Konoko: Okay did something embarrassing. Kudos to the person who noticed that all through the first and second chapter I spelled Falman's name Farman. You have good eye because I didn't notice until I was rewatching the FMA episodes I taped to keep people in character. Ah he's a tight ass anyway so no worries I'll get it right. I'm liking the reviews so far. You're all making me a very happy child. Let's see what we've got. Mija you first caused I like it best.
Mija: Well Hawkeye feeds off someone and you'll find out whom in this chapter. I thought a serious brother
complex between the two would help my plot in the long run. And yes Roy would make one of the sexiest
vampires though I didn't want him to take to it too quick. But trust he'll take to it real good real soon.
Lady Lemonade: Your screen name makes me thirsty. Anyway, I tried to do the indention thing but it wouldn't
work. Trust I really wanted to. And try really hard to get most of the typos but sometimes I miss
them. Sorry about that. Glad you like. Keep reviewing for me.
Catey: Short and Sweet thanks. I'm gonna keep my updating about four maybe five days apart from each other
From now on. I couldn't at first because I've been at a summer camp.
Silver Angel Kira: I'll be sure to read it when I get a chance to.
Jen: He already knows he just isn't sure about the behavior so he doesn't know what to expect.
Joyce: Wow thank you. I try to do my best
DarkAngeloftheTwilight: Yeah he hates his guts so living together is going to be horrible. It's going to spread out for a
few chapters too.
Bakuras-Hell: Thanks just keep reading
Pichu1728: There's a lot more Ed and al in there we just aren't there yet.
Disclaimer: Don't own it buddy! Justice is mine though.
Cruel Angel
Chapter Three: Fighting Jealousy
Aquaroya lay in total silence as the people began turning in after a Friday night of partying. Clara had no reason to steal tonight, after all, who worked on weekends? She stretched walking home after having a good time with some friends. Yawning she took in the beautiful moon and wondered idly whether Ed had found what he was looking for and whether he grew up. He would make a handsome man for some lucky female…she snickered. Or a pretty uke for some lucky male. Whichever one he would be the most aggressive thing they'd ever seen. Clara wished she could see which side he took or if he took both. That would be interesting. She swayed slightly tipsy from the alcohol they had at the party and her feet were killing her in the high heels she had chosen for the night. As she walked the quiet streets rustling sounds caught her attention. She looked around her ready to unzip the array on her chest only to find nothing more than some stray cats. She sighed in relief and immediately decided to lay off the booze for a while. She continued walking until the sound of another set of footsteps matching hers hit her ears. She picked up the pace unzipping the array on her chest and turning to face her stalker. She blinked a couple of times before it sunk in that no one was there.
"The Great Purifier…"
Clara looked around her trying to find the owner of the new male voice.
"The primordial soup in which all beings are spawned…"
"Who are you?" Clara shouted feeling sudden fear enter her heart.
"Its greatness would carry on as a perfect liquid in which thou can be so diluted in that thou would become the purest elemental power…"
Clara froze with wide-eyed fear as a hooded figure in all black approached her slowly, his hand reaching out to her.
"It shall crystallize as the purest stone within thy who is outwardly impure…"
Clara felt her chest tighten as she doubled over. She clutched her chest and the array shown a bright cerulean blue. Something was pushing from inside her and it wanted to burst through her chest. She fell to her knees as the dark figure loomed over her, his hand over her head.
"Let the elemental stone the Aquarius cast aside thy protector and be brought forth into a world of need to create the Angel of all Cruelty."
Clara bent forward and cried out as her array glowed brighter. Her eyes dulled from their crystal blue and she jerked backwards a cerulean crystal pushing out of her chest as she screamed in pain. The dark figure drew the stone out further with a glowing array circling his wrist. Clara fell limply backwards onto the pavement her breath shallow and ragged. Her eyes had gone pitch black and stared at the stars unseeing. The figure watched the stone float above the palm of his hand a smirk playing across his hooded face.
"And thou shall behold the stone of perfect purity and rejoice for the time has come to reclaim those thou hath sired so that they may inherit the world."
