Chapter 2: Automail

"I-I… I have to go," Leo stuttered out. "I can't s-stay here."

It was all she could really utter out. She was just in shock. This couldn't be real.

"Now hold on," the soldier guided her back through the lobby and past the confused hospital workers.

Leo wanted to run. She wanted to turn around and bolt for the door, but she felt as if she was frozen. Leo already tried escaping once, doing another attempt and with so many other people around would be doomed to fail.

By the time Leo and Hughes got back to the original room, a doctor was waiting for them. Next to him were a couple of security guards. Leo guessed they were here in case the girl tried escaping again. The doctor said he was alerted when Leo woke up, but she fled before he could do an inspection. Leo shied away but eventually had to reluctantly let him do his job. He did tell her his name, but Leo honestly couldn't be bothered to remember it./

The doctor asked her some questions and did a couple painless tests, almost as if it was a standard physical exam. Nurses came in later to change the bloodied bandages. It was then that Leo noticed that she had a tattoo of sorts on her left shoulder. At first glance, it was an Ouroboros symbol that the homunculi wore, but upon closer inspection, the strange pattern had two serpent-like creatures instead of one: a bird and a lizard, unlike her Portal of Truth, which held a lion and a bird.

Hughes asked about the tattoo. Leo didn't answer; she didn't know, herself. He tried asking other questions about where she came from, what she came from, and where her family is. Leo still didn't answer. She wasn't going to say anything to this guy.

When the girl refused to answer, Hughes asked her about what she was going to do about her arms.

Again, Leo didn't know. She still didn't answer.

Hughes didn't lose his patience with Leo. Instead, he smiled calmly and said, "A friend of mine knows of an automail mechanic who built an arm and leg for one of his subordinates. I think I can get you a recommendation."

Resembool was a quiet little town. Well, it wasn't very little; there were just not a lot of people in this rural area. Everybody knew everybody. Since people recognized herself and Hughes as newcomers, they decided to ask and conversate with them, which was a bit strange for Leo. She lived in a small neighborhood, herself, but she didn't even know the names of the people who lived next door. Maybe because video games in her world keep people inside while farming in Resembool keeps people outside.

Leo wore a jacket loosely over her shoulders so people couldn't see that she doesn't have arms. It looked like people didn't notice because Leo never saw any looks of pity or sadness when they looked at her. Hopefully she can just make it to the Rockbells' quickly so she can get automail.

"Uh, I'm Leo," the black-haired teen managed. She almost tried to extend a hand but remembered that she didn't have hands anymore.

"Winry Rockbell," the young mechanic felt as awkward as Leo did. Usually introductions are followed by a handshake, but Leo can't do that. "You're here for automail?"

Leo nodded, "I can't live that this. But I don't have any money."

Hughes put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I'll pay for the automail."

Leo gave him an unsure look, "But I don't want to ask too much of you. You've already saved my life."

"Don't worry about it, Leo. Just focus on recovery."

Leo took a deep breath and asked, "How long will the operation take?"

"For two arms," Pinako Rockbell responded. "You're looking at four years of rehabilitation."

Leo snarled. Four years was too late. Hell, even three years was too late. By the time she would recover, the Promise Day and the eclipse would pass, and the horrors that were meant to happen could be avoided if Leo was there to prevent it. To hell with four years. "I'll do it in one."

Winry and Pinako gave each other shocked and recognized expressions. Leo knew very well who they were thinking of, and the blonde mechanic spoke, "Y-You'll be spitting up blood, you know."

Leo knew, but she's made up her mind. Just regular automail surgery was panful enough but rushing it would be absolute hell. Bu if Leo doesn't go through with it, then all of Amestris would suffer for it. "I'll do whatever it takes."

The show certainly wasn't kidding; getting automail was agony. Leo didn't know if she was ashamed or not to say that she did scream in pain during the operations. Two surgeries, one on each arm while conscious, were horrifically painful. She knew very well that 'horrifically painful' was not nearly a powerful enough term to describe the surgeries. She could feel every incision, every drill, every plate and screw that were bolted into her bones, and it was torture. Leo almost backed out of it a few times, but she remembered what is at stake.

She had a few days before the operations to recover form the initial injuries she got from the Gate before going through with the surgery. During that time, Leo had plenty of time to think and reflect. Maybe she's being too serious about this; Amestris is not her world, why the hell should she care if a country is sent to oblivion? There was plenty of death and destruction in the events of Fullmetal Alchemist, and it was painful to see beloved characters meet a foul end. But that was just it, they were just characters. Their fates were sad, but genuine emotion is what makes great storytelling. Leo didn't care much for it before. But now? With these being real people in real situations, it was much different.

Hell, this might not even be real. Leo could wake up one day back in her world and in a hospital bed with an IV attached to arm, but until that day, Leo would do everything in her power to protect this shitshow she's been dumped into. And that includes agonizing automail surgery. Even if she's not doing this for Amestris, she's doing this for herself. Leo was not going to live her life without arms.

Leo was beyond grateful to the Rockbells and Hughes, but sitting here and watching the world go by with Winry and Pinako doing all the work was frustrating. Leo wanted to volunteer to help with something, anything. But she was useless without her arms, and she knew it. It made her all the more impatient to get her automail.

Leo kept most of her belongings with her, but her old clothes were almost completely ruined with blood from when she appeared from the Gate. Leo didn't want to get rid of them, but they were unsalvageable anyway. However, she did not get rid of her dinosaur tooth necklace that she got at Universal Studios about a year ago. Leo always wore it because it was cool, but now, it was her only tie to her world. When asked about it by Winry, Leo answered honestly and said it was a gift from her parents.

