Hey, everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I've been balancing two jobs for the entire summer, so I've been pretty busy. Anyway, I don't really have much to say about the chapter this time around. I did have some fun writing this chapter though. I'll explain more about that at the end of this chapter.

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed! It made me feel better about the last chapter. :)

So, here's chapter 12! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Previously:

"Roy, don't you think that Hakuro is going to come back to get his revenge?" Hawkeye pressed.

"I can't deny that I also feel like something is lurking in the shadows."

It was revenge that Heino sought out in the beginning. He wanted to kill the man who killed him...Only then, could Heino's undying thirst for blood finally be quenched in this murky world of his.

The Wheels Begin to Turn

Over the span of a week, Ed grew steadily strong against all odds. He was stubborn in that aspect and he tried everything possible to find a way to get out of that forsaken hospital, but the undeniable truth was that he was still bedridden, no matter how he acted or what he said. And he hated it. During that entire time, he felt like the moments when he underwent automail surgery and his entire body throbbed with indescribable pain. Every single joint ached, each breath felt impossibly hard, and every single movement brought on more waves of agonizing electricity. Back then, he didn't want his little brother to see how much he was suffering, so he had asked Winry to put a white towel over his face. He had considered doing the same thing now – he hated looking like he was weak (even though he was at the moment) or see the guilt in Roy's eyes (which was there for stupid reasons, he was sure, since everything was his fault anyway) – but he knew that that would freak out Roy more than the wound itself. Ed knew that in Xing, there was a custom that required covering the faces of the dead with a white cloth. Seeing how Roy had roots in that eastern culture, Ed would just have to bear with feeling more vulnerable than he would like.

So, he spent most of his time sleeping, which he actually felt comfortable doing with Roy around, despite the occasional nightmares which seemed to fade away if Roy was there. Roy never strayed from Ed's side too long, only taking short interval breaks for personal reasons. Roy didn't need to worry about his military duties quite yet – Hawkeye was able to handle it all for him for now. He needed to stay with Ed anyway, otherwise the doctors would never be able to monitor Ed's conditions. When Ed wasn't resting, he was fighting and arguing with the personnel of the hospital, which, in itself, caused problems for everyone all around.

It also didn't help that Ed thrashed about at nights because he was constantly plagued with flashbacks. Of what, Roy didn't know and he didn't want to ask, knowing full well that Ed would never answer him. All he could do was to comfort the blonde alchemist whenever a particular horrific one struck, leaving him panicked and disoriented.

Still, the time that Roy could spend with Ed was slowly coming to an end. He knew it, and so did Ed. After all, once Roy was inaugurated as Fuhrer, he had the duties of the leader of Amestris and would have to place the country first. By then, Hawkeye and the rest of his team would have to move up as well and Ed would be left to his own devices, which, as everyone knew, was never a good thing, and Roy hated dealing with the paperwork caused by the Fullmetal Alchemist destroying some important object or building.

Too bad he didn't know about the plans that Havoc and Hawkeye were conducting together. His headaches would have become much, much worse, especially because they were taking advantage of Roy's absences as he started to prepare for the big night.

The day before the inauguration, Hughes and Hawkeye snuck into Ed's room while making sure that Roy was fully preoccupied so that they wouldn't be caught discussing their plans. Hughes had purposefully blown something up in Roy's new office and Roy was left dealing with the aftermath. That was the brilliant part of the plan. After all, with Ed in the hospital, Roy would never be able to figure out who was the one behind the explosion since Ed was usually the one who was the culprit.

Ed's golden eyes snapped open the moment they entered. He stared at them for a second before sighing, "What are you guys planning now?"

"How did you know that we were going to do anything? We could've just been here to visit you," questioned Hughes, baffled as usual by Ed's new skills.

"You have a mischievous glint in your eye, Hughes, and Hawkeye seems to have a smile tugging on her face, which never means anything good. What are you guys up to?"

Hughes chuckled, "I've got to learn how to master that poker face Roy has."

Ed smiled, "That's not going to help. I can read Roy like a book too."

"Seriously?"

Hawkeye just shook her head at Hughes. "Ed, we don't have much time, so I just want to ask you, how are you feeling?"

