The day that he and Ed were driven in to meet the military, exactly two weeks and three days after he'd woken up in Madam Christmas' bar, was one of the strangest of Roy's life.
He was pretty sure that was true, even while knowing he remembered pretty much none of the days of his life.
Because it was weird.
After a night full of reassuring, calming promises that everything was going to be okay, promises that only proceeded to make Roy more nervous than he'd already been and Ed along with him, because he'd been fine, but he'd stopped being fine when surrounded by people anxiously trying to keep him that way, he'd been woken by a harried, anxious Maes at dawn. His friend had made him shave, then helped him get dressed in a full uniform that he did not recognize, tugging every ribbon and badge and service stripe right into place without even trying to give Roy the chance to do it for himself. Roy was a bit glad for it... the sheer number of the insignias had been dizzying.
Maes had also taken his jacket back, this time in no uncertain terms. Apparently, it was staying right here at his aunt's bar, where it'd be safe and waiting for his return, but it was very important that he did not wear it today, because it wasn't his, and the people he was going to see would care a great deal about that.
Roy's half-hearted joke that perhaps they should just loosen up had gotten him a fond sort of glare, another straightening tug on his jacket, and a flat, direct order not to say any such thing to anyone that he met today.
"No, seriously," Maes had added heavily after that, now dusting off his shoulders like the world's most obsessive mother hen. "I know you tend to think you have a stellar sense of humor, but I promise you, General Hakuro is not the audience you want to play to. Just keep your mouth shut, do as you're told, speak only when spoken to, and then you can whine about how annoyed you are with me when we get back here tonight. Okay?"
Roy scowled, resisting the urge to shake his hands straight off him. "My jokes are hilarious."
With a sigh, Maes looked him up and down one last time, eyes narrowed, then, evidently satisfied with what he'd seen, focused back on Roy's face and rolled his eyes. "Sure they are," he said, reaching out to pat his cheek fondly with the flat of his hand. "If only you'd ever managed to actually tell a joke in your life, buddy. Now, come on."
Once he'd been tugged out into the dark hallway, he'd almost immediately ran into a yawning and similarly discomforted Ed, the boy tugging unhappily at his uniform and pushing at his sleeves over and over again. "...you sure I wore this?" he was asking Havoc, face creased into a sleepy sort of frown. That frown transformed into something just a little bit more relieved the moment he saw Roy, and a moment later he'd already fallen into step with him, allowing the others to all lead them out of the bar.
There'd been a car waiting for them just outside on the dark, deserted streets, which Maes had ushered them into and Riza had started driving the moment the door had swung shut behind them. Al and Maes went with them, Ed's brother filling the space with forcedly cheerful, constant chatter while Maes had sat, tense and silent, narrowed eyes watching the streets pass by with an air of wariness that was downright unsettling.
He still wasn't quite sure what all the hassle was about, but he was sure that he did not like it.
They drove through three separate blockades, including the one leading to the military base, Maes told them. Riza had flashed some sort of ID to speed them through every one, but many times Roy hadn't been able to help glancing out the window and found himself unsettled by just how many soldiers he saw. Blue uniforms like his were everywhere, and only that... he wasn't sure he'd seen someone that wasn't a soldier since he'd left his aunt's bar.
He remembered what Maes had told them about the city being under martial law. Because of, if he was to be believed, what he and Ed had been forced to do.
He shivered again.
"Remind me, again, why we're doing this," he grumbled uneasily, hugging himself. His hands felt cold, and he hated it.
Maes had let him keep his gloves but only if he promised to leave them in his pocket for the meeting. His hands felt naked and freezing without them.
From the front seat, Maes twisted back around to grin confidently at them both. "Don't you worry," the man promised, far too self-assured to be believed. "We already told Hakuro he's meeting you today. All he's going to want is proof that neither of you are in any sort of fighting condition. Once he's satisfied that you are not, we can head back, okay?"
Roy glanced uncomfortably at Ed, only to find the kid already looking right back up at him, hand curling nervously into his empty sleeve and eyes big and worried. Swallowing, Roy reached out to rest his good hand on his shoulder, squeezing a little in reassurance even as he turned back to his friend. "...well... I actually can use my gloves... so-"
Riza gave a short scoff of annoyance while Maes was suddenly rolling his eyes, looking like he'd pat his cheek again if he could reach it. "You are a human grenade launcher and flamethrower rolled into one. When they find out how severely lacking your confidence is in your aim, they'll be nervous you even have your gloves on you. And Edward, don't you even start either- I'll be impressed if you can even draw an array right now. Trust us, Hakuro won't want anything to do with either of you right now-"
"Except that part about how we've been funding a civil war," Ed cut in shortly, all but sulking back against the seat.
