Until the End

By Gozilla


A/N: Thanks a lot to those of you who read and reviewed the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't have anything. So don't sue me!

Please excuse my poor English. -

Reviews are most welcomed!

Enjoy!


Chapter 3: Not Alone


Three hours later-

Edward slow opened his eyes. He looked around to find himself lying on a soft bed in a similar room he stayed the night before. A cool damp cloth was placed over his forehead.

He tried to sit up but he was too weak to move the heavy automail limbs. A soft moan escaped from his mouth as a sharp pain shot through his chest.

"Ed, are you awake?" a female voice came from the door.

Edward turned to see Hawkeye walking into the room with a basin of water. She took away the cloth on Edward's forehead, rinsed it in the water, and put it back over his forehead.

"What... what happened?" Edward asked as his mind was slightly cleared by the coolness of the cloth. He could not remember anything after his fall from the three-storey room.

"You fainted." Hawkeye said in her usual calm voice, "Taisa did not expect you to be at the window so quickly when he blew up the wall. We caught up with you after you fell from the room and Taisa managed to catch you before you fell to the ground."

Edward did not say a word and turned to look outside of the window. 'What should I do now?' he thought sadly, 'I am in the hand of the military and I am too weak to escape. What if they find out what happened with Al? What if the sins manage to find Al before I do?'

His thought was interrupted as Hawkeye suddenly stood and saluted towards the door. Edward did not turn as he knew who were coming to the room.

"Edward Elric." came Armstrong's voice, which was filled with concerns, "Why are you running away from us? You know we are here to help."

No response.

"Edward." Armstrong persisted, "We did not mean to hurt you. We did not know you were on the window sill until it was too late. Taisa had already used the minimum power when he blew up the wall."

Edward kept his silence.

"You are wasting your time, Armstrong." Mustang said as he walked into the room, "This little pea head is not going to appreciate your efforts."

Everyone in the room expected Edward to explode at the mentioning of the word "little". But they were surprised to see no response from the young alchemist.

Mustang frowned deeply at the lack of reaction from Edward. "What is going on, Fullmetal?"

"As I said before," Edward said in a bitter and tired voice, "it is none of your business. Just leave us alone."

"Don't even think you can out-smart me, Fullmetal." Mustang said in an authoritative voice. "I know you have got the philosopher's stone and restored your brother."

Edward shot up from the bed in shock. He struggled to breathe as the cracked ribs protested painfully at the harsh movement. After a while, he managed to calm the breathing and asked, "How... how did you know?"

"Do not underestimate the military." Mustang said as he approached the bed, "Do you really believe that no one saw you took away the philosopher's stone from the sins over a year ago? I expected you to report to me soon after the incidence. But you did not."

Edward looked at his superior in surprise. He thought no one actually saw him getting the philosopher's stone.

Mustang continued, "I did not send people to look for you as I thought you would at least inform me of what happened. You have disappointed me."

Edward lowered his head and avoided Mustang's eyes.

"From your new automail arm and leg, I believe that you have performed another human transmutation and paid the costs of equivalent trade." Mustang said, "As you and Alphonse never leave each other, I suspected that there could only be two outcomes for you being alone: either you succeeded so that your brother can move around freely or you have failed and your brother has disappeared. But as you have completely ceased your search for the philosopher's stone, I concluded that you have successfully restored your brother."

Edward closed his eyes tightly in shame. Although he knew that Mustang was good at managing military issues, he never thought that the Taisa was such a detailed analyst. 'How can I be so stupid? I should have known that the military would know about this. How can I protect Al from these people now?" Edward thought in regret.

"Now, are you ready to confirm my analysis and tell me what is going on!" Mustang shouted.

"I am not telling you anything." Edward suddenly felt extremely exhausted. He felt as if all the things he had done to protect the secret of restoring his brother through human transmutation had failed completely.

Edward was determined not to give the military any more information on his brother. Even though he could not escape from the military, he would do everything to keep them away from his brother. As long as Alphonse do not disclose his true identity, the military would have a difficult, if not impossible, task in finding a person who they did not know what he looked like.

"I will give you one day to consider." Mustang turned to leave the room, with Armstrong following him, "Unless you want the sins to find your brother first."

Edward looked up in shock. But Mustang and Armstrong left the room without turning back. They closed the door, leaving Edward and Hawkeye in the room.

"Even though you won't believe it," Hawkeye sat down on a chair placed beside the bed, "Taisa is worried about you."

Edward looked at Hawkeye in disbelieve and speechless.

"We got intelligence a month ago about the sins being active again." Hawkeye took an apple and started peeling it, ignoring Edward's surprised look. "There were reports on the sightings of the sins in the eastern district near Rizenbul. Your sudden appearance in the Central station confirmed Taisa's suspicion that the sins are chasing after you and your brother."

"Once we got the information regarding your destination, Taisa rushed to gather all of us to come here." Hawkeye finished peeling the apple and passed it to Edward. Edward took it and thanked her with a nod. He stared at the apple blankly, his mind too confused.

"Taisa had ordered no follow up investigation on the incidence with the sins over a year ago." Hawkeye said as she cleaned the knife casually. "I was one of the few people who saw you leaving the scene with a red stone. Taisa saw that as well. But he told the military that you left under his order with some secret missions and made an order that no one will talk about this to anyone, not even within the military."

Edward was even more confused.

"Believe it or not," Hawkeye looked at the 16 years old teenager in front of her, "he is doing everything to protect you and Alphonse."

There was a minute of silence before Edward asked, "Why?"

"Exactly why, I don't know." Hawkeye said, "But I have a feeling that Taisa is treating you and Alphonse as his younger brothers. We are here to help you, Ed. I know that you are trying to protect Al. But there are times when you can't handle everything by yourself. We need you to trust us so that we can help you."

Edward looked up with tired eyes. Ever since the appearance of the sins in Rizenbul, Edward had pushed himself to the very limit, trying to outrun the sins and the military by himself. He knew he could not go any further without help but he could not risk his brother's life on anyone's hand. It was sheer will power which kept him going.

"Can I trust you and the others?" Edward asked weakly.

Hawkeye was slightly surprised to see, instead of the mature and strong face of the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist, the childish and helpless face of a 16 years old boy. She smiled warmly and said, "Yes, you can trust us."

Edward felt as if the whole world collapsed around him. He closed his eyes in exhaustion and slept, for the first time in days, peacefully.


End of Chapter 3

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