Hello! I hope you're all having a good day/night/evening/whatever time it is right now where you are! This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, because I had to split up the original in two (it got really really long) and this part got the smallest end of the figurative stick, hehe. It means I posted early tho!
I apologize in advance for the angst, I completely meant it to hurt but I thought I would post the happy ending in the same chapter so. Ups.
You know the drill, if you think there's something I should put a warning in this chapter specifically, tell me and I'll fix it.
For now, enjoy the chapter!
Ed is on the ground as Hayate licks his face when Hawkeye opens the door. She smiles apologetically at him, calling Hayate off him.
"It's fine, it's not the first time it's happened," he waves off her concern. "I just came to give this back to you," he hands her the gun that's been tucked in his waistband for a good forty eight hours now. Ed snuck out after Roy left to come here, not wanting Al to see the bloodied gun.
"Oh. Thank you Edward," she takes it from him, most definitely noticing its lighter weight. She doesn't comment though.
"I hear you've been assigned as the Fuhrer's personal assistant," he asks in an idle tone, but his face betrays him. Hawkeye simply smiles, albeit with a little sadness, and nods.
"Yes. I received the order yesterday morning," she says, beckoning to come in. "Come on in, Edward. I'll make you a cup of tea."
They end up sitting at her dinner table. Ed has a cup of steaming hot tea, and Hawkeye sets to clean her gun. She disarms it with an ease born of repetition, placing all the pieces in the cleaning solution.
"It looks like you had a hard time since we last saw each other," she comments. It's both a statement and a question.
"I shot the whole clip. Not that it worked, but…" Ed shrugs.
"Did something happen?" there's no judgement in her voice. Hawkeye has never judged him, not in any of the lives he's lived. At first Ed thought it was because she considered him a child, but then he realized there was never something to judge in her eyes. He gets things done, and that's enough for her.
"No, just… turns out Scar killed Winry's parents. There was a gun and… I don't know, I think she hated him enough to kill him. I don't want her to become that kind of person. Not like I am," he confesses, and Ed feels small as he hugs himself.
"You worry about her a great deal. You love her, don't you?" Hawkeye smiles as she starts assembling the gun again.
"Eh?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. "Winry? I mean, she's like a sister to me, but I don't love her in the way you're implying. There's… someone else," he ends up with his eyes looking at his lap. Hawkeye hums.
"Yes, I guess there is, isn't it?" he looks up in surprise. He meets Hawkeyes eyes, which are filled with kindness. "You'd be good for each other."
Ed swallows dry. He's known most of the office is aware of his embarrassing crush on Roy, but there's a difference between knowing and actually having it shoved on his face.
"I don't know about that, Lieutenant… I just want him happy," he says in the end. His lips tug in a sad smile.
"That's why I say it. He needs someone who's thinking about more than his safety, for once."
Ed leaves soon after, wishing Hawkeye goodbye and good luck on her new post. He finds Al while walking towards the dorms. It seems his absence has been noted after all.
"Brother!" Ed turns around to face Al. He's jogging towards him, and Ed waves. "Where'd you go?"
"Just wanted to return something to the Lieutenant," he explains easily, even though both know what he returned. "And you? Why are you out again? I thought you'd be waiting at the dorms."
"You were taking too long, so I got worried," Al is unapologetic, not that Ed expects him to be sorry. His worry for Ed will only ever come second to Ed's own worry for him, and he can't fault Al for that. Ed supposes it's slightly codependent, but taking into account their life experiences, he doesn't find it surprising. "I thought you would have gone with the Colonel."
"Mustang? Why would I?" Ed knew this was coming, but he's still not prepared for it. "He just wanted to talk about something."
"Brother, I'm stuck in an armor, not blind," Ed winces. "I know you've got a crush on the Colonel for years now. And he does look at you differently than everyone else, you know?"
"He does not," Ed laughs disbelievingly. "If anything, he treats me like a kid, Al. You're seeing things."
"Whatever you say Brother. Just remember what I said when you do end up together, alright?" Ed stares at his brother, speechless. He's definitely been reading too many romance novels lately, it's starting to mess with his head. "In any case, I found out some things while I was wandering around looking for you. Do you remember how we couldn't use alchemy this morning?" Ed nods, sitting down next to him near a fountain. "We'll, apparently, at the same time, people above ground couldn't use it either."
"Huh," he makes a show to think about it. "Then the only ones that could use alchemy were that girl May Chang and Scar… but what she did didn't feel like normal alchemy to me," because May uses the Dragon Pulse, while alchemists in Amestris draw from the tectonic plates. "Maybe it's because she's from Xing?"
