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Chapter Three
Roy felt odd. He had no feeling from his shoulders down to his toes and Edward Elric was clinging to his neck while sobbing his heart out, his wet cheek pressed against his dry, slightly stubble-covered one.
And Roy just wished that he could hug him back.
"Sh-sh, Edward, it's alright, you're safe. None of my team will try to hurt you."
"Lillian and Grant tried to take me! They were going to use more needles! You said you wouldn't let them hurt me again!"
"And I kept my promise, because even though they got me, I didn't let them take you. Because my team did exactly what I wanted them to."
Which Roy firmly believed.
"Sir, we got Grant," Hawkeye said.
Thank god.
He had to say that he was rather embarrassed about the fact that he had let himself get jumped. The last thing he remembered was walking out of the toilets and pointing and then a lot of pain in the back of his head, and then he woke up here two minutes ago with Falman and Fuery watching him while he couldn't move his body.
So to see the little boy walking inside the room and looking unharmed filled him with immense relief. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if they had taken Edward again. After everything that they had put him through, there was no way in hell that they were going to take him away from Roy again.
Because fact was that Roy felt responsible for Edward. He had failed to protect him and the result was gruesome. And the worst part was that the child probably didn't even even understand what crimes had been committed against him. Because Ed didn't know what they had taken away from him by removing the last ten years. What they had taken from Alphonse.
"Riza said that she'd shoot you if you didn't tell me why I scare you," Edward said, still hugging him.
Roy froze. Fine. It seemed that the time had come for Edward to know what had happened the last few years.
"And I will, I just need some assistance from Alphonse, so we have to wait for him, okay?"
The kid didn't move from where he stood. "Riza, is he stalling?"
"Actually, Edward, he's right."
Edward pulled back slightly, his hands on Roy's shoulders. The golden eyes scrutinised Roy's, trying to find any deception. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Okay." Then he climbed up and sat himself down on Roy's chest. "But you're not leaving until you tell me." He crossed his arms.
Roy couldn't help but smile. Apparently the kid had always been and always would be a stubborn brat. "Deal."
To be honest, Roy was just glad that Ed seemed to trust him enough to not run away from him again, which is a major improvement.
"Hey, Edward, what would you like to eat?"
The child grew contemplative. "Pizza."
"Okay, Breda, Falman, Fuery? Go get Edward a pizza and some new clothes."
"Yes, Boss. What kind of topping?"
Edward grew dreamy. "Meat. Lots of meat."
"Yes, Chief," Breda said.
Roy froze slightly, but Edward didn't seem to notice.
"Hawkeye, would you mind getting Ed something to drink? And two scoops of ice cream."
"I'll get right to it, Sir."
And so it was only Roy and Ed left in the room.
"Edward? Are you alright?"
He was silent for a few seconds. "Don't know."
"Are you still scared?"
"Think so."
"You know I won't let anything happen to you?"
The child stared at him for half a minute before he suddenly curled up on his chest, his right cheek resting against his left. "Yes."
Roy was simply dumbstruck. To think that this was Edward Elric was almost laughable. There was no other way to describe his actions than adorable.
And if there was one word that he didn't associate with him, it would be that. Which shows just how much Edward lost when his mother died and he instead focused his energy upon raising his brother and on the alchemy.
And he gave up the last remnants of his childhood the moment he signed up with the military.
All in just seven years…
No, it was cruel. Just all too cruel.
What Roy wanted to know now, however, was how the kidnappers had got inside the military so easily, and twice even.
"Edward, did Lillian and Grant say how they got inside?"
"No. But they were wearing uniforms. Do you think they work here? Because then Lillian can come back for me!"
That would explain a lot.
"Listen, Edward, I won't let her get you, no matter what."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
Roy had some experience with dealing with small, scared children, it came with the missions, he supposed. But right now, he was probably the only person that this boy trusted to keep him safe in a world that had to be scarier than Roy could ever imagine. So if Ed felt like clinging onto him like he was his lifeline, then Roy was just going to let him. This was Roy's fault after all. He would be amazed if the kid would ever trust him again after Roy told him what happened a week ago.
God, I'm so sorry, Fullmetal.
So, so sorry.
Suddenly there was a lot of clanking and then the door burst open.
"BROTHER!"
Al was standing in the doorway, obviously just having heard about what had just happened. "Brother! Are you alright?!"
The boy in question had originally reacted with clutching Roy's shirt, but was now sitting up slightly, staring at his brother.
"You really are Al, aren't you." The boy was shivering slightly with a lot of barely repressed emotions.
"Yes, Brother, I am."
He sat there for a few seconds, probably thinking about what he was going to ask first. "Why are you in the armour?"
"Because when Mom died, we tried to bring her back. The transmutation failed, however, and you lost your left leg, and I lost my whole body. You sacrificed your right arm to bind my soul to this armour." He kneeled down and removed his helmet, revealing the blood seal. "You were eleven and I was ten."
"Y-you lost your body?" Edward was crying, Roy could hear it even though he couldn't see his face.
"Yes, Brother, I did."
"B-but…"
"Colonel Mustang found us a few days later. He saw what we had done, but he didn't turn us in. Instead he gave you an opportunity to get our bodies back by joining the State Alchemists. You got automail and when you were twelve, you got your state licence."
"I-I did?"
Roy sighed deeply. "Yes, you did, Edward. You were known as the "Fullmetal Alchemist". I'm your commanding officer. A week ago I warned you about a serial killer that seemed to be targeting you, and we were moving you to the military barracks when you were attacked and kidnapped. We had assumed that there was only one killer, and so we were fooled by one of them acting as a decoy. I'm so sorry, kid. More sorry than you'll ever know."
