Roy was up early. He was awake and dressed and ready as the sun was considering making an appearance. When he made his way down the stairs and through the living room, he was greeted by the sight of Winry hard at work on Edward's new arm.
She was bright. There was no denying that. What shone through more in that moment though, was the loyalty, love, and dedication she held for Edward. They stared at each other for a moment, a silent understanding passing between them, before Roy nodded and left the house.
Usually, Roy needed to be in class first thing. He would often go into work beforehand, but that had lessened when he started living with Edward. Today, however, he had business to attend to that was related to neither school nor work. His car took a familiar route almost without thinking about it, and it wasn't until Roy reached Maes' front door, sun peaking over the horizon, that he tuned back into reality.
One gloved hand raised and rapped three times against the wood. Maes opened the door a few seconds later. Roy gave him a pointed look, letting him know that they couldn't speak in public, before Maes' expression darkened slightly and he welcomed Roy into the house.
"It's Roy. We'll be upstairs for a bit, alright?"
Maes half-shouted across the house, calculating eyes never leaving Roy, and Gracia responded in turn.
"Alright. We'll be down here if you need anything."
She knew the drill at this point, though Roy rarely ever came unexpectedly anymore, and the two men moved up the stairwell to Maes' room. As soon as the door closed, the words tumbled out.
"He has an Energy Fire Core, doesn't he?"
Roy's voice was lowered despite the knowledge that this was one of the safest places to speak in the world. None of the doubt over his theory leaked into Roy's voice, and Maes' eyes hardened, lips twitching into a fraction of a frown. It was all the reaction he needed.
Roy felt the breath momentarily leave his body as the weight of the truth settled on his shoulders.
-"Fuck off, Mustang." roughly spelled itself out in front of him via flames unlike anything Roy had felt before. Russell sneered, immediately assuming that Edward was trying to impress Roy, while Solaris chuckled and Gerard's brows rose, his signature sunglasses lowering slightly to look at the fiery words more closely. Roy, however, was entranced. Whatever alchemy Edward was using, it spoke to Roy's very Core, and he wanted more than anything to keep it going as long as possible.
- Edward inhaled a sharp gasp, golden eyes becoming hooded and lightly glazed over, and a lithe, partially metal body leaned into Roy's touch. Edward was fucking swooning. If there was one thing that Roy knew, it was that Edward Elric didn't swoon. Especially not over him. Obsidian eyes narrowed, taking in every aspect of Edward that they could, trying to figure out if he had been drugged or—
-"What's it like?" Obsidian eyes met golden, and Roy cocked a brow in question. Edward didn't speak again for a moment, and Roy thought that Edward might pretend that he had never spoken at all, when the blonde continued. "Being able to bond with whoever you want."
- Roy's hand clasped itself with Edward's, tugging the younger man forward until his chest was flush against the Roy's own, their bodies fitting just as perfectly together as their lips. The kiss was chaste, but Roy was tempted to do so much more as Ed let the softest of moans slip between them. He pulled away only a moment later, not trusting himself to stay in that position any longer.
-"He's my intended."
Roy wouldn't lie. It felt good to say that to someone other than Maes. Alphonse immediately leaned forward, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"He can't be! He's got—" if possible, Alphonse's eyes widened even further, "you-you've got…" He covered his eyes with the heels of his palms and groaned. "Damn it, Brother."
-"I was in the room when you went through it." Edward paused, seeing that the man's stare wasn't budging, and continued. "Maes found me after class ended and we talked for a while. I felt… off, and he convinced me to go to the infirmary. He knew I wouldn't tell, and I haven't. Your secret is safe."
-"What happened?" Roy's question hung in the air for a few minutes, Maes' expression unreadable. The silence hung heavily in the room, interrupted only by Edward's light, shuddered breathing. Finally, Maes responded, tone airy.
"I don't want to lie to you, Roy."
Roy allowed himself to sit on the bed, his body slightly slumped as he placed his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands, not caring that it wrinkled his uniform. Edward hadn't figured out a new way to draw out the energy of a Core-holder going through Inheritance. He had drawn Roy's heat into himself, and he had suffered through Roy's Inheritance alongside the Colonel. Maybe he had even experienced worse afterwards.
Roy had been the cause of his sickness that night. It was all right in front of him. How could he have missed—
"We have a partial bond."
