Chapter 002

Author: Black Dragon on the Rocks/Animealam/Alandrem

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Nope, the characters here don't belong to me. I'm not making any money out of this, and it's for my own enjoyment and that of those who read it.

Summary: Truth did not accept Ed's alchemy as payment for his brother, instead It asked for Ed's body and two favors. Ed would be able to do what no male alchemist could, bring forth life. The favors? Save a world were his counterpart died during the Human Transmutation, and live for herself this time around. Ed agreed, he'd do anything for Alphonse, even becoming a girl. Not Mpreg, no slash.

Characters: Edward Elric, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Truth, Jean Havoc, Heyman Breda, Kain Fuery, Vato Falman, Granny Pinako, Winry, King Bradley, Various Homunculi, Alphonse Elric, Van Hohenheim, OCs, Mentions of the Avengers, Maybe some Avengers, Tony Stark almost a given.

Warnings: Time Travel, Dimension Travel, De-Aging, Fem!Ed, Violence, Angst, Drama, Gore, Mentions of Rape, Mentions of Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Alternate Universe, OOCness,

Pairing: Future Fem!Ed/Roy... maybe.

Timeline: Mixed timelines. Starts with Brotherhood - Post Promised Day, then it's mostly Anime 2003 until after Youswell, Some Brotherhood, Starts - Post Ed's 1st human transmutation, Post Avengers Movie (Not sure yet, might make it during The Avengers movie), Post Iron Man 3, Pre Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Author Notes: This is a long chapter, and though I try to make chapters relatively even in length my way of writing simply won't let me have as much control as I'd like. I do plan the basics of the story, but once I start writing it usually comes in one huge block of text, which then I have to find decent places to cut into chapters.

Ed is going to mentally consider himself as a guy, because he has not yet completely accepted the fact he's female now, but he'll get there.

Words with Notes: 7,520 (W/O Notes: 7,179) (Notes: 33)

Ed slowly opened his eyes, to find himself in Granny's guest bedroom, which was disconcerting since the first time he met Mustang, he had been in the sitting room, just after eating breakfast. This time around, the old hag had just finished bandaging his mutilated body, and while it was clearly the night of the failed human transmutation, he was not in pain. Thank Truth for small mercies, as losing both his leg and arm had hurt like a bitch.

He had to give it to the old woman, Granny did have the good stuff, and she did not like for her patients to be in pain when it was not necessary. When it was though... and he mentally shuddered at several memories of the surgery to install his ports, and his physical therapy after getting automail. Those had been hell; and shit, he was going to go through all that again! His mind was foggy, though not enough to keep him from realizing things were not quite the same as he first experienced, because he had not regained consciousness until the following morning. After he lost it on the way to the Rockbells' house.

"Granny," Ed's voice was a very similar tone to the one he had as a boy, despite being a girl.

'Huh? That's weird, but... nice. Would've hated a high pitched girly voice,' he absently thought, and mentally giggled—something he would never admit—still rather high on painkillers.

"So you're conscious now," Pinako said frowning. That child would be the death of her, specially after Alphonse had that accident and killed himself. "What did you do this time, Edward?" Such a ridiculous name for a pretty little girl. She had told Trisha not to use that name for her daughter, but the young mother had been insistent, and Hohenheim had agreed to the name as well. That idiot had truly wanted a boy. "You did that... teleporting thing, landed in the living room without two limbs, and nearly died of blood loss."

"I... I... wanted..." he was feeling quite detached. At least he was not feeling giggly anymore.

"Don't tell me you were trying to bring back Alphonse," Pinako said with a weary sigh.

She really should have paid more attention to Ed. Pinako knew the girl was not doing well after her little brother's death, but she had been so busy with several continuous clients, and each took a lot of her time and attention despite having assistants to help with the work. Being too busy was actually the story of what had happened since the children lost Trisha, and Pinako later learned of Yuriy's and Sarah's murders.

