Chapter 7: Central attack
--
The morning came way too quickly for his liking. Roy Mustang moseyed towards the clock on the wall in the living room. Four past nine am already. He was two hours late to the office, and so was Edward who was still sleeping deeply on top of him.
Mustang sighed. Oh well. They were late anyway, so no reason to sweat it. He leant back and was about to rest his eyes five more minutes when the floor suddenly started shaking.
--
"Central City is under a possible attack," said the firm voice of the Brigadier General in Riza Hawkeye's receiver.
"Orders, sir," she said calmly into the phone.
"Just stay where you are. Guard my flying machine."
She was silent for some seconds.
"1st Lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
Hawkeye threw the phone down and lifted her eyes at the troubled group standing by the unfinished Azure. "Everyone, stay calm," she ordered firmly. "Brigadier General Kiehle has decided to keep us stationed here to watch over the flying machine."
"He'll kill us," Havoc muttered.
"He's right," Breda agreed annoyed. "They might be targeting this place."
Fuery gazed utterly nervous towards Falman, who said: "Then our blood will be on the Brigadier General's hands."
"He'd care more about his coffee," Havoc replied.
"Stop," Hawkeye shot in. "He'll send reinforcements. They're stationed close to us."
Alfons stood in the background closest to Azure, just listening and let his eyes wander from one to another. Even if these people were used to pressing situations, they were scared too.
Reality came crashing down in Alfons' mind. Thule Society might have spied on them and seen the high activity around the place, and all the soldiers standing guard. If Thule already knew that they were working on an airplane, Breda was right. They would target this place for sure. The more people who gathered around here, more lives could be lost.
Alfons knew that Thule had brought extremely dangerous weapons with them from Germany. And they had already bombed Lior and Central, using that power. If a bomb like that dropped near here...
Somehow he felt this was all his fault. He was the one who had suggested putting more soldiers on guard, but his intention had only been to take potential spies' attention away from the warehouse with Azure; not put more lives in danger. But if Thule dropped bombs at this particular place, it would be fatal. Not only because people would die, but the fuel and chemicals would cause an even bigger explosion.
A deep thundering sound made everyone freeze and the ground was shaking like an earthquake.
"It's started," Hawkeye said in a low voice. "Everyone, remain here." She picked up the phone and dialled a number.
Having everyone's attention away from him, Alfons moved towards the backdoor. His mind was set. He had to do something to prevent the higher damage. Hopefully he would be back before anyone noticed that he was gone.
Alfons turned and disappeared out the door, running towards the other warehouse. As he ran he could hear the sound of something big flying across the sky. They were really here.
Thule Society.
He wondered if Edward had heard it as well. He was worried about Edward. He had never come back last night, after all. Alfons hadn't slept for a single second. First Edward had acted like a lunatic, and then he had just disappeared. Where was he?
Out of breath, he reached the other warehouse, locking himself in with his mind focused on what he had to do. Luckily no soldiers had been around standing guard at that moment and stopped him. He stood still for some seconds, scanning the area were all the chemicals and the fuel were kept.
While trying to stuff away his fear for just a second, he grabbed the heavy barrel of finished fuel and rolled it fast out of the warehouse. If a bomb hit close by, the destruction would be ten times as fatal if it touched the fuel. Both warehouses would definitely be annihilated.
He rolled it as far away as he thought was necessary to prevent anyone from being hurt, and placed the barrel at the far west side of the warehouse area. Drying off some sweat, he spotted a group of soldiers marching into the warehouse with Azure and the workers. He waited around a house corner until they were out of sight, before he ran back to the fuel-warehouse, looking at the chemicals. He had to move them too, and put them as far away from each other as possible.
He ran for the alcohol first, but stopped. He just remembered. It was still another barrel of finished fuel, but it was in the warehouse with Azure and the team. He had to move that one first.
Making a quick turn, he ran towards the door again when the world suddenly turned upside down and he heard a high, thundering sound piercing his eardrums. Cobalt eyes widened in alarm the moment the first splash of wood and metal were crumbling fast towards him. He had barely time to cover his face, not really having any exact clues of what was happening, and his body was flung in some direction he couldn't even keep track of. His teeth gritted together in pain as heavy objects pinned him to the ground on his back and everything turned dark.
...
When Alfons got his own mind in motion again, he was standing stiffly straight up and down with his eyes shut as tightly as he could and the only thing he could feel was an odd stinging underneath his foot. Like he had stepped on a large pin. With a deep inhale, he opened his eyes slowly as warm and yellow light poked his corneas and his surroundings were gradually coming back into focus.