Maes' smile fell.
"You know," Ed went on, shrugging dispassionately. "Just saying." He picked nervously at his sleeve again.
The investigator sighed. His worried eyes searched in between them, uncertain as if he wanted to press the point, but after a few moments he just shook his head and tried to smile. "You'll see," he assured. "Everything will turn out fine, you two. I promise."
Roy, however, could not help but share Ed's apprehension over the matter, and when his friend turned away, found himself squeezing his shoulder a little tighter again, a silent, wordless promise right on the heel of Maes' that everything would be okay.
He'd take responsibility, if he had to. If this Hakuro decided their story and Maes' assurances weren't enough to absolve them of blame, Roy would take both of their shares onto his shoulders. He knew Maes would tell him he was being ridiculous- and, quite frankly, that Ed would lose it and tell him off if he even realized that was his intention- but Roy was currently cultivating a healthy distrust of authority and an increasingly unhealthy sense of nerves.
If Hakuro wanted to force his hand, then he'd welcome it.
And if he wanted to force his hand even further...
Well, he still had his gloves.
He'd used them before. He was more than willing to use them again.
Somehow, they at least got onto the military base in short order. Roy was given very little time to observe the monstrous building looming before them as Riza took them swiftly into a garage, taking them past yet another blockade and yet another small, veritable battalion of soldiers, and before he knew it they were parked. Before he knew it, there was nowhere else to go, nowhere else to run, but straight into the military's arms.
Roy swallowed tightly. Next to him, Ed, who had gotten increasingly silent and withdrawn the closer they'd gotten to this meeting, leaned a little more into his hand, eyes huge and darting all over the car like it might just upheave and strangle him at any moment.
The others got out of the car, Riza and Maes and Al all getting to their feet while Roy and Ed remained behind. Doors were swung shut then pulled open for the both of them, a smiling Maes waiting for Roy and Al already proffering a helping hand out to his brother. Riza remained a little way's away with her back to them, scanning the garage with narrowed eyes as if on guard or on the wait for an assassin.
Right. That really was a comforting sight. Really made him feel assured and safe to be here.
"Well," Roy said shakily, turning back to look at Ed. He tried to force a smile. "Let's get this over with, then, Fullmetal."
He squeezed his shoulder again, trying to promise, without words or not, that it would be okay. I'll take care of this. You can trust me.
Ed watched him for several moments, uncertainty and worry chasing away the shadows on his face into a naked fear. He didn't say anything, just watched Roy and let his hand stay on his shoulder, looking up into his eyes as if searching for something there that he could rely on. That he knew he could depend on.
A few moments and one steady nod later, Ed pulled away and went to his brother's arms, working himself out of the car, and Roy finally allowed himself to go to into Maes'.
Roy had gotten the cast taken off his arm a few days ago. It still hurt and felt exceedingly awkward, hard to move after how long it had been confined, and even though Roy knew he was probably right, he'd ignored all of Maes' gentle prodding for him to move his arm around. He could snap his fingers, and that was enough for him... even if they were still bruised and burned from so many repeated attempts at alchemy it felt as if they would never heal.
Ed, on the other hand, was still healing from the wounds on his back, but was stronger and steadier by the day. In fact, part of Roy was convinced that Maes and Riza had been watching Ed, and only allowed for this meeting with Hakuro when Ed had recovered enough to reassure them he could make it through, because they hadn't started talking about it until he'd been strong enough to make it down the hall unaided. He still had his crutch to hobble around with, refusing to even hear the word wheelchair no matter how gently any of the soldiers tried to bring it up, and in fact seemed content to hobble around for the rest of his life if it meant he'd never have to let himself be pushed and wheeled around ever again.
Maes had, a few times, carefully suggested that they might be able to get Ed over to see a military doctor to help him get his automail limbs back.
Once again, Ed had barely let him get the word doctor out of his mouth before he'd shoved himself out of his chair and hobbled away, not even willing to so much as heart the rest of the request out.
For his part, Roy knew that he wanted Ed to have his automail limbs back. He knew it'd make Ed so much more secure, so much happier to be able to defend himself and no longer need to depend upon other people to stay safe. But, looking down at the small, stubborn form by his side, painfully limping his way forward, one step at a time, he knew that he could never ask Ed to see a doctor to do it.
Riza, Havoc, and the others marched them along, moving as quickly as possible and again bringing them past yet another checkpoint. Roy was beginning to suspect they were serving as literal bodyguards while Maes and Al were more along the lines of moral support.