Pinako had been left to take care of raising Winry, and take care of the business on her own. It had started while the Ishvalan War was still going—when Yuriy and Sarah left to help the injured during the conflict—and got even busier after it ended and they were gone. So much so, that Pinako had accepted apprentices to help her, and now she had two well trained assistants. She had also continued training medical automailers, as business was booming, and Pinako needed all the help she could get.

Things reached the point where lately Pinako had started allowing Winry to get more involved in the process of installing the automail ports. Her granddaughter proved she was not only a natural where automail was concerned, but also gifted. William and Helen—her two assistants—were impressed with the girl's progress, and Pinako could not deny being so proud of her. When the time came, Winry would be able to attend the best University in Amestris to learn Bio-engineering and become an even better automailer.

"And Mom too," Ed added not looking at the old woman.

"That was foolish..." Pinako began only to be interrupted by a man entering the room.

"So that's it," Roy Mustang's deep, measured voice filled the room as he closed the door . "I've never seen such a furious reaction on a transmutation before. Pardon me," he added showing his pocket watch as an ID.

'The fuck?' Ed thought bewildered. 'This didn't happen back home! Mustang came three days later, not the same night!' Then he remembered Truth had actually warned him about it moments before he went through the Gate... how 'nice' of It.

"A State Alchemist?" Winry squeaked slightly shocked as she stared at the tall, dark, young, and rather handsome stranger. His looks were exotic, and there was no denying at least one person in his family was xingese.

"What business does the military have here?" Pinako demanded none too pleased. She... had a grudge with the military after they had gotten her son and daughter in law killed in their foolish wars. They never told her if the one who murdered them had paid for what he did. "As you can see, this child has been injured gravely."

"This letter came my way," Roy said stepping deeper into the room, and showing them the envelope. The letter was not addressed to him, but James Herbert was dead. As the second highest ranked alchemist in the whole military—and relegated to East Command because of it, by those who hated how fast he was rising—letters like that one came his way rather often.

Ed did recognize the letter, he and Alphonse had sent several, and never really got a response. 'Did my Mustang get one of those? He never mentioned it, so I suppose he didn't, but... this is... quite different from the first time we met. Hopefully not everything is like this, otherwise I'm royally fucked.'

"We..." and Ed had to swallow the lump in his throat because it really hurt to think about his little brother, even if the Al he had practically raised himself was still alive, healthy, and safe somewhere else. The fact remained, the one from this Reality was gone, and it hurt so very much. "Al and I, sent those letters to the bastard's acquaintances."

"When was this?" Granny asked peering at the letter, then turning to glare at the foolish girl.

"A few... a few months ago, be... before Al died," Ed looked away to the window and the storm outside so they could not see the tears forming in his eyes. Like hell he was crying in front of the Colonel Bastard... even if he was not a full Colonel yet.

"I see..." She was not pleased they contacted the military, but could not reprimand Ed for it.

Pinako knew she had not paid the children enough attention through the years. Too busy keeping the business afloat, raising Winry, and that was not counting how hard it had been to deal with her own grief over Yuriy's and Sarah's murders. She had provided the kids with food to eat a few times a week, and a bed to sleep every once in a while. It definitely was not the way to raise orphaned, grieving children. Ed had stopped coming to her as often once she was seven, when she took over the farm, and the cooking for Alphonse. Those two had been practically living on their own. In hindsight, Pinako could see it unfortunately was too late to change the way things were.

"We have been searching for your father for a long time," Roy told the clearly crippled child in hopes to get some information on the man's whereabouts. The boy frowned at his words, and it puzzled him.

'They have?' Ed could not help thinking as a frown appeared on his face. 'That's new, as far as I know, the military knew nothing of the bastard before. Father did, but I don't think he was actively seeking Hohenheim then. How much are things going to change from what I lived through?'

"We still don't know where Hohenheim is," Pinako informed the man curtly. "There are hurt people here, Soldier, so go away."

"And good luck finding the bastard, because he didn't even come for Mom's and Al's funerals," Ed spat. He knew why Hohenheim left them, but that did not mean Ed was not bitter about it. He was not sure he could ever forgive the bastard for abandoning them, and he did his best not to play 'what if'. Ed knew it would not do him any good.

"If the boy has..." Roy began.

