Chapter 9: With Daisies Pied and Flowers Blue


The street seemed remarkably busy, even this late at night. Couples strolled along the boulevards; pausing to peer in windows; stopping to listen to musicians singing songs of love and heartache. Alphonse dodged around the couples with a bare 'excuse me'; giving each a quick glance to confirm that none were the pair he searched for. The bookseller had opened her shop to him, let him know that she hadn't seen Edward since early that morning, when he'd been by with his brother himself. Her kind smile didn't reassure Alphonse, who knew all too well the trouble Edward could find himself in. With Winry at his side, he might not take as many risks, but Winry was also Edward's weak point and Alphonse knew their enemies were equally aware of that.

"Where are you, Brother?" He stood still on the corner of a well-traveled street, searching through the moonlit night, hoping to spy the familiar forms of his brother and their best friend. After waiting for a few minutes, Alphonse had to move. His anxiety didn't show in the ways it would a human body; his fingers could clench into fists; his armor could tremble but he couldn't sweat or cry or feel his heart race in his chest.

Making a decision, Alphonse started off again, striding down the street, the clatter of his armor loud enough to send the couples in front of him scattering.

* * *

The throbbing in his skull told Edward that whatever he thought had been a nightmare probably wasn't. Someone was trying to pry his shoulder blades out of his body with a knife; his left arm tingled and ached and his wrist stung, further confirming what he remembered from the last time he'd been awake. Dry tongue attempted to moisten his lips, having little success. Edward shuffled his feet, forcing his legs to carry his weight again. "Winry?" Her name came out in a raspy whisper

The pressure against his upper back shifted. "Oh, Ed." She sounded like she was close to tears.

"Nothin' happened?" He meant to her though, Edward guessed it was really a stupid question since they both seemed to still be hanging up in this place.

"He," Winry's voice gave out. "He hasn't come back."

Edward forced a chuckle. "Prob'ly scared him."

Winry didn't respond beyond taking a deep, shaky breath. Edward wished he could see her face, look into her eyes if she'd let him. Can't let her stay here. Edward tried to bully his brain into working. His head falling back intensified the headache but he ignored it in his attempt to get a look at what held his hands over his head. "Winry? 'Zat wire?"

She sniffed before answering. "Yeah." Edward heard her swallow. "He wrapped us pretty tight."

Edward let out a huff of air. "Left my gloves on." He made his automail fingers wriggle then his flesh ones. Ow. Dammit, that hurt. "Gonna try somethin'. 'Kay?" Without waiting for an answer, he twisted his automail arm.

The wire cut into his flesh wrist, making it feel as if a razor sliced into his skin. Edward gritted his teeth, jerking the automail the other direction. His flesh shoulder spasmed in protest but Edward ignored the pain. Have to get Winry out of this. Have to protect her. Edward used those thoughts to goad him beyond the agony pulsing through his arm and shoulder. "Hnnng!" He could hear the strain singing through the wire; could feel something warm tickling down his flesh arm.

"Ed?" Winry sounded so far away.

He ignored her, too, panting with the effort of forcing his limbs to work. Automail didn't get stiff; didn't ache the way flesh and muscles did. He could work through the fire echoing through his nerves. He had to. Had to push himself beyond it. Winry needed him to act, to keep her safe.

Half-screaming, Edward thrust his weight forward, putting more pressure on the wire. The whine increased, the tension making the strands hum. Edward barely heard it through the ringing in his ears. Black dots danced in his vision and he knew that pungent odor rose from his own body. The sharp tangy smell of blood pierced his nose and Edward hoped he didn't pass out before he got free.

Something twanged and suddenly, the floor rose, reaching up to smack him in the forehead. Groaning, Edward let his head loll to the side, stars flashing in his sight. His breath rasped in his ears.

" – ward? Ed? Ed, are you all right?"

