AN: The characters and concepts of Fullmetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of Fullmetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "Elastic Heart" by Sia, I do not own the lyrics to the song. - Carrie.
"Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart,
But your blade it might be too sharp.
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard,
But I may snap when I move close.
But you won't see me fall apart,
'Cause I've got an elastic heart."
With Edward's help, Carlina slips her yellow jacket off and folds it. She puts it back into her suitcase, wiping her forehead on the front of her tank top. "Why is it so hot," she fans herself with her automail hand. Her neck aches a little from the sling supporting the weight of her hand casing. "I mean, we traveled south, so," Ed's words die off as he groans in frustration. Winry flits between the merchant booths with stars in her eyes. "Come on, I'm sure you guys can get me something as an advance Christmas present," Winry spins around to face the alchemists. They both roll their eyes and continue walking down the street away from her.
A few streets later they stop, staring at the crowd gathering in the crossroads. The group pushes themselves through the sea of people. Someone bumps into Carlina and she winces. She turns to face the direction where the person bumped into her. Her eyes adjust in the sunlight, she squints as bright red hair disappears through the crowd. "Hey, watch it, she's hurt," Ed growls as they pass a large man, who looks confused. She leans into Ed as he puts an arm around her shoulders to steer her. When they reach the front of the crowd, they see the table set up in the middle of the bystanders. A huge man with both arms made of automail sits with his arms crossed. A smaller man stands next to another table with a large pile of money on it. He talks into a megaphone, "Step right up to participate in Rush Valley's Automail Arm Wrestling Competition! Only ten thousand cens to enter, and if you defeat the reigning champ, you take home the jackpot!" Winry watches the display with amusement. Carlina puzzles over the person who bumped into her and ran away.
"Brother, did you see that," Alphonse's whisper snaps her out of her trance. "Yeah, but I guess it's to be expected," Ed sighs, making Carlina pay closer attention to the matches. Her eyes widen when she sees the smaller man use alchemy on the table, forcing it to break out from underneath the competitors. "Dirty cheaters," she grumbles, watching as a girl with dark skin sits across from the big man. She loses in the same way as the previous challengers. After she runs away the man turns his attention to their section of the crowd. "What about you? I know you looks big and strong, how about taking on the champ," he grins at them. "Me? Oh, no, no thank you," Alphonse waves his hands in front of his face, dismissing the idea.
The man shrugs, "Oh well, what about? No, I couldn't ask such a short kid." He continues to insult Ed's height, riling him up more until Al has to restrain him. Winry laughs at the scene in front of her. "I mean, it looks like you picked that arm up out of a trash heap," the man laughs. "Al, let go of your brother," Winry grinds her teeth. Ed stretches as he makes his way to the table in the center. Carlina's eyes widen when Edward uses alchemy to disintegrate his opponent's arm. Her stomach sinks, feeling a little relieved when Winry doesn't seem to notice anything is amiss. They collect the winnings as the crowd disperses. Spending some of the money on a good dinner, they leave and walk along the higher paths in the town. Winry bounces along, holding on to the sack of money. The sun sets, casting a red glow on their surroundings.
Carlina trails behind her companions, thinking about the red hair again. She stumbles and catches herself on the ground. Looking up, she sees the guys from earlier arguing with her friends up ahead. Lina pulls herself up and brushes the dirt off. As she approaches the situation, she avoids Winry running into her as she runs away. "Al," she makes a waving motion and holds her automail arm up. He tosses her suitcase to her. She roughly catches it, and clutches it as she runs after the blond girl.
"Winry, wait, please," she wheezes as she catches up to her friend. Winry wipes some tears away and turns around, "Did you know Ed was cheating?" "I didn't until I saw him do it," Carlina winces as Winry's arm moves. She blinks as the mechanic punches her in the arm. "I, don't want to be around the guys right now. Think we can find a place? I haven't forgotten about finding a place to get you automail for your fingers," Winry ruffles her friend's hair as they walk away down the street. "Hey, isn't that the girl from the competition," Carlina points to the lone figure sitting on the bench. Most of the light has faded into night, street lamps illuminating parts of the town.
They walk closer to the bench the girl sits on. "Did you hurt your arm," Winry approaches the girl on the bench. As the two begin talking, Carlina zones out again. She closes her eyes and tries to envision the person who ran into her earlier. The harder she tries to focus, the less clear the picture in her mind becomes. Hearing a noise in front of her face she blinks. Winry snaps in front of her nose a few times, "Are you still in there? You haven't said a word this whole time. Paninya offered to let us stay at her place for the night, and I'll try to help with her repairs." Carlina nods and extends her automail to shake hands, "Thanks. Nice to meet you, Paninya."
