See? Just like I said! This one is a bit of setup, a kind of transition into the next phase of the story - Briggs is coming, after all. I'm looking forward to that entire section, too, so the sooner we get there the more fun it is for me! I hope you all enjoy these two chapters, I really do. By my estimation, we're sitting over the halfway mark now... This thing is a BEAST, seriously, and it's only because of the amazing people here and on AO3 that I'm not completely overwhelmed by this undertaking. So, as always, much love from Supernova here. Any comments and thoughts are beyond appreciated!
The next morning brought a damper to their spirits, as Mei Chang left Dr. Knox's early in the morning without a word about where she was going—apparently, since Mei and Ling were from opposing clans, there had been a big fuss between her and Lan Fan and the girl was attempting to be respectful to Dr. Knox's house—but Ed insisted they go searching for her, anyway. So Ed, Lissa, and Al set out into the city with drawings of Xiao Mei, the girl's little panda companion, looking for any sign of her…
And looking, and looking, and looking…
By sunset, they were exhausted and disheartened. Sitting on a bench at the heart of Central, Lissa rested her head on Edward's shoulder and muttered, "I hate admitting defeat, but…"
He sighed and nodded wearily. "Yeah. Seems like this search is getting us nowhere."
"Y'know, they might not be in Central anymore," Al pointed out, a touch dejected—even his spirits were down from such an exhausting, useless day.
A car pulled to a halt in front of them, idling at the curb—a rather familiar white one, in fact. Lissa wrinkled her nose as the window rolled down, and Mustang stared out at them. "Fullmetal, Starlight."
Ed stood up and gave him a baffled look. "Colonel?"
"Why are you always showing up to drag us places?" Lissa muttered, rising to her feet beside him.
Mustang smirked. "You're not hard to find." He jerked his head at the backseat. "Get in. I'll give you a ride back to your hotel."
Well…it was better than walking, she figured. So they piled in, Lissa and Ed stuck up front with Mustang while Al dominated the back, a conscious, unanimous decision to give the poor kid a little more room. Usually he worried so hard about squishing them that it seemed nicer to give him some space and ease his mind.
As they drove, the three filled Mustang in on their attempts to find Mei Chang, and why they were so interested in the first place. He was technically their CO—and as an alchemist himself, he might actually have some perspective on all of it.
Though…they quite pointedly left Lissa's own past out of it.
"You don't say," he mused when they'd finished, glancing down at Al's drawing of Xiao Mei. "Xingese Alkahestry. Sounds promising." He passed the paper back to Ed. "I'll ask around and let you know what I find."
Ed stared balefully out the windshield. "Thank you, but I really don't wanna get any deeper in debt to you than I already am," he muttered.
Mustang's eyebrows turned down. "Speaking of, you owe me some money." He turned and stuck his hand out towards Ed expectantly, practically right into his face. "So how about you cough it up?"
"Eyes on the road!" Ed yelled, as the car swerved dangerously.
Lissa rolled her eyes. "Where did you learn to drive, anyway?" she grumbled to herself.
Frustrated, Ed glared sideways at Mustang, seeming a bit put out. "You remembered? Come on… How much did I even borrow? 500 cens?"
"It was 520 cens!" Mustang snapped. "Don't con me!"
"Just pay him before he crashes the car, Ed," Lissa sighed, earning a sneer from Mustang. "I borrowed thirty cens off him once for a couple candies at the corner store and he made me pay back every bit of it. He'll never let it go."
Mustang turned his nose up. "I was teaching you the value of money."
"Jeez, you're such a penny-pincher," Ed complained, irritated. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the coins, holding them for a moment—Lissa watched, baffled, as his expression turned sharper, more contemplative, and he closed his fist around the coins. "I'm just gonna hold onto this… But I promise to pay you back when you become Führer."
Oh. So that's where he's going with it.
Mustang's eyes narrowed sharply. "Who told you?" he demanded lowly.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye told me. And she told me about Ishval, too." Ed stuck the money back into his pocket and folded his arms. "Liss filled me in on some of it as well. Pretty interesting stuff, you know."
He sighed roughly. "Well, now you know."
"Now I know," Ed agreed quietly.
The car rolled to a stop outside the hotel, and Lissa hurried to unlatch the door, anxious that Mustang would ask the questions she knew were burning in his mind—ones she was too exhausted to answer, too strung out to even contemplate explaining. She hopped out onto the pavement beside Ed and Al, folding her arms protectively over her own chest, as though she could create a barrier against his unending curiosity.
"Fullmetal," Mustang called, leaning towards the door before they could walk away. "Go on and keep that money for now," he murmured, smirking. "But you will pay me back."
Ed grinned wryly. "All right. And when that day comes, I'll borrow some more change—and pay that back when this country's a democracy. But when that day comes, I'm gonna ask to borrow even more money from you."
"You're not planning to let me off the hook for a very long time, are you?" Mustang asked him wearily.
"Now you get it." Ed shut the door, hard, startling even Lissa. "And you better not worry the Lieutenant, either!" he warned.
Lissa smiled and caught his shoulder, pulling him away from the car gently. "Thanks for the ride, Colonel," she tacked on, a vague attempt to cover for Ed's little outburst—he was still a touch sore about the whole thing with Ishval, she figured.
