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The teen groaned into his pillow, lazily flipping it over to nurse his face in the cool fabric. The sheets bound his limbs, leaving Edward trapped in a white bundle in the centre of the mattress. He cursed as the sun leaked through the blinds, basking his face in warm sunlight.
He rolled onto his back. Long honey strands sprawled across the pillows, tangled from sleep. A pile of clothes lay in a scattered heap at the foot of the bed. For now, he didn't care. Not about the thin, cheap mattress he lay on, nor the irritating sun that woke him from a rather enjoyable sleep. His mind was already occupied.
As the pair of gold eyes scanned the room, Ed's lips curled into a smile. He hadn't paid much attention to the room the following day. He'd been too busy trying to reach the bed. Never in a million years had he expected to wake up in the same dorm again. It was the closest thing to home. Home. Military housing wasn't exactly very home like. It was clear there hadn't been much of a budget for them. It had been squandered on all the high ranking men, and the Fuhrer of course, who practically lived in a palace.
"Lucky bastards..." he yawned, grimacing at the feel of the springs pressing into his back. Ed propped himself up with a flesh hand, craning his neck to the clock, smiling. It was around this time the Colonel would be sat 'enthusiastically' at his desk cursing Edward for being late...
"Edward, did anyone ever teach the meaning of being on time?"
The blonde displayed a smug smile as he began the task of tying his hair, closing the office door with a soft kick. He ignored the glares he was receiving and sunk into the leather couch he was rather fond of. He shifted comfortably, arms folded under his head and feet flung over the armrest.
"Good morning Colonel, sleep well?" the man continued to glare. The blonde could feel his gaze burn into him. "I'll take that as a no then"
The flam rose from his seat and walked over to his subordinate, looming over the figure sprawled lazily across the couch. "The Fuhrer was informed of your return"
"Well that's great!" the teens voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Is there anything else? Or can I go now?"
"He wants you to do another assessment" the blonde groaned. "Well, it's to be expected after you're rather long... absence..."
Ed rolled onto his side, propping his head in his hand. "Just give it to me straight, will I live?"
"Well..." Roy smiled, "Maybe.. If I go easy on you..." the teen clearly was not impressed. He clenched his teeth tightly, and curled his lips into a false smile. "What's wrong Ed? You don't look very happy"
"I'm thrilled. Just thrilled."
Edward was pacing. A habit he'd developed over the years, since he began his early military career. It was a way of expressing his nerves and calming them. It gave him something to do, to take his mind off other things.
The crowd were beginning to appear around the training grounds. Men and women alike, different ages and ranks. It was rarely that soldiers of different positions mixed. It was rather odd seeing them separated from their usual divisions. It was to be expected. When word got out that the FullMetal alchemist had returned, the people vowed the battle was something that could not be missed.
Golden orbs darted nervously to the far end of the concrete pitch. Standing smugly in his navy uniform was Roy Mustang, who appeared to be absorbing the publicity like a sponge. There was no mistaking the fact that he was enjoying himself. Edward only wished he could do the same.
The raven haired man was already displaying a victorious grin, ignoring several boos from the mob beginning to form. Havoc and Hawkeye stood beside him, leaving Ed, once again without any moral support. The blonde took a slow breath through his nose, ignoring the impatient chants of his name. He clutched his silver pocket watch tightly, groaning as the clock hands edged closer and closer to midday.
With a click, he clamped it shut. Edward had five more minutes. Just enough time to make a small trip back to the office...
"Thanks Kain! I owe you one!" Ed slapped the soldier on the back, giving him a loose one armed hug as they approached the training grounds. The raven haired man smiled shyly, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.
"Honestly, it was nothing..." Kain insisted.
"Are you sure you won't get in trouble for this? If Ro- I mean bastard asks, tell him I pinched the key and let myself in" the teen stopped in his tracks. Checking his watch, he turned back to Kain and gave a nod of thanks.
"Good luck Ed! I'm sure you'll do fine, you always do!"
"Thanks, don't forget to watch!" with a last deep breath, the blonde tightened his ponytail and rolled his sleeves to the elbow.
"My time to shine"
The chattering ceased. Roy turned, pulling on his white trademark gloves, pausing as his gaze set on the figure on the opposite end of the pitch. Edward was armed like a Swiss army knife. Ammunition littered his torso, and holsters cluttered his waist. The blonde walked closer, stopping a metre from his opponent. His golden orbs narrowed, and Roy could see clear determination.
