*stares* Wow...haven't updated...in awhile....Kib mostly has for me ^^; She'd edit the chapter and surprise me buy logging onto my account and updating.
I don't really know what to say. Sorry, haven't updated in awhile...a month...eh heh heh ^^;
Kib has stopped editing for me, so we're going to start working on our own now! Make sure you go add her to your alerts so you'll know when she posts! I've seen some of her first chapter of a story she's writing and its AMAZING. So seriously...go add her...NOW.
imac15 helped me edit this, but in a different way then Kib did for me. Kib pretty much fixed EVERYTHING for me while I was a laz-ass and let her fix all my work. She's HALF of my stories. HALF the credit is hers. I'm not that good of a writer, as I've told you many times. I just have good ideas and Kib fixed them for me with her beautiful writing! xD
So, I'm gonna try this solo, OF COURSE I can't forget Mac helped...a LOT. SHe's the reason I'm posting this at 2:24am. I'm sick....as usual, and reaaaaaaaaally tired.
Soooo...yeeeeeah...
"Is this a secure line?"
"It's been secured."
"What's our status?"
"It seems like Major Mustang actually got accepted into the gang. The first part of the mission is a success."
"That is if the Fullmetal doesn't kill him first. If he is an A.E. experiment, he can be quite volatile. Twenty of the twenty-three experiments malfunctioned and went out of control. It won't be a shock if one more goes off. I'm pretty sure this is number twenty-three, but we'll need a name to confirm. I'm not sending men running into gang territory to be killed because of a mistake."
"Major Mustang has confirmed a few matches in description. A metal arm prosthetic - a.k.a automail - blond hair, and male, correct?"
"That's correct for number twenty-three. We have quite a bit of experiments with metal limbs, but blond hair is pretty rare nowadays. We've only had four blond males in one hundred people."
"Just how many did you guys take in?"
"We've had plenty of regular neural tests with no physical alteration of the body. Only twenty three humans were sufficient enough to withstand the experiment. They were let go after negotiations so they wouldn't give away any information to the public. Around two hundred people..."
"Ever since the Aryan War in 2024 we've had a scarce amount of blonds, it seems."
"Do not joke about such awful times, Colonel. It was almost as horrific as the holocaust of Hitler. Eighty-five percent of blonds were murdered in that war. All for some ridiculous revenge on 'Hitler's Aryan Race.' I swear, the crackpots that run our country needed to stop being so prejudiced!"
"You know there was more behind than that, Dr. Escher."
"All the same, many innocent men and women were murdered…Now I have some arrangements to make. A.E. numbers 21, 22, and 15 have been spotted. It seems 15 is stable again after the Red Lantern incident...But we'll make sure we contact you if we have any changes. Johnathan will bring over the confidetial case files. Have a good day."
"I'll report back to you in two weeks."
~*~
"Rule number one: No harming, threatening, or killing civilians - men or women. I will not have any Brat'ja acting like dogs of the military," Fullmetal sneered at the last word, making the corner of Roy's mouth tug down slightly, but otherwise remained silent. Fullmetal had basically dragged him out of his room, forced him outside, and threw him down on the ground, making him sit on the uncomfortable dirt and cement. Now it seemed he was going to give Roy a run-down of the rules. He waited inpatiently as Fullmetal continued the lecture. From Roy's past experiences in the military, he had never been one for lectures. He'd always try to get out of them or ditch, whatever he could do to get out of them.
"Rule number two: Drugs. As long as I don't notice, then melt your brain to your heart's content. I don't want to see any of it, see any disturbances, and I most certainly do not want any dealing going on without my permission. Alcohol. Once again, I don't recommend it, since you need a level head on missions.
"Rule number three: Show no fear in a raid or fight. That's just asking to be killed. Any questions?"
Roy could remember the morning before when Fullmetal had confronted him at the breakfast tables. He had almost a hung-over look to him. And this question was just digging to be asked.
"What about you?"
"What do you mean, 'What about me'?" The blond spat, almost defensively. Roy thought his question through, trying to rephrase it in his mind without insulting the leader. Maybe it wasn't such a brilliant idea to give into his curiosity.
"Do you do that stuff? Substance abuse?"