Mustang gave her a genuine smile in return. "Sure. No problem. Oh, and Starlight…" He raised his eyebrows. "I better get those answers soon, you hear me?"
She flicked off a half-assed salute, earning a laugh before the Colonel drove away. So he wasn't upset—he wanted answers, but…apparently they were at a place where he trusted her to give those answers eventually, and didn't feel like he had to wring them out of her. That was a definite improvement upon their relationship, considering past experiences.
"Man, I'm beat," Ed sighed, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. "C'mon, let's get to bed before one of us passes out."
"You mean before you pass out," Al corrected wryly.
Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"I'm surprised Mustang didn't interrogate me on the spot," Lissa murmured, as they headed into the hotel and upstairs. "It must be bothering him, not to know what's going on."
"Maybe he figures we've handled enough crap recently," Ed suggested with a shrug.
She wrinkled her nose. "Or he's waiting for the right moment to pounce."
"That too."
They reached their hotel room and Ed pushed the door open—just as Lissa recoiled and rammed into Al's chestplate. Familiar. Familiar!
"You took long enough. I was getting tired of waiting," Fu complained from in the darkness, scaring the shit out of the boys.
Lissa pushed past them and sighed, pressing her arm down over Ed's when he took up a fighting stance. "You didn't have to hide in the darkness, Mr. Fu," she pointed out wearily. To the boys, she added, "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention, I sensed him too late."
"Sensed me?" Fu repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I…" She twisted her mouth up. Nothing for it now. "I guess you might've been right, back there in Xerxes. Ling kind of confirmed for me that I sense things through the Dragon's Pulse, or something like it—so there might be something to me having Xingese ancestry."
"Hmph. I did tell you." He folded his arms over his chest. "Where is the young lord? And my granddaughter?"
Lissa winced and glanced back at Ed reluctantly. "Er, well…"
Ed touched her shoulder lightly. "Ling's kind of…in the wind, for the moment. But we can take you to Lan Fan." When Fu opened his mouth to protest, Ed just shook his head wearily. "It's a long story, old man. We'll tell you on the way."
No matter their exhaustion, it was only right to take Fu by Dr. Knox's, so Lissa grabbed her backpack and they headed back out across town. Dr. Knox wasn't exactly pleased to see them, but he didn't turn them away, either—which he could've done, Lissa noted. No matter how much he griped, he could've said no to a lot of things that he let slide in the end.
Fu's reaction to Lan Fan's condition was…difficult to witness. Lissa had expected him to be upset—she had lost her arm, the poor girl—but it was still astonishing when he outright slapped her.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Knox demanded, the only one with the wherewithal to step in and catch Fu before his emotions spiraled out of control and he hit Lan Fan again.
"How dare you call yourself a member of the chosen clan!" Fu snapped.
Dr. Knox struggled to hold him back. "Cut it out, old man, she hasn't recovered yet!" Fu yanked against him, and Knox pulled back even harder. "I told you to stop!"
Finally, all of Fu's energy seemed to run out and he sagged, staring down at Lan Fan in horror as though he'd finally really seen her condition. "It's really gone," he breathed shakily. "Your arm… You lost your arm…"
Lan Fan bowed her head. "Please forgive me, grandfather. I'm sorry," she whispered.
Fu approached her, and took the empty sleeve of her borrowed jacket in a trembling hand. "You fool," he choked, bringing the cloth to his face. "You damn fool…"
Lissa saw, out of the corner of her eye, Ed reach up and clench his own automail arm, fingers digging into the fabric of his jacket. She shifted closer and wrapped her arm around his back, pulling him into her and rubbing her fingers into his shoulder, just beside his port. Don't put this on yourself too, she willed him, like she could make it so just by thinking it.
"Mr. Fu…" Ed looked up at the two of them, his gaze softening. "I promised Lan Fan that I would introduce her to an automail engineer."
Fu stared back at him rather fiercely. "We decline."
What?!
"We appreciate such a kind gesture," Fu continued, "but you've already helped us enough. We can find an engineer on our own, if we must."
Al shook his head, denying it. "But—we have to do something!"
Fu was resolute, though. "The enemy has now clearly seen Lan Fan's face," he explained sternly. "We refuse to risk the life of your engineer friend."
Lissa knew Winry would do it—risk or no risk—but she couldn't help but respect the decision. It wasn't their place to interfere if this was what Fu and Lan Fan wanted to do, if they felt they needed to look elsewhere. Still… "I grew up around plenty of soldiers with automail," Lissa spoke up, a bit uncertain but unwilling to stay quiet. "I never met any of the engineers they used personally, but I know plenty of names. It might give you a place to start, at least, and most of them would probably be used to pretty mixed clientele."
Though it wasn't much, Fu inclined his head to acknowledge her offer. That was enough.
"All right, then," Ed agreed softly. "Thank you."
Fu approached Dr. Knox then. "You're the only reason that my granddaughter is still alive," he murmured, bringing his hands together and bowing at the waist. "You have my gratitude."
"What?! Do I look like the kind of doctor that wants gratitude?!" Knox railed.
Yet it was for nothing, because Lan Fan rose and crossed to him as well, smiling softly. "Thanks, Dr. Knox," she told him kindly. "Thank you for saving me."
