Chapter 29
"No."
"Come on, Al-"
"It's not going to happen, Brother."
"You don't have to stop overall, but just-"
"No!"
"Why not?!"
With his iron arms folded tenaciously, Al's armor clanked as he shifted to face the older brother.
"I'm not going to stop helping people who ask for it."
"But what if this happens again?" Edward asked insistently, flailing his arms.
"Not everyone who wants my help with something is planning on kidnapping me and blackmailing you."
"You don't know that!"
Alphonse huffed exasperatedly as he studied Edward for a moment, who was staring expectantly back at him and gripping onto the arms of his chair as if the argument depended on it. The dark circles under his eyes proved that he was tired and not thinking clearly, but he seemed restless and unable to shut them for anything more than to blink. Regardless, Al wasn't planning on taking anything he said too seriously until he got some rest.
"When did you get so paranoid?" he asked rhetorically. He didn't mean much by the offhanded comment, but Ed reeled back in his chair as if it physically startled him. His expression slid from mild shock to a pout within the same second.
"I'm not paranoid," he grumbled with his brow furrowed stubbornly. By the looks of it, Alphonse wasn't sure if Edward even believed himself.
"Okay, Ed," he relented simply to bring an end to the topic.
Edward had not left his side once since they arrived at the hospital early that morning. He had recreated Al's armor before leaving the warehouse, refusing to take another step until the younger Elric could as well. If Ed's injures were any worse, than he would have argued against his priorities, but he couldn't complain; it was comforting to have a body back, instead of being carried around like a lifeless object.
Ed's condition was not as bad as he had expected. Usually when the older brother got tangled up with criminals and such, he would return with broken ribs, a concussion, and a missing arm. But instead, he only had several bruises and the cut on his arm from where a bullet had grazed him, which had already been stitched closed.
Overall, he was fortunate. His wounds were no where near as bad as what Colonel Mustang sustained. Alphonse did not know all of the details, but he knew the older alchemist had fallen unconscious and was rushed to the hospital not long after Ed recreated Al's armor. They were close to follow, but after Ed was swiftly taken care of, they had been left to sit in the waiting room for many hours. In passing, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes suggested that they should head back to the dorms to get some rest, but Edward was insistent on staying.
As for Riece, Alphonse was glad to know that he was quickly transported to a cell at Central Command until they decided the full weight of his crimes, after receiving some medical attention for the beating Edward had given him. He hadn't actually seen the damage that was done to the man, but something told him that he didn't really need to know.
That was only one less thing to ask his brother, Alphonse supposed. However, that did not mean much in comparison to the many other questions that still needed answers. His attempts had nearly all been fruitless so far, except for when he inquired on how Edward got out of prison. Out of everything that needed explaining, that was apparently the simplest of them all.
Learning that Ed was freed because of Fuhrer Bradley of all people was a small comfort, but a comfort all the same. It was a much preferable outcome to his brother breaking out, as Riece had tried to convince him. If that was false, then he couldn't help but hope that his other tales were just as untrue.
But still, he was worried.
As much as he hated to admit it, Riece's memorable words returned to the surface every time he considered asking Edward again about the events that transpired over the past few weeks.
You'll come face to face with Edward and ask for the truth, but how will you react when he's unable to look you in the eye? I've been watching him, and I'm certain that he'll be far too consumed by guilt to give you a straight answer. Will you still think he's so innocent then?
So far, the man's prediction had been accurate. Every time the topic was brought up, Edward steered clear of all eye contact for as long as he could and jumped through hoops to avoid giving a decent answer. They were both aware that he could not continue hiding the truth forever, and the longer they waited, the more anxious Alphonse became.
Even if the older brother did not agree, they had to get this taken care of as soon as possible.
"Hey, Ed," Al began once he appeared to be done pouting. The blond glanced at him with a seemingly natural expression, but his gaze gave way to the alarms ringing in his head. "We should really talk abou-"
His golden eyes flashed to the other end of the waiting room and he immediately jumped to his feet, cutting the younger brother off. "Hey, the doctor's back! Maybe Mustang woke up," he exclaimed, voice jittery and nervous as he began to approach the older man in a white coat, who was speaking to a nurse at the end of the hall.
"Wha- Ed!"
"Come on, Al!"
He watched mutely in his seat as Edward bounded up to the doctor and began a conversation. With a echoed sigh, he also rose from his chair and followed. Just as he caught up, Ed thanked the doctor and began down the hall, apparently been given clearance to visit the colonel.
That was another strange thing Alphonse had noticed: Ed was surprisingly eager to see the older alchemist and was openly genuinely concerned for his condition.
Of course, the younger brother was always certain that the two alchemists never hated each other as much as they claimed, but he wasn't expecting this. The only explanation was that they had somehow managed to bond over the past few weeks. Strange, but it did help to alleviate Al's fear that Ed had actually tried to attack Mustang.
Edward soon disappeared as he turned into a room, in which Alphonse followed. As he walked in, he stopped abruptly before he could collide into his brother, who had paused upon entering. He was motionless, staring straight ahead.
Al followed his gaze and also stared mutely at the colonel laying in the hospital bed with the thin blanket pulled up to his chest, his arms resting above the covers, tightly bandaged. His pale skin was bruised, but color was slowly returning. His eyes were closed, but they soon flickered open as he sensed the Elric's presence and managed to grace them with a crooked smile, despite himself.
Taking it as an invitation to continue, Ed stepped further inside and plopped himself into a chair that was turned to face the side of the bed once he got over whatever made him freeze. Alphonse followed, but unlike his brother, had no desire to sit, so he remained standing by the blond's side, quietly taking in the appearance of Colonel Mustang.
"Hey," he greeted them both, then set his eyes on the suit of armor for a considerate moment. "It's good to see you again, Al."
His voice gave way to the honesty in his words that the classic Mustang-brand confidence would have usually covered up. Along with the fond smile that was in place, Alphonse had to admit to himself that he was surprised by the blatant sincerity. And to make it all the more surprising, something gave him the impression that the colonel was still happier than he let on.
A lot had changed since his capture, but much of it seemed to be for the better.
"It's good to see you too," he replied, masking his initial shock quite well. "How are you holding up?"
The older man shrugged, careful not to disrupt his damaged arms as he did so. "I've been worse. Won't have great control over my hands for a while. It's keeping Hawkeye from forcing paperwork on me, but it's also keeping me stuck here."
"How long will you be here?" Ed most likely failed to realize how intensely he was listening for the answer.
"The doctor, Hughes, and Hawkeye want to keep me here for a week at least. If I get my way, I'll be out in a few days," Mustang replied with a knowing smirk.
Ed only chuckled in response as he leaned back in the chair, oblivious to Al's confused staring.
He didn't understand.
He had been slowly processing the fact since he was reunited with his brother, but he still could not wrap his head around the reality that Edward Elric and Colonel Roy Mustang were sitting in the same room and not one death threat or short joke had been said. They didn't look like they wanted to kill each other in the slightest.
It didn't make sense.
He may not have been able to fully comprehend what he was seeing, but he was glad to see it. It was nice to know that those two have been able to be at least somewhat civil while he was gone.
"Any news on Riece?" Al tuned back into the conversation when Mustang mentioned the name of his kidnapper. He had been unconscious or talking to doctors since he arrived, and likely had no idea what had happened to the man. Unfortunately, the Elrics did not know much more.
"Not really. He was taken to HQ," Ed shrugged. "That's all I know."
"Did they find anything on him? Anything confiscated for evidence?"
"Like what?"
Alphonse suddenly gasped- or made the sound of a gasp. "His notebook!" The two State Alchemists turned to look at him expectantly, inviting him to elaborate. "Whenever he spoke to me, Riece was always writing something down as if he was recording my reactions. I'm certain he had it with him last night too."
"Weird," Edward muttered with traces of a scowl.
"That's perfect," Colonel Mustang replied after him. "Do either of you have any idea who has it now?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure I saw Lieutenant Colonel Hughes searching him before he was taken to HQ," Edward said after a moment of thought with his head tilted to the side.
"Let's hope he still has it," Mustang stated as he shifted his weight in the bed to sit up a little straighter. "That book might be what we need to pin him down to Tresler's death. I don't think that should be too hard now, since it looked like he had the same gun on him last night that was used to do it. I'll have to wait for the forensic guys to confirm that, however."
Before Edward could open his mouth to reply, they both froze when Al's armor body visibly jumped. He cycled the words through his mind, ensuring that he understood correctly before allowing his hopes to grow.
"It was Riece who killed Tresler?"
He was hoping for a confirmation, or the smallest of nods or even a hint of a smile- something besides those startled, trapped expressions would have been acceptable. But instead, the two alchemists looked at Alphonse as if they were caught in a headlight, then glanced at each other to have a brief, silent conversation. It was safe to say that their reaction swept the foundation from underneath Al's admittedly rising hopes, freely allowing them to crash back down.
With whatever secret messages they were sending to each other, Mustang apparently won the argument because Ed was the first to look away with a reluctant frown on his face.
After a painfully long second, Ed leaned forward in his seat and laced his fingers together, staring past them to the polished floor.
"Look, Al, I- I should tell you..." he paused and sighed deeply, sinking himself further into the chair, still unable to look his brother in the eyes.
