The spooky shit starts here. Let me know what you think!
Christmas had come and passed without much fuss, and the new year started in January, which bled into February, and March fast approached.
The Elrics were hunting leads again- investigating a promising book shop in the tiny village of Hamlet.
And Roy was working diligently as always, signing paperwork, when a familiar face strode into the office.
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Atkins was a handsome looking man with dark brown hair and intelligent, searching silver eyes. He had a chiseled jaw and high cheek bones that made him look attractive. However, just as there was intelligence in the man's gaze, there was a certain lack of warmth and any sort of social tact at all that made his attention slightly unnerving.
"Colonel Mustang." the man greeted him, snapping off a salute, business-like as ever.
"Lieutenant Colonel Atkins." Roy tried to hide his dismay at seeing the man again. The man was a brilliant investigator, but often became obsessed with a case to the point of driving his men to the exhaustion and breakdowns- a method Roy thought was short-sighted and reckless. A good officer cared about his men. Not that he thought Atkins didn't, but the man had a one-track mind and would become obsessed to the point the case became all-consuming.
"I thought you were transferred to West City after everything last year.".
"I was." Atkins said simply.
"How are you liking it there?". Most officers would've taken it as a demotion and a hit to their pride to be moved to West City from Central, but Atkin's expression didn't shift.
"Damnably cold compared to Central, but well enough. I can do my work there, anyways. But I think we both know I didn't come here to talk about the weather." Atkins peered around the room, taking stock of everyone and clearly noting Fullmetal's empty desk.
Lieutenant Hawkeye discretely shut the door, and Atkins nodded to her appreciatively before he was placing an envelope on Roy's desk.
"I've been sent by the brass to retrieve you and Fullmetal. There's a budding serial killer in the west- seven dead already. The military wants it squashed before there's any more victims."
Roy blinked. "And you can't solve it yourself?"
Atkins jaw clenched. "Not for lack of trying, Colonel Mustang. Listen- we all know what the Fullmetal Alchemist is capable of- and there's a damnable lack of evidence here. The killer is clinical and has a sharp eye for detail. We need him.".
Roy folded his hands. "And you expect me to just give him to you? After everything he went through last time- after I had to talk the gun out of Captain Brown's hands because you made him try and get leads from talking to corpses..."
A look of regret washed over Atkin's face, and he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "No. I don't expect you to just give him to me. My zeal for solving a case has come at great deficits to my men in the past- I can admit to that. There's been an official reprimand, and while I've been remiss in the past, I'm working to make sure my men get some rest and relief from duty whenever possible. I didn't expect you to send him alone. I assumed you'd accompany him- you don't like him straying too far from you.".
Roy paused. "I have things to do.".
Atkins fished in his coat pocket, pulling to slips of paper. "I have clearance from the brass to take you both with me to West City. The brass has granted you extensions on any relevant deadlines. They want this killer caught before he reaches double digits. They know you and Fullmetal nailed the last case. Where is the Fullmetal Alchemist, anyways?".
Roy shrugged. "Supposedly Hamlet. That's what I wrote his pass for. But he tends to stray off track sometimes- if you're lucky you can call the right hotel.".
"Right. We'll need to retrieve him as soon as possible and head west..."
"I haven't agreed to work with you yet, you know." Mustang said simply.
Atkins look pained. "The paperwork says you have to. To be honest, Colonel, I was hoping we could be professional about this..."
"We can. But I have conditions. I call the shots when it comes to Fullmetal. If I say he's had enough, he's had enough. No more of this crap of making him stare at dead bodies until he faints. And I brief him on the case. I don't know how much he wants to talk to you, after last time...".
There was a loud clanking from down the hall, and everyone looked up, surprised.
Hawkeye rushed out the door into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.
Roy's subordinates exchanged glances, moving to get back to work quickly.
"What was that?" Atkins asked, looking puzzled.
"That would be the Elric brothers. Edward's brother tags along sometimes. But Ed won't want him involved in a murder case, and he has no need to be here today, so Lieutenant Hawkeye is probably sending him home...".
Atkins didn't need to see Alphonse. The man was a social pariah, for sure, but he was in special investigations for a reason- he'd probably be able to deduce Alphonse was hollow. That was something they didn't need.
The door to the office swung open, and Ed stepped into the room, looking slightly miffed. He never did like being separated from Alphonse. But when he saw Lieutenant Colonel Atkins standing before Roy's desk, his expression morphed from surprise to understanding, and then his golden eyes hardened into something unreasonable.
"Atkins. Fancy seeing you here." he turned, heading towards his desk.
Roy sighed. "Come take a seat in front of the desk, Fullmetal. We have some things to discuss."
"Well. I assume you have more murders you can't solve."
Atkins nodded. "Unfortunately, you're correct."
Ed was surprisingly quiet. He seemed to be resigning himself to something. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as possible. The Colonel will be coming with us, if that makes you feel any better." Atkins looked concerned.
Ed heaved a sigh. "I want all the casefiles. And I want my own train compartment. I don't want to talk to either of you until we get there.".
