Disclaimer: Everything Fullmetal Alchemist is owned by Hiromu Arakawa
It has been three days since the Elric Brothers have arrived in East City. The brothers were on their way to General Mustang's office when an officer called out to them.
"Colonel Elric, sir! A package for you!" the officer said and immediately scampered back after handing it to Edward.
Edward took the package wondering where it came from when a little note came fluttering down.
"Brother, look. The one who sent it left a note" Al said, picking up the note from the floor.
"Really, so, who's this from?" Ed asked, more interested in the package than the note.
"It's from Colonel Armstrong, brother. Here, Read it" Al answered his brother, handing him the note.
Passing the note to his brother, Ed read:
Please wear this for your meeting with the General. I believe this should be comfortable enough and it can be easily hidden under that atrocious red coat of yours
Colonel Armstrong
"That bitch!" Edward Elric growled, his eyes filled with pure rage.
"Aren't we bright and early chief!"
Approaching the brothers was a tallish man with short blond hair, biting down an unlit cigarette.
"Captain Havoc!" Al greeted, trying to divert his brother's attention from the offending package.
"Hi Al! How you doing?" Havoc greeted back. Noticing the package on Ed's hands, he said "So, that one's for the chief! C'mon! Open it!"
"You know about this?" Ed asked Havoc.
"Of course I should! I'm actually surprised she did not change the original packaging..."
Edward took a good look at the package. Wrapped in brown paper, it was secured with twine and a small tag that says 'Havoc General Store. Est. 1835'. He Glared at Havoc, silently demanding an explanation.
"Oi! Don't look at me like that! Colonel Armstrong just ordered the package three days ago. She says it will be used today. "
Ed does not look convinced. At all.
"The Colonel's weird that way, she's all surprises. Why don't you open it, see what you make out of it." Havoc said, holding his hands up in surrender.
The brothers then took a good look at the package delivered to them. Carefully, they untied the twin and tore off the wrapping.
"Arm guards?" Al asked Havoc
"Yep! Not the usual ones. The Colonel specifically asked for steel ones, she says it has to be steel. C'mon chief! Try it on!"
Ed grudgingly put the arm guards on. Surprisingly, the arm guards fit nicely.
"Well I'll be damned! The measurements Colonel gave me fit perfectly..." Havoc said, chuckling to himself. "See you later! General Mustang should be in his office right now." he said. After a thought, he whispered to the brothers "You best be going now. He's in the best mood when after the Colonel brings him coffee."
Before any of the brothers can think of how to reply, Jean Havoc has already walked away.
About half an hour later shouting match can be heard from a certain General's office.
If one Edward Elric shouting for all the life of him can be counted as a shouting match, that is.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT HAS BEEN DENIED? I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION HERE MUSTANG!"
"Fullmetal, how many times do I have to tell you? The deliberation has already been completed. The request for your retirement has been denied." Mustang argued back, hands cradling his forehead in an attempt to stave off the oncoming headache.
"A DAMN LOAD OF BULLSHIT MUSTANG! THERE'S NO REASON WHY MY REQUEST SHOULD BE DENIED!"
"The board has already declared the reasons you have specified insufficient to warrant an early retirement."
"INSUFFICIENT! I AM A STATE ALCHEMIST WHO CANNOT DO ALCHEMY! HOW CAN THAT NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH! WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IF I DO THIS?" Edward Elric continued his rant. He then made a show of clapping his hands and running his left hand along his right arm.
Imagine the shock of everyone in the room when blue lightning danced around his right arm and a steel blade emerged from his sleeve.
"Well then, Fullmetal. Apparently you are still able to do alchemy, marking your reason as invalid. All the more reason to deny the request for your retirement. Report back to this office after an hour for your mission briefing." Mustang said, victorious, the usual smirk in place.
Too dazed to think of anything else, all Ed can do is not to trip over his own feet as his brother led him out of the office. But not before letting his brother remove the arm guard that he has successfully transmuted to his signature blade.
"Dammit Al! I don't understand! How did this happen!" Edward asked his brother for the third time, trying to wrap his head around the idea.
"I don't know, brother." Al answered, also confused with the turn of events. "I mean, you tried to use alchemy back in Risembool. It didn't work? Why now? What changed?"
It was then the events of three days before crossed his mind.
"Brother, do you remember when Colonel Armstrong sent us to the gate? Do you think that has something to do with it?" Al asked his brother.
"Now that you mention it, it might have. Al, before we were sent back, I felt something different." Ed answered, thinking hard. "Our personal gates! It must have been something to do with that! Al, do you remember how many gates were there?" he asked his brother.
"Let me see..." Al said. "One behind Colonel Armstrong, one behind me, and..." he thought hard, pulling the detail from his memory. "And one behind you! Brother! You were pulled inside your own gate!"
"Impossible! I traded my gate for you Al! That cannot happen! Al-"
"Hooray! So, the gifts were delivered on time! Happy, happy days..." Era Armstrong squealed behind them, effectively starting the Elder Elric's incoming panic attack.
"Colonel Armstrong! What do you mean by that? Do you mean you know why brother's gate is back?" Al asked her.
"Of course I should. I paid for it." Era answered.
"You.. paid for it? H-how?" Ed stammered, still at a loss on what was used to pay for his gate.
Then he remembered something that Era did in the gate:
"That is the payment for the gifts I ask." and then she threw a ring to the eager hands "And that is the payment for the trespass. Would that be enough?"
"the gifts I ask" Edward repeated to himself, mulling things over. Then it hit him. "This is the gift! My gate is the gift!" he shouted to no one in particular. "But why give it back?" He asked Era
"I told you, I have better use for the both of you than toll payments. I'll explain once everything is in place." Era said, turning to leave. "Oh, right! Before I forget! General Mustang is asking for you to report in his office. Best not to keep him waiting."
A/N:
EDIT 07 July 2016
Again thanks to my beta, TheUltamateBlastoise for taking a look at the content. For anything, don't hesitate to shoot me a comment or a message.
Any errors are a result of me not listening to my beta.
