Hi everyone! Sorry for the immensely long wait! College apps and all, ya know? Anyway, I was watching FMA and I saw a name on the door of the Truth. Ironically, it's "Adonai" and I never knew about it until now.I mean, I just chose "Adonai" because it sounded cool and it was the name of a God of the Israelites whose name was forbidden to speak. It's quite interesting, really. And I think I might do something that will connect the two.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Previously:

Ed took a deep breath, "Winry, I'm in love with Roy."

There was a moment of shocked silence filling the room, and then all hell broke loose…

The Breaking of Bonds

The next thing Ed knew, he had been flung backwards over the couch with a sharp punch to the face. He had dodged it, instinctively, but misjudged the distance and ended up falling onto the floor.

"Ed!" came Mustang's horrified shout, and he moved to protect the young alchemist, but Ed shook his head. This was something he needed to resolve right now, otherwise, it would only bring on more pain for Winry, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs, no matter how much hurt it would bring to himself.

"How could you?!" screamed Winry, who had her wrench out and was starting to whack Ed on the head as she kneeled in front of him. Tears were streaming down her face and her entire body shook with tremors.

"After all the years we've been together – you choose someone like him?! Why, Ed?! Why?!"

Slowly, Ed reached up and grabbed the wrist that held the steel tool, preventing her from being able to injure him farther. Quietly, he just held her there while she sobbed, the tears becoming a rainfall onto Ed's shirt.

"Winry, you've never been more than a sister to me. You knew that," said Ed, softly, "Al is the one who has loved you all these years."

"But I loved you!" cried Winry, "And you betray me with the man who killed my parents?!"

"Roy didn't kill your parents, Winry," Ed replied, his voice still soft and gentle, "I…I didn't want to see you upset, so I asked him if he would take the blame for it. You remember Scar, don't you? He was a patient of your parents – he was their last patient…I thought that it would've been easier for you to deal with their death if someone was ordered to murder them, and not by someone they had helped."

"Brother!" gasped Al, "That can't be true!"

"It is," murmured Roy, "It was an emotional time when Ms. Rockbell discovered that her parents were murdered, and neither Ed nor I wanted to worsen the situation. It was easier for Ms. Rockbell this way, no matter how hard it was for Ed," or me, he silently added, though he personally didn't care what happened to him as much as how Ed felt about it. He remembered Ed being so depressed by the thought of how wrong the world was – for doctors to be murdered by their patients? Ed was so pained by the thought of even telling Winry that he even lost several nights of sleep because of it.

"Then I have hated the General for all these years for nothing?" Winry whispered, her voice horrified. "Why did you tell me this? Why now?"

"Because, Winry, I want you to accept our relationship more than anything. You are part of my family – you are my sister – and I want your blessings. If you can't, I understand, but just know that I will always love you as a sister."

"You're horrible, you know that?" sniffed Winry.

"I know…"

"I don't want to see your face any time soon," she declared quietly, wrenching her hands from his grasps.

"…I understand…"

With the vigor of an old woman, Winry stood and walked away, never once looking back at Ed as she headed towards the stairs and disappeared from sight.

The room was deathly silent. You could hear a feather drop – yes, feather, not pin. It was that quiet. No one knew if it was alright to breathe, let alone move. All eyes were trained on Ed, whose bangs had shadowed his face.

He let out a low, mirthless chuckle. Roy was worried that Ed had lost his mind.

"Ed?" he tentatively called out.

"It's odd…I'm sorry for lying to her in the past, but I don't regret it. I don't regret this at all…"

Then, for the second time in two minutes, Ed found himself under attack, but this time by the most unlikely figure – his brother.

Al lunged himself forward, pushing Ed back so hard that his head smacked the floor with an unhealthy sound. Lights burst throughout his vision and the room swirled unnaturally around him. He could feel a sickly warm liquid pooling out from under him. That wasn't good…He was about to let out a groan, but it was hidden underneath Al's sudden tirade.

"What the hell is matter with you, Brother?! You just made Winry cry again! And you don't feel any remorse? You broke her heart in the most painful way possible, and you don't feel sorry for that?!"

Ed didn't respond.

"Answer me, Brother!" screamed Al, tears reaching his eyes as well.

"What are you talking about, Al?" came Ed's hollow voice, "Shouldn't you be with Winry right now? It's your perfect opportunity…"

"This isn't like you, Brother! You weren't so cold before!"

