Uh…hi guys.
Wow, has it been a while.
I'll leave a note at the end of this one to explain myself. I'll respond to the reviews from everyone in the next chapter, I'm sure you all just want to get to the story. I hope that you enjoy this one
In this chapter, we will start to delve a bit more into Kimblee's backstory.
Because I suck, here's a quick recap:
Ed and Winry are on good terms and growing closer, his port surgery is coming up. Al and May started hooking up. Mustang was shot going after the man who Kimblee hired to take the fall for Ed's attack and is in the hospital. Kimblee is Basque Grand's, the former big boss of Central, son and he killed Frank Archer for trying to warn Hohenheim.
OoO
OoO
Central City:
The rain was light as it came down on the youth's shoulders.
He did his best not to stand out, an act which would be easier if not for his ragged clothes. The neighborhood around him was far better then the slums he called home.
Puddles splashed as he walked down the sidewalk. His eyes were dead set in front of him, only occasionally glancing up at the street signs to see if he had reached his destination. So far no luck, but the young man was confident that he would reach it soon.
The streets were completely barren except for him, an apt metaphor for his life in general. He was alone, had been for many years, ever since he'd killed his mother. Since then, his life had only gone further and further downhill. He had not even cut his hair since her death. It hung behind him in a growing ponytail. A constant remainder of-
'No!' The dark haired boy stopped dead in his tracks. 'The Hohenheims killed her long before then. I was merely putting her out of her misery.'
The youth kept walking, occasionally glancing up at the street signs. Thinking about his mother only worsened his mood.
Eventually he saw it.
Arakawa street.
Pausing in his steps, fifteen year old Solf J Kimblee stared up at the faded sign before looking down the street. Thankfully, he could see the residence which he was searching for. It was 03 Arakawa St. His expression did not change though as he walked to the front door. It looked to be a three story home with a simple white mailbox by the front door. The paint was well maintained and a plentiful bed of flowers was growing in one of the windows. All of this Solf took in as he walked up the three stone steps to the door and rang it without hesitation.
A few moments later, it was opened.
Behind it stood a woman who looked to be in her late thirties. She stared at him suspiciously. Solf would admit he was not the most inviting looking young man in the city. On top of his clothes, his blue eyes were dark and had an ominous glean to them. There was a healing wound on the right side of his forehead. A wound that he sustained in a fight over a discarded box of cereal which had fallen out of a grocery bag and had been left on the side of the road. He had attempted to take it for himself, but in this city there were always other hungry people equally desperate for food.
"Yes, who are you?" The woman asked as Solf looked her over. She had long black hair and was wearing a green sweater with brown pants. He noted that she was rather attractive, but there was a tiredness to her appearance.
"Are you Monica Rial?" He asked in a monotone voice.
"Yes." She answered cautiously, her body tensing slightly.
Solf released a small sigh of relief through his nose. He had finally found her. "My name is Solf Kimblee. My father was Basque Grand." He informed her, staring straight into the woman's eyes.
Mrs. Rial's eyes widened. She looked sharply from side to side before quickly motioning for Solf to come inside.
"Come in." She whispered.
Solf took a few steps in and observed the house. It was well furnished and maintained. The only times that Solf was ever in a house this nice was when he was robbing it blind. He turned to look at Mrs. Rial. She was staring at him with a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity.
"You said your name was Kimblee right?" She asked.
"You knew my mother?" Solf responded with a question of his own.
"A bit." Mrs. Rial answered "I met her a few times at the parties that your father used to host, but she stopped coming after a while."
"That was because she was pregnant with me." Solf responded flatly. "My father felt it was best to hide us until he had regained control of the city."
"Makes sense." She said quietly. "How is your mother these days?"
"Dead." Solf continued to speak bluntly.
"Oh." Mrs. Rial's eyes seemed to sadden. "How did she die?"
"Wasted away." Solf said, his voice sounding distant.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It was her time." He told her with zero emotion, once again looking at his surroundings.
Mrs. Rial shifted on her feet for a second before motioning to the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" She asked, observing his ragged appearance. "I can get you some food?"
"I'm just here for answers." Solf said, turning to face her.
This seemed to surprise her. "Well, I can answer them in the kitchen." Mrs. Rial walked into the aforementioned room. Solf glanced around again and saw what looked to be a drawing lying on a small table next to the door. As he walked past it, he observed the drawing to be one made by a small child, probably a girl. In the kitchen, Mrs. Rial was pouring herself some wine.
"You look a little too young for this shit, but do you want any?" She asked, extending the bottle.
"No." Solf responded. He looked around and saw a pink styled cup with a rainbow on the counter. "Is your daughter home?" He asked.
"Sleeping upstairs." Mrs. Rial responded, a slight edge to her voice.
"And does she know how her father died?" Solf asked.
Mrs. Rial narrowed her eyes. "No." She responded curtly. "And it's going to stay that way." The way in which her hand tightened into a small fist told him that she was deathly serious.
"What did you tell her instead?" Solf sat down across the table from her.
"That it was an accident." She replied with a sigh.
"Better than being strangled in the backroom of a cake store, I suppose." Solf offered.
Mrs. Rial continued her glare. "Are you just here to ask me about my late husband?"
"No, I'm not." Solf responded swiftly.
"Then what do you want?"
"I want to know how my father died." Solf looked her straight in the eyes.
Mrs. Rial let out a small, harsh laugh. "You needed to come to me to find that out kid? Ask anyone on the street and they'll tell you." The bitter smile on her face only made the already forming wrinkles stick out even more. These last years must have been hard.
"He was killed by Van Hohenheim, I know that much." Solf said. "But I want to know more than that."
"What makes you think that I could tell you more?" Mrs. Rial asked, her frown deepening.
"Your husband was killed not long after my father died, did he say anything to you before his death?" Solf asked.
Mrs. Rial sighed. She placed her wine glass down and turned to face the young man completely. "Okay, I do know a few things."
"Like what?"
"Where it even happened for starters." Mrs. Rial chuckled humorlessly. "Do you want to know about that, kid?"