"You mean like alkahestry?" Ed nods, glad his little brother has caught up. He's always been a smart one. "We can ask her tomorrow morning. She's still with Doctor Knox."
Except she's not. And while Ed is willing to let the matter go, Al has gotten really invested, so now they have to go and look for her. It feels like more trouble than it's worth, in Ed's opinion, but he's a special case so who knows.
Eventually they run into Roy, which doesn't seem all that much like a coincidence. Three days in a row isn't much when you work together at the same office, but Ed hasn't been to the office in either of those days, so really, it's a wonder they've met at all, let alone so much.
They climb inside Roy's car. Ed still feels a bit wary of the promise he made yesterday, but he can't take it back now, can he? He can only… circumvent it. If he can't get a hold of Roy to let him in on his plans, then it's not like he's breaking his promise, right?
Right.
They relay their suspicion to him, who of course looks satisfied to be included in the plans and promises to look into it, the weirdo.
"I don't like being in your debt, but you asked for it," Ed shrugs. It's not like it's the most dangerous thing Ed could be asking him for, so he's not too worried.
"Oh, yeah. Speaking of debts, give me back my money," Roy asks as he extends a hand for Ed to drop the coins, forgetting he's driving and almost killing all three. Or well, most likely only Roy and Ed, since Al is pretty durable.
"Watch where you're going!" Ed yells as Roy gets them back on track in the nick of time. "This is why the Lieutenant drives you everywhere, you maniac," he sighs in relief. "How much was it? Five hundred cens?"
"Five hundred and twenty! Don't try wrangling me!" seriously, it's like they don't pay him or something. He does know he makes more than Ed does, right? Plus the research funds he almost never uses?
"You sure are cheap huh?" he mutters, smirking at Roy's offended gasp. "I think I'll keep the cens though. I'll give them to you once you become Fuhrer, how's that?"
To his credit, Roy doesn't swerve the car again. His eyes do narrow though, and he sends Ed a sharp look. Then, in a surprising turn of events, he smiles.
It's a nice smile, if a bit small. Certainly genuine, though not the biggest he's drawn out of Roy by far. It still makes Ed's heart flutter, because it makes Roy look beautiful.
"I should have known you'd know about that," he sighs. It sounds resigned, but happy, in a way. It's weird. Ed doesn't get emotions like most people do, so who knows what Roy is feeling. "You keep it then. I'll make sure you return it to me one day," and there's a double meaning there, some kind of reassurance. Ed isn't sure how much he believes it just yet, but…
But he would really like to see that day.
"Just make sure you get there, alright?" Ed pushes through the sudden knot in his throat. "It would be a fucking shame if we saved this country only to keep the fucked up militarized system instead of getting a democracy out of it."
Roy laughs, and it's… beautiful.
Ed is down bad. He's down really, really bad.
"How is everyone?" Al asks before Ed can get too lost in Roy's laugh, which is appreciated. "Did they all leave already?"
"Yes, they've departed this morning. Urgent matters, you see," Roy explains with a sarcastic little grin. "They all came to say their goodbyes though, and Warrant Officer Falman even returned my chess board. They send his regards," there's a message hidden there, but Ed can't see it. It's not in code, he can tell that much, but what is it…
No matter. If it really were important, Roy would tell him.
"I see," Ed falls silent as the military dorms roll around. "See you tomorrow then, Bastard. It's bound to be busy now that it's just the two of us, so try not to slack off too much, will ya'?" he says as he opens the door and hops off the car.
"Me? Slack off? You offend me, Edward, I would never," Ed snorts as he closes the door and turns around, waving.
"You sure you don't like him, Brother?" for a suit of armor, Al sure can be a sneaky motherfucker when he wants to be. Ed jumps a few feet in his surprise.
"Fucking hell, Al!" he yelps. "Don't scare me like that. And I don't like him, stop saying that. Someone could get the wrong idea," he says to deflect, but it's not a lie. If Envy, or Truth forbid, Pride caught wind of it…
No. Ed wouldn't think of that. Too many bad memories.
Pride is the hardest homunculus to discover. It takes him even longer than Wrath, because who would think a child would be working to destroy Amestris?
Ed finally finds him out during loop three hundred and twenty seven. It's a coincidence, really, that he's there when he and Wrath discuss some plans Father instructed them to complete. Pride always appears as a shadow, too used to hiding. The only time the Homunculi went public, Ed didn't get to see him before Wrath cut him in half.
Selim Bradley is Amestris' darling. He's a sweet boy, a bright child. He's arguably the strongest homunculus. Ed would be insane to try and expose him.
Not for the first time, Ed wonders how he is supposed to win this.