Being quiet, the three girls slip in the entrance of Dominic's automail shop. In the dim light, something in the front display case catches Carlina's eye. In a padded box sit ten individual automail fingers. She presses her automail hand against the glass. Her throat tightens as she sees the fingers are the same size. "Paninya, I need Dominic to give me surgery," her voice rushes out in an exhale. When she looks up, she realizes the other girls left her alone. She makes her way into the back room and sits on a box in the corner as Winry repairs Paninya's automail. Before she can ask about the surgery an older man appears in the doorway.
Her eyes dart back and forth in the conversation, jumping up as Dominic turns to leave the room. "Wait, sir, I need you to operate on me," she takes a few steps forward as he turns to face her. "You don't seem like you need my services. From what I can gather, the Rockbells are your mechanics," he raises an eyebrow as Winry nods in confirmation. Carlina unlocks the hand brace with her automail. The metal casing falls to the floor. Paninya's eyes widen a little and Dominic steps closer.
The thick white gauze covers the trauma, but the problem is obvious. "Please, sir, my friend has skills but she doesn't know how to do individual finger replacements yet. I didn't have time to return home and I need automail soon. I saw the fingers in your display case. I'll pay for the whole set if I have to, but I need your help," she holds her injured hand out toward him. Dominic runs his hand through his hair, "That's nonsense."
Lina's expression falls but Dominic puts a hand up to keep her from speaking. "I won't charge you extra. We help those who need it here, so you'll pay for what my services cost. Luckily fingers take less time, but we still won't finish until tomorrow morning. Are you willing to do that," he stares down at her. "Yes, please Mister Dominic," she smiles while he sighs and rubs his face with his hand. "I wasn't planning on pulling an all-nighter tonight, but that's the nature of this business. Follow me girl. Your friend will stay at Paninya's tonight while you recover here," Dominic holds the door for Carlina. Winry hugs her friend before she follows the mechanic out of the room.
He leads her into the front to unlock the case and remove the fingers she needs. They go down the stairs into the basement. "Down here most of the sound gets absorbed, so the neighbors won't complain about the whole process. In our early years there were some citations thanks to the sound. Seeing as you have automail already, you won't get caught off guard." Dominic grabs a large object from the corner of the room. The bulky item hides under a sheet. Once he finishes positioning it he uncovers it.
The recliner has modifications for automail surgery. On both sides of the recliner are straight pieces meant to hold the arms in place. She blinks and turns to the old man. "Usually I have an assistant, but in emergency cases I would be by myself. People jerk their bodies around, they can't help it. This prevents them from moving and hurting themselves worse," he begins gathering the tools to perform the operation. Carlina walks the perimeter of the room. She inspects various pieces of equipment in the basement. She looks down at her human hand. Taking a deep breath, she begins unwrapping the layers of bandages. With the final bandage gone, she takes in the sight of her hand. The two fingers and the part of her hand with her knuckles are missing. She rotates her hand to inspect the surgical work done on it.
Dominic interrupts her thoughts when he clears his throat, "Are you ready?" Carlina nods and sits in the recliner. She stretches her arms for a few moments before laying them on the extensions attached to the chair. Dominic tightens the leather straps on the arm restraints. She inhales while he fastens the buckle around her waist. At his instruction, she moves her arms and torso around. "I'm impressed with the design, and it isn't as uncomfortable as I imagined it would be. Although, my tone will change once I've spent a few hours here," she laughs.
Light filters in through the small windows of the room. Carlina cries out as Dominic connects the nerves on her fingers. He looks on, "Good. You were a good patient and I don't see why you'd have any issues with those breaking soon. If they do, your blonde friend seems capable of repairing them." She nods, rubbing her arms as he unties the straps. A dull ache lingers where he installed the hardware to attach the fingers, but most of the pain is gone. Flexing all her fingers, she lets out a relieved sigh as they move in tandem. Lina takes the rag he offers her to wipe the sweat from her brow. While the pain in her fingers has dulled, her body feels worn and sore.
"Well, girl, the other room has the spare bed for you to rest," Dominic begins cleaning the operation area. Carlina enters the spare room long enough to exchange her pants for shorts. Changing out of her sweaty tank top, she pulls a black tube top on. She puts her black gloves on, relieved they still fit. When she leaves the spare room, she opens her suitcase and takes out the money for her procedure. He takes the money but looks her up and down. "You shouldn't be moving around too much, you should rest after installation," he sighs. "Sir I appreciate what you did for me, but I have to reunite with my friends," Carlina bows to him before running out of the building with her things.