"Of course I fucking don't. Every good leader must be level headed.....Get your ass up off the ground," Fullmetal ordered, crossing his arms. Mustang repressed a glare as he glanced back up at the sky and saw a flash of lightning. 'How perfect, it's going to rain,' He thought, bitterly.
Fullmetal seemed to be anxiously rubbing his shoulder, his metal shoulder, but Roy wasn't sure. All he had seen of the metal arm was the elbow. He couldn't guarantee it went all the way to the shoulder.
Roy stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants as he waited for Fullmetal to speak again, watching him as he winced occasionally as he rubbed his shoulder.
"Is your shoulder injured?" Roy asked, hiding his concern with bitter sarcasm. Roy doubted the Fullmetal of all people wanted to be worried over.
"Its fine," came the snapping reply. "Fucking rain…Alright, how many years have you been in the military?"
"Ten."
He watched Fullmetal step over to the side of a brick building, leaning against it. His face looked pale. "Ten is a good amount of time to be brain washed, y'know," he said. "But it seems you're pretty independent thinking...the way you keep giving me that fucking attitude." There wasn't any anger in his voice, it was all pained and sounded strenuous. "I'm your boss, now. So drop the attitude and start showing me the respect you give to the big dogs in that military of yours. Got it?"
Roy didn't even answer as he watched Fullmetal practically fold in himself, holding a death grip on his right shoulder, breathing increasing. Something was definitely wrong.
"Fuck...It never gets this bad," he gasped. Roy stepped over to him, holding his hands up, caught between trying to help the kid and standing back. He didn't want to get a fist in the face if he got too close.
"What is it?" He asked, touching the blonde's side, when the teenager lashed out suddenly, making Roy back off.
"Don't touch me-!" There was a strange whirring noise started up, coming from the Fullmetal's side. He gasped out, dropping to his knees, still leaning up against the building, sweat shining on his forehead. And, suddenly, he retched onto the ground.
"Get the fuck away from me!" he yelled again, spitting on the ground as Roy tried helping him up again, resulting in a metal fist to his arm, he blocked it at the last second from hitting his face, sighing with relief as he pushed the metal fist away.
A high pitched screech squealed in Roy's ears as Fullmetal finally collapsed against the brick wall, barely supported. Rushing forward, he reached out to grab his arm to help him up when something hard collided with his side.
He fell over with a yelp of surprise and barely looked up in time to see pistol trained in between his eyes. Winry had shown up at some point and kicked him in the side with her ratty looking shoe, knocking the wind out of him. What a cheap kidney shot...even from a girl.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Winry screamed, waving the gun dangerously close to the ex-officer's face. Roy held up his hands nervously as the door to the hotel opened, revealing Kevin and another man the same age, staring confused at the scene.
"Wait a second! He's hurt! I was just trying to-"
"The fuck! It's only been two days and you're already trying to take the Fullmetal out?!" Kevin yelled running over, he moved next to Winry, "Good job, Win. Now shoot the fucker. We don't need traitors, and he didn't even get fully accepted yet!"
"No, no! Wait! I didn't! He just collapsed!"
"Shoot him, Winry!"
A small voice spoke up. Roy never thought he'd be so happy to hear that voice again in his life.
"He didn't do anything, its just...just...my side again…" Fullmetal groaned.
"But, Boss - ?"
Winry shoved Kevin, yelling at him, "Go get Alphonse and tell him to bring my tool box, now!"
Roy sighed shakily, watching Winry switch the gun onto safety, before sticking it in her jean pocket, bending down to help Fullmetal, completely forgetting Roy. Damn, this girl had a kick, he thought, rubbing his side sorely.
"What happened?" She asked, brushing the hair from Fullmetal's face as she made him sit up slowly, leaning back up against the wall properly. Roy itched to help, but he knew he had to sit and keep still if he wanted to live, since his only witness that knew he didn't assault the Fullmetal was practically unconscious.
"He said something about the rain and he...something started making weird noises-"
"Shit!" Winry said, lifting Fullmetal's head by his chin with one hand and gently pulling apart two eyelids to peek at the glazed yellow eye, "This is bad, he never reacts this bad to the rain…Where's Al?!" she shot over her shoulder.
