This story will end in the nest chapter (possibly two). Another fic draws to a close...
Uh, I apologise for the prolific use of page dividers in this chapter. Sorry.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
CHAPTER NINETEEN: The Elric Brothers
There was a frisson of excitement in the air, an infectious tension that made the group fidgety and nervous. This was the moment: this was what all their investigation had been building up to. Hunting down employees, questioning crooks, staking out post-boxes- everything came to this.
It didn't look all that exciting. Roy wasn't quite sure where he'd imagined the Elric brothers living, but this was... well, it was very normal. A butcher's shop, its painted signs cracked with age and two hanging baskets outside; nothing sinister or extraordinary about it.
It made sense, of course. But it was still somehow disappointing.
"So... do we just go in?" hazarded Jean.
"We don't want to scare them off..." said Roy, hesitating, but really... what else where they going to do?
As it turned out, they didn't need to do anything at all.
Edward Elric was, at that moment, on his way back to the shop. He'd just finished making a delivery and now he was more than ready for a break.
Noticing a small huddle outside the shop, he rang the bell on his bike loudly.
"Uh, do you need help, or something?" he begun. "My guardian runs this place..."
He trailed off.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
The blonde woman he'd seen at the mansion the other day turned around.
"You're Edward-"
"Curtis. His name is Edward Curtis." interrupted a harsh voice. All heads turned towards the door of the butcher's shop.
"And I'm his guardian," finished Izumi. "Now, I suggest you all come in so we can talk about this somewhere away from prying eyes."
Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, and Roy knew that however she might have phrased it, it was not a suggestion.
They gathered around the table, feeling distinctly uncomfortable under Izumi Curtis's blazing glare.
"How'd you find them?" she asked in a clipped voice.
"We had a three year old hijack the post," said Roy before he could consider what kind of response that might garner. As soon as he said it, he regretted it, especially when Izumi treated him to a particularly fierce glare.
"I wouldn't joke around if I were you."
Roy swallowed. Suddenly, he understood what Granny Pinako had been talking about.
"Mrs Curtis, he's telling the truth," said Riza, trying to smooth things over. "Maes here has a three year old daughter who distracted the postman for us."
Izumi snorted, but dropped that particular line of inquiry.
"I thought we told you we didn't need your help," said Edward. "We're fine."
"Brother," chastised Alphonse. "but... he's right, you know. We're safe here. Izumi and Sieg will protect us."
"I don't doubt that," said Maes, eyeing Izumi warily. "We just...we wanted to talk to you. We think we understand what happened, but there's nothing like an eyewitness account. We're not here to hurt you, and if you want to stay hidden, that's fine... we just want to know what really happened."
Izumi appraised them critically for an incredibly long and incredibly terrifying few seconds.
"It's up to the boys if they want to talk to you," she said eventually. "But be warned: if you do try to hurt them, you'll answer to me."
"I assure you, Ma'am, we wouldn't dream of it." said Roy quickly.
"See that you don't." growled Izumi. Edward snickered. Roy very nearly shot him a nasty glare, but catching sight of Izumi's expression he thought better of it.
"We'll talk to you," said Alphonse, causing Edward to reel round.
"Al!"
"Brother, they've come all this way to find us, and you're going to send them away? Talking to them won't do any harm."
"But-"
Al interrupted him. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't!"
"We don't need their help!"
"Maybe they need ours!"
"Who are they to come snooping around our lives?"
"They're trying to solve a murder! Don't you want justice for Mum and Dad?"
"Of course I do, Al!" Edward protested. "But..."
"I know you want us to put the past behind us," said Al gently, "But I think we should talk to them."
Edward sighed.
"Alright."
"Dad, look!"
"Edward? Alphonse? What is- have you two been messing around in my study again?"
"Da-ad," moaned Edward. "Just look!"
"What are you..." Hoenheim trailed off.
The scrawled circle on the floor sparked.
"Boys..."
It flickered.
"Edward, Alphonse, you've done very well, but you're too young to-"
And then suddenly it lit up in huge coruscating storm of light. The scrap fabric and wood in its centre began to twist and writhe and crackle, forming itself into first a pair of legs, then a body, arms, a head... hair, clothes, a face... a doll.
"Oh my god."
"That was the first time we ever transmuted," said Edward. "Dad was pretty shocked, to say the least. We saw the theory in one of his journals... he hadn't tested it, so we did."
"He found it," said Al. "The 'missing piece.' The part that's been missing all these years... he found it, and we put it to use."
"Needless to say, he was worried. We were told never to use alchemy where we could be seen and never to tell anybody what we knew... but in the end, we got found out anyway. I still don't know how, but..."