Tremors shake the ground as she sprints. Her stomach ties itself tighter the longer she runs. I have to tell them. I have to tell him. I can't keep this a secret anymore. Carlina pushes off her adrenaline and turns a corner too fast. She collides into Alphonse's back. He catches her before she can hit the ground, also catching her suitcase. "Winry said you overslept! Do you feel better now," Al sets her back on her feet and puts her suitcase on the ground. "Well, actually I," she gets cut off by the sound of stone breaking in an alley nearby. "Brother," Al runs in the direction the sound came from. The girl scoops her suitcase up as she runs toward the sound. They view Edward running after Paninya on the buildings above. "Al," Carlina gets his attention, tossing her suitcase at him. She claps to activate her alchemy. Dull pain shoots through her hand but she pushes it back and presses her hands against the ground. The ground surges beneath her and launches her up on top of the building.
Stumbling but keeping her footing, she falls in step with Ed. "Funny running into you here," she grins at him. He rolls his eyes, "She stole my state alchemist watch!" Carlina's brow furrows, "Paninya didn't seem like that kind of person yesterday. It's fine though, I can help out!" The two slide to a stop when Paninya reaches a dead end. She turns around as Ed lunges forward and snatches his watch back from her. Her hollowed out knee in her automail gives, she loses her balance and falls back off the edge of the roof. Ed claps his hands against the ground. Carlina looks over in time to see hands materialize and slow the momentum of Paninya's fall.
Taking a deep breath, she puts a hand against her head as vertigo sets in. Her surroundings jolt back into focus as Ed's hands clamp on her shoulders. She leans half over the edge of the building. Carlina doesn't resist when he pulls her back on to the roof. A thin sheen of sweat coats her forehead. She sees his mouth moving but his words sound far away. When she tries to speak her mouth feels full of cotton. Blinking, she looks over Ed's shoulder across the rooftop. Her blood runs cold as a head of flaming red hair comes into focus before her world goes dark.
She hears Ed and Al's hushed voices first. Her eyelids flutter and the voices go quiet. "Hey, Carlina," Ed's voice comes from somewhere in front of her. When she opens her eyes sunlight blinds her. Taking a few seconds to adjust, she winces as the site of her recent surgery throbs. "Are you okay?" Opening her eyes, she shakes her head in response to Alphonse's question. "Not, right now. I will be, but for now, well. Why are you guys tied up? Where are we," she blinks a few more times, convinced she's dreaming. The Elric brothers sit back-to-back, tied together by thick rope. Winry sits next to the pinkette, looking confused. "The guys' teacher showed up and she restrained them, talking about taking them back to Dublith for something," Winry shrugs.
The ropes fall away and the brothers stand up. "Come on Al, the girls can catch up with us later. I can't believe teacher thought that would hold us," Edward opens the door to their compartment as he speaks. Carlina closes her eyes and listens closer, hearing the sound of the train's wheels. "Brother," she jolts to her feet when she hears Alphonse cry out. Edward lays on the floor of the train, clutching his forehead where a lump is forming. "You still haven't learned your lesson," a woman's voice carries into the cart. Carlina pushes herself off the bench and in front of the brothers. She straightens her back at the sight of the woman and the towering man. "I don't believe we've met," she speaks. The woman begins laughing. She grabs her by the top of her arm and steers her away, "I like this one now that she's conscious. I'm going to steal your friend, boys, stay comfy until we reach Dublith." The man cracks his knuckles, both brothers scramble back into the compartment.
The woman releases her hold, beckoning for Carlina to follow her. They travel for another moment before arriving at the first class car, the attendant looks nervous as they walk past. She takes a deep breath to calm her sudden fears. A large shadow looms over her, the hair on the back of her neck stands up. The man walks behind them, blocking any chances she had to return back to the Elrics' compartment. They enter a private compartment, where an attendant is cleaning up the remnants of a meal. "Did you want anything," the woman trails off, looking at the girl. "Carlina, Carlina Joihanson," she sits in the open space by the train window as the woman slides in next to her. "Izumi Curtis, and this is my husband, Sig. Did you want anything to eat, Carlina," she smiles at the girl.
"I wouldn't want to impose. I can get my funds from my luggage after we arrive in Dublith," she falls silent as Izumi presses a finger to her lips. Carlina's stomach growls and her cheeks turn dark red. "I guess that settles that, they can get you a full meal, on us. After all, you have been traveling with my lousy students for some time," Izumi takes a sip of her water. Carlina stares at the tablecloth until the food arrives, thanking the couple before she begins to eat. Halfway through the meal, she stops as she feels all eyes on her. "It would be more polite to eat without your gloves on," Izumi smiles but it sends chills into the girl's heart. "I should be fine," Carlina laughs, the laughter cutting off as Izumi leans in close to her.