Knox bristled at the display. "Eh, just clear out already!" he snapped, screwing his face up in distaste. "I'm not such a pushover that I'm gonna let you take my bed for an extra night! Now get out!" he muttered, turning and heading back into his bedroom.
Lissa released Ed and crossed to Lan Fan, slinging her backpack off her shoulder and setting it at her feet. "Before you go, Lan Fan… I brought you a change of clothes. I figured you wouldn't want to be stuck in the same pyjamas to travel in, y'know…" She knelt down and pulled out what she'd brought, just a simple shirt and trousers, both in black, transmuted to what she thought was approximately the Xingese girl's size. Lissa rose and passed them over, catching the other girl's startled look and wincing. Was that…not the right thing to do?
"Thank you," Lan Fan murmured, holding the clothes close to her abdomen. "You…you've all been so kind to me."
She smiled and gently touched Lan Fan's shoulder. "We're happy to do it." She was going to step back, to return to the boys—but a hand on her wrist stopped her.
"Lissa…" Lan Fan gazed at her with those dark eyes, like inkwells. "I hope you find answers, for the questions that plague you. What Alphonse asked me…" Her expression softened, turned more melancholic. "I hope you remember, whatever you might learn…that what you have now is more than enough to make up for any darkness in your past."
Lissa swallowed hard. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Lan Fan."
—
Central's library—the remaining branch, not the one that had been burned down—was supposed to be the best one in all of Amestris. It was certainly huge, and well-organized, but that didn't make Lissa any less frustrated with it at the moment.
"How the hell is this possible?" she grumbled, sinking irritably into a chair across from Al.
He peered up at her from the book he'd been reading. "What's wrong, Lissa?" he asked curiously.
"First, your brother sits like an idiot when he's researching, and I'll kill my back if I sit with him," Lissa complained, ticking it off on her finger. That much was true—Ed had settled on the floor amid a pile of books, and it was prohibiting her from being anywhere near him, which was frustrating. "Second—and this is really why I'm pissed—this stupid library doesn't have a single book written in Xingese!"
"Wait, it doesn't have any?" Al sat up straighter, confused. "But… That's really weird, why wouldn't there be anything?"
She waved her hands helplessly. "I have no idea. We're supposed to be allies, so we have culture sharing and all that—but I looked everywhere, Al. I even asked up front and they said there's nothing here. I was hoping maybe I could read something more useful in the original Xingese, something that wouldn't have been translated, but…"
"That could've been helpful," he admitted reluctantly. "Isn't that kind of suspicious to you? For there to be nothing at all in Xingese. Not even a single book."
Lissa nodded, her ire fading away to a thread of defeat. "I was really hoping to put that weird ability to use, too. Especially since every time I pass Ed he seems more and more frustrated with all of this. We just…don't seem to have any information on alkahestry here." She sighed and folded her hands atop the table. "What about you, Al? Are you having any luck?"
Al shook his head dejectedly. "No. I can't find any details about alkahestry. I should've asked Mei more about it when I was at Dr. Knox's place."
"We'll figure it out," Lissa encouraged him, hating to see him down. "I mean…" But she trailed off, distracted by the pins-and-needles sensation beginning around the sides of her neck—just as a little boy peered over the edge of the table just beside Al. She frowned at him, baffled. Were they causing that much of a spectacle?
"You're wearing a full suit of armor," the boy breathed, grinning hugely. "Does that mean you're the Fullmetal Alchemist's brother?"
Al stared at the boy in equal confusion. "Uh…yeah, I am."
"Then you're the Starlight Alchemist!" the boy added, fixating that doe-eyed look on Lissa.
She nodded slowly. "That's me."
"Awesome!" the boy cheered loudly, bouncing on his toes and swinging his arm wide. He kept giggling as he regarded Al, like he'd just gotten to meet his idol or something.
Lissa winced as she caught sight of the other library patrons staring down at them, at the boy speaking full-voice and being way too loud for the location. Where the hell were his parents, anyway? What was he doing wandering around a library like this at his age?
"Thanks," Al mumbled uncertainly. "But…maybe you should be a bit quieter." He brought his finger to the mouth of his armor, trying to shush the boy.
The boy's eyes shot wide and he pressed a hand over his mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry!" He leaned in and whispered, "So…what're you studying? Somethin' cool?"
Ever the brotherly type, Al was only too happy to reply. "It's called alkahestry," he explained easily, though Lissa wished he wouldn't just spill their secrets to everybody in the vicinity. Besides, this kid… There was something weirdly familiar about him, somehow, though she couldn't figure it out yet. Did he remind her of someone?
"What's alkahestry?" the little boy asked curiously.
"It's alchemy, from the country of Xing."
Dammit, Al. We really need to have a talk about keeping secrets.
"Ooh… It's from Xing, huh?" The boy stepped closer and stared down at the assortment of books Al had gathered, eyes still a bit too wide. Then he looked back up at Al and Lissa in confusion. "But you three are already good enough at alchemy to practice here in Amestris," he pointed out. "Our country's a major alchemical power, isn't it? We've got all sorts of talented alchemists. So why would you guys look into the kind of alchemy they practice in a foreign country?"