Ed spends the rest of the week between the office and the library. Now that most of the team is gone, he and Roy have to work overtime to keep everything up to date and under wraps. Roy's new subordinates, no doubt send there to spy on them, arrive two days after their team's relocations, which leaves them with just enough time to move everything that could be suspicious out of the office and into Roy's personal study at his house or Ed's dorm, deciding it's best if the information is split in case of a break in. Al helps them as best he can, hiding the biggest things like the maps inside his armor so people won't notice them carrying it all out of Central Command.
Every second he's not in the office, Ed spends it with Al in the library. They fail to find Xiao May, and thus lose May Chang, so Al's next idea is to look for information the old way: reading.
Not that Ed dislikes researching— in fact, he loves it, but he knows they won't find much in there. Due to the many conflicts between Amestris and… well, everyone they share borders with, their international trading is small at best, and the knowledge on foreign alchemy is abysmal. Everything he's learned on alkahestry, he's done it from Hohenheim's books, or someone from Xing. But it keeps Al occupied and it gets Ed out of the office, which is good if he and Roy want to sell their charade of not getting along. Ed is certain the only reason Wrath didn't move him from under Roy's charge is because he thinks he does more harm than good to his work. At the first inkling of something that points the opposite, Ed knows he'll receive a notice that'll have him, if not moving cities, at least switching COs.
They make it work. Ed spends the mornings at the office doing everything he and Roy have deemed safe to treat at the office, he makes sure to yell once or twice at Roy, then leaves to have lunch with Al before heading to the library, where they stay until the librarians kick them out. Then, once they are at their dorm, Ed will get to work on whatever it is that needs his attention the most.
Tonight, it's the red of intel Breda left for them before his reassignment. He has to admit, Breda did a good job. There is lots of information there, most of it accurate. Ed confirms what he can, and hints at some other things. He would like to do more, but Roy knowing is already a risk, and if the reports were ever to fall in the wrong hands, it's best if the only information there is information that can be tracked back.
He'll have to find a way to send this to him without getting intercepted, though it's all in code so it would take a while to decipher it. He's thinking maybe Havoc can help. He's back in the East with his family already, working the phone of the family shop, but he's still working with them from the shadows. If Ed sends him the intel disguised as a letter, then he can phone Breda about it. Ed knows he's being monitored constantly, but he doubts they have Havoc under the same scrutiny.
"Brother, you should sleep," Al calls out to him from the other side of the room, where he's reading a book he borrowed from the library. "It's nearly three in the morning, and the Colonel expects you at the office by seven so you can talk before the others arrive."
Ed checks the time. Of course, Al is right. It's way past two in the morning, and he really should go to sleep. He's almost done with the reports anyway, and he can pen the letter tomorrow before going to bed.
"Yeah, Al. Jus' a second," he reassures his little brother before putting everything away. He keeps everything in the space between his mattress and the bed frame, since it's the safest place to keep it in a room as bare as theirs. He guesses he could always alchemise a space in the wall and then seal it, but the marks would give it away.
Ed sleeps around three hours before Al shakes him awake. Fortunately, he's used to running on caffeine and willpower, so Ed manages to look semi-presentable by the time he's entering Roy's office.
The man looks tired. For the untrained eye, Roy looks just fine, but for someone like Ed, who's known him for such a long time, it's obvious he's been sleeping less than he should. Understandable, since he's also working overtime at home.
"Fullmetal," Roy greets him. Ed sits in the chair in front of the desk and doesn't say anything. "Did you find what you were looking for yet?"
"Nah," Ed shakes his head. "For such a big library, there are too few books in alkahestry. If I hadn't seen it, I'd think it doesn't exist," Roy's lips form the ghost of a smile. "Did you find the cat?"
"Not yet, I'm afraid. One would be surprised how difficult it is to find such a distinguishable creature," yeah, Ed figured as much. "I'll let you know if I find it."
"Thanks," Ed crosses his legs. "I'm thinking of writing to Havoc, see how he's doing. Do you have his address?" Roy eyes sharpen at that. He knows Ed doesn't write often. Nearly never, really. The only explanation would be that he needs to send some confidential information he can't deliver himself.
"I should have it somewhere. I'll give it to you before you leave," Ed nods and stands up. The others are bound to arrive anytime now, and it wouldn't be good if they saw them together. "Edward?"
Ed stops in his tracks.
It's inevitable. This Roy doesn't call him Edward. He calls him Fullmetal. The only times he's used his name…
"What is it?" Ed keeps his voice steady.
"I'll have to leave early today as well. I agreed to meet an old friend in the evening," Roy's voice sounds deceptively light, the kind he uses when he wants something. "Would you like to go grab lunch with me before we part ways?"
Ed turns around. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is parted. Is he…?
When Ed doesn't answer, Roy stands up and rounds the desk until they are merely two steps from each other. Ed finally meets his eyes, sharp gold clashing with consuming black.
"You don't mean that," he finally whispers.
"But I do," Roy still looks calm. He takes another step. Ed's feet are routed to the ground. "I've done some thinking, after what you told me. And at first I didn't want to believe it, but… well, there's a reason this has happened before, I guess," he murmurs around a small smile. Ed's heart beats so hard it feels like it's going to burst from his chest.
"Roy…" he tries to say something, anything, but he can't find the words. This is his wildest dream and his worst nightmare wrapped in one.
Roy takes one final step.
Ed's eyes instinctively flutter close as Roy's lips press against his, soft and full and delightful. He finds himself flushed against Roy's chest, arms instinctively wrapping around his neck to bring him closer. Ed can feel Roy's heart thudding fast, matching his own frantic heartbeat.
When Roy's tongue asks for access, teasingly gliding over his lips, Ed gives it to him, sighing in delight because he's missed this. Roy tastes like the coffee he must have drunk in the morning, with a hint of mint from his toothpaste. There's a hand on his hair, running fingers through Ed's hair as it slowly makes the loose braid come undone The other hand is around his waist, keeping him close and giving little squeezes that make him melt. Ed stands on his tiptoes as the kiss turns deeper, fierce, desperate.
Kissing Roy feels like coming home.
After what feels both like eternity and a second, they part. Ed mourns the loos. Roy's lips are red and swollen, and at some point Ed messed up his hair enough for it to look disheveled. He can only begin to imagine how he must look.
Roy smiles, that beautiful, perfect smile of his, and the world comes crashing back down.
Ed takes a step back as if burned. The look of horror must be too obvious, because Roy's smile disappears, replaced by a frown.
"Edward—?"
"W-We shouldn't have done that," Ed says. His voice wavers. "We shouldn't— that was a mistake."
Ed turns to the door. He doesn't listen to Roy's pleas of his name, doesn't go back and talk about it, doesn't stay. He closes the door behind Roy's office and gathers his things from his desk. He's leaving.
Truth, he's so stupid. He's a fucking idiot. How could he let this happen? And in Central Command, of all places? He shouldn't have— he shouldn't have said anything in the first place, he should have lied that day when Roy asked him why he was so important to him, why Ed was so distraught. He should have kept his distance, should have known he would fuck up because he always does.
What if Pride was watching? What if they placed bugs in the office already? What if they know now - they know they know they definitely know shitfuck - that the best way to get to Ed is through Roy?
(An explosion. Red hot blood splatters everywhere, it drips down his face. Someone laughs in the distance, but Ed only hears his own screams.)
(There's nothing left to bury.)
He has to leave. Ed has to find where the fuck May is, and leave.
Al asks him why he's back at the dorms early. Then he takes one look at him, and when Ed says it's nothing, he doesn't press for information. Instead, they head to the library, where they keep combing through the whole alchemy section until Alex Armstrong approaches Ed with information on May's whereabouts. He gives Ed a destination and a letter of recommendation, and also a message from Roy.
Be safe.
Ed can almost hear his heart breaking.
Ed has spent some loops in the North. None of those loops are particularly pleasant, that with his automail, but he's got a job to do, and nothing gets done without some sacrifices.
Some of those loops he spent on Briggs. Others he just wandered. One would be surprised at what is there to find out from small towns left forgotten by the snow.
The one thing all of those loops have in common, is that things get ugly.
Then again, when don't they?
Ed will admit, maybe he was a bit hasty in his leave. If anything he should have at least gone to Winry to get his automail fitted for the cold.
It's too late now. He'll have to make do.
At least, Ed consoles himself as another shiver goes through him, they are pretty close to the border, so there should be some Brigg's patrol group nearby. If he and Al can confirm their identities before the patrol kills them, then at least they'll be allowed inside the fortress. Then Ed will have to face Olivier Armstrong, which isn't much better in terms of his survival rate, but he'll do it somewhere warm. At this point, that's all Ed can ask for, really.
And sure enough, no more than twenty minutes later, he and Al are surrounded by the Briggs Mountain Patrol, just a few feet from Briggs itself. After a few too close calls - he really shouldn't have skipped on the annual joint training with North Command, automail be damned - Ed finally manages to state his identity and hand over his letter of recommendation, courtesy of Major Armstrong. Ed knows it's futile against Olivier, but at least it'll get him verified as the Fullmetal Alchemist. The rest he and Al can do on their own.
Ed has met Olivier before, of course. While he doesn't always manage to get her on board for the Promised Day, it's happened enough times for Ed to have a good enough grasp on her personality. She doesn't believe in anyone's judgement but her own, and she's ruthless, but she's fair. She won't throw someone out before hearing them out, and if she's convinced, Ed knows she'll be a formidable ally.
That doesn't make her any less cold than usual, but then again that's fine by him. As long as she stays unbiased, he doesn't have any complaints about her methods. Truth knows he's learned from Teacher.
His shoulder is checked out by one of Briggs' medics, and Ed grimaces when they tell him he was minutes from getting frostbite, and that he has to get an automail fitted for the cold if he wants to stay long term in the North. Since Ed has no idea how long they'll be staying here, that means he'll have to call Winry.
Ugh.
The days that follow are hectic. Ed and Al are put to work at Briggs as payment for their stay, which has them running around the compound doing all kinds of work. It's tiring, but hard work has never been a deterrent for them, and it gives them the opportunity to talk to people.
They also bump into Falman, who's made Second Lieutenant while posted in Briggs. Ed takes the opportunity to fill the man in on what happened before his relocation, since he's pretty sure Roy didn't have the chance to tell him anything. Falman is understandably horrified, but he is glad to be brought back into the fold, and promises to see what he can do about mobilizing Briggs for the Promised Day. The final decision rests in Olivier's hands of course, but having one of her men vouching for them certainly helps.
"Tell the Colonel not to make any rash decisions," he asks in a low voice while they work. "I know he can take care of himself but he can get impulsive when he's stressed."
Oh, doesn't Ed know that. He's getting a headache just thinking about it.
"I'll tell him," he promises despite not knowing when he'll see Roy next. "You be careful too. We're dealing with something a lot bigger than we thought."
That statement is proved truthful when fucking Sloth breaks a whole ass hole in the middle of Briggs. Because of course they have to stumble across the only homunculus that doesn't know not to kill them. Just great.
After the whole debacle - fighting Sloth isn't hard so much as it is tiring, he's practically indestructible - Olivier finally gets fed up, which took longer than Ed thought it would, and drags him and Al inside the hole Sloth was digging under Briggs to interrogate them. She thinks it's secure, that no one will hear them here. Ed knows Pride could be watching right now, since they are inside the tunnel.
Well, it's not like he has a choice anyways. If he doesn't tell Olivier the truth, he can say goodbye to any sort of alliance for the Promised Day, and it would be an understatement to say her forces will be needed.
"I need your help," he starts, looking her straight in the eye. Olivier looks back, unfaced. "The thing we fought back there it's called a homunculus. They are basically artificial humans powered by Philosophers' stones, which are made with human souls. They are extremely durable, as you saw, and they don't care who they hurt. They're working for their creator, who they call Father. He has a plan to turn Amestris into a huge ass Philosophers' stone, and he has infiltrated the upper echelons of the military for years now. There are seven Homunculi, each one of them named after one of the seven deadly sins. Fuhrer Bradley is one of them, the representation of Wrath. The one back there was Sloth."
Olivier keeps quiet. She's analyzing all this new information he has just given her, digesting it and fitting the pieces together.
"And why couldn't you tell me this before?" she asks in the end. Her voice betrays nothing.
"We looked too closely into things. Bradley had a… talk with us. He reassigned most of my team as a warning to Colonel Mustang, scattered them across Amestris. Lieutenant Hawkeye was reassigned directly under him. As long as we're compliant and don't actively work against them, then they'll leave us and those close to us alone. I don't like it, but I'm used to working in the shadows," Ed shrugs. That's all there is to it, once you strip down all the details.
"And why let you live?"
"We're sacrifices. They need us for their plan, though we don't know how. Sacrifices are hard to come by, so they try to keep us alive if they can," Al explains. He sounds calm, though Ed knows it bothers him. He wishes he could hug him, comfort him, hide him away from all of this, but he can't.
"I see…" she deliberates some more. "I don't like it. It seems like I've been out of Central Command for too long, if this happened without my noticing. And we do joint training with Eastern Command quite often, so I know Hawkeye and Havoc. I wouldn't like to lose them," Ed wisely doesn't mention Roy, knowing she tolerates him on a very good day. "Alright, I'll help. It sounds like something I wouldn't want to miss anyways."
Relief floods him. Objectively, Ed knew she would agree to offer her help. Father's plan is just not something she can condone. The hard part was getting the moment to talk to her, really. But he still feels the knot in his throat loosen at her words.
She'll help. They have Briggs now. Alright.
"What do you think of this tunnel?" Ed hears her ask them in the middle of his semi-breakdown. Al hums in thought, kneeling on the ground and examining the tracks.
"It probably wasn't dug here from Drachma," his little brother says thoughtfully. "I can't be sure, but I think it's a circle."
"A circle?" Captain Buccanear asks.