Ed eyed her suspiciously, "It depends on what you have in mind." With the limits the Gate had put on him, Ed was cautious to do anything. It wasn't like him, and he knew it, but he didn't want to put Roy and Al through that hell again. He remembered seeing Roy's distraught and brokenhearted expression when Ed just came back from the Gate after the Adonai incident – it nearly made Ed's own heart split in half – and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Well, Roy's inauguration is tomorrow, right?" Hawkeye started. "We have a surprise planned out for him."

She and Hughes took turns to lay out the plans loud and clear.

Their rendezvous ended with Ed grinning with that same mischievous look he always had when he was going to do something drastic and saying, "I think I can manage that."

Of course, they had amazing timing because at that moment, Roy walked in with his coffee mug in hand. He looked at the trio, frowning at the glances they were shooting him.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked. "I just cleaned up my office since someone decided to pull a prank on me. Are there charcoal marks on me?"

Hughes laughed, "Nope, nothing at all."

Hawkeye elbowed him quickly, wiping away any sign of smiles on his face. She bowed her head, "We were just checking in about Ed's condition. Since you're back, we'll take our leave now."

"Riza, what…" Roy started.

"Don't worry about it, Roy," Ed called out from his bed, "They just brought me my watch."

Ed held up a battered silver wristwatch and dangled it in front of him, "They thought that I would need it after my return to military life, after all."

That caught Roy's attention, so he missed Hughes patting his pocket for Ed's now missing watch that he had been carrying around since Roy gave it to him since Roy didn't know how to ask Ed to come back to military life that he so hated. Riza pushed Hughes out of the room, already realizing what Ed had done to keep their plans a secret.

Roy didn't even notice the two leave. "You're returning to the military? I thought you hated being a dog."

"Well, you're the Fuhrer. It's less likely that I have to do the grunt work, right?"

"Ed…"

Ed smiled softly, "I know. Because of my skills and the fact that I am the Fullmetal Alchemist, I'll just be used to the advantage of the military."

"And you're okay with that? You're just going to be doing some of the things that you did in Germany and I won't be able to protest against it."

He winced, remembering his nightmares. "Hopefully not that bad…"

"Look, Ed…"

"Are you advising me not to return to the military? I would be your most useful asset."

"Ed, you aren't a tool to me. You are my lover, and I don't want to be put in the position where I have to send you out on dangerous missions, but I'm going to have to if you are under my command."

Instantly, Ed felt a flare of anger lick his insides. This was what he was trying to avoid! That inane look of pity and attempt to protect him from his past was something that Ed never needed. For Gate's sake! Of all people, Roy should understand Ed's need to be kept busy, no matter what the job was. To Ed, the feelings of uselessness and helplessness were one of the most frightening things in the world. "Then what do you expect me to do? What will I do then? I will not be subjected to a fucking housewife, Roy. I need to do something, or I'll just blow something up."

It wasn't an idle threat. If Ed wasn't stuck to this bed, Roy would've of thought that Ed had something to do with his office.

Roy sat down next to the glaring blonde man, "Will you agree to working in labs then?"

Ed paled at the thought. If worse came to worse, he would agree to it, but Ed had always had the belief that labs were there to create misery for innocent people – he had been proven right one too many times. Assassinating people was easier, sadly, because the victim didn't have time to suffer and only the families mourned. The overall effect of the labs would leave hundreds, if not more, to grieve and sulk in misery. Ed didn't want to be a part of that – he was already dirty enough.

"That's what I thought too, from what you told me about Germany. I don't want to force you to do anything, Ed, but I especially don't want to make you do something that brings up old ghosts. The military may not be a good idea anymore."

"The military is the only choice I have."

"We'll come up with something. I'm Fuhrer after all. I can probably make up some bogus position for you. How about personal secretary?" grinned Roy.

"That's easy enough, but there's not enough action."

Roy couldn't believe that Ed would just walk unwittingly into his trap and he wasn't about to let the chance go. He reached over and stroked Ed's collarbone, "I can give you all the action you need, my private secretary, in my private, soundproof office," he purred.

"Kinky, but you need to get your head out of the gutter, Roy," laughed Ed.

Roy chuckled, "Fine, what did you do in Germany? List all your jobs."

"Well, you know that I was a hit man and a researcher. I started out as an errand boy, upgraded to a professor's assistant. I was also a bodyguard…" he trailed off thinking hard. Most of his innocent days were washed over with blood, so it was difficult to dig behind all that and remember.

"Wait, that's it! You can be my personal bodyguard!"

Ed's eyebrow raised, "You, the Flame Alchemist, needs a bodyguard? What will the nation say if their most powerful man needs to have protection?"

"All leaders need at least one bodyguard. It's common practice; otherwise, the leader will be seen to have a Messiah complex, like Bradley."

"Wouldn't it be seen as a waste of resource if the Fullmetal Alchemist is just used for a bodyguard?"

"Stop talking about yourself like you are a tool to be utilized. This isn't Germany, Ed."

"I'm just thinking logically, Roy. I'm not naive, you know."

"The people are just going to have to deal with the fact that the leader that they all count on is being protected by the strongest man in Amestris. Is that good enough for you?"

Ed settled back into the pillows, "Yep."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean 'that's it'?"

"No more fighting? No snide remarks?"

"Why would I do that?"

"You were giving me a hard time before."

Ed smirked, "I'm bored. You always said that I'm dangerous when bored."

Roy groaned, "I should have known that was the reason."

Ed gently rolled over onto his side, yawning as he did. "Roy, I'm cold…"
Roy recognized that single phrase that was code for "hug me" and smiled as he lay down on the bed, pulling himself close and wrapping his arms around the slender body.

"Warmer now?"

"Hmm…much better…" Ed murmured as he fell into a deep sleep.

Roy loved how Ed's body just fit so perfectly with his – like a puzzle piece falling into place. Ed's head fit right under his chin and their limbs were in a tangle that just felt so comfortable. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of his lover. A thought passed through his mind for a second. Somehow, he felt like he had been led around something that Ed, Hughes, and Hawkeye were hiding, but whatever. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. He might as well enjoy the peace and quiet he got now because it sure as hell won't be there after tomorrow.

When Ed woke up the next day, Roy had already left, leaving behind a note informing him where he would be. The elegant handwriting was nothing like his own chicken scratching – it reflected Roy's noble soul and sophistication. Ed could barely believe that Roy, such a perfect man, belonged to him alone. Smiling, he glanced at the clock. Hughes would be coming soon to help him get ready for Roy's inauguration. Despite doctor's orders, there was no way in hell that he would miss such an important event in his lover's life. Besides, he should be fine for a few hours. After all, he could now stay conscious longer and even sit up without feeling like he was tearing apart his body. Still, he was ridiculously weak and he didn't want to cause more worry for Roy if he could help it. Riza and Hughes had better plan this out completely and perfectly, or Ed's body wouldn't last.

Ed heard a quiet rapping on the door and Hughes quickly slipped in. Ed's jaw almost dropped when he saw Hughes' appearance. The doting father was wearing the traditional Amestris uniform, but it looked completely clean and crisp like it was just bought, quite contrary to his usual raggedly look – even his shoes were polished to its original shiny state. His hair was slicked back and he was actually clean shaven.

"You look handsome," grinned Ed. "How long did it take for you to do your hair?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you – but an hour or so," Hughes muttered, already busy unpacking what he had in his bag.

"Really?" Ed started laughing. "Not even Roy takes that long!"

"Gracia insisted," defended Hughes, "Now quiet down. We're sneaking you out of here, remember? Keep it on the down low or else we'll be caught."

Ed nodded, a smile still on his face, as he pulled away the covers.

Hughes beamed at Ed, "Let's get started!"

Roy stared at himself in the mirror. He was properly shaved, his hair was gelled back to make himself look more mature, and his uniform was sparkling with decorations and medals. He was impeccable – he almost couldn't recognize himself. If Ed was around, he probably would have just laughed and teased him about taking so long to make himself presentable. He smiled sadly at the thought. Too bad his inauguration had to be so rushed – he would have liked Ed to be present when he finally fulfilled his dreams. Nothing could be helped though. As Ed pointed out before, the country always came first, no matter how much he hated that rule. Unlike Ed, Roy couldn't just throw away everything for the sake of his lover. He was Fuhrer, and the title was heavier than he had ever thought.

"Sir, it's time to go," came Hawkeye's voice.

Fears suddenly flittered across his mind. Would he be a good leader? Would he make the right decisions? Or would he follow the path of his predecessors? Could he even do this or would he be crushed underneath the expectations of his people?

Roy took a deep breath, closing his eyes in a moment of concentration. In his mind's eye, he saw Ed roll his eyes at him, saying how stupid he was to think that way.

"I believe in you."

Roy smiled at those words that were somehow echoed by everyone he had ever trusted – Ed, Hughes, Riza, Al, his team…When he opened his eyes, all the fears disappeared and he strode proudly out to take his rightful position.

The crowd at his inauguration was much more than Roy had expected. It was almost like everyone in Central with a couple hundred others was present. All the military personnel were lined up in the front of the lines to act as a barrier and show their support. The higher ranked were sitting on the stage behind him. Hughes sat the closest to Roy – his team was right next to his best friend. He could see Al there too. The youngest Elric was probably the only civilian exception on the stage, though it was probably easy to arrange due to his connections and his relationship to the Fullmetal Alchemist. Even Gracia and Elysia were in the anticipating crowd near the front. Oddly, only Riza was missing, and she had the most important job today. She was supposedly to be swearing him in, yet, Roy was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the stage like a fool. He had already given his inauguration speech, earning more of his people's respect, but he was yet to become the Fuhrer. He could not officially be the Fuhrer until he had recited the oath, so where was Riza? She was in charge of that aspect of his ceremony!

Suddenly, he heard the mass roar in excitement. Confused, he looked back at Hughes to find the answer. Hughes just grinned and pointed to his right. Roy's line of sight followed Hughes' direction, making him swing to his left, and he suddenly felt tears reach his eyes. Beautiful Riza was walking towards him with an even more gorgeous Ed by her side. Roy could easily see that Riza was helping Ed walk – his eyes were glittered with determination to see Roy's inauguration to the end without giving away how injured he was – and the two had everything rehearsed so perfectly that Ed's slow strides actually looked normal. Still, no matter how touched Roy was, he couldn't help but be distracted with Ed's appearance. Ed wore the military uniform for the first time in his life and held a small velvet box in his gloved left hand. Roy never knew how well the uniform would suit the blonde. The navy blue garment fit so perfectly on Ed's thin, muscular body. His long golden hair, pulled into a shimmering ponytail almost haloed his head. The two stopped a few feet away from Roy. Ed slowly took a couple of steps alone towards his lover. Roy groaned inwardly – he was going to have a uniform fetish after this, he knew it.

Ed smiled, "Head out of the gutter," he mouthed.

Roy grinned back, "A little difficult, as of now." And then he felt a slight nudge from Hughes. Instantly, he knew what the three were actually talking about last night. Riza was never going to swear him in. He should have seen it coming! Still, now wasn't the time to chide himself for being naive. He had to take things seriously right now.

It was as if the people knew that the inauguration was commencing and a silence fell over them.

Ed took that as a signal to begin. "Roy Mustang, please place your right hand over your heart and repeat after me," he said, his voice ringing loudly. "I, Roy Mustang, do solemnly swear…"

Without hesitation, Roy recited, "I, Roy Mustang, do solemnly swear…"

"That I will faithfully execute the office of Fuhrer of Amestris…"

Roy almost stumbled on those words, but he managed to enunciate the same words back.

Ed just grinned at him and continued to deliver the oath of the Fuhrer, "…and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the rights of the people of Amestris."

When the last words left Roy's lips, Ed opened the box and lifted the small golden insignia of the Fuhrer. He pressed it to his lips, blessing the mark of the leader of the country, and then proceeded to pin it to Roy's uniform, right above his hand and his heart.

"May the heavens bless your reign, Fuhrer Mustang, and may you bring peace and prosperity to the land of Amestris."