He noticed the wooden floor first. A floor? Confused and alarmed, he looked around the room. It looked way too familiar, but still it felt wrong. This place didn't fit in.
It was his and Edward's apartment. He recognized it immediately. The table. The couch. The texture on the walls. Edward's piles of books and notes everywhere. Everything was just like he remembered. Just the way they had left it...
Hearing uneven steps behind him, he whirled around fast and froze. Edward stopped and gave him an odd look, holding a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.
"Alfons, what are you doing?" he asked slowly, as if he couldn't quite figure out the reason why Alfons would stand still in the middle of the living room, and on top of it – with that look in his eyes.
Alfons just stared at him, close to hyperventilating through his nose. "Edward," he managed. "Why are we in Munich?"
Edward shifted uncomfortably, his eyes slowly narrowing. "What are you talking about?"
"W-We were..." Alfons started, stopping by the perplexed look he received. What was happening? Couldn't Edward remember anything? That didn't make any sense. Edward would remember that they had been in his world, wouldn't he?
Then he suddenly felt a violent lurch twitching in his chest and crawled up his throat. He crouched alarmed with an abrupt gag reflex and before he knew, his hand had shot up to clasp over his mouth.
This feeling was horribly familiar. It was no normal nausea. Alfons beat it with a thick gulp, but he couldn't stop the following contractions, making him near coughing out his lungs. Gasping and struggling to get air down to his lungs, Alfons gripped the back of a chair to support himself.
Edward hurriedly put down his cup and book, and leaped up to him. "Alfons!" The expression of worry was written in his golden eyes. Grabbing onto Alfons' shoulders, he continued trying to get through to him. "Are you all right? Alfons?"
"It's..." Alfons whispered, looking at his hand in terror and feeling the drops of sweat running down his forehead. "It's coming back..." The blood that covered his hand still dripped from his lips, and he still stood crouched over, spitting crimson on the floor.
Edward frowned, looking bewildered at him.
Alfons' knees failed him and he sank to the floor, gasping for his breath and still eyeing the blood. "I thought it was gone. But..."
Edward kneeled beside him. "We'll go to my world," he said. "Then it will disappear. I'll save you from the Gate, Alfons."
Alfons looked slowly up at him. "Save me?"
Edward nodded. "Yeah."
Alfons stared at him, as his eyes blurred, and everything went in and out of focus. "Edward..." he whispered. "Ed—"
He was suddenly not standing in the living room anymore. Everything was pure white everywhere. Right before his eyes, in just a glint of a second, a large and black Gate appeared in front of him. A large eye was carved into it. Alfons gasped. He had never seen anything like it.
... Or had he?
Then, in the next blink, it was gone.
...
With a sharp gasp, Alfons' eyes shut up again, wide as saucers. But despite that, it was dark as the grave. He swallowed hard a couple of times, his mouth dry as sand. He was unable to move and he started coughing and gasping for air.
It had been a dream... Just a dream.
He wasn't in Munich. And he was definitely not with Edward.
Alfons didn't know how long he had been out, but it wasn't for very long. Feeling the heavy weight on top of him he was instantly paralyzed, and before he knew it, his eyes had scrunched shut, feeling the familiar taste of blood drawing from his lower lip.
Bewildered by the similarity of what his illness had been like, cobalt eyes opened wide in shock. What the hell was happening to him?
I'm not sick, he tried to convince himself. His head sounded like a wind was blowing pressure against his ears, or like he was underneath water.
This is different. It isn't a disease.
With some raspy breaths, he tried to move again but that hadn't been the best of ideas. His chest was exploding in agonizing screams and he could hardly breathe. Everything was still black as pitch, and he understood slowly that he was buried. Buried between stocks of wood and dust and metal.
Alfons tried to calm himself down. To think reasonably. He wasn't sick. He was buried. It had been an explosion. Central was being attacked. And he couldn't just lie there. He had to get out.
Alfons made a brave attempt to move again and it hurt everywhere, and not just that. Something was terribly wrong with him.
He breathed hard, not able to figure out exactly what it was at once. Not before he tried to call for aid.
"Help!" he gasped, feeling he was using his voice, but still he couldn't hear himself. He tried to move, kicking his hurting foot into something.
There were no sounds. He couldn't even hear his own breathing.
His head was buzzing and it felt like his ears were stuffed with cotton. The only sounds he could hear were coming from his own head. And it just sounded like a purring engine.