"Circles are fundamental to alchemy. They control the circulation of power. There's also the equation…" Ed takes a look at the map. He already knows what this is, and has already had the time to feel horrified by it. Right now he has to pass information. He circles Ishval with his pencil "Lieutenant Falman, do you know of any major events in history that were accompanied by bloodshed?"
Together they draw the array. It's the same array that was drawn in Lab 5, the array to create a Philosophers' stone. The array on itself is pretty basic. It doesn't have any extra symbols. It's raw alchemy at its prime, and it makes him sick to the stomach.
"This is…" Falman looks stricken. "Some of these attacks date to the founding of Amestris!"
"They created Amestris, helped it grow over the years. For them we're like cattle. They're just waiting for the best day to slaughter us," Ed sighs, jaw tightening in anger. "This is what Hughes saw, or begin to see anyways. He got too close to the truth and…" and they tried to take him out. "He's been on leave since then, keeping out of the way, so they haven't had the need to try to kill him again. But if they realize someone else has clued in…"
"I don't like this," Olivier frowns as she points her sheathed sword at the map. "As far as I can see, the next place to see blood is around Briggs, isn't it? What are those goons in Central about to do to my citadel?!"
Whatever discussion that may have taken place after that gets interrupted by the announcement of General Raven's arrival, because of course he's here. They have to cover up the whole mess with Sloth, after all, and it wouldn't do to let it spread out of Briggs. Ed asks Olivier to tend a trap for Raven. She delivers beautifully.
And then he sees Kimblee.
Ed feels like he's been sucker punched. Kimblee is dressed in white - he was covered in red last time, so much red - and his eyes are cruel. He hasn't seen Kimblee since loop three hundred and two, but suddenly it feels like it was yesterday that Ed heard him laugh derangedly, uncaring of the bits of flesh splattered against him, stepping over what used to be Roy - how dare he how dare he how fucking dare he - until they're only steps apart. It feels like he's been screaming for hours, like his eyes hurt from so much crying, like he's just finished punching the literal life out of Kimblee.
He stumbles.
Luckily, he's being restrained by Buccanear, if only for show, so the rope holds him up as he regains his footing. His breathing is shallow, stuttering as he tries to reign himself in.
He can't hurt Kimblee. No matter how much he wants to tear him apart limb by limb, he can't lose it right now. Not yet. Not like this.
But Truth does he fucking want to.
Ed and Al end up locked up in a cell for what feels like the millionth time since getting to Briggs. Raven comes to talk to them soon after. They play the compliant part, acting concerned when they have to and baring their teeth when it's warranted. Raven seems satisfied with them, so Ed supposes they've done a good job at deceiving him.
Several days later, Ed gets news. Raven has been… disposed of, which is great because Ed hates that asshole, but it's also not great because now Kimblee has free reign to do as he pleases, the fucking psycho.
Ed's blood boils when he sees Kimblee again. It runs cold when he sees Winry with him.
No. No, this isn't supposed to happen. She's supposed to be safe in Rush Valley, that was the deal. That was the fucking deal, they keep quiet and no one gets hurt. Why is she here with Kimblee?!
And of course Winry has no idea of what's going on. Ed's tried to keep her away from all of this, so it's understandable. He just wishes he wouldn't put her in danger all the time.
"If you were going to travel to the North, you should have told me!" she scolds him as she works on his arm, which has always been more tricky than the leg. While both amputations were clean cuts by the Gate, the stump in his arm got infected, so the port attachment wasn't as smooth. Most of the time, it's his arm that acts up.
"I couldn't help it! We were in a hurry!" and Ed wanted to leave Central and go as far as he could the fastest he could. He didn't want to give himself the chance to regret his words, nor Roy the opportunity to catch up to him before he was too far away from his jurisdiction.
"You guys are always in a hurry," Winry rolls her eyes, unaware of Ed's inner turmoil. "And what were you doing in that cell?"
"Just a simple misunderstanding," Ed's muscles tighten painfully at Kimblee's voice. His shoulder screams in protest, and he lets out a low hiss before forcing his muscle to relax again. "They will be out soon. I'll handle the arrangements afterwards."
Winry smiles at the bastard, looking relieved.
"Thank you, Mr. Kimblee. Please look after these two for me, okay?" Ed wants to scream at her, warn her not to trust that fucker, that he's dangerous, that he's a cold blooded murdered. But doing that means forfeiting her life again. And so he keeps quiet.
"Yes, of course," Kimblee has the fucking gall to smile back at her, that piece of shit.
Ed tugs at the end of one of Winry's wrenches, making her look at him. He tries to convey his uneasiness as best he can, tapping her arm twice with his finger. Their sign for danger. Winry narrows her eyes, but otherwise doesn't react as she goes back to readjusting his arm.
