AN: This will pick up from Chapter 20.
Hope you enjoy!
Take A Stab At
"You'll teach us circle-less alchemy?"
"It isn't something to be taught, but I promised Mustang if you're worth it… I won't keep its secrets from you."
Ed knocked on his chest with his fist twice, taking a breath as a uniformed soldier guided him to the last stage of the State Alchemy Exam: the practical test with panel interview. Master Izumi had taught him everything he knew about alchemy and how to do it without a circle.
As a current State Alchemist, she was supposed to be part of the panel today but had declined. "I'd hardly be objective," she said, "But you mess it up and I'll hang you from one of Sig's meat hooks for a full day."
"You're probably the youngest I've seen this batch," said the soldier once they reached a large pair of oak doors.
He exhaled slowly. If anyone called him 'short' when he was wound up this tight, he should not be made liable for any missing limbs.
"Through here." He pointed to a large arch with wooden double doors. "Good luck." He turned the knob and entered. "Elric, Edward, sirs," the soldier announced then stepped to the side to let Ed enter the room.
He took a step with each breath he drew, the sight of Mustang and four other people growing larger. He stopped in the middle of the room, where another soldier stood with his hand raised to gesture for him to stop walking, a few feet away from the table his father and the other officials sat behind.
He was being handed a chalk but Ed waved the effort off.
"You need four out of five votes to pass this final test," said the man sitting beside Mustang. "I'm Tim Marcoh, retired State Alchemist," he said with a nod, then proceeded to introduce the rest of them.
Another man named Jack Royce, the representative from the private sector. General Olivier Armstrong, a scary blonde woman who served as the Fuehrer's representative. General Basque Grand, the tall, dark, and imposing man who Riza chatted with briefly at the last military ball, filling in the spot as current State Alchemist… and Roy.
Ed ignored everyone, keeping his eyes glued to his feet and taking a breath with every shift of his foot.
"Mr. Elric." Roy crossed his arms.
He grit his teeth and raised his head upon hearing the admonishing tone for not paying attention. His eyes narrowed. Somewhere in this room was Riza too and she would want Ed to be on his best behavior, he was sure, but he couldn't bring himself to be civil to Roy when the man barely said anything to him the past weeks.
The soldier who tried to give Ed a piece of chalk cleared his throat. "You may begin your presentation."
Ed clapped his hands and slammed his palms on the ground. It reacted with a rumble and electric sparks in an instant. He stood carefully as he shaped and formed a long spear in exchange for the now-hallowed out ground beneath him.
Roy's eyes were wide, his mouth parted. Ed allowed himself a moment to feel satisfaction at having shocked the older man.
"That's quite something, Mr. Elric, thank you," said General Armstrong, though Ed didn't see any movement from her face at all that would indicate she was impressed. "Questions, gentlemen?"
General Grand asked, "Haven't I met you before? Where have I met you before?"
Ed stuck the spear into the ground and assumed a non-threatening position. "At the last military ball."
"You're connected with the military?"
"My pare… The people who raised me are officers."
Marcoh shuffled the papers in front of him. "Says here your mother is dead and your father is an alchemist?"
"Not that useless man," he can't help but mutter. "My emergency contact and her husband." Riza had advised him that even if Roy wouldn't disclose their relationship first, Ed still shouldn't feel the need to hide it.
General Armstrong shifted in her seat. "Hawkeye?"
Roy finally spoke more than two words. "We adopted Edward and his brother shortly after their mother passed."
"You failed to mention this until now?" sneered Grand. "Hiding his surname no less."
"My vote obviously can't count for his application, General. The fact I disclosed it at all now should warrant neither praise nor reprimand. His surname —"
Ed butted in, refusing to let Roy think he needed any protection and not wanting the panel to see how protective Mustang could be, "My dead mother's surname is Elric. My brother and I have used it since birth. We didn't hide anything. All our records are there," he waved at the table where the panel members sat behind.
General Grand visibly bristled as Armstrong made a half-hearted attempt at admonishing him, "I suggest you hold your tongue, Mr. Elric."
"Other than conducting alchemy without a circle like Izumi Curtis, do you specialize in any other form?" asked Mr. Royce to diffuse the tension. "Your adoption papers are indeed here. You've lived with the Flame Alchemist for almost a decade… you haven't picked up on his specialty?"
"No. He refused to teach it to my brother and I." Ed decided to throw his adoptive father a bone, "And I doubt a decade would be enough to perfect flame alchemy."
"No need to grease your father's ass," snapped General Armstrong, "He can't vote for you."
"I know that," he snapped back with a mental apology to Riza.
This truly wasn't going the way he expected it to. He could not be respectful and meek when these people are making it hard to do so. "And I also know that while I might have learned Flame Alchemy by now, being accurate in it would take a much longer time to master. Circle-less alchemy uses both my hands. Mustang's Flame Alchemy uses only two fingers."
Ed shifted his stance, forcing himself into a more relaxed position. He was too on edge. Nobody told him that the panel interview would double as another round of psychological warfare.