He blinked, hearing the panic in Winry's voice. Unable to remember for a few seconds how he'd wound up on the floor, Edward realized he'd managed to pull himself free from the bindings. "'m okay, Winry." It took three tries to get his flesh arm to move; another two to drag himself up to even a sitting position. The pain of blood moving through his arm made him want to scream but Edward knew he didn't have the time or luxury of expressing that agony. Instead, he made himself get to his knees, half-crawled to Winry. His head bumped into her leg and he rested there for a few seconds, opening his eyes to the sight of her thigh, wrapped the in soft cotton of her dress, her skirt damaged and dirtied. "Gnng!" Edward realized that red streak was from his own blood, that he'd sullied Winry's skirt. I'll get you a new one once we're out of here. Promise.

Using her as a brace, Edward practically climbed her body. Loathing left a nasty taste in his mouth but he couldn't figure out an easier way to get to his feet. "Sorry, sorry," he mumbled, afraid to meet her eyes as he pressed his palms together, biting his tongue to keep from screaming as he reached up to transmute the wire holding her arms over her head.

Their arms tumbled down, Edward groaning as Winry's senseless hand landed on his shoulder. They propped each other up, her wide, reddened eyes staring blankly into his. Edward had to look away first, tucking his face against her neck for a second, breathing in her scent. Winry.

"Ed, don't…don't go to sleep. We have to get out of here." Even though he could hear the tears in her voice, it didn't quaver.

Smiling against her throat, Edward made his spine straighten. He tried on his cocky grin, knowing by the expression on Winry's face it didn't quite work but at least he'd made the effort. "Yeah. Yeah." Rolling his shoulders, Edward took a step back from Winry. "Le's get outta here." He took a deep, settling breath, meeting Winry's eyes, realizing her own were widening, staring beyond his shoulder, her mouth opening in a whispered gasp.

As the room jerked and wobbled on its axis, Edward heard a voice behind him saying, "Daisies aren't supposed to get free."

* * *

It felt as if he'd been walking in circles. No one had seen Edward or Winry; a pair of blond teenagers just didn't stand out in Conway. Alphonse had even stopped by Lena's father's shop, in case Edward and Winry had come by looking for him. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen them." Lena had picked up on his anxiety, offering to come with him and help look. Now she trotted at his side, taking three steps to his one. Alphonse knew he was moving too quickly for Lena to keep up but couldn't seem to slow his pace until he had some idea where Edward and Winry were.

He stopped on a corner, helmet swiveling from side to side. Lena caught up to him, breathing hard, though, when Alphonse glanced down at her, she flashed him a reassuring smile. He wished it made him feel better. "I don't know where to look next." The admission stabbed through him.

Lena shoved her hair back off her shoulders. "What about the lake? Do you think they took a moonlight cruise?"

He barely took time to consider the idea. "I don't think so." Edward wasn't that romantic.

"The library?" Lena frowned as Alphonse shook his head, the metal squealing.

"I checked there already."

She folded her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. "There are too many restaurants to check and they'll be closing soon." Lena's mouth turned down. "We won't even get to the ones on the next few blocks before it'll be too late to talk to anyone."

"Alphonse? Hey!"

Hope rose at the sound of his name and plummeted just as fast as Alphonse turned, spotting a tall man waving at him. "Tony?"

Crossing the street, the man smiled up at Alphonse, nodding politely at Lena. "Not a double date, huh?"

"What?" Alphonse couldn't follow that question. "I'm sorry, Tony, we're sort of busy."

"Don't worry, I won't interrupt your date." He raised his hands. "But your brother and Miss Rockbell – gllk!"

"You've seen them?" Alphonse found he'd grabbed Tony, lifted the man off the ground. He set him back down. "I – I mean."

Tony looked from Alphonse to Lena and back again. "Has something happened?"

"Al can't find his brother and their friend," Lena said before Alphonse could rally his thoughts to answer.

"But I just saw them," Tony checked his watch, "a few hours ago." This time he dodged Alphonse's grab. "I sent them to a nice restaurant. Miss Rockbell was dressed very nicely and, seriously, Alphonse, your brother cleans up pretty well. I thought they should have a good dinner and told them where Anne and I went."

"Where. Where did you send them?" Alphonse's gloves twitched and flexed. "Tony, I need to know. Brother and Winry should've been back hours ago."

Tony's face paled. "…hours?" He bit his lip, nodding. "Come with me. I'll take you there myself."

* * *