Lissa exchanged a sort of frantic look with Al. Even he knew they couldn't explain why they were so interested in alkahestry—it could get back to Bradley, through some spy or another… And it sounded suspicious even without that little detail. "It's—a specialty that focuses on medicine," Lissa blurted, giving Al what she hoped was a poignant look.
He bobbed his head quickly. "Yeah! Alkahestry's supposed to have a lot of medical uses. So, we're just doing some research to see if any of its properties can be used to save people's lives."
Thankfully, that seemed to work—the boy grinned and went doe-eyed again, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Oh, wow! That's just what I would expect an Elric brother to say!"
Who the hell is this kid? He knew that Al's the one in the armor, he knew who I was, and he talked about Amestris like that… Like a damned politician… What's his deal? Is he just…that excited to meet us or is something else going on?
"Al! Lissa!"
She was jerked out of her thoughts as Ed ran up, yelling their names and grinning widely. "Get ready, we're leaving!"
"Quiet, brother!" Al chided, jumping to his feet. "This is a library!"
Lissa stood up and eyed him, wondering why he was so…excited. And where the hell he'd gotten new information, since the last time she'd passed him he looked about ready to rip his own hair out in frustration. "Where are we going?" she asked.
He shook his head quickly. "Look, don't worry about it. I'll tell you everything on the way. For now, let's just get moving. First we'll need to stop by the hotel, and…" But Ed trailed off as the boy approached him, staring with wide eyes and breathing heavily. "Uh, who is this kid?" he asked, giving a baffled look to Al and Lissa.
"Mr. Armor called you brother," the boy giggled, grabbing Ed's hand tightly. "Does that mean you're Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist?"
Ed grinned at him, always happy to get recognized as himself. "Yeah!"
"Aw, cool!" the boy crowed. "You are a tiny alchemist, just like everyone says! Even your girlfriend's taller than you!"
Oh, no.
"What was that?" Ed hissed, dropping straight into rage.
Lissa grimaced at him. "Ed, don't-"
"You…brat… Say it again," he warned, resting his bare automail hand on the boy's oblivious little head, a clear threat. "Once…more… I'll send you flying! Hear me? Your little body'll go straight out into space!"
"That's true too!" the boy laughed, unafraid. "You hate being called small, just like everyone says!"
The air displaced around them—and Lissa jumped in surprise as bodyguards seemed to materialize from nowhere, peeling from wherever the hell they'd been hiding, all fully armed and pointing guns directly at Ed. She raised her hands, fingers curled, ready for a fight. Like hell she'd let him get fucking shot!
"Step away from Master Selim!" one guard ordered, glowering down at Ed.
Selim… Master Selim?! Bodyguards and a politically-inclined mind… Oh fucking hell!
Edward had just threatened Selim Bradley, the Führer's adopted son!
"No, wait!" Selim cried, waving his hands frantically. "Don't shoot him!"
Lissa lowered her hands as the guards put their guns down, her heart beating hard in her throat. Dammit. Of all the kids they could've encountered…it had to be freaking Selim Bradley?! How was their luck that bad?!
"Uh… Master Selim?" Ed parroted, arms raised in a sort of surrender. So he'd put it together too. "Are you Selim Bradley?"
Al recoiled in shock. "Selim? The Führer's son?"
Selim beamed and nodded at them. "Yeah, that's me!" he chirped.
Lissa exchanged a horrified look with Edward. What the fuck had they gotten themselves into here? Selim Bradley. This was about as bad as it could get.
"I'm sorry about my guards," Selim chirped, oblivious to their panic. "I'm really glad they didn't shoot you!"
"Y-yeah…" Ed slowly lowered his hands, swallowing visibly. "Me too."
Selim grinned up at Ed and grabbed his hand. "Here, come with me!"
Somehow, at the hands of the Führer's son, with bodyguards at their backs, the three were coerced across the military grounds—all the way to the Bradley estate. Selim chattered the whole way, giddy with happiness, while Lissa felt like she'd eaten something rotten. The Führer's damned house. Yet it was largely impossible for a couple state alchemists to say no to their commander in chief's adopted son—even if Bradley himself was a homunculus.
"I'm so sorry," Mrs. Bradley apologized kindly, once they'd all been sort of corralled into the sitting room by Selim's unending enthusiasm. She and her adopted son were seated in armchairs across a low coffee table, opposite the sofa where Ed, Al, and Lissa had taken up residence. "It's just that Selim's been in awe of you for such a long time, Edward."
Ed blinked at her, stunned. "Huh? Me, really?"
"You and Lissandra, really," she explained. "You're the youngest state alchemists in history, you see."
"Selim… Are you interested in alchemy?" Al wondered, spotting the connection.
The boy dipped his head. "Yes!" he confirmed eagerly. "My dream is to learn how to practice it. And after that, I want to become a state alchemist, just like Ed and Lissa."
A sick knot twisted in Lissa's stomach, while Ed grinned and turned a touch bashful under the praise—it didn't hold the same unpleasant connotation for him, she knew. But a small child wanting to become a state alchemist just…felt so awful to her. Even though she'd never regret meeting Ed and Al, Lissa still wished she'd at least had the choice to pick a different path. She couldn't imagine an eager little boy like Selim actually wanting to get involved in all that.
"And then I'll be able to help my father out, as well!" Selim added brightly.