"I want to know everything." Solf's voice left no room for argument.
"Why? So you can kill Hohenheim yourself?" Mrs. Rial asked with a slight roll of her eyes. "Kid, revenge is a one way ticket into the ground. My husband wanted to avenge your father and look at what happened to him. It got him killed and left his daughter without a dad."
"You seem to be pretty well off though." Solf observed curtly, his hand motioning to the house around them.
"Hohenheim's a bit of a softy when it comes to the families of his enemies." She said, giving another acidic laugh. "He set me and my daughter up with this house, paid for everything. Every month I get a check. It's a nice way for him to let me know that murdering my husband was nothing personal." Her voice dripped with bitter sarcasm. "Too bad your dad kept you a secret. Hohenheim might have set you up too."
Solf was quiet for several moments before he spoke again. "Tell me everything you know." There was a slight threatening tone to his voice. It was the kind of tone that promised repercussions if the speaker wasn't satisfied.
Mrs. Rial stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "Jesus kid, you remind me a lot of your old man." She took another sip. "He was killed in the old wood factory on the east river. The one that closed down about twenty years ago. They tied him to a chair and shot him. Don't know what they did to the body."
"How did that happen?" Solf asked, his voice still surprisingly emotionless. This only further unnerved the older woman.
"Your pops lost." Mrs. Rial responded, as if that's all there was to it. A lifetime of struggle and power grabbing summed up by a simple phrase: he lost.
"How did he lose?" He pressed further. Kimblee didn't want blanket statements, he'd gotten them his entire life. He wanted details. Facts.
"They tore his empire out from under him." Mrs. Rial said. "Hohenheim put together some kind of list. I don't know what the hell was on it, but it was enough to make all of your father's allies turn tail and run. They did this all behind your dad's back, all the while keeping him distracted."
Solf's face darkened, but his interest was piqued. "How did he put this list together?"
Monica chewed her lower lip as she considered what to tell him. For years, she had stayed away from any business involving the Hohenheims. She and her daughter had been lucky to escape that life with their lives. But now this young man was here, searching for answers that were long buried. Mrs. Rial worried that if she told him any more, the cruel hand of fate might pay her a visit. Was she willing to risk that?
Seeing her hesitation, Kimblee leaned forward. "Tell me." He practically commanded.
Mrs. Rial jumped at his harsh bark, she frowned at him. "Why do you care?" She asked, hoping to change the topic to one where she was no longer on the defensive. However, the kid didn't take the bait. When Solf continued to stare her down, she began to feel even more unnerved by the young man in front of her.
"Alright." She sighed in resignation. "This list is more of an urban legend, but my husband certainly believed that it exists. A few days before his death, he was talking on the phone with someone. And before you ask, I've no idea who it was. But I overheard them saying that Hohenheim had a Doctor helping him, but it was only rumors."
"What Doctor?" Solf asked.
"Listen kid." Mrs. Rial decided to put her foot down. "I don't know any more than that, and frankly I don't want to know. My husband chose the wrong side and it got him killed. That's how it works in this world. It's not a matter of if you die, it's when you die." She then sighed and looked at a nearby family picture that had her, her late husband, and their infant daughter. "When I first found out what my husband did for a living, I had to come to terms with the fact that one day he wouldn't come home. When it finally happened, I couldn't even bring myself to cry."
Kimblee raised an eyebrow at her monologue. Clearly Mrs. Rial has been wanting to get that off of her chest for a while.
"All I care about now is taking care of my daughter." Her eyes softened as she looked at the youth before her. "If you want my advice, Solf. Forgot all about Van Hohenheim and get the hell out of this fucking city."
Solf accepted this advice in silence. He stood up from his chair and moved to leave the kitchen. He stopped when he saw a small girl suddenly standing in the entrance. Solf blinked in surprise as he looked down at her.
No doubt this was Lyra Rial, she had the same dark hair and purple eyes as her mother.
"Hello." The young girl said in an oddly flat voice, peering up at him.
'Hello." He responded, staring back at her.
"My name's Lyra." She said simply.
Solf didn't know how to respond to the younger kid so he kept quiet. The little girl looked up at him for a few more moments before she got bored with him.
"Momma?" The girl asked looking around Solf at her mother. "Where's my mouth guard?"
"In the bathroom where you left it." Mrs. Rial said as she walked up and turned the girl around. She knelt down and whispered something to her before standing back up. Lyra nodded and then wandered out of the room. The sounds of her bare feet against the hardwood floor echoed down the hall.
"As I said…" Mrs. Rial turned back to look at Solf. "All I care about now is making sure my daughter has a chance at a good life. Even if I have to do that with help from the man who killed my husband." She looked at Solf, as if she was daring him to argue.
"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Rial." The dark haired youth said after a few moments. He sighed and started turning towards the door.
"Wait."
Solf halted in his movements. Looking at Mrs. Rial, he saw a mixture of concern and uncertainty on her face. The sudden change in her demeanor caused him to raise an eyebrow.
"Where are you going now?" The older woman asked.
Solf looked back at the front door and then to her. "I'm not sure." He confessed.
Mrs. Rial frowned. Despite the boy's occasional unsettling behavior, she was hesitant to send him back into the city after everything he had just learned.
"Solf…" She considered giving him money, perhaps even a bed to sleep in for the night. But looking into the boy's cold eyes she knew it would be folly. "You have a chance to leave everything behind you. Don't throw it away for revenge." Monica didn't know if her words would pierce his young yet already hardened mind, but she had to try.
For what felt like minutes, Solf stared back at her. His gaze was almost unblinking. Finally he spoke.
"I'll take what you said into consideration." Solf Kimblee said before turning around and exiting the house.
Back out into their city.
OoO
OoO
The Present:
Solf Kimblee slowly opened his eyes, a quiet groan escaped him when he felt the stiffness in his back. Sitting up, Solf saw that he had fallen asleep sitting in a lounge chair. The dark haired mastermind rubbed the tiredness from his eyes before standing up. He noticed with slight disdain that not all of Archer's blood had been washed off his skin, a slight smudge was on his left arm.