"The girl," Ed corrected deciding pretending to be a boy, even if he mentally was one, was only going to bite him in the ass later on. "My name might be Edward, but I. AM. NOT. A. BOY!" For some odd reason, it annoyed him to be considered a boy. "Don't know what my parents were thinking when they gave me a fucking guy's name."

"They swore their first born would be a boy," Granny told her unhelpfully.

Roy stared at the child. A girl? While there were female alchemists in Amestris, very few were powerful enough, or interested enough, to become State Alchemists. There actually were no female State Alchemists, even when the Führer had finally given in two years ago and allowed for them to take the tests. Of the few civilian female alchemists he knew of, nearly all of them preferred to work doing minor repairs, doing research, working on theory, or botanical transmutations.

The girl before him had attempted two human transmutations at the same time. She produced the most powerful transmutation reaction he had ever seen, or heard about—and he had seen that nutter of Kimblee at work, who was considered one of the most destructive alchemists after him—and the girl was still alive, albeit missing a couple of limbs. It still did not deter from the fact the child had to be extremely talented, and powerful, which was why he was willing to ignore the fact she committed taboo in order to recruit her once she was older.

"If you performed human transmutation, and escaped with your life, then I am more interested in you, than in your father," Roy told her sincerely and giving her one of his 'charming' smiles, most females—no matter the age—fell for them. "You can make a fine State Alchemist."

"This girl has done nothing," Pinako stated as she glared at the rather young soldier, "we have things to do, so go away," she insisted, her tone was firm, and left little chance for argument.

"I am State Alchemist, Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, come pay me a visit at East City's Headquarters when you're able." He looked at the girl as he introduced himself, ignoring the old woman, then Roy walked to the door.

"Mustang," Ed called and waited until he turned to see him/her. "A warning, you have enemies in the highest places, and I mean the highest. Be discrete with your ambitions, if you want to reach your goals.

"Your team, family, and friends can be trusted, but always be prepared, and don't depend only on your kind of alchemy, diversify if you're able. Because, like now"—it was raining hard outside—"it's useless when wet." The warning was spontaneous, but Ed knew him well enough to be sure he would at least take it into consideration.

"How..." he began shocked, realizing she could only mean the Führer himself, and maybe the top echelons of the military. The fact she also seemed to know about his aunt unnerved him, Roy had made sure no one but those closest to him—meaning Hawkeye and Hughes— knew about his aunt and the girls.

"Doesn't matter right now," Ed interrupted him dismissively. "It's just a warning I had to pass. You'll hear from me if I decide to become a State Alchemist," she told him knowing he would not be happy with her answer. Yet Ed really hoped he would heed her warning.

"Very well, this is my card, Miss Elric." He produced one and placed it on the dresser. Then thinking a bit more, he got a pen, and wrote on the back of it. "I added my personal cel phone number should you decide to become a State Alchemist." He left after that, intrigued by the girl's abilities; because he thought he had heard she... teleported in search of help.

A week passed since Mustang's visit, and Ed had time to think, as well as start coming to terms with the fact Al would not be there. Before there WAS a reason to become a State Alchemist, which was getting Alphonse's body back, but now there was no excuse, because he could not tell them about his previous life. But... perhaps he could tell them about Truth's favor. There was a good chance Granny would accept it because she was already questioning his fast healing, and little scarring. He actually liked that ability a lot, with as often as he got hurt before, it would be a good advantage.

"Granny," Ed began as the old woman was changing his bandages. "There's money at the house, as well as some valuables..."

"It's fine, Ed. We don't need to talk about that..." She began to reassure the girl.

"We do," he insisted. "I'm sure you noticed I heal faster than normal, and I rarely get sick."

"I... yes, I have." She said slowly, and could not deny it was something which had intrigued her, because Edward had not caught any of the normal childhood illnesses unlike most of Resembool's children, including Alphonse and Winry.

"It's not natural, but something Hohenheim did to me..." he started, not quite comfortable calling him father. He probably never would.

"Ed..."