"That can be arranged." Atkins reached into his pocket, pulling a train ticket from his pocket and extending it to Ed. "Train leaves in two hours. I'll give you all the casefiles at the train station.".
"Right. See you then." Ed stood, grabbing his briefcase and trudging towards the door.
Roy frowned. It wasn't usual for Ed to take his assignment so... complacently.
"Is he alright?" Atkins asked, cocking an eyebrow at Roy.
Roy heaved a sigh. "Hell if I know. He seemed to be doing fine until you came over here.".
BREAK
"But why can't I come with you? I could help!" Al sounded as upset as a suit of armor could get. "And I don't understand- why are they putting you specifically on all these murder cases all of a sudden? Does it have something to do with the child killer case you solved?"
Ed sighed, shoulders hunched from where he was currently throwing fresh clothes into his suitcase. "Yeah. It does. They like the way I chase down killers. And apparently, I'm pretty good at it..." he never was good at lying to Al. All he could do was omit the truth.
"Well I'm your brother! I bet I'm just as good as you are! Let me come along and help!"
Ed frowned. "You can't."
"Why not?"
"Because there's a man from special investigations working the case. One look at you and he'll know you're hollow. He'll piece together what we did- he already knows about the automail. And then you get shipped off to a lab and I rot in jail."
"You don't really think this guy would tell the government about us, do you?" Al's soulfire eyes were wide.
Ed sighed, shoulders slumping. "I honestly don't know, Al. This guy tries to do everything by the books. I don't trust anyone in the military but Mustang- and that's just because he's had the chance to turn us in for a promotion for years but never took the opportunity. Instead, he's made it his mission in life to stay in our business like an annoying bastard.".
"But brother- the Colonel has helped us.".
"Yeah. He has."
"And now he's just letting you go with this fanatic investigator man?"
"No. The Colonel is coming too."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Alphonse tried.
"It would be- except that the Colonel is a nosy Bastard who gets far too involved in my business. I've said it before." Ed said simply.
"But at least you can trust him. Would you rather he just ship you off with that awkward investigator guy?"
"If he did, then at least I'd be able to breathe. He stifles me, when I'm working, gets too concerned about things..."
"He care about us though."
"He can give me a sticker and a promotion once I get home." Ed glowered. "Right now, everyone is probably just going to get in my way. This won't be fun at all.".
"Of course not- it's a murder investigation. But you'll save people. You always do." Al said it as though it were the simplest thing in the world.
Ed scoffed, and turned his attention to latching his suitcase. He hated it when Al looked at him like he had all the answers. Because he wasn't a superhero- he wasn't full of answers. His arrogance was what had gotten Al into that suit of armor and lost him his limbs in the first place.
"You'll call, won't you?" Al's voice was small. "When you get there?". Al's voice was quiet, and Ed realized if he was gone, Al was going to be all alone in the dorms. Al got anxious at times without him nearby. Without another living, breathing person to care for, Al had no meals to make- no one to badger to get some sleep- and having all that time with no sleep or anything was enough to make anyone anxious.
Ed sighed. "Yes. I'll call. Sorry for being so... moody. You'll be alright here? By yourself?".
Al nodded, helmet creaking. "Yes, I will. We have lots of books on the philosopher's stone now, I'll read them all and take notes for you..."
Ed heaved a sigh. "Thanks. I want you to go to the office, during the days- I know you don't need food or sleep, but I don't want you to be lonely. And if everyone there is busy, you can go to the library, or call Hughes, okay?"
"Okay." Al sounded more cheerful at the notion. Little did Ed know, the suit of armor was plotting how many stray cats he could smuggle into the dorm room before Ed got back.
The clock chimed, and Ed grabbed his suitcase, heading for the door.
"Well- I'm off. We should reach West City in eight hours..."
"Call when you get the chance." Al asked.
"As soon as I get to the hotel, I promise.".
The next thing he knew, his shoulder was being gently shook as the train whistled.
The last thing he'd remembered was laying down on the bench in the train compartment to read. But here it was, two-am, and they'd arrived in West City.
Or something like that.
"What?"
"I said it's time to get up, Fullmetal." Mustang was gathering up the casefiles he'd let fall to the floor in his sleep.
Ed sat up, his hair sticking up at odd angles. He frowned at the odd taste in his mouth and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bench and grabbing his suitcase out from beneath the seats in time to shamble off the train with Mustang.
The station was nearly deserted due to the early hour, and he was tired as hell.
He focused on following the blue form in front of him that was Mustang, because he honestly had no idea what hotel they had reservations for.
There was half a moon tonight, and occasionally it peered out from around the night clouds, bathing everything silver.
Mustang and Atkins were discussing something, and Ed paused, taking a moment to notice the moonlight shining on some crocuses. He smiled slightly. His mother had planted crocuses in the spring. They stayed closed at night, but in the morning, he wondered if they'd bloom...
Mustang was saying something about getting briefed on the command post tomorrow morning, and they were taking a left down a side street.