"Ed..." He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but that was all he could manage. The single sound had a stronger effect on his brother than what was expected. The blond's eyes shut tightly and his hands almost began to shake with the strength that they were holding each other. But all at once, the strain that was evident slipped out as he sighed again and leaned back once more, finally bringing his eyes up to meet Al's soulfire gaze.
There was a brief moment in which Al thought Edward could tell him literally anything and he would be okay with it, all because he made eye contact as he said it.
"Back when you were first caught, I found Tresler that night... with the intent to kill him. But in the last second, I- I backed out. Or, I tried. Tresler got the gun and- well, the bullet ricocheted and hit him." He finally allowed his eyes to fall back to the floor, physically unable to look at Al any longer as he told the story, who had not found himself able to react in any way. "But I'm not trying to get out of the blame," Ed assured quickly in fear that his brother would not understand. "I'm really sorry for the part I played in that man's death, and I'll never forget that. But... but-"
"Riece is still the murderer." Alphonse finished the sentence for him before his mind could come to the same conclusion. Part of him was almost surprised by how well Ed was keeping himself together as he spoke, as if he had mentally rehearsed it. But still, he could not hide the regret that eclipsed his eyes.
Because Al knew his brother well and he knew that he was prone to holding himself responsible to incidents out of his control. However, saying that was only the easiest way to go about it.
He still had to wonder: was it out of Ed's control? Was there truly nothing else he could have done? These were questions that sickened him to wonder, but it would be even worse if he tried to simply shrug the matter off.
Edward only stared, stunned by his automatic response, until he was able to shake himself out of his a stutter a response. "But you- you can't just be so okay with that."
"I'm not," he corrected calmly without needing to put much thought into it. It was true that what Ed had done was terrible. Even if it didn't work out that way, he approached someone with the intention of ending their life. But overall, the news did not shock him. He had been forced to speculate the possible reality for at least a month by then and had no choice to be prepared to face the worst case scenario.
He was only disappointed.
But not in Ed. No, he was disappointed because even as he expected the worst, part of him was still naively hoping for the best conclusion possible. Perhaps it was childish to let himself think that maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright. But in the end, the reality was neither as bad or as good as what he had expected. So how much could he really complain?
"I'm not okay with it, because it's just not okay," Al started. It was now his turn to struggle to keep eye contact. "But it wouldn't be fair for me to blame you. You thought he was going to kill me. I... I don't know what I would have done in that situation. I don't know if I would have been strong enough to make a decision."
Edward blinked at him, seemingly shocked by his words.
Alphonse felt as if there were still many things left unsaid and many issues that needed to be worked out. He still didn't quite know how he felt about it overall, but one thought overruled all others.
"I'm sorry, Ed."
"... What?"
He could practically feel the surprise emitting from both Ed and Mustang.
"This is my fault, isn't it? If I never fell for Riece's trick, then this-"
"Stop that," Edward quickly scolded, cutting his younger brother off. Al looked up, not realizing that his gaze had fallen. "Don't even try it, Al; I won't let you blame yourself for this mess too. It was Riece who started all of this by kidnapping you. You didn't get involved intentionally, so you're not to blame," he said firmly, allowing no room to argue the matter.
"Oh?" Mustang suddenly jumped in, drawing both of the brother's attention over to him. "You say he's not to blame because it was unintentional on his part? Interesting," he mused with a smile.
"What are you getting at?" Ed snapped halfheartedly.
"Nothing, nothing," the colonel went on, idly glancing out the window. "It's just that... that sounds a little like your situation too, don't you think?"
Ed opened his mouth to say something that was undoubtedly a sharp retort, but the words never came. After a moment, he only glared at the man and shut his mouth, pursed his lip, then opened it again. "Shut up."
When Mustang chuckled at his response, Alphonse fully understood why Edward had seemingly gotten so close to the colonel as of late. He didn't know to what extend Mustang had helped his brother over this past few weeks, but he knew he could ever thank the man enough.
Reclining behind his office desk, Roy silently stretched his hands, watching with a morbid fascination as his fingers did not extend as far as they were meant to. They could if he forced them to, but he was threatened with another trip to the hospital if he strained himself. It was safe to say that he was in no rush to test the insistent doctors who told him to take it easy.
Just as he had planned, Roy managed to escape their clutches just a few days after being admitted. The colonel knew Hughes and Hawkeye were gearing up to fight him on the matter, but it was surprisingly easy to convince them to agree. Roy needed to get back to work on the case now that they caught Riece before someone else stepped in to ruin everything, and they thankfully understood his urgency. Hughes had been taking care of things in his absence, but the media as well as the military's higher-ups were about to get restless.
After idly cracking his knuckles, Roy picked up the small notepad again and turned to the next page.
Riece had dedicated a notepad solely to recording his conversations with Alphonse and Edward. Roy had just gotten his hands on the book earlier that day and was reading through it for the first time, but so far, he and Hughes were the only people to lay eyes on it's contents, besides the man who wrote it.
To be honest, he found that reading it made him rather uncomfortable.
It somehow felt as if he was invading on Al's privacy by reading about his stay with the psychopath. Looking through the notepad might as well have been the equivalent of reading someone's diary. In that case, he was almost glad that some of it was impossible to understand. The thought nearly caused Roy to stop just so he could ask the kid for permission to continue, but he knew he didn't have time for that. The colonel told himself once again that it was for the good of the case, and continued.
Every note varied from being short and unclear, to long with great detail. Some of it would have looked like complete nonsense to anyone who did not know exactly what they were looking at. He supposed that made sense, considering Reice's history as a psychologist. Of course, Roy was aware that psychologists did not actively take notes in front of their patients to avoid interrupting the connection they were trying to make with them, but creating such a relationship was clearly not the goal when it came to the Elrics.
The notes began to follow a trend, he noticed as he got a few pages deeper.
Each new passage would obviously start with the date and time and would then go into how whichever Elric he was speaking to (primarily Alphonse) would react to his words or very presence. It would start by recording their reactions, both vocal and bodily. Riece focused on what they were feeling and thinking, rather than what was true.
The next section would then state the facts. Or at least, whatever the writer observed to be fact. He recorded everything from the general reactions, to the smallest, most minute signs in their body language. If the first part was all about Ed or Al's subjective view, then the next was focusing on what Riece saw to be objective.
Whenever the passage would continue further than the first two stages, it would then be followed by an overall assessment of how his patient was in general, and then would proceed to his next plan of action, which more or less consisted of how he was going to fill Al's head up with more lies.
It was despicable.
Disgusting.
Twisted.
Sick.
There was no one word to accurately describe the heinous acts that this man chose to commit. And to include two children...
Roy dropped the notebook back on the table with more force than was necessary and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head before flinching from the strain in his torn muscles and settling for leaving them on the armrests.
He couldn't bring himself to read any more. Not at the moment, anyway.
Besides, he already had what he needed to know.
They were far and few between, but both Edward and Victor Tresler were mentioned within the note pad's pages. Some of these notes were far more incriminating than others, however.
If anyone else were to read through these pages, it would be possible for them to figure out what Ed had been forced to do. Unfortunately, there was nothing inside that would hold enough weight to convince the reader that Riece was more to blame than Ed, since the man who wrote it actually appeared as if he did not think himself at fault.
Therefore, Roy could not allow anyone to read through the note pad- not as it was now, anyway. If that meant he would have to compromise case evidence, then so be it...
His list of crimes increased every day, it seemed. He only hoped to take this all to his grave.
For a moment, Roy allowed himself to wonder if scarifying so much was truly worth it. It only took him a fraction of a second to decide yes, it damn well was.
The colonel was given no choice. He would not be able to look at himself if he allowed Ed to come to any more harm because Roy was unwilling to make the hard decisions and do what was necessary.
Speaking of which, he planned on personally going down to the cell block and having a little chat off-record with the piece of trash who had been tormenting his boys. Riece knew too much about the Elric brothers, so Roy was going to take care of the dilemma before it grew into a problem.
With one look at his watch, he decided that there was no point in wasting anymore daylight. He slowly rose to his feet, mindful of the gash in his side that was still healing. He began walking around his desk to the door dividing him from the main office when he heard a rising clamor coming from the other side.
His suspicions were confirmed when he entered the larger room to see Edward in his flashy getup and the seven foot tall suit of armor besides him speaking animatedly to the soldier's who gleefully welcomed them back. Every member of his staff had run into the two brothers at one point or another during the past few days thanks to all of their frequent hospital visits, but the euphoria of seeing the iconic pair standing side by side after so long had not yet worn down.
Roy remained in the doorway for a moment longer, allowing himself a minute to simply enjoy the sight.
"Hey Colonel Bastard!"
Moment ruined.
At least, that's what his brain had tried to tell him, but he struggled to hide the smile that wanted to slip into his controlled expression. As Edward stood at the other end of the office with his arms folded confidentially, he looked more alive and happy than he had in weeks. Being back at the office with everyone he cared about did wonders to replace the fear in his eyes with rejuvenated life.
"How'd you manage to worm your way out of the hospital so early?"
"I have my ways," he replied with an arrogant wave of his hand.
Havoc, who was leaning back against his desk with his arms folded, scoffed and leaned closer to the Elrics. "More like Hawkeye just took pity on him."
"Well he is pretty pitiable," Edward commended and chuckled at the colonel's expense.