"It's Ok, Granny. I don't... like that he left, or know exactly why"—he did now, but was not supposed to yet—"but I do know there was a reason. That's why he changed me, and would've changed Alphonse too, but he, for whatever reason, decided not to do it. I was angry at him for abandoning us, still am, and I probably won't ever forgive him, but he told me I was to protect Al, and Mom, should it ever be necessary.

"Remember the State Alchemist was surprised I lived?" The old woman nodded. "That's because the most dangerous transmutations require a heavy toll to be paid. I know now there's no equivalence to a human soul, and that's why that type of transmutation isn't possible... I died," he told them bluntly. "There was nothing I could give that was equivalent to two souls."

"But you're alive!" Winry exclaimed shocked.

"Because I made a deal..." Ed began.

"With the devil," Granny stated.

Ed snorted, "that asshole is a fucking son of a bitch—"

"Language, Edward!" The old woman berated her, but knew it was futile. Ed practically raised herself and Alphonse after their mother died, and she had become a wild little thing.

"—but It's a... God... to the alchemists at least. Anyway, Truth asked for a favor in exchange for my life. Thanks to what the bastard did to me, I've the abilities to do this favor..."

"So the warning?"

"Yeah, Winry. That Mustang guy's an important piece, I knew I'd be meeting him, but didn't know where or when." At least Truth had told him that particular event would be different. "The creepy asshole told me the State Alchemist will help me with the task I have to do," Ed chose to explain.

He really did not want Granny to finally decide to act as his guardian, it was too late for that. Mentally he was no child, he had stopped being that when he tried the human transmutation so many years ago. Besides, it was not like Granny had the legal right to act like her guardian. Pinako never even asked what she needed to become their legal guardian, she simply gave them a place to stay while they grieved, taught him about handling the farm—Granny actually handled that for a while—and how to cook.

"You're joining the State Alchemists." Pinako was displeased, but knew there was not much she could do if Ed set her mind to it.

Edward was simply too stubborn, and frankly she had relinquished any right to make decisions for her the moment she chose not to become the kids legal guardian. The girl had already run away once—and took Alphonse with her—to find an alchemy teacher. After three months without any news from either of the kids, Pinako had given them up for dead... until one day the children showed up at her door, looking healthy and relatively well cared for. Ed had actually grown a bit. They were gone for seven months, and those idiots had only been nine, and eight respectively.

"Yes, I will," Ed responded resolutely, even if it was not a question about wanting to, but rather needing to. He knew he would accomplish nothing as a civilian.

"You know that if war breaks"—and there was always a strong possibility as Amestris was rife with both internal and external conflicts—"State Alchemists will be called, and have to kill for the good of the people?" Pinako warned her, she definitely did not like the idea of Ed having to kill anyone.

"I know, my alchemy teacher told me about it, she too dislikes the military," and Ed was sure he was in for a beating next time he went to Dublith, just like it happened the last time he visited. "I'm not happy about having to kill, and will do my best to avoid it, but the possibility is something that comes with the job. In the mean time, there's a lot I can take advantage of to fulfill my part of the deal.

"The military alchemists have access to research materials I won't get anywhere else. They have labs I can access to work on whatever I need, they will give me a regular salary—which is good since I have to support myself, and I won't be here to manage the farm—and I'll also get a research fund to pay for my alchemy needs. I heard it was a very hefty sum.

"I'll also find the allies and the information I'll need to do what was asked of me there, Granny. Like this," and he signaled his body with his remaining arm, "I won't be allowed to enter, I'm no use like this, which is what the money is for. I need you to fit me with automail, because I need to be able to move under my own power to do what Truth asked me to do."

"I would still prefer if you did not go out and risk your fool neck, Edward."

"I know, I don't like that part either, but... this is a deal I can't back out of, Granny. If I do, I die," while this was a lie, Ed knew it would be the best argument to convince the old woman to fit hi with automail. "If I fail, Amestris, then the world, is doomed."

Nearly a year had passed, and Ed was ready to leave Resembool to get certified. In that time he adapted to his automail arm and leg faster than Pinako and Winry expected, but then, this was the second time he had been through the surgery and physical therapy. Edward was also in much better condition than the first time around—he healed much faster thanks to Hohenheim's experimenting—he knew what to expect, and what he could and could not do.

He knew his limits, at least those for a non enhanced human, but also had the time to carefully find what those limits were now for this... new body. Also, this time Ed did not kill as many nerves as he had done before; in fact he had not killed any yet, and hopefully he would not in the future. He had been very careful about that because Ed now knew it would make his automail limbs work much better.

This time Ed decided to pay more attention to Winry when she went on her usual rambles about automail, how wonderful it was, how it worked, and how to properly take care of it. It helped that his free trip to the Gate had provided him with a lot of information about automail, probably as much as the Winry from his Dimension had, or perhaps some of the better automailers, although not as much as that LeCoulte guy in Rush Valley—the man was considered a master at the craft—or Granny, because she too was a master at what she did.

Ed was not all that interested in becoming an automailer, but he was sure the knowledge would save him from at least a few wrenches to the head... he hoped. Because he frankly did not miss those. Most people took around three years to function normally with automail, and that included the recovery time from port surgery. Ed had already done it before, and it took him a year, so he knew he could recover in less time, and gain full movement of his automail limbs.

Besides, while this was a different body, it had to be since it was a female one, his mind did remember how it 'felt' to control automail. Thanks to Hohenheim's enhancements, Ed healed much faster than Granny expected, so the ports were installed a good three weeks after she lost her limbs. Once those healed, again much faster, Ed had automail installed although these were temporary, as he and Winry were designing a much more advanced set. It was only four months after the Human Transmutation, when the first time Ed had it installed six months after he lost his limbs.

In the time between losing his limbs, and getting the port, Ed got very involved in the creation of his new ones. They were working on two sets of limbs, the regular—although optimized—kind the Rockwells would make for any of their clients, those would be ready much faster and give Ed the mobility he needs. The second set was being designed to survive the fights he knew were ahead, as well as be the weapons he needed them to be.

Ed knew the normal alloys commonly used for the prosthetics would not be what he needed, so he had done intensive research into which types of metals would make his automail stronger, and yet lighter to carry. Once he found a few possible candidates, Ed worked on creating the necessary arrays to make them. Since he was still lacking an arm at the time—the temporal ones had not been ready yet—Ed had to resort to drawing the arrays like the rest of the alchemists. It had been quite a while since he had to resort to doing that.

It was while working on the potential alloys he could use on his definitive automail when Ed discovered Winry was quite capable of activating an array if it was to work with metals, or anything related to automail. The Gear Head had been hovering, much like Ed tended to do when she was working on his automail and he was bored, as he worked on the first experimental array for a titanium and carbon fiber alloy which he planned to add to rarer metals once he was sure the array worked.

His best friend had actually listened to him ramble about the properties of the materials, as well as what he intended to obtain with the transmutation. She had actually followed his ramblings with no trouble, since metal was something she understood. So when Winry accidentally touched the array and activated it, she had all the necessary information to follow through with the transmutation.

It had truly been a shock for the both of them, but when he studied the end results, Ed found they were quite decent. It was not yet the perfect integration of surgical grade titanium—which was not what he had initially—and carbon fiber, which would have been the result of Ed's transmutation, but with more practice he was sure Winry would get it; and get it she did. Once the Gear Head had time to think, and assimilate what happened, she was very determined to learn how to transmute the alloys used for automail, it would not only be cost effective, but she had more control on the quality of the metals.

Creating the arrays did not come easy to Winry, but she really had no need to make her own, as the problem was solved by Ed creating them for her once he knew what she wanted to make, and explaining to her carefully what each of the arrays was supposed to do. They had experimented on what would be the best type of alloy for the automail limbs they normally designed at the shop. In the end, Ed made several arrays for all of the shop's needs, Winry engraved them in five feet by five feet aluminum sheets she could use to make whatever they required for their clients.

Ed found it was a surprisingly fun project, and it did not take too much time away from the design of his automail limbs. At Granny's suggestion those arrays he designed were copyrighted and Ed would receive not only the credit for them, but actually some money as they could be sold to whoever wanted to use them, either on paper, or in the aluminium sheet which Winry could engrave. The Rockbells could use them for free, though.