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The train pulled into Central station late in the evening and all the passengers poured out tiredly. Ed, Roy and their entourage were among them and all were equally exhausted. Roy dismissed his men to go home and get rest because traveling would not excuse them for being late for duty. Armstrong gave Ed a crushing hug and wished him well, which resulted in the popping of Ed's spine. As they departed from each other, Roy and Ed walked in silence toward Roy's house. The entire time, Ed noticed, Roy kept his blind eye to him and said nothing. It wasn't as if he actually wanted to talk to the man. It was just that he was use to Mustang making smug comments about him and this silence was irregular. Still, he didn't feel like getting upset over something so petty anymore so he supposed there was no point to it. He wished it weren't so silent so that he wouldn't think. He wouldn't think about the dark prison and its tight walls, the Brigadier General's grin, the hands on his skin and the painful bites, or the feeling of-
Ed stopped holding his mouth in order to stop the bile that had rushed up his throat. Roy blinked as his charge darted into an alleyway wincing at the sound of vomiting. He followed Ed and held his braid back as he emptied the contents of his stomach. Ed stood there a moment retching every now and then while Roy stood waiting. He knew he couldn't comfort the boy because any touch right now would set off Ed's memory. Besides, he just wasn't the type to give comfort and Ed wasn't the type to receive it. Instead he just stood and waited for Ed to regain himself. Sure enough, the young alchemist stood up straight spitting and wiping his mouth. Roy began to walk away and Ed followed in silence shaking slightly from throwing up. Ed looked up at Roy's blind eye and idly wondered what the skin looked like beneath it.
They reached Roy's home after and hour-long walk. During that whole hour, Roy said nothing to Ed and vice versa. It just wasn't the time. The house was simple enough, an average two-story house with a good-sized yard that gave it a very homey appearance. Roy unlocked the door and let Ed go in before him switching on the light for the blond to see. It as simple inside as it was outside. A hall leading to a set of stairs with the living room to the right and the dining room to the left where the kitchen was connected. Ed looked around turning to the general who was taking off his trench coat and hanging it on the coat rack. He mentally shrugged and unbuckled his black jacket revealing the polished automail he brandished. Roy took a moment to look Ed over while he wasn't looking. He was able to see just how much his muscles had grown and how tall he'd managed to become. The kid actually reached his shoulder now he supposed it counted as something. Still it seemed that the young alchemist was growing more attractive the longer he stayed around him. Ed looked back at Roy expectantly, catching his attention.
"We can go straight to sleep. The spare room is cluttered with storage boxes so you'll have to sleep in my room until it gets cleaned."
Ed's eyes widened though Roy couldn't see it due to his back being turned. Sleep in the same bed as Mustang? The universe couldn't hate him that much!
"In the mean time, I'll sleep on the couch. You don't have to report in tomorrow because as far as anyone is concerned you are still on leave until a week from now. The bedroom is upstairs down the hall to your left."
Ed gave a look of relief and nodded at Roy. Thank you, universe. He trudged upstairs into Roy's room expecting to find some proof that the general was a complete and total player as the rumors said. Surprisingly there was nothing incriminating, it was just a normal room; he had a nice bed though, the black sheets were a nice touch. He dropped his jacket tiredly on the floor and slid off his pants crawling into the cool satin sheets. Mustang's scent was all over the pillows and blankets. It was an attractive scent of cinders and some cologne he wore everyday. Ed buried his face in the pillows finding comfort in the fact that they smelled nothing like blood and steel as Manning's bed had. He curled into a tight ball trying to make himself as small as possible and closed his eyes drifting into his first deep sleep in a while. Roy peeked into his room through a crack in the door. It satisfied him to know that Ed was comfortable enough to fall asleep quickly. He thanked whatever force made him clean the sheets two days before they left to release him from prison. At least that part went right; it was the rest of the stay he had to worry about.
The next morning Ed was awakened by the piercing sound of Roy's alarm clock. He uncovered his head slightly to eye the evil thing. Beneath the sheets he clapped his hand and reached out for the machine to blow it to bits.
"Do it and you'll buy me a new one."
Ed looked at Mustang who sat at the foot of the bed putting on his boots. His eye patch lat beside him and his hair was damp indicating he had just taken a shower. Ed's eyes were to blurry to register what time the numbers on the clock but he knew it had to be too early if Roy was still able to threaten. He flopped back down on the pillow and covered his head hoping to go back to sleep. It'd be a cold day in hell before he bought him anything.
