Halfmetal Alchemist: Dreaded Chapter 13

Murderer's Conviction

Anri glanced at Roy and the four children tailing him quizzically. "An odd entourage you have there, Fuhrer." he chuckled a bit, and Roy gave him a glare, shooting looks to Ed and Leroy. "Geez Dad! We said we were sorry! We didn't know what was coming," Leroy mumbled. Ed hung his head. "It was my fault anyway… I wanted to see what that Ultimus guy was doing, so I dragged Leroy with me…"

Roy sighed running his hand through his hair. "I was worried boys; I thought you'd gone down with the rest of the town… Honestly, try to think before you two decide to do something, okay? What would I have told your mother if you had died…"

The group was once again on the road. After Roy had calmed the town somewhat, he had summoned the military to help rebuild Rizenbul after it cleaned up what was left of the other half. He, however, had to continue and moved on to the road. Anri had suggested to head to Lior, his 'hometown', where he had been stationed for years to gather information.

"It's like sending a man for water in a desert during a drought: It defeats the purpose. You're still a relatively young man, what keeps you from home?" Roy didn't like this intrusion into his privacy, but Ed, Leroy, Al, and Alley looked up at him, and he thought that he owed them that much at least, to tell them why they had been dragged from home. Or at least, part of the reason. "I need to investigate all these wipeouts. If it can happen to one town, it's only a matter of time till they strike East or Central City. I guess... since I'm on the road, I might as well find out what happened to my father as well."

Anri stopped, a tentative look on his face. "Listen... Roy. That house up ahead, he's the one that killed Leroy, and I'll bet that you recognize him too. He isn't a killer for his own personal gain, however, but more of an hired assassin, living out his old age in the country. I have some business to settle in the town close by..." he jerked his thumb at the sleepy town a few miles away from the house in question. "I'll... catch up soon. And... I'm sorry I wasn't there after he died, kid." he flipped an envelope at Roy and Roy caught it. "After you deal with that guy, open this. Then you'll see... how close your old man and I were." Roy looked spectacularly dumbfounded, and previous to their undertaking, Ed would have killed to see the expression. He knew better than to laugh right now though; this sounded serious.

Anri clapped his hands together and touched them to his automail legs, making the jewels in their centers glow. "I'll catch you later." he waved slightly and sped off, dust blowing directly on Al and Alley who coughed and brushed the dirt off of themselves. "I wonder how he does that, don't you Alley?"

"Yeah... how do you use alchemy without a transmutation circle, Papa?"

"You can obtain that gift, by doing something that is strictly forbidden. It is proven that everyone who attempts Human Transmutation and lives, can use alchemy without the assistance of a circle. What you lose, however, may render you unable to use alchemy at all, so it's quite a gamble... Like I said, it's forbidden, don't do it. No matter how much you try, you cannot bring back the dead."

"Dad, the guy in this house... he murdered Grandpa Leroy?" Ed asked. Roy nodded slightly. "What are you going to do, kill him?"

"No. Killing him wouldn't bring either of them back, and it wouldn't rest on my consience either. He's a... contract killer, if you will. The most I can do is find out who struck the bargain with him, though I think I have a pretty good idea who." he cast a glance over them. "At any rate, I don't want you inside the house. If you must stick around, stay outside, or just go to the town. We'll be staying the night there anyway."

The four huddled together to decide their course of action. "I don't know... I want to stay here. If the guy's an assassin, wouldn't he go for Dad too?" Ed asked.

Al shook his head. "No way, he must be an old man by now... but I do think we should stay around just in case."

"If Ed's staying, I need to be here in case any of his automail breaks, or if Al needs help."

Leroy crossed his arms and straightened. "I suppose the best course of action would be to stay, but isn't anyone curious about what Anri's doing? If wemust stay, I suggest we stay far enough to be out of a surprise attack, but close enough to help Father if need be."

The rest nodded and stood up, to find that Roy had already gone inside of the house.

Roy smiled winningly at old lady who answered the door. "Hello ma'am, I'm here from the military to interrogate the people in the immediate vicinity on a murder that took place some years ago." This wasn't too far from the truth. If there was one thing that the military had taught him, it was how to twist the truth to yield benificial results. The old lady nodded and opened the door, motioning him to sit down. "Robert won't be home for while, but you're welcome to wait, mister...?"

"Just call me Roy, I'ma State Alchemist," he said, showing his pocketwatch for evidence. The woman 'aahed' knowingly and went back to the kitchen. "Any idea when this man will be back home?"