Since Ed had worked along with Winry on the design of his automail, he hoped the Gear Head would not be so... prone to hit him with a wrench this time around, although with the improvements they had designed, he expected the visits for repairs would be minimal. The Dimension's technology allowed for better fitted and lighter members, with much finer motor control, something Ed had only dreamed about, and the Winry from his Reality would have killed for.

The advancements in tech had allowed him to add a few enhancements to the automail to cover for the fact he did not have his brother's back up this time around. The end result was a work of art in both his and the Gear Head's opinions. Winry assured him there was nothing like it around, not even at Rush Valley—the mecca of automail, and they felt quite proud of their design, and once finished, the end result.

The hands, fingers, and toes perfectly matched the size of the ones on his flesh members, and gave him really fine motor control, something he had not been able to achieve with his previous arm. He could write decently—not that he had good handwriting, but it was more... legible than before—unlike what happened... back home, and as he wanted, both arm and leg were practically indestructible.

Back in his original Dimension, there were some rudimentary sensors, and Ed could get the barest of feedbacks from both the arm and leg, but his mind had been blown with how much things had improved in this new Reality. The sensors available in this modern world were able to provide feedback about temperature, and pressure. Ed could 'feel'—more like identify—heat or cold, whether his automail was touched, and how hard. This, of course, had required more nerve connections, and having it installed had been more painful, but one hundred percent worth it.

With the work, and all the research involved into making his new automail, Ed hoped there would never be any reason to replace the limbs, not even if he grew up—which he knew he would. If for some reason it was necessary, Ed at least would not be left useless, and the temporary set could be used while a new set was made. He even devised a method to enlarge them as needed, using a mix of alchemy and magic—once he had been able to visit Hohenheim's study where he had the magical books—because, unlike the previous time, Ed knew almost in his sleep his new limbs' functions and parts. He had helped design them after all.

The young alchemist had used a special alloy he transmuted, after doing some research on that wonderful invention that was the Internet. Although his first idea had been to use a mix of carbon fiber, and titanium. The new alloy was lighter, and stronger, but was also a good material for winter automail. Making this alloy from scratch was how they ended discovering Winry could activate arrays, even if she was not alchemist material.

After some experimenting, and coming to the conclusion his initial idea would not be as great as he thought, Ed resumed his research on the Internet and came up with a couple of very rare metals which actually were perfect for what he wanted. Thankfully he discovered those metals were included in the revised periodic tables of the time. Frankly all the information he needed to transmute them was there.

Once he had successfully transmuted high quality versions of his chosen metals, it took him several tries—with Winry's help—to find the perfect combination of metals for his automail. The resulting alloy contained Adamantium, Vibranium, carbon fiber, and titanium. The first two had not existed in his original Dimension, and even in the one he lived at, they were extremely rare.

Thankfully, being an alchemist, Ed did not need the real metal—Ed would not have had enough money to even buy an ounce of either of the two... Well the titanium was also quite expensive—but he could transmute them from others with similar composition. It had not been easy, and he had actually had to draw the arrays he created to make them.

He also worked on some Runes—which was part of the knowledge he obtained during his free trip to the Gate—to make the limbs only as heavy as his flesh limbs. It was actually all the benefits he could get from using magic, which made it easier for Ed to accept it, and start learning as much as he could than what he got when he went through the Gate. The end result was practically perfect, his growth would not be stunted by the automail this time around. To top it off, Ed added spells that would only allow him, or Winry, to remove the automail. No more getting vulnerable—and useless—because the bad guys removed them.

After the automail was installed, and he was finally allowed to move under his own power, Ed began training his body to get back into fighting shape. The new limbs were more streamlined than his previous ones, with many more nerve connections which allowed him to have much better motor control. He was able to practice a few new tricks, and this included typing, as well as using a smartphone with his right hand.