"Try not to go too far alone today, Ed. I got a call from Hawkeye saying that the reason the dorms are off limits is that they found your dorm trashed as well as several other high-ranking alchemists' dorms. They were all colonels."
Ed shrugged not really caring at the moment. It pissed him off to know that the same government that chucked him in jail are going out of their way to protect him. He felt Roy get off the bed and he watched from over his shoulder as the soldier carefully replaced the eye covering.
"Just don't go too far from HQ if you do decide to leave and don't pick up any strangers, that's an order," he commanded looking back at Ed.
Ed huffed and turned over to get more sleep. Roy left the room fastening his jacket and picked up his trench and hat. The autumn whether was starting to get colder. It wouldn't be long before snow fell in Central. It was a good morning to walk to work he supposed. After all, his car had been left at Head Quarters. By the time he got to the steps outside the place, the sun was well in the sky and his pocket watch read 7:02. Two minutes late, Hawkeye would shoot him as soon as he walked in. When he walked in, the place was in an uproar over some order from the brass. Something about a woman being brought in later today from Aquaroya. He'd get Hawkeye to fill him in when he got to the office. If he wasn't dead first. To his surprise not a shot was fired. Instead, all of his subordinates were busy with paper work giving him the image a lovely pile stacked on his own desk. He sighed.
"What's this about?"
"One alchemist Clara a.k.a. Aquaroya's biggest celebrity thief Psiren has been sent here to Central," Havoc answered holding up a report on it. "Rumor has it she was found in an alley unconscious with her eyes black and half open. Said it was a product of powerful alchemy"
"That's not the worst part," Hawkeye said filing another stack. "When she came to, her eyes were still black and she continued to murmur something. I can't remember what I was."
"I have that part, sir," Fuery said holding up a sheet of the report. " She said 'And thou shall behold the stone of perfect purity and rejoice for the time has come for those thou hath sired so that they may inherit the world' No one's sure what it means."
"Most of the alchemist they assigned to research it wouldn't touch the subject. Something about the area being more taboo than human transmutation. They won't even talk about it." Havoc explained.
"And?" Roy asked.
"That's all we could get off the morning gossip and reports," Havoc answered shuffling a stack.
It was times like these that he wished Hughes was still alive. He would have more to go by if Hughes was on the case. That thought was pushed from his head quickly as feelings of depression began to surface. He went into his office to find it just how imagined, three boxes of files with a healthy dose of paper work on his desk. Sighing he sat with his pen ready and ordered Havoc to get him a large cup of coffee. This was going to be a very long day. Hawkeye opened the door and leaned in.
"Another thing, sir. You've been charged with finding a new Intelligence Operative to replace Brigadier General Hughes. They want to get all the important positions filled and get the military back to its original power."
"I thought it was filled."
"Yes, by Brigadier General Manning. But he has been discharged and I doubt he'll be coming back."
"Hmm. I think I have the perfect person for this," he said with a smirk. "But they'll have to wait a while…he hasn't taken his exam yet."
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It was the afternoon when Ed's body willed him away from sleep. He lay there in a daze for a long while before finally getting up and opting to take a good long shower. He let his hair loose being careful not to tangle it in his automail hand. It unraveled under the hot water and lay heavily against his back. He took a hand full of it and looked at it. Definitely had to cut it otherwise he'd be tripping over it in less than a month. He sighed and stood with his face under the showerhead rinsing away the sleep. After an hour or so he stepped out finding an ample amount of towels to dry his waterlogged hair. His clothes were dirty so there was no way he could put them on again. He eyed Roy's closet debating the issue with his brain. Surely Roy wouldn't miss anything until Ed could get his new clothes. He opened it and found a pair of jeans along with a black button up shirt. Putting them on he transmuted the jeans to fit tight and made the shirt a size smaller so that it was comfortable enough to be worn open over a muscle shirt. He transmuted a pair of the general's old shoes into new walking shoes and put them on. Going down stairs he felt strange about going through the cabinets so he decided he would eat elsewhere. He just needed the checkbook to his bank account. After fetching it out his suitcase along with a little pocket change, Ed left the house with one of the general's extra jackets and walked down the street finding it quiet, sunny and cool. He waved to people who recognized him like the baker's wife and some of the people who ran the shops and alchemy bookstores. He stopped in one of the cafés and sat down to take care of priority one. It was a little embarrassing to order but he knew the waitress and she took care not make it obvious the he couldn't speak. Instead she made it seem like he had a bad cold when people stared. She winked at him when she brought his food.
