Chapter 17: Brought Back to Reality

Winry sighed happily as she stood in her room. She had just finished tooling around with some potential changes to Ed's automail and decided to take a break.

She was happy the brothers brought her here; there were so many new design schemes and technology that she felt like she was already falling behind other mechanics. She put the blue prints away and went over to the open window.

The southern night was warmer than she was used to, so the cool breeze that blew in from her window was a relief as she leaned out of it to get more of the breeze.

Movement below caught her eye as Ed walked out onto the porch with his hands in his pockets looking deep in thought.

She frowned down at him worriedly before deciding to go see what was wrong.

They had chosen this hotel precisely because it was off the main way, so that the noise that continued through the night of automail enthusiasts wouldn't disturb their sleep.

The street was empty and allowed Ed to stand out on the porch to collect his thoughts a lot easier.

"Are you all right?" Winry asked worriedly as she joined him.

"I'm fine. I've just been thinking about how surprisingly easy it was for me to adjust to being back here. Three years have passed, and I don't count that brief visit a year ago, but it's almost as though no time has passed at all."

Winry nodded in understanding. "Things don't really change much while you're too busy rebuilding what was destroyed, and that's what our state's been trying to do."

Ed chuckled and nodded as he walked off the porch onto the street. "You're right. I just got used to how fast things moved in that other world. It was madness over there. Not even during the time of peace did things ever seem to stop changing. At first, people were resigned to the fate having been given to them, suddenly there were grumblings about the fate handed to them, and then suddenly there were failed mutinies occurring. I always missed this place, no matter how well I hid it, precisely because things move slowly. Even if I can't settle down, I know there are places I can come back to if I need to slow down every once and a while."

Winry smiled in amusement. "You're just now admitting that? People have been trying to get you to admit that for years."

"Yeah, I-" He cut off as movement in an alleyway adjacent to the hotel caught his eye.

"What is it?" She asked worriedly.

Ed remained silent as he transmuted his automail into his trademark blade.

Why Ed felt that the blade was necessary made her concern override any annoyance that usually came from knowing her hard work was being constantly messed with whenever he made that blade.

Suddenly, the shadowy dog-like creature that had attacked the brothers in Liore lunged from the alley.

Ed's blade sliced it cleanly in two, but it vanished.

Winry paled in fear. All hopes that the brothers weren't quickly moving place to place out of need for familiarity vanished from her.

"Get back inside…" Ed growled in warning as he looked around. He was worried that the shadow creature would come back.

Something was different this time, though. It felt more solid because the blade definitely met with resistance, and it didn't vanish as it came into contact with the blade.

There had been something visible over its right eye and he thought he had heard a growl just before the blade sliced through its open jaws.

He wondered worriedly if what he felt this time meant that last time it was an illusion, and that this time, the manipulator was near-by…

He walked towards the alley, wondering if the person or persons behind the strange creature was lurking there.

Suddenly, a scream from behind him forced him to turn around.

The shadow creature had reformed and stood between Ed and Winry, slowly advancing towards her. The creature leapt into the air, its jaws open as it aimed at Winry, who ducked in fear.

Silently, Ed thanked her for doing that as he brought out the wrench he had confiscated back in Risembool and threw it at the creature.

The wrench hit its mark and the creature vanished again as the wrench continued and embedded itself into the side of the wooden structure.

"Run!" Ed yelled as he followed his own order, grabbing Winry by the arm and dragging her back inside while ripping a sizeable chunk out of the hotel wall as he pulled the wrench out.

Slamming the door behind them, he ignored looks from the people in the lobby as he dragged a stunned Winry up the stairs and back to her room.

When she finally recovered, she frowned at Ed's back as he stared out the window. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know, but we saw it once before in Liore. That's why we've always been so worried about staying in one place for too long. I just didn't expect to find it here."

"I had hoped all this was behind you two…" She said sadly.

"I think it will be, once we deal with this. I have my hunches on what's behind that thing, but I can't really confirm anything yet. That's why tomorrow we're heading back to Central. You can take a train to Risembool from there."

She nodded in understanding.

"Try to get some sleep and don't let that shadow worry you. It doesn't seem to bother coming into buildings." Ed said as he shut her window as a precaution.

Winry nodded silently as he left. She couldn't sleep and decided to lie on her bed and wonder why the Elric brothers were constantly targets of unfriendly things until finally she passed out from exhaustion.

Meanwhile, back in Central, Roy yawned in boredom as he stared at the phone on his desk. It was well after hours and most employees had gone home.

"General?" A familiar timid voice called out from the hallway, causing Roy to break out of his stupor and stare in surprise at the door.

"Sciezka? Why are you here so late?"

She sighed. "He made me stay late to work on some files that needed to be done for tomorrow."

Roy chuckled. The man that had replaced Archer was like Hughes when it came to working poor Sciezka to the bone.

"You aren't using headquarters' phones for personal business again, are you?" She asked worriedly.

Roy threw up his hands. "You caught me. I'm waiting for a phone call from Marian. She'll be getting off work soon and I told her I'd wait here until I got her call."

Sciezka sighed in exasperation. "General you really should stop doing this; you could get into serious trouble."

Roy chuckled. "Then just don't tell anyone. Keep it a secret, all right?" He asked with a sly tone in his voice.

Sciezka shook her head. "If you get caught, I'll deny ever knowing anything about it, sir. And I won't turn you in either."

"Good. I didn't want to turn it into an order. Now be on your way, and that is an order."

Sciezka squeaked in fear. "Yes sir!" She said before running off to attend to her duties.

Riza sighed from behind the door, shutting it to avoid further trouble.

Roy chuckled. "That girl certainly is something…"

Riza shook her head as she handed him some paperwork. "You forgot to do this, sir. It's due tomorrow and it's important." She said sternly.

Roy sighed. "You certainly can be a slave driver, Captain Hawkeye."

"That's why I stayed behind, sir." Roy sighed again as he signed the papers. He handed them back to Riza.

"Thank you, sir." She said, placing the papers in her desk for tomorrow.

Black Hayate yawned and barked happily as he saw Riza putting on her coat.

The sudden ringing of the phone froze Riza in her tracks and silenced Black Hayate.

Roy picked it up. "General Mustang's office." He said casually, suddenly perking up as he heard the voice. "Marian! I was getting worried!" He said happily. "How are you?" He nodded before his expression darkened. "I see… are they okay?" He nodded again. "I understand. Thank you for calling me. I'll see you tomorrow. Send them my regards. Bye." He said, hanging up the phone with a frown.

"Sir?" Riza asked worriedly.

Roy leaned back in his chair with a dark expression. "Marian said some of her friