A/N: Right, now I know that in the manga the word used is 'auto-mail' with a dash. Since this is an anime-verse fanfiction instead of a manga-verse, I'll be using the 'automail' spelling that we see on the sign outside Winry and Pinako's home in episode 17. If I'm wrong, please point that out so I can correct or clarify any mistakes.
Another note on spelling- in the manga Denny is referred to as 'Brosh', while in the American dub and credits he's referred to as 'Bloch' with no mention of a first name, and in the original Japanese anime he's 'Denny Brosh'. Once again, as this is an English anime-verse story, I've been using the 'Bloch' spelling but taking his Japanese first name because in the episodes I've seen, they haven't given us his first name. I do have a large blank spot in my anime knowledge, however, as I missed episodes 29-39, which is a rather significant portion.
Yet ANOTHER note on spelling- I noticed I've been using the manga spelling of 'Sheska', and for that I apologize. I'm not entirely sure as how to spell her name from the anime, and I think it's significantly different. Again, if anyone wants to correct me on this, feel free!
Another thing: I have finally been able to determine when this would take place- Episode 18, 'Marcoh's Notes', sometime during when Ed and Al are trying to break the code Marcoh encoded his journals in. I just wanted to point out what time this would have been taking place for anyone curious about the time frame. Thanks!
Back to the subject of automail... I really have no idea the technical terms that would be used, so whenever I need a technical term, I'm going to use Star Wars terms that would be used to describe droids. Again, if anyone has more information they would like to share, please, don't hesitate to review, e-mail (the info is near the bottom of my profile), or private message me. Like I said in the first chapter, I have very little experience with writing Fullmetal fiction, and have more experience with sci-fi writing. Thanks for your patience!
-JR
Pinako Rockbell woke on the floor with a groan. She raised her hand to her head, feeling a massive bruise. "What the-" she started, then lurched to her feet. "Winry!" she exclaimed, swaying and almost falling from dizziness. "Damn."
She could hear Den whimpering pitifully from the kitchen. The elderly woman slowly made her way there to see her dog trying to hop toward her. He had to hobble because his automail leg had been smashed, and the servomotors whined with every movement. His beautiful black fur was matted with dried blood, and he was obviously in pain.
"Winry!" Pinako yelled frantically. "Winry!"
-xXx-
Edward Elric woke with a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. He could hear Alphonse speaking quietly with someone outside, and he reached for his jacket. He had one arm in the sleeve when he brother opened the door.
"Oh. You're awake," the massive suit of armor said.
"What is it?" Ed asked, stifling another yawn and narrowing his eyes as Al shifted suspiciously.
"Well, Granny called into HQ this morning-"
"How? She doesn't have any of the proper clearance."
"I don't know, Brother. But she says Winry's been kidnapped."
"What?"
"She's been kidnapped by someone with the Organization," said the communications officer that had been speaking with Al. "I answered her call. Ms. Rockbell said she tried to fight them off, but she was overpowered and to tell you immediately. Sir?" he asked as Ed brushed past him and started running down the hall. "Where are you going?"
Edward didn't answer. Abandoning his struggle with the jacket, he yanked it off and ran with it in his arms.
"Brother!" Alphonse called, catching up easily. "Where are we going?"
"Collecting Ross and Bloch, then we're going after Winry."
"But-" Al wasn't given the chance to talk as Ed found the door he was looking for. "Ross!" he shouted, pounding on the door. "Al, try Bloch's, I'm pretty sure it's that one," he pointed vaguely across the hall and resumed his pounding on the door. "Dammit, Lieutenant, where are you when I need you?"
Alphonse knocked on Denny's door with somewhat less force than Ed. "Sergeant Bloch?" he called. "Please get up, it's really important."
-xXx-
Maria Ross woke with Denny's face bare centimeters from her own. Sometime during the night she had rolled over and their bodies had ended up in rather awkward positions. She tried to pull away without waking her friend, but a still-sleeping Bloch murmured something and pulled her tighter. Maria cursed under her breath and stopped trying to extricate herself, choosing to wait until he woke up to try and move. She felt a slight pang of- guilt?- stab through her as she thought of Erik, but resolutely pushed him from her mind.