It seems though, that Kimblee didn't bring her here out of the kindness of his heart - as if - and that she's here to act as leverage. Now Ed is supposed to help Kimblee hunt down two of the most important men in the resistance against Father, and become a mass murderer.
Fucking peachy.
This does help him get out of Briggs though. Not that he doesn't appreciate the hospitality, but if he and Al want to find May, they have to actually go look for her. Playing along with Kimblee's plans can get them started.
Ed and Al may have different reasons for wanting to find May. Al wants a way to get their bodies back. Ed wants to know how she, Scar and Dr. Marcoh are doing with their research, how close they are to finding the counter to the nation-wide array. Either way, they need out of Briggs.
While at Baschool, Ed considers calling Roy. A lot has happened since they last talked, and while Ed told him all he knew, things aren't going as Ed thought they would. For one, Kimblee is out of prison. That hasn't happened since loop three hundred and two.
But thinking about Roy hurts. Thinking about Roy means thinking of their kiss, of the chance at something Ed knows he can't have.
No, it's best if he doesn't call Roy. The call could be intercepted, and it's best if no one suspects them of being close. Ed should be back at Central soon enough, and then he can tell him in person.
(If only he knew he wouldn't see him for a long time, if only he knew he's just wasting time—)
It doesn't matter anyways. Soon, all thoughts of Roy go out the window. Ed knows his luck works in strange ways, but what are the chances of going into random buildings and coincidentally finding two out of the people you've been looking for?
Ed is pleased to find that Dr. Marcoh and May are indeed already working on Scar's brother's research notes, even if their progress is slow going. Ed has never seen them, just the array, and it's not like he can just conveniently think it up, so he can't help them with that. Scar should be able to decipher them though, so Ed knows it'll be fine as long as they figure it out before the Promised Day.
The unmistakable sound of debris falling catches Ed's attention. Ah, so they've found Scar, it seems. Ed signals for Al to come with him, barking some orders to Dr. Marcoh to keep Winry safe while they go look into it.
He and Al run the blocks between the building they were in and the growing sound of explosions. Ed's lungs ache with the exercise, but he keeps going as he goes up the stairs.
"Ah, it seems like we got here in the nick of time again," Ed drawls out as he takes in the scene in front of him. There's Scar, who's bleeding from a wound in his arm, and there's two human chimeras, who Ed supposes are his so-called-guards.
"Brother, aren't they…?" Al whispers to him, and Ed nods. They have the same idea at the same time.
Neutralizing the two chimeras isn't hard, especially with his new automail. It's lighter, as all northern automail is, and after carrying so much weight for so long, it feels like he's flying. His hits are also lighter as a result, but Ed's always been a heavy hitter as it is.
The fight ends quickly, and then it's only Scar left. Part of Ed wants to let the man leave. Truth knows he needs him alive, and he certainly won't be if he gives him up to Kimblee. Then again, Ed does need Scar to work with him and not against him, and for that they need to talk. Since Scar isn't really the talkative type, he'd have to hold him still, hence the capture.
The choice gets taken away from him.
Before he can even get one word out, Winry is screaming at him to stop, and then Major Miles is pointing a gun at Scar's face.
Shit. What a fucking mess.
Even after the whole thing is over and done with, and Scar has gotten out safely with Winry, May, Dr. Marcoh and Yoki, Ed still feels rage. Rage at how impotent he is, at how he could just stand there and watch again.
He's tired of watching. He'd tired of being useless.
And then he has to let Al out in the middle of a snowstorm so he can go and warn their allies of how dangerous Briggs has become, because Wrath works fast, and their stunt with Raven has put Briggs in his radar.
Stuck inside the building, Ed can only hope that his little brother makes it in time as he watches Al's armor disappear in the middle of the storm.
He doesn't get a wink of sleep. He spends the night watching as the storm blows past, covering everything in more white. By the time the snow has stopped falling, it's already morning again.
Major Miles orders his men to take out Kimblee and his two chimeras from Central. And Ed knows it's their safest course of action, but…
"Wait," he stops the three men from Briggs. "Don't kill them," at Miles disapproving frown, Ed sighs. "Look, I don't like this any more than you do. And while I have no issues killing Kimblee, those other two don't deserve it. If you can, incapacitate them, and then we can interrogate him."
"And Kimblee?" Miles asks. Ed sneers.
"If I get the chance, I'll kill that fucker myself, don't worry."
Miles observes him for a moment, considering. Ed waits with bated breath.
"Do not forget the rule of Briggs. 'If you're careless, you die'. We cannot let any loose ends," and ultimately, Ed can accept that. It's too close to the Promised Day to start being merciful.