It wasn't a question. That was why Edward had swooned when they touched. That was why he had worked so hard to avoid Roy after that night. That was why he moaned when they kissed. It wasn't anything Edward felt for Roy. It was the blonde's Core reacting to a close proximity with Roy's because Edward didn't know how not to be selfless.
This made everything so much more complicated. What was he supposed to do now? Walk up to Edward and just let him know that he had figured out the blonde's most well-kept secret? Edward would never believe that he had just come upon it recently. He would never believe that Roy had wanted him before finding out about his Core.
This… Roy had to keep going without letting Fullmetal know what he knew. At the same time, he couldn't just carry on as though he didn't know. This changed everything.
Edward could bond only to Activation Fire Core holders (almost exclusively to Roy, at this point), and that made him a powerful political tool. That was without taking his strong alchemic prowess, impressive military title, overwhelming intelligence, and reputation as the Alchemist of the People into account. To avoid becoming that tool – to avoid being used – Edward would do near anything.
Even more so since people would try to go through his brother to get to him.
If Edward thought even for a second that Roy was going to use him to get a higher place on the totem pole (a thought Edward would no doubt have the moment he found out Roy knew), he would pull away and never return. Roy's entire plan had to be trashed (again).
First off, the Colonel had to make Edward fall in love with him with the least amount of physical interaction possible. Every time he touched Edward, every kiss they shared, Edward would become more convinced that the connection they had was purely because of their partial bond. If he wanted to convince the blonde of anything lasting, he would have to ditch his reliance what he had before considered his foothold in this courting process: Edward's sexual attraction to him.
He supposed it was a good thing he had went ahead and gotten that kiss in because it would be quite a while before he would be able to take another.
There had never been a recorded partial bond between Fire Core holders. Partial bonds in general were rare. Roy only knew of fifty or so in history. They were most common between Water and Steel types, simply because while Steel bonded very well with Water, Water didn't bond incredibly well with Steel. Sometimes, that was too much for their bodies or wills to overcome.
Fire Cores, however, attracted each other like nothing else. If Roy had been conscious, the want to feel the pleasure of a completed bond probably would have overrode logical thought, and he would have completed the bond without thinking about it.
Roy's fingers curled more tightly into his hair as he realized that Edward had not only taken on the pain of his Inheritance but the pain of an incomplete bond as well. How he made it out of the room, let alone home, the night after Roy's Inheritance was a mystery.
Had he felt pain after Roy grasped his arm, too? After they kissed? Cores were temperamental things. The only way to fully know how one would react to a stimulus was to be there when it was doing so. Sure, they could make a fairly accurate assumption, but nothing was ever one hundred percent certain.
It was only recently, perhaps fifty years ago, that alchemists were identified by whether or not they held Cores. Before that, alchemists were simply whoever had the ability to do alchemy, and Cores were something that random people just happened to have.
Around a child's ninth birthday, he or she could instinctively tell if a Core was present and what type that Core was. Recent technology allowed them to check and be sure, even identify the Core type, but the quickest and easiest way was to find out naturally. Roy didn't doubt that Fullmetal knew the consequences of his Core soon after realizing he had one. If he had run off in an excited frenzy and told people – much like Roy had – then things would be far different.
Only he hadn't, and they weren't.
Roy now more than ever needed to become aware of Edward's habits – his likes, his dislikes, his dreams and beliefs – and show the blonde that he could be depended on. He had to earn Edward's trust. No more games. Fullmetal wasn't just acting on a distrust of Roy; he was acting on a distrust of humanity.
Alphonse. Winry. Maes. They were the only people Edward felt comfortable with. They were the only people he trusted. If Roy wanted to join that circle, he was going to have to give this priority. If he wanted Edward to want to complete the bond, he was going to have to do things the blonde's way. As much as Roy really, truly despised it, his plans had to be burned yet again, and this time he couldn't make new ones.
It was time Roy stepped up and acted like the man he so often pretended to be.
"I'll get you some tea."
Maes' voice was soft and understanding. Roy's lips thinned into a line before he stood, alchemically ironing his uniform as he did.
"That won't be necessary." Obsidian met chocolate. "Thanks."
Thanks for always being there.
Thanks for letting him show weakness.
Thanks for not lying all those nights ago.
