Chapter Eight
Ed watched as the clouds turned from white to grey, and finally, a dark charcoal color, signaling rain. He sighed frustratingly. 'Even if I can pull off being an automail student, I still can't get it to work like Winry's.'
He turned away from his window, knowing if his arm got too damp he'd have to have someone come pull it off so he could get the elbow loose (it sticks). So he retreated o a chair near the opposite wall, hopefully far enough to avoid rain. He had been about to go out to a supply shop for more lug nuts, but he'd have to wait out the storm it looked like.
So he closed his eyes, mulling things over. 'So, the crazy old bat down the street was related to Jean Havoc, who was now married to Riza Hawkeye-- Wait, she's Riza Havoc now, isn't she? She certainly causes havoc most of the time.' Ed stretched his arm around his shoulder and yawned. Something about rain made him tired. Of course, fire did the same thing.
'Roy...' Ed shook his head. "Why do I always do that? Anything about fire, flame, spark, frickin barbecue, he shows up."
"And you call me crazy..." Came Gram's voice from the just closed front door.
"You are most certainly crazy." Ed said, slipping effortlessly into Seth. "I, on the contrary, am just a bit...Odd."
"Uh-huh. I'm convinced." She said, walking over. "It's going to rain."
"Glad to know you have the ability to see grey." Ed mumbled, promptly smacked by the cane.
"You and I are in the same boat, and you know it." She said, sitting in a chair juxtaposed to Ed's. "You can't move your arm when it rains, and my knees act up."
"Yes, yes." Ed muttered.
"...Am I going to have to pry it out of you?"
Ed glanced at her. "You're cheating."
She laughed warmly. "How so?"
"That..." Ed paused for a moment, then said, "Old-Lady intuition."
...We will return to this conversation as soon as Ed gets mopped up and Gram stops shouting 'I'm not an old lady'.
"Well, what do you call it, then?" Ed huffed, nursing a lump on his head.
"How about experience?" She said, returning to her chair. "Now, speak or be beat."
Ed swallowed. "It's nothing."
"Name?"
"Nothing."
"Okay." She smirked. "So why is it nothing?"
"Because he's from a long time ago, and he doesn't matter anymore."
Ed's answer hit him hard, a bit too late for him to say otherwise. 'I didn't say that'. But Gram's calculating gaze assured him other wise. So he sat, watching the rain through the window with a vacant look as he contemplated giving her a slightly edited version. So he did.
"A while back, when I was a kid, my brother and I lived with our mother. She died when we were about eleven and ten. A few years later, there...was an accident, and I lost my brother and my limbs. When I was recovering, someone came to me and offered me a chance to walk again, and I took it. I got automail. And I guess they thought I was worth some schooling, because they asked if I wanted to learn a few things. That was when I met my Sensei, and a while after that, I met the only person who meant more to me than my mother and brother."
"...And why doesn't he matter anymore?" A gentle and encouraging nudge.
Ed gave a low bark of laughter. "I finally get the push that made me tell him, and he accepts it, but then...Some things happened, and now I can't see him." He looked at Gram, saying, "You ever get that feeling the world's out to get you?"
"All the time." She said, nodding."You know, on those days when the store closes just as you get there, when it rains like this, and especially when you find yourself getting hit on the head with a randomly thrown pineapple, causing you to fall down a hill, through a fence, and into a pile of wood."
Ed blinked. "That explains the cane. Oh, wait," He added suddenly, "Is that why you have a cane, or did the years catch up with you?"
He found himself beat again, and when he decided it was safe enough to put his arms down from his face, he laughed.
"Find something funny?" Gram asked in a deadly voice.
"You remind me of someone." Ed said, thinking of Winry and the murdering accomplice Wrench.
"Good someone?"
"Somewhat. She always tried to kill me, but she was a bit like a sister. My brother and I lived with her for a while after my mom died." Ed smiled, imagining Winry beating up an apprentice who did some of the stupid things Ed did ( like attach a leg to an arm).
"I see. Well, it's pouring outside, so would you throw up some random subject to argue?" She said.
Ed grinned, thankful that she would drop the whole secret-love-from-the-past thing, and volunteered, "You're grandson is going to develop a family complex, very quickly."
With Roy, Four Months Later (Warning: The rest of this chapter...Will go kinda fast)
Roy waited. And waited. And waited some more. Then he stood, and left his office and began to hunt reverently for Jean or Riza; They said they had some major news about the case. And that they'd be in Central to deliver the news by noon.
'So where are they?!'
"Hey Boss."
Roy turned to the cocky voice, fixing Jean with a death glare worthy of the grim Reaper himself. "You're late."
Jean stared at him, then asked accusingly, "Boss, how long have you been looking for me?"
"About fifteen minutes."
"...Boss, it's only eleven. I'm an hour early. Did you forget Daylights Savings?"
Roy didn't answer, asking instead, "What do you got for me?"
Jean held out a manila envelope, saying proudly, "A list."
...Roy's mind buzzed for a moment, then realized what Jean meant.
"A list?" He asked incredulously, taking the envelope. "You mean--"
"The list. Of all members of a group called SATH, meaning 'send alchemist to hell'. It's over, Boss."
With Ed, month and a half later
Ed glanced about, wondering listlessly if Jean had been lying; Just telling Ed what he wanted to hear. Seemed to be reasonable. Here was Ed, waiting expectantly for something that might not happen, so when one of the only people who know of his existence came along, who wouldn't feel sorry for him, and do their best to cheer him up?
He shook his head suddenly. 'Stop that. Now.'
It seemed as the two year mark of his death rolled around, he started thinking about how improbable it was for him to ever actually go back. After all, who'd believe him if he claimed he was Edward Elric, the deceased Fullmetal Alchemist? No one. Then there's the infamous 'I'm taking up Roy's life for no reason' excuse. Why should Roy spend his life looking for Ed's? But if Ed really died...
But he didn't want to give up. He wanted to see Al and Winry again, he wanted to meet the second Maes, and, most of all, he wanted a home again; No matter how well he had adjusted, Ed would never be able to totally relax here, or try and fall in love with someone else, because...It hurt too much to be close to someone who didn't know who you were. So he waited.
And waited. And waited some more. But today, the thoughts stayed behind, even as the logic faded away. 'I want out.' Ed looked around quickly, the selected a fine pile of steel and iron alloys and deftly transmuted it into a handgun. One bullet. One chance. 'I won't need it.' He tried to convince himself. Still, he slept deeper than before that night, subconsciously knowing if he had the dream again, he might just use that bullet.
With Roy, A week later
"Eyes out." Roy muttered, as his team dispersed to their positions.
It had been a hectic week, mainly because Roy wasn't content to just quietly arrest the remaining members. And thus, his team of three (Riza, Jean, and himself) were now in Lior, and the only thing that remained was to follow the plan, which was:
One: Jean separates first and causes some trouble; His choice; Riza may assist.
Jean immediately walked over to a small floral booth and smiled charmingly at the clerk (You know, with that smile he'd seen Roy use so many times and oh so effectively).
"How long have you worked here, hon?"
She blushed. "A little over a year."
"Really? Any particular reason you haven't found some nice man to take care of you?" He said, leaning a bit closer to here, yet keeping his voice at the same volume.
She shook her head, fixing her eyes on the counter in front of her.
Jean watched her, smirking, then reached out and gently brushed her face. "Maybe if you'd look up, you'd see what you're missing."
SLAP!!
"JEAN HAVOC YOU CHEATING BASTARD!!!"
Roy nodded, reasoning this was a very good distraction.
Two: Conveniently get lost and wander off.
Roy didn't need help, as the crowd moved forward to encircle the now verbally battling couple, and he found himself trying to hold his ground, only to end up a few blocks away from where he had started.
Three: Get noticed...Negatively.
'Well...Only one way to do that...'