It's over now, she said sternly to herself. And you are better off on your own. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling her muscles relax into Denny's strong hold. Maria had just started to fall asleep when there was a commotion in the corridor outside. She groaned and tried to block out the noise of whoever was pounding against the door across the hall. Are they calling my name? she wondered absently, then dismissed it as inconsequential and started to drift off again, when there was a knock on the door.
"Sergeant Bloch? Please get up, it's really important," came a voice.
Maria's mind went into overdrive. Oh, this is bad, this is very bad. I can't answer the door; what if it's a higher-up and they draw the wrong conclusion? "Denny!" she hissed, poking him roughly. "Get up!"
"Mm?" he groaned.
"Now, Bloch! There's someone at the door, and I can't very well answer!" She growled in frustration and pushed him off the bed in an effort to wake him as the knock was repeated. Unfortunately her limbs were still tangled in his, and she was pulled to the floor as well. Oh, this is... compromising, was her first thought after the stars cleared and she saw where she had landed. Squarely on his chest with her face again bare centimeters from his own. And now he was awake.
Awkward pause.
"Sergeant Bloch?" again came the knock on the door, then the sound of the handle being tried.
"Please tell me you locked that," Maria said, and Denny's mouth opened in an 'O'.
There goes my career, she thought as Alphonse opened the door and stopped, staring at the two on the floor.
"Um," he said lamely, and he would have blushed if he could. "Am I interrupting something?"
"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" Maria waved her hands frantically, flushing a deep red as she jumped to her feet.
Denny stood as fast as he could, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously and staring at the ground. Both of the soldiers realized that their Military careers were over if anything were reported.
"Good, you found them," Ed said, pushing Al out of the way to enter the room. "And you two are in the same place, good. Saves me the trouble of searching for Lieutenant Ross, I couldn't find you in your room... wait," he paused. "Lieutenant Ross, why are you in his room?"
"Long story," Maria said quickly. "We weren't doing anything improper sir, he just let me stay the night because-"
"Right, I don't care," he cut her off. "I have more important things to worry about than whatever you two were or weren't doing. I really don't want to know. I need your help."
-xXx-
On the roof of an office building across the street from an apartment building, a member of the Organization lit himself a cigarette. Set up next to him was a telescope that was oriented toward one of the windows of the apartment building.
"Put that out!" a woman ordered him, coming to sit on the edge next to him, placing her backpack by the telescope. "You want someone to notice us? That Rhade chick's supposed to be real observant."
The man scoffed. "No worries. She's asleep, look," he gestured toward the telescope. "It was a very disappointing evening for me. Rhade and that Military man seemed to be getting it on, and then they stop. No sex or nothin'."
"You're disgusting," the woman said, shaking her head. "Anyway, you're out of here, since I'm replacing you."
"Ah, what's the hurry? I don't want to go back to base just yet. Here I can relax, have a smoke, enjoy the morning air... Enjoy pleasant company," he smirked at the woman.
"You're gonna wanna head back. Something big's goin' down today. Mae'var's got the whole Organization in an uproar. Something about 'the final strike' or whatnot."
"Huh," the man put out his cigarette. "I guess I will head back then. Have fun." He stood and offered a half-hearted wave over his shoulder as he headed down the fire escape.
"Men," the woman groaned, laying down and putting her eye to the telescope.
-xXx-
Roy woke slowly, not wanting to open his eyes for fear that everything had been a dream. He could feel warm breath against his bare chest, and he looked down to see Riza cuddled against him, still fast asleep. In sleep, her face was softened from the emotionless mask she seemed to don every day, and she looked peaceful and innocent. Everything seemed to drift away; no Organization, no Ishbal, no Military... just the two of them, together.
It couldn't last, of course- they both had their separate missions, and even when she did get back to her customary role as his Lieutenant, they wouldn't be able to spend as much time together as he would want. That's assuming everything went well, and her identity wasn't discovered by the Organization, and she was able to shut them down and return to the Military. Would she even want to do that? And if she did, how would he be able to work with her every day without thinking of what might have been if it weren't for the fact that he wanted to be promoted and couldn't afford to have his... involvement with her to be discovered? Everything was such a mess.