"No…I wasn't…" Ed's voice faded away, memories of Germany coming back – the counter-part of Winry, Winnie, dying in his arms, shielding him from a bullet because she 'loved' him and didn't want to see him hurt, the heartbroken Alphons who blamed Ed for her death and tried to avenge her, only finding death himself – it was all too much. This way, it would ensure Winry's safety and happiness. Al's as well. Sure, it hurt so much for Ed to do this – almost to the point where Ed felt as though his heart was going to break – but it was necessary. Ed had loved Mustang for years; nothing would change his feelings now. Winry would've waited her whole life for something that would never happen. With a clean break, she could move on, and chances were, she would turn to the one person who comforted her.

"Al, you need to go to her. She needs you now." Before your chance is lost…

"So you want me to pick up the pieces of her broken heart? Are we merely two puppets in your grand scheme of life?" hissed Al, "You've been around the General for too long."

"Roy has nothing to do with this," retorted Ed, "This is between you and me. Al, can't you understand why I've done this?" Ed's eyes were pleading with his brother. Surely, out of everyone in this room, Al would understand the best, but it didn't seem to be the case. Al was too blinded by his own hurt of discovering that Winry loved Ed more than him to see through Ed's words. He loved Winry, just as Ed loved Roy, and he thought that Winry shared his feelings. Hearing Winry confess to Ed came like a slap across the face, and just seeing his brother's face sent jolts of hot pain through his heart.

"You're a bastard. That's why."

"Al…"

"I don't want to see your face either, Edward. Not until you apologize to Winry for what you've done."

Edward…It was the first time Al had ever called him by his name, and not "Brother". There was a coldness spreading through his body at the sound of it. It felt so impersonal and just downright wrong. For the first time since he came back, Ed could truly see the ravine that separated him from the rest of the world in Amestris. He truly had been gone far too long…Not even his brother could understand him. If he couldn't, who could?

Ed could live with two of his precious people resenting him for eternity, if it kept them alive, safe, and happy. Knowing Winry's personality and Al's gentle one, he knew that they would consol each other and lick each other's wounds, and a relationship would form. They would be happy together. They just didn't know yet, and if all it took was Ed to silently bear their hate, it was okay…It was okay…

"I won't. I am sorry for hurting her, but I will not apologize for what I have done." It's alright…It's alright…I can do this…Ed murmured in his mind over and over again, like a mantra, drawing strength from it. "She needed to learn that it was time to move on, as do you, Al. If you love her, chase her, consol her. Treat her properly and repair her. She's yours now."

Al's eyes grew wide with anger. He took it exactly the way Ed thought he would've. "Winry's not a broken good! You can't just toss her aside as trash!"

"What?" smirked Ed, "You want me to start a meaningless, one-side relationship with her? I can do it, you know. I'm not as naïve or innocent as I once was. I am not as kind or clean as you might think I am."

"You son of a bitch!"

It was difficult for Ed to hear such harsh words from his brother's mouth, and even more to see Al's fist come down to strike him ruthlessly across the face.

Ed spat out the small amount of blood that had accumulated from him cutting the inside of his cheek with the hit, and leered at his brother, "That's all you got? No wonder you couldn't keep hold of the reins on your woman."

Another punch knocked the wind out of Ed's chest, but that was it. Al's features were filled with disgust and hate, "You are the lowest scum on the face of the world."

"Is that something you should really be saying to your brother?"

"You are no brother of mine," Al's eyes blazed, "I never want to see your face again."

With that, Al stomped upstairs to find Winry. Winry was all he had left now, and she took precedence over everything else.

Silence fell in the room again, and once more, everyone found themselves staring at Ed whose face was expressionless. There wasn't even a hint of pain or anger. He was just blank and empty – like a broken doll.

Unhurriedly, Ed sat up, gently rubbing his swollen cheeks. He glanced at the horrified expressions of the ones who sat in the room and took in the disbelief in what he had done. No one had disgusted looks upon their faces. It seemed as though they understood that Ed hurt Winry and Al in that manner for a reason, but what, they didn't know.

He stood, unable to bear being in the same room any longer. He didn't want their pity, he didn't want their comfort. He was every bit that "lowest scum on the face of the world" and he didn't feel it was right to dirty the room with his presence. He needed to get out.

He put on a smiling face at the people gawking at him, "I'm going for a walk. Bye!"

