Sweat dripped off my brow, and my breath came in short pants as I sat low in my offensive stance. A pair of twin blades were grasped in either hand. Standing up I grinned at my handiwork, the poor tree before me had multiple deep gashes up and down it's trunk from my practice session.
It had been three years since my auto mail had been attached, and I finally had full and consistent mobility back in my arm. Over the last few months I had begun to train this body in weaponry and fighting. While my mind remembered every stance, every technique, every jab my new body could barely make it through my basics.
So with the assistance of Winry my blades had been refined from sticks to metal. She had even gone so far as to add a retractable blade to my automail arm that would extend and retract with the push of a trigger that sat at my elbow. For my other blade she had designed a simple sleeve that ran from elbow to wrist and had the same trigger for extension and retraction.
Retracting my blades with two quick flicks I moved to the house, walking around to the back. Stepping out of my now sweaty clothes I turned on the outside shower. I sighed as the cool water cascaded down my back, washing away the grime from my workout. After a few minutes a cool breeze had picked up. With a shiver I shut off the water and grabbed a towel before hurrying to my room to get dressed.
Throwing on a basic pair of black pants and a white tank top, I grabbed a simply grey zip up to keep the chill away. I ran a brush through my hair which now fell to my mid-back. Shortly after recovering from surgery I had convinced Winry to cut my bangs, wanting to feel more like myself, with a little groaning she did, and I was now able to look into the mirror and see a resemblance to my old face.
Looking over at the calendar in my room I paused, setting the brush down. Today was the three year anniversary of waking up here in Resembol on Pinako and Winry's operating table. I clenched my fists at the realization that I had been here for three years, and was no closer to getting back home. I turned back to the mirror facing myself, and making a silent promise. I would leave by the end of the month, I had to. Smiling at myself I turned and headed down the hall in search of Winry.
I found her, as usual hunched over a piece of automail in her shop.
"So Winry I know-" I was quickly cut off as she realized who stood in her door way.
"Oh perfect timing! I made some adjustments to the blade sheath for your left arm. Here try it on let me see how it fits." I sighed at the blondes attempts to shove the contraption onto my arm and helped by sticking it out for her to attach the blade to. "The motion was a bit too choppy for my likeing, so I recalibrated the-" I zoned out as she went all nerdy on me and pretended to listen by muttering an 'oh' or an 'uh huh' when it seemed necessary. Finally she took a step back and I carefully bent my arm and weighed the new blade. Humming at its weight I nodded before clicking the trigger and smiled at how smoothly the blade shot out.
I lifted it up and surveyed it while Winry twisted my arm this way and that muttering numbers to herself. I had grown accustomed to the poking and prodding. I almost regretted my choice to stay in this house sometimes because my arm went missing quite often, and the reattachments were never fun.
Finally she tugged it off my arm before setting it back onto the table and bending over it once more.
"Now like I was saying, I think it's time-"
"Winry! We have guests!" I sighed as I was cut off again. I moved to the upper balcony to see who it was.
I was met with a screaming match between Pinako and a boy with blonde hair. I watched in awe and confusion as a larger man suddenly tore his shirt off and posed before scolding the boy.
"Ummm Winry you may want to come take a look at this, there's some blonde headed kid, a suit of armor in a crate, and some huge guy without a shirt." A soft look came over her features but that was quickly masked as she reached up and grabbed a wrench from her collection. I flinched away, having met the wrath of that wrench multiple times.
Part of me wanted to call out a warning to those who stood below, but out of fear for my own life I stayed silent as she cocked her arm back and let the metal object fly.
SMACK! Cringing I sat back and watched as the boy was sent plummeting to the floor with a large bump forming on his head.
"Brother!" the armor cried out and I began to piece together who these people were from snippets of what I had heard from Winry.
"What is your problem Winry!" the blonde screamed who I now guessed was none other than Edward Elric, Winry's childhood friend and a grade A pain in the ass, according to her. "Are you trying to kill me!" she gripped the railing and yelled right back
"What about you! What were you doing to get so messed up!" he sighed and I chuckled at Winry's idea of affection. I grabbed her arm and began to drag her down stairs.
"Come on, let's go say hi. You need to introduce me to your boyfriend"
SMACK!
"Are you kidding me? Where were you keeping that?" I asked holding back tears as my head throbbed from impact of her back up wrench. She crossed her arms and kept walking.
"He is not my boyfriend!" I rolled my eyes at her foolishness.
"I just got rid of the last bump" I muttered sorrowfully following her.