Chapter 7: The Attack
BAM. BAM. BAM.
Ed opened his eyes, then closed them again, moaning. He wasn't in the mood for this.
After listening to it for a few more minutes, he finally got up and shuffled across the room. It felt like every muscle in his body had been pulled out of place.
He opened the door a crack and peeked out.
One lower level military man that Edward had occasionally seen passing by was standing at the door, holding a pile of blue cloth in his hands. "Mr. Elric," He said somewhat nervously. "The Fuhrer requests that you put this on and come down to his initiation ceremony. He wants you to be there."
Ed took the uniform from him and looked from it to the man for a few moments. "I'll be there… but I'm not wearing this…"
"No sir, they won't let anyone in without a uniform or a special pass written by Mustang himself."
Ed sighed and grumbled. "He really thinks that'll keep the homunculi out? Idiot. I'll be there in a minute."
The man saluted and left. Ed rolled his eyes. He was no man of power in this military.
-
If Edward's mood was bad before, it had certainly worsened by the time he exited the dormitory in a military uniform that was too big by just enough that he was sure it was noticeable. Roy did stuff like that on purpose, Ed was sure of it. Especially after he'd pissed him off in the hall earlier…
Edward moaned, knowing he'd brought it on himself.
When he approached the gate, he was met by a man who observed him and identified him before he was able to go to the other part of the yard that had been set up with a humongous stage, enough chairs to sit the entire military and even their families, and tables upon tables of finger foods and punch.
Ed rolled his eyes. "Give me a break, Mustang… Let's just be as indiscreet as possible."
There were so many people… all of them dressed nicely and always with a state alchemist or military man. He assumed they were family members.
Ed shoved his hands into his pockets and headed towards the stage. He needed to make Roy aware of his flaw of making this place so obvious.
"Ah! Winry! Where are you going?"
Ed froze, his heart lurching into his throat. That voice…
Looking through the windows of people in the crowd, he saw them.
It was definitely Winry… He hair had been braided down her back, and she was wearing a white, lace-fringed sundress. She was stunningly beautiful, and more grown-up then Edward remembered her.
Next to her was Rose, wearing a red, knee-length gown with short sleeves. In her arms, she held her little girl who was struggling to break free of her mother's grasp.
And then…
"I'm going to the bathroom, Al. Relax," Winry laughed, turning to the young man behind her.
Alphonse… he was dressed in a white button-down and brown jacket with a pair of black pants underneath. His golden hair had grown out and been pulled back… but just seeing him… in flesh and blood… was enough for him…
Ed bit down on his lower lip to prevent from sobbing. I never thought I'd see you again…He said inside his head, not trusting his mouth to speak. He reached his arm out, even though Alphonse was quite a ways away. Ed's sleeve slipped forward, showing some of those blasted markings…
Ed drew his arm away, looking at his wrist…I can't let him see me this way…I'm not the same person I was…He fights homunculi… I…am… His eyes widened, and shook his head to diminish the thought.
He spotted Winry approaching. "Damn!" He shouted, then hid behind an ice sculpture on a table nearby. She didn't even glance in his direction.
He watched her flutter by, loose strands of hair following her in the breeze. How he longed to talk to her, and Al, and even Rose… but he had trouble hiding it from Roy. It was impossible to hide anything from Winry and Alphonse… they knew him that well…
"Elric."
Ed tensed, then turned and looked at the military man behind him. Jean Havoc was his name, if he remembered correctly.
"Come on, I'll show you where you're supposed to go," He said. Havoc didn't seem very excited about the event.
Ed followed him closely, doing everything in his power to avoid being spotted. Luckily, Havoc didn't seem keen on making the older brother obvious to anyone else.
Havoc lit a cigarette. The smoke slowly trailed out between his lips as he sighed. "I hate stuff like this," He said. "I don't have anyone to visit me, so I always feel like an outcast, you know?"
Ed wondered if he should respond. Havoc could very well have been talking to himself. He decided to leave it in the air.
"Anyway," Havoc said, "Mustang wanted me to make sure you were here, and for me to bring you to him and all that. You'll probably be sitting with his best men on the stage up there. The only reason I'm here at all is because he let me sit up there. I mean, he should right? I've followed him for years and years, but I guess that I shouldn't be piling this bull on you, huh."
Ed didn't reply. He hadn't really been listening anyway, so he didn't care. "Wait…" He said when it suddenly hit him. "I'll be sitting up there on the stage… where everyone will see me?"
"Ah…" Havoc took a moment to blow smoke in the air. "Yep."
He knew Roy hated him, but this was too much. He felt dizzy… I can't be missed! His brain yelled at him.
"Something wrong?" Havoc asked, paused, then said, "Eh, I don't actually give a damn."
Edward decided that he liked Havoc… but he had other problems right now. He couldn't be seen by Alphonse.
-
Ed bounced his leg nervously, hands unconsciously running through his hair as he attempted to make himself look like someone else. Of course, he knew his brother, and he'd be pointed out without issue.
Ed looked out at all the chaos taking place. "Oh, forget this," He said, getting to his feet and hurrying off the stage. "He can just do his little speech without me…"
He skirted around the edges of the crowd, trying to avoid the people, but as one often does when trying to avoid something, instead ran right smack into someone.