With that, he briskly walked out the door and shut behind him. The minute the door closed, he took off running. Where? He had no idea. He just had to get far away before the tears decided to actually fall.

"Was that really Boss?" gaped Havoc, several minutes after the door slammed shut. His unlit cigarette had long dropped to the ground in shock.

"He must've had a reason to do that," said Hughes, "He wouldn't intentionally hurt Al or Winry unless he had a good reason for it."

"I think it had something to do with him staying in Germany in the past five years," said Roy, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, "He said that he had seen many things that changed his naivety. But it's unusual that Al didn't understand that Ed had a purpose for acting that way."

"You didn't know, General?" Gracia said, her voice gentle, yet surprised, "Al is in love with Winry and Winry is in love with Ed. Ed knew that – he knew that this was the only way to bring them together."

"He was willing to be hated by the two of them for that reason?" Now even Havoc sounded surprised. He never could read the older Elric very well. Ed just defied all laws and principles of the world, and Havoc had learned to accept it, but this was just mind-boggling. Havoc didn't think anyone was strong enough to force the people they loved to hate them. Then again, Ed always proved him wrong.

Roy stood up and headed towards the door, "I'm going to look for Ed. He shouldn't be running around alone with Adonai out there waiting for him."

"You should let him think through things alone, Roy," called Hughes.

"No. If I left him to his own thoughts, who knows what stupid ideas he'll come up with next? He's had enough pain and hurt in his life. It's time they stopped."

"What about Al and Winry?" asked Havoc.

"Once they cool down, they'll come around. Their bond is too strong for something like this to tear them apart. I have faith in them, like I did when they were younger."

Mustang frowned at the speck of blood on the ground where Ed had fallen. Did his wound open? Or did he receive a new one with the attacks? Whatever it was, Ed just couldn't be left alone, especially now when it was obvious that Ed needed him by his side.

"We'll probably stay at the dorms, Maes, so don't wait up for us," were Mustang's last words before he slipped out of the house.

Mustang squinted his eyes at the sudden brightness and paused on the doorstep. Where would Fullmetal go when he was upset? Probably somewhere peaceful, where he knew he wouldn't be bothered. Somewhere familiar too. Mustang's thoughts trailed off…It couldn't be. Ed wouldn't hide out there – there were normally too many people around for any ounce of serenity, but today was a holiday and a weekend. There would be no one there. It was a perfect hide-out for someone seeking solitude.

Without any hesitation, Mustang rushed off the doorstep of Hughes's house and headed off towards the center of Central, tracing Ed's invisible footsteps.

Mustang's predictions proved to be right as he walked down the empty hallways. Not even Hawkeye could be seen on such a relaxing day. Quietly, but not secretly, Roy opened the door to his office and saw a certain blonde lying on the black couch with his back facing the newcomer.

"Ed?" Roy called out softly, not wanting to frighten the young man when he was upset. Roy still didn't know what Ed was capable of, but he didn't really want to find out. He had some close calls in the past – but none when he was absolutely sure that the Fullmetal Alchemist could truly kick his ass like now.

Ed didn't respond or react, though Mustang knew that he was awake. Mustang shut the door behind him and locked it. He was sure that Ed didn't want to see anyone as of now. He wasn't even sure if Ed wanted him there, but he had to try. He settled down at the end of the couch, his thighs barely touching Ed's feet. At this, Roy managed to get a reaction out of Ed who slowly sat up, his golden bangs shadowing his face. He was as still as stone for a good minute or so, and then, without speaking, laid back down, this time, his head on Mustang's lap and facing the door. It didn't seem like Ed was quite ready to face his lover, but Roy was alright with their current position. Not only did he feel ecstatic by the sudden closeness of Ed, but he wanted Ed to feel comfortable with whatever he chose to do.

Roy just sat there rubbing circles on Ed's left shoulder while letting the silence fill the room with a heavy air. Ed would be ready to talk when he was ready. Roy didn't need to make him feel pressured to answer any questions about his emotional state. Just asking "Are you okay?" seemed kind of foolish, considering that the answer to that question was much more complicated than a "yes" or "no".

"What are you doing here?" came a mumbled query from the blonde on his lap.

"I had some paperwork I needed to do," responded Roy, nonchalantly.

A snort came from Ed, "Bullshit."