"Yeah," Ed agreed softly, his mood dropping. "Führer Bradley." Lissa touched his left arm lightly, a warning—they needed to be careful here. "Tell me, Selim. Do you get along with your father? Do you like him?" he asked, keeping his tone light, not giving away any of his real intentions.
Selim's happiness didn't falter. "Yeah, of course!"
Ed nodded slowly. "And what kind of man is he?"
Careful… Lissa pressed down just a bit on his forearm. They couldn't risk anything getting back to Wrath.
"An amazing man," Selim told them. "His job is more demanding than anybody else's in the world! He spends all day, every day thinking about the people of this country."
Ed gave a fake grin. "Of course he does," he laughed, a bit strained.
"The Führer's duties must keep him very busy all the time," Al observed softly, his tone far more sympathetic than his brother's.
"That is true," Mrs. Bradley admitted, with a bit of a sigh. "It's something he always insists upon. He's determined to work himself ragged. At his age, I'd prefer if he took it a little easier." Her smile turned a touch sad. "It's nothing new… He's always been devoted to his work. That's what he's good at—but where women are concerned…" She brightened and added, "I'm afraid he's a bit of an oaf. The first time we met, he made me so angry I actually slapped him."
Lissa clenched her teeth so her jaw didn't drop. Mrs. Bradley…slapped Wrath and lived to become his wife?!
"But it worked out for the best," she continued, oblivious. "He asked me out after that, and our first date was amazing!" She blinked, looking startled at herself, as though she'd just…gotten caught up. Lissa knew the feeling well. "Oh, sorry. Listen to me, babbling like a little schoolgirl," she laughed.
This woman… She doesn't feel anything but human, Lissa realized, tapping into her senses. This whole place reeks of homunculus but Mrs. Bradley… She's just…human. How did she get wrapped up in this? How did she become the Führer's wife? She can't know the truth, not talking about him like that…
"And what about you two?" Mrs. Bradley asked, beaming across at Ed and Lissa. "I've heard you're very close nowadays. That must be quite a story, I bet."
"Us?" Ed almost squeaked, turning red in the face. "I—we…"
"It's nothing too interesting. We met on an assignment," Lissa explained quickly, grinning at his embarrassment. There wasn't any harm, the homunculi knew all about them and this story wasn't exactly a secret either… She couldn't help but pity this woman, too, isolated among homunculi, at the top of the food chain but totally unaware… Everything could crumble down around her in a heartbeat and she'd never see it coming. The least Lissa felt she could do was indulge her a bit. "I grew up in the young alchemists' institution here in Central, and I met Ed and Al when I was out on an assignment with Colonel Mustang, almost four years ago now. When Ed became a state alchemist, he took me on as a sort of trainee, and I've stayed with them ever since."
Mrs. Bradley gave her a curious look. "And you recently were certified, isn't that right?"
Lissa nodded. "Mmhmm. Now Ed and I are officially partners, actually." She smiled and squeezed Ed's hand tightly. "It's not…always the easiest job, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
"I'm glad to hear it," Mrs. Bradley told her warmly. "But when did you and Edward start dating, Lissandra? It's not exactly a secret, you know… It's very difficult to hide young love, even from someone who's been out of the game as long as I have."
She swallowed as her cheeks heated up. "Oh, well we…"
Lissa's senses lit up, cutting her off as they blared warnings through her mind.
"Dad's home!" Selim cheered, hopping out of his chair and beaming as Führer Bradley himself walked into the sitting room.
Mrs. Bradley smiled up at him. "Hi, dear," she greeted.
Selim took off running across the room. "Hello, daddy!" he laughed, flinging himself right into the Führer's arms.
Lissa thought she might be sick as he leaned down to hug Selim back. It was…just awful to see this display, to see him humanized when they knew the truth, knew his real identity as Wrath. "Well, hello there, my little one."
"What are you doing back home?" Mrs. Bradley asked him curiously.
"I had some free time for a change, so I thought I'd check in on my family," Wrath explained. "And I also happened to hear the Starlight Alchemist, and the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother were paying us a visit."
So he came to make sure we weren't causing trouble. Shit.
Ed feigned a smile. "Hello, sir."
"Long time no see," Al added—a cover for the terrifying meeting they'd had with him recently, no doubt.
"Long time?" Wrath repeated curiously. "I just saw you three at Central Command, right?" He threw back his head and laughed, hiding the slip and rubbing it in their faces at the same time. He had enough power and control over them to admit he'd seen them, without worrying about the reality of what had happened in that meeting. It was made even worse when he took over the armchair Selim had vacated, poured himself some tea, and joined their little group in the sitting room.
"So, you ran into these three at the library, Selim?" the Führer asked, his tone not giving anything away—but he was fishing for information, clearly.
"Yep!" Selim confirmed.
Lissa tightened her hand around Ed's—she'd been too startled to let go earlier. What the hell were they supposed to do here? Did Wrath want something from them, or was he just…screwing with them?
"Are you wondering why he doesn't look like us?" Wrath questioned softly, catching the fierceness Ed couldn't seem to shake from his gaze.
That did it, though. "N-no, sir," Ed stammered, and raised his hand sort of placatingly. "It didn't cross my mind."
True. We already know the truth about Selim being adopted.
"Well, it's because we aren't related by blood," the Führer continued, unaffected by Ed's reply.
