A/N: YO! You may not like me much after this chap...
Ch. 21
The Alchemy Exam
"You have one hour and ten minutes remaining," General Hakuro announced to the competitors in the vast room. On cue, several of the to-be alchemists began to scribble answers and proofs as fast as possible- biting their lips in the process. The scritch-scratch of the pencil hitting paper was beginning to fill the room even more, if that was possible.
Alphonse Elric stressfully clenched his teeth and licked his lips. He was stuck on this particular subject of the section. Philosophy. As an alchemist who felt the strain of The Philosopher's Stone, this should've been nothing of a burden. However, Al almost forgot all about philosophy as he trained to impress the judges for the real exam. These written tests and interviews were nothing to complain about. He knew he was going into the final round. Thus, with that thought in mind, Al barely studied beyond math, scinece, and the principles of alchemy.
In particular, Al was stuck on one question: Determine and disect the following passages. Be sure to include the philosopher, and the hidden meaning of the quote: "In science there are no 'depths'; there is surface everywhere."
Who wrote it? Who wrote it!?!
How could I even forget about philosophy? The Philosopher's Stone practically reincarnated me! Al took a breather. That's okay. I can do this. It'll be a plain, docile mini-quiz me and Brother used to do. I got this...
Carnap! Rudolph Carnap. Duh. Al wrapped his fingers around the writing tool and began to scribble down the philosopher. He got the quote's meaning the second after picking up who it was. Science is all, but science, there's no other truth to it- for as science is...
Finishing the question, Alphonse picked up the next booklet in his desk. Booklet number 5. Halfway there with only a little over an hour to go. This isn't good.
The gist was mythology. Both, Greek and Roman mythology. The younger Elric sighed. Among all the five booklets he had breached, none of them had to do with anything as of math and, or, science. The first one had to do with Natural Resources and Manufacturing- as of the privelage of having had a proctor with the quote, "If you can fix it with your own hands, do it. Don't rely on alchemy for everything." Number two was plainly based on Amestris History. The all out number three was on the majority of it as military history, including battle tactics, weaponry, statures and whatnot.
-
Pleeenk!
Al's alert senses caused him to look up away from test number seven (in which he somehow managed to finish the other two in a less than thirty minutes) at the noise and saw that behind the large double wooden oak doors peeped a blondish-brownish head. Just a head.
"Pssst," the disembodied head hissed. General Grumman, who was closest to the door stalked over to the man. The head moved in closer and the young teenager then assumed the head belonged to none other than Jean Havoc. It took a while to notice the lieutenant, as he was not loaded with the cigarette.
Al watched as he muttered something to the Lieutenant General.
"General Mustang needs to see Lieutenant Hawkeye immediately," were the words spoken by Havoc. Grumman nodded and went to fetch his granddaughter who was stationed on security at the far west side of the immense Hall. Meanwhile, Havoc was standing there, taking notice of all the young alchemists and all who were working diligently. His eyes fell upon a face, instead of hair. Havoc suddenly gave a small smirk, as Al did in return.
During that time, General Grumman was still pacing his way over to the west side, which was irrationally suddenly farther than it had seemed to the naked eye. Grumman, even though he was Lieutenant Hawkeye's grandfather, was, too, oblivious to the fact she was dating General Roy Mustang. The under wraps thing was doing good, despite the fact of the record number Havoc had leaked to in two months' time .
General Grumman finally found her, scanning the crowd with the advanced- nearly ADHD-like- eyes. Watching, and waiting for a contestant's eyes, in this case, her prey, to drift away from his or her own paper. If you were stationed at the west-side of the Hall, it wasn't pleasurable having the hawk's eyes gazing at you. Hawkeye had that... The ability to give others the feeling they are being watched, even if she'd already decided to scout another person.
Grumman motioned for her to come to him, and she "quickly" limped over. "General Mustang needs to see you immediately," Grumman informed, partially using the same words Havoc had. Riza raised her eyebrows and nodded. On cue, a replacement scout ran over to take Riza's place... Another sniper, she noticed. Only a sniper can tell when a soldier is a sniper.
-
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Riza inquired, limping into Roy's office. Taking notice, she and the general were not the only bodies in there. Ed was spotted, seated in a chair, turned his head curiously.
"Maven's here."
Riza tensed.
But Roy curved his lips in a mischievous sneer, and although Riza was feeling a bit uneasy, she said, "This fool is asking for it."
-
"Hawkeye, I want you to report back to the Hall. Once that test is over-" Roy looked at his watch, "- which shouldn't be too long, you're switching to crowd control, got it?" Riza nodded, but then, Roy realized something. "You're okay with that right?" the lieutenant nodded. "Cool, you're dismissed," Roy said, then turned towards Ed as Riza departed.
"FullMetal, much appreciation for that catchful eye, entrapping this weasle-nosed stalker."
"Don't mind me, Five Star," Ed responded, then leaning twoards him in a sneaky manner. "But tell me something. Who's this Maven fool anyways?"
Roy leaned back in the chair. "Gee, Ed, you tell me. I haven't a clue." Roy sighed.
Ed only shrugged. "All I know is that I've seen this guy so much I memorized his face to lead it to this. I saw him once when I was coming back that day- the day of that food fght a couple months ago..."
FLASHBACK
Outside the train, you could hear the station chief yelling, "All aboard!" for anyone else who would be boarding the train."All aboard!" yelled the station chief. "Last call for transportation to Central City!" he said with the megaphone in his hand. As if on cue, a man had ran out onto the platform and jumped onto the train. The man had sort of caught Ed's attention. He looked familar, but couldn't quite figure out who that person was.
"Ed?" Winry said. "What was that you said?"
Ed sat upright. "What was what that I said?"
"Never mind," she said. The train had made a sudden jerk, signaling the fact that the train was departing the station and was starting on its straightaway trip to Central.
- "That, and several other numerous accounted meetings. Al could gladly be my witness, but he's.. you know."
"Right," Roy said, stroking his chin. He looked at his watch and his eyes widened. "Oh shiggy!" he exclaimed. "The first preliminary is over in a less than a minute!"
"Then what're you doing up here!? Get your sorry buttocks down there 'fore they form a crowd!" But he was too late, as to the fact that the general was now fleeing down the second set of stairs. "Huh?" Ed stammered. "Hey! Wait! Wait for me!"
-
"And... Stop!" Hakuro yelled. "The test is now officially over. Leave your completed or partially completed test booklets on the desk. You may head outside for one hour's break," he instructed. "When you return- and you must return exactly within the hour- please head to the western area. There will be military police in case you get lost. Any questions?"
A number of hands went up, including Al's. Hakuro overlooked Al and nodded to an 30 year old man with a head full of blonde hair. "Uh, yeah, within the hour, will you be able to grade every test?"
"Do I look like a computer to you? Of course not!" The man instantly turned red at Hakuro's harsh answer. "Next question. Yes, you- in the blue flannel shirt."
"Is there a limit to as how far we may venture?"
"Yes," answered Hakuro. "You may only stay within the Central Headquarters Campus. Do not worry, there are several small markets, coffee shops, and there is a bank- only for military personnel, but you may use the ATM. Anything else?"
Al was the only hand. "Uh, can we venture within Headquarters?"
"Only if you're going to eat-"
Roy panted into the room knowing very well that he was late for the closing ceremony for Preliminary Number 1; with the exception of course, he had heard Al's question.
"General Hakuro," Roy began, addressing the gray-haired man. "I'm giving Alphonse permission to roam about Headquarters under a special circumstance." At that moment, Roy realized his voice was loud anough not only for just Hakuro and the young Elric to here, but everyone else just as well. "And Alphones Elric alone," Roy announced, extending 'alone,' so they knew.
Hakuro decided to say, "Dismissed. Your hour of freedom in sunshine begins now." Everyone began stampeding out, anxious to do a list of things while they were in the capital of the state.
Al was about to follow, just as someone put a hand on his back. He shivered.
"Shh, Al, it's just me," Roy said. "You seem prickly. Test freaked you out?"
"Yessir," Al replied.
Roy smiled. "Ah well. Listen, all happy aside. There's a guy I'm looking for. Your brother says he's here- here on the campus grounds." Roy dug into his pocket, pulling out a picture. "I had Armstrong draw a sketch of the guy. Blonde-brown hair, it's almost styled like yours, 'cept his is bushy and it gets darker as it goes down. His eyes are just about like Hawkeye's- only darker, like he's Ishbalan or something- he isnt'- I'll say he's about five foot six, a couple inches shorter than me, and a build just like Ed's. Ed also said he was wearing a navy blue hoodie, sleeves cut off and a pair of khakis. He wore sneakers. Is that enough?"
"I have a feeling I think I've seen him."
"LL Coolio."
I wonder what LL Coolio means... Al thought, walking away, picture in hand.
"General!" Roy turned around, and noted that Hakuro, Grumman, Major Generals Serentin and Wellds, and Brigadier General Saenz. Hakuro stood up to Roy and said, "General, sir, um, we've been discussing a very important manner and such and-"
Roy shivered. Shig. Oh, gawd, I hope they didn't find out... But instead of showing the painstaking result on his face, he stood as cool as possible. "I'm-" Roy gulped, "- all ears."
"The matter has to do with Alphonse Elric and his taking of the Alchemy Exam."
Roy gulped again, wondering which was worse- them finding about the relationship between Riza Hawkeye and himself or the unknown matter relating Alphonse Elric and the exam, especially since the boy worked so unbearingly hard- even if theb topic was unknwn. Roy hoped, for the better, that it regarded Al's special talents and his immediate annexation within the Amestris Armed Forces.
"I'll lead you into my office, gentlemen."
-
"No!" Ed yelled. "That's not fair! You want to pull him out now! When he's already finished what I didn't when I took the test? I finished only six of those godforsaken booklets out of ten, and he finished all ten of those stupid tests, and after all he's been through, you want to disqualify him?!" Ed ranted.
"Ed, believe me, but I haven't a choice," Roy said, crossing his arms. "It just can't be helped."
Ed slammed his metal fist on Roy's table, leaving a scratch and a deformed shape: a dent. "No. Damn. Way. Mustang," Ed yelled. "I am not letting you pull Alphonse out of this competition. No damn friggin' way!"
"Ed-"
"No," Ed swiped his right arm in a horizontal motion in the air, catching Roy off guard, and accidentally hitting him square in the jaw.
Ed stood wide eyed, glaring at his hand. With his peripheral vision, he could see the general's anger rising. "FullMetal. You had better apologize. I... am not... going out... with Riza Hawkeye or to the Exam... with half my face... black and blue," the marshall instructed with grit teeth.
"G-g-General...? Uh..." Ed began, but he was too late.
Roy tugged on his gloves. "Well done, medium, or rare, FullMetal?" was the question.
"Nggghraaahhhhh!" Ed said dodging behind Roy, turning his metal arm into the usual scabbard, and cowering behind the black leather chair.
"Edward!" Roy yelled, on the other side of the desk, the result of trying to grab the boy.
Ed began a fake when his belt loop got caught on a certain drawer, pulling it open. Roy and Ed both looked at the mysterious drawer- Roy sweating anxiously and Ed glancing curiously.
"What do we have here...?" Ed said, pulling out a small velvet covered box. "And to think that of all people, Mustang would've at the very least put this precious item in a safe place instead of a cheap wooden oak drawer.
Cheap? That desk cost over 250,000 sens informed Maes.
Not right now, Hughes!
"FullMetal... Give it to me," Roy instructed, 'patiently'.
"This?" Ed said, holding it up. "This thing right here? I don't know, Five Star. From what I remember, this thing cost one hell of a fortune. Maybe I should sell it to a pawn shop or on the black market."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me."
Both of their eyes narrowed, breaking it down wide-screen, 16: 9. Roy made a small noise as he hurtled towards him; however, Ed seeing this, hitched his boot of the wall, ricocheting himself to another wall, and thus, hooking his arm on the curtain rod.
For a short guy, he's a pretty good aero-gymnast, Maes commented.
Roy pretended to ignore the comment and licked his lips. Seeing an oppurtunity, the FullMetal boy kicked the window open with his boot.
"You better not drop that! Otherwise, its your limbs! All four of them!"
"I'm shaking in my boxers," countered Ed, swinging himself out the window and up the ledge, landing on the roof.
"FULLMETAL!!" Roy yelled, running out the room and up the flight of stairs that lead to the roof in is top speed. "Edward," he said, reaching the roof. "Give it to me."
"Then leave Al out of this!"
"This has nothing to do with your brother!"
"Then this has nothing to do with this expensive ruby ring, does it not?"
"FullMetal! I'm sorry, but I haven't a choice! I have to disqualify your brother!"
"No!"
"Ed, listen to me. I know that you and your brother did everything possible to get this possible. I know how he felt when I first rejected him when the two of you were barely teenagers-"
"But why?!"
"I have my reasons!"
"Spit it out!"
-
"You will be all be waiting in this room until your name has been called," Hakuro advised. "Once that has happened, you will then have permission to enter the room. We will notify you what will happen in the room once you enter. You may not share what has happened your competitors, otherwise, you will be dismissed. Once your turn is over, you may head outside with the same rules applying and lounge until 5:47. Any questions? No? Good. Your names will be called randomly.
The general known as Saenz brought up his clipboard and said, "First up..."
Hakuro glanced at Al harshly (although he didn't notice) and wondered why General Mustang didn't do anything about the boy yet.
The man suddenly came out minutes later and Saenz announced disappointingly, "Alphonse Elric." Al sensed the hint of despair in the man's voice, but didn't wonder why.
He was lead into the room and saw that Roy was nowhere in the room. Instead, another famed alchemist was sitting in the middle of the table. Armstrong- whom he was glad to see.
"Take a seat in the chair- bottom all the way done," the alchemist instructed. Al did so. After his rear had touched the seat, it squeaked and Al made a small peeping noise.
"Uh, sir... There are only three legs," Al pointed out, said just like his brother when he was 12.
"Sit on it."
Al gulped and did so, sitting perfectly and not falling over like any non-dedicated alchemist would.
"Okay Alphonse, why do you want to be in the military?"
Al bit his lip. Why? "Because... because I feel that it is necessary for me since... since I returned back to "normal". Major Armstrong, you will be the only one in the room to probably understand what I am saying, but, when I was on my "journey" I noticed all the people who were suffering in this country. I know most of that has changed since Pri-... I mean Fuhrer Bradley-" some people gasped, since the mentioning of Fuhrer Bradley was not to ever be mentioned- "and since General Mustang took over and all, but I... I just need to help those other people, who, in any case, General Mustang may have overlooked.
"I also feel that my alchemy abilities could be improved and by using those resources you provide, I could reach my goal."
"Right then, Alphonse," Armstrong said, getting paper edges even. "What is your duty towards the military?"
"To be determined and loyal- so I can be the best I can be to support my nation," was the tough response from the boy. "I know that by becoming 'a dog of the military' means that I have to follow all of this military's rules as well as enforce them. I know that whenever the chance is called- I have to be there."
Al was like a spokesperson with all these words, as if he had already rehearsed the entire thing.
"Okay," Armstrong said. "Alphonse Elric... please report to the parade grounds at the instructed time General Hakuro had previously mentioned."
Al nodded, silently walking out of the room. Hoards of people wathced him move away from them, wondering what the notion in the secret room was about.
And now, with the free time Al had, he can scout for the man known as Maven; Al pulled the white minuscule sketch paper out and studied it, asking himself all the while where he had seen him before. The face was vaguely familar- a face he remembered, but didn't have the slightest idea why or even how.
He climbed a couple of stairs of the eastern building of headquarters and pulled out a sniper scope he had- a gift from the lieutenant for the exam- and adjusted the lens to a 2x magnification so as to get a large peripheral vision of the entire campus.
-
"Not that you could possibly do anything with my relationship with Hawkeye."
"I can pull you off by talking to the government- no, I'll write a letter."
"No! No! Not a letter, FullMetal!" Roy whined, turning from dead serious and impatient, to pleading and sappy. "Ed, just... just give me the box and we'll compromise." Ed shook his head.
"I want you to leave Al alone."
"I can't!"
"You're a general! Five-starred general! A marshall! Overrule for his sake!"
"Too much pressure from the generalists' staff!"
"Overrule them!!"
Thhhsssshhh! While Ed blabbered, Roy saw the oppurtunity. The chance to grab it. He sped of towards Ed, and uncoiled his fingers, revealing the sacred box, in result, he snatched it up. He overdid the speed by a mere hair and instead of slowing down and turning to get away from the ledge, he fell down from the ledge.
"Bastard!" Ed whined, peeping his head out over the ledge. He saw that the man landed in the appropriate stance, barely hurting himself. "Ahhhh!!" Ed screamed, leaping over the ledge.
Roy ran. He saw Ed was coming down and needed to get as much distance away from him as possible. It was a miracle. A miracle for not breaking an ankle, given the height Riza had fallen from.
-
"That's him!" Al exclaimed. The blue flannel, unbuttoned, the khakis- all shriveled as if they weren't press ironed. The hoodie stuck out beneath the flannel and the sleeves were irrationally cut off nicely. His blonde-brown hair blew in the crazed gale that would come every moment or so. He wore sneakers.
Al zoomed in closer and saw that this was definately the right guy. Dark amber eyes and fair skin tone. Tink! Al blinked. The sun had caught something and magnified it right into his eye. Wincing, he brought the lens zooming higher and saw what it was. A Browning Hi-Power. It looked loaded and- by zooming it to its closest mag, Al saw the safety was on. He sighed, nearly panicking as of thinking it was off. But just a push of the thumb and a finger on a trigger could lead to havoc- and not the Lieutenant Havoc.
"This is it- what the-?" Al said, refocusing the scope, seeing General Mustang running and panting, glancing behind him as if somewhere chasing him. Running. Running in the direction of Maven.
"General! General Mustang!" Al yelled.
He didn't hear him.
-
Jeez, this boy is really asking for it. He's gonna be in for it now... That little pest. I can't wait to get my hands on him and tear him apart... That is, if he can catch me. No way, anywho. What're the odds? He'll be so far back, by the time he's caught up to me, I'll be behind him! Right Maes?
Exactly as you worded it, Marshal. Except there's one problem. Uh, instead of maybe following you, Ed would do the alternative.
And that would be...?
Well, I'm Ed's late friend and all and I don't mean to betray him or nothing, but I have a hinted feeling that maybe he'd go and either, A.) Report to the COG...
Or?
Or... he would go tell Hawkeye.
"Nooooo!!! That little motherfu-" Roy caught himself short just as several unnamed people began to watch him with puzzled faces...
-
"Oh, good! He stopped," Al said to no one in particular, relieved. He craned his neck upward; he was now leveled with Maven. Pulling out a memo pad, Al began scribbling things he was doing by the minute, whereas, he, at this very moment, was making small conversation with what looked to be a non-com soldier.
-
"No, no. I'm sorry, sir, but spectators are not allowed at least a hundred yards from the campus until the final rounds begin. That shouldn't be until at least a quarter to dusk," Lansen instructed. Having just been transferred a couple days ago, this was his first actual real mission here with the big-tops- and working under Fuery and Havoc- who were tight with Mustang- he should be the next young one to continue the era and to prove himself as loyal as they were.
Maven shook his head and pushed him out of the way, storming past the gates that marked the 95 boundary until you officially stood at the bottom of the steps to the main HQ building.
-
I need to get to Ed!
Roy sprinted wildly, trying to retrace his steps and hopefully, if he's lucky, he'll run straight into Ed and do whatever thing possible to get what was in his head out.
"Wait," Roy said to himself as he was running. "More than likely, I won't find Ed since I've barely run an eighth of the campus, so if I run the other way... I can nail him just as well! The only difference would be that I would have enough energy to waste him!" Roy turned around, running in the same direction he had started.
-
"What the... What's the general doing?" Al said, noticing the raven-haired man coming into view. "He's... He's heading straight into him. He's gonna make a collision! I... I have to do something! Something fast!" he panicked.
Al knew nothing about this Maven guy, but by the way Mustang had described him, it seemed crucial for his capture. Not only that, Maven was armed. He was armed and was not security. That only meant something called 'danger', if not just being protective of himself, which was highly unlikely.
-
"Wait! No! You can't do that! I can have you under arrest," Lansen said.
"You can? Or you will?" the violater challenged.
"I will." Lansen's tone suddenly turned dead serious.
-
"Nooooo!!!!" Al screamed. "General Mustang! Turn around now!"
-
"What the-?" Roy exclaimed, just as he tripped onto Maven, making a rare, yet spectacular, scene. Dust arising from the dirt ground, Roy prompted himself up, coughing all the while, and nearly choked when he saw what had just happened.
"Black and blue," Maven started. "That's a nice color on your face. Not to mention the dirt and sticks of grass you just managed to pull on your uniform."
"I believe you meant blades of grass," Roy corrected harshly.
BLEEP! BLEEP! BLEE-
-
P! BLEEP! BLEEP! BLEEP!
Al looked down at the distracting noise and spontaniously yelped. "Already?!" he said, looking down at his watch. It read 5: 44. Al nearly cursed and grabbed his backpack, hoisting it over his right shoulder as he made his way off the roof and out the building. Destination: Central Headquarters, Main Building, Courtyard: Parade Grounds.
-
Roy shut his pocket watch closed. "I'll deal with you later," Roy announced. "I have important business to attend to," he said smartly. "Lansen!" Lansen immediately stood up straight and alert. "Call for some backup and keep a sharp, skilled eye on this maniac. Got that?"
-
Al glanced at his surroundings. The courtyard looked blank, emptied and abandoned with the exception of the several alchemists remaining. There were fewer this time, as if more than half of the competitors have suddenly disappeared without a particular reason.
"You may begin."
WHAT? Al hadn't even realized while he was lost in his thoughts, he was ignoring every single word that Hakuro had made. That resulted in a large hole of confusion. He was lost. Al didn't know the 'what you can do's' and the 'what you couldn't do's'. Above all that, Al just noticed that spectators were watching- just as Mustang had said. The Exam, for the first time, was opened to the public. Al felt eyes on him. So many eyes on him. So much pressure.
But he had to do something. If he wanted to pass this test, he had to do something. Something impressive. More impressive than anything performed.
Below Al, however, a certain lad had the entire thing planned out. This 'lad' didn't know that Al had not listened to the instructions, and by an unbeknownst twist of fate, he had, just ruined everything- thinking... well, unsure of what he was thinking.
"I'll show Mustang now," he said, from directly below Al. The boy clapped his hands, creating the mystical energy used to transmute things. It also revealed him as none other than Edward Elric.
He placed his hands above him, colliding his hands with the dirt ceiling he had dug to be under the arena and transmuted. His calculations were highly accurate. Although, he had no idea that it occured to be so near to Al's standing ground territory, that Al would later be blamed for the entire fiasco, starting with something as so appaling, it would be the day's- possibly weeks'- climax.
Al screamed. The statue formed barely a few yards in front of him and several eyes were glued to it- wondering what amazing feat the young boy had pulled. "Mustang's gonna flip," Ed snickered.
Everyone was silent. Al, who was once screaming bloody murder, was shocked and wordless. In the stands, where Roy had finally arrived, standing to the left of Riza and in front of his men in the upmost bench, had his temper rising to an unhealthy level, and Riza had her face turning computer paper-white pale, paler than ever. Fuery's glasses slid off his nose, landed, and cracked. Havoc loosened his cigarette and it fell to the ground. Military officers had their mouths rudely opened. As for the rest of the crowd, either you were with the aforementioned, or you were just plain clueless.
With the most excrutiating detail one had to offer was a monument of Five Star General Roy Mustang and his loyal First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, tongue battling it out, one on one. AKA: Kissing on the scene.
"Did... Did... Would... Al really... No... way... He couldn't. He- he wouldn't," Fuery stammered in pure disbelief. Riza stood next to him, still speechless and lost for words.
"Chief..." Havoc began, seeing the rising fury in Roy's body.
One... Two... Three... Maes braced for the worst, covering his ears.
"ALPHONSE!!!"
Al shook, unsure of how or why he was being watched- glared- and why this happened. He was as just unsure and nervous as eveyone else. He glanced around, seeing that other people were talking and whispering: What did this statue mean? Al saw that the familar Mustang group stood firm, staring at him with what seemed to be animosity.
What? What's going on? What... What did I do? What does this have to do with me? This... This... I.. I didn't do anything! Why... Why am I being blamed? What... What?!!
Before Al even knew it, Roy was already within two feet of Al and roughly grabbed him by the collar, bringing Al up to his eye level by a mere 6 inches- which was pretty high up. Al gulped.
"Why!? Why did you do that?!" Roy yelled. "What would cause you to do something as lame and idiotic as.. as that?!" Roy pointed at the statue, with a desperate urge of sending it to Haydes in flames, even if it looked that good.
"I.. I didn't do it!" Al stammered.
"Then who..." A sudden realization came to Roy and his eyes narrowed briefly.
There was a sharp whistle and a four foot, eleven inch sixteen year old boy hopped out of a hole. "Right here, Mustang."