Roy chuckled a little, "I would probably give Hawkeye a heart attack if I willingly came in to do paperwork."­­­­

"Of course, you're a lazy bastard." Ed's voice trailed off and Mustang didn't probe him further. He just continued to make those comforting and warm circles on Ed's shoulder.

Finally, Ed broke the silence. "Do you think Winry will forgive me?" he asked, his tone meek and afraid.

"Of course she will, and so will Al. You three are too close for anything like this to tear you apart. Your bonds are stronger than that," Mustang answered in confidence.

"But I hurt them so much..."

"You're hurt yourself, possibly more than them."

"I don't believe that. I've never seen Winry cry that much since her parents died and Al has never truly raised his voice against me, let alone hit me."

"You could always tell them why you chose to act like this. They will understand, so you don't have to be afraid of telling them."

"I can't. Al loves Winry and Winry is supposed to love him. If I tell them what happened in Germany, Al would never get a chance."

"What about Ms. Rockbell? Doesn't it feel like you're forcing her to be with Al? What if she will never grow to love him as she loved you? I know that you're trying to prevent her from being hurt, but don't you think this is much more painful?"

"I've seen the Truth, Roy. Winry was never meant to be with me. She and Al had a red string of fate holding them together, but I broke that. It's hard to love a body of armor and imagine a future with it, and with me being the semi-normal Elric left, Winry thought that she loved me. Not to mention her obsession for automail just made me even more desirable. I'm not trying to say that Winry is shallow enough to judge people by looks. It's just that shit happened and we all got screwed up. Even your future got messed up when we turned up on your doorstep."

Mustang was about to question what his future was supposed to be like, but he decided that he didn't want to know. He was quite happy at the moment and he didn't want anything to change. He didn't think anything was supposed to change – it felt right to be with Ed, and that was all that mattered.

"Ed, it's not your fault. Like you said, shit happens, and we have no control over it, whatsoever."

"But if I hadn't persuaded Al to transmute our mother, none of this would've happened! I wouldn't have changed the courses of so many lives – set so many up for ruin and misery!"

"Then we wouldn't have met and you wouldn't be the same person you are now. Do you regret taking on the title of Fullmetal Alchemist? Or the Hero of the People? Perhaps it gave you extra burdens, but I am personally grateful for that choice you made nine years ago. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be the same person I am now either. Who knows? Maybe I would've ended up with Hawkeye."

That awarded Roy a slight chuckle from Ed who couldn't help himself. Someday or another, Ed would have tell him that what Mustang thought was a joke should've turned into reality had Ed not popped into his life.

Roy smiled and ran his fingers through Ed's hair, earning him a soft sigh of comfort from the blonde.

"I will bet you that by tomorrow, Ms. Rockbell and Al will be begging to see you. When they do, you need to tell them everything – you owe that much to them. Meanwhile, we'll stay in one of the dorms tonight, alright? I already cleared it with Maes. Deal?"

"Only if you promise me one thing."

"Anything."

Ed smirked, which was never a good sign, "Spar with me."

"What?"

"I'm stressed and I've been sleeping so much lately that I need to work out. Plus, I want to see how much stronger I am than you."

"Hell no, Ed. You're still recovering and you're an emotional wreak!"

"I'm fine," he assured, not wanting Mustang to know quite yet that his injury had healed a long time ago. After all, he resurrected from the dead and now he was invincible. It was ironic – he had done everything he could to stay human, but he was now, literally, the closest thing to God, because he had sinned one too many times. It was frightening to think what other people who perceive him as now – people already looked down upon him because he was one of the 'hated' alchemists, even with his title – and with his connections with the Truth, who knew what their reactions would be? Maybe he'd even be turned into a lab experiment, but what scared him the most was if Roy and Al didn't accept him and grew to fear him. That was something he would not be able to stand or live through.

"Ed, you have a deep cut in your side, not to mention your right arm is completely immobile. I don't think you're in any condition to spar," frowned Mustang, thinking back to the blood he had seen on the floor before. Yet, right now, Mustang couldn't see any signs that Ed wasn't feeling well, much less injured.

"Feeling scared, old man?" grinned Ed.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it – I would just have some difficulty seeing you," Mustang smirked.

Ed let the short joke slide for once, much to Mustang's surprise, and instead, got to his feet while offering a hand towards Roy. "Let's go to the gym. I won't overwork myself, I promise. Even I know my limits."

"Oh? Did you learn that in your days in Germany alone with your newfound maturity?" quipped Mustang as he accepted Ed's hand.