"Ah…" Ed moaned, holding to his nose. "I'm…"
The man turned to look at him, a large grin on his face. Ed had never seen this military man before, but the psychotic smile left him horrified.
"Hi," He said to Ed, in an equally frightening voice. "Edward."
The utter disgust placed into his name immediately led Edward to calculate who it was. "ENV-" Ed began when Envy's hand transformed, clamping over Ed's mouth.
Envy forced Edward onto the ground, just as the crowd began clapping as Roy took the podium. No one noticed them.
"What's the matter, Elric?" Envy whispered into his ear.
Ed let out a muffled cry, pulling his hand up onto the one clamped over his mouth, pulling at it.
"Oh, can't breathe?" Envy asked with mock sympathy. "Poor little boy."
Edward struggled against the homunculus's grip, but troubled sleep, lack of air, and fasting for the past few days had made him extremely weak; his seizure in the hall earlier left his muscles sore. Envy had an apparent advantage over him from the get-go.
In a panic as his last breath taken grew sour in his mouth, his other hand that had been beating Envy on the chest dropped and was slipped out of the glove… If Edward remembered correctly, back in their last confrontation…
Ed's marked up hand slammed against Envy's chest. A wave of black flooded over the spot, and Envy howled, jumping off of Edward.
Ed was on his feet in a moment.
He heard Roy silence, and the shifting of the crowd.
Ed smacked his hands together, but instead of the normal feeling he got, it was much more intense. The electric power erupting from his alchemic stream was red.
Envy recovered from Ed's attack, only to be hit with an alchemic blast that could have rattled the heavens, given enough rage.
"What the hell?" Roy asked, his voice echoing on the microphone, before he took off towards the ruckus. He slipped and fell. "AH!" He shouted, pain shooting up his back.
"Oops!" Obsession leaned over him. "Did I do that?" Her fangs glistened at him wickedly.
Roy snapped his fingers at her, sending her up into flames.
"Sir!" Riza exclaimed, helping Roy to his feet. He fell against her for a moment, and even when he straightened, she held to his elbows as if he would fall again. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," He replied. "The homunculi are here, as I expected."
"MUSTANG!" Alphonse approached him at a quick walk, his female allies not far behind. "What's going on?"
"It's…" Roy smirked. "A trap."
When Rebellion and Redemption, who had taken a page out of Ed's book and snagged a curtain to disguise his face, attacked the groups, the state alchemists that had hidden themselves ink the crowds turned and attacked in perfect stance.
Ed felt his energy drain when his attack subsided.
Envy rose from the ground like a zombie, black burns covering half of his face. His face began to recover, and Envy cackled at the sight of Edward, struggling to stay on his feet.
"Oh, poor alchemist is tired?" Envy asked in a sardonic baby voice.
Edward took in a few ragged breaths and straightened himself up a bit more. He coughed lightly, and a stream of blood trailed down his lip.
"Oh…" Envy's eyes danced with delight. "I get it."
"What is all that going on over there?" Al asked, eyes narrowing. "Another one of your 'traps'?"
"Honestly?…" Roy asked.
Al didn't wait for his response, taking off in that direction.
"Al!" Winry shouted, hurrying after him.
Rose looked around. "Ah… wait for me!" She cried, rushing to catch up with her child laughing, bouncing in her arms.
"You want something, don't you," Envy approached Ed, and when they were two feet apart, grabbed the bag tied at his waist. "You want some of THESE, don't you!" He dumped a pile of red stones into his hand.
Ed shrieked, his markings burning in his skin. Sound vanished, and the whole world was once again a flash of red, black, and white.
"What is that?!" Winry shouted, holding her ears. "That scream's inhuman!"
Alphonse cringed but didn't plug his ears, shoving his way through the crowd.
The inhabitants surrounding Ed and Envy began dropping like flies, unconscious from the howl.
Envy's red stones flung from his hand and buried themselves into Ed's skin. His screaming faded, and he was left on his hands and knees, trembling violently. He vomited blood onto the grass.
Al froze at the sight of Edward.
Ed sensed eyes upon him, and slowly lifted his head, sweat making strands of his hair stick to his face. At the sight of his brother, tears welled in his eyes. No…not like this…His strength drained completely, and he fainted onto the grass.
Even the homunculi had been knocked unawares by the scream, and Redemption stumbled and almost fell.
The only reason Obsession didn't fall was because Heartbreak managed to save her by having earth wrap around her feet. "Thank you," She said to him, holding her head.
Roy approached Redemption and held out his hands to light him ablaze.
"No… please…" Redemption said, not with fear, but stern, as he held his hands up. "You don't want to… I don't want you to… regret…" He muttered.
"Filth," Roy growled.
As Heartbreak removed the rocks around Obsession's feet, Vincent attacked him with a spear formed from a tree. Luke in turn jumped on Obsession, his nails elongated from alchemy forming marble to his fingers.
Al dropped to his knees in front of his unconscious brother, and turned Ed's face to face him. Alphonse's face screwed up as tears streamed down his cheeks. "BROTHER!!!!!" He screamed, holding him to his chest.