Mrs. Bradley nodded, still so very kind in her demeanor. "We weren't able to have any children of our own," she explained. "So we adopted Selim, and he's our son now."
Wrath petted Selim's head fondly. "I'm proud of my boy. He's grown into a fine, devoted son."
"Would ya cut it out already, dad?" Selim laughed. "You're embarrassing me!"
"But it's the truth!" Wrath told him, grinning.
Lissa struggled to even look at the scene, keeping her face carefully marshaled into a pleasant expression while she focused on the far wall, avoiding really seeing the display. He was mocking them. She could feel it down in her stomach.
"What's wrong, Elric?" Wrath asked suddenly, staring across at Ed.
She felt him flinch beside her. Edward wears everything on his face, Riza had said—and that statement had never been more dangerous than it was in that moment. Ed wasn't hiding his discomfort at all, no matter how hard he tried, and there was no covering for the obvious unease written all over his expression.
Al lifted a hand quickly, trying to cover for his brother. "Oh, uh, it's just that—we never see you except at the command center," he blurted. "So this is kind of…you know…"
"New," Lissa offered in an attempt to help. "It's new for us."
"It's a side of you we're not used to seeing, that's all," Ed explained, finally getting past some of his apprehension.
"I see. But as you can tell, even a man like me has a family waiting for him at home." Somehow it sounded like a threat coming from Wrath, even spoken in a fairly benign tone, a veil in place for Selim and Mrs. Bradley. "I'm sure, of course, it's quite different from yours."
Lissa felt Ed's hand clamp down on hers, trembling faintly. He threatened our family, she thought, as she squeezed his hand back. But we won't let him do a damned thing, Ed.
With that, Wrath got up from the chair and began to walk away, his threat delivered, warning in place now.
"Aw, daddy," Selim complained. "You're leaving already?"
"Yes. You know I have duties to get back to, Selim." Wrath didn't pause until he reached the door to the sitting room, though Selim darted around his mother's chair to peer at him sadly. "Please, make yourselves at home." Wrath looked back over his shoulder at Ed and Lissa, smiling. "You're welcome anytime, state alchemists."
Lissa let out a slow breath as he left the room. That…was terrifying.
—
Lissa stood above her new purchases, eyeing them critically. "Let's see… We'll need to bring extra layers for the north… Fur is good for warmth… So are coats with actual buttons, but…" She glanced over at Al, who had settled onto their hotel room's sofa and was watching her fuss over hers and Ed's clothes without interfering. "Ed was adamant he wouldn't change his outfit much, right?"
Al giggled and nodded. "Yeah. Brother insisted he wanted to keep his style."
"What a dummy. Going all the way up to Briggs like that…" She rolled her eyes. "He'll freeze in North City. So." Lissa set Ed's cloak out and set some of the new red fabric she'd bought earlier onto it—warm red wool in the closest possible color she could find. She pressed her hands to the material and transmuted it, lining his usual cloak with an extra layer of wool throughout the whole thing. It made his cloak a touch bulkier, but he'd just have to deal with it. Then, as her final touch, she lined the hood and collar with white fur, something she figured he'd appreciate since he liked a little flair to his clothing. He practically wore a costume, after all.
With the most difficult part out of the way, Lissa set about transmuting new clothes for her and Ed both, adding layers to some preexisting pieces and making brand-new ones as well. She knew her boyfriend—she was trying to get more comfortable with the term—wouldn't change his boots, either, so she even made new socks, thicker ones for a colder climate.
North.
They were going north.
Alex had passed on a tip from Mustang, indicating that Mei Chang had been seen heading north, so that's where they were going. She didn't think she wanted to know how Mustang had found out, especially since he couldn't be bothered to tell them himself, but she appreciated the help all the same. But…she just wished they didn't have to go into the damned freezing cold.
"Oh, shit," Lissa muttered, glaring down at the unfinished coat in front of her.
"What's the matter, Lissa?" Al's armor creaked as he peered over.
She sighed and held up the grey coat she'd been transmuting. "I didn't get enough material to line it," she explained, shaking her head. "I thought I had enough… But I used more than I thought on my stupid trousers and now I'm screwed on the most important bit."
"I can run out and get you some," he offered, rising to his feet. "I know you still have more to do, so that way you don't have to stop everything just for this."
Lissa gave him a grateful smile. "I hate asking…but you're a total lifesaver, little brother. That'd be amazing."
He crossed to see exactly what material she had, double-checked it, and then headed out with her pocket watch in tow. They had a train to catch in a couple hours, so there was plenty of time—but she definitely would've been rushing if she'd had to go running out to get more fabric. Ed was busy showering, trusting her with all the clothes, and honestly… Lissa would've begrudged him leaving her all the work, except she knew damn well he wouldn't be as thorough. She'd rather do it herself and make sure the dummy didn't freeze to death.
By the time Ed finished in the shower and stepped out, half-dressed with his hair still wet and sitting on a towel thrown around his shoulders, Lissa had finished everything—even the full-finger gloves she'd been forced to transmute for herself. It'd stifle her alchemy, but that was better than losing her fingers to frostbite.
"Where's Al?" Ed asked, looking around the room curiously.