Kevin came scurrying out of the hotel, lugging a large red tool box, shouting something as he ran over to Winry. Roy saw a small crowd formed at the door. Jeremy was making his way over. Roy's stomach dropped as he swallowed hard. Come on, Fullmetal. Wake up and call off your minions. They're going to kill me before I even get a chance to explain.
They all stared at him, eyes filled with hate and distrust. Who could take down the Fullmetal? What do they do with this stranger?
It seemed that, in this case, beating the leader did not mean you got to take his place - beating him meant you were in for a world of pain and slowly killed.
Boots crunched next to him and he glanced up. Jeremy crossed his arms and started staring him down, literally. Oh, shit.
"Al went with a few guys to the western gang, remember?" Kevin sat the box down and fell to his knees next to Fullmetal, "Damn, Boss. You alright?"
Golden eyes flickered and Ed groaned, pulling away from Winry's hand, "M' fine. Just the arthritis acting up. Damn automail is killing me."
Kevin's brown eyes glared up at Roy, "I hope you weren't gonna try something. It's dishonorable to attack someone who's sick!"
Roy scoffed looking away and fixing his own glare on the hotel door. "As I said, I was only trying to help him. And don't talk about honor, this is a damn gang, you know nothing of honor-"
Two big hands snatched him up by his collar and lifted him clear off the ground. He quickly grabbed the wrists of the huge hands, trying like hell to keep his calm mask on, but he could feel it slipping. No one in their right mind could not be scared being held up by their shirt collar with their toes barely brushing the ground with this fearsome glare fixed on them.
"Jere," Fullmetal croaked, "Don't kill him," his voice sounded wheezy as he struggled to stand, "He's just..."
"Hey, sit back down. Jeremy will you drop him and be of some use?! Help me carry him inside!" Winry snapped. Surprisingly the big man listened without another word and dropped Roy right on the ground. Roy didn't know if you could break your back side, but right now, he'd bet he wasn't going to be able to sit right for the next few days.
"I'm fine! Just get me the Oroxine, Winry!" Fullmetal huffed, sitting back down and batting Jeremy's hands away, when the big man tried picking him up. He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, taking deep breaths, "It was just a little setback. I'll be fine, jeez."
"But Boss. You were throwing up blood again," Kevin butted in, grabbing his leader's shoulder, "Maybe you should just take the day off today, we'll take care of pretty boy over there."
Roy bit the inside of his cheek, keeping his mouth shut. He would love to hit this guy a couple times, especially for giving him that ridiculous nickname.
"No...Leave him alone," Fullmetal opened his eyes again, casting a glare at Roy, "And thanks for not taking advantage of the moment when I was down, you could have easily killed me."
Was that…gratitude Roy heard?
"I wouldn't...I wasn't trying to kill you. I was just trying to help you," he argued, getting fed up with all this mistrust. "What do you think I am, some kind of idiot?"
That familiar smirk plastered itself back on the kid's face as he took a small brown glass bottle from Winry, "That was my first impression. You just don't waltz on in gang territory especially carrying a military uniform. We usually kill intruders on sight," He took a swig from the medicine bottle, cringing lightly before letting Winry take it from him and he watched her put a cover back on it and slip it into her other pocket not pre-occupied by the gun. She went back to work lifting Fullmetal's automail arm and adjusting the wires around the springs where his armpit would have been.
"Why didn't you kill me?" Roy asked.
"Do you want me to kill you? You're lucky I'm still awake or Jeremy here would have popped your head like a water balloon or Winry would have shot you. You keep opening that fat trap of yours and you're going to get killed. The reason my boys here keep mouthing off to you is a way of training you to keep your mouth shut. Get used to it," Fullmetal told him, sitting up more, taking in deeper, steadier breaths.
After a moment of silence, Fullmetal suddenly stood up, as though he hadn't just collapsed and stretched his arms above his head. Dropping his arms to his sides with a huff he shoved Kevin aside good naturedly, barking orders at the small crowd by the hotel door.
"Kevin! I want stats checked up at the northern border, now. Jacob, check out the east. Conner, Riley, James, get ready. We're heading out to the western border to see just how much trouble that newb gang stirred up."