"I appreciate the effort FullMetal, but I know what you're capable of. You don't need weapons."
"I decided not to take any chances this time" the teen smirked casually.
"You're not fooling anyone" Roy raised a hand, ready to aim. "We all know you can't even use most of that"
Risa and Havoc took the conversation as an opportunity to move to a safer distance, shoving their way past the tightly packed people. As the Colonel prepared to fire, he was unprepared for the bullet that skimmed his shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he could see a small gash in the navy fabric.
"Actually" the teen corrected as the bullet dropped to the floor, "I've had plenty of practise. It would be a shame to put it to wast-"
Edward dodged aside, feeling warmth skim his shoulder as a blast of flames flared past him. Regaining his balance, the blonde could see a smug smile etched across the man's features.
Jean turned to Risa, "I have a feeling it's going to be a close one this time. Who's your money on?"
"The Colonel has much more experience" the woman replied, without removing her gaze from the unfolding battle. "Edward is..."
"Just a kid?" "I'm not sure I can agree with you on that. Those flames look like feathers to him... He's tougher than you think"
The teen avoided the sharp bursts of flames, bending in all sorts of awkward positions to avoid being cremated. He grit his teeth in frustration. If that bastard didn't have gloves on, he'd be a normal powerless being. He puffed tiredly.
"What's wrong FullMetal? Can't keep up?"
"Shut up!" the blonde snapped, pulling a knife from his waist band and diving for his target. Needless to say, another flame glided towards him, as violent and powerless as the ones before it.
"You know what Colonel? I think you're scared underneath that mask of yours"
"Scared?" Roy laughed, "Of what?"
"That I'll get too close!"
Ed swung his blade fiercely, ignoring the warmth blasting towards him. The Colonel took a sharp step back, narrowly avoiding an incision to the chest. A thin line dripped from his cheek. He brushed his gloved fingertips to the skin, frowning at the stained fabric. Just a scratch. He sighed, his obsidian gaze switching to Edward. The teen was trying to cease the flames knowing at his white dress shirt. The soft orange had already destroyed an entire right sleeve, revealing an unmistakable glint of silver. Ripping the shirt from his torso, Ed glared menacingly.
"That, was a very expensive shirt"
"My apologies, I'd be happy to buy you another from your research budget"
"That was from France. And now..." his grip tightened, the metal began to bend under the strain. "You're going to pay!"
The Colonel raised his fingers to snap. Before they couch touch, a feisty looking Edward sliced the crimson circle marking his gloves, grinning triumphantly. Roy reached for another pair, only to be stopped by the teen, who held the sharp blade to his throat.
"Fight me like a real man" he growled, "Or is that cheap party trick all you can do?"
The Colonel looked down to the cool silver pressed to his throat, and reached up to pry Ed's fingers from it, metal dropping to the floor. He rolled up his sleeves.
Edward was certainly no longer a child. Anyone could see that by looking at his toned chest and the muscles gracing his frame. Scars marked the pale flesh, some in the most awkward of places. One that stood out most was not near the automail. It was a rough looking graze running down the inside of his arm, stopping just before the elbow.
"That, was shrapnel" the blonde followed Roy's gaze, "The others are just grazes" he grimaced. The teen could never forget the feeling of bullets clipping his chest and back, the wet running across his skin. "Not that someone like you would understand..."
"Someone like me?"
"Watching the others do your dirty work for a promotion! You don't know the meaning of getting your hands dirty" Edward finished with a swift blow to the cheek. Roy grimaced as the metal fingers came in contact with his skin. He nursed his cheek, glaring.
"You better pray that doesn't bruise" he spat, throwing a punch in Ed's direction. The blonde managed to avoid a facelift by dodging skilfully. The fist grazed his cheek lightly. The Colonel growled with frustration, throwing his fist back towards Ed. The teen remained still, without a single flinch he caught the hand in his metal one, clamping tightly. Roy tried to pry the fingers from his wrist, only to find the grip get tighter.
"Just what are you trying to pull? You've succeeded in humiliating me. You could have finished this minutes ago with just a clap!"
"I assure you Colonel, I'm not trying to pull anything. I was asked for a performance, and I won't fail to disappoint"
I'm no good at writing fight scenes; you'll have to forgive me!
But I hope it was readable : )