Riza moaned in her sleep, as if sensing his worried thoughts. Roy stroked a hand down the side of her face, smoothing away the lines. He turned his head to look at the clock- nine in the morning. Looking back down at her, he saw Riza was awake and looking at him.
"I should go out and get the milk before someone steals it," she said softly, cracking a small smile.
Roy mock-glared at her. "What, no 'good morning, Roy', no 'I love you, Roy', just 'I have to get the milk before someone steals it'?" Even as he taunted her, he could feel a large grin spreading across his face.
Riza smiled back. "Good morning, Roy. I love you, Roy. I have to get the milk now, Roy." Her smile reminded him of a vixen, then she couldn't hold it and laughed, getting up and grabbing her bathrobe from the chair in the corner.
He sighed and let her escape from his arms. Riza padded over to the door and opened it to see a little boy, maybe seven years old, in the middle of taking one of the four glass bottles full of milk. She glared down at the child. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
The dark-haired boy smiled up at her, teeth startlingly white against dark skin, and showed the milk, heedless of the glare. "Mine?" he asked innocently.
Riza's lips twitched. "Fine, but don't do it again! Now get out of here!"
"Thank you, missy! You're nice!" The child carefully walked down the stairs with the milk bottle, careful not to spill a single drop.
"That was nice of you," Roy said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled and rested her head against his chest, watching the boy go down the stairs.
"He's a nice kid. Orphaned. The manager of the apartment took pity on him and lets him to do little jobs around the building for money." Her expression saddened as she watched him go around the corner. "I could do so much for him if it weren't for the fact that I have to stay in-character as a ruthless killer," she added softly.
"Come on," Roy gently pushed her inside, grabbing the wooden crate with now only three bottles in it. "I'm hungry."
"So demanding," she chided as he put the crate on the kitchen table and took one of the bottles and raised it to his lips. "Wait, don't drink that-" she started, but he ignored her.
After taking a gulp, he smiled. "Wow. I forgot how good milk tastes when it's delivered. This tastes better than the kind they sell out East."
"It should," Riza replied with a sigh. "There's cocaine in it."
Roy paused. "What?"
"The Organization controls the milk distributor for a percentage of the profit. If they put an addicting, not to mention illegal, drug into the milk, people are more likely to keep buying from that company."
"And you let that little kid take some?"
"There's not much I can do. I can't very well run around the city going: 'don't drink the milk, it's addicting!' now can I?"
"These are nice people you work with, Riza," he said sarcastically, putting the milk back on the table.
"Don't I know it," she sighed. "What are we going to do now? You probably have places to be."
"Do you want me to leave?"
"No," Riza looked up, surprised he would have to ask. "We don't have much of a choice though, do we? I have to report in before they become suspicious."
"Can't we have breakfast first?" Roy looked at her, mindful that the time they would have together would be short.
"If you feel like cooking, feel free," she smiled. "Or we could do other things." She quirked an eyebrow flirtatiously.
Roy smirked and took her into his arms, kissing her gently. "Do we get to do things like this in the office when you get back to work?"
"Mm..." she pretended to think about it. "If you're a good boy." She leaned in for another kiss.
-xXx-
Winry struggled against the ropes binding her whenever the guard wasn't looking. She had been dumped in a small dank cell; her hands and feet tied and mouth gagged. She was furious at herself both for being captured in the first place and not being able to free herself from the thick ropes. She could feel her wrists chafing with every movement, and still the ropes didn't loosen any.
"Would you stop fooling around in there?" the guard snapped through the small barred window in the thick wooden door, the only source of light into the dim stone cell. "I can hear you."
Winry's retort was muffled by the gag.
"You don't have a chance in hell of getting out of those ropes," he continued, grinning wickedly through the bars. "Johnny may be a bit of an idiot, but he ties good knots."
"Mm's Honnie?"