Even in a situation where Maes couldn't tell the truth, he didn't lie. Not to Roy.
The Colonel gripped his best friend's shoulder reassuringly, letting him know that he would work through this just as well as any other situation, before walking past. Maes followed him back down the steps; a comfortable silence between them.
Their lives were constantly changing. From school to war to politics, they had each other's backs. They were the only people who knew absolutely everything about each other. As Roy nodded to his closest friend and stepped out of the house, he realized something important.
Maes was Roy's Alphonse.
Edward had always been equated with Roy's Gracia, but maybe it was time for Roy to be that for Ed instead. Maybe it was time their circles of trust branched out, if only one more person.
(***Intertwined***)
Roy did everything normally. Edward's absence wasn't technically a large issue as the blonde rarely ever attended classes, but it was glaring distraction to Roy. By the time he finally got to Armstrong's class – his last class of the day – his pretend patience had worn thin, and it was only through years of political maneuvering that his public persona stayed intact.
Armstrong pulled Roy to the side with an overly friendly arm over the shoulder, and the Colonel allowed it, if only to give the larger man some of the peace of mind he was no doubt seeking. Once the hall was cleared and the door to the classroom firmly shut, Armstrong moved out of Roy's personal space.
"Is it true?"
News in the military traveled fast, and Roy taking credit for the discovery of a chimera in the area – one taken out by the Alchemist of the People no less – was no exception. It not only upped Roy's political agenda, making him seem more confident, but it brought Edward's and Roy's relationship into question.
Roy's love of beautiful people wasn't a secret by any means, but Edward's dislike of all things militia (and more specifically Roy) made their connection more questionable. Those in Roy's circle would actually love to be able to write it off as a fling of some sort. A romantic relationship was fragile. Messy. Easy to slander.
Fullmetal didn't generally like Roy though. If not a romantic relationship, then the Flame Alchemist may have somehow convinced Edward to join with him politically. A politically active Fullmetal was far more dangerous than a love-struck one. Edward wasn't going to get attention for his Core, but an unknown relationship with Roy would get him nearly as much.
"Depends on what you've heard."
"Edward he—is he alright?"
Armstrong was truly, genuinely concerned, and Roy thought back to the night before; to Edward's missing arm and bruised, bloody figure.
"He'll be fine."
They were both military men. They knew how to read between the lines. With a long stare and a decisive nod, Armstrong turned and went into the classroom. Roy followed a moment later, stopping short as Armstrong's booming voice entered the air.
"My dear students, today is a day for learning, but by experience! Today's class time should be spent with your bond-mates!" His arms spread wide, sparkles overflowing and shirt ripping to expose an overly-muscled torso. "Be free, my friends, and I shall see you tomorrow!"
Roy knew that this was for him and for Fullmetal, and that it was (technically) sweet, but he really wished that Armstrong had consulted him first. He didn't want anything getting out that Edward didn't want, and he wasn't going to head back home anytime soon anyhow. Edward was vulnerable, and they weren't close enough for Roy to witness that yet.
There was nothing the Flame Alchemist could do about it now though, so he may as well take the gift for what it was.
He watched Namae stare at the place where Edward usually sat for a good minute before meeting gazes with the tan man. Namae's expression didn't change, and neither did Roy's, but the challenge was clear. Sheska ended their unspoken dispute by walking over to Namae and stuttering out that they should probably go. The Colonel was fairly sure that Namae had only chosen her because she was Edward's closest thing to a friend in the class, but he couldn't be sure.
Envy walked past Roy, sneering at him as he went but nothing more. Roy took a moment to feel sorry for Russell, who had ended up with Envy for much the same reason Scar had gotten Sheska: connections (or in this case resemblances) to Edward.
For a while, Roy had scoffed at the thought of Envy succeeding in getting Edward because he didn't see how their personalities could possibly work together, but now he knew the truth. Their personalities could be perfect, and it would still be useless. Activation Wind and Energy Fire just didn't mix.
Roy turned and exited the room only to be flanked on both sides by Russell and Gerard.
"How's Elric taking the news?"
Russell's smile and tone were both haughty and playful, as though this was a secret they shared, and both Roy and Gerard's brows rose in question. Martel, who Gerard had paired with, went in the opposite direction, probably with plans to meet up later.