He found himself being watched as he ate and normally he wouldn't give a rat's ass but after recent events he was bit paranoid about people staring. If he still had his voice he'd give the bastard a piece of his mind but a glare would have to do. He stole a glance to the side of him to find a boy maybe a year or two older than him casually watching him. His hair was black with an unnatural red shine to it that was cut into short hairstyle that hung in his face and his skin was dark like cinnamon that glowed in the sunlit café. Three tiny hoops hung from his right ear with a stud on the left. He wore a simple button up shirt with a pair of black slacks. He stood out more than Ed considering the shirt was crimson red. His eyes were covered by a pair of dark glasses that gave Ed a hint as to who he was. An Ishbalan in plain sight and not even trying to hide from public view. Plus, he was attractive to boot, which explained why the glare never came. Edward blinked and made eye contact with him. They stared at each other for a while before the boy stood and went to sit down across from Ed with a gently smile. He ordered a cup of coffee from the waitress and rested an arm on the table. Ed quirked an eyebrow and continued to eat keeping his eyes on this new stranger.
"Forgive me for staring, I couldn't help but notice you come in. It's not everyday you see a male walk in with that much hair. It's becoming of you."
Ed reflexively tried to mutter "thank you" but only mouthed the words. He then averted his eyes from the stranger. The stranger smiled and boldly reached out to turn Ed face back to him. "And it's not everyday that you meet a mute in Central."
Ed's eyes widened and then narrowed suspiciously. The other boy was ever smiling. "Don't worry, I just have an eye for these things. Besides, I've seen you once before, Fullmetal. You and your brother helped a group of us get out of Central a year ago."
Oh yeah, he remembered now. He saw this boy before on the boats that Scar and the refugees left on. He sighed and looked up at the stranger. "Okay, so you're not dangerous, what do you want?" he was careful to mouth every word carefully so that he could understand.
"Nothing really, I just wanted your company, Elric. My name is Justice and it would be a pleasure to get know you better."
Ed gave him an odd look. "You hittin' on me?"
"No," he said with a smirk reminded him a lot of Mustang. "Just a new person in town making friends."
Ed shrugged and stood leaving money on the table for the bill. When he didn't do anything about begin followed, Justice assumed it was okay to accompany him. Ed found it easy to communicate with this Ishbalan since he seemed very fluent at reading lips. It was just like talking again save for the voice part. Plus, it wasn't so lonely when there was someone there to talk to. They went to a clothing store so that Ed could get new clothes and a new trench coat which made him eye the red ones they had with feeling of nostalgia. He remembered he'd given up the red and figured it was time for a change. He felt something drape over his shoulders and he looked at the sleeves of a pure white trench coat with a hood. He turned to see Justice eyeing him speculatively. Ed took off one of his gloves and felt the soft material of the coat deciding he liked it.
"It looks good on you. White complements your hair nicely. I think you should have it gold trimmed if you're going to do anything to it."
Ed shrugged but bought the coat along with a set of new black clothes. He wore them out the store stopping only to transmute the gold trim and serpent cross on the back of the trench coat. He looked at it judgingly and put it on feeling it fit comfortably over his new black sleeveless turtleneck and loose-legged leather pants with a gold circle around his left leg. One black glove covered his automail hand and the original white glove covered his human one. Finally he could do something about that braid of his.
"Where we goin' now?" Justice asked.
Ed picked up his braid and made his fingers like scissors going through it. Justice gave a confused look.
"Why would you cut it?"
"Too long." He mouthed.
"I see. A suggestion?"
"You're going to tell me anyway."
"Just trim it. Leave it long but trim it so it doesn't get in your way."
Ed looked at the braid understanding it not to be a bad idea. He did like how long it was. Still, it bothered him that this guy made suggestions like he knew Ed inside out. It was starting to creep him out. Yet every time he'd look Justice in the face he'd loose his reason to argue and just went with it considering he was gaining from the whole thing. So he agreed to not chop all the hair he'd grown off. Instead he got it trimmed up to his lower back and left his bangs the way they were. To top it off, he got an ear pierced twice for hoops like Justice's. He always did want to get an earring or two. Justice complimented the new look and offered to buy dinner if he wasn't ready head home. Ed shrugged and smiled for the first time that day.