Again, the mere fact that they might end up needing moral support made Roy far more apprehensive than anything else thus far.
"This way," Riza ordered tersely, holstering her weapon to stride straight for the nearest elevator, hammering the button with a quick, violent stab of a finger. "Quickly."
Roy shared another worried look with Ed, standing down by his side. Now, almost by second nature, he settled a protective hand over Ed's shoulder, and allowed them to be shepherded into the elevator without another word.
Riza, Maes, and Al went with them. The blonde exchanged a few quick words with- with his men, if they were all to be believed- too quiet for him to hear, but whatever the orders were, they received a quick salute, and then, Havoc led them to all but scurry away, just before the elevator doors shut. Silently, Riza again pushed the button, this time for them to rise, and another unsettling sort of quiet fell.
"...so," Ed coughed. "You keep telling us all there's no reason to be worried. Then... is there any sort of reason for all the cloak and dagger stuff, then, or...?"
Roy smiled weakly down at Ed, shifting a little closer to his side. Yes, he thought, I'd like to know that as well.
By his side, Maes grimaced, sharing a tense sort of look with Riza before pushing his glasses up instead... conveniently hiding his face, and whatever troubled shadow was crossing his expression. "We really don't think there's anything to be worried about," he murmured after a moment, pushing his glasses up again. "But the military likes to throw surprises into things when we least expect it. Not to mention we all would prefer to keep you out of the public eye until we've found the people who did this to you... I'm sure we'll all just little better when we're back at your aunt's place tonight."
Roy frowned to himself again. How... delightfully unsettling.
To his surprise, though, for one of the first times since they'd left the car, Al made a small noise from behind them, nudging a little closer to his brother. "I know you said no, but, are you sure just taking them to Risembool wouldn't be safer? Winry could take care of them, we could even get Brother his automail back without making him see a doctor- we'd be so safe there! We could even-"
"No," Riza cut in flatly, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, at this time, we need to weigh security concerns over all else. Risembool is out east, where most of the rebel activity is concentrated. Additionally, given the difficulty of leaving the city at this time, we would attract attention. When we're trying to keep you both hidden, that is the last of what we need."
Roy winced a little. So they were staying under the controlling thumb of her security detail, then. Exactly what he'd expected... and, exactly what he'd wanted to avoid.
But it was Ed who looked most disappointed by her words, that slight ember of hope set alight in his eyes by his brother's words doused by what might as well have been an ice storm. He opened his mouth, even, as if wanting to protest- but then, staring up at Riza's calmly turned back, shoulder set and hands folded in an unwavering, absolutely uncompromising stance... and his young face just fell, and disappointment clouded over it so miserably that, for a moment, Roy just wanted to hug him.
It wasn't hard to understand, either.
Because Roy- for all that he didn't like still being controlled and guarded so stringently... well. Roy was home. He was staying with his adoptive mother, and seemingly an army of his sisters, and Havoc, and Breda, and Falman, and Fuery, and Riza, and Maes. He remember blue and that was his family, and they all were his family- and they weren't all of it. The city was crawling with his blue. This military base, right here, right now, was stuffed full of it. His blue was a thousand or more strong and he could barely open his eyes without finding someone he knew was on his side.
And, Ed had... Al.
That was it.
Ed had Al, and his home remained dozens of miles away, and his family remained there, in this Risembool.
Roy had his entire family and his whole home right here, while Ed was still being told he couldn't have his.
Slowly, his throat tight, he curled his hand a little tighter around Ed's shoulder, searching for something to say. He wished they could be alone for at least a moment or two, just one minute before they had to be shoved into this meeting.
In front of them, however, right out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maes gently nudge at Riza's side. Just that, just a nudge, no words at all- but it got Riza to look at him, brow furrowing, and then turn back around a little more to look down at Ed. Her steady, hard eyes landed down on the kid, unwavering for just a second more- until, like butter, she softened.
"It's not for very long," she said quietly, turning back to face the elevator doors. "We're working as hard as we can to resolve this. We don't have power over all of it, but... but once you're safe, we'll try to look at getting you home to Risembool. I can't promise it'll work, Edward, but- we'll try. I can promise you that we'll try."
Then, as if on cue, the elevator doors slid open with a quiet ding. Riza straightened her posture and re-focused her attention forward, smooth mask already sliding back into place like an impassive shield.
But the look on Ed's face told him that that the promise had been enough. It wasn't concrete, there was no upcoming trip to Risembool assured or on its way- but they were going to at least try, and, by the tentative, little smile that eased its way onto his face then, it seemed that that, for Ed, was enough.