He thought they had left that behind in the second stage of the exams. "I might have attempted Flame Alchemy as my presentation today, if you all want this room to go up in flames."
"Knowing one's capabilities and limitations is a good trait to have," praised Marcoh.
Ed agreed, "But not to the point of stagnation, sir. Just knowing what I can do and how to improve on it."
A few more questions were thrown at him by the rest of the panel, except for Roy, who sat back and only observed the proceedings.
Mr. Royce still threw around the possibility of Ed learning other specialized forms of alchemy given his age. "He's young, so who knows the potential he could reach once given the certification and the budget?"
Dr. Marcoh worried if being highly specialized at his age would cause the budget to be useless. "What are the chances of him only focusing on one thing? Izumi Curtis specializes in circle-less alchemy, yes, but she's a good fighter too. Edward might have the ability to fight, but does that translate to a level head during a fight?"
General Armstrong didn't worry about Marcoh's concern. "He was raised by Hawkeye."
Marcoh and Grand both conceded that point. Ed now wondered how Riza managed to get so much respect from these supposed 'upper brass'.
But Armstrong wasn't quick to back up Mr. Royce's excitement either. "His potential is only as good as his drive and ambition. As a civilian State Alchemist, he will have no constant incentives to perfect his alchemy, yet alone master a new kind."
General Grand was more concerned for the overall impression on the program rather than Ed's own test. "Alchemists are concerned with gaining constant knowledge, Armstrong. Being a State Alchemist will only reinforce that hunger for more because we will be giving them the means to do so."
"You make them sound manic," Armstrong shot back.
Once all their thoughts were heard, Roy gestured for the interview to end. The soldier who previously accompanied Ed into the room walked up to him and tried to escort him out, but Ed ducked out of the way.
Running forward as fast as his legs could carry him, he raised the spear at the level of his chest, aiming the tip at Roy.
Roy stood, his chair toppling behind him when Ed skidded to a stop, his stomach bumping into the table, the tip of the spear an inch from Roy's throat.
"Someone could have killed you. Just. Like. That," Ed snarled.
Marcoh and Royce had jumped out of the way.
Armstrong had drawn her sword, Grand had raised his fists, but Roy's only movement was to get up from that damned seat.
He was too slow for Ed's liking. Where were his gloves?
You careless fool. The panel had talked too long amongst themselves that Ed couldn't help but focus on how large a security threat this specific part of the exams were. "You guys might want to think about changing this last part of the examination."
To be fair, soldiers rushed in and aimed their guns at Ed, but had Ed not stopped when he did, he could have killed Roy even if it meant that he would perish too.
Roy smirked, looking directly at the annoyed blonde and assessed the weapon he held close. "Are you sure about that?"
A gunshot was heard, making the occupants of the room either flinch or duck.
Ed let out a strangled noise at the sight of his spear snapping in half, the bullet missing his fists by a hairline.
He shakily turned to the direction of the gunshot and saw his mother standing on the mezzanine overlooking the large room… and gulped.
Riza Mustang in her uniform was intimidating enough… But Riza Mustang in her uniform with a gun in her hand and fire in her eyes was enough to make a grown man pee himself.
Roy said as Ed was escorted out, "Thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Elric. Good luck with the results."
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"Ow ow ow! Master!"
Izumi didn't relax her grip from Ed's ear. "Have you gone completely insane? Never bring your personal issues into the workplace! Your potential workplace, mind you. They could have thrown out your application the second you dashed to the panel with murder in mind."
"I didn't plan on murdering him!"
"Others might have thought differently!"
"The bastard's still my father!"
"Not everyone knows that! Look at you!" Izumi pulled Ed's ear further before releasing it.
Ed cradled the throbbing cartilage.
"I admit, I might not hesitate to call Riza your mother. But Riza wasn't on the panel."
Alphonse stood by Ed's side. "Master, I'm sure brother had a plan?"
Izumi pulled Ed by the collar to keep the brothers separate. "Your soul is gentler than that of your coarse brother. Don't get involved in this."
"But, Master…"
"You don't know what he's done, do you?"
That stopped Al in his tracks. He eyed Ed.
"This pain in the ass," she shook Ed, "presented a spear to the panel without any circle. Heard it was one of the smoothest creations that day…"
Al beamed, always in awe at Ed's skill.
"Then he charged at Mustang with that spear and aimed it at your father's eye."
"Throat!" protested Ed, trying to squirm away from Izumi's death grip on his collar.
"What?"
"Reports are varied," said Izumi.
"You tried to hurt pop?"
Ed heaved a sigh when Izumi finally released him. "I didn't try, not really, only demonstrated how risky it was to do the tests like that. Wide open to the public like that."
"What did mom say?"
Ed mumbled, "She didn't say anything to me." Not after she nearly shot my hand.
Izumi pointed at the training dummies scattered around the yard. "That you are to go home only after I'm satisfied."
Ed groaned after Al punched him in the arm for getting him involved.
AN: 'Til next time!