"Ungrateful little brat," Roy shot back with mock irritation in his tone as he stepped further into the office.
"What was that?!" he snapped back but the colonel lost his chance to reply when most of the other occupants in the room laughed at the kid's reaction and continued walking around him amiably. Despite the angered frown on Ed's face, he was soon sucked into the conversation once again, all thoughts of insults to his height long forgotten.
Again, the colonel stayed back and watched, allowing himself this simple pleasure. It felt to him as if the very sight of seeing his team talking vivaciously in his office just as they once did was all the reward he needed for the several weeks of strife prior.
But unfortunately, he couldn't afford to let himself enjoy it for as long as he would have liked to.
"Well," Roy said as he took another glance at his pocket watch. The one word managed to grab the attention of his staff and they all turned their heads towards him. "I'll be back in a little bit." With a short wave, he stepped around the Elrics and gave a small nod to Hawkeye, who swiftly fell into a step behind him.
"Where are you going?" Ed asked as both he and his brother turned to watch the two step out.
"I just need to take care of some loose ends; don't worry about it." Without casting them another glance, Roy and Hawkeye turned into the hall and began walking in the direction to the cell block. He caught some brief mutters as he did so, but paid them no mind. His focus was already set on the task at hand.
"Mustang."
He paused and withheld a sigh. He should have known it wouldn't have been that easy to simply walk out. Slowly, the colonel turned around to face Edward, who had followed them out. The kid stared back at him, his golden eyes shining with determination as he stood his ground.
"Where are you going?" he asked again. By this time, Alphonse had followed Ed out as well to watch whatever was happening. The two of them were clearly not on the same page at the moment,
With a soundless exhale, Roy relented. "I'm going to speak to Riece."
"I'm going too."
"Not a chance. He's no longer your problem, Ed."
"Yes he is! I need to see him for myself; I need to face him."
"No, you don't," he corrected the kid sternly. The thought of him getting anywhere near that psychopath again made his skin crawl with unease.
Edward let a moment pass before replying and glanced at the spectating Alphonse in the corner of his eye, then shifted his focus back onto the colonel. "I need to prove to myself that I'm not afraid of him."
"I think you proved that days ago," he replied and wearily rubbed his eyes, although the effect was lost with the poor mobility of his hands.
"But I didn't." Something strange and out of place caused Roy to lower his hand from his face and study the blond. Whatever Ed wanted to say, he was struggling to get the words out. His hands curled into fists and he opened his mouth to continue, but it took several seconds of mental prompting before he managed. "Because I... I'm still afraid of him... So I need to see it for myself." He spoke slowly, his words subdued and arduous to articulate.
For what felt like several seconds, Roy could only stare, mouth slightly ajar. He was thrown off by Edward's honesty, but what was most shocking was the fact that he admitted to his fears right in front of his brother; the one person who he never wanted to show them to. If that was not a sentiment of Ed's determination to see this through, then he didn't know what was.
This situation reminded him of the day Edward was arrested. One would expect Roy to learn from his mistakes by then, but sadly, that appeared not to be the case. Life would have been much easier for the colonel if only he would hold fast and refuse the kid's request, but there was one thing that kept him from doing just that.
As Edward has said, he was still afraid. If he did not face his fears, then they would not go away. Perhaps the kid needed to see the man who had been tormenting him and haunting his nightmares in a state of defeat before he could ever move on.
"Alright," he breathed, idly wondering if Hawkeye disapproved.
"Then I'm going too," Alphonse suddenly added.
"No way," Ed shot back quickly, turning to face the suit of armor. "You've already spent far too much time with that guy."
"That's not fair, Brother."
"I don't have to be fair." The look that Al somehow managed to give off earned a sigh out of the older blond as he dropped a fraction of his stubbornness. "You don't have to go, Al. I can tell. But I need to... Just let me do this."
Alphonse was silent for a beat before his helmet nodded. "Okay," he gave in at last, somehow emanating dissatisfaction and understanding at the same time.
Roy and Hawkeye mutely watched as Ed gave his brother a smile and told him he would be back soon before continuing onward to catch up to the two soldiers. He watched the blond out of his peripheral vision, wondering if this was a good idea or not. But he supposed there was nothing to worry about, after the beating Ed had given Riece the other night.
The walk down the halls and into the cell block was a quiet one, filled only by the sounds of their footsteps.
Once they reached the correct row, Hawkeye stayed back to stand guard and the two alchemists continued forwards. Roy purposefully walked slowly as he kept an eye on Ed, watching him grow increasingly more nervous as they got closer. However, he was hiding it well enough.
"As far as anyone else is concerned, this conversation never happened," Roy informed once Riece's cell was in eyesight.