"Boys, grab your things and get in the car."
"Mum? Where are we going?"
"We're going to move house!" Trisha said brightly. "There's a big old house in the country where we'll have more space. But we need to go quickly, okay, boys?"
Cheerful as she seemed, she couldn't quite hide the undertone of worry in her voice. Ed and Al hurried to the car.
"When we arrived in Rizembul, Mum warned us that we needed to stay hidden. They set up a place for us to practice our alchemy and Dad taught us to code our work. Outside of a few select people, nobody knew we existed... until the third of October."
The shot echoed through the house.
"Find the brats," an unfamiliar, arrogant voice floated up the stairs. "But don't hurt them."
Ed's head was filled with awful questions, none of which he knew the answers to- who fired that shot? Why?
Did it hit anyone?
No. He had to stay calm- get Al out of the house. That was what he had to do. He was the big brother and it was his job to look after Al, Mum always said so and- was Mum alright? Oh, please, please- stop thinking about it! Just get Al out of the house. Just get Al out of the house...
"Al, come on. If we sneak along the corridor, we can use the back stairs. We'll meet up with Mum and Dad later."
"Promise?"
Ed hesitated just for a second, doubts crowding his mind-
"Promise."
Al grabbed his hand- or maybe he grabbed Al's- and they hurried along the corridor as quietly as they could. They could hear footsteps on the main stair, but there were only a few meters to go- they could make it...!
"There they are!"
"Run!"Ed tugged hard on Al's hand and they raced for the stairs.
"Kitchen," grunted Ed, not willing to spare the breath to explain- but Al understood. They ran through the house and skidded into the kitchen, slamming the door behind them. Ed scrambled to find the keys and unlock the backdoor.
But where to from here?
The trees! They could hide there-
"Ed!" Al gave an alarmed cry. Ed looked back over his shoulder to see a figure looming in the door.
"Come on!"
The figure stumbled and cursed as they reached the forest. Unable to duck under low branches like the boys and not as used to the terrain, he fell ever further behind. Ed and Al kept running, and for a moment, Ed thought they'd finally lost their hanger-on- but just as they reached the rocks by the river, he reared up behind them.
The ledge, thought Ed. There's nowhere else...
Ed led Al towards the precipice. "This way, Al!"
Al caught on quickly, and just as they reached the edge, they jumped. They hit the ledge with a soft thump, and immediately they crouched down in the shadow of the rock face to ensure they wouldn't be seen.
They heard the man's footsteps as he stopped short, and then his slow, cautious shuffle towards the cliff edge. They could hear his breathing as he peered over.
"Well," he muttered, sounding irritated. "They're dead now..."
Ed and Al stayed where they were for well over an hour. Only when they were absolutely sure the killers were gone did they dare move.
They climbed back up from the ledge and wandered through the trees, wary against even the slightest threat. As they reached the edge of the trees they saw policemen clustered around their home.
"M-mum and Dad..."
Ed swallowed. "They're probably in the village," he said. "Th-they probably took Mum and Dad straight to the nearest doctor.... or- or if they're not hurt, they probably went to stay at Doctor Rockbell's anyway until the police are gone. We should go find them."
Al's hand sought out Ed's and they made their way down to the village.
"Of course, when we got there we found out..." Ed sighed. "We asked the Rockbells to look after us, to hide us, and they did. When Mr and Mrs Rockbell died, they sent us away... to our father's old research partner, Izumi."
Roy nearly spat out his tea. "Your father's old research partner?"
Al shrugged. "She used to be really interested in alchemy before she met Sieg, but then she gave it up to run this shop with him. She was like an aunt to us when we were little."
"Really?" Jean raised an eyebrow. "She's not very, uh, auntish..."
Ed snorted. "Don't let her hear you say that. She'll beat you to death with a frying pan... if you're lucky."
"See, that's sort of what I mean." Jean complained. Al giggled.
"Izumi is kind of scary, but she's really nice once you get to know her..."
"...As long as you don't piss her off." finished Ed.
"Brother, really." Al scolded.
"Aw, come on, Al, you know it's true!"
Roy smirked, amused. Al reddened, suddenly remembering that they had company.
"Uh, so... now what are you guys going to do?"
"Well... we'd like to publish our findings," said Maes. "If we have your permission, that is."
"The Sins are locked up," said Roy. "You don't have to worry about them..."
"And we'll exclude all mention of alchemy." finished Riza.
Ed and Al looked uncertain.
"We'd have to think about that." said Al. "Do you mind if we talk to Izumi?"
"Of course not." said Roy, but he said it with a sinking feeling.
Somehow, he thought, I can't see this going our way.