Riza again led the way, this time out onto the tenth floor, and this time out onto a landing that was mostly deserted. The only others Roy saw here were two soldiers standing guard outside a broad set of double doors, fancy enough to indicate somebody very important- and sure enough, those were the two doors that Riza brought them to.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye," she announced, coming to a sharp halt. "We have an appointment scheduled with General Hakuro at 0700."
One soldier knocked promptly on the door, while the other inspected them somewhat hesitantly, seeming particularly thrown off by Al before lingering on him and Ed instead, frowning as if he wasn't sure to make of them. Did he recognize them? Did he know that he and Ed had been missing for months? Were supposed to be still missing now? Was Roy supposed to know him?
Slowly, uncomfortably, Roy met the soldier's eyes, trying to feign a sense of familiarity. He forced the most sure- and probably awkward- smile that he could.
The soldier jumped, turning very abruptly away like he'd been shocked to blink straight ahead, as if he'd never so much as glanced in their direction at all, and Roy's smile faltered.
So... he probably didn't know him, then.
Thank god, the moment of discomfort was sliced clean through when there was a call for them to enter from inside the office, and any and all attention there'd ever been on Roy in the first place was thrown forwards. The same soldier who'd been staring at Roy instead moved to swiftly open the doors for them, still without ever even blinking back in his direction, and once again, before he'd even had time to think, Maes and Riza were all but tugging them forwards into the office, and the door was swung shut behind them.
Ed tensed again the moment the heavy door clicked into place. Roy felt it under his hand, and then saw it just a second later, looking surreptitiously down to see Ed's face drawn again, the kid staring nervously over his shoulder and almost trembling. Trembling, Roy knew, because he didn't like that door shut. Trembling because he didn't like the suddenly confined space. Trembling, because he suddenly no longer had the freedom he so desperately needed, and had been deprived of for so long, to run.
A dark irritation squirmed angrily in the pit of his stomach. He'd told them to keep doors open for Ed, hadn't he? That he didn't like being shut in? To make sure he always had the freedom and safety to run? Narrowing his eyes, Roy started to turn back, finally pulling his hand off the kid's shoulder to move back to prop open the door again himself.
Only for somebody to stomp hard on his foot.
Roy scowled severely, flinching back around with all the betrayal of a kicked puppy. "What?" he hissed, starting to glower back to Maes, only for his friend to stomp down on his foot again. Yanking his foot away, he continued on, "What the hell do you want-"
But Maes was not looking at him. Maes, his jaw clenched, eye twitching, stood stock still by his side, looking straight ahead and right hand raised in a salute. ...What? Okay, then... Frowning, he turned towards Riza instead- only to find her standing in exactly the same position as Maes...
And Roy's skin was prickling, with the very uncomfortable sensation of being stared at.
He fidgeted around again. He blinked.
For the first time, he actually grasped that he was standing in a spacious, well-furnished office, a rich green and white flag display in the corner that niggled quietly at the corners of his mind as familiar and an older man sitting quietly at a desk, center stage, that did not strike him as familiar. He was clearly a soldier, wearing the same uniform as all the rest, and an important one at that, said uniform significantly more bedecked with golden stripes and shiny medals than any others that Roy had seen, even having an assistant who was waiting straight-backed and impassive behind him. He was also currently busying himself with staring expectantly, silently, right up at Roy.
All right, he was definitely not imagining it this time, right? He had to know him. There was no other reason-
"O-oh," he started, suddenly realizing what he was supposed to do. He jerked his hand up into a salute, thankful it was his right instead of his sore, still healing left, trying to glance surreptitiously to Maes to mimic him as best as he could. Next to him, he could just glimpse out of the corner of his eye Ed struggling to do the same.
The general blinked. He continued to stare up at Roy, for just long enough for the silence to turn from uncomfortable to downright awkward.
Then, making a face, he dropped his face into his hand, and groaned.
"I apologize for calling your amnesia tale ludicrous, Hughes," he said, the words muffled into his hand. "It is already apparent you were telling the truth, and it hasn't yet been five minutes. At ease.
Beside him, Maes and Riza dropped their arms in unison, their expressions twin masks of impassivity... although Maes' foot seemed to be getting twitchy again. Roy's face warmed, and no matter how quickly he tried to jerk his arm down to follow theirs, it was patently obvious he was mimicking them- that he had no idea what he was actually doing.
That Maes and Riza belonged here, and he did not.