After the operation was over, Leo was allowed to go back to Central but told to come back every month for regular checkups on her automail ports. On one of her visits, Leo was told it's been six months since she appeared, bleeding to death in a random alley in Central, and she honestly couldn't believe it. Has it really been that long? Her understanding of time was always blurry, but with the constant pain of automail being apart of her new life, time seemed to be even messier.

During one of her routine checkups in Resembool, Leo found herself in a sort of an uncomfortable situation. The Elric brothers came back to Resembool for repairs. Apparently, Edward wasn't keeping up on his maintenance, and his right arm completely stopped working. Leo believed that, but she still couldn't that he and his brother were real. Objectively, she knew they existed, but to actually see them was mind-boggling.

Leo decided to hover in the doorway when she saw Winry lift a wrench and start ranting loudly, "You haven't called once since you left and now you show up thinking-!"

Edward dared to cut her off with a dark look on his face and holding two small boxes in his left hand, "Hey look, we bought we a present!"

Time seemed to stop. The young Rockbell still held the tool over her head, poised to strike, and Edward held the boxes in front of him as if they would repel Winry's wrath. Alphonse was frozen beside them, unsure o what to do. Eventually, Winry sighed and took the boxes with reluctant acceptance, "What am I going to do with you?"

The dark look on Edward's face morphed into an evil grin, "Operation Bribe: Accomplished."

Leo tilted her head in understanding of the situation. Edward planned on getting Winry a gift to get her out of beating him with a wrench. It worked, apparently.

Winry opened the boxes and marveled the silver earrings.

"I hope they're not too bland for you," Alphonse piped up.

Winry smiled, "Not at all, they're perfect. I'm guessing you picked them out, Al."

The boy in armor chuckled and confirmed her guess.

Edward pitched in his two cens, "I dunno, you sure you don't want anything fancier?"

Winry only gave him a condescending smile, still cradling the boxes to her chest, "They're not for you, Ed."

The golden-haired boy started fuming in comical offense, "You don't have any taste at all!"

"Hey," Alphonse noted, "You only have your left ear pierced, Winry. We would've only gotten you one if we'd known."

"No, no. It's a good reason to get the right one pierced. Thanks, guys."

"Heh," Edward mocked as he took a swig from his mug. "It's no reason to get so excited, you simpleton."

Alright, Elric. You count on bribing Winry so she wouldn't beat you with a wrench and hen make fun of her when she falls for it.

Leo then finally felt a pair of eyes on her from the middle of the room. She turned her attention to the suit of armor and saw two glowing orbs from who she knew was Alphonse Elric. Leo knew she wasn't going to be able to hide forever, but she instinctively flinched when she saw that she was noticed.

Alphonse got Winry's attention and asked her about the back-haired teen standing in the doorway. The young Rockbell smiled and introduced Leo. Said teenager suddenly felt self-conscious. She knew that the two brothers could see her metal prosthetic from their place on the couch. They were probably going to ask her about the automail and jump to conclusions. After all, they had personal experience with sudden missing limbs.

The two brothers asked where she came from. Winry's responded with, "We never asked."

Part of Leo was hoping that she wouldn't have to run into the Elric brothers at all, but she knew that would probably be impossible. She was going to have to interact with them and many other canon characters eventually; might as well get it over with. She hesitantly strode through the room to stand next to (behind) Winry. The blond mechanic, however, refused to be a human shield, so she turned and left the room, silver earrings in tow. Even though she was now out of the room, she still lingered in the doorway, curiosity forcing her to stay.

"So," Alphonse tried breaking the ice. "Your name is Leo?"

The other teenager nodded.

"Is it short for Leona?" Alphonse asked.

"Or Cleopatra?" Ed guessed.

"No, it's just Leo."

"Bit of a weird name for a girl," Edward commented.

"Oh yeah?" Leo narrowed her eyes at the midget. "I didn't ask for your opinion, pipsqueak." Alphonse flinched because he knew what was going to happen next.

Edward predictably exploded, "WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' TOO SMALL HE CAN RIDE ON THE BACK OF A FLEA?!"

Leo barked out a laugh. It was amusing to see on tv, but actually being able to witness the eldest Elric's short temper was hilarious.

"What's so funny?!" Edward snapped and grabbed Leo's collar, shaking her a bit.

"Get your hands off me, you blond dwarf!"

"Dwarf?! I'm still growin', you half-pint!"

"Who you callin' a half-pint beansprout midget?!"

"ENOUGH!" Alphonse shouted in exasperation and mild amusement. "Both of you are short, so shut up!"

"WHAT?!" the two short amputees whirled and shouted at the boy in armor.

"Al, you traitor!" Edward pointed at his little brother with tears falling down his face.

Leo ignored him and snarled at Alphonse, "What the hell? Why you associatin' me with this loser?!"

Winry had to clamp a hand over her mouth to silence a snicker. So, Leo was only mad because Alphonse classified the two together, not because she was called short.

Of course, Edward snapped back, "Who you callin' a loser, loser!"

Leo turned back and glared at the Fullmetal Alchemist, "You, ya shrimp! You hard of hearing or is your memory even shorter than your height?"

"AH! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Alphonse sweatdropped when the two began tussling. His older brother was rather infamous for starting pointless fights with everyone.

"Edward!" Winry stepped in and stopped the childish wrestling match. "Leo's still going through rehabilitation! You can't just fight someone with no arms!"

"Well she started it!" Edward retorted childishly.

Leo rolled her shoulders, ignoring how the metal prosthetics were limply following the movements, and retorted, "It's your fault for getting butthurt 'cause someone tells you the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Edward snarled.

"You're short."

Edward threw a pillow at her.