Mwah ha ha ha! Chapter 5! This story has become longer then I thought it was going to be, I think that there'll be a chapter to two left after this one.
I would like to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed! And Roy-Fan-33 the lateness of your reviews is forgiven because you write such lovely long ones which are helpful from the way you point out what's good and what's not:D
This chappys a bit longer I think. So here you go!
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Sighing, Hughes dropped his eyes from Roy's frightening intensity.
He'd never seen him like this before.
In the face of Roy's fury at Ed, he almost forgot himself enough to feel sorry for Ed.
What was he thinking, of course he felt sorry for Ed.
He had known Ed since he'd first joined the military. Before that, they met when he and his brother were first travelling to central to see Roy.
They should never have entered the military; it was no place for children.
Children were meant to be protected by adults, not the other way round.
But that was exactly what had happened.
Yes, Ed and Al were both exceptional with more talent in alchemy then most of the other alchemists in central put together. But they were still children.
Children who had already seen such horrors and violence in their lives, having witnessed terrible suffering as well as endured it. Children who weren't emotionally developed and so incapable of being able to understand or cope with the horrors that existed in the world.
But in the military no lenience had been given. Ed was a state alchemist, not a child in their eyes.
He was an official state alchemist so he had to act like one.
And now something had driven Ed too far.
"Do you have and idea? A plan? Some sort of strategy to help Ed? If this matter isn't dealt with sensitively then you could just make it work." Hughes said neutrally. He didn't want Roy to unload any of his fury onto him.
"I know how I'm going to dealt with this. Why did you think I called Alphonse up from Resembool?" Roy snapped as he ran his fingers through his hair out of irritation.
Sighing Hughes gently rubbed his temple. It felt like he was being calm for both of them and it was giving him a headache.
"So fill me in on what Ed's been doing. Explain the pictures you gave me." Roy said into the silence. He could hear the forced clam in his voice as he struggled to gain some control over his anger.
"It's pretty much what you see is what you get." Hughes said as he pushed up his glasses.
It had started the day after he had been given the order by Roy.
Ed had left the military base after sunset. Hughes had followed unseen with his trusty camera.
He'd been having fun at the time, he hadn't known what Ed was up to, Hughes had been entertaining ideas of Ed having a secret girl friend and was sneaking out for a date.
Ah, the innocence of youth.
Stealthily Hughes followed, tip-toeing his way along the building fronts, hidden in the darkest shadows.
Not that he'd had any previous experience of stalking or anything…
Ed walked slowly into a 24 hour café, taking a seat close to the large empty windows so he was easily visible from out in the street where Hughes stood watching with his camera.
Not knowing what he was looking for he'd started snapping.
Ed ordered a hot drink of some kind, probably coffee knowing him. After finishing his drink Ed simply sat staring.
That was when Hughes had seen it as Ed sat propping his head up on his left hand. His sleeve fell back revealing the delicate skin on the underside of his arm which was marred by the large gashes across the skin.
Hughes simply stared.
Was Ed hurt? Had he really been that badly damaged from all the missions he had been sent on over the years?
Thinking back Ed hadn't been on any missions that had involved leaving central for about three weeks. He'd been sent to collect Roy's dry cleaning but that was just the colonel trying to wind Ed up.
So how had he got those injuries?
Then the obvious had come to his mind.
Was Ed…cutting himself?
Peering closer through the window his suspicions were confirmed.
The cuts were too regular and too numerous in number to be a coincidence.
They were self-inflicted?
Raising his camera he focused in, about to take a close up of the boy's wrist. Through the camera lens he could see the red-brown of dried blood. The cuts were fresh then, they'd hardly healed.
Ed what have you done?
Silently he fought back the urge to storm into the café demanding answers. He was shocked into stillness.
For a long time nothing had happened. Ed sat unmoving at his table staring off into space completely zoned out as Hughes remained too shocked to move, unable to accept what Ed must have been doing.
What Ed still was doing.
