In the following weeks, the team put together the blitzing strategy, starting with some tackling instructions. "The biggest part of it is getting your arms out in front," Ed instructed as he walked up and down the line of rookies. "Whatever you can touch, grab. Shoes, jerseys, feet legs, torso, it's all legal. I checked."

He pointed to Sena. "You don't have to knock them down, just grab them and get close enough to be a problem. For example," he picked a ball out of the basket and held it as if he was going to throw it. "What would you tackle if you wanted to keep me from passing?"

"Is there a difference?" Togano rolled his eyes.

Two seconds later the ball bonked him on the forehead. He glowered at the smug Edward. "Yes. I can still throw if you tackle my ankle. What's the one place you should tackle to stop a pass?" He got into the throwing stance again.

Sena ran his eyes over Edward and his mind through what Hiruma did when he passed. The light bulb went on. "We should tackle the arm!"

Ed grinned. "Exactly. Anywhere else," Ed brought back his arm, "and he has the chance to throw it before he goes down." He sent the ball sailing through the goal posts.

After that, he put the group in pairs, with one to tackle and one to throw. Monta stared down Kuroki. The big boy stood there with the football in his hand. Monta had to keep him from throwing that ball at all. He leapt forward and fastened himself around the bigger kid's waist. Edward blew the whistle he'd borrowed from Mamori and stomped over to the pair. "Arms! We're going for arms." Then he punched Kuroki in the shoulder with his left hand. "Act like a quarterback, but your arm up!" The ex-punk growled, but held his arm out for Monta's next charge.

After Edward taught them each the basic tackling maneuver, Hiruma set up the statue of Homer and let them go at it. Monta rushed it first and targeted the right arm, just like Edward had shown him. Komusubi was too short to reach it, so he knocked over the whole statue by tackling its legs. The three Hah brothers simply knocked it over, but they hit the shoulders and upper arms specifically. Then Sena broke the whole thing to pieces with a full body tackle.

Hiruma kicked Edward.

"OW!" The blond glowered at the quarterback, just before he remembered something. Well, Hiruma must have been pleased with his teaching efforts.

That night, Edward was walking home from a discussion with Hiromu. Ever since Hiruma found out where he lived, they'd met at the manga artist's place in an effort to keep his secret safe. But this meeting hadn't been the typical check through a few chapters. Someone had wanted to make an anime out of the series, but didn't want to use too much of the original material. The artist had run a few alternative story ideas past Edward and he'd picked the one least abhorrent. Mom would have turned in her grave at the option, but it was the lesser evil out of all the possible ideas. Still, his shoulders slumped.

Then something landed on his head. Ed reached up and grabbed the thing. It was a head band with a black cat and the word "panther" embroidered on it. Pretty cool design. Ed held onto it and kept walking. He stretched it out in his hands as he kept walking. "Where did this thing come fro-"

He banged into someone. Ed looked up and saw-Wow. It was the ball boy of the visiting American team. The supposed Panther looked down at Ed's hands and grabbed the head band. "Thanks! I was looking for this! Where'd you find it?"

Ed shrugged. "It fell on my head a little ways back."

Then they heard signs of a party. Edward looked over and realized he was right outside Kurita's house, or temple. It looked like the pipsqueaks of the Devil Bats had followed the boy home and were pigging out on sushi. Ed shouted "Hi." And walked over to where the others were eating.

Somehow, the whole American team ended up sitting down with them to eat. Ed got his fill and continued on home, leaving the others to the perils of underage drinking. He'd never forget the hangover he'd had in Youswell after the whole fiasco with the deed to the mining town and that corrupt official.

Ed looked back towards the party. It might have been under different circumstances, but Sena and the gang were having the same good time Ed had had with Alphonse many times. He wished he could be here for this.

Al would have been the perfect lineman, with that heavy armor. Then again, they probably wouldn't have let him play. Even Edward's automail had to be padded. Mustang would never have played, too busy worrying about how he might get hurt. But he'd have come up with some great trick plays. I have to admit, he knew how to play an opponent, and his strategies were pretty good. Winry could have given Mamori a run for her money in the destructive non-weapon category. Broom against wrench that would have been something to see. Especially if you threw a slipper in. Ed shuddered at the thought of his teacher training the team. She would have whipped them into shape quick enough.

Then he thought of the three Hah brothers. He snorted. They'd have been quaking in their shoes if even Winry found them slacking off. But Havoc might have joined in, especially for a smoke. Wait, he thought. When was the last time I actually saw one of them with a cigarette? Not in a while. I wonder how that started. He just shrugged him shoulders and kept walking.

The next morning, he did his daily warn up and headed for the school. At the gate, he spotted Gen headed in the opposite direction. "You know," he said to the carpenter, "you'll be coming here a lot more often in the future."

Gen smiled and asked, "Why do you think that?"

Ed grinned in a way that reminded the ex-kicker of a completely different blond. "Because you'll be back on the team after today."

No, Ed didn't take part in the drinking. And he's talking about the first anime. When should the secret of Ed's past get out?

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