"Wait! Shit, just, wait a minute, I'm not running, ok? You're the guy, the state alchemist killer, right? That's why you're after me? Shit, shit, just, calm down for a second!"
The boy was, indeed, not running away anymore. Nameless had chased the little monkey halfway through the city already, so that was a welcome change. 'Fast and agile, even with his short legs,' he thought, coming to stop a few steps away from the boy. 'But his stamina is almost done for. He can't run away any longer, even if he tries. No harm in giving the misguided child a chance to pray for his soul.
He said as much, but the as the kid recovered his breath, instead of starting to pray, he took off his backpack, throwing it to the side.
"Listen… please listen to me for a minute. You won, alright? I can't run away, I can't fight you, you're scary strong. Just… tell me, what sin are you trying to punish me for? The rest of the people you've killed… It was still terrible, that you did that, but I realize they all fought in Ishval, I know what it means. I know they… weren't innocent. You're going for revenge, right? For your people?"
Nameless' eyes narrowed. His shades got broken at the very beginning of the chase, while the boy was still fresh enough to fight back.
"I don't have to justify myself to you, boy. You are stalling. Time's up…"
"No, wait!"
The boy just barely dodged another attack that would have left him without a head. Nameless was getting tired of the acrobatic little monkey. He's never had this much trouble fighting a state alchemist before. 'If this goes on much longer, the MP's will find us. I have to finish him quickly.'
"I have a little brother!"
Nameless' hand froze, just short of the boy's forehead.
"Please! He's as good as dead without me! He's in trouble, and I'm trying to save him! That's why I joined!"
From this close, Nameless could see the tears running down the boy's face. He also noticed something else, something strange about the boy's position. He'd thrown one hand in front of his body, just survival instinct, nothing interesting here, but the other was clutching the battered backpack, as if it was the post precious thing in the world. He didn't dodge Nameless' last move… because the backpack could have been destroyed instead?
The boy was frozen with fear, hopeless and trembling, and his eyes were squeezed shut, so it was child's play to reach around him and take the bag in one swift move. The boy screamed.
"No! No, please, don't touch it! Please!"
Nameless ignored the increasingly hysterical babbling and reached inside. There were only a few things in the bag. A survival knife. Matches. Bandages, antiseptic… And a worn, but clearly well-loved, teddy bear.
Can his story be true? A state alchemist, a weapon, a machine of endless destruction, a fighter, a little boy, an older brother, a man on a mission. What should matter? What would Ishvala want him to do?
The screeching of slowing vehicles and shouts coming from around the corner broke his contemplation. Nameless decided to take it as a sign. Nothing in this world happens without a reason. He threw the bag, along with the toy, to the child's feet, turned and ran.
The sheer relief Roy felt when he saw Edward in the alleyway, crying and breathing and alive!.. left him breathless. He fell on his knees near the boy, took him by the shoulders, and then swept him into a hug. Edward was shaking fit to fly apart, wet, cold, covered in cuts and bruises, but here. Alive. Whole.
The noise of the car doors slamming, heavy army boots hitting the ground all around them, and the shouting of the men, led by Hughes, deafened him for a minute, so he didn't notice Edward's voice at first.
"I'm ok, I'm ok, we're ok, Al, we're gonna be fine, shhh…"
The boy was hugging the teddy bear, talking to it in a fevered whisper. It was as if he hasn't even noticed Roy at all. Horrified, Roy clutched the child closer, muffling him.
"Edward, it's over, you're safe. Come on, come back to me… "
The babbling quieted down to ragged, hiccupping breaths. The boy tensed. Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Roy let him push himself away slightly, but didn't let go. Ed raised his glassy gaze, as if still disconnected, but the next words out of his mouth were, at least, addressed to reality.
"I'm ok… Thank you, coronel…"
"Ed! You're alright! Thank god, we've been all over the city looking for you, you're not hurt, are you?"
Maes, having finally given his men all necessary instructions, crouched down beside them. Edward shook his head and hugged the plushy even closer. Maes, seeing this, looked to Roy for an explanation, but he had none to give, not here anyway.