But Roy must have known. He might not have known anything specific but he must have had suspicions otherwise he wouldn't have asked me to follow him and find out what he's been doing.
It was starting to rain.
From where he stood outside in the rain there wasn't much Hughes could do to escape it.
He stood unmoving; his back to the shop front of the building next to the café Ed was still in.
He wouldn't leave until Ed had gone home. He would follow him back to headquarters to make sure he would be safe, not that there was much anyone could do against the Fullmetal alchemist. No one would be stupid enough to try anything with him.
There would probably be more danger waiting for Ed once he was back in headquarters. There would be no one to protect him from himself.
The rain was only a light drizzle but Hughes was still glad when he spotted Ed getting up to leave.
He left the café and walked out into the cold, darkened street without so much as a battering of an eyelid as the wind swept his hair back, his coat flapping around him wildly as the first cold drops of rain struck him on his exposed face and neck.
Hughes kept his distance, only following close enough to keep Ed's small hunched form in sight.
Ed wouldn't have recognised him even if he had turned round. Hughes' uniform was swathed in a full length black coat which was wonderfully waterproof and warm.
Ed wasn't so fortunate. He was only wearing his usual clothing. His red coat stood no chance against the storm blasting and slashing through the narrow ally ways into the larger streets. The winds tugged at Ed's coat restlessly, throwing it around so it waved through the air like some flag to Ed's presence even though it was weighed down from the drenching of the rain.
Slowly they drew closer to the military headquarters where Ed would presumably be returning to his dorm.
The building loomed a slightly darker black then the writhing night sky which was a mass of broiling rolling sludge grey and ink black clouds which continued to viciously lash rain down on the earth.
Sighing with relief Hughes watched as Ed approached the open gates. He could go home now. He would inform the colonel of everything first thing in the morning.
Ed stopped suddenly and turned to face Hughes where he stood secreted in a sheltered door way, hidden from the rain and sight.
There was no way Ed could have seen him in this light!
He hadn't been seen. Ed lowered himself down onto the stone steps before the building, the rain drops splashing around him as the wind yanked and pulled his hair and coat which had been weakly wrapped around him in an attempt of warmth.
It broke his heart.
Hughes had already left his hiding place before he'd realised what happen. He forced himself to stop as Roy's words echoed through his mind.
He'd phoned Hughes after speaking to him in his office.
"Don't let him see you. Disguise yourself and don't approach him. You may only make yourself known to him if he is…wounded or in danger. Follow and observe."
He had wondered about Roy's strange pause before he had said 'wounded'. It had been like he was simply searching for the appropriate word. Now he understood. Roy may not have realised the accuracy of his words, the man had only sent Hughes to do this from a gut feeling but Roy was a very perceptive person when he wanted to be. Maybe he had secretly thought Ed was hurting himself and if Hughes saw anything he was to stop it.
Sadly Hughes had raised his camera and took one last picture.
After a while the boy had slowly unfolded himself on the step as he unsteadily stood, walking alone into the darkened building.
-
Hughes watched Roy as the silence stretched on from the end of his story.
Roy's fury had been replaced by an unreadable calm. Something was going on within his thoughts.
"Hughes, I want a military car waiting at central station with a military personnel waiting for Alphonse Elric. His train will be arriving in a couple of hours. He will be brought straight to my office. When I have spoken to him I want you to fetch Ed and bring him to my office. Make up any reason if you have to; just make sure he gets here." Roy said in a slightly strained voice showing the effort it was costing him to keep his emotions in check.
As an after thought he added: "And remove all personnel from this area. I don't want anyone getting hurt it things turn messy."
"Yes sir." Hughes said formally as he saluted.
There was nothing left to say so he turned and walked silently from the office to carry out Roy's instructions.
Left alone in his office Roy tugged his gloves rougher then necessary before walking round his desk to where he kept some of his spare gloves. Opening the draw he pulled out another pair before tucking them into his pocket.
He didn't want it to come to fighting but knowing Ed, it very likely would.
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I will update soon as I'm on Easter holidays! Yay!