Shaking his head, Kimblee crossed into the kitchen of his penthouse where he wasn't too surprised to see Atlas waiting for him.
"You're up earlier than usual." Kimblee commented on seeing his long time partner-in-crime and friend.
Atlas shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood and thought that I'd stop by."
Kimblee merely hummed in response as he passed the seated blond man and opened his refrigerator where he pulled out a carton of eggs. Silence filled the room as the dark haired man went about preparing his breakfast.
"I came to talk about last night." Atlas informed him, finally speaking up.
"You have concerns?" Kimblee asked, not looking over his shoulder as he placed a pan on the stove.
"No, I thought you were appropriately theatrical." Atlas chuckled. "Revealing your true parentage while beating a traitor to death, I think even Shou Tucker was pissing himself by the end."
"Theatrics are sometimes necessary then you're trying to attract the simple minded." Kimblee said, his back still turned as he prepared his breakfast. "You wish to discuss Lyra in particular, am I incorrect?"
Atlas sighed and leaned back in the chair. Sometimes he hated how perceptive Solf could be. "Yes."
At this, Kimblee turned to look at him. His blue eyes were narrowed and cold. "I thought I said not to let your dalliances interfere with what we are doing."
"I'm not! It's just sex." Atlas fired back. "I only want to point out that she may need more time."
Solf turned the stove off, his breakfast forgotten. "I feel that she has been given more than enough time to complete her task." He answered clinically.
Atlas grit his teeth and stood up. "There is only so much digging that she can do without drawing Van's suspicions. We have to be reasonable, Solf."
Kimblee placed his hands in the pockets of his pants. "You're going to suggest that we move forward without the Fulcrum." It was a statement, not a question.
Atlas stepped forward. "I'm suggesting that we consider all of our options." He was one of the few people who couldn't be pinned by Kimblee's gaze. "I know how important getting the Fulcrum is to you but-"
"It is not only important, but necessary." Kimblee interrupted. His usually monotone voice was tinged with anger. "It is the key reason that Van Hohenheim's empire has survived this long. It is his shield from the police, the courts, and the politicians. We might be able to outnumber the Hohenheims, but we'll never truly hold this city without the Fulcrum."
Atlas was silent for a few moments before sighing. "Lyra doesn't think Van has it. She said that he might have given it to someone, maybe for safekeeping."
Kimblee stared at him for a few seconds before the raven haired man closed his eyes. He inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I've been considering that possibility as well. Now, the new question that faces us is the identity of that potential person."
Atlas nodded. "Lyra wants to talk to you about it in person. She has a list of possibilities for who might have possession of it."
Blue eyes hardened. "Why didn't she divulge this information last night?"
Atlas rolled his eyes slightly. "I don't know, maybe Archer almost fucking all of us into an early grave had her distracted." The blonde man closed his eyes before sighing. "It just wasn't the right time."
Neither of them had to say what Atlas meant. The location of last night's meeting wasn't just for convenience, but also symbolism. That warehouse was the same place where Van Hohenheim killed Basque Grand decades prior. Since Grand's body was disposed of after his murder, there was nothing for his family to bury. He had no grave or tomb. Van Hohenheim had taken that from him. Because of this, Solf beheld that warehouse with a quiet reverence. It was the closest thing that his father would ever get to a final resting place.
"Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary." Kimblee said calmly, his voice no longer holding any hostility. Atlas gave a small smile and walked over to Solf, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder.
"You're the closest thing I've ever had to a brother." He told Kimblee. "I'd follow you to hell and back. And we're going to bury every single one of those Hohenheim bastards."
Solf listened to this quietly. Compliments like that were something that he could never reciprocate.
"It is only a matter of time before Van learns of us. That is inevitable." Solf said. "If we don't get the Fulcrum soon, then everything will be for nothing." The dark haired sociopath was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "We should question our new allies, perhaps they have heard rumors of where it could be located." He suggested.
Atlas nodded, removing his hand. "I'll make the calls. A few of them were around during your old man's time so there is a chance they might know something."
Kimblee took his hands from his pockets. He turned and walked towards the nearby window where he gazed out at the city. "Also tell them to start preparing for war: build their resources, stockpile weapons, anything. That will keep them busy for a few weeks. Have Lyra message them the names of Van Hoheheims informants to that there are no leaks."
"That'll get them excited." Atlas quipped.
"As long as it keeps them content until we're ready." Kimblee said. "And we'll be ready once we have the Fulcrum."
OoO
OoO
The Hohenheim Manor:
"Frank Archer is dead." Van Hohenheim had a deep frown on his face as he looked across his desk at Fu.
"Was he found at McDougal's?" Fu asked seriously, his body language just as controlled as the golden haired patriarch.
"No, but he has been missing for two days now." Van stated. "None of his associates who we've found know anything, the rest have gone underground. Someone in this city has made him disappear." Van paused before asking a question.
"Did our man inside Archer's crew reveal anything?"
"No, unfortunately." Fu sighed. "He said that Archer was acting a bit strange the last few days. As if there was something on his mind."
"And then right before he disappears, Archer attempts to contact me." Van pondered out loud. "It would be incredibly foolish to not think that this is just coincidence."
"What does your gut tell you?" Fu asked, leaning forward.
Van's face darkened. "That Archer was trying to warn me about something, or someone. And that whatever that thing is killed him."
"It could have been Cornello." Fu proposed. "The two of them were competitors for the longest time. Perhaps the old priest wanted the playing field all to himself."
"No, I don't think so." Van shook his head. "Lyra contacted our man inside Cornello's operation. He told us that there have been no plans to take over Archer's former territory. Personally, he is convinced that Cornello had nothing to do with it."
Fu scratched his chin thoughtfully. "What do you wish to do about this, Van?"
The Hohenheim patriarch was silent for a moment. "Normally I wouldn't care about a weapons dealer like Frank Archer, but the fact that he called this manor is what concerns me." He then locked eyes with Fu. "My friend, someone in this city knows something. I want you to find out what Archer tried to tell me."
"It will be done Van." Fu said.