Gerard, somewhat like Roy, had his own group of followers: Martel, Roa, and Dolcetto. Why he stuck with Roy through this class was a mystery, though a large part of the Colonel attributed it to the amusement factor. Gerard was just as dominant, just as much of a leader as Roy, and he cared just as much for his makeshift unit.
The difference was that he was more of a chaotic neutral. Where Roy planned and calculated and had clear goals, Gerard was more of a free spirit. He did things because they seemed like a good idea at the time or because he felt like it. If something enticed him, he jumped into the fray after it, consequences be damned.
Fullmetal didn't call him Greeling for nothing.
"I meant about Fullmetal actually being in town. Chimera attacks aren't usual around here, and the Alchemist of the People showing up out of the blue to take it out only makes it more of an event. It's hard for him to pretend he's a famous alchemist when that same alchemist makes an appearance, you know?"
Russell looked more unsure than before, not wanting to fall farther from Roy's graces after falling short of being picked for the bonding exercise.
Gerard's lips quirked in amusement as he pushed his sunglasses back up his nose. Roy kept his expression mostly neutral with a sliver of understanding.
"I call him Fullmetal because he is Fullmetal, Russell."
It was the first time that Roy had felt the need to correct Russell's assumption, but frankly he was becoming tired of the constant jabs against Edward. The blonde had a hard enough life without constant, contemptuous attacks on his person.
Well, it was partially that and partially because the more he got to know Edward, the more protective he became. Gerard paid more attention to this information, his usual, uncaring demeanor toppled by interest in the change in Roy's actions.
"Oh."
It was clear that Russell wasn't entirely sure that he believed what Roy was saying, but he held Roy in such high regard that he didn't want to offend, either. Russell was smart. He couldn't read Roy like Edward could, but he knew that there was an underlying reason Edward was chosen instead of him. He knew that as much attention as he did get from Roy, it wasn't as much as Edward, and his current position at the Colonel's side was entirely situational.
Fullmetal took priority over Russell, and as much as the younger blonde didn't want to admit it, he knew that.
"So, he really took out a chimera?"
Roy glanced over to see charcoal grey eyes peering interestedly over round sunglasses, and Roy knew that the question was superficial. He had seen that particular look in Gerard's eyes before, and he knew that the man's attention had been caught in the steel grip of his often single-minded nature.
It had been caught by Edward Elric.
Even without the knowledge of Gerard's mannerisms, Roy knew for a fact that Gerard had always believed in Edward's place as the Fullmetal Alchemist. He would also have near immediate access to the more classified information of last night's happenings.
Gerard had six siblings, all ranging in age and occupation. After meeting Envy, Edward had taken the liberty of nicknaming the rest of the Homunculi siblings, all after the seven deadly sins. Greeling and Lust went to the Academy, obviously. He hadn't met three of the siblings (that Roy knew of) to name them, which left Sloth, Wrath, and Gluttony up for grabs.
Pride, however, belonged to the reason that Gerard could get whatever information he wanted: Führer King Bradley. Gerard was too independent, too much of a wild card for Bradley to keep under his thumb, but Führer wouldn't risk publicly disowning his brother, either. That allowed Gerard to drop Bradley's name for otherwise unobtainable connections. At the same time, the two men had little to no contact with each other.
According to all information Roy had been able to gather, they simply didn't get along.
Roy gave Gerard a polite, that's-classified-information smile, and a wolfish grin broke out on the Homunculi's features. Roy could only hope what he was seeing wouldn't develop into the same interest that he, himself held for Fullmetal.
Not that anything could come of it even if it did, not with Gerard's Activation Steel Core, but that didn't make the extra competition for Edward's attention sit any better with the Colonel.
"There's going to be a press conference later this afternoon. You're free to attend if you're really that curious."
His politeness was almost overly so. While they spent quite a bit of time in class together, Roy and Gerard couldn't be considered friends. Gerard liked – if it could even be called that – Roy for his power and control. He could respect Roy's ability to get what he wanted no matter the circumstances, and the way that Roy went about it was so different from his own style that Gerard probably found the his general personality attention-grabbing.
It certainly didn't hurt that the Colonel was more than at-odds with Bradley.
Roy left it at that and, with a wave, departed from his classmates. He would head to his office until the conference, and back to his office after that. Maybe he would stay there overnight.