"Somewhat – it was more of I was forced to learn it, but that's a story for another day."

Mustang frowned again. Ed seemed to have even more stories and secrets than before, and that never boded well for anyone, especially for him. "Let's just hope you can get everything out of your system by fighting."

Ed flashed his brilliant white teeth at him, "Of course!"

Roy groaned. This was not going to be fun…

Ed was almost bouncing as the sight of the gym came into view. He had loved working out there, not only because he was once a regular and he was quite friendly with the employees, but because rank didn't matter at most times and people generally left him alone. For all they knew, Ed was just a younger officer who was trying to get in shape. Sometimes, there were cocky idiots who thought that because they were ranked high or state alchemists that they were better than everyone else. Generally, they chose the weakest looking one at the gym at that time and challenged them – every time, they came to regret messing with the "short" blondie.

Mustang, on the other hand, could feel his stomach drop with each step closer to the horrendous building. He had never had any good memories of the place. It wasn't that he was out of shape or not confidant in his abilities to fight hand-to-hand combat, but it was the people he came with that often made him regret even thinking about exercise. Most of the time, it was Hawkeye who accompanied him, and even though Mustang would not physically strike a woman, Hawkeye never hesitated. It was quite painful. Even Maes was stealthy and could strike Roy down without any qualms. Despite being a known killer, Mustang just didn't have the heart to actually harm his subordinates, and he knew that he could harm them much more than anyone else. He was much stronger than most people thought, and like Ed, he chose to hide it for fear that his wings would be burned if he got too close to the sun. At least with Ed, he could go all out and not worry about hurting him. More so, he was worried about his own wellbeing for once.

"General Mustang, what brings you here?" asked the young woman at the desk with genuine surprise.

"We'd like to borrow a locker."

"Would you like two?" she questioned, nodding towards Edward, obviously not recognizing him, which made Ed smile. This was how he wanted it. The more people underestimated him, the more fights and fun he would get.

"No, we'll share one. We're old buddies," Ed responded, grinning.

The woman frowned. Over the last five years, Roy Mustang was notoriously unsociable and unapproachable, except for his subordinates, and there were only reports of a blonde female, not male. Still, she handed over a key nonetheless, and smiled, "Hope you have a good workout."

Another flash of white teeth, "Oh, we will." Mustang could've sworn that the woman almost swooned at Edward's dashing good looks. She had blushed the moment Ed spoke and as Ed turned around, she was holding a hand against her thumping heart. It amused and annoyed him. Edward was his, and that was that, but at least Ed was dense. He would never notice.

As the two emerged from the locker room, rumors about the famous Flame Alchemist in their midst had spread and everything stopped the minute the two stepped into the gym.

Ed glanced at Mustang, who wore a plain white T-shirt with long black dry-fit pants. Then he looked at himself. He wore a long black shirt that fit snuggly across his muscular chest with long dark swish pants that had a single white streak down the side of both his legs. It didn't seem like there was anything wrong with what they were wearing, other than the fact that Ed wore grappling gloves, covering his automail, which still wasn't so uncommon in the gym. So why did they stand out so much?

"Mustang, do you come here often?"

"No," Mustang responded slowly, confused as well.

"That's why…You have graced their lives with your presence, oh almighty one," snorted Ed.

"Maybe they're looking at you," retorted Roy.

"I doubt it. I've been gone five years – no one will remember me, and I would prefer to keep it that way."

"Why?"

"No one will challenge me then and I won't get a good fight."

"I thought you were going to spar with me," said Mustang, surprise in his voice.

"I am, but only for warm-up. You have a reputation to keep and I really do just want to kick people's asses. I can't do that to you. I don't want to get shot by Hawkeye when you're too tired and beat to do paperwork."

"What makes you so confident that you can beat me? How do you know that I haven't been working out since you've left?"

"For one, you never worked out when I was here. I don't see how that would change without my presence. Two, the receptionist was very surprised to see you, meaning you come here like once every blue moon. Three, everyone here seems to be itching to test out their skills against you and you look slightly nervous."

"I do not!"

"By the way your pupils are dilated and your hands becoming slightly sweaty, I'd say you are."

"Since when were you so observant?" demanded Roy.

Ed shrugged, "I was always more observant than most – I was merely forced to improve it more in Germany."

"What the hell happened in Germany?"