It took Ed even longer to lower his arm than it had Roy, the motion slow and awkward and his face uncertain. By the faint crease of annoyance on Hakuro's face, that hadn't gone missed by him, either.
The general let out a long, impatient sort of sigh, folding his hands on the desk before him and narrowing his eyes to look between him and Ed. The inspection was obvious, and the intent made his skin crawl. Ed inched a little closer to him, tensing again, and once again, Roy could not blame him.
"I'll be blunt," Hakuro said at last. "I have seven meetings scheduled after yours, and that's all before lunch. I'm not going to ask you repeat everything that you've already told Lieutenant Colonel Hughes... I presume the report will be accurate enough for me to just read myself."
Maes nodded, the smile Roy had grown so reliant on now gone from his face. "Yes, sir."
Hakuro grimaced again. "In that case, all I wanted from today was to see you for myself, as well as confirm a few details... although..." His gaze swept Roy up and down for a moment, inquisitive and piercing, and, for just a glimpse of a moment, hopeful. "Colonel Mustang, you look to be in good enough health. Hughes informed me you weren't confident with your alchemy, but- to be blunt, are you sure? Your skills are a true asset, and, given your condition... well, accommodations could be made, if we were to deploy you to active duty." He smiled a little, just one small gesture of persuasiveness, and spread his hands out over his desk, open and trusting. "All we ask is that you are able to aim and control your alchemy."
Next to him, again, Maes stiffened. So did Riza.
And Roy wasn't sure what was going on, or being hinted at- but it wasn't hard to guess that he wasn't supposed to like this.
"I..." He clenched his jaw again, squinting down to his own hand by his side, curling and flexing it. His gloves were still in his pocket, a warm, reassuring, and familiar weight, but his hand remained bare, pale and badly scarred under the fluorescent lights of the office. It still hurt. It hurt every day. It was aching and sore and weak- and that was when it wasn't burned, from his pathetic attempts to control his own alchemy.
His heart sunk again.
He was still useless... no matter how much he wanted to say otherwise.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, finding himself abruptly helpless but to stare down at his own shined boots. "I've tried. ...I can't do it."
There was a long-suffering, disappointed sigh. Roy's face burned in shame again. He felt about two fucking inches tall.
"...what about me?" Ed spoke up suddenly, limping a heavy thud of a step forward. "I'm a State Alchemist too, aren't I?"
There was a short, sudden laugh, the general waving his hand dismissively at Ed and relaxing into a gold sort of grin for the first time all meeting. "Oh, we're not concerned about you, Fullmetal," he said, marking something down on a file. "I just have to look at you- you'd be a liability on the field. Automail normally takes months to adjust to, right? This'll all be ended by then... one way or another."
Ed's eyes flamed, face flushing red the same was Roy was sure his own had but in an igniting anger rather than shame."But I-" he started, thudding another limped step forward, but Hakuro was already talking over him like he didn't even exist.
"In that case," the general went on, waving a hand again, "the military's focus lies on the rest of what Lieutenant Colonel Hughes told us you reported." He went quiet for a moment, glancing dispassionately down at the file on his desk- and then, once more, to Ed. His easygoing smile faded into a tense sort of frown. "Specifically, Fullmetal's role, in transmuting gold for the rebels."
The kid withered like a switch had been flipped, melting right back into Roy's side, and stiffened. Roy stiffened right with him.
"It wasn't his fault," he said staunchly. "They forced him to. You can't punish him for something he had no choice in."
But Hakuro just grimaced, face creasing with exasperation as if he barely had the patience to listen to his defense, never mind actually worry about it. "It's apparent his actions were under duress, but, quite honestly, our focus is not and will never be on prosecuting one of our strongest alchemists. We're far more worried about just what that gold was being used for, and just who was forcing you to make it."
There was a short, unsettled sort of silence. Hakuro steepled his fingers together over his desk, brow creasing again, and for a moment looked just as serious and grave as Maes and Riza had all day long.
"You said your-"
The desk phone set off ringing, high-pitched and pealing and the most sudden, unwanted interruption possible. Even Hakuro looked annoyed, letting out a heavy sigh as he grabbed it to yank it to his ear, glowering at nothing. "General Hakuro," he barked. "I'm busy at the-... what...?"
Roy glanced uncertainly back at the others, and wasn't entirely surprised to find Maes and Riza barely disguising their own impatience. Even Ed looked a little calmer, although that was a glass half full sort of view, because it was obvious he still would rather be anywhere but here.
Roy shared the sentiment.
