Edward awoke feeling so weak. Everything was dark and warm. It was similar to how it felt after hiding under a blanket for awhile. He felt himself moving. Where am I? He was clueless to what was happening. Everything was fuzzy. Nothing made sense. He was supposed to be...
He didn't know what had happened. He didn't know where he was supposed to be or what was supposed to be going on.
He froze when the memories came back slowly. His deal with Truth. Though, that was fuzzy. It didn't make much sense.
His hands went to his chest where he felt a prick of pain that soon became achy. Every moment his chest made caused that small area pain. Then the pain subsided as quickly as it came.
Edward tried to make out where he was and what the noises around them were. That could help when he escaped because it seemed as if he had been kidnapped. It could very well be the same people that had killed him. Maybe they were just taking him to a better place to kill him? They weren't against killing him. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. He was thinking about his previous death. That shouldn't have made any sense. It really didn't make sense. It was still so confusing.
The more Edward thought about it the more confused he became. Truth let Edward return. Edward may have been about to die again, but Truth had let him return? The only thing playing through Edward's head was, "why?" Why had he allowed him to return to the world of the living? Truth had fair game over his dead body, didn't he? He could take what he wanted, right?
Whatever he wanted he could have. This didn't make sense though. Truth had to have an alternate motive. That's all that made sense, but it didn't make sense, and it confused Edward so much.
A voice pulled Edward from his thoughts. It was familiar in a good way, but there was another voice. One that wasn't familiar to Edward.
It was so different. It was almost as if the voice was echoing around him. It was like it filled the empty space, echoing with a metallic ring.
The familiar voice spoke again. None of the words made sense at first, but slowly the words began to bleed into understanding.
"...He... be awake..."
Edward flinched. They know. He had to get away. Edward studied his prison.
The interior felt and looked like a giant suit of armour. That couldn't be. The movement didn't feel like a car or anything like that. It was unbalanced and jostled him every few seconds. Why would they transport him in a suit of armour? And one that was obviously standing.
A memory of Hohenheim's armour came to his head. If this armour was made with the same materials as that armour then escape would be simple.
Edward clapped and took a deep breath. He lunged forward into what he assumed must be the chest plate. His alchemy pulled the metal apart and thickened it in the surrounding area around the new hole.
Edward leapt out of the hole and rolled on the ground, looking up at his kidnappers. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. "Mister Hughes?"
Memories came back at the reminder. He remembered vague things while being sick. He remembered waking up to find himself in the morgue. He remembered Mustang. And he remembered bits and pieces with the others including the armour he had put a large hole in. "What's going on here?" He needed to think. He needed some time to think. His brain was trying to run off without him.
"Brother, we're just taking you somewhere where you will be safe."
"Please, stop... I don't know who you are. Shut up and let me think."
Alphonse flinched and would have cried if possible. It was so hard. He had lost his connection with Edward, his brother.
Edward had seemed willing to believe them before, but now he was beginning to be sceptical of Alphonse's real relation to him. It hurt him so much. He needed his brother.
"You can't remember, Ed. Alphonse really is your brother." Hughes grabbed Edward's shoulders. "You lost your memories while coming back."
Edward shook his head, but didn't push Hughes away. "No... I wouldn't ever let Truth take that! You all told me when I was sick that he was my brother, but he can't be!" Edward's eyes were almost longing. He might have wanted Hughes to believe him, or he might have wanted to believe them.
"I know you want to believe me, Brother. I saw it on your face. You talked with the Colonel and me. You believed us. You didn't know me, but you believed. Truth took your memories because you value them more than anything." Alphonse was begging for Edward to believe him. He needed Edward to trust him.
"I've always wanted a little brother, but I never had one," Edward hissed out weakly. He looked so torn. It was as if he wanted or knew he should trust them but couldn't go against his brain that just didn't know. He was confused, and wanted to know what he was supposed to do. "I do want to believe you. I want my head to be lying... About this. I can't be sure, though. You aren't in my head. I don't recognise you or feel anything towards you."
Alphonse nodded solemnly. "I know, and I don't blame you for not trusting or knowing me."
Edward furrowed his brows. He was sure that the kid would be furious with him. He was the reason that his memories of him were gone- If they ever existed to begin with. If he could trust Alphonse then he would have a little brother. But that is what bothered Edward. He would have a little brother that he had given up his memories of so that he could keep living. What kind of big brother did that? They wouldn't share any memories either. Edward's memories wouldn't include Alphonse, and Alphonse would gave memories thinnest Edward himself didn't have.
There was a bit of icy doubt that remained. His little brother was too okay with this. That was strangely suspicious.
Edward trusted Hughes and Mustang- though he would not likely admit that out loud at risk of looking weak. And if he could trust them to tell him the truth about this kid, then why didn't he? Why could he just not believe him? He wanted to, but his head was saying that it wasn't true.
Something clicked in Edward's head and he looked into the hole in the armour. It was hollow. How did that even happen? Why had it take so long for his head to process that information? Why hadn't he thought it odd or horrifying?
Alphonse caught Edward's gaze. "It was from when we tried to bring Mom back. I lost my body and you lost your leg."
Edward waved his automail arm. "What about this?"
"When you bonded my soul to this armour, you used your arm as the price." Alphonse was a little excited. Could Edward maybe trust him? Or, at least, believe him. Trust was a lot to expect of him just yet.
Edward didn't say anything. It would make sense if he really had lost his memories, and the armour was Hohenheim's. He easily recognised it.
Edward scanned his surroundings, finding that he was on a sidewalk that lead up to a comfortable little house. "Where the hell are we?" he asked, confused about why they would bring him here. He didn't recognise the place which didn't make him feel safe, which is what they had wanted in the first place.
"We brought you to Roy's house," Hughes offered. He knew that he couldn't expect a good reply to that.
Edward froze. "Wait, what?! Why?"
"Because we can keep you and Roy safe." Edward face him a questioning look. "There was a shooting at the funeral."
Edward's brows furrowed. "My funeral?"
"Yeah, kid. The team will be looking into it and so is the investigations unit." Hughes then lead him up to the front door. Edward was shaking his head in annoyance.
"I can take care of myself." That was a lie. The only reason they were in this situation was because Edward couldn't protect himself and died. And lost his memories and eye. Those were part of him and he didn't take care of them. "I don't need to be here. You protect Mustang, and I will protect myself."
"Edward, I'm not just going to leave you to take care of yourself."
"He's right, Brother. We can't let them hurt you in any way again or... Or worse." Alphonse wasn't going to let Edward out of his sight, but he was pretty certain that Edward wasn't going to let him follow him around. He wasn't going to let Edward get himself killed because he didn't really like the Colonel.
"I'm not going to die again. I can't risk that. I won't be able to come back this time."
"Brother, that's why we need to protect you!" Alphonse exclaimed. He grabbed Edward by the arm, ignoring his shouting, and pulled him into the house after Hughes.
A/N: Yeah...
So this had been done for a few weeks. I really didn't like it! But I'm giving up and posting it anyway. I've been re-reading it so much and my brain doesn't want to write a better chapter.
I still hate it.
Thanks for the reviews, favourites, and follows!
-UNAU/IME