They stare into each other's eyes for a few moments. Lina shifts, feeling the intense way the boys' teacher probes her with her gaze. "I want to know why your arm isn't real," Izumi's voice stays cheerful, but her eyes narrow. Carlina feels the oxygen suck out of the room, things begin to spin. Before she can sink further she feels cold water splash on her. She shudders, bewildered, dripping from the glass of water Izumi threw on her. Still reeling, she doesn't resist when the forceful woman pulls her gloves off. "That explains it, the fingers here. You must be tough to have kept yourself going this long, but your body hasn't had a proper chance to rest. Ed never mentioned this recent operation," Izumi blinks as Carlina yanks her hand away.
Sig clears his throat, "It's possible Ed didn't know." Izumi looks at Carlina, who grabs a napkin and begins blotting the water off herself. "I, uh, appreciate your hospitality Mrs. Curtis but I have to be going now. If you wish to talk further, we can do it later. It might be better to do so in a setting that isn't moving and rocking around," she gets to her feet, pulling her gloves back on. Izumi stands up as well, blocking her exit around the table. "Carlina, I need to know more about you," the woman sounds commanding, but something in her voice catches. Carlina claps her hands and attempts to touch the table. Whatever transmutation she had planned ends when Izumi grabs her by the arms, flipping her on to the floor. The wind rushes from Carlina's lungs. She grasps at her ribcage, wheezing. "You didn't use a circle," Izumi's eyes narrow. "I promise, I will answer your questions in Dublith, alone. Please, let me get back to Ed," she stares up at the woman, the strength draining from her body again. Izumi looks thoughtful before reaching out her hand, "I'll take your word for it, dog of the military, if you'll give me your watch." Carlina turns her incredulous gaze from Izumi to Sig, and back again. She realizes Izumi is serious, immediately pulling the watch from the pocket of her cloak.
Izumi looks surprised at how soon the alchemist relinquishes her pocket watch. "That was it, right? Only the watch? I hate to be a burden but I need help returning to the other compartment," Carlina picks herself up off the floor. "Sig can guide you back," Izumi waves them off, pocketing the watch and looking thoughtful. "I need to know, before I go, what do you want from me," Carlina pauses at the door. "You've been traveling with the Elrics, parts of your body are missing, you can do alchemy without a circle. I need to be sure you aren't someone who would hurt those boys," the woman's expression shows many emotions.
Nodding in understanding, the girl leaves the compartment. She follows the large man until they stand in the hallway by the compartment she started in. "Thank you," she smiles and ducks under his arm. Lina stands at the door, hand frozen on the handle. She takes a deep breath and walks inside, blinking when she sees her Ed and Winry are asleep. Al waves at her. Ed shifts as she closes the door, his eyes opening as Carlina lowers herself into the booth seat next to Winry. Concentrating on the other girl, she doesn't notice Ed is awake. Her human hand trembles as she brushes stray hairs out of Winry's face. Pain pulses from the recent automail installation. Her breath catches and she clutches the hand. She closes her eyes and her healing hand clenches. Carlina jumps when she feels a hand on her knee. Ed presses a finger to his lips and points at the compartment door. They wave at Al as they leave, he nods and stays behind.
The teens travel toward the back of the train. Reaching a door with an attendant, Ed flashes his pocket watch at the man and pulls Carlina through. Crates sit in straps against the walls. Light filters through the outlines in the doors of the cargo car. Edward pushes a set of doors open, revealing the country rolling past them. He helps Carlina sit on the edge. They sit side by side, legs hanging. Ed sits on the side of her healing hand. He reaches out, his hand close to touching hers. "What's been going on," he looks concerned, his brow furrowing when Carlina's gaze avoids his.
His hand grips her wrist, squeezing it once, "Please. Ever since the Lab, it seems like you've been on a different planet and I don't know what to do. When Al wouldn't talk to me, you told me to give it time. With you, I don't know what to do. We've gotten closer but you have this wall up and I don't know what to say. I want you to feel comfortable enough to let me in. Haven't we been together long enough for me to ask that much from you?" Ed looks like he is about to speak again. He stops when Carlina uses her automail hand to grab the glove on her other hand. "Is that safe?" Before Ed can ask any more questions, she pulls the glove off and reveals the hand with the two automail fingers. Her body tenses, her breath catches in her throat. She hears Ed take a deep breath. Carlina stares out at the scenery, afraid to look at him.
AN: Apologies for an extended update. I caught the flu and was out of commission for a while, but I'm good now! Special thanks to Ro for the review on the last chapter! Mild confrontation with Izumi, and now Carlina has a confrontation with Ed on the horizon? Hoping to push another chapter out this week. Thank you for the support, remember to review or message feedback to help keep me going! -Carrie.