In that moment, everyone began cheering and screaming in sheer happiness. A new reign had begun – they all believed that under Roy's hands, Amestris would have her golden years. Their joyfulness was deafening and Roy could barely hear anything around him, but he could definitely see. From what Roy saw, the audience's reaction was much louder than what Ed had anticipated and his keen ears did not like what they heard. Ed flinched, which was definitely not something that he should have done when his body was already aching from walking so much because his face instantly lost all its color and his right hand shifted inconspicuously to clench at his wound. His expressions were guarded in front of so many people and no one could sense that there was anything wrong with the alchemist, that is, if one wasn't Roy, Riza, Al, or Hughes.

Slyly, Roy moved closer to Ed, his right hand supporting Ed's back while his left waved at the crowd. Hughes, Al, and Riza moved to the left of Ed, their hands keeping the weakened man steady. Ed glanced at them, giving them a small smile of gratitude. They all ignored him, trying to up their charade. It was dangerous for people to know that Ed was this weak after all and they would do anything they can to protect the blonde who meant so much to them.

Roy stole a glimpse at Ed, feeling increasingly concerned when he saw Ed's knees begin to tremble, but he still felt more touched than worried. To think that Ed would go through so much pain (especially since pain meds didn't work for him anymore) just to be there for Roy…that probably made this his happiest moment in his entire life. He leaned down a little, a movement almost impossible to detect and whispered in Ed's ear, "Thank you, my love."

Ed just smiled at him just as Hughes and Al started leading him off the stage. Riza stayed by Roy's side, since she was his personal aide after all, and continued waving and smiling at the crowd, reminding the new Fuhrer that he had to please his people for a few more hours before he could check on Ed. Not to mention the inauguration ball…At that thought, Roy just wanted to bury his head into the ground and pretend that he was never here. Balls included hundreds of women, which included hundreds of dances with a gender that didn't spark his interest at all. Maybe in the past they did, but Roy would have liked nothing more than to dance with just Ed. Obviously, that was out of the question. He wasn't even sure if Ed could dance, but it definitely was not difficult to imagine that lithe body moving so enticingly to music, particularly in that uniform…damn it. Stupid fetish…It would be the end of him.

Riza started nudging Roy off the stage as well, distracting him from his thoughts. Unfortunately, he was being pushed towards the opposite end than where Ed had gone off. He couldn't sneak off and check on Ed – not when Riza was left with him. Hughes had better make sure that Ed was safe and didn't push himself anymore today, but Roy was almost a hundred percent sure that Hughes would slip away to join his wife at the ball. There was no way that Hughes would miss out on Gracia wearing a gown after being dead for so long. When that time came, Roy would just have to make sure that he could find a way to join Ed at the hospital, who he figured would be compliant for now. As he walked further away from his lover, Roy couldn't help but feel a little bit lonelier now that he stood above everyone else in this country. There was a heavy pit in his gut. Roy just hoped above everything else that it was just a sign of worry and nothing else…

Ed's knees completely buckled the moment that he was out of view from anyone in the crowd. He sagged heavily against Hughes, almost falling if Hughes didn't have such a tight grip on him. Lightning flared throughout his body, making his limbs tremble with no strength. Al stared on with concern at his brother's pale face and his heavy breathing.

"Al, grab the wheelchair that's hidden behind those bushes," Hughes quickly said, shifting Ed so that the blonde was leaning against him.

Al ran to the vegetation that was about ten feet away and frantically searched until he found the metal contraption.

"Ed, how are you holding up?" asked Hughes, pressing his free hand to Ed's forehead. He let out a breath in relief. The exertion didn't cause a fever, which was a fear that Havoc had warned them about.

Ed took a second to gather himself. "I've had better days," he panted out. "Next time I have a hole in my stomach, remind me not to attend my lover's inauguration."

"It was so worth it, wasn't it? Did you see Roy's expression when you walked on stage?" Hughes grinned.

Roy's stunned face would forever be burned in Ed's photographic memory – Ed smiled at the thought of it again. Then he snorted, "He's going to make me wear this stupid uniform from now on, isn't he?"

Hughes laughed, "Probably. You look stunning, Ed."

"Right…I can barely stand."

"I'm not joking!"

"Just get me that damn wheelchair. I'm not exactly a lightweight you know."