The child hadn't turned around once since Roy had spoken. There was silence for a few seconds as Ed just took in all the information. He was shaking. Then he turned around and threw himself down on Roy's chest, sobbing loudly.
"NO! I DON'T WANT THIS! STOP IT! I DON'T WANT THIS!"
Thank god that Roy was finally regaining enough control of his arms to at least put them around him. He could practically hear how much emotional pain it caused the boy to hear this. The child was wailing. He had had his heart broken into so many pieces by this.
"I'm so sorry, Ed. So sorry. So sorry." Roy didn't know exactly what it was that made him do it, but he bent his neck and kissed the top of the boy's head. "I'm so sorry," he kept whispering into his hair.
Edward kept bawling for the next ten minutes. Roy had complete control of his body now, and was holding him tightly against his chest, one hand on his back, the other at the back of his head. His lips were still pressed against the boy's head, trying to just give the child some support in all this pain and sorrow.
Alphonse was quiet. Roy could understand how he didn't even know what to say, the kid must be hurting so much.
"I'm so sorry, Ed," Roy said.
"Stop it," Ed mumbled.
"Sorry."
"I told you to stop. Stop saying that you're sorry! Stop it! JUST STOP IT!"
He began hitting Roy's chest with his small fists. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"
Roy was surprised by the reaction. "Why?"
"BECAUSE IT ISN'T YOUR FAULT! SO JUST STOP IT!"
"How can you say that?"
"BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AFTER MYSELF! I SCREWED UP! AL LOST HIS BODY! I LOST MY LIMBS! AND I COULDN'T EVEN STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ME! IT'S MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AFTER AL AND THEN NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN BETTER CARE OF MOM! IT'S MY FAULT!"
"Edward, don't say that."
"I FAILED MOM AND THEN I FAILED AL AND THEN I FAILED HIM AGAIN!"
"That's not true, Brother. You never failed me. Never."
Ed got free from Roy's grip and sat up, turning towards Al. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! I'M YOUR BIG BROTHER! I DID THOSE THINGS! YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD BRING MOM BACK! YOU LOST YOUR BODY BECAUSE OF ME!" Edward was halfway screaming, halfway sobbing. It was one of the most saddening things Roy had ever seen. Despite Ed being just five, he still saw Alphonse as his little brother. He still felt like protecting him. And he still blamed himself.
"Ed, don't say that! I wanted to bring Mom back just as much as you!"
"I SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED YOU!"
"You saved me, Brother, you did more than protect me."
"IT WAS THE LEAST I COULD DO! AND APPARENTLY I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS!"
Then Edward moved to get off of Roy's chest, but he didn't see clearly through his tears and stumbled and fell with his right knee banging against the edge of the table. He fell down between the couch and the table and then he held his knee, crying loudly, a small stream of blood running down his shin.
Roy was immediately sitting up and lifted him up from the floor, placing him on his lap and assessed the damage. It was thankfully just a medium-sized cut and nothing more, but with everything else going on, it was just too much for the little boy. He was bawling, clinging to Roy's shirt.
"Al, grab the first aid kit. Ed, it's just a cut, you'll be fine in no time."
"I don't want stitches, does it need stitches?"
Of course that was the problem. He wouldn't want any more needles of any kind.
Which was when Hawkeye returned. She was carrying a large sundae and a big glass of lemonade.
Perfect timing.
Hawkeye took one look at the situation and then strode forwards, handing Ed the sundae. The effect was stunning. The child stopped wailing and just stared at the ice cream before he attacked it with his spoon. Hawkeye then took the first aid kit from Alphonse and by the time Ed had finished relishing his ice cream, which was at a mesmerising speed for a five-year-old, his knee had been cleaned and had a bandage on.
"You fixed it?" Edward asked, surprised, stretching out his leg and looking at the bandage.
"It's the power of ice cream," Hawkeye said, smiling. "Here's your lemonade, don't drink it all, you need some to drink with the pizza."
The boy slurped the beverage through his straw, sounding like he hadn't drunk for days.
Roy felt a cold shiver go down his spine. "Edward, did they give you anything to drink?"
"No. They just put stuff in my veins."
Roy felt the anger burning in him. The boy had been conscious for at least four days, and all he had been given were those damn syringes. "Edward, you can drink as much as you want. We can buy you a new one if you need."
In answer, the boy threw himself over his lemonade, slurping the contents at an alarming rate. Roy just hugged him.
The glass was soon empty. "Shall I get you another one, Edward?" Hawkeye asked, taking the glass from him.
Ed nodded eagerly.
Hawkeye smiled and left the room.
Roy had to say that he was surprised by how much Edward was able to eat and drink, but as long as he didn't get sick, Roy was going to let him have anything he wanted.
"Oh, Alphonse? How did your conversation go with the Rockbells?"
"They're taking the night train, they'll be here tomorrow morning."
"Good."
"So they're coming, all four of them?" Ed asked.
"No, just Granny and Winry… Uncle and Auntie ... they died in the Ishbalan war."
"No!"
Getting this kid up to speed was a cruel thing, and Roy soon found himself hugging Edward who was crying again. This day must have been absolute hell for him.
Roy was going to have a long talk to Grant. That man was going to answer for what he had done and he was going to give them a way to get Fullmetal back again.
And he doubted that anyone would care if Roy beat him to a pulp to find the answers. Not after what he had done.
So, I'm planning to make this an AU, although I might put in some elements from the manga/Brotherhood, as well as the first anime, unless you people want something else.
And I firmly believe in the power of ice cream, because it made me forget the fact that my nose had been broken so that it had been moved a centimetre up to the left, back when I was five. (Although I lost a tooth in it five minutes in and had to search for it while my ice cream melted. I wasn't having a good day...)