"Alright. I'll follow your lead," if the Major is surprised by this, he doesn't show it. Ed follows him out the door.
They trail after Kimblee and his two goons across the city. It seems he's caught on, because he doesn't want anyone from the North to search the tunnels with him. They'll have to be careful, or he'll see them and use his alchemy.
He's got good awareness, that's something Ed can't deny. He spots the snipers before they can stick a bullet through his head, so it's up to Ed to stop him. Which would have been fine, but Kimblee…
Ed doesn't know how to think straight when Kimblee is involved.
When Kimblee uses a second stone - just why would anyone give this fucker not one, but two stones? Hasn't he proved he's not reliable with them? - Ed knows he's done for. In a fair fight - in a fight when Ed has nothing left to lose - Ed would have finished him easily. He's powerful enough, and he's got more than a few scores to settle with the bastard. But with a Philosophers' stone…
It's not that surprising that he ends with a beam through his side.
It's not the worst way he's died. He's certainly been in more pain before, and at least he's not pulling anyone with him this time. He can be happy with a death like this, he thinks.
But this is his best loop yet. He's done so many things this time around. He's got Briggs on board. He's got Scar, and May, and Dr. Marcoh. He's saved Hughes.
Roy would be sad if he found out. Maybe he would cry.
Roy has always died first. It's always been Ed that feels like his heart is torn to pieces. Ed can't bear the thought of hurting him like that.
Pulling out the beam is painful. It feels like his organs are going to spill right through the hole on his side. His hands shake violently as he claps.
A Philosophers' stone, he thinks viciously, desperately. Use his body as a stone, use his life force as fuel. He feels something in him drain as his organs start stitching themselves back together, not completely but enough that he won't die right then and there.
"Is he dead?" he distantly hears one of the chimeras ask with a dubious tone. Ed huffs.
"Don't go writing me off, yet. It'll take more than this to kill me," he coughs some. It hurts. "I'm not completely healed… but I spliced together a working system for now."
"Then you need to have a doctor look at you!" the other chimera says. It's weird how fast they've gotten over their grudge against him.
"No, there's no—" he wheezes out another fit of coughing. "No time for that," somehow, he stands up. "I have to go after Kimblee or the others will be in danger."
He falls on the ground. The next time he wakes up, he's laying on a bed.
"Motherfuckers," he sighs. It seems like they did take him to a doctor after all. Why does no one ever listen to him?
Oh well. He does feel better. At least it doesn't feel like his organs are going to explode anymore, which is always a bonus, so maybe it was for the best. It's not like he's an expert in healing alchemy.
Ed sends Gorilla, one of the chimeras, to withdraw funds from his research account. It'll certainly put them in the military's radar, but at least they'll have money to pay for what is sure to be an expensive treatment, and he needs food. They do end up in a car chase, but at least Ed gets his fuel, so all in all he thinks of it as a success.
From here on out, it's a matter of waiting. By now, Ed is sure he's officially considered missing, and if the police from the north he had to fight is anything to go by, they'll be looking for him. He has to stay out of Central so Pride can't track him, and communication will have to be kept at a minimum. He has to find Al at some point before the Promised Day, but that can wait until later. He still has a few months.
What he does have to do, is inform Roy of what has happened.
It's a risk going to one of the nearby towns, but he has to do it. He makes a quick call to the Curtis' shop, smirking when Mason answers the phone. Good, so they've left. Ed leaves a message and tells Mason to pass it on.
There's nothing else he can do now. Ed has to hide until everything has settled down, so it's up to Roy to gather the intel he needs to convince everyone and rally their troops. It's frustrating, being rendered basically useless for so long, but he has no choice.
For now, he hides. He keeps to the forests with Darius, Henkel and Greedling.
He just has to be patient (has to pray to gods he doesn't believe in) and trust that everyone will meet him at the finish line.
I'm sorry?
I know some of y'all will be mad for how I did Ed and Roy so dirty. In my defense, this was meant to be the last chapter, it just got too long. They will get their happy ending, remember that!
Tell me what you think so far! I tried not to rush the events at Briggs but eventually things were taking too long so I took some shortcuts. Someone told me my characterization of Ed and the other characters was really good, but I'm still not sure, so if you wanna bust my ego and tell me I did amazing it would be apreciated!
The next chapter is the Promised Day! Lots of feels, lots of action (or my best attempt at it, I'm sorry in advance I'm really bad at action scenes if you haven't noticed already). I'm really excited for you guys to see it! I'll try to post it by Friday, but I'm swamped with tests this week so who knows.
I'll see you guys next chapter. Remember to stay hydrated and take some time to yourselves!
Stay safe! Kudos!
Pato