"Do you really think getting into a fight with them in your condition is going to help any?" Winry snapped, following the angry teen over to the hotel. Roy watched, a little bemused, as he was left with Jeremy and Kevin, both of them glaring at him as he stood up and brushed himself off again, wincing at his sore backside. He kept his eyes away from Kevin and Jeremy, trying not to provoke anything, but Kevin seemed different at the moment. Almost like a defensive air took up around him.
"If we see you pull any funny shit with the Boss he won't be the only one you should be afraid of," Kevin told him, Jeremy nodded once, arms still crossed as he scowled at Roy.
Roy held up his hands, finally meeting Kevin's angry dark brown eyes,"Come on. I didn't do anything to that kid. Didn't you see me fight Al?"
A bright grin spread across Kevin's face as he started laughing, "Good point, pretty boy, we're going to have to teach you how to throw a punch then, huh?"
"I've been trained in combat by the military-"
"Oh, but not gang fighting. That honorable bullshit fighting you guys do is barely enough to take down a Brat, especially Al-boy. Fullmetal was a little hard on you by making you fight Al. Only person who can beat Al is the Boss, and they never spar."
"So, Fullmetal is the strongest?"
"If you call being able to beat Jeremy at an arm wrestling match strong, then I guess so," There was that evil little grin again. "That is, with his real arm."
Roy gave him a skeptical look and then snuck a sideways glance at Jeremy's arms and tightened his jaw. They were either lying or Jeremy let his boss win out of loyalty, not wanting to get his head smashed off the table, because that guys bicep was bigger than Roy's head.
"Lookit, you can't beat the boss…well, you could have just now. But I've never seen him go down that hard during rain, he usually just gets really pissy and rubs his shoulder a lot. What do you think, Jere?"
Roy realized Kevin was talking to Jeremy now, completely forgetting his presence. Jeremy shrugged, arms still crossed as Kevin looked thoughtful for a moment.
"But anyway, pretty boy, we just wanna thank you also for not hurting the boss while he was down. He might not show ya appreciation, but he really is thankful. I saw you from my bedroom window before Winry took off out the hotel after you. You really were just trying to help him, weren'tcha?"
Roy pressed his mouth into a firm line and nodded, not liking that these guys were looking at him like he was some soft guy.
"Could you quit calling me that?"
"What? Pretty boy?"
"Yeah, its pretty degrading," Roy mumbled, looking away.
"Alrighty then, 'stangy boy. I'll drop it. But just so you know, me and Jere here have your back, for not killing our boss. We'll call it an…equivalent exchange, okay?"
Roy smirked at them, "And by 'Have my back' what would you mean by that? Not beating me to a pulp?"
Kevin sighed, Roy could see the kid's mask flicker for a moment, letting his exhaustion show, "Look, we know what its like to be a newb. No one trusts ya and you still haven't gone through the initial test. That fight with Al was just a little entertainment...But we'll put a good word in for you to the Boss."
~*~
After arguing for a good half hour and slamming doors, Ed made it out of the hotel and was on his way towards the western higher class section of the city, where this gang kept raising hell and terrorizing the lower citizens. Just because they were rich and higher up on the food chain didn't mean they could hurt people and vandalize houses that couldn't afford to be repaired.
Especially notin the Brat'ja gang name.
Apparently Ed's first message didn't reach their tiny brains. And now some serious measures were going to have to be done. Maybe some of the members that didn't get the memo first hand thought that Fullmetal was all talk and couldn't bother with the big, scary seniors of Central Private School. Ed smirked. It was time to walk his talk.
"Hey, Boss! Wanna slow the hell down?!" Conner yelled. Ed glanced back and rolled his eyes.
"Come on! I thought I taught you all how not to skate like old people?!"
"Well, your leg does give you and advantage, Boss," Riley said, catching up to Ed's side. Ed frowned and looked back up ahead, his flesh leg working up a burn from the work. Cyc Blades were the fastest way to travel without too much hassle. It wasn't like they could afford vehicles or motor cross bikes. Ed sulked at that thought. The new motor bike models were getting upgraded to 300 mph, and he wouldn't even be able to ride one, let alone buy one.
Then again, he could always just steal one.