Hughes frowned at that comment. It was true that Ed's automail was ridiculously heavy, but it felt like that was all Hughes was supporting right now. He could barely feel the true weight of the thin boy. Ed didn't weigh much when he brought them both back out of the Gate – it seemed as though he lost more now.

"Ed, have you been eating?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you been eating?" Hughes repeated.

"Define 'eating'."

"Ed!"

"I can't exactly eat solid foods when I have fucking hole in my stomach, now can I? The doctors have been sticking those damn needles into me for the IVs. I'm getting all the nutrition I need, Hughes. Don't worry about it."

"You are the definition of worry, Ed. Back in the past and even more so now…"

Those words echoed in Ed's mind. Suddenly, a pounding headache struck him and irritation swept through him like a storm. He gritted his teeth and pushed away from Hughes, standing unsteadily on his own. "What are you insinuating, Hughes? That I'm weak? That I need your protection? I don't need your worry! I can handle things on my own. I'm sure my past has shown that." He nearly spat out the word.

"Ed, I didn't mean it that way."

Ed was so sick and tired of feeling so helpless – that he even had to count on someone to even walk – and the headache wasn't helping. Hughes was just worried about him and he knew that, but he wasn't powerless. He didn't need people to look out for him. He still had his alchemy for Gate's sake!

Hughes reached out to steady Ed, but Ed angrily slapped it away, throwing him into a state of vertigo.

"Stop acting so childish, Ed," Hughes snapped, "You hate feeling like you have to count on someone, I get that, but being alone doesn't make you strong!"

And that was it. Those words sent Ed spiraling back to Germany when Alphons was lecturing him for the same reason. Alphons and Winnie had just found Ed lying injured in the rain after an assassin attack and Ed had refused any help.

"What are you doing, Ed? Just let us help you!" screamed Winnie.

Ed just turned away from her, dripping with the rain and clutching his wounded shoulder as he tried to get past the two.

Al just stood defensively in front of him, his defiant and determined golden-brown eyes glaring at him. "Being alone doesn't mean that you're strong! It just means that you're too weak to deal with the bonds that you create with the people around you! Let us help you!"

"I'm fine. Don't worry," Ed snapped back, "Don't get involved. It's for your own good."

"You're the definition of worry, Ed! And what about you? Is it for your own good that you don't get involved with anyone else? Why must you be so stubborn about these things, Ed? Why won't you allow yourself happiness and stop being alone for once?"

Ed just stared at him, all his pain of everything he had to do to survive in Germany showed clear as day in his dull golden eyes.

"Being alone means that no more lives that I care about will be taken."

Still lost in his memories, Ed whispered, "Being alone means that no more lives that I care about will be taken…" How ironic was it that soon after that incident, Ed ran away with Winnie and Al, leading to their deaths?

"Ed?" Hughes' voice flittered into his daydream.

"Hmm?"

"You alright? You stopped talking in midsentence."

Ed shook his head, "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, I guess. Sorry for snapping at you. I didn't mean to."

Hughes gave him a wary look, "You're apologizing? Are you sure you're alright?" He took another step towards Ed, looking like he was afraid of what Ed was going to do. It had been a while since Ed saw that expression on anyone, especially towards him. The last time that happened was when he went berserk after Winnie died. Alphons was so frightened of him after that, not that he could blame him. Still, Ed felt slightly hurt by that look on Hughes. He didn't want the people he cared about to be afraid of him, but Ed knew that it was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, Ed only told them about twenty percent of what really happened in Germany…The rest was just bloody nightmares.

"It was just a flashback," he explained truthfully. He felt like he owed Hughes the truth at least, for venting his frustration out on him.

"A flashback? To Germany? Have you been having those a lot?"

Whoops. Now it was time to lie.

"Only when something sets them off," Ed responded. Hughes was an investigator for the intelligence department – detecting lies was one of his skills, but Ed learned in Germany that it was actually quite easy to fool people like Hughes. All one had to do was just tell a partial truth so that the subconscious tall-tell signs of a lie don't surface, and Ed had become a master of it. That answer was good enough for someone who had gone through a war and stop Hughes from asking anything more.