OoO
OoO
Several days later:
Edward Elric almost felt like a kid again as he gazed at the passing buildings outside of the limo. He had driven through the streets of Central thousands of times, but something felt different about this instance.
'Probably because it's the first time I've been out of the manor in weeks.' Ed mused to himself. Despite his daily interactions with Winry, Edward had started to feel cabin fever setting in during the last few days.
'Speaking of Winry.' Ed turned to the right to look at the blonde mechanic who was seated next to him. She wasn't dressed in her usual automail uniform; instead sporting a modest white blouse, brown jacket, and a pair of jeans that, in his humble opinion, made her ass look great. Currently Winry was also gazing out the window, but her face still held a slightly exasperated expression.
Ed chuckled. "Come on. Why the long face, Rockbell? I'd thought that you'd be just as excited as me to finally get out of that damned place?"
Winry turned, giving him a deadpan look. "Oh that I'm fine with. My only problem is with your poorly thought out plans for tonight."
Edward flashed her a grin. "It's called having fun. Perhaps you should try it."
Winry huffed, crossing her arms. "Oh yeah, getting drunk with your brothers two days before the port surgery sounds like a lot of fun." Her voice dropped with sarcasm.
Ed cupped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, please correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to recall you giving me the go-ahead to leave the manor." He flexed the prosthetic leg to emphasize his point. "And there is also the memory of you promising to let me call the shots." If his grin was any more shit eating, Winry was convinced he'd magically transform into the Cheshire Cat.
"Careful Elric, I gave you that leg right there and I can take it away just as easily." Winry warned, although the right corner of her mouth arched into a small smile.
"I'd like to see you try." He said, giving Winry a predatory grin. Something about the smirk caused Winry to avert her gaze as her cheeks reddened slightly. The blonde mechanic quietly cursed herself, lusting after a patient was always a recipe for disaster.
Ever since their walk through the Manor's garden, two of them had grown closer. Nowadays, they rarely treated the other as their mechanic or patient. Instead they treated each other like close friends. After having witnessed them interacting the day before, Ling had commented to Edward that a stranger might think him and Winry had known each other their entire lives.
'Technically we did meet when we were three.' Ed thought to himself before glancing back at Winry. "So do you plan on joining my brothers and I tonight for our pre-surgery revelry?"
Winry scoffed. "Oh like I would willingly spend more than ten seconds around your older brother. No, I'm just making sure you don't hurt yourself until then." This was the first time Ed would be back in the city after the attempt on his life. Since he was still using the temporary leg, Winry had tagged along to make sure nothing happened. At least until his brothers showed up to pick him up.
Ed grimaced slightly. "Edgar's not that bad once you get to know him."
The blonde mechanic laughed. "Did he ever tell you how I first met him?"
Edward arched a curious eyebrow. "Not really."
Knowing Envy, it probably wasn't pleasant for her.
"When I first got to your house, he came stomping down the staircase waving a Katana around and complaining that someone had cleaned blood off of it-hey stop laughing!" Winry glared at Ed who was hunched over, cackling obnoxiously.
"I can't believe I missed that!" Ed laughed. "Giolio should've known better than to touch his sword."
Winry huffed, folding her arms. "Apologies that I was scared for my life."
Ed eventually recovered, sitting back up. "He didn't threaten you did he?" His voice was now surprisingly serious.
Winry blinked. "No, he didn't but he said…" The blonde's voice trailed off as she remembered exactly what Envy had said to her that day.
"You're the girl that Ed was jizzing his pants over a few weeks ago!"
'Oh shit.' Suddenly Winry's throat felt a little too dry as another deep blush spread across her features. Quickly she turned away from Edward so that he couldn't see her embarrassment.
"Still, I can see why little Ed had such a crush on you. You're definitely his type!"
"Err…nothing." Winry said a little too quickly. She hoped to god that he couldn't hear her heart beating. "Just some vulgar nonsense."
"Well...ok then." Edward responded, though sounding a bit unconvinced. "Listen, if he ever gives you any kind of trouble, you let me know."
"Will I owe you coffee for that too?" She asked, her cheeks returning to a normal shade as she looked over at him.
"No, this favor is on the house." Ed responded cheekily.
The car was quiet for the next few moments, but it was a comfortable silence. A sudden thought found its way into Ed's head and he pushed himself up from the seat to get closer to the driver.
"Hey go to the hospital. Let Al know to meet me there in 40." He ordered before sitting back down. The limo took a turn as it changed directions, the driver complying without hesitation.
"The hospital?" Winry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah...um, there's someone there who I think I might want to say something to." Ed explained awkwardly.
Winry was curious about who this 'someone' was but she didn't question it any further. She did watch Edward for a few moments contemplatively as he stared out the window. With the return of this smug attitude it appeared that the old Edward Elric had made his triumphant return. Yet this seemed a little out of character for him. Not that Winry knew the old Edward well at all, but he always had this confident attitude about anything. This awkward admission by him followed by not being able to look at her raised some eyebrows but wasn't shocking. The automail process was very humbling for those that had to endure it. Maybe something positive would be among the outcomes of this experience.
Either way, Winry was interested in getting to the hospital.
About 20 minutes later, the driver of the limo was pulling up to the hospital's parking lot. Edward was staring at it as the car came to a stop.
"Remember the time when I threatened to kill everyone here?" He asked more to himself than anyone.
"You did that on several occasions." Winry responded, almost smiling at the memory.
"Yeah well, I hope no nurse screams in fear when I walk in." Edward muttered as he opened the car door and began shifting his body to get the prosthetic limb out through it. Winry got out and shifted the jacket on her shoulders. The weather seemed to have gotten colder since they had left the Manor. There was now a chill in the air. Edward finally got to his feet and shook his prosthetic leg to get the jitters out. He glanced at the hospital again and then at Winry.
"Well let's go in, I guess."
Winry felt a sense of déjà vu as she entered the hospital. She could only imagine what Edward was feeling at returning to this place. Looking over at him, Winry wasn't exactly comforted by what she saw. His face had steeled itself into a hard emotionless shell, his eyes darkening as he took in his surroundings. No doubt every painful memory from his stay here was coming back. Still, Ed had come here with a purpose. Not wasting much time, he quickly but coolly made his way over towards the desk.