Roy stomped over and did what he had previously done to the younger Elric: grabbing him by the collar and raising him to an eight inch eye level. "Edward Elric. I ought to strip you of your permit right this very instant! Do you know what you just did?"
Ed smirked. "Other than wreck your relationship with Hawkeye? What I just did isn't on my turf, the whole military is here. Even members of the State Government. They're disguised as ordinary spectators, but they're here, nevertheless."
Roy wanted to beat this kid to a pulp so badly. In fact, he actually raised his fist and threw it straight at him-
"Restrin them!" a government bean ordered. An unknown amount of unwilling soldiers to do the man's bidding, obeyed and grabbed both Ed Elric and Roy Mustang.
"No!" wrestled Roy. "Let go of me!" 2 pairs of soldiers then came and grabbed ahold of Al, who was just standing there. Another four came and grabbed Riza as she was coming alongside the grounds down the stairs.
"Before the actual matter is presented," the man who ordered for the four's restrain began, "Alphonse Elric, due to the resourceful guidance of another state alchemist, you have been disqualified."
"What?!" Ed whined. "Wait! No! I take it back! Please, no! It's my fault- not his! I... didn't think-"
"His point exactly, FullMetal! You didn't think! You didn't think at all!"
"Roy," Riza began, but was instantly cut off.
"Stay out of this Riza," Roy said without realizing it.
"I'm sorry!" Ed yelled.
"Brother, you prepare me for this for months, and then you cheat for me?"
"That's not what I was thinking!"
"Not thinking. Apparently Ed, you're never thinking! Don't you get it?" Roy said, still trying to get out of the 6- man hold.
The crowd was in a mad rioting frenzy. This may not have been what they came here for, but this is what they came to see- if you catch the idea. The remaining alchemists on the parade grounds were nervous on how this would affect them and what was to happen after this.
"Let me go," Riza said to the men holding her. The four soldiers glanced at each other doubtfully, but surprisingly, they did. Riza walked over to Roy with her regular pace, however each step seemed like an eternity as everyone in the crowd quieted, watching and having a sharp feeling to as what may happen next.
Ed, Al, and Roy stopped their arguing when they saw this. Due to their being relazed, the soldiers with their firm grips, lightened them.
"Roy," Riza began.
Roy looked up.
Oh, shit!!!
"I... I... I have to break up with you. I'm sorry."
A/N: -sigh- I... I'm really sorry I had to do that, but I had to. I said you guys would hate me... or extremely dislike... but you can't blame a kid for predicting it.
But anywho, I know you guys have followed this story on and on... (actually some of you haven't reviewed much as the first few, so I dunno if you still do)... but just keep following the story-line will ya?
Yes, I rushed this chapter so I could put it up today... 2 hours before midnight, Central USA time, but... yeah. And I had to work extremly hard and type fast to meet the deadline, even though I was sick today and didn't go to school, I finished this in a little less than six hours if you didn't count all the interruptions. Plus, I couldn't think of anything as for the "statue" thing, so I had to do my default in the unedited first draft copy (which I don't use anymore for exact EXACT details) and I promised Daryl I'd mention him for actually trying to give me some stuff in here, but he's just too much of a comic- which, lest you didn't notice- I've been doing so much Tom Clancy, that it wasn't exactly "Hilarious and Beyond."
TRL/TLFTR: Rei Sabere, animechick50, Misty the Awesome, sQuIsHyEmO, OTP, S J Smith, Tate Freak, winglessfairy25, ForgottenSpirit636, MoonStarDutchess, Quandtuniverse, C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, flOofymikO, -my-name-is-V-, joua197.
-nodnod- You all rockm cuz I'm not talking to you when I say.. REVIEW!!
And I know I've only posted, like, three chapters during the school year, but I'll try to do better, especially since 4 1/2 more months and the year's over!! Yup, yup! And those of you who knew my b-ball life, well, the season's over and now it's time for track and tennis! My LA teacher is doing girls' track (yes, the infamous english teacher who loves my work) and I wanna do that, but I wanna do tennis more cuz I had a history in badminton. The fee is $20 per sport and you could go out for both, but I don't have that much money, for I have to pay outta my pockets!!.. -sigh- but I figured I've done too much running in b-ball, but I'm game... Game for tennis. (I only have enough for one sport)
So enough of the ranting and whatever. But I finally updated! Yepperz!!