"Oh, he should be back shortly, business in the village you know. I just live with my son, being a lonely old lady and all." she looked at him closely. "You seem about his age, maybe a bit younger. Your parents must be overjoyed to have a handsome boy like you around the house from time to time." Roy smiled sadly. "Maybe ma'am... I'm sure they would be." he opened his pocketwatch and looked at the time, judging that it had been a good five minutes since he sat down. Five minutes and he was already fidgety. He flipped through some pictures he had put in the watch. His parents, himself as a baby, him and Maes Hughes when they were children, Terra, even a picture from Fullmetal and Terra's wedding. If you looked very hard, you could see Roy sulking a bit in theback. He had numerous picturesof Riza, and all of his children, and smiled to himself thinking that maybe Maes Hughes had rubbed off a bit on him.

"They're a beautiful couple...Your parents?" Roy's head jerked a bit, realizing the old woman had come up behind him. "Oh, yes. One of theirold pictures. It's one of the few things I have to remember them by, unfortunately."

A man a bit older than Roy took this exact moment to swing open the door and declare loudly that he was home. Roy clicked his pocketwatch shut. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but these interrogations must be directed one on one, if you don't mind..." The woman nodded and retreated outside. Roy studied the man, burning anger welling up within him. It had been close to thirty years, but he had not forgotten that hateful face. The man sat down on the couch. "Well? What's this interrogation for then?"

"Robert Alaster, I'm assuming. I have come from the military to resume the investigation of the murder of former Fuhrer Leroy Mustang in Central Park, about thirty years ago. I was told that you were in the park in question, and had come into contact with the Fuhrer himself." There was no reaction from the other man.

"Yeah, I did see the old Fuhrer, bumped into him as a matter of fact."

Roy arched his fingers. "I see... and do you happen to remember who else was with him?"

"A woman, a boy, and a baby," was his cryptic response.

"Do you remember any dialogue issued between the two of you?"

"No."

"Do you remember what happened after a bomb went off in the park?"

"The kid had gone someplace else a few minutes before, and the two of them went in different directions."

"What happened after that?"

"I ran out of the park."

Roy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That's a lie."

The man was taken of guard. "How would you know? You weren't there."

"It just so happens that I was there. What I remember is that you advanced on the boy with a knife. Ring any bells."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man hissed.

"What I remember is a man drawing a knife on me, and stabbing my mother to death. Do you remember that?" Roy said, voice dangerously quiet. The man said nothing.

"And what did you say to me after you had killed both of them, after you knifed my father in the back, what did you say to me?" Roy didn't need to hear what the man said; it had replayed often enough in his head. It had started to pour down rain, and he was covered in his parents' blood, looking up, wide-eyed and frightened at their killer.

You're worthless, you'll die soon enough, just like them. You worthless bastard.

And then he had left, leaving behind two bloodsoaked orphans to stare in disbelief, one a teenager, the other an infant, trying to grasp just how different their lives would be.

The man tightened his grip on the chair. "Who are you?"

Roy stood up. "Fuhrer Roy Mustang, the Flame-Arm Alchemist. You are under arrest, in the name of the State for the murder of former Fuhrer Leroy Mustang."

Al and the others watched as military soldiers surrounded the house, and Roy brought Robert Alaster out to be put into the custody of the military. Roy went straight to his children, emotionally exhausted and threw his arms around the four of them tightly as best he could. "It's done... it's done... Now they can rest in peace."

"Dad... what about the letter?" Roy took out the envelope and opened it, removing a picture. Two young boys were sparring in the picture, one with flaming arms, the other with automail legs. They were both grinning and enjoying themselves, although they were a bit scruffy in appearance. There was another picture with it, the same boys, except that one did not have automail legs.They had one arm around one another's shoulders, grinningfrom ear to ear in front of a proud looking older man.

He turned it over and studied the writing silently, sighing a bit, and he understood why Anri had said what he did. I'm sorry I wasn't there after he died, kid.

On the back, in his father's handwriting were the words that fitted everything together: To Anri, my brother, as a reminder of all the good and bad times we had together. Your older brother, Leroy Mustang.

Hello everyone, chapter 13 is up. I'm not a supersticious person, I just put 'dreaded chapter 13' for fun. I thought I'd finally give Leroy somewhat of a closure, because I didn't really want Roy to keep going through mental heck in later chapters. Next chapter is about amnesiac Edward slash Fullmetal, so bear with me.

I will try to make a bigger distinction between the Eds and Als, though I call little Al, Al, and big Al Alphonse.

I feel so guilty for being so cruel to you reviewers, keeping you in suspense so much. And here I was thinking I was no good at it, maybe I've improved? Anyway, Anri is Roy's uncle! How 'bout that? To keep the load down, I've decided to have Anri seperate on his own mission, which will be revealed shortly... oh no, I'm keeping you in suspense again, aren't I?

Sorry! - T A