"Where's Roy Mustang's room?"
Unknown to Ed, Winry's eyes widened in shock behind him at hearing the name.
"Excuse me sir-" The woman at the desk stopped as she looked up and saw Edward.
Edward gave a small dark smirk down at her. "Yeah, remember me? Now can you tell me what floor he's on?"
"R-room 520, s-sir." She stuttered out, her eyes wide.
"Thanks doll." Edward drawled with a smile. He stepped back and gave Winry a wink. As he took off to the elevator that Winry was more than familiar with, she could only think one thing.
'Wait...Roy Mustang?"
OoO
OoO
"So on a scale of one to ten…" Roy drawled. "...what are the odds that half the precinct is going to be waiting at my apartment with a 'glad you're well' banner strung up?" He finished with a knowing smile.
Riza sighed as she finished placing the rest of the files into a container. "I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say." She told him. "What even gave you that idea?"
"Kain." Roy grinned. "When he told me that he'd see me later, there was this big goofy grin on his face."
"There's a reason why he doesn't get to interrogate any suspects." Riza rolled her eyes.
"Aww, did you guys organize a party for me?" Mustang chuckled as he leaned against the bed, watching her across the room.
Riza sighed again as she closed the container of files that Roy had left strewn about during his stay here at the hospital. She had brought them there for Roy to look over. Despite the many times she reminded him, the dark haired Captain had put it off. He would wait until she visited him to actually go over them. And after all that he had somehow talked her into cleaning them up. She recalled it was something about not wanting to reopen his wounds on his last day.
"There might be a few people waiting to see you." Riza finally admitted.
"I'll try to act surprised then." Roy said before a look of consideration crossed his face. "Where do you want to go?" He asked.
"What?" Riza responded.
"Have you put in for your time off?" Roy answered with another question.
"You know I did." Riza responded as a small smile came over her face. The two of them had been sneaking around for close to three years, avoiding her grandfather and the anti-fraternization laws in the precinct. But once they were out of the city, there would be no one to hide from. They could finally enjoy some peace and quiet without worrying.
"Well then, where do you want to go?" Roy asked again, breaking Riza from her thoughts.
"Nowhere too hot." She said, folding her arms. "I can't stand deserts."
Roy couldn't help but grin. He remembered hearing of Riza's childhood family trip to Xing and the full body sunburn that she had gotten in the Xingese desert. "Well maybe I'll surprise you." He chuckled.
"I'd like to see you try." Riza drawled playfully. She stood up from her chair, looking down at Roy in the bed. "I'm going to go find a nurse and find out when you can leave."
"Can't come soon enough." Roy sighed as he leaned back into the pillows.
Riza turned and started walking to the door. They'd kept it closed in case any spontaneous intimacy transpired between them. As Riza was about to grab the door knob there was a knock.
"Who's that?" Roy asked behind her.
"Might be the nurse." Riza said as she opened it. As soon as she did her sharp eyes widened in shock before quickly narrowing when she realized who it was.
Edward Elric was at the door.
He was standing up straight, although his weight seemed to be favoring his right leg. Riza assumed that he was wearing some sort of a prosthetic. The empty sleeve of his right coat arm was folded up. Her quick analysis of his appearance ended at his face where she saw him looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Well I don't remember you being one of the nurses." Elric drawled, giving her a look over.
"What are you doing here." Riza asked sharply. Her hand moved up to her hip. That way she could easily grab her gun if need be. Despite being dressed in casual clothes, the blonde Lieutenant always carried a weapon with her.
Elric stared right back at her challenging glare. "You're the mayor's grandkid right?"
For a few tense seconds the two of them eyed each other, Riza with caution and Elric with amusement. Her fingers inched closer to the gun as she looked for any hostility from the gangster before her. Riza had no idea why the Hohenhiems would want to hurt Roy or why Edward Elric of all people would do it, but she'd die before letting them harm him.
"Riza, who is it?" Roy's voice asked behind her. His voice had gone serious upon seeing her back tense up. Riza didn't look back. Elric sighed.
"I'm just here to say something to the Captain and then I'll leave, alright?" He said, raising his one arm in a sign of peace.
Riza glared for a few more seconds before stepping back. Her hand was holding the handle of her gun under her coat. Elric stepped into the room. Riza watched him as he entered, only sparing a short glance to the concerned and slightly confused looking blond woman standing behind him.
Elric gave her a weary look before continuing on.
On the bed, Roy tensed when Riza stepped aside revealing who the unexpected visitor was. It only took him a moment to recognize who he was.
'Edward Elric.' Roy thought as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
His eyes watching Elric's approach cautiously. He could see there was a slight limp to the younger man's walk and his footsteps were uneven, one significantly louder than the other.
"Captain Mustang. It's been a while hasn't it?" Edward Elric looked down at Roy with a controlled face as he came to a stop near the foot of the bed. Roy nodded before glancing at the effects of Elric's injuries. Despite being in charge of the investigation into his attack, Roy had never interviewed Edward about the incident. It had been the unsuccessful duty of Havoc to carry out that unpleasant task. Nor had he even seen the injured criminal at the hospital. Looking at him now, Roy could see it had left its marks. Elric's right arm was missing at the shoulder, and he seemed to be using a prosthetic leg. His face looked older as well and there was a new scar above Elric's right eye.
"What does your father want?" Roy asked bluntly, staring Elric down.
There was a slight twitch in Elric's forehead. "You people…" He chuckled quietly. "Do you cops have to assume everything we do is business related?"
"Can't really blame us for that, can you." Roy responded coolly. "What do you want?"
Elric sighed. He was quiet for a moment as he seemed to consider something in his head before talking. "The same asshole put both of us in this hospital." He said, slightly flexing his right shoulder. "I just want to say….thanks for getting him."
Roy frowned in order to cover up his surprise. 'Did I just get thanked by Edward Hohenheim? Jesus, what is this world coming to.'
