I barely had motivation this time around, for some reason. Probably just the summer-brain. I'd like some feedback, guys! LEAVE A REVIEW! (Really though, I would like to know what you guys like and what you dislike, so I can improve my writing; I really want to improve so I can take AP literature my JR year without suffering!)
WORD COUNT: 1,492 (which is 1000 words less than last chap, but only 200 less than normal chaps so its average, in case you want to know ;)
"Then...Who's in the cell?"
How Could You.
The moment the words escaped her lips, she found herself rushing into the cell, ignoring the thumping of her heart in her chest, induced by the creak of the jail cell door opening suspiciously. She grappled for the gun's holster and threw the gate aside with Breda chasing behind her, a desperate moment of terror and answer seeking.
She halted abruptly before the cell, her pistol in hand, as she found herself pointing it at none other than Solf J. Kimblee.
...Luckily for her, her fingers were nimble enough to avoid pulling the trigger on the unexpected man. She felt Breda behind her, almost unable to avoid running into her from behind. Her eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here?" She spat, still frenzied from the sudden burst of concern.
"Now now, Private Hawkeye, don't question your superior officers."
She could tell that he was enjoying every moment of his superiority, almost spotting a grin cross his features.
"I apologize, sir." She grit, Breda saluting bitterly.
A slight panic rushed through her veins when she didn't spot Edward immediately, and she almost opened her mouth to protest, but Kimblee sidestepped a bit and exposed the boy to the officers, the boy looking almost more defeated than before.
Riza's brows furrowed, wondering if a homunculus could possibly be good enough of an actor to pull off those sad eyes. She'd only seen him look like that once before, right before Mustang invited him into the military.
Homunculi. The moment that she realized it was not Edward in the cell, she'd immediately accused the homunculi; an image of the shape-shifter flashing before her eyes, the one who had transformed into Ross before assassinating Hughes in a phone booth. She thought back before remembering that the boys had once called him Envy.
She knew she could not trust Kimblee. She never had trusted him in the first place, ever since the day he and Mustang had become political rivals she'd known not to leak information to the white-clad man. However, desperate times called for desperate measures, and for all she knew, Envy could be sitting on the ground before her, obscenely taking on an emotionally tormented Edward and causing her stomach to flip.
"Excuse me, Mr Kimblee, Sir... But-"
Breda elbowed her roughly, abruptly cutting her sentence off with a slight heave as he glared daggers at her. It signified to her that she was not to inform him of this information, but she felt that Kimblee could be of use.
"Yes, Hawkeye? Do you have something to say?" His voice was laced with venom.
(Riza could almost flip him off.)
"Yes Sir. I'm wondering what you're doing in his cell, since anybody who enters it can be fined up to 5,000 yen."
"Oh, you see, the investigation corps needs more information out of Mr Elric here in order to be sure that he is to be executed for his crimes."
Breda gaped; "What?! Executed? Already? Hasn't he got a lawyer?"
Kimblee chuckled.
"Of course, Breda, he has a Lawyer. It's just that once Edward was at the podium, he admitted to murdering Roy."
"This isn't any new news, Breda," Riza found herself mumbling, "my only concern is why he didn't suggest mental instability to avoid an execution."
"He did; the Judge wouldn't have it. Think about it, Hawkeye: The People's Alchemist, hero who spreads peace across the country, Murdering someone because of Mental Instability."
She chewed on that for a while, realizing that Amestris would be in uproar. That kind of statement could be intense enough reversing all the good he's done. She supposed she could understand the Judge's decision to rule Edward guilty.
"However," Kimblee continued, "that may have not been for political reasons alone, Private."
The gun in her hand wavered slightly, she released her stiff hold of the weapon as she listened to the officer.
"Are you aware that there were no guards on duty at the time Jean Havoc was murdered?"
The gun was now gripped with the same intense fear as before.
"What are you suggesting, Kimblee?" She chuckled humorlessly; fearfully. "-That Edward escaped his cell and killed Havoc, returning to it before any guards could see him gone?"
She felt the urge of a mental breakdown welling up inside her, but she knew how Solf J. Kimblee performed his work: He would try to rile her up just to see her pop. It was a game for his own personal amusement, stepping around the truth carefully until his victim could no longer handle him. But, still, Hawkeye found it troubling to resist crying out in frustration right there.
Kimblee shrugged at her, brushing her questions off.
"It's a possibility that Edward is responsible for the death of both of your teammates."
Not Edward, she thought to herself, that Envy thing in the cell. Edward could never do all of this to us.
Breda glanced over to Riza, biting his lower lip. For all he knew, Kimblee could be against them finding out the truth about Mustang. It was best to withhold information.
However, Riza thought differently.
"Kimblee, due to the fact that you are Edward's interrogator, I think it would be best to report some of our speculations to you."
He cocked an eyebrow at her, Edward's small form barely shifting beside him as he craned his neck to glance at him blankly.
She took a small breath, ignoring the desperate stare she was receiving from Breda, when she said, "We have reason to believe that the person you see on the floor is not Edward, and that the real Ed is not responsible for the killing of Roy Mustang."
Breda mentally slapped himself in the face as Kimblee didn't seem to react at all to these statements, glancing toward her cocked pistol.
"And what are you planning on doing with that? Test out your theory?"
An audible gasp released from her chest when she realized that Kimblee knew about the homunculi: The shapeshifter, specifically, and their instant-regeneration ability.
She wondered if that was why he hadn't confiscated her gun.
"Well?" Kimblee spoke up gently, as though conversing with a small child. "Are you going to fire? Given that you think that isn't Fullmetal?"
Breda took a step back behind her, his eyes widened with anticipation. He feared both Kimblee, for choosing to interrogate them instead of Ed, and Hawkeye, for what she might choose to do.
Edward's head lolled a bit when he swayed to manoeuvre his gaze to meet Hawkeye's.
She gripped the gun, her finger ghosting over the trigger as she tried to build up her resolve.
It's the shapeshifter she told herself, he's toying with your mind and taking on his appearance.
But her body betrayed her mind as she realized she was trying to lie to herself - to solve this mystery - when the broken teen's golden orbs met hers with no mask of fear, but a certain desperation that she'd only seen worn upon a face when she'd fired her last shot in Ishval, and took a good look inside the mirror.
It was guilt.
It was sorrow.
Her hand wavered as she stared at the boy from not-so-long-ago, and her stomach churned in remembrance of his sunshiny face and good-heartedness.
She couldn't do it.
"So," Kimblee began smugly, "You really aren't so sure, Hawkeye, are you? If you were, this jail would have smelt of gunpowder by now."
She crumpled a bit, resenting that he was right and feeling Breda take a relieved breath beside her. She was a bit crushed when she looked at Edward again, hoping that, if it was the real Edward she was sharing a glance with, that he wouldn't feel too betrayed by her.
...That if it wasn't the real Edward, Roy wouldn't be disappointed by her softness.
a/n: this was so hard for me to write, for some reason. Took 2.75 hours even though it's short. I really hope you guys enjoyed it! That's what's important! LEAVE A REVIEW PLEASE! THE TRUEST FORM OF MOTIVATION!! :D Love y'all.