Ed didn't like the roller blades. They just weren't tough looking enough. But they were the fastest means of getting around without hassling with standard bikes or skateboards. Ed tried a skateboard once when the guys were just fooling around and they made good weapons when someone commented on your height. Unfortunately if you hit someone too hard with them, they break.
The scenery changed quickly. Going from dark to dirty to dark and clean. The city was a permanent slum hole. The only time you could see the sun is when it rose, then when it got higher the smog cloud above couldn't be penetrated by its bright rays, casting a dark shadow across the earth's surface. The planet was going to hell in a hand basket.
The higher class civilians could make their lawns and plants grow by using artificial light and purified water. Making their areas of the city greener and fresher.
He kept his legs moving, keeping his eyes out for any movement. People were watching them from a distance, some just closing their doors and pulling the shades of their windows. What a great welcome.
"Yo' boss. We're on their territory, why aren't they coming out?" Riley asked, sweat shining on his dark skin.
"They don't watch their territory like us. They aren't even a serious gang, Rye. They're just a bunch of rich assholes raising hell and pointing their fingers at us."
Ed skirted around a toy truck in the road and barely looked up in time to see three guys significantly bigger than the blond Brat. He smirked as he dug his heel into the pavement of the road, skidding to a stop. The guys on either side of the one in the middle had broad grins on their faces. But the middle had a steely glare, already trying to size Ed up. He must be the leader.
"You're on the wrong turf," The leader spat, arms crossed. "I suggest you leave before one of you little girls gets hurt."
Ed's smirk grew wider as he glanced at the guys at his side again. The grins on their faces immediately disappeared at the sight.
"Only you boys would hurt little girls. What's the matter big guy? Don't want to have a little fun?" Ed leaned down and grabbed his skate, pressing a button and sliding the wheels off easily, tuning them into regular shoes. He dropped the sets of wheels to his sides, a little voice in the back of his head nagging him about taking off a good three inches from his height from removing the wheels, but he ignored it, crossing his arms.
"And who do you think you are? If you want a fight, go run back to your leader and get him here. I don't want a fight with a bunch of little girls"
"Never stopped you before. And besides, you don't seem to know your enemies well if you don't know the gang leader when he's standing right in front of you."
That steely glare broke out into a wide grin as the guy started laughing, "You're Fullmetal?! I wasn't expecting someone so puny!"
The smirk on Ed's face disappeared as he glared, he knew he was supposed to keep a cool smug act on but....puny.
Ed dashed out running as fast as his leg would make him go and side-stepped on of the guys trying to cut him off and brought up his left leg and swung it, cracking the guy in the head.
"Who are you calling too puny to lead a gang?!"
Swinging around he lashed out at the other two, both of them still a little shocked by how quick Fullmetal ran. Ed may not be fast with his hands and kicks, but he was still the fastest runner, thanks to the help of his automail leg.
At least those scientists knew what they were doing when they were creating the perfect human automaton. The H.A.E.s may only be half automaton, but they still got along a lot better than regular humans did.
"What the hell-?!"
Riley pounced on the guy to the left, bringing one of his roller blades down on his head. First rule in fighting - let the boss get first pick on who to take down, which is usually the biggest, baddest guy there.
Which Ed had come to know Riley absolutely hated Ed taking all the strongest. He had this complex to prove himself. But Ed had told Riley being on the leader's run out team would result in him, the leader, taking down a lot of the guys.
"Hey, Boss! Better watch out, Riley is gonna show you up!" Conner yelled out. Ed just smirked and stepped over to the leader, still prone on the ground, while Riley and James got the last guy, ruthlessly kicking him into the ground.
"I wonder what we should do to you guys. Should we send you back to your mothers? Or maybe tie you up and throw you into Chimera's Ally?"
Ed watched with sick satisfaction as the guy blanched, he swallowed nervously, putting his pride to the side and shaking his head. Ed grinned again, glancing over at Conner who kept the other guy on the ground.
"Conner?"
"I think a second chance would be alright, Boss. They're just a bunch of dick heads," Conner said, rolling his eyes and looking off to the side. Ed could see the guy hated fighting as much as Al and could be a pacifist at times. But he was an excellent lock pick and always had Ed's back.
At that last second Ed knew he made a deadly mistake. You could never turn your back on a prat. They had sore egos if you beat them and would do anything to get revenge.