"Don't get too cocky, Elric." He responded. "We didn't necessarily do it for you." Behind Elric, Roy could see Riza wasn't impressed with his sarcastic tone.
"Trust me I know." Elric said, a bitter smile on his face as he chuckled again. "Which is why I'm actually surprised that you caught the fucker, everything considered. Would've thought he'd be a hero to you boys in blue."
Roy's brow furrowed at the young man's words. He couldn't tell if Elric was baiting him or just joking around. "We were doing our jobs."
"No offense, Captain." Elric gave a small grin. "But I know that you guys downtown have varying opinions about me and my family, so I don't think anyone would have been surprised if you looked the other way."
'I'm guessing he doesn't know about Van's encouragement.' Roy thought with curiosity, remembering how Hohenheim had threatened both him and Riza if they didn't find his son's attacker.
"Let's just say I found the honest cop inside me." He said to the younger man.
"At least there's one honest man in this town." Elric chuckled. "Getting out today?"
"Yes." Roy responded. "By the way. If you want to thank anyone, thank her." He pointed to Riza who was standing a little behind Elric. "She's the one that shot Patrick Vincent."
Elric did a quick look over his shoulder to see Riza was still staring at him intently. "She doesn't seem to like me very much."
"Can't imagine why." Riza muttered.
Elric chuckled. "Well I can read a room, and something tells me I've overstayed my welcome." He turned back to Roy. "I've said my piece, now I'll be going." He gave the police captain a nod before turning back towards the door.
'Well, that was certainly one for the history books.' Roy thought, his brain numbly trying to analyze the bizarre conversation they'd just had. He watched Elric move back towards the door. After a moment his gaze moved past the young Hohenheim to a young woman who must have been standing in the door frame the whole time.
Looking her over he could see that she was young, probably around Edward's age. He noticed that she had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her body language looked a bit nervous as if she couldn't wait for her and Elric to leave the tense situation. Roy furrowed his eyebrow as he looked at the features of the young woman. Something was oddly familiar about her.
Elric spoke at the door.
"Alright Winry, time to go."
Roy's eyes widened. He could only stare at the door as the pair disappeared into the hallway. Riza gave Roy a concerned look.
"What is it?" She asked, approaching the bed. "Is something wrong?"
Roy was silent for a moment before speaking out loud.
"Winry Rockbell?"
OoO
OoO
'Here's to never coming back to this fucking place.' Ed thought as he walked to the exit of the hospital. Saying his piece to Mustang had gone how he'd thought it'd go and he was ready to get out. Winry had been silent since they started down the elevator. And right now she was following him as he made his way out of the building. Ed could see that Winry wanted to ask him something. She wasn't great at hiding her thoughts from her face, he had observed that over the last few days.
'She's one of those who wear it on the sleeve type girls.' Ed thought.
Despite that, Ed felt a deep appreciation for Winry having come here with him and her waiting until they left to ask him questions.
As soon as they were out of the hospital Winry finally asked Edward what was on her mind.
"So what the hell was that all about?" Winry asked.
Ed answered her. "Mustang's the cop who got hurt getting the guy who did this to me. Didn't you hear anyone mention that the last few days?"
"I've been locked in your basement for the last two weeks." Winry drawled. "And who am I supposed to talk to? Everyone I bump into might be a killer."
"Off the record, about 95% of the people in there are killers." Ed said.
"My point exactly." Winry quipped, folding her arms.
"But you're talking to me right now." Ed responded, his head leaning forward slightly in a mischievous fashion. That almost predatory grin was back on his face.
"Well, you're not scary." She offered in response.
"Not scary, huh?" Ed ran a hand over his chin. "You seemed a bit scared of me when we first met."
"I was intimidated." Winry clarified. "Which is different from being scared."
"Semantics. I think I can be pretty scary." He said, pretending to be insulted.
"I'll believe it when I see it." Winry shot back, rolling her eyes.
"Careful what you wish for, Rockbell." Ed grinned.
Just as he finished talking, there was a sudden small gust of wind. Since she no longer had it in a ponytail, the breeze caught some of Winry's long hair and blew it across her face. Winry let out an irritated grunt as she moved her hand up to brush the strands away. She stopped her hand and opened her eyes when someone else caught her hair. Her blue eyes met Edward's smoldering golden ones. He was holding the strands of hair between his fingers. Slowly and gently, he placed them behind her ear. As Ed pulled his hand back, his fingertips rubbed against her cheek leaving hot trails on her skin. Winry let out a breath that she hadn't known she had been holding. Somehow she was still making eye contact with Edward who was smiling at her. However, he broke eye contact to look over her head.
"Looks like Al's here."
Winry tore her eyes away from Edward to glance behind her and indeed confirmed that the other Elric Brothers had arrived as a black SUV pulled up to the curve.
"You should, uh, go then." Winry said, covering up a slightly shaky voice with a chuckle. "You're probably tired of me at this point."
"I don't think that will ever happen." Edward looked back down at her, and suddenly Winry's traitorous throat went dry again. There was something burning in his eyes, a heat that she couldn't identify. But whatever it was, it sent warm shivers through Winry's spine. Moments like this were starting to become a common occurrence for the blonde mechanic. Moments where his gaze would periodically shut down her brain and throw any common sense out the window.
'What is this guy doing to me?' Winry thought, her thighs unconsciously pressing closer together.
"You know, you don't have to go right back to the manor." He said after a moment, seemingly unaware of the mess he'd created in her brain. The surprising words snapped Winry out of dream land.
"Excuse me?" She blinked, looking at him perplexed.
Edward chuckled and motioned to the car that had dropped them off. "Since I'm going out to have fun tonight, you ought to have some too. Take the rest of the day off and go see those two friends of yours, I bet it's been a while."
Winry stared up at him in shock, but quickly recovered. "But I still need to work on-"
"I'm sure it can wait till tomorrow." Ed interceded.
"But-" Whatever protest Winry was going to make died as Edward pressed a finger against her full lips. The unexpected contact made her eyes widen as the golden haired rogue grinned down at her.