Alfons rubbed his hurting skull. Had he lost his hearing? Had he become deaf? His thoughts were spinning fast inside a still dazed mind. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose something like that. Was he never going to be able to hear anyone's voice again? Or the sound of a city? Or music?
Alfons just laid there for a while, drifting in and out of consciousness. The blast had been loud and now he couldn't hear his own movements. The buzzing inside his head just refused to disappear. Reality started slowly to sink in. What would a life without hearing be? Where was Edward?
Would he never hear Edward's voice again? Would he even see him again? What if he died down here? Out of light. Out of air.
Maybe this would be his grave, after all.
Alfons' breath hitched, mentally slapping himself. No, don't think like that. You're not dying, he strictly told himself.
Ignoring the awful pain, Alfons tried to move his legs. Even the burning ache underneath his left foot refused to disappear. But he didn't get so far that he started wondering what it was, because it was just about then he realized he had a new big problem. A large wooden log lay heavily across his stomach, pinning his body to the ground.
His teeth tightly gritted as the agony stabbed through his body. Alfons cringed, attempted to move the log off of himself. It was heavy... An exhausted groan escaped his throat, and he let himself fall back on the ground again, just breathing fast.
He missed Edward. He wished he could hold him now. The attack still wasn't over yet. People were dying right now. Was Edward okay?
Fighting a terrible lump in his throat that made his eyes watering, he made another attempt to move the lodge, but it was stuck. When that didn't work, he tried to make himself as flat as humanly possible, and this time he succeeded in slowly slipping free underneath it. With another exhausted exhale, he rested on the ground again, scanning the darkness around him to look for some sign of light anywhere. But he didn't see anything. Just black. Which meant he was imprisoned in these ruins.
Alfons felt very alone and lost where he was trapped in the dark. It could take hours before someone even started to look for him.
This was not the time to start giving up. Edward would definitely not have given up. He would have kept trying until he found a way out. Alfons tried turning himself over to his side, as another series of shattered moans of pain absconded from his throat when he moved.
Alfons made it to turn onto his stomach, ignoring the stabbing agony in his ribs as best he could. He was breathing in sand and dust. Coughing hard again, he felt each contraction attacking his chest with anguishing pain. But he wouldn't give up either.
He started to crawl, all so slowly, finding small ways between the huge mass of wreckage and wood.
He didn't even notice the wreckage crumbling all around him, before it was too late.
--
Roy Mustang sat abruptly up, regretting it immediately afterwards. His action gave the younger a pretty uncomfortable awakening, as well as his own head.
Edward was dragged out of his deep slumber together with a soft groan and rubbed his forehead. "What's going on?" he muttered. He frowned when he noticed he wasn't in his dorm room.
"Fullmetal, move over," Mustang growled.
Edward froze to ice. He turned and glared at Mustang, trying to figure out how he fell asleep on top of his chest.
"What the hell happened?" he asked, golden eyes narrowing as he moved away from him.
Roy was about to answer as a deep, thundering sound and the way the whole house started shaking again made them both abruptly alarmed. A painting fell from the wall, the glass shattering into one hundred pieces. At that time they had already forgotten about the current situation between themselves.
Edward jumped out of the couch and ran towards the door.
Mustang first thought he was running away, but Edward stopped at the porch and stared up at the sky above the neighbourhood. He gasped, and his eyes were growing wide. Above Central it was.
A huge black ship. Dietlinde Eckart's vessel. He remembered it clearly from the night it had disappeared through the Gate right in front of his eyes.
And he could see black smoke rising from somewhere in the city.
Thule Society was attacking Central.
Mustang was about to go after him, but then the phone was ringing loudly. With a growl, he hurriedly stepped up to it and picked up the receiver. "Mustang."
"Sir, Central is under an attack." It was his 1st Lieutenant.
"I can hear that," he grumbled. "Are you alright?"
"For now, sir," she said. "Alfons and the others are here, but Edward isn't."
Mustang hesitated. "It's okay... He's with me."
Riza Hawkeye was silent for a couple of seconds. "They're close to us. Don't come here."
There was another thundering sound, and the line was cut. Mustang threw the receiver down in a mix of irritation and worry, and went for the door just as Edward was running past him, already dressed in his own clothes.
Mustang caught his metal arm, stopping him. "Where do you think you're going?"
Edward turned around, looking angry and anxious. "I need to find Alfons."
"He's with Hawkeye, he'll be just fine," Mustang said, trying to sound more convincing than he felt.
Edward scowled and shouted angrily. "They're bombing us! She's a good shooter, but she can't exactly stop a dropping bomb!"
"Neither can you," Mustang reasoned.
"Let go," Edward said in a low voice.
He should have known that the reckless brat wouldn't listen to reason. But Mustang kept his ground. "No, you'll come with me to the office and we'll be able to get our status, okay?"
Edward struggled, trying to pull his arm loose. "I need to find him now!" When Mustang didn't let him off that easily, Edward used all his might and weight, and pushed him hard into the nearest wall instead.
Mustang was slightly amazed how strong Edward really was. "What are you doing, Fullmetal?" he asked calmly.
Even before he had finished his sentence, Edward had clapped his hands and touched the wall behind him with his free arm.
Mustang frowned and discovered too late how the blue alchemy light made the wall change and bound his arms and shoulders. His arms were forced against the wall, which gave Edward the full opportunity to pull himself free.
Mustang struggled, amused and angry at the same time. What a bold move. "Fullmetal!" he fumed, looking acutely at him. "Undo this transmutation at once."
Edward backed towards the door, looking somewhat agitated but resolute. "Sorry Colonel."
"Fullmetal, I'm still your commanding officer," Mustang said warningly.
Edward reached the door, still eyeing him warily. "Then do what you need to do." He opened the door and ran off.
He had vanished before Mustang could reach his gloves from his pocket. The Colonel sighed deep. Troublesome kid.
--
Edward was running as fast as his metal and flesh leg allowed him to. All traces of drowsiness had vanished from his eyes. All he cared about was to get to the warehouse as soon as humanly possible. Just one thought was in his mind.
Alfons was in danger.
If the balance was to be contained, he would be killed. The Gate just worked like that. Before he never believed there was anything such as fate. But if there were, the Gate had something to do with it. And it would somehow correct the past.
With these thoughts spinning in his mind, Edward took every short turn he knew of, through narrow alleys and across empty streets.
The sun was still not high on the sky, but was still mostly visible through the thick morning clouds. The sound of the huge ship was thundering in his ears from somewhere above. A mix of adrenalin and worry were filling his stomach, giving him the strength to run – despite of the slight traces of a painful hangover.
He had reached more central parts of the city, where people stood like frozen, astonished over the smoke from the north-west side of the city.
Edward stopped to gain his breath. The smoke came from where Azure was. Where Alfons was. He started running again just as another bomb dropped somewhere and the ground was shaking him right off balance. The thundering sound was almost making his eardrums crumble. He fell on his knees, his breath hitching into gasps. He could hear screams from somewhere, and people were running away. He stood up again, almost getting knocked over yet again by people who ran in the opposite direction of him.
Edward frowned, seeing a huge crowd of people fleeing right towards him, trying desperately to get themselves and their loved ones in a safer place. It seemed like everyone were heading in theopposite direction.
He used his metal arm as a shield to get through one of the crowds and paced up his speed again. His breath was getting short and his chest had started to hurt, but he didn't care.
Neglecting hope was no option. Edward wanted to tell Alfons that he was sorry. That he couldn't manage without him. That he loved him.
For crying out loud.
Finally he reached the warehouse grounds and the sight that met him made him freeze. The warehouse beside Azure had collapsed.
He ran towards Azure, hoping he would find everyone safe there. "Alfons!" he yelled as he ran. "Hawkeye!"
He reached the hangar door and smashed his metal fist towards it. It was locked. He looked around for the guards the Brigadier General had put up, but everyone was gone.
He turned to the door again and clapped his hands. Touching it, he blasted a hole big enough for him to fit in, and ran inside, only finding darkness. He stopped as several guns immediately were pointed directly towards him.
"Don't move," a voice said.
Frozen to the ground, he lifted his hands slowly and frowned in the dark to catch a glimpse of their faces.
"Edward!" Riza stepped forward. "Don't shoot!" she commanded at the group of soldiers. "He's a state alchemist."
They secured their rifles and Edward sighed deep in relief. They were Central soldiers... for a moment he had been afraid that it might be Thule Society.
"Hawkeye," he said, seeing her more clearly from the light of the hole in the door he had made. He looked questioningly behind her at the soldiers. "What's all this about?"
"They're from the Brigadier General's unit," she said in a lower voice. "They're ordered to protect Azure."
Seemed likely. Edward hurriedly fixed his eyes past Riza's shoulder, towards the familiar group with Havoc, Falman, Breda and Fuery. But someone was missing.
"Where's Alfons?" he asked, feeling even more uneasy.
Hawkeye stared at him, her eyes worried. "He's not here."
Edward's heart skipped a beating and he quickly grabbed her arm. "Where is he?"
"I don't know," she said. "He didn't say."
Edward turned fast and ran towards the hangar door again. He had to head out and find him.
"Stop there!" one of the soldiers commanded.
Edward stopped without turning around.
"Do not leave this place," the soldier said. "If you do, we have reason to suspect you for being a spy."
Edward scowled. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he muttered. He turned slowly. "I'm going to find Alfons. Just try to stop me." He gave them a dangerous look before he turned around and ran again.
Behind him the soldier aimed his rifle. "Stop, or I'll shoot!"
Edward didn't stop.
The soldier tightened his finger around the trigger, but Riza Hawkeye was faster. She elbowed the man on the side of his head, gripping his weapon off from him in his fall and quickly aimed towards the rest of the soldiers. "Anyone else who wishes to stop him?" she asked calmly.
No one replied.
--
"Alfons!" Edward yelled out, standing outside Azure's warehouse. No soldiers were shooting or coming after him. Fortunately they had probably decided it wasn't important to hold onto him. He ran fast towards the ruins of the collapsed warehouse.
This was where Alfons had worked on the fuel. Right behind the place the warehouse had been, there was a big crater carved into the ground, and there was still thick smoke welling up from it.
"Alfons!" Edward stumbled over some parts of the roof, getting inside what was left. He kept calling his name over and over. Some parts of the warehouse were still standing, but they wouldn't for long. There was no sign of movement anywhere, and no signs of Alfons.
Edward fought a huge knot in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't have lost them both... The thought was too frightening.
He leaped over some more wreckage, and sat down on his knees, digging loose parts away from a certain spot. He coughed, breathing in dust and smoke, stinging his eyes. It was close to impossible to find someone in this mess. Without knowing, he could risk burying Alfons even more. Tears were close to start leaking from his eyes. On the other hand... There was still some hope that Alfons wasn't here at all. He tried to convince himself. Maybe he had run for the dorms, or somewhere else.
Edward covered his mouth and nose with his shirt, taking some deep breaths. He needed help looking for him. He stood up again and turned to get Hawkeye and the others.
Then suddenly he heard something coming from behind him.
He whirled around, holding his breath. He wasn't sure exactly what he had heard, but he had heard something.
Something had moved.
Edward went slowly towards the place the sound had come from. "Alfons, is that you?"
Another sound of movement somewhere in the ruins.
Edward's eyes widened as the smoke lifted by one of the walls that still were standing, and he saw only an arm sticking up from a huge pile of wood and metal.
"Alfons!" Edward yelled and ran towards the helpless limb. Fingers were clenching and opening desperately to find something to hold on to.
Edward gripped a huge plate, probably a part from the roof and lifted. The thing was heavy. With a fatigued noise, he managed to heave the ruined part away, and he could see Alfons lying on the ground, still half buried underneath the ruins.
Edward gripped his hand and Alfons lifted his head slowly up, his eyes fixed hazily up at him. "Edward..." he breathed exhaustedly.
"Hold on, I'll get you out," Edward said fast. He started digging him out fast, throwing pieces of wreckage away from him. "Are you hurt?"
Alfons lied on the stomach, his face dirty and cut up. Blood was dripping from his lower lip and he rested his head on the side, eyes drooping. "Edward... I'm glad you found me..." He smiled weakly and coughed, his eyes watering.
Edward felt slightly relieved. At least he was alive. That was the main important thing. "Stay awake now," he said warningly. "I'll get you out."
Alfons didn't reply, his breathing coming out rapidly.
"This isn't the first time I'm digging you out of some piece of wreckage," Edward continued, hoping talking would keep Alfons from losing his conscious. "Don't let this be a habit, okay?"
Alfons' face scrunched up in pain as he attempted to move. "Uh..." He opened his eyes, looking at Edward's mouth. What had he just said? Alfons tried desperately to catch the words. If only the high buzzing in his ears would go away. He knew Edward had been talking to him. But his voice was like muted. And he wasn't good at mouth-reading. Another anguished groan escaped his lips, even though he tried to suppress it.
"Lie still," Edward said. He shoved some sharp objects away, and helped Alfons lie on his back. Alfons' body ached up as he turned around, and Edward arranged his back against his lap and just held him close.
"Where does it hurt?"
Alfons gasped for his breath, still not replying him.
Edward supported his head and shoulders, looking worried. "Alfons..." He seemed so small and fragile in this state, so weak, and Edward tucked him closer to him in a desperate attempt to relieve some of the pain. This reminded Edward, almost too much, of the time Alfons had been shot and ill, bleeding over his lap in the dark depths of Thule Society. It had happened again. Thule had hurt him, and Edward hadn't been able to do anything. Edward felt a familiar bitterness close around his heart.
Alfons clutched his shirt, regretting the fact that he dirtied the white fabric of Edward's shirt with mud and blood. Gritting his teeth, he forced his eyes to stay focused at Edward. He had to tell him. Had to let him know.
"I can't... hear you." It was only breathy, raspy whispers. Still the four words were of the most difficult words he had ever had to utter, each syllable only an inch away from turning into another series of anguished groans.
Edward's eyes widened. Even though the whisper had been barely audible, he had understood them clear as day. Without another word, he locked his arms around his lover, hugging him tightly. They just sat like that for a while.
"I'm sorry," Edward whispered. "I'm so sorry, Alfons..." Something tightened inside his chest. A lump in his throat choked out a sound that reminded very much of a sob. If he had only been here sooner. If he had stopped Alfons from coming here alone.
Something wet dripped down at Alfons' cheek, making him frown. Was it raining?
Then he felt Edward shudder, and he realized it wasn't rain. Edward was... crying?
"It's my fault," Edward whispered. "I'm sorry. I've been a jerk. And still you always cope with me. This wasn't supposed to happen to you. I'm sorry..."
Alfons scowled softly. Through the high buzzing, something of a wavering sound was trying to reach him. The sound was unmistakeably coming from Edward.
He concentrated his head, closing his eyes, wanting to grasp the words before they kept slipping away from him. His pulse thumped painfully in his ears, like stabbing his head with each clout.
"Alfons, hold on..." A familiar voice, worried but stern, attempted to reach out to him before fading away in another faint buzz. But he had heard it! If it wasn't just his imagination. It had sounded far away. His nails scratched the wooden ground, his hand curled tightly into a white-knuckled fist around some pieces of wreckage, and Alfons forced his eyelids to open up. His vision was blurred, but he focused on Edward.
"Don't… stop talking," he whispered.
Edward nodded fast, drying his eyes on his sleeve. "It's going to be all right, Alfons. Help will get here soon."
Slowly, Alfons was able to recognise some of the vocals. The internal buzzing inside his ears was dying leisurely, making room for external sounds to be heard.
"It might only be temporarily," Edward reassured, talking to himself as much as Alfons. "It will be all right."
Alfons nodded.
Edward stopped. "Alfons?"
"Yes... Edward?"
"You can hear me." Edward sighed deeply, feeling very relieved. "Stupid idiot, you fucking scared me like shit."
"I'm sorry." Alfons closed his arm around Edward's, holding onto him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He found himself repeating the words over and over, although he was feeling very relieved. Edward was there now. He had saved him. He knew Edward would save him. Like he had said in his dream.
The older shook his head. "You're not the one to apologize. I..."
Alfons lifted his hand, lightly touching Edward's cheek. "I missed you, Edward," he said hazily. "I had a dream about... we were in Munich... I miss our flat."
Edward let out a laugh, which sounded more like a breathed sound of relief and smiled weakly. "So do I. But we'll find a better one later, okay?"
"Yes," Alfons nodded agreeing. "In my dream... you said you would save me."
Edward shifted uncomfortably, looking at him with a very serious stare. "Save you from what?"
"From... the Gate," Alfons said. "Will I disappear?"
Edward looked wide-eyed at him. The Gate? Did the Gate have something to do with what Alfons saw? Just like the images of alchemy and the Ishbal war? What did all this mean? Edward reached back to his senses. "You're not going to disappear," he said sternly. "Are you hurt?" He held his lover supportively around his shoulders. "Does it hurt anywhere?" he repeated.
Alfons' face scrunched up again, letting out some ragged breaths. It took some time before he could cope enough to reply. Clearing his head. Then he managed: "I think... some ribs are... broken."
Edward moved his hand, carefully felt at Alfons' sides. "Here?"
Alfons nodded, eyes shutting tight and body tensing. "Uh..."
"I don't think they're broken," Edward said. "It might just be ruptured."
"Still hurts..." Alfons gasped through gritted teeth, followed by some fast in- and exhales. It hurt to breathe and talk. It hurt to even think.
Edward curved down and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Alfons. About last night."
Alfons fell silent, calmer, managing to control his own breathing. Even without noticing it, tears were running down from his large, blue eyes. "Edward... where did you... go last night?" Now that Edward first was on to the subject, he wanted to know. Even though his chest still ached every time he opened his mouth. But he didn't care. Edward hadn't even showed up for work, which wasn't really like him at all. "Did... Did you go... looking for your brother?" he asked, as the only logical explanation.
Edward sat up again, while supporting him in his lap, looking agitated and sad. "No..." he replied silently. "You were right. I didn't know where to look." He paused for some seconds before he continued. "I was with the Colonel. Alfons... I... I didn't mean to attack you. I wasn't thinking."
"I know," Alfons said. "I know."
Without any warnings, the wall beside them loosened from the ground. As in slow motion, it started to fall right towards them. Both froze. Alfons was unable to move at all. They would be crushed! He shut his eyes tight, covering his face with his arms. He heard the wall hit, but all he felt were small parts of wood falling down on his legs and arms. When he opened his eyes, he was staring right at Edward's back.
He had swiftly leaped in front of him in the last millisecond, and blocked the fall of the wall with his metal arm and shoulder, supporting with his flesh arm, and his metal leg pointing straight out from his crumbled position. He was trembling lightly of the heavy weight he was holding back from falling over them. With some deep breaths, he turned his head slightly. "Are you alright... Alfons?"
Alfons nodded fast, his mind suddenly clearer than it had ever been the last couple of minutes. "Yeah, just get rid of it Edward, before—!"
Edward interrupted him. "Good..." His breath ran fast. "From now on I'll be there in time... to protect you... no matter what."
Alfons stared stunned up at him. Had something changed about Edward? He seemed more brave and determined than ever. No, that couldn't be it, Alfons thought. Edward had always been like that, deep down. But somehow those qualities had just stayed at lower level back in Munich. Now, being in Amestris didn't make him any different, but he felt Edward was finally being even more confident to show who he really were. It was here he belonged, after all.
Alfons realized, he had never known Edward as the Fullmetal Alchemist, only as the lost Edward, trying to find a way back home.
He was home now. But someone was threatening to destroy it. And as long as Edward could fight to protect something, he would keep going, determined and stubborn as ever. Alfons smiled a feeble smile.
With a yell Edward shoved the wall completely back, and it fell heavily on the ground some distance away. Then he turned slowly back at Alfons, looking serious and resolute.
Alfons tried to sit up. It went better now than the first time he tried. Somehow, Edward was giving him strength.
Edward stepped back to him and sat down beside him, supporting his back. "You'll be fine, Alfons. But you shouldn't do any heavy lifting."
Alfons just stared at him. Stupid Edward. When did he ever think about anything else than other people? He leant forward and kissed him. His lips touched his mouth hungrily. He needed to feel Edward. He probably looked like a mess, but Edward didn't seem to mind. His lips parted, and he was kissing him back, very truthfully.
"Thank you..." Alfons whispered.
--
Military cars were arriving around the warehouse where the Azure-project was stationed, and Colonel Roy Mustang came hurriedly out of one of them. Out of another came Brigadier General Kiehle.
Riza Hawkeye came to meet them, giving the Colonel a look and he immediately understood that something was wrong. Seeing the smoke from the warehouse beside Azure confirmed it.
The Brigadier General beat him with the first question. "Is the flying machine unharmed?"
Riza Hawkeye gave him a look that could kill. "Yes, sir," she replied. She directed her eyes towards Mustang as they were filling with worry. "Edward and Alfons are gone."
The Brigadier General sighed deep. "Well, find them, for the sake of the project." He continued on, sauntering towards the warehouse with Azure in.
Mustang's fists clenched tightly. "Give me a gun and I'll shoot his head off."
Riza lifted an arm and squeezed his shoulder. "Edward came here looking for Alfons. I don't know where he went."
"I think I know," Mustang said. "Gather some medics and follow me."
He went towards the smoked wreckage of the old warehouse. Only one wall was still standing. He hoped he was wrong. Anyone inside this place when a bomb hit would have a low chance of surviving. There were too much blasted parts everywhere, although half of the building had just collapsed, not exploded directly of the bomb. He climbed over some parts of the fallen roof. Then he stopped. And smiled. He seemed to have found them both.
And the couple was kissing.
He was still too far away that they could hear his steps, and he gazed around him at his following crew. He went towards them. "You search over there." He pointed to the right and directed a group of three medics. "And you two go that way," he ordered Hawkeye and another medic.
They nodded.
He went on alone the same way he had headed before, clearing his throat when he was at hearing distance.
Edward and Alfons stopped abruptly what they were doing and gazed at him, seeming embarrassed or agitated or both.
He smiled, coming closer. "And here I go around feeling worried."
Edward stood up, still supporting the sitting Alfons. "We were waiting for help. Took your time, bastard."
Mustang whistled between his fingers, calling the others now that the coast was clear. They were probably better off without having other people than himknowing about their relationship. It was hard to tell who could be trusted apart from his own unit. Protecting them was his job.
While waiting for the medical aid, he went to Alfons, bending his knees beside him. "Are you alright?"
Alfons' face scrunched up. "It hurts, but I think so."
Edward gave Mustang a serious look. "Are they gone?"
Mustang nodded. "There was only one of them this time. But five bombs were dropped."
"Seems to increase every time," Alfons said in a low voice.
Mustang nodded again.
"Was it a coincidence that they targeted this place?" Edward asked wisely.
Mustang wondered about that too. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "But I do not think that Thule just sit on their asses, targeting randomly as they please."
Edward nodded slowly. So the Colonel was implying that someone who cooperated with Thule Society was spying on them. He looked at Alfons, and the look he received told him that Alfons had thought the same.
"Edward! Alfons!" Riza Hawkeye came hurriedly towards them, followed by several medical people. "Are you two all right?"
"Alfons is hurt," Edward replied.
"Send them both to the hospital, to be sure," Mustang added.
Edward gave him a look, but didn't argue. He hated hospitals, but wanted to come with Alfons anyway.
Alfons tried to stand, despite that everything hurt. Edward supported him. "I think you should lie down. Let them carry you."
"He's right," one of the medics said, unfolding a stretcher. "Lie down here."
Alfons was too tired to argue, so he said nothing against it. He lied down and closed his eyes, leaving the rest to the others. As long as Edward was with him, he would be fine.
While they carried Alfons away, Edward fell behind beside the Colonel, giving them room to talk a couple of private words.
"I'm sorry about..." Edward started, wondering how to word everything. "...last night and this morning," he said. "I was upset and angry."
"It's all right," Roy replied, slightly wondering how much Edward remembered from last night.
"Uhm," Edward said startled. "Did I drink much?"
So, that was it. Edward obviously couldn't call must of what had happened.
"Not that much," Roy said slowly. "But you seemed quite exhausted, so it wasn't so odd that it came down quite quickly."
"I see," Edward said in a low voice. He stopped. "Mustang."
The Colonel stopped too, turning back at him. "Yes, Fullmetal?"
"Tell me something didn't happen." Edward seemed quite uncomfortable. "Between us... Because of me."
"Nothing happened," Mustang said. Not because of you.
Edward looked relieved, but at the same time a bit sceptical. Still, he decided to believe him. "If you say so."
They reached the cars, seeing Alfons was already placed into one of them. Edward was about to follow, when the Brigadier General showed up.
"Where do you think your subordinate is going?" he asked Mustang, nodding towards Edward. "Hasn't he a job to do?"
Roy stepped in front of Edward before he got the chance to reply something stupid.
"They're going to the hospital, Brigadier General," he replied calmly.
"I can see that," Kiehle said, looking irritated. "But he isn't even hurt." His eyes caught the younger alchemist's and addressed him directly. "Are you, Major Elric?"
"It's a matter of formalities and I ordered him to," Mustang said. "As I am still his commanding officer, that decision still lies with me."
Brigadier General Kiehle looked like he wanted to twist Mustang's neck. "Of course," he replied. "But I expect him back to work first thing in the morning."
Mustang nodded. "Yes, sir."
That said, the Brigadier General marched off, and the Colonel turned to Edward.
"He only wants me to get the plane finished under his hands," Edward muttered. "Even if the world had been crumbling all around him, the plane would've been the only thing he cared about."
"Don't talk too loud, Edward," Mustang warned, keeping a half eye on the soldiers around. "Be careful what you say around people."
Edward started at him for some seconds, and then he nodded. "I am."
"And remember your hearing," Mustang reminded him as well. "It's in two days."
"I know, I know," Edward waved as he turned. "See you, Colonel."
Mustang stared quietly after him as he sat into the ambulance and disappeared.