"Long story. Now, are we going to fight or not?" Ed strolled away, approaching one of the rings while studiously ignoring the stares around him.

Mustang rushed after him. Ed suddenly felt so out of reach and he felt that he had to close the distance or he would lose Ed again. When Ed turned to wait for him, Roy could feel his heart feel slightly comforted. It was nice to know that Ed wouldn't move on too far without him.

Roy smiled as he jumped into the ring. "You ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Right back at you, Mustang," grinned Ed, raising the only hand that could move into the signature "come at me" flick of the wrist. "No alchemy. I don't want you to be at a disadvantage and we don't want to destroy this place."

"Of course – you'd be burned before you even get a chance to move," Roy shot back with his usual smug smirk.

Ed could hear the murmurs of the people in the gym as Mustang assumed a fighting stance.

"He's just a boy and he's going against the Flame?"

"Who is he?"

"Someone's going to die…"

"It's suicide, especially since his right arm can't move!"

"He looks kind of familiar."

At that, Mustang shot forward, not leaving anyone to think about anything else but the fight. He struck out at Ed, who easily blocked it with his arm. The smaller one kicked upwards, forcing Mustang to roll out of the way, but not before landing a strike on Ed's shoulder. Ed didn't seem daunted by Mustang's surprising agility and whirled after Roy. A quick hook towards Roy's chest left him winded and sweep under his feet forced him to jump back. He was now on the defensive, trying his best to dodge all of Ed's punches and kicks. Damn…after all these years, Ed was still a freaking monkey! How in the world could he jump and flip around so much? But, at least Ed looked that he was enjoying himself.

Suddenly, as Roy lightly brushed Ed's chest, meaning to punch him, Ed flew backwards and landed gently on his feet, his entire body spelling out defeat.

He threw up his hands, "I surrender. You're just too good, Mustang."

Shocked, Roy just dumbly nodded his head. Ed was clearly winning. He wasn't even sweating, much less out of breath like Roy, so why did he admit defeat?

Roy heard claps around him and he turned to see a crowd of people around him, staring at him in admiration. His eyes narrowed slightly. Ed had planned this out from the start and boosted up his image among the hard-working men, along with getting a workout. Ed was infamous for getting under his skin and making him look bad, but he definitely made a show out of showing Roy's good side today. Roy was glad that Ed was on his side – it felt like a relief knowing that the Fullmetal Alchemist had his back.

"Hey, boy, you're pretty good. I think you're worthy enough to be my opponent," shouted a big muscle man, almost like Armstrong, but his aura was not one of gentleness, but of arrogance and a power hungry craze.

"Why don't you fight Mustang? He's stronger than me," Ed supplied, looking absolutely relaxed.

"I'm afraid that I might hurt the General, and we don't want that, do we?" The six-foot-four man stepped into the ring, pulling off his tank top to reveal muscles upon muscles. His dark brown eyes were filled with malice and his angled face and brown widow's peak made him look more like Dracula.

Roy glared at the man, and meant to lash out at him for the insult, but Ed beat him to it.

"Oh? What's your rank, soldier?" smirked Ed. Outwards, he looked casual and unperturbed by the comment, but Roy knew better. By how tight Ed's fists were, Ed was pissed. No one insulted Roy that way, unless it was Ed, and he desperately wanted to beat the man down quickly, but he knew that it would be better if he drew the situation out. The higher the man's ego, the harder he'd fall.

Roy could almost see the gears in Ed's mind spinning. He shuddered, unable to even think about what Ed was planning, but he knew for sure that he definitely did not want to be on the other side of his wrath.

The man drew himself up and puffed out his chest like a peacock, "I am Major John Riley, the Earth-Lion Alchemist. And yours?"

"How about you beat me first and I'll tell you?"

The man grinned, "Don't regret it, boy."

"I'll have you know, I am twenty-one. Does that make you an old man?"

Riley snarled and immediately started punch him, but Ed had disappeared, suddenly appearing in midair behind the soldier. Quickly, Ed spun around before gravity pulled him towards the ground and made a well-placed hit at the back of Riley's neck with his working left hand, forcing him down the ground. Ed landed lightly on his feet next to the groaning man.

"Stop crying. I held back a little so I didn't cause any permanent damage or knock you out, though you'll be stiff as a board for a few days. Don't underestimate your opponents, Major Riley. It'll be the death of you one day." Ed scoffed, "And you thought you could beat Roy. Your rank means nothing here, Riley, neither does your strength. What ends up winning battles is the ability to read your opponents and plan accordingly."