"As the one who's calling the shots in this partnership, I'm telling you to shut that pretty little mouth of yours and go have a good time." He told her, chuckling deeply. "Can you do that for me?"
Resisting the urge to kick him in the only shin he had left for the condescending tone and words, Winry simply nodded. She didn't trust her voice. The last thing she needed right now was to embarrass herself with her voice cracking. Besides, Edward's long finger was still pressed against her lips. She glanced down at it before looking up at Ed almost daringly. It seemed Ed also noticed that as his eyes zeroed in on her mouth. For a second Winry could have sworn his eyes glossed over before coming clear again. He then stepped back, his finger dragging against her lip as he did so.
"See you soon Winry, just tell the driver where you want to go." Ed said. His voice sounded slightly rougher than it had been earlier. Before Winry could give a response Edward walked around her and she could only watch his retreating figure. As Winry watched him go she couldn't help but rub her fingers together in a fidgety manner.
'That certainly took a turn.' She thought numbly.
OoO
OoO
The Ouroborus
"Of course you brought us here." Edward sighed as he took a swig from his second drink of the night. "I thought tonight was supposed to be about me, not you."
Envy grinned as he looked around the inside of the Ouroborus. He was at least five drinks in. "I don't know what you're talking about." As if on cue, a tall and very curvaceous figure made her way over to their table.
"My, my. Look what the cat dragged in." Solaris practically purred as she came to a stop in front of them.
Envy chuckled back at her. "I'm always ready for a good dragging." He said causing Al to groan at his brother's bizarre flirtation. The sound made the dark haired beauty turn to the table's other occupants. Her plump lips curled into a genuine smile when she saw Ed.
"Edward. It's good to see you up and about." Solaris practically batted her eyes at him.
"Yeah long time no see yourself, Solaris." Ed said, turning to face the club owner and maybe-girlfriend of his older brother.
"Oh Edward, how are you honey?" She said, leaning closer to Ed on the table. "Despite it all you look as fuckable as ever."
"Wait, what's happening?" Envy looked between the two of them.
"I don't know." Al answered, shaking his head and taking another drink.
"I'm just giving him a compliment." Solaris defended herself. "It's important for him to know this."
"What would I do without you." Ed drawled sarcastically.
"You know my number, call me any time." Solaris purred as she stood up. She gave Envy a wink before sauntering off towards the lively dance floor that was on the other side of the building.
"Truly a girl to bring home to meet the family." Ed said again, nudging his older brother.
"That sexy fucking bitch, teasing me." Envy mumbled, mostly to himself. "I'm totally going to get her ass after this."
"As long as it keeps her away from me, do whatever you want to her ass." Ed said as he downed another shot. The alcohol burned and he let out a cough. "Shit I think my tolerance has gone down." Ed grumbled as he sat back against the chair he was seated in.
"Well you lost some weight over the last few weeks." Envy said with a smirk. "That might explain it."
"Fuck you." Ed groaned as he downed another vodka tonic.
"I have to agree with the palm tree." Al said, his jacket off and thrown over the back of the seat. His face was red from drinking.
"The fuck did you call me?" Envy gave Al a heavy glare.
"This is the first night I could get out of that house." Ed said. "Plus if I die in a day, at least I got wasted one last time"
"Can we also get you laid one last time?" Envy offered, glancing around at the various scantily clad women.
"Good luck finding a girl for that." Ed scoffed. "Hey come fuck a two limbed gangster, warning possible splinter hazards and emotional baggage onboard."
"I'm sure we could find somebody." Envy shrugged. "Plenty of women with that kink in the world."
"I'd rather die with some dignity." Ed said back. "What am I supposed to do to her? Flop around like a fish?"
"I think I know someone who's into that too." Solaris whispered, suddenly appearing behind them. Al jumped before turning to look at her with bewilderment.
"Fuck no." Ed said disgustedly.
"Jesus." Envy groaned dramatically, throwing his head back and putting his hands on Ed and Al's chairs. "I'm surrounded by two little virgins."
Al, who'd had more to drink that he usually would have, let out a laugh before quickly silencing himself. All eyes on the table turned to him.
Envy slowly straightened himself in the seat. His wide eyes turned to stare at Al. Ed too was looking at Al with surprise.
"And thus the plot thickens." Solaris chuckled huskily, placing a hand on Envy's shoulder.
"Something to confess, Al?" Ed asked.
"Nope." Al burped.
"Son of a bitch." Envy muttered. "Eddy...I think our sweet little Al has finally popped his cherry!"
"I've had sex before, you asshole." Al defended himself.
"Was she hot?" Envy asked as he began to down a drink. "Or was it a he? Either way is fine." He let out a chuckle before picking up his drink.
"It was May Chang."
Envy spat his drink onto the table. Ed gave Envy an unimpressed look before turning to look at Alphonse.
"How in the shit did that happen?" The middle Elric asked.
"Very carefully." Al chuckled.
"And?" Ed pressed.
"Wow." Al said with a grin. "That's all I'll say."
"If she tries to use sex to control you let me know." Envy cut in. "I'll protect my little brother from that mean bean sprout."
Al gave him a blank look. "Are you ever going to treat me like an adult?"
"Nope." Envy chuckled before looking over at Ed. "Well I guess that just leaves you to catch up. Considered that sexy mechanic of yours?"
"I think I just made some headway on that." Ed admitted. There was definitely something going on between him and Winry that he couldn't quite explain. Edward thought back to when they had been standing in front of the hospital, when he had his finger on her lips. In that moment, he had felt the overwhelming desire to kiss that tempting mouth of her's. It wasn't the first time either. In the last few days, there had been many times when he couldn't help but be drawn to Winry.
Ed put his glass down and ran his hand through his hair. Across from him, Envy was interrogating Al further on his romantic adventure with Chang. Ed was still deep in his thoughts.
The weird feelings had started after Winry gave him the prosthetic leg which he now wore. After that, their meetings seemed to have this underlying tension to them. It wasn't purely sexual, no when they were sitting in his mother's garden Ed had felt…content. Yes, he felt content sitting there with Winry. Explaining the origins of the garden and his father's involvement in it to her had seemed so natural to him. Since then, he could barely be around the beautiful mechanic for more than ten minutes without getting half-mast. He wanted her, no doubt about it. But it wasn't just a physical desire. He wanted…more than just sex from Winry.