Lissa folded up the last of his clothes and set them into the suitcase, leaving her half-finished coat sitting on the bed beside it, and closed the case to make sure everything still fit. "Your brother is being more helpful than you," she teased him. "Al went to grab me a little extra material, since I didn't get enough to finish lining my coat."
Ed stuck out his tongue and crossed to the dresser, where he could check himself in the mirror as he toweled his hair off. "You offered, y'know."
"Only because you'd never do it right without me hovering," she shot back.
He grinned. "Okay, true."
Lissa held out his cloak for inspection, once he'd finished with his hair, remaining conspicuously shirtless—she was trying to focus on anything but that, though. "I know, I know, I screwed with your cloak," she laughed as he wrinkled his nose. "C'mon, Ed. You'd freeze if I didn't do something."
Ed sighed and twisted it in his hands, eyeing the new lining with a little distaste. "Yeah, okay, fine," he conceded. "Thanks for doing all of this. Really."
"It's nothing, honestly." Lissa sat on the bed and rested back on her hands, shrugging faintly. "I'm so used to transmuting your clothes at this point, after all the zillions of times you've gotten your cloak ruined. Besides…" She smiled up at him. "I don't mind looking after you a bit. At least this way I know for sure you won't freeze up there."
He quirked that crooked smile she loved so much and leaned in over her, knees to either side of her legs on the bed, and kissed her—first soft and sweet, but then his demeanor shifted, just minutely, and Lissa's stomach twisted into knots as he trailed his hand up her side, fingers resting just at the bottom of her ribcage. She smiled into his kiss and set her hand against his chest, with enough pressure to make him lean back from her. "Ed," she murmured, smirking, "you do realize Al could get back at any minute, right?"
Ed shrugged and grinned a bit roguishly. "Eh, he'll be gone a bit longer."
"This is because we had a brush with death today, isn't it?" she asked dryly.
"Maybe. Does it bother you?"
Lissa just responded by sliding an arm around his back and pulling him down to her. Ed leaned down eagerly, not a trace of resistance, kissing a path from her lips down to the pulse on her neck, nipping lightly with his teeth. Her breath caught in her throat, heart racing in her chest—then faster still when he slid his hand further up, her shirt riding up and exposing her abdomen, every touch slow and careful enough that she could stop him if she wanted. But…she didn't want to. Lissa trusted him, knew Ed wouldn't push her too far, knew she had nothing to fear with him… So she responded in kind, tracing her fingers up to his shoulders, following the contours of his muscles, taking a moment to just…exult in him, in the fact that Ed was with her, that she had the freedom and ability to be with him like this.
"Agh!"
She shrieked as Ed toppled off her, rolling right off the edge of the bed, and frantically tugged her shirt back into place, startled into panic by Al's sudden reappearance. "I'm so sorry, Al!" she moaned, absolutely mortified.
"I was gone fifteen minutes!" he told them indignantly, standing in the open doorway with a hand across his eyes.
Edward rubbed at his head and grimaced. "Sorry, Al. Can you blame me, though?"
Lissa flung a pillow at him. "Ed!" she scolded. He yelped as she tossed another pillow at him, then finally hopped up and flung the entire blanket down over him, leaving him flailing there on the floor. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, noticing it had gotten snarled and messy during their brief…sojourn. "We didn't scar you, did we?" she asked Al sheepishly.
He sighed and dropped his hand, reluctantly shaking his head. "Maybe try to be a little more discreet, though," he muttered.
She inclined her head. "We'll do our best," she told him.
Yet at the same time, Ed's blanket-muffled voice rang out, "No promises!"
Lissa threw another pillow at him.
—
With all the distractions and delays, they only barely made their train bound for North City—it had begun moving before they even found their seats. By a stroke of luck, the found an unoccupied pair of benches and took them over immediately, Al on one side and Ed and Lissa on the other. She draped her legs over Ed's lap, and suddenly it was just like old times, like the years they'd spent riding on trains everywhere in Amestris, searching for the Philosopher's Stone, without all this insanity hanging over their heads… Before homunculi and chimeras and vengeful Ishvalans…
"So Alex gave you a letter of introduction?" Lissa asked, watching Ed turn the little envelope over in his hands contemplatively.
Ed nodded. "Yeah. He wasn't sure if it'd help or not, but I guess it's worth a shot."
"I know you're close with the Armstrongs, Lissa… Do you know the Major's sister?" Al asked curiously.
"I've never met Olivier, actually," she admitted. "She's been up at Briggs the whole time I've known Alex. But he…always said she was a bit scary." Lissa shrugged it off. "I'm hoping she'll give us a chance since I'm close with her family, though." It was odd for Alex to be so…intense about his own sibling, considering she'd met the rest of his family—his mother and father, his two older sisters besides Olivier, and his younger sister Catherine too. They were all lovely.
"Oh!" Ed dug into his pocket for a moment. "I almost forgot, Liss. Major Armstrong gave me a letter for you too." He withdrew a slightly more crumpled envelope and passed it to her.
Lissa took the envelope and opened it immediately, noting the fancy script on the front—LC, her initials, a touch more formal than just her nickname. It was odd Alex had written her a letter, but then again, she'd missed him at the library and he'd had no guarantee of running into her again.