"Who are you? How dare you speak to me like this?!" Riley huffed, his face red with anger.

"Excuse me? How dare you speak to me like this? As far as I'm concerned, I outrank you."

"What?"

"That's right. But as I said, ranks don't matter here." Ed turned and walked towards Roy, "Let's go, Roy. I'm done for today. I feel sickened fighting against someone like him."

Roy nodded, but he kept a wary eye on Riley. It was people like him that made Roy feel uncomfortable with the military. There was no doubt that Riley would commit some dirty trick to get revenge for his humiliation.

True to his word, Riley quickly used the blood from the corner of his mouth to sketch out a circle and pressed his hand down upon it. A familiar flash of alchemy filled the air and to Roy's growing horror, sharp tree roots erupted from the ground and sped towards Ed's back at a blinding speed.

"Watch out!" he shouted, reaching over to push Ed out of the way. Ed's golden eyes widened in surprise when he found himself rolled out of danger in Mustang's protective arms.

"Are you alright?" asked Mustang, frantically when Ed didn't move.

At the sound of his voice, Ed snapped back to reality. "I'm fine," he grunted, getting to his feet. Now he was beyond pissed. It was one thing to put him in danger; it was a total different matter when Roy was put in danger. Plus, how could he have been so naïve? If this was Germany, Ed would've been dead seconds ago…

"Major Riley, you're going to regret what you just did." Ed's icy voice sent shivers down Roy's spine. Never before had he ever heard Ed use such a tone – it was murderous and cold. It wasn't like Ed at all.

"Ha! I'm not afraid of you! You may be stronger than me, but I know alchemy! What can you do against a State Alchemist?"

"Well, I think you just dug your own grave," said Mustang, dusting off his clothes as he joined Ed's side. "Didn't he just warn you not to underestimate your opponents?"

"What can he do? His arm doesn't even move," snorted Riley.

"Huh, that's what you think. He probably doesn't even need it."

"What?"

Ed clapped his left hand to his right and slammed it to the ground. All of a sudden, Riley found himself caught in a large fist made out of rock and staring into the blazing golden suns of Ed with an automail blade held at his neck. Ed had lifted his right arm with the help of his left, but it didn't mean that he couldn't look menacing with it.

"What did you say, Major Riley?" growled Ed.

"W-wha…? H-how did you just transmute without a circle?" stuttered Riley, almost looking like he peed in his pants.

"Oh? You haven't heard the legends? My legends?"

"The youngest alchemist to become a State Alchemist; a temper as horrible as the sun his hair and eyes represented; a Hero of the People with automail arm and leg; the only alchemist recorded to be able to transmute with circles…" Mustang started reciting. He was enjoying this.

"It can't be…You can't be…He disappeared five years ago!"

"Mustang, what have you been telling everyone?" groaned Ed, "Just because you couldn't tell anyone what mission I was on, you didn't have to make me sound dead!"

Roy shrugged, his smirk still in place, "I never expected them to remember the Fullmetal Shorty."

"What?! Fullmetal?!" gasped the people around them.

Ed laughed and patted Riley's cheek with his left hand, "Yep. That's Colonel Edward Elric the Fullmetal Alchemist to you."

Horror filled Riley's face. Only two words slipped from his mouth then, "Oh shit…"

Ed and Roy just laughed.

It felt good to come back, even in this manner. It was just so damn amusing.

Now, all that was left was the situation with Winry and Al. Ed could only hope that they would forgive him before Adonai came looking for him again. With a busted arm, the chances of him surviving and fulfilling his mission looked slim. And he didn't want to leave again – not when he had people waiting for him, even if Roy was the only one left.

That only made it worth more to fight against the Truth once more.

Hope you enjoyed chapter 6! Chapter 7 should be coming along sooner or later, but again, I'm a busy person and as much as I love to write and continue this story, I can't afford my grades at school to drop, so it might be a long wait, it might not. But, I can guarantee that I will continue this story. I hate it as much as the next person when someone goes on hiatus, even though I can't blame them, so I will promise you guys I won't do that. Deal?

As always, please read and review! It really makes me happy and makes me far more motivated to write. ^^

Thanks for all your support up til now and hope you continue supporting me!

~ Kanae Yuna ~