'Makes me wonder what she thinks?' Ed thought as he leaned back in his chair, his drink and brothers forgotten as he pondered the weird relationship him and Winry had. 'No, she definitely feels it.' He remembered the look in Winry's eyes earlier after he tucked the strand of hair behind her ear.
It was truly odd. Both him and Winry were vastly different people. In a normal world they would never have met. But despite that, some strange twist of fate had caused them to meet in his office. Now both of them had become so integral into each other's lives that Edward wondered about what would happen once his automail therapy was over.
There's something there. No doubt about it.
The only question was what he was going to do about it.
Ed leaned back in the chair.
'Edward my dear boy.' He thought in his head as he looked up at the ceiling. 'I do believe that you're falling in love…'
OoO
OoO
Hohenheim Manor:
Since Winry had first arrived at the manor, it had felt as if she was constantly being watched. Even when she was laying in her bed at night, Winry had never quite felt like she was alone. That somehow the Hoheheims had spies lurking in the shadows, watching her every move. Looking back, Winry realized it was only paranoia and nerves getting to her. Being under a roof with a bunch of criminals isn't a very calming living situation. It wasn't until Edward finally arrived that the blonde mechanic started to feel truly comfortable in her new environment. Now, she could enjoy moments like this in the shower where it was just her.
'Damn, how do I not have bruises?' Winry mused while examining her naked shoulders and sides as the warm water rained down on her. 'Sheska should have tried out for the football team.'
The last thought gave Winry a chuckle as she imagined her small and bookish friend wearing a football outfit.
'Paninya would get a laugh out of that.'
She smiled before reaching for the shampoo on the nearby shelf.
Upon entering Sheska and Paninya's apartment several hours earlier, Winry was practically tackled by the overjoyed bookworm. Once Pan was able to pry her off, the three friends started to catch up on the last few weeks. They had told Winry about what was happening at Dominic's and in return absolutely grilled her about staying at the Hohenheims. No matter how many times Winry had assured them that there was nothing to worry about, she could still see concern lingering in their eyes.
'No use getting annoyed at it.' Winry sighed as she finished rubbing the shampoo out of her hair. 'Those two are never going to stop worrying about me.' But then again, what were friends for? The rest of her visit had gone well though, the three of them having a nice dinner cooked by Paninya.
It had been a relaxing couple of hours. Most of the tension of the last few weeks and the stressful anticipation of the port surgery seemed to fade. However, the blonde mechanic still found herself feeling a bit restless despite it all. A restlessness that had started the moment Edward had touched her lips.
There was one solid way to deal with this kind of tension.
Pleasuring herself in the shower wasn't something Winry did too often, especially since coming to the Hohenheim manor, but once in a while she indulged.
"Hhhmmm." Winry closed her eyes as she rubbed herself with slow and leisurely strokes. Using the other hand, she began to massage small circles around the perimeter of her full breasts, applying small amounts of pressure. Soon Winry picked up the pace, crooking her fingers sharply, earning tiny gasps. With every stroke the invisible coil in Winry's stomach became tighter as her breathing deepened. Soon she was bracing herself against the glass of the shower, her right hand still vigorously moving between her thighs.
'Damn how long has it been since I last had sex?' Winry thought through gritted teeth as the pleasure climbed higher and higher. It had been months since her last real relationship, and she hadn't had a one-night stand since college. That coupled with her busy schedule as a mechanic didn't leave many opportunities for coitus seeking. Pushing these thoughts aside, Winry started using both hands, imagining that they were someone else's. After some time, Winry could feel the fruit of her labors as she got closer to completion.
'Almost there…'
The coil in her belly was growing hotter, tightening as her fingers came closer to achieving their goal. Suddenly the imaginary, faceless man pleasuring her wasn't so unknown. Opening her eyes, Winry pictured a face with amber orbs surrounded by golden hair staring back at her. She felt her core begin to tighten, and before she knew it, her vision was clouded in white. Winry moaned loudly, practically a scream, as a powerful surge of pleasure coursed through her body.
"Edward!"
Winry fell apart hard around her fingers. With a heaving chest and flushed cheeks, she pressed her hands against the shower wall. Feeling the pleasurable aftershocks of the orgasm work their way through her, Winry sighed contentedly, enjoying the feeling for a moment.
However, her eyes quickly widened as she realized what had just happened.
'Did I seriously just masturbate while thinking of Edward!'
This wasn't good. Not at all. Ever since first becoming an automail mechanic Winry had set only a few simple rules. One of these self imposed guidelines was she didn't get involved sexually with patients and that included lusting after them.
"Well fuck me." Winry murmured. But for some odd reason, her lips turned upward into a small smile.
OoO
OoO
Soooo, yeah….it's been a while.
I took a break from this to finish my senior year at college. That's over and now I'm trying to find employment and stability in the hellscape that is 2020.
I know that's no excuse but it's all that I have. The stage that my life was at right now just demanded so much of my attention.
And then the Coronavirus showed up and everything is off the rails.
And now I'm back and doing my best to finish Kingdom in a way that doesn't do the story a disservice. I've seen a lot of stories that have dragged out for so long that the author just rushes the ending just so they can finally wash their hands of it and move on to something else.
I'm looking at you D & D from Game of Thrones.
But that's not what I want to do for this story, though I have to admit I am ready to be done with it. That being said I will not abandon it nor will I intentionally force a quick ending.
Though I have to say. I am long burnt out with this story. I want to move onto other stories and concepts. However, that won't stop me from throwing my all into this going forward.
The world is in such a weird place right now and hopefully everyone is staying home if they can and being safe if they aren't able to. We all have to take this seriously and look out for each other. Cabin fever is real though and I hope that this chapter and the others that I hope to release soon can help a little with getting people through this pandemic.
Expect other updates soon.
Feel free to vent all your frustrations in the comment section for how long I made you wait.