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At the office, Roy was dismissing his subordinates for the night. Hawkeye finished the last of her worked and asked if he needed anymore help before she left. Receiving a "no" she left the building to find Havoc waiting for her. Roy watched them from the window with a slight envy about him as Havoc wrapped an arm around her waist. He had immediately thrown his cigarette away before the woman got the urge to play target practice with it. She walked with him to her house letting her hair down from the clip. Havoc ran his fingers through it as they reached the door and smiled when she leaned into the touch. She let him in and the moment the door closed Hawkeye pressed him against it kissing him and unbuttoning his uniform. Havoc kissed her back mirroring her hands and wrapping his arms back around her waist afterwards.
Jean Havoc had an addiction. An addiction that was worse than the cigarettes he puffed every other second. It had started when he was only thirteen and followed him all his life. A military attack on his hometown back when everyone in the military was a vampire had given him this addiction. The soldiers used him as a supply of young blood and every time they bit him he loved it, creating the fetish for having his neck bitten and his body drained to unconsciousness. That's when fate led him to Hawkeye on her first night of being what she was. He found her in the street feeding off some poor unfortunate man who had been out too late. He had frozen when her eyes had turned to him, beautiful pale pink eyes and lips dripping blood. She backed away from him crying her eyes out and hovering on the brink of insanity. He slowly went to her trying his best not to scare her and helped her up. He helped her get home while she stared at the ground dull eyed and traumatized. Havoc had set her on her bed and was going to get her a towel to wipe her mouth but she hadn't let go of him yet. Her dead pink eyes stared up at him with reawakened hunger and he couldn't help but stay frozen where he was. Hawkeye pulled him towards her roughly, ripping his uniform and the shirt beneath it. She viciously bit into his neck pulling him down onto the bed and climbing on top. He felt the old addiction rise out of him and didn't fight her as she painfully sucked away his life. Wave of pleasure on pleasure came over him as he slowly slipped into blissful unconsciousness. When he had awoke the room had been torn apart and gunshot holes were in the walls, the product of Hawkeye's nervous break down. Havoc had been cleaned and a bandage was wrapped around his neck while Hawkeye sat in the corner trying to make herself small and unnoticeable. She rocked back and forth causing him to be little scared about her. He'd never seen such a stern no nonsense woman reduced to this. He went to her and lifted her head revealing her normal ruby reds full of tears.
"Thank you," he had whispered, which sent her bawling into her arms. Now they had the unspoken agreement between them. Two addicts whose addictions could not be cured nor satisfied by normal intervention. As long as Havoc would allow her to get the necessary from him, he would receive the necessary from her. No relationship attachments were there. Each was free to do as they wished as long as every time it was needed he came so they could feed each other's addictions. Roy was pleased that she found someone to help her even when no one else could, but it made him jealous that he had no one to do such a thing. He just wished he could get someone to do the same…
Roy made it home at eleven to find two new coats on the coat rack and a voice in his living room that he didn't recognize. He closed the door softly and peeked into the living room with out being seen or heard. Ed sat on the floor at the coffee table with another boy across from him. A pair of sunglasses rested on the glass table and a set of red eyes on Ed while the teen had his nose in a book. Roy's eye narrowed at the sight.
"It's late, I should go before your superior gets home. You said he'd probably be home around this time and I don't want to get you in trouble."