Regardless of what Roy should do, he was extremely tempted to go home. Connecting nerves to automail couldn't be comfortable, and with their partial bond, Roy's presence would ease that pain. After everything Edward had gone through for Roy, it was the least the Colonel could do. Yet, the least he could do was also to pretend he didn't know and allow Edward the pride of suffering out of sight.
Fullmetal always had to make things complicated.
"How's the Chief doing?"
As soon as Roy entered the office, Breda was asking about Edward. He had taken a definite liking to the blonde after Edward had gone off on Roy, and that showed.
Everyone in Roy's unit had been thoroughly amused, of course, but more than that, they had been surprised that Roy hadn't incinerated the blonde on the spot. Or taken him down politically. Or crushed his ego. Any action that would leave Edward scarred against ever defying Roy again.
Roy had let Edward walk out unscathed and, though they didn't know it, even apologized for his actions. He hadn't planned revenge. That, more than anything, let them know that Edward was special.
Roy's unit acted as a makeshift family, and this was as good as extending Edward an invitation into that family. If Roy cared about Edward, his men would care about Edward by proxy.
"He's fine."
Roy didn't give any particulars because he didn't know any particulars. Havoc's cigarette tilted downwards as he pursed his lips.
"How fine? The report said he was pretty roughed up."
Havoc had taken a liking to Edward as well, but it seemed more like he looked up to the blonde than anything else. Roy tilted his head back slightly to look down his nose at his friend and colleague.
"Don't you have other things to worry about? Like getting a date to the ball?"
Roy's smirk was as condescending as his posture. Roy couldn't be classified as an actual narcissist, but he was arrogant enough in many fields to come close. His looks – his ability to attract partners – was one of those areas.
Havoc was quite the opposite: his luck with the ladies was infamously bad, and he was always begging Roy to go on a double date with him. Roy could charm both their dates into staying no matter how clumsily Havoc handled the situation. What Havoc didn't take into account was the likelihood that Roy would probably just end up having a threesome.
Well, would have. Now he was not only monogamous, he was fucking abstinent.
Oh, how his knight would laugh if he knew.
Havoc stared for a long moment, irritation and embarrassment fighting in his eyes. Then his demeanor switched to something that mimicked Roy's, lips stretching into a grin.
"Same could be said for you. It doesn't look like Fullmetal's going to agree to go to the ball, especially not with you, any time soon."
Havoc tried to be condescending, but it just didn't suit him. Roy decided to show him how it was done.
"Oh, he'll be at the ball, but you're right: not with me. I'm going with Ariel."
Roy watched as Havoc dropped his Roy-like persona, cigarette going limp in his mouth. Havoc had begged Roy to set him up with Ariel once their fling had ended. "Ended" in the sense of them not being exclusive or claiming any emotional connection. They still slept together on occasion.
Deciding he had won this battle, Roy turned to Falman.
"The lab report?"
"Already on your desk."
Falman offered a gentle smile that put far too many people off-guard, and Roy nodded.
"Whatever they found, I want more. Get in touch with the lab and report back with any theories or information they may have kept to themselves. Breda, take Fuery and go back to the scene. See if the clean-up crew missed anything. Talk to anyone who might have heard or seen anything. We don't have enough information until this is over." He glanced over his men once more. "Havoc… go find a date."
With that casual dismissal, Roy left for his office. Havoc sputtered, but Roy's message had gotten across. The rest of the team was to focus on the chimera, but Havoc's goal was the ball. Havoc was the most trusted of Roy's men: one of the few people privy to what, exactly, Roy wanted to do with the position of Führer.
Roy needed to know precisely what was going on with the ball: who would be attending, who they would bring, which press had made the cut, and, most importantly, which political agendas would be most prevalent. Everyone had a plan for the night, and Roy needed to be aware of the ones which would work against him.
Hawkeye was currently collecting Intel on the layout of the building and the security which would be present. There would be more than a few influential people at the event to warrant targeting, and Roy needed to know the strengths and weaknesses of their protection. The information Roy wanted spanned from the connections that security had to the type of weapons used. He needed to know if there was anyone on protection duty who had actual or potential grievances with him or his men.
They would get all information on the ball to him by the end of the day tomorrow. It was unlikely there would be any change in plans between Friday and Saturday night, so that would be his window to learn everything that could be known.