Lissa,
I hope you are well. If my guess is correct, then you will be traveling north immediately with the Elric brothers. I regret being unable to see you off, but given the situation in Central at the moment, it is important I focus on the task at hand.
You will meet my older sister, if you venture north to the Briggs Fortress. I warn you—she is not like my other sisters. Olivier is fiercer and much more difficult to earn respect from. Remain cautious. If you earn her respect, she will treat you as one of her own soldiers, but you will find her to be nothing like what you expect. Take care.
Look after yourselves, the boys included. Dress warmly. Cover your fingers.
I will see you when you return to Central.
-Major Alex Louis Armstrong
PS: I'm happy to hear about yourself and Edward. Please let me know if he ever treats you poorly and requires a good beating.
"What'd he say?" Ed asked curiously, visibly restraining himself from reading over her shoulder.
Lissa smiled and tucked the note into her trouser pocket. "Not much. He told me Olivier's a bit different than the rest of the family—that's not really surprising, though, she'd have to be to hold her post up at Briggs. And he told us to look after ourselves, I think he's worried about us going up to the north alone."
Al giggled. "Aw. The Major's a big softie, isn't he?"
"Oh, and Ed—he threatened to kick your ass if you ever treat me badly."
Ed squeaked and buried his face in his hands. "Shit. I'm so dead."
Lissa grinned and patted his back. "Don't worry, he's not gonna come hunt you down or something. He said he was happy to hear about it, besides." She knew, even if the boys didn't, that it was Alex's way of letting her know he was looking after her—she doubted he was really concerned that he'd need to kick Ed's ass.
"Anyway," she began pointedly, nudging Ed out of his state of fear, "hopefully we'll track that girl down and get some answers. Otherwise we'll have to try and make it to Xing next, I guess."
"Ugh, I hope we don't have to," Ed whined. "Even with your help I might burn to death."
Al sighed wearily. "It's a shame the train tracks keep getting messed up—otherwise we could just take a train there and it wouldn't be a problem."
That was true—though there was technically a railroad going between Xing and Amestris, the tracks were constantly affected by the shifting sands of the desert. Even though both countries were at peace with each other, neither particularly wanted to expend the manpower and effort it would require to build that infrastructure, so for the time being, horseback and walking was the only real way to go between. And by sea, but that required leaving Amestris by a different route, which made it even more dangerous.
"Well, for right now we should just focus on finding her before she leaves Amestris," Lissa reasoned. "If we manage that, then we never have to worry about crossing to Xing."
"Ugh. Fingers fucking crossed," Ed muttered, scowling out the window.
It didn't take long for Ed to fall asleep, as always, but Lissa wasn't tired in the slightest—so she and Al got out a deck of cards and played a few time-wasting games, keeping themselves occupied while Ed snored softly, his head tilted against the side of the train.
"So, Al…you aren't…" Lissa eyed the cards in her hand a moment, buying herself a little time. "Upset, are you?"
He looked up at her in surprise. "Upset? About what?"
She shrugged faintly. "Me and Ed. I dunno, we worried that it might be…awkward for you, y'know? Since we're all constantly in each other's space."
Al giggled at her. "No, it's okay. I like seeing brother happy, besides."
"Is he?" Lissa asked quietly, looking sideways at Ed—he was sleeping hard, like he always did, snoring softly with his mouth hanging open. Seeing him at peace like this had always been lovely…but now, with where their lives had gone, it meant even more to know he felt safe enough to make himself completely vulnerable. "You'd know better than me… Sometimes I think I just…make things so much harder on him. I wasn't going to—to act on any of this, not until all the craziness died down… Until we could all be safe… I thought it'd make it harder to have something else to focus on."
"I know things are difficult right now…but I think…I think it does make him happier," Al told her honestly. "Y'know… That was kinda silly of you, Lissa. Thinking you could just stop that. I mean, I've known for years that brother liked you. I always used to tease him about it."
"You what?" She nearly dropped her cards in shock. "Since when? What—how did I not notice?!"
Al laughed, the sound ringing in his armor. "I dunno. A couple years at least. You really didn't see it? I didn't think he was very good at hiding it."
"Well he…" Lissa had a flash of memory—Ed blushing as she pulled on the edge of his shirt, newly ruined in Liore… The slow and steady way he'd begun to use those little gestures, holding her hand, resting his palm against the small of her back, just…being close… It had all come about so gradually that she'd accepted it as normal, but… What if it wasn't? What if it had all come from him nurturing his attraction towards her?
Lissa felt her face grow hot as she considered it. Had they really been gravitating towards each other from the very start?
"I guess…I just…never considered it," she mumbled.
Not until we went back to Resembool… Until something just…clicked. That's the first time I wanted to kiss him.
Lissa smiled and leaned over to brush a piece of Ed's hair from his face, where it had drifted in his sleep. "As long as you're okay with all of it, little brother."
"I am. I mean…" He tilted his head to one side. "It's not really my business, though, is it?"
"Of course it is. How you feel matters to us." She stretched across and patted Al's knee. "It's like I said…you're my family too, so I care how you feel about it. Besides… You're kind of stuck with us, the least we can do is be mindful of how you feel."
Al rested his hand atop hers. "Thanks, Lissa." He giggled softly. "You're a great big sister."
Lissa grinned across at him, embarrassed and pleased. "Thanks, Al."