Ed nodded and handed the book back to him. He refused it. "Keep it. You can have it; I don't need it anymore, Edward." He stood and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"
Edward smiled and nodded rising to see him to the door. Roy moved into the dining room, watching the Ishbalan walk out the door and Ed wave goodbye. He shut the door and locked it tight going upstairs with the book he'd been left with. In short, Roy was pissed and the urge to tear the boy apart was becoming harder to resist. Outside the boy looked back at the dining room window as Roy turned to stare at him. Roy's eye turned to shining pale blue that gave the warning "stay away" to the Ishbalan. The boy smirked and walked away into the night. Roy turned his attention upstairs as he heard the shower turn on and Ed's footsteps. His eyes still aglow, Roy walked upstairs into his room where Ed's clothes lay on the floor and his silhouette in the shower. He watched the sixteen-year old bathe with his beautiful hair shining under the shower. The one thing he wanted from life for five years was slipping away from him bit by bit thanks to circumstance. Instinct told him to do it now and he continued to fight the idea of traumatizing the boy anymore than he already was, but he couldn't wait. He was desperate, hungry, jealous and downright pissed that Ed brought another stranger openly into his home and actually enjoyed the company. Roy slowly approached the bathroom being silent in each step so that Ed would not hear him there. He slipped into the bathroom watching the blonde's movements very carefully. He was pissed but not stupid; this had to be done right and without Ed knowing before hand. Ed would belong to him and him alone. No one else was going to touch him and he would kill whoever tried. Inching closer, Ed didn't ever hear Roy slide off his uniform and slip into the shower. Being this type of creature had good advantages in the stealth department. Roy had to pause a moment though. Ed's scent was everywhere, even in the steam of the hot water and his fangs itched to sink into the source of that intoxicating smell. It took a lot to remain in control of this situation and he was loosing the battle.
Ed froze when he felt a silent hot breath on the back of his neck and shivered when fangs brushed the side of his neck. He would have screamed if he could which would've given fairer warning to his assailant of the blow to the he would receive. Hard metal connected with Roy's jaw turning his head to the side and causing a tiny rivulet of blood to flow from his lips. Ed crouched in the corner of the shower with flashes of bad memories clawing at his brain. His eyes were wide like a small rabbit that had been cornered by a fox. Roy slowly licked the blood from his lip and walked towards the frightened teen. He grabbed Ed's metal arm first when it was swung at him and pulled him roughly to his feet. Ed tried to fight but was painfully slammed into the tile of the shower wall and pinned there with Roy pressed between his legs. Ed struggled in panic even though he knew he couldn't get loose. Automail or not Mustang had always been the stronger physically. Roy pressed his mouth to his prey's neck softly making Ed shiver and tilt his head away. The general sucked hard on that tender spot for a while until Ed's body slacked slightly. Taking the opportunity, Roy bit hard into the artery causing Ed to claw at him in pain and panic. Feeling the life drain from him Ed slowly relaxed in Mustang's hold and slumped against him. He panted from fatigue and his hands slid away from his assailant falling limply at his sides.
The hot elixir from Ed's veins was the sweetest Roy had ever tasted. The coppery taste of normal blood was not present and the temperature stayed at a constant high making him wonder how any human could have blood like this. Strangest of all it tasted just like Al. Perfect and sweet. He couldn't understand how that was possible considering every human's blood had a different taste even when they even were closely related like Ed and Al. Al? What had he promised him the morning he left? He felt Ed's breath whisper passed his ear.
"Please…stop…"
Felt a drop of moisture hit his shoulder and realized it was from the showerhead. He pulled away from Ed slowly with his mouth dripping innocent blood. Ed's eyes stared dully at nothing with tears on the edge of them. The bronzed irises made a shiver of cold run up his spine as they gazed up at him pitifully.
Just don't hurt my brother; that's all I ask.
Roy let Ed go slowly watching him slide to the bathroom floor. He backed out the shower and rinsed all trances of Ed's blood from his mouth and tongue but he could still taste it. Sweet and addictive like the latest drug. He cringed when he heard Ed crying softly making him scrub his hands and rinse his mouth more. He promised. Why didn't he remember? He heard a thump in the shower and turned to find Ed had lost consciousness from the blood that ran down the drain. He picked up the boy and dried him off placing him naked in bed and covering him up. Sighing he turned away and used the shower himself to scrub Ed's scent from his skin knowing it wouldn't help. The air was to full of it to forget. There would be no chance of coming clean tonight.
"He's given in to temptation. It won't belong before flame and spirit are ripe for picking."
"I'm not worried about flame just yet. But the spirit must be intact and complete."
"Then why put it through this?"
"Because we have to be sure that the spirit truly is the most powerful stone."
Konoko: Sorry for the long wait. I can't get the indentions to work otherwise this would all look a lot better. Once again congratulations for hitting the end of the chapter. You all know the routine. Don't leave till you review.