"...well I'll direct a few extra squads your way. The blockade on 7th, you said?" He scribbled something down, still frowning, the nodded to himself as he listened to whoever was on the phone. "Hold the line for another hour." Then he hung up, handing the note to his secretary in the same breath, and, with an obvious effort, refocused his attention back on them. "I'm sorry, where- yes, of course. Justin."
Ed made a small noise, so small it was barely even a noise at all, seeming to stiffen into almost a statue by his side. Roy felt something in him go cold, and again, shared the kid's sentiments to be simply anywhere but here.
"No last name? " Hakuro pressed, frowning between the two of them. "No other identifying factors? I've already looked at the description you gave Lieutenant Colonel Hughes; you have nothing more to add?"
"I... no. I don't, at least," Roy mumbled reluctantly. "They were always very careful to keep as much information from us as possible."
Ed nodded as well, his face troubled. "Yeah. I'm not even sure Justin was his real name. But- but what about the others? Hughes said they arrested the nurses! They were in on it, they should know everything you want to know!"
The response to this, however, was another unhappy shadow of exasperation. "You would think," Hakuro murmured. He settled himself back in his command chair, frowning darkly down to the wood grains with a deeply troubled sort of frown. "Unfortunately, we've been interrogating them for two weeks, now, and it seems as if they were used as pawns. They don't appear to know anything more about this Justin than you do."
Roy tensed again. So... they'd been real nurses, then. Susan and Ann. All they'd wanted to do, all they had been trying to do, was to help them.
He thought of how he'd found Ed, so many times huddled and shivering under a blanket. How many nights he had to have spent by himself before Roy had even gotten there, tied to a bed in the dark and screaming for a reprieve or mercy that would never come. He thought of how scared he'd been, so frightened he'd barely been able to talk to him, never mind put his abject terror into words. He thought of the padded room and straitjacket he knew they'd locked Ed in against his consent, and the terrified, broken state he'd found him in after it.
He didn't really much care, he decided, if those two had thought they'd been helping them.
"With all due respect, sir," Maes cut in harshly, barely even waiting for Hakuro to stop, "I hope this doesn't mean you're letting them go without charges. They did a hell of a lot to these two that is can't be excused or handwaved aside just because they were being lied to, too."
The general sighed heavily again. "It's one of many things that's being considered. However, as I said, my focus is currently on this Justin's identity. ...that is- I think we now know his identity."
...they what?
Just like that?
They knew who he was?
They'd found him?!
"...Oh," he said numbly, suddenly cold and shaken from the inside out, and this time, he was the one to draw a little closer to Ed.
Hakuro cleared his throat, flipping open a file that had already been waiting on his current disaster of a desk to read aloud, his eyes narrowed. "We're still looking into it. We're not sure. But for now, it's looking as if our best lead is a State Alchemist, from 1870: Daniel Everson. The Memory Alchemist."
"Dr. Everson?!" Al suddenly exclaimed, speaking up for the first time in this entire meeting. Roy blinked back around at the suit of armor, and Ed was already drawing closer to him, but Al's attention was on Hakuro instead of his brother in what was perhaps a first out of all that Roy had ever seen from him. "We studied his work when we were kids! He had so many papers on alchemy of the mind- remember, Brother, we thought he might've been onto something we could use for-"
He cut himself off abruptly, a small noise in his throat that guided the words straight into silence. Roy wasn't sure if it was the realization of what he'd just said, or the withdrawn, almost guilty sort of look mired on Ed's face that had silenced his brother. Either one seemed likely enough, given how suddenly apologetic he looked, then quickly looked away, strangely nervous in a way Roy never thought he'd have been able to see a suit of armor look. "I... I mean..."
"...Yes," Hakuro coughed awkwardly after a short stretch of silence. "Well. He was before my time- before all of our times- but it didn't take my men too much searching in the archives to key in on him. Given that there seems to have some involvement with the State Alchemy program, and an alchemist who has some experience with memory, he was our first lead."
Al moved forward again, taking his place beside his brother as if he'd never even left it. "But- but, sir? I've been researching neuro-alchemy for weeks now, and Dr. Everson's work wasn't advanced enough for something like this. At least, nothing he published. I'm not so sure he was in the right field for this, anyway... the paper for his certification was on memory and trauma."
"All that aside," Maes said suddenly, "isn't there a more direct problem? You said he was licensed in 1870. Roy told us this person was only a little older than he was... anyone licensed in 1870 would be ancient by now, if he was still alive in the first place."