Roy sat down at his desk and picked up the report, finally back in his comfort zone. This was about alchemy, politics, and reputations. This he could do.
The DNA was made up of a mix of wolf, tiger, horse, and human. Normally, it was how powerful and violent the animals were that made the mix volatile, but Roy specialized in experimental theory and biological alchemy.
Roy may not have known the ins-and-outs of creating general circles, but he could do specifics.
The amount of knowledge and experimentation it would take to make a chimera with this many components, however, was more in Fullmetal's range of alchemic intelligence than Roy's. That greatly narrowed the amount of people who could have created – or at least had to be involved in creating – the chimera. It didn't necessarily mean the creator had to be a genius, but he or she had to be incredibly knowledgeable about trans-mutational alchemy.
That made things more complicated. More dangerous.
If they – when they got into a fight, it wouldn't be snap-and-thank-God-it's-over. There would be alchemic counters that only Roy's field experience would help him live through and maneuvers that he had only practiced before. There would be more chimeras.
This one had taken a major toll on Edward, who was no pushover, and Roy was willing to bet that it had been released into the world only after the alchemy that brought it together had been proven not to be a fluke.
This wasn't an amateur fooling around with the thought of creating life. This was a master who had only just decided to make himself or herself known. The political perks of taking out the chimeras and their creator(s) would be magnanimous. The lives that would be lost or ruined if he failed to do so would—
"He told us to run. Brother's out there alone, and I—Please. We have to go! Please!"
Edward. Fullmetal would try and face this head on with little to no thought as to what could occur should they overpower him. He wouldn't let this injustice stand or any more innocent lives be put at risk. He would rush forward and, should his devil's luck fail him, likely be killed. The power of this chimera alone – the damage it did – was enough to warrant that belief.
Roy's eyes focused on the lab report, and the Colonel made himself keep looking despite the horrifying knowledge that he would sleep better without.
It had human DNA.
The stronger a Core was, the more alchemic ability a being had, the better a chimera would stay together. The stronger it would be. If Edward was captured instead of killed—If Edward was captured—
Obsidian eyes clenched shut for a split second to get a handle on the sheer number of images flashing through his mind. When they reopened, he again focused on the report in front of him, albeit at a different part.
Why the fuck did Edward have to have such a strong Core—such a rare Core? If the enemy found out about it and Edward couldn't win, it would be the devil's luck alone that would allow him to be a casualty of the battle.
While Fire Cores didn't particularly work better for a human transmutation than other Cores, their holders generally tended to have more alchemic prowess – one thing that made them all the more covetable.
In truth, there wasn't much reason beyond societal to want a Fire Core. Activation Fire Core holders had an easier time bonding and generally had a knack for alchemy, but they weren't incredibly better off in the long run. Energy Fire Core holders – well, if not for their political power, no one would ever want to be one. They had an incredibly hard time bonding, didn't generally have very strong Cores, and had an even slighter natural talent for alchemy than Activation Fire Core holders.
Edward just had to be the exception to two of those generalizations. It frustrated Roy to no end that Fullmetal had to be so naturally odd. What Core a person got, if he or she got one, was completely random – there was no genetic, environmental, or any other factor found to reliably influence Core inheritance. The same could be said for whether or not a person got an Activation or Energy Core.
Activation Core holders had it better off in the long run. They chose when to bond and who to bond with while Energy Core holders had no choice in the matter. Activation Cores allotted a natural talent for controlling (to some extent) the element affiliated with the Core without the use of alchemy.
Energy Cores were known to be able to do this only on occasion and only if the Core was extremely strong. Some theories actually revolved around Energy Cores only existing for the purpose of bonding to and strengthening Activation Cores.
Whatever their purpose, there was a certain entrancement with rare Cores and, like any other subject, strong ones. Edward, with his molten gold eyes and endless defiance, would be considered the perfect addition to any chimera. Roy would sooner watch the world burn than see that happen.
He would sooner burn it down himself.
For now though, he would bide his time; gather more information. Only fools rush into battle headfirst. Fools and Edward, which made the matter of figuring out what they were getting into quickly all the more pressing. He would funnel as many resources as possible into ending this chimera ordeal swiftly, and Edward—Edward would be fine.