Just as Ed turned his head back, Riley screamed out, shoving past James and Ed barely had time to blink when a gun went off. He hit the ground hard, his flesh arm split open on some glass as he tasted blood in his mouth from biting his tongue. He quickly sat up, swinging out blindly at the leader with his metal fist, a loud crack sounded as steel collided with skull, Ed's automail fist smacked into the head of the leader of the so called gang.
Everything seemed to slow down to normal pace again as Ed breathed in shakily, touching his flesh side to see if he got hit, but felt nothing.
"Riley!!"
"Fuck, man! You shot him!"
Ed glanced down at the leader, now properly knocked out from the punch, and he stared over at Riley who was clutching at his chest, taking in bloodied gasps.
"R-Riley-!"
He collapsed on his side, heaving strange gasping coughs, blood oozed out his nose and mouth, while more of it trickled between the creases of his fingers. Ed scrambled over to his side, turning him onto his back and making him cry out from the movement. Ripping his shirt at the collar he pulled it to the side, examining the bullet hole.
"Riley, you idiot! I told you a hundred times not to take any hits for me! I can take them!"
Riley coughed, cracking an amused smile, "Sor-ry...it was a reaction, Boss-"
"Shut up, you idiot! Fuck...they used a xianide bullet..." Ed said, sitting back on his heels, staring down at Riley. He was going to die.
"Fuck, Xianide? What a bunch of dirty motherfuckers!" James spat, throwing a sharp kick at the guy he had under guard. Conner's eyes were downcast as he kept his spot guarding the other gang member, still shaking on the ground, staring at the scene with wide eyes. Apparently, he had never seen death.
Riley grabbed out at Ed's flesh wrist, grasping it tightly, "M-man, I'm sorry," He gasped in another breath, "This is all my fault, Boss-"
"I said shut up, Riley. Don't talk," Ed told him grabbing a hold of the hand on his wrist, squeezing it tightly in his flesh hand, "This is all my fault, I'm such a moron! Riley...you know I could have taken that shot, why would you? My body is made to take hits, why did you?"
Riley was shaking now, small tremors throughout his small body, "Just li-listen, m-man. D-don't leave me...h-here. Bury me with....bury me with-"
Another gasp and blood splattered out on his chest from his mouth, the poison was working itself quickly into the body, melting everything down.
"Don't worry about it Riley, I'll make sure you're buried next to Kaleb," Ed closed his eyes for a minute, trying to remember how to breathe as he looked back down at Riley, his dark skin looked gray as he tried another weak smile up at him.
"T-thanks. You're the be-best, Boss."
Ed gritted his teeth as he felt the hand clutched in his, slacken and the dark eyes faded to gray, one last shuddering breath before dead silence.
It was the first time in many years Ed cried.
~*~
Ed couldn't count how many times he carried a dead body, or buried a comrade or a child. That's all there ever seemed to be. A dead body on the street, left to rot, or tossed into the alleyway so some strange animal could tear its carcass apart and eat it.
But never had Ed had to bury a friend that died because of him. Took a bullet that would tear any normal human being apart, but Ed could have taken it. It probably would have hit a metal piece anyway. Even if it did burrow itself into his flesh, his system would have destroyed the toxins. The "perfect" human being. Un-tainted. Immune to illness or poisons.
Ed knew what they were aiming for. It was obvious. Immortality. Of course they had to perfect a body before it could even attempt living past its deadline. Maybe in a million years humans would be made of pure metal, unable to feel. Only able to bleed oil and not need food or water anymore. A metal husk to contain the soul and mind. Or maybe in a million years the world would die off, falling to pollution and the evilness it held. Human beings becoming an extinct race.
He clenched his metal fist, staring at it as a few of the guys lowered the body into a deep hole. Ed made sure it was wrapped in a tarp, something to keep the dirt off the body for a few decades, but he knew it would eventually rot away with the body. But it was one of the few little things he could do as a kind gesture. Respect the dead. Love your friends.
Ed had never felt this angry over a death in years. This death was his fault. If only he kept his guard up and didn't act like a cocky son of a bitch, then Riley wouldn't have taken the bullet for him.