"Who's Johnny?" the guard interpreted, and Winry nodded. "He's small fry. On the run from the law for killing his family. Dunno why Mae'var keeps him around; pretty bloody useless, if you ask me."
"No one's asking you, are they now?" came a voice.
She could almost hear the guard gulp. "Sorry Johnny; you know I don't mean anything by it-"
"Hm. Open the door, and stop talking to the prisoner."
"'Kay," he agreed reluctantly. There was a rattle of keys, and the door swung open.
"Miss Rockbell," the seventeen-year-old greeted her with an insincere smile. "Mae'var wants you. Come on." Johnny pulled a knife from his boot and approached her.
Winry moaned in terror and tried to edge away as the knife came closer. He sliced the ropes holding her feet and roughly yanked her upright. "Let's go."
"You have nice eyes," Johnny said conversationally as he forced her to walk down the hall. "My sister had eyes like yours, except they were green. I like eyes because you can see a lot about a person's intentions in them. Most people don't look you in the eye because if you're lying to their face and it's something they want to hear, they don't want to know your lying. You can tell things like that with the eyes."
Winry struggled against his grip, but he was stronger than he looked.
"Like Lisa Rhade. Her eyes are guarded, and hard to read. Mae'var's are something special, but it's hard to see the emotion through the alchemy-symbols carved on them." He opened a door and forced Winry through into another hall.
"Yes, I liked my sister's eyes. Green, like emeralds. I like emeralds, and when I was little I thought her eyes were emeralds. Yours are like... not sapphires, the lighter blue aquamarine stones... can't remember what they're called, but they're really pretty. Anyway, emeralds are still my favorite.
"Imagine my disappointment when I cut out her eyes and found out that they weren't any kind of gemstone at all." His voice remained thoughtful, and for all anyone knew they were discussing the weather.
Winry flinched with a small, muffled outcry, staring up at him with fear.
"We're here," Johnny said, still in his frighteningly thoughtful tone of voice. "I'll be waiting to take you back to your cell." He opened the door, revealing the same room she had been taken to before. He threw her down onto the lush red carpeting and nodded once respectfully to Mae'var, then shut the door.
Winry whimpered as Mae'var grabbed her ponytail and forced her to her knees. "You're a nice girl, Miss Rockbell," he said kindly. Then his voice turned cold. "I don't like nice girls. Apparently Edward Elric likes you, though. He should charge in with all guns blazing to come to your rescue. That will be interesting, now won't it?"
She glared at him defiantly, and if she weren't gagged she would have spit on him.
He slapped her across the face and released her hair, letting her fall to the side. Mae'var turned to study a painting of two ancient gods locked in an epic battle.
Winry laid there, trembling, when she realized an important fact. Her feet were still unbound. Gathering her resolve, she stood and charged at the man while his back was turned, hitting him hard on the back of the neck.
Mae'var grunted in surprise and pain as he collapsed to the ground. The girl turned and frantically jiggled the handle with her tied hands until she finally got the right angle to force it open. She ran as fast as she could, hearing Johnny curse and give chase.
"Stop her!" he shouted down the hall at a pair of thugs who were leaning against the wall. They looked up in confusion to see Winry run past, fear and adrenaline lending her speed. She looked behind her quickly to see that they, too, were following her. Her breath came in frenzied gasps as she ran.
The corridor ended in a locked door. She pounded her fists against it futilely, cursing as she turned to face her pursuers. Winry roughly used her bound hands to pull the gag out of her mouth. "Stay back!" she cried, voice cracking.
"That wasn't very nice," Johnny said angrily as the other men moved forward to take her.
She kicked out, catching one of them in the knee. He dropped to the ground, howling as it bent in a direction that human knees were never meant to go. The second approached more cautiously, hands raised to protect his face. "Don't come near me," Winry warned, raising her own still-bound hands, trying to copy one of the defensive stances she had seen Alphonse use.
He charged, and she dodged, but she lost her balance and fell to the ground. Swooping forward, Johnny kicked her in the stomach. She coughed and folded in. She froze as his knife was held against her throat.