Roy frowned, struggling to drag his reluctant memories back to- to that place. Trying see Justin's face again, to remember, to try and force his memories to fit what he was now being told. But it felt like they were lurching anxiously against a slowly forming wall, now- like the further he got from that place the faster he wanted to run away from it, and he was just far removed from it now to not even let himself remember it anymore. The room with the array felt panicky and clouded with smoke in his memory, Justin's face fleeting in and out of it, the memory tasting more of the pain in his chafed, restrained wrists and the agony in his beaten hands than his eyes and face and hair.
Nevertheless- Maes was right. 1870 was a good forty years ago, and if he'd been licensed then, he was surely a few decades older than that. While it was harder and harder now to grasp what that man's face had been like, he was fairly certain he would've remembered their tormentor being a frail old man.
The general, however, grimaced again, barely even glancing up at Maes as he instead focused all his attention down on the file spread out on his desk. "Yes," he grunted. "Particularly because the Memory Alchemist passed away several years ago... which is why we instead turned our focus to his son: Justin Everson, born 1880, and rejected applicant to the State Alchemy program three years ago."
...Ah.
That... that fit quite a lot closer, actually.
"Dare I ask why he was rejected, sir?"
Hakuro glanced dispassionately at Riza's cold question, wariness darkening his eyes again. "I didn't quite understand the incident report myself. My alchemist secretary says that in his certification demonstration, he claimed to have an array that would be able to completely wipe someone's memory. The military was interested, given the propensity for its uses in warfare and at home, but since its demonstration required a test on another human, had an already certified alchemist examine it first... apparently, his array would require human transmutation to work." His mouth tightened a little, pen tapping a slight, arrhythmic cadence against his desk. "He was dismissed. We don't have interest in an array that would kill the user, and we really did not have an interest in an alchemist who thought such an array would impress us." He paused again, gaze lingering on him and down to Edward in a way that was almost... uncomfortable. "It seems he has since perfected that array."
Roy's skin crawled, and once again, he found himself wanting desperately to withdraw from that analytical gaze, the way it eyed him like a lab rat. Perhaps to behind Maes, or perhaps all the way back to his aunt's so he could find Maes' jacket again and bury himself in it, and not have to think about any of this ever again. He forced a nod, even as unsteady as it was, and this time, was perfectly happy to remain silent.
And then, Ed snorted, facing that same delicate silence and taking a hammer straight to it, so bluntly it made him feel almost stupid for feeling nervous at all. "You think?" he snapped, tilting his head fiercely, and Roy imagined that Ed was simply lucky he was out of range of Maes' foot stomping of rebukes.
The general sighed tersely again, hand lifting up to massage his forehead. "Anyway," he groaned, and Roy felt a stab of sympathy for any of Ed's future superior officers, "it only gets more concerning from here. Apparently, he did not take his immediate rejection well... he became violent, and had to be removed from the building. Apparently only his father's prestige and connections saved him from charges being filed."
"...Perhaps it would have been better," Riza said quietly, somewhat disdainfully, "if they had."
"Yes, and perhaps it would've been better if we'd let him try his crackpot array out that day and he'd ended up killing himself," Hakuro deadpanned, irritation pulsing in his brow again. "We did not, and here is where we are instead."
There was another unhappy sort of pause, the general tapping his fingers impatiently still on his desk, glare alternating from the wood grains of his desk to the spread out folder before he frowned up at them all, gaze carefully resting on each and every one of them. It seemed as if they were moving a different sort of discussion now, with the general even more reluctant to pursue this one than he had been the one before it.
"This next part," he said at last, "I probably shouldn't be telling any of you. To be frank, however- this, too, was before my time, and I'm disturbed enough to find out this program ever existed at all. Fuhrer Bradley is also still nowhere to be seen to give a gag order, and to be frank about that, too, I'm getting tired of running interference for him when this ragtag army of rebels gets closer to Central by the day. So you- you lucky... five..." His gaze lingered uncertainly on Al, "you get to hear the un-redacted version."
"...You mean the entire affair of State Alchemists transmuting gold," Maes said flatly.
Hakuro grimaced darkly again. "Exactly."
There was a brief pause again, this time filled with what felt like every eye in the room on him and Ed. Roy, for about the tenth time this day, seriously wondered what he was doing here, and seriously missed his room back at his aunt's bar.
"As far as I can tell," Hakuro began at length, "the program was discontinued, because I was completely unaware of and very disturbed by the apparent loophole that allows our State Alchemists to transmute gold. Well, either the program was discontinued, or it's gone on under the table... there aren't very many high ranking State Alchemists left to ask about it, thanks to Scar. Regardless, you should know that I'll be opening a full investigation into this as soon as possible, to determine how many alchemists might have abused this and under whose direction... and we'll be starting with the late Memory Alchemist." He shrugged easily, letting the top folder on his desk fall limply shut. "There aren't really many other theories as to where his son could've learned he could exploit State Alchemists from besides him."