Once Ed was allowed, he also took the time to learn the scope of his 'extra' enhancements, and was definitely pleased with what he had, even if a couple of them took some getting used to. He also began to find ways of taking advantage of his 'powers', as well as how to hide them from those he did not want to know about them. In this case the Rockbells, although in his mind, Ed knew the military would end finding about them sooner rather than later. With as many death defying... missions he had gotten involved in, there would not be much chance to hide them.

One of his enhancements allowed him to stick to practically any surface, even when wet and with his automail limbs. To be truthful, Ed knew that defied any logical explanation, and he still did not know how—meaning the scientific reasoning—he was able to stick to things. But after several migraines trying to find an answer he decided it was not necessary to know the how, or even the why just yet; there would be time later to go over the bastard's notes. So for the time being, there was nothing else to do, but accept the fact that he did stick to things.

Ed did do his best not to let Winry and Granny see what he could do, simply because his counterpart chose not to tell anyone—except Alphonse—all of what she had been able to do since she was three. She only told the Rockbells about her healing abilities, since they had already known about her teleporting, as well as enhanced hearing, and while his counterpart had never told them, both Rockwell women suspected her eyesight was enhanced as well.

Winry and Granny kept wondering how he managed to climb up the roof whenever he wanted to make himself scarce, or needed some peace and quiet to just think as well as grieve both Alphonses without anyone's pitying looks. Because it had been hard to realize that while his little brother was alive and well back in his Reality, Ed had still lost him as he was never going to see Alphonse again.

As to what the two Rockbells thought, they knew that whatever it was he was doing, it was not teleporting because that ability came with sound effects. That is, there was either a faint pop, or a loud crack depending on how clear she imagined her destination, and how tired he was when he teleported.

As a twelve year old, when he took the State Alchemist exam, Ed had been a better fighter than a normal adult, or one of the lower ranked Amestrian soldiers. He had also been stronger than someone his age should be, and that could only partially be laid at the automail's feet, because Teacher's training had also had a part in him being strong. Now, after what Hohenheim did to his counterpart's body—Ed could easily deal with one of the American or British Special Forces, which were the best trained troops of the world.

Ed could see the extra strength he now had helped to cover for his still... small size—and he actually could not believe he thought of himself as small. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter was, he really was not even the average height for a girl his age, meaning, Winry was still taller than him... much taller. He hated that, but there was not much, if anything, he could do about it, except to hope this time around that wonderful discovery which were calcium supplements would work as a good substitute of that awful cow secretion.

This time Ed knew what he would be facing, so he had added weapons training to his fitness regime, and physical therapy. Neither Granny nor Winry were happy about it, but they understood why he was doing it, Ed would need to be an even better fighter than he already was if he was going to become a member of the military. He added swords, knives, staves, lances, maces, bow and arrows—although he was not all that great—hell, there was even a chain included. Edward knew how to shoot—Hawkeye made sure he learned—and there were an old pistol, a rifle, and a lot of ammunition for them amongst the things he found at home.

Ed wondered where they had come from—they really looked more like something from his Amestris than the more modern guns available—and if they had been there back in his Dimension, because they had never found them, at least he never did. He was sure Al would have told him if he had been the one to find them. Ed knew Hohenheim was a pacifist, so those weapons were definitely not his, but the thought of them being his mother's was... disturbing.

Guns origins aside, Ed knew he needed the practice, because this time he might have to use them; even when he had never been all that fond of the idea of using those things. The fact was, he better be proficient enough that Hawkeye would have nothing to criticise. He knew many of the kids in Resembool, at least those around ten, learned to use small caliber rifles. Hunting was a 'thing' in rural areas, something fathers taught their sons, or older brothers their younger siblings.

Al and him never had someone to teach them how to hunt—and they learned to do so without firearms out of the need to survive in Yock Island—but no one but those in town needed to know that. So Ed made his own fire range using alchemy and far away from the house, where he could practice, away from Winry and Pinako because Ed knew they would not approve. Again the 'extra' strength was a asset as the guns' recoil did not send him down on his ass, as they would have, had he been a regular girl his age.

