Just letting you know I haven't forgotten about this story, and I'm not dead.
I leave school in 2 weeks to sit my final exams so I am a little busy, updates will be a late but I definitely won't forget about them : )
There was a clap. The familiar buzz of alchemy filled the air, a flash of blinding light burst through the small window and the open fraction of the door. The blues and whites glowed like a burning fire, winding down the narrow stretch of corridor, twisting and turning, bouncing off the white walls.
Roy panicked inside, his onyx eyes widened in horror as light obscured his vision. Was he too late?! The fluttering in his stomach increased more and more as questions began to clutter his mind. Ignoring the persistent calls from his team mates, Roy reached for the door, prying it open with his gloved fingertips.
The glowing suddenly stopped. The hall became dim once more and utter silence filled the room, except for the harsh breaths wheezing from the dark corner. The door creaked slowly open, a loud protest squeaking from the hinges. The array was etched into the concrete floor, a hazy waft of smoke shifting lazily from one side of the room to the other.
Looking down at both his hands in realisation, Edward could barely utter a curse while his lungs were so full and poisoned with smoke. Taking a shuddering breath, the teen was knocked off his feet as a foot collided with his chest. Before Ed could defend himself, the wall came too quickly. There was a smack as his spine and head collided with the brickwork, effectively knocking the wind out of him.
A heaving cough escaped his lips, a splatter of crimson seeping through the blond's metallic fingers. For a moment, he lay there, breathless and slumped against the hard wall. A triumphant huff of approval emerged from Archer as the teen laboured his lungs, clawing at his chest weakly. Looking back at the mismatched pair of hands, Ed seethed with anger.
"You... you made me... you bastard."
Something was defiantly wrong. The young alchemist knew a simple clap shouldn't take this much energy out of him, but somehow he knew it was to be expected. After all, how many years had it been since he'd last felt that powerful energy surge at his fingertips? It was no surprise that an alchemical rebound knocked the stuffing out of Edward.
Archer began to walk over, an unusual smile plastered across his gaunt pale face. The blond found it unusual for the former Colonel to keep himself so composed. Wasn't he supposed to be angry? Taking a final stride, the man towered over the teen, curled his hand into a tight fist and aimed for the exhausted heap on the floor.
The Elric prepared to move, hazy golden eyes focused on that single fist in deep concentration. So deep in fact he hadn't noticed a figure lurking in the doorway.
Before Archer could deliver a punch, he stopped, dropping the arm back to his side. His head turned sharply as the door slammed open, a livid looking Colonel standing in silence, gloved fingers raised and ready to click. He said nothing, a burning gaze flaring at the man staring back. The hurried footsteps of Havoc, Armstrong and Breda soon followed, stopping behind their superior dead in their tracks.
"Don't move," the Colonel said firmly, closing in on the man like a lion ready to pounce. The sound of thick footsteps pierced the nervous silence as the pair of heavy military shoes crossed the concrete floor. The heavy breaths of the blond alchemist were louder than any footstep; Roy couldn't ignore the unhealthy rattling of Ed's chest.
Edward growled in frustration as an evil laughed escaped Archers lips, the howling laughter was enough to send shivers down his spine. The man didn't seem concerned in the slightest, not even as he was greatly outnumbered and unarmed. It worried him.
The Flame couldn't deny he was a little nervous; of course it was only a little, Roy Mustang was no girl. His brain was experiencing slight confusion. The man in front of him was supposed to be dead. He'd seen him die... hadn't he?
"Roy!" Archer cried dripping with false enthusiasm, flinging his arms open as if he were about to embrace the man. "I thought you weren't coming! Sorry for starting without you..." the words faded to laughter, the blue eyed villain ran a hand through his black hair as if he didn't have a care in the world. Suddenly, the smile dropped, a dangerous scowl dominating his features.
"Release my subordinate."
"No," the man shrugged childishly, looking back at the young alchemist who was trying to peel himself from the hard floor. The blond ignored the stares and worried glances coming his direction and dug his nails into the brickwork, pulling himself shakily to his feet. No matter how many times he was beaten, Edward was determined to keep walking forward without looking back. Things weren't peachy admittedly, but moping around on a cold floor was making his ass numb, and he couldn't watch his superior beat around the bush any longer. He was thankful that the throbbing in his head had passed. That was one less thing to worry about...