But he told Riley a thousand times! He told everyone never take a hit for him! He'd be fine! The only shots he had to worry about were his flesh thigh and throat. It was a very vulnerable part, especially if a bullet severed the main artery or the jugular.
Two arms wrapped around his neck, a chin resting on his flesh shoulder.
"If you keep straining your automail like that, it'll break," Winry told him, her eyes were a little tinged with red, but she never cried. She gave up crying when Ed came back with this body.
He loosened his fists, sighing as he watched James and Kevin start filling the hole up with dirt, careful not to trod on Kaleb's grave. Kaleb was Riley's younger brother. He died in a raid. Riley dragged the body out of the house, almost getting himself killed trying to get the body out. Al helped him bring the body back, and Ed lectured Riley for nearly two hours telling him his brother wouldn't have wanted him to risk his life just to get his body out of the burning building.
Ed glanced up, feeling eyes on him. Everyone was outside, paying their respects but this black gaze just made him want to hit something. The new guy, Roy Mustang was watching him, standing next to Al with his arms crossed. A good glare from Ed made him turn his head away, saying something to Al, who was staving off the tears, his mouth turned down in a deep frown.
Ed made to step over to them and demand what he was talking about and maybe get in a few good hits upside the head, but Winry held him back.
"Don't start a fight, Ed," She whispered, "I know you're mad, but taking it out on him won't do any good, it'll just make you angrier."
"He doesn't need to stand there and act like a smug asshole. "
"He's not doing anything, Ed. Stop it."
He needed to hit something. Why couldn't that asshole have died instead?! Why Riley?!
"Ed. you need to calm down. If you don't your automail will seize up," Winry warned, "You might even trigger another system shut down."
"I'd deserve it...this is all my fault-"
"Don't you dare say that, you idiot. It's the man who pulled the trigger's fault."
Ed sighed grabbing the arm across his chest, holding it there, something to keep him grounded, something to keep him from lashing out at someone.
"You told me not to go, Winry. I thought it was just a little run. I should have known that they'd have a gun. And I just had to turn my head. You were right-"
"Ed, listen. I was just being paranoid. I don't like you going to any run, missions, or raids. I'm always afraid that it'll be you who's carried back to be buried."
"You know I'm not that easy to kill, Winry. Sometimes I wish that I was. Just so someone could take me out. I've cheated death, I'm supposed to be dead-"
"Don't you dare say that," Winry hissed at him, smacking him upside the head with her free hand.
Ed's small laugh didn't hold any humor as he turned his head, looking at her from the corner of his eye, "Look at what I put these guys through. Its all my fault they're dying off."
Winry gave Ed's braid a sharp tug, glowering at him, "You gave them all a home and a family. You've saved more people than who have died in this gang, Ed. You've helped so many people and you're such a softie. You give all these people a reason to live and to keep fighting against this country's government. Remember that."
Ed was glad he stood off far to the side of all the people standing before the hole that was Riley's grave. Winry wouldn't speak so openly in front of them for good reasons.
Winry's arms around his shoulders may have looked like a kind and comforting gesture to some. To others it could have been something more. But the guys never said anything. Al would poke fun from time to time, but Ed didn't need people thinking that Winry was his girlfriend. That was crazy, they've been friends for years.
Besides, as if Winry would ever like someone so...not whole.
He nudged her slightly. She was already pushing it with the hug and he didn't want that Mustang guy to think they were actually together, since he couldactually be a spy. Ed still had his suspicions, even though it was fun to torture the guy. He didn't want anyone using her to get to him. She didn't need to get hurt over him.
"Why are you so mean about hugs? You used to love them when we were younger," She muttered, releasing him and standing by his side.
"I'm sorry, Winry. I just need to be left alone for a little while," He told her, rubbing the bandages on his flesh arm, "Please."
Winry stared at him uncertainly for a moment, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
She stood there for a moment, still uncertain before nodding. "You know, if you ever need to talk, I'm always here. You don't need to act like a tough guy around me. I know you're a big baby underneath it all."
He gave her a smile and she returned it, giving him a small wave before walking off towards Al to comfort him, leaving Ed to his thoughts.
You know you want to press that green button down there...go on...press it....and write down what you thought while reading this. Ok? =D