Winry was the leading specialist on automail, and she would do anything for Fullmetal. That coupled with the fact that she was determined to go to the ball meant he would probably be fixed up before Saturday. As long as Roy could keep trouble away from him until then, he could rest easy.
Well, easier.
Even once this chimera problem blew over, he would have to continue with his rise to Führer and, on a Fullmetal related note, make Edward fall in love with him without them ever touching. Roy tangled his fingers in thick, soft locks for a moment as he once again took in the fact that Edward had the worst fucking Core imaginable (for Roy's purposes, at least).
He would gladly give up all the power and prestige and political prowess that would come with bonding to an Energy Fire Core if it would allow him to better get close to Fullmetal.
Edward, well, there was a high probability that he would gladly give them up, too.
Obsidian eyes ran over the papers stating how awfully outmatched the blonde – who always insisted on going at things alone – may be one more time before moving on. There wasn't enough information to do anything at this point, so there wasn't a reason to keep focusing on it.
Roy closed the file and put it at the edge of his desk, moving it into a desk drawer mere minutes later as he found himself glancing at it anyhow. When his mind still wandered over to the picture of the body and the memory of how bad a shape Edward had been in afterwards, he decided that other work could be done.
He grabbed his coat and strolled out of the room. The press conference would be in a few hours, and he wanted to do some research first. What Edward had taught him about creating transmutation circles would help, but he still needed to know as much as he could about chimeras. Whatever he had now wasn't enough.
And if he happened to run across information on Fire Energy Cores or partial bonding, he certainly wouldn't complain.
The State Alchemist's library was a place that Roy didn't often visit. He had plenty of books in his home and any books he didn't have he could get discreetly delivered. Now though, he didn't need any evidence that he had been anywhere near these books. At least, not the Core-related ones. His feet carried him casually through the magnificent building, rows and rows of books towering over him, until he found himself in a rarely visited section – one on Cores.
The books on chimeras would have to be after this little adventure, as he wanted to be seen leaving with them. They were also located in a restricted section where entering would make his presence known to more than just the library staff. He would only take a book or two, though multiple others would be noted. He needed the public to believe this was merely extra research; that he already knew the situation and had a fairly solid plan.
He scanned the titles, searching for anything specifically pertaining to Fire Energy Cores or partial bonding. He found three books. The edges of usually controlled lips tugged downwards without the consent of their owner. He had seen two of these with Edward before. The third was well-worn enough that Roy would bet a lot that Edward had been through it multiple times as well. He had probably scoured the entire section already, honestly.
Staring at the three well-worn books, Roy wondered what all Edward had gone through in his life. He wondered just how many trials had bombarded the boy and tried to imagine Fullmetal ever actually breaking down under the pressure of it all.
One day, he swore he would know for sure. One day, Edward would sit down and tell him everything, from beginning to end. Or maybe it would come in bits and pieces. Maybe they would be lying in bed, teetering on the edge of sleep, or sitting in the living room, pouring over books, and Edward would start a story. Maybe only part of a story. Roy would take whatever the Major was willing to give, and it would continue that way until he knew everything.
One day, Roy would do the same. Edward would learn things about him that not even Maes knew, and, with his thirst for knowledge, he would want to know, too.
Roy slid to the floor, for once not a rising Führer but a simple man, unsure of his future or if he could, in all reality, achieve his goals. The first book fell open with ease, the index directing Roy towards page one hundred nine to learn about Fire Energy Cores. He knew the basics, of course: that they could only bond with Fire Activation Cores; that there were only a handful in the world; that they weren't generally very strong; that they had a slightly stronger affiliation for fire alchemy than others.
Before, he had neither believed there was much else to it nor really cared. Now, though, there had to be more than what he knew. There had to be more information to gather because he couldn't get anywhere on his current knowledge.
Fire Energy Cores are the rarest Core currently known. They are also the weakest. Out of all known Cores, this type holder shows the least alchemic prowess, often times lacking the ability to perform alchemy in its slightest form. Their Cores, at least for their owners' alchemy-related purposes, are fairly useless. For an Activation Fire Core holder, however, the opposite is true.
When Activation and Energy Fire Cores are bonded, it appears as though the Activation Fire Core's energy is funneled through the Energy Fire Core, enhancing the original energy source by unpredictable amounts. For the same reason, no other Core can bond with an Energy Fire Core – they cannot survive the funneling which appears to be a part of the bonding process.