Narrowing his eyes, Ed glared at the Colonel.
"Took you long enough..." he muttered.
The man was quick to answer back, saying firmly, "This wouldn't of happened if you wasn't so stubborn. How hard is it to rest when I tell you to? Tell me Edward, what was going through your head when you decided to go traipsing down that corridor?!"
"I found him didn't I?" the teen replied calmly, rolling his eyes.
"That's not the point!"
Archer appeared to be rather amused at the usual quarrelling between the two alchemists, hands in his pockets casually as he looked from one person to the other.
"I hate to interrupt," he leered, "but I really must be getting on."
Glaring daggers at the man, Roy raised his fingers in hesitation. Of course he wanted nothing more than to roast Archer alive, he'd gladly watch him burn into a blubbering mess on the floor. But there was something he couldn't do, and that was the risk of injuring his valued subordinate even further.
"Can you walk?" he asked the blond, who tried moving his legs in response. They were working finer than ever, not even a loose wire or screw. The problem wasn't mechanical. Ed was too tired to haul the great weight unaided; the metal only pulled him closer to the floor.
"Just..." he lied, digging his nails into the brick to keep him from tumbling over.
Before he could blink, Archer was aware of a hand lunging for his throat. The fist skimmed his neck and he caught it in a tight grip. The Colonel grit his teeth as the man squeezed tighter, the bones wreathing under the strain in agony.
"That was very brave of you Roy," a voice whispered mockingly in the Flames ear, "Do you remember what happened the last time we met?"
Roy froze. There was no way he could forget. Turning to the scarred face of Archer, his black eyes lingered on a single scar. A deep burn covered the man's neck, crawling up the side of his left cheek. It defiantly wasn't pleasant in the least, like a splatter of deep pink and raw red on a crystal white canvas, the pale skin marked with gashes and burns. The former dog of the military raised a hand and began to trace the markings, smirking as Roy stared.
"Do you like it?" he smiled. When Mustang didn't answer his face dropped, an angry scowl taking shape. Roy thought it was odd how the man could instantly change from one extreme of mood to the other, like a sudden change in the wind.
"Do you?!" he yelled, "Look at what you did to my face!"
Smack. A burning fist of fury collided with Roy's left cheek, sending him jolting backwards into his gathered subordinates. Archer marched over and roughly ceased him by the collar, ignoring the threats from Armstrong who tried to pry the man from Roy. His piercing blue eyes stared long and hard, a burning fire of hatred reserved specially for the Colonel.
For a moment, Ed felt sympathy for the man, he really did. Despite the trouble he'd caused, Archer was just as human as the rest of them, the same emotions and fragile conscious. Edward of all people knew what it was like to be self conscious, aware of each pair of eyes staring curiously. There had been many days the young alchemist had wanted to escape his fate, the price of messing with the gate. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Archer to hate his reflection. It was undoubtedly damaging to his blond was lucky that he could hide his faults, unlike the other man.
It all made sense now. The arrays. They didn't have a hidden complex meaning, the one Ed had been looking for day and night for weeks. There were no subliminal messages or clues. The man simply wanted his pride back. The one Roy had cracked the moment he'd snapped his fingers those years ago.
The mad pal faced man clung to Roy like an animal ceasing its prey, merely scowling as Jean clouted him with a gun. The blond had tried his best to aim, his efforts were useless. The bustling of people made him hard to target. As much as the man deserved a bullet, it wasn't worth the risk. He was sure his colleagues would never forgive him for a careless mistake.
A hand ceased Archer by the scruff of the neck and sent him crashing to the concrete floor on his back, a pissed looking blond looming over him.
"Are you telling me, that I lost sleep over something stupid like this?" the teen breathed calmly through his nose, a rattle beginning to emerge from his lungs again. "Because you can't be a man?"
It could have been better, but I it could have been worse.
Thank you for reading and reviewing : ) See you next chapter.