Edward didn't say anything besides a distracted "right" and kept walking.
Once they reached their target, the blond stayed back and out of view, allowing the colonel to take the lead. Something told him that Ed didn't plan on saying much, considering he already had the chance to get his anger out. He was only there because he thought watching was necessary. And maybe it was. If there was a chance his presence would help him, then Roy wasn't about to stand in the way.
Taking his mind off of the kid, Roy stepped out in front of the cell in question, shoulders square and composure giving nothing away. Riece was sitting on the thin bed, facing the side wall with a distant, bored look in his eyes. However, it only took him a moment to notice the colonel standing by. At the sight of Roy, the man perked up and rose to his feet as if he were greeting an old friend.
"Ah, Colonel Mustang; what a surprise," he drawled with an unstable smile stretched across his face, as if he was trying far too hard to hide whatever was underneath the mask. Since his incarceration, he had chosen to take the same approach as Ed and remain almost entirely silent through every session of questions, but his reasons were far different than the kid's. While Ed was trapped in a corner back then and given no choice but to stay quiet, Riece appeared as if he was waiting for something. He had plenty to say if he chose to, but perhaps he was waiting to speak to Roy again, given his apparent excitement.
"Welcome to my new office," he continued sarcastically, spreading his arms out to gesture to the small, enclosed area as if it was an impressive sight. He seemed oblivious to the busies and bandaged cuts that littered his face
"Don't get used to it," Roy replied without missing a beat. "You'll be sent to prison soon enough."
"Ah, prison," he sung and shifted his weight. "It wasn't such a bad place when Sophia was there as well. Even though she was a tad cross with me."
Roy truly felt bad for the girl. Being a prison guard at the very same place that her own psychotic father had been sent to must have been difficult, to say the least.
He considered replying with another sharp remark, as the very sight of the man still made his blood boil, but held himself back and chose to get on with his point. No need to stretch this out any longer than necessary.
"You must realize that you cannot continue to refuse answering questions forever," Roy began, pointedly ignoring the man's previous comment. "One way or another, you will eventually be brought to trail to answer for your crimes."
"Crimes?" Riece asked, portraying an expression of feigned surprise. "What crimes? Do you mean the unfortunate death of Victor Tresler? See, I never laid a hand on him; that was all Edward's doing."
"No it wasn't!"
Roy fought to keep a frown from slipping on when Ed stormed into view and pointed a threatening finger at Riece through the bars.
"You're the one who blackmailed me by kidnapping my brother," he growled as if the caged man needed to be reminded.
"Oh?" he mused quietly with a sinister grin that reminded the colonel of a sadistic cat who had just trapped a mouse. Whatever he was planning, he just made Ed walk right into it- and Roy didn't like it one bit.
"You have a lot to answer for," he interjected in hopes of taking Riece's attention away from Ed. "There's nothing you can say or do to get out of it."
The prisoner did not reply at first in favor of simply examining the alchemists who stood before him. Not once did the smile falter. Eventually, he laughed. But it was not the same joyful laugh that he often used; this one was more like a low grumble from the back of his throat.
"What does it even matter?" he asked slowly, eyes falling to stare past them at nothing. "Without Sophia- without my daughter, I have nothing. Nothing matters; not life, nor death. I cannot bring myself to care about what happens to me anymore. But I might as well have a bit of fun while I still can." He looked at the two as if they were nothing more than objects intended for his own entertainment.
Roy subtly pursed his lip, disgusted by how this man seemed incapable of seeing them or anyone else as actual humans who were worth more than tools for his own personal pleasures. He usually wasn't one to let his emotions get the better of him, especially in front of the enemy, but this was getting ridiculous.
He lurched forward and firmly grasped onto one of the bars of the cell, too preoccupied by the satisfaction he gained by how Riece took a defensive step back when the cage rattled to care about the strain in his arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Edward jump slightly, startled as well by the sudden movement.
Having no more patience, Roy peered balefully into the cell, eyes cold and voice colder. "Just admit to blackmailing Edward and keep your mouth shut about Alphonse' blood seal, or else I will personally make the remainder of your miserable life a living hell."
Besides a mutely surprised blink, Riece did not respond at first and instead hummed contemplatively, continuing to treat this all as a game.
"Let's weigh my options, shall we?" he started, folding his arms. "You want me to be honest, don't you? But how could I be expected to tell the truth if you want me to lie? Asking such a thing of me would simply be immoral!" he exclaimed, waving his wrist in the air for emphasis. "If I were to tell everyone what happened, then I couldn't leave out the part about how Edward willingly took the gun and shot Tresler in the chest. That would just be wrong! And we can't have that now, can we?"