He still did not like guns, and probably never really would—at least not like Hawkeye did—but had to admit there had been times when he wished he carried one for the longer range they provided. Ed also needed to be very good because he still did not want to kill anyone, so if he was shooting—and that would be a last resort—he wanted to make sure he only incapacitated his opponent, and not outright murder him or her.

Ed also religiously practiced his battle alchemy—away from Winry and Granny as well—and slowly began incorporating battle magic. He had gained the knowledge when he crossed the Gate... but this was something his counterpart had already been working on, so Ed was sure gaining it had not required an equivalent exchange. He did not think he was missing something, or if he was, it was a very minor thing.

Using magic was not easy, though, specially when he did not have a focus—like a wand—and Ed really did not have the time to read more about magical theory to see if he could find an alternative. He did have to be very careful, and disguise the magic, because it did not require a visible equivalent exchange—although he suspected there was one, he just needed to find what it was—and Ed would rather not be studied in a lab if that ability was discovered.

Not everything was hard work that year, even if he was extremely busy with his projects and preparations, never mind all the physical therapy adapting to automail still required. He had healed from the ports installation in over three months, instead of the six it took the first time, and Granny had installed the limbs during his fourth month as an amputee. The old woman had been frankly amazed at Ed's ability to heal. Having automail much earlier than the first time, was what allowed him the time to do all that training he felt would be necessary.

Progressing as fast as he was, gave Ed time to learn as much as he could about the changes in the Dimension, just as Truth had instructed him. He found television incredible—probably one of the best contraptions ever—loved the music available, specially the one from outside Amestris, like the one from America, Britain, and Latin America; countries that had not existed back in his original Reality. The Internet blew his mind up, and finally he understood what a cel phone was.

The bastard, as he still was not comfortable calling Hohenheim father, had actually left them very well off, and his mother had added to that, leaving trustworthy people in charge of working the farm and making it profitable, so Ed did not have to worry about money. This allowed him to buy a state of the art smart phone—Winry said he had no excuse not to call... or post selfies once he left them—a tablet, and a laptop. Ed did avoid watching cat videos because they reminded him too much of Al, and he ended crying up a river, but dogs were fun.

Ed had also been lectured by Granny about what to expect as he reached puberty, because there was probably not going to be anyone else to tell him about how that affected a female body; and THAT had to have been one of THE most embarrassing conversations he had... EVER. Specially since he had yet to think of himself as a girl, which Ed knew he now was, and did believe he had come to terms with... yeah, right.

The change WAS a good thing, even if this society—at least outside of Amestris—was more open. Besides, he had spent more than a few hours ogling photos of Tony Stark—old guy, but oh so interesting—he was Iron Man and a genius to booth. Ed did spend more than a few hours wondering who was the smarter of the two of them, after all, he too had been considered a genius... still was.

There was Captain America (who was so good looking and with a body to die for) even if he had died saving his country a few decades ago. His popularity was still great, and keeping strong. There were also several famous singers, actors, and male models, from both Amestris and the rest of the world to look at.

Winry and her had even devised their own rating system. Stark was one both agreed on, the Gear Head because he was a mechanic, and Ed because the man was a genius, and it did not hurt that he was indeed very good looking despite being old enough to be their father... probably. Then Winry was nuts about an American—another country that did not exist in Ed original Reality—actor named Brad Pitt. He was a beautiful man, Ed could not deny it, and he had joined the Gear Head in drooling while they watched several of his movies all over again; still Ed preferred the Captain, or Stark, over the guy.

Ed was beginning to live, to enjoy those years he had lost being too busy, and too guilty, as he tried to find a way to get Alphonse's body to pay attention to normal teenage milestones. He never really had the chance to look at others, like most teens his age did. Ed only ever looked at Winry, and that was because as Truth mentioned, she was there and he knew her.

As to how he was dealing with being female pre—teen, he still was not girly, and would never be, but Ed was finally allowing himself to admit the male form was what had interested him from the start. It really was... liberating, and this time it was allowed, Ed could ogle guys as much as he wanted... if he was discrete. He would have been executed back in his Dimension if anyone had found out he preferred his own gender, but thankfully he had been oblivious about his own preferences.