"You two are pathetic," the young man said to the two older men. "You never make the first move against a cornered opponent. You should know that. It's a wonder you two aren't dead already." Johnny looked down at Winry. "I wonder," he said, voice moving back to thoughtful as the other two took off. "What would Mae'var do if I only cut out one of your eyes?" The knife neared her left eye, and her breath came in short, shallow gulps. "He said I couldn't have them, though, but maybe just one-"
"Johnny," came Mae'var's voice sternly as he walked toward them. "No."
"Of course," he yanked her to her feet. "You want me to be takin' her back to her cell?"
"Yes. Do that. And tell whoever's guarding the cells that this one doesn't get anything to eat. And don't do the ropes again- chain her to the wall." Mae'var glared at her, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm being lenient because I need you undamaged for Elric, but try to escape again, and I won't be so soft. Go," he jerked his head, and Johnny pulled her along the corridor, his grip none too gentle.
-xXx-
"Hold on a minute, sir," Maria held up her hand. The four of them sat in a circle in the middle of Denny's room. "How do we know Winry's really been kidnapped? You said it yourself that Ms. Rockbell doesn't have the proper codes to call in to base. Maybe you should call her and check. For all you know it could be someone in the Organization trying to get you to rush in blindly."
Edward nodded thoughtfully. "Right. I'll do that. I want you two to get ready though- and not in uniform. I'm going to do some poking around, and if you two want to come, I don't want to stick out."
"Umm... should I stay here, then?" Alphonse asked. "I'm not very inconspicuous, Brother."
Denny nodded. "Stay by the phones in case we need to contact you." He paused and realized that he had no right to make that decision. "By your leave, of course, sir," he added quickly.
"Would you two knock it off? There's no need to treat me like a higher-up who's going to pounce on every word," Ed snapped. "I realize that I need your help, and I'm asking for your opinion as soldiers. Don't worry about offending me; I have bigger goals in mind than getting promoted, or ending your careers. Now get changed and meet me in the communications booth. I have a call to make." He abruptly got up and left.
"Did I say something wrong?" Denny asked, confused.
Al shook his head. "No. Ed's just not used to having to be the one giving the orders, and I don't think he likes that you're relying on him for everything. We are still just kids, after all." He nodded his head respectfully. "I'll be with Brother. You should get changed quickly. If Winry's kidnapping is confirmed, he's going to want to leave as soon as possible."
-xXx-
That afternoon, Riza met up with Jade in an empty room inside the network of tunnels that was the headquarters of the Organization. "Here's the location," she said, passing him a slip of paper. "Now take me to X."
"Not yet," the slightly built man tucked the paper into his coat pocket. "We'll have people checking it out before you get anywhere close to X... Lieutenant."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me; Riza Hawkeye, First Lieutenant of the Amestris Military, currently assigned to Eastern Headquarters under direct command of Colonel Roy Mustang." He held up a hand. "No, no, don't try and deny it. I've known who you were since before you joined. Last night only confirmed it." He smiled and produced a pistol out of nowhere, faster than blinking.
Jade held the muzzle against her throat and regarded her thoughtfully. "So what am I going to do with you now?"
End Part TenA/N: Everything will begin to move rather quickly from this point on. However, I won't be able to upload anything for at least a week and a half, as I will be in Philadelphia with my godfather until next Sunday, and then the Tuesday after that I am going to the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg and Antietam. I'm sorry for leaving it off here! I was unable to get in touch with either of my beta readers before I uploaded this, so I apologize for its lack of beta-ed-ness.
A thing about Winry... I've noticed in a lot of the Ed/Winry fics Winry's this weak little nothing who can do nothing for herself. I really don't think that's the way her character is, so that's why the extended Winry-kick-butt-ness in this chapter... It's basically to show that she's not a weakling who sits around waiting for Ed to save her.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: saponin, Fei Ku, Kusaqi, Anicka, Jenny, MoonStarDutchess, FLAMETAL, Perennial Rhinitis, i AM the Random Idiot, lili, and Daughter of Helba... Thanks to all of you, and if I spelled your name wrong, feel free to yell at me!
-Jade Rhade