With his eyes narrowed as irritation rose, Roy opened his mouth to reply but was swiftly cut off when Edward shifted in besides him, glaring into the cell.
"Except I never shot him." Both Roy and Ed were fully aware that he still held himself partially responsible, but if Riece was going to nitpick at small details, then there was no reason as to why they couldn't do the same.
Riece paused for once and the arrogant smile twitched as he stared down at the blond, lost for words. However, he quickly recovered. "What are you talking about? I saw the body myself."
"I didn't fire that bullet."
Again, a silence stretched over them as Riece worked on composing himself and hiding the surprise. After a moment, he forced the smile back into place. "Clever, clever," he muttered. "But regardless: all you have is your word. There's no reason for me or anyone else to believe you. And-" he cut himself off, looking closely at the blond, who frowned uncomfortably in response. "I wonder: do you even believe that?"
"Wha-"
"I can see it," Riece continued, cutting Edward off as a victorious air surrounded him. "The blame- the guilt... You're saying what you have to, but you can't forgive yourself for what you've done. And maybe you'll never be able to. Because for every day that passes where you don't think about Tresler's dying breath, brings you one step closer to what you're most afraid of: becoming another heartless monster."
Edward took an unconscious step back from the cell, the defiance long gone from his expression and replaced by the same fear that had plagued him since all of this began.
"That's enough," Roy snapped. Riece was trying to mess with the poor kid's head. He picked out a weakness and pressed it until he got a reaction; it wasn't hard to see that even all of this was simply for entertainment as well.
"You can't protect him from the past, Colonel," he snapped back just as quickly, then drew his eyes back onto the blond. "Just as you can't protect yourself from the past. You chose your path and now you must walk it; the path of someone who's hands are tainted. I wonder how Alphonse will cope..."
The mention of his brother was at least able to jar him out of his trance enough to manage a reply. "Al understood. He-"
"Did he really? Or was he just saying that? Everyone is a liar, Edward. The news that his own brother has ended the life of another human being must surely be eating him up on the inside. And yet you would rather convince yourself that everything is fine."
"N- no, that's not..." Edward trailed off, failing to realize that he was stepping further away from the cell until he was stopped by the opposing wall. His eyes were distant, haunted by demons that Roy had vainly hoped were gone by now. "No, Al, he- he... Oh god," he muttered as he shakily wrapped his arms around himself.
At the sight of his subordinate, an enraged, yet cold fire roared to life within him. This could not go on.
"Hawkeye," he called down the hall to the lieutenant, who approached in response. He gestured to the distressed Edward with a single glance and she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. The blond flinched before recognition reached his eyes and he allowed himself to be guided away to calm down. As much as Roy wanted to follow and lend his assistance, his attention was unfortunately required elsewhere. He trusted Hawkeye to get through to him.
His sharp gaze switched to Riece, who was watching the two blonds disappear from his view with a satisfied grin in place.
In a single motion, Roy pulled a key ring out of his pocket and unlocked the cell. Riece barley had enough time to notice before he was grabbed by the collar and roughly shoved against the concrete wall of the cell. His head collided against it and left him momentarily disoriented. Roy patiently waited an entire two seconds before shaking him again to reclaim his attention.
"You will stop tormenting Ed and Al. Understand?" Roy asked slowly, his voice low and underlined by a silent threat.
Once Riece recollected himself, he studied the colonel, the smile finally wiped from his face. Instead, it was replaced by a drained and empty frown. "Or what?" he eventually replied. "What else could you possibly take away from me?"
Roy set his jaw, shifting through every possible response as he mutely glared at the man. Before he could select one, the corner of Reice's lips twitched with a feeble smirk.
"Exactly," he breathed. "You don't have anything to hang over my head besides threatening physical harm. But that's not worth what you could possibly lose, isn't that right? As I said, there's nothing you can take from me. But... fortunately for you, there is something you can give me."
"You think I would give you anything? After everything you've done?" he growled as his knuckles whitened from the force in which he held the prisoner's collar with.
"You have no choice," Riece replied quickly as if he was afraid he'd lose his chance if he waited too long. "You see, I couldn't stand to go back to prison now that Sophia is gone. So I will agree to admit to whatever you want, as long as you agree to find a way for me to escape."
"What!?" Roy could hardly believe what he was saying. The audacity-
"Don't misunderstand," the man continued, raising his hands almost as a sign of surrender. "I still hate you. I still believe my daughter would be here today if it wasn't for your interference. But I am no stubborn fool; after rethinking some things, I have decided that I would much rather conspire with the enemy than rot in prison without her there with me."
Roy stared at a loss for words until the only appropriate response came to mind. "You're insane." He forcefully released the man and stepped back to quietly scrutinize him.