Roy nodded slowly, first glancing at Maes to gauge his reaction to it then back down at Ed. This wasn't bad news, right? Still investigating what had happened to them, not seeming to blame him or Ed for what had happened, the subject all but dropped about whether or not they could pull him and Ed into the ongoing fighting... surely this was at least going better than he knew it could've been.
And then, Riza cleared her throat, clasping her hands neatly behind her back again, and stepped forward. "I'm glad the investigation is making progress, but, with all due respect, sir, we have yet to address our primary problem."
Again, the general frowned, and his tired gaze drifted back onto Roy and Ed. "Right," he said stiffly. "What exactly we're going to do with these two in the meantime."
Oh. Right.
Wonderful.
Because the many eyes right back on him and Ed didn't make him feel uncomfortable or nervous at all.
"Well," Hakuro began. "While I'm ordering you both see a military physician as soon as possi-"
"I don't fucking think so!"
"Edward, please-"
"No! No! You can't make-"
"I- I only intended to-"
The general's phone interrupted again, pealing sharply into the growing argument, and Hakuro all but growled as he snatched it up, yanking it back to his ear. "What?"
Roy, however, was already turning away, and Ed with him. He'd heard enough. "Come on, Fullmetal," he ordered, hand back on his shoulder and panic so suddenly growing it felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. "We're going."
Maes and Riza looked suddenly alarmed, trying to stop them, but Ed was right there with him, his face young and scared and a fear burning into his eyes that made his heart clench. Roy left one hand tight on his shoulder as the other dug into his pocket, finding his glove on instinct alone, and still burned fingers already itching to snap.
He wasn't going to let this man force either of them to any doctor or hospital in the world. He wasn't going to fucking let that happen. He wasn't forcing him, and he was not, ever, not once getting close enough to lay a single hand on Ed.
They were getting out of here, right now, and if anyone tried to stop them- if his Maes or his Riza or Ed's Al tried to stop them-
Panic again tried to close his throat shut, and Roy forcefully shut down that thought process before it could careen to its natural end. He couldn't grasp the dichotomy of his family being the ones to force him right back into that hell so he wouldn't let it happen.
Maes wouldn't let it happen if he understood. He- he had to trust Maes, if he couldn't trust Maes, then-
Roy reached the door, panic and shaken horror closing around his heart and Ed trembling right by his side. He reached for the knob, blocking out Maes' concerned voice, and Al moving for them, and Riza's worry, and focused instead on Fullmetal, and the inches away between them and freedom.
The lights went out.
Roy, his gloved hand still clenched anxiously around the knob, froze. There was an immediate, shocked silence.
He glanced down at Ed, the alchemist wide-eyed and just as surprised as he was, and jerkily pivoted back around to stare at the newly changed office. Maes and Al both looked just as surprised as he was, blinking at the sudden darkness, while Riza had a hand on her gun, stance tense and sharp eyes suddenly doubting all over the office.
"-and that... hello?" Hakuro queried unsteadily into the phone. "Sergeant? ...Can you hear me?"
By the look on his face, Roy determined, no- the sergeant over the phone could not hear him.
Hakuro's frown grew deeper.
"...I'm... sure it's just a power outage," he murmured, lowering the phone to hang up what had evidently turned into just a dial tone. He looked no less convinced than anyone else by this argument than anyone else in the room. With a slight cough, he reached out, trying to turn on the lamp resting on his desk.
Darkness continued to swallow the office, and the general looked increasingly uncertain.
A low, deep rumble then shuddered through the room, gentle and ominous, like a boom of thunder or an earthquake down on the ground, so sudden and troubling it made his stomach lurch, Ed stumble straight closer into his side- and the general's scowl to deepen even more.
"What is this-" he barked, to essentially no one but himself, then just simply stormed on, brushing aside them all to shove open his office door himself into a similarly darkened hallway. "Private! What is the meaning of..."
Except the two soldiers who'd quietly stood guard outside his office, just mere minutes before, had multiplied into ten, and the standard procedure vigil had transformed into a breathless combat battalion that looked to have been about half a second from battering the door straight down for themselves.
"Sir," the one in the lead panted, face pale and strained but the rifle in his hands steady and surely ready to fire. "Sir- it's the rebels. They're here. They've... they've made it to HQ."