Some time passed. Hei was jerked out of a heat-induced reverie by a tapping at the small frosted window above the bathtub. Startled, he realized the water had gone cold and swiftly rose, pulled the plug, grabbed a towel and peered at the window.
It was sealed with alchemy, so he couldn't open it, and the view was glazed over because of the frosted glass, but Hei could just make out the shape of a black cat. "Mao," he said softly.
There was a knocking on the bathroom door. "Li? Are you alright? I thought I heard something."
Hurriedly Li gestured for Mao to move, rubbing himself dry quickly in the meantime. He wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door to reveal a concerned-looking Al. "Ah, sorry about that. I think I must have dozed off in the tub, and then there was an animal on the windowsill…"
Al had politely averted his gaze, but seemed interested nonetheless, his cheeks flushing with nervous excitement. "An animal? Really?"
"Yes – a cat, I think."
"Is it still there? Maybe it's cold and wants to get in."
"I don't think so." Al seemed to have an affinity for animals. "Maybe he'll come around the other side of the building. I'll get dressed, and we could check," Hei suggested.
The young alchemist rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture of embarrassment. "I should probably be concentrating on my work, actually."
"No problem. I can look for you."
Though Al said nothing, and left Hei alone to get dressed, the expression on his face indicated that he would like it if Hei did.
Fully dressed, Hei rubbed his hair as dry as possible with a towel, letting it hang loose for the moment. He studied his face in the mirror and decided not to shave until he was able to procure his own razor. Tidying the bathroom, he left, checking the window in the bedroom for any sign of Mao. Nothing.
In the living room, Al seemed absorbed in his work, but Hei could feel his distracted gaze flicker over to him a couple of times as he checked both windows. He turned to Al to ask if he could open the one facing the courtyard, but before he could speak Al had anticipated his question and was nodding his assent.
"You really like animals, don't you?"
Al cleared his throat, toying with the edge of the document he was working on. "Yes."
"Why don't you keep a pet?" Hei opened the window, letting a burst of cold air rush in.
A pause. "Nii-san prefers that I didn't." Pretense at work abandoned, Al wandered over to the window. Hei was sitting on the sill, enjoying the breeze. "Isn't it cold? Your hair is wet."
"It's fine." Hei spotted a black shape moving along the ground below. "Look! There it is."
Al nearly yipped with delight. "Psst! Here, kitty! Up here!" Mao paused and looked up. Even from this height, Hei could see his back arch in annoyance. The contractor smiled and joined in – just to rub Mao the wrong way – and they both hollered at the black cat until their throats were hoarse, but he refused to budge.
"Maybe if you went and got some food," Hei suggested to Al, sensing what Mao was waiting for.
"Oh, of course." Al disappeared into the kitchenette, and in a flash Mao had scaled the wall by means of a withered ivy vine and was sitting next to Hei, lashing his tail in anger.
"Quit fucking around. Hei, what's going on?"
"Can't tell you everything right now. Why don't you get in here for awhile and we'll see if we can talk? The kid likes animals."
"I can see – " Mao cut himself off as Al returned. Hei scooped him up by the nape of his neck and held him out to an astonished Al.
"Got him."
"Wow…" Al pushed his books aside and set the saucer of tuna fish he'd whipped together down on the table. "He's a big one. I don't see a collar, so maybe he's hungry?"
Hei shrugged, dumping Mao unceremoniously next to the tuna. The latter raised his hackles a fraction of an inch and then contentedly dug into the fish. Al sat down, propping his chin in the palm of his hand and watching with obvious delight.
"Look at his silver earring," Al observed with obvious delight. "I wonder who thought to pierce the ear of a cat? His coat's pretty thick for a stray. You can definitely tell from his crooked tail, though. This is the first time a stray's been in our place in months," he confessed to Hei. "Nii-san usually stops me from bringing them home, but this one came right to us, so I don't think he can be angry with me for that."
"I don't think so either." Hei shut the window and ran a roughed hand over Mao's back, at which the contractor arched his back and purred a little in spite of himself. That's it. Make yourself a little cuter, you look like you spent the night in the gutter. "He could probably use a bath, and maybe a flea collar, but if he's an indoor and outdoor cat, maybe he could be a good pet for you and your brother," Hei ventured. Mao's eyes widened almost comically at the word 'bath', but Alphonse, gently scratching him behind the ears, didn't seem to notice.
"Hmm. Well, I suppose we'll see when Nii-san gets home. For now, though," Al picked up Mao with an expression of regret and put him on the floor, along with the half-empty saucer, "I really should get back to my work."
"Sure." Hei hesitated. "Would it be alright if I borrowed some paper and something to write with?"
Al nodded, pushing a small wooden box toward him. "Help yourself."
Once the alchemist had settled back into his work (though it must be admitted that the margins of his diagrams were filled with sketches of cats) Hei sat down on one of the couches and drafted what appeared to be a letter to Suou, informing her of his current situation. When he had finished, however, and retired to the floor to do some light stretching, Al noticed that the cat had perched itself on the coffee table and was staring very intently at the sheet of paper.
"What a strange cat."
Startled, Mao pretended to have been fascinated by the pen lying on top of the letter, and batted it off the table, then began a half-hearted chase, darting under the couch where it had rolled. The feint had the desired effect: Al threw back his head and laughed, then returned to his work.
On a patch of open floor behind one of the couches, Hei rested on his back after a particularly painful stretch that had irritated his shoulder. Mao squeezed his way out from underneath the couch and gave himself a good shake. Stalking over to Hei, he jumped and landed on his chest. One paw grazed the burn and Hei gritted his teeth.
"Sorry. What's wrong with these guys, don't they know how to clean under a couch?"
Hei raised his eyebrows noncommittally.
"OK, OK." Mao's purplish cat-eyes seemed reflective, somehow. Hei could see himself in them. "I can't believe you want to follow through with this, but I guess I'll stick around. Just make sure that neither of us go the way of Shion."
Papers rustled, and Hei sat up, picking up Mao again by the nape of the neck. When he glanced up, Al was leaning over the couch, watching them. "He likes you a lot. I'm kind of jealous."
"Believe me," Hei said dryly, meeting the cat's unbemused glare with his own, "it's nothing to be jealous about."