Riece staggered and caught himself against the wall once the force against him was removed. After a moment, he recovered his balance and again, smiled. "Insane... That's simply nothing more than a hollow title given to those who think differently."
"If you think for a moment that I would let you walk after-"
"You care for Edward, do you not?" Riece asked, interrupting the colonel. "And you'll do anything to ensure he's happy, right? Then allowing me to get out of sight and therefore out of mind is the only solution... Wouldn't you agree? Besides, there's nothing more for me in Amestris. I'll be far out of your way."
He did not respond or give anything away besides the solid, unreadable expression that he wore so often when the gears in his head were turning.
"You'll get a confession from me, and I'll disappear. All you need to do in pull some strings. Sounds like a victory to me," Riece went on shamelessly.
A long moment of silence passed before anything else was said. Riece continued to smile, radiating confidence. Eventually, Roy turned and stepped out of the cell, locking the barred door behind him.
"I've had enough of this," he muttered as he stuffed the key ring back into his pocket. After casting the man who continued to look quite sure of himself one more wary glance, the colonel promptly left him to rejoin the others.
He had already decided how he was going to handle this.
But for the moment, that matter was not on the top of his list of concerned.
At the end of the hall of cells, he found Hawkeye and Edward waiting for him on a bench in a small room by the exit that could have resembled a waiting room in the right light. The first lieutenant was speaking softly to the teen, who's hands had dug into his bangs, staring blankly past them and at the ground. As Roy approached them, he sat down besides Ed and glanced above his head to Hawkeye. She looked up at him for only a moment before both of their eyes turned back to the young alchemist.
"Hey." By the looks of it, Ed had calmed down considerably, despite how upset he clearly was.
He only exhaled slowly at first, then allowed several seconds to pass before mustering up a response. "That was stupid."
Despite the situation, Roy couldn't help but smile faintly at the crudeness of his word choice. However, it quickly fell as the kid continued.
"The only reason I wanted to come, was to prove that he couldn't screw with my head anymore. Now that Al is safe, I thought- I thought I could, but... I walked right into it. Again." He trailed off and then ended the thought altogether. Roy's mind was spinning with possible ways to give any amount of encouragement or reassurance, but no words seemed suitable. Instead, he put a hand on his shoulder, silently telling the kid everything that he needed to hear. Meanwhile, Hawkeye remained on his other side as a quiet but comforting presence.
Ed waited a moment, then slowly rose his head to meet the colonel's concerned gaze with a solemn frown in place that easily reflected every single sorrow that persisted to plague his mind, even after everything he had already endured.
"What's going to happen to Riece now?"
"I don't know," he replied, stiffing a sigh as he did so. Though he had come to some sort of decision only a minute ago, there was still much that was impossible to predict. All he knew was the fashion in which he wanted to handle the issue. This, however, was not something he wanted the kid to know just yet- not like this. "But I swear to you that he will be dealt with. Soon, you won't have to worry about him again." One way or another.
Edward shifted his gaze down to the floor again and lightly gripped the edge of the bench. He said nothing else on the matter, leaving Roy's last statement to float in the air.
Distracted by future plans, he was caught off guard when Ed shifted his weight until he was leaning into the colonel's side. He looked down at the kid only to see the same, saddened stare pointed down at the floor. But the message was clear: whether he expected it to be possible or not, he was trusting Roy to fulfill his promise even as the prospect of failure filled him with dread.
Though he would admit it to very few, Ed was scared of continuing this ongoing war for the rest of his life. He was terrified of never breaking free of the chains that Riece had managed to imprison him in.
Even if he wanted to act strong and pretend that it no longer fazed him, he freely allowed himself to portray the truth to those he trusted. And for that, Roy tacitly thanked him as he shifted his arm to wrap around the kid's shoulders and inwardly promised once again that Edward would not be let down.
Hawkeye leaned back against the wall so that the subtle shuffle of fabric would be a silent reminder to Ed that she was also there for him, ready to support both him and his brother through the upcoming trials if they should need it; just as the rest of the team undoubtedly was as well.
Roy looked over his head again to the lieutenant and was graced with a rare sight; she smiled. It was probably the first obvious smile he had seen on her ever stoic face in a long time, and it was the last encouragement that he needed.
As he looked down at the kid besides him again, he was certain: once the Elrics returned to the dorms for the night, Roy would call the rest of his staff for a meeting and they would map out a plan to have Riece dealt with once and for all.
AN: Ahh, sorry for the wait, everyone. But I liked how this chapter turned out, so hopefully, it was worth it. Only one more to go! Because of reasons, chapter 30 will be out on Tuesday, June 20th. The first person to guess why that day specifically gets bragging rights and a virtual thumbs up from yours truly.
Thanks for reading!