"Well, let me know if you have another and if you want to talk about it," Hughes said, moving towards him again to hold Ed up. Ed glanced at his face. Hughes was definitely deep in thought, probably analyzing everything that just happened. Hughes' mouth was pulled into a frown and there was that little wrinkle between his eyebrows that only appeared when he was thinking of something that was not so pleasant. The slight lines near the corners of his eyes became visible too – the sure sign that Hughes didn't believe him completely and would stop at nothing to get to the bottom of things. Ed sighed. At least he was in the clear for now, but Hughes would question him again, and probably with both Al and Roy to back him up which would make things a hell of a lot more difficult to weasel out of.

"Al!" he called, "You okay back there? You're taking quite a long time getting a stupid little wheelchair."

"Sorry!" came Al's voice, "Someone bolted the wheels down for some odd reason."

"Bolted? Why would someone do that?" wondered Hughes. "Who has the time to pull a prank like that?"

"Just use alchemy, Al," Ed's tiredness wasn't veiled and almost immediately, they saw a flash of blue light. Thankfully, Ed found himself sinking into the comfort of the chair within seconds, easing some of the tension in his trembling legs.

Al started pushing him towards the car that they had waiting, but as he did, Ed felt a strong prickling sensation running down his spine. He swung his head around quickly, his keen eyes scanning the trees directly behind him.

"Wait, stop, Al."

"What's wrong, Brother?"

There was someone watching him. Ed's sixth sense had never failed him once, especially one this strong. This overbearing, bloodthirsty aura…he had almost forgotten it, but it couldn't be possible. He was long dead – Ed had made sure of it during his peak reign of being a cold-blooded killer. Sweat dripped down his face as pure cold fear filled his stomach. Out of everyone he had ever faced, Ed had purposefully mutilated that man so badly to make sure he was dead because he was afraid of him ever having a chance of recovery. He had never been so brutal with anyone else.

Despite the icy chill, Ed forced himself to concentrate and find whoever it was that was following him, but as quickly as he felt the presence, it was gone like a grain of dust caught in the wind. It was so abrupt that he was taken aback, doubting his senses. It couldn't be his imagination, could it? His nerves were still on the fritz from his flashback, so was it an after effect from it?

"Brother?" Al didn't miss a beat. Something had shaken his brother up terribly and that was a hard enough feat to do, especially after Germany.

"Is there something in the trees?" asked Hughes, following Ed's line of sight.

Ed swallowed harshly. "No," he answered truthfully. At least, there wasn't anyone there anymore… "Let's just go. I'm tired."

Al and Hughes gave each other a look, but obliged without any other comments. Questions would just have to be answered later, when Ed was feeling much stronger.

Heino watched as the black car carrying his protégé drove off into the distance. His black eyes glittered angrily as he remembered seeing the Crimson Phantom needing to rely on someone. He had never needed to do so before and to be such a failure to need that foolish metal contraption, which had nailed to the ground in pure agitation at the sight of it. When Ed sat down on that wheelchair, Heino's fury reached its peak and he accidentally released some of his aura. It surprised Heino to see that the Phantom had sensed him, even as injured as he was. That meant that all wasn't lost with him. Underneath all that weakness was the cold assassin that he was meant to be. But why wouldn't the Crimson Phantom just accept who he truly was? No, it wasn't his fault. He was just blinded and deceived by those around him. From what he saw while stalking Ed out, the man who was most responsible for this change had to be that new Fuhrer. If his information was correct, the Fuhrer was Roy Mustang – his target. Too bad for Hakuro…Mustang wasn't going to suffer like he wanted. Mustang's reign was going to be a short one. It was the only way that Ed would break out of the curse that was making him forget who he was.

It was time to pay a little visit to his successor. The wheels had begun to turn. It was time to awaken the Crimson Phantom once more…

Okay, so that concludes this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Anyone notice that the swearing in portion was based off the oath for Presidents of the United States of America? That was my little fun tidbit there.

Anyway, this chapter was a little bit of a filler too. I had meant to continue to the part where Heino scouts out Ed, but I feel like it would be much more drastic if I made you guys wait. Lol! Sorry, I'm a terrible, terrible person.

As usual, thanks for reading and please review! Next chapter should be coming sooner or later. ^^

~ Kanae Yuna ~