To attempt to bond with an Energy Fire Core without an Activation Fire Core would be both self-destructive and useless, as the Energy Fire Core is the only known Core with the ability to reject an Activation Core's request for a bond. At the same time, if the proper Activation Core makes the request, the Fire Energy Core is even swifter to respond with a (unusually strong) bond than most.
As a consequence of the rarity of Energy Fire Cores, not much is known about them. There is no particular ethnicity or area of the world from which they primarily spawn. They tend to, for unknown reasons, become stronger alchemists or even gain the ability to perform alchemy upon bonding. There is a caveat to bonding, however, and it is that, unlike other Core types, Energy Fire Cores are unable to break a bond once it is formed. It, as far as research has shown, will not weaken and cannot be alchemically broken.
Roy paused his reading, unsure if the same went for partial bonds. Should the answer not come up in one of these books, he would say the same thought was probably plaguing Edward.
The answer turned out not to be in this particular book or the next one or the one after that. He was only skimming, but Roy had gotten very, very good at picking out important details over the years.
There was honestly very little more known about Fire Energy Cores – something which frustrated Roy to no end – and an equally limited vault of information existed on partial bonding.
Most of the time, a partial bond occurred because two Core holders were incompatible, and it was always on the side of the Energy Core holder. None of them (recorded) had ever involved a Fire Energy Core. Their effects ranged from being mildly irritating to leaving the holder of the partial bond bedridden. Some of the bonds went away with time; some stayed until another bond replaced it. It seemed to depend on the strength of the Activation Core.
With how strong Roy's Core was before his Inheritance, he doubted that Edward's partial bond would fall under the former. What they all had in common was the incredible pain that accompanied ending the initiated bonding process without completion.
In other words, the books told him nothing helpful.
He placed them back on the shelves carefully, being sure to remove fingerprints and to align them exactly as he found them, before moving on to the restricted section. He walked casually through three other sections first, wasting well over ten minutes just throwing off the scent should anyone be watching him.
When he flashed his identification, he could feel their curiosity. When he strode purposefully towards the section dealing with chimeras, he could almost feel the whispering. His arrival was news that those lingering outside the restricted section thirsted for. They would be there to see him leave with the books, too.
Within the restricted section, things were much quieter. No one batted an eye at his entrance. No, it was more like they were expecting him. Something Roy hadn't anticipated was that he already had seven of the more promising books sitting in his library.
It had previously occurred to him that many of the books that Edward owned pertained to chimeras, but he hadn't thought they would overlap so heavily with those in the restricted section. That also rose the question of what the other few books on chimeras were.
Fullmetal clearly had high standards for the books he allowed into his possession, so there was a possibility that the remaining books had material even more dangerous – even more useful – than the ones here. Roy picked up two books that both seemed favorable and didn't belong to Edward and turned to leave. He would delve into them and hopefully the ones Fullmetal owned after the press conference.
If Roy stayed either in his room or the living room, being sure to give the Elric family their space, it should be fine.
As he expected, there were quite a few reporters awaiting his leave from the library. Questions filled the air so quickly that Roy could scarcely hear anything else. He could pick out bits and pieces of what they wanted to know – all about the chimera attack or the upcoming dance – but they were all talking over each other. He held up a hand to gently silence them, being sure to accompany it with a charming smile. He adjusted the books at his side indiscreetly to draw some attention to them as well.
"As I'm sure you all know, there will be a press conference in less than an hour, and I'll be able to answer all of your questions there." He could answer a few now and get in extra publicity, but… "For now, though, I have work which must be done, lest our beautiful city receive less protection than it deserves."
Turning down a free press conference may even give him more publicity than having it would.
The questions started firing again almost immediately after he spoke, but Roy kept his smile firmly in place and made his way through the crowd. The harsh world of politics offered the knowledge that this wasn't about the chimera attack – not really. It wasn't even about the ball. This was about Roy's stance as a competitor for the position of Führer.
With how much else was at stake here, Roy could fully understand Fullmetal's hatred for politics, but this was his world. Roy thrived in the cutthroat, self-centered, uncaring environment, and one day, he was going to make it better.
They were staring after him now, and that was the right idea. Just ask Fullmetal: If Roy knew how to do nothing else, he could put on a show.