Ed paused- the moon peered out from among the clouds, and a bit further down the block, he could see the mirror-like reflection of the moonlight off a canal that ran through west city. And kneeling before the canal, draped in a tick shawl on her knees, was a woman. Her head was bowed- Ed wondered if she was praying or crying. It was hard to tell.
A chill March wind cut through the area, and he turned, looking back at Mustang and Atkins for a moment, before deciding. He'd just go tell that woman to stay off the streets and then catch up with Mustang and Atkins.
He turned, jogging down the street to the corner and pausing.
It was two-am, and the moon ducked behind a cloud. He stumbled across the street in darkness, getting to the sidewalk beside the canal.
In the inky darkness, the woman was knelt nearly unmoving, hands over her face.
"Hey! You shouldn't be out here! There's some serial killer in this town, you need to go home...".
A muffle sob was his only answer.
Ed frowned, bending down slightly to place his hand on her shawl-covered shoulder. "Hey- are you alright?".
The moon swung back out from behind the clouds, and as soon as his hand made contact with her shoulder, she melted onto the white sidewalk like black tar.
Ed blinked. "What the hell?"
A muffled sob carried to him on the wind- he knelt down next to the inky puddle on the cement- it was dripping into the canal in big inky gobs.
He watched it, fascinated.
"Um... lady? You okay?" he was on his knees. He reached out and touched the dwindling puddle of black tar left on the cement, and it felt as though he'd been drenched in freezing water. Despair washed over him ten times over, and the wind whipped his red coat around him, carrying with it the sound of more sobbing.
There was nothing left of the black tar on the sidewalk now- it'd all dripped into the canal. And from the surface of the water, there was a single hand breaking the surface, reaching towards him...
Do you want me to take your hand? Do you need me to pull you out of the canal? Are you under water?
The only answrs to his questions were more tears on the wind.
A moment later someone was bodily grabbing him by the shoulders and spinning him around.
He'd let his guard down, and he expected to come face-to-face with the killer, only to find Mustang staring at him.
"What the hell were you doing?" Lieutenant Colonel Atkins was standing behind Mustang, looking concerned.
Ed blinked. "I was looking for the lady.".
Roy frowned. "You just wandered off without telling us. You've been missing for twenty minutes, and there's a killer on the loose.".
"There was a woman here. She was crying." Ed turned, dropping back to his knees. "She might be in the water- I saw her hand..." he plunged his arm into the canal, only getting soaked up to the shoulder in freezing spring canal water for his efforts.
"I swear, she was here! I tried talking to her but she just cried, and then she melted and now she's gone.". Ed frowned, turning to Atkins expectantly. "Have there been any dead bodies around here?".
Atkins pursed his lips, shaking his head. "No. There's been no victims recovered around here. It's almost 3am."
"I know what I saw, Mustang!" Ed snapped.
Mustang heaved a sigh. "I never said you didn't see anything. But there's nothing here now, and you can't go running off on your own in the middle of the night.".
"She was here. She was crying.". Ed said seriously.
"I believe you." Mustang said, though he was still looking concerned.
"Let's come back here tomorrow. We'll get settled in the hotel tonight and come back when it's daylight to feel this place out more.". Atkins declared.
Ed stood, brushing off his knees and deciding that was good enough for him. They headed towards the hotel, though this time Mustang brought up the rear. Ed could feel his superior's eyes on his back, and he turned to shoot Mustang an annoyed glare- he wasn't a toddler who needed to be supervised here, he'd just needed to check out a lead. It wasn't his fault he was the only one who could see this shit.
He'd turn around and shoot Mustang a glare every now and then. He was feeling especially standoffish now, and as soon as they got their hotel room- two twin beds and a cot- he threw his suitcase to the side and jumped onto the bed furthest from the door, burying his face in the pillow.
It might've been childish, but he didn't care.
Mustang ignored his obvious sulking. Atkins watched him, and frowned. "You should take your boots off before you sleep. We'll go back there first thing tomorrow, I promise."
Ed pursed his lips and said nothing, peeling off his boots and standing, pulling back the curtains to look out the window. The moon peered out from beneath a cloud, and he looked out the window at the deserted street below and frowned. It was so empty, so deserted... Suddenly, he felt very alone.
I don't want to be here. The thought rose to the forefront of his mind unbidden, the loneliness like a sucker punch to the gut.
He actually had to pause to a moment, because the crushing loneliness made it hard to breathe. He pulled the curtains shut, climbing back onto his bed and beneath the covers. It took him ten minutes of squirming around to find a comfortable position- he couldn't get the anxiety out of his bones, the need to move and do something was too strong...
Ed sat up to find Atkins laying on the cot propped against the opposite wall, watching him.
"We go back tomorrow?" he asked hopefully, meaning the canal.
Atkins nodded. "First thing after breakfast. I promise.".
"Okay.". he laid back down, feeling something within his stomach squirm- the fluttering surprised him for a moment- he'd never felt anything like that before. Man. I must be more nervous than I thought about being here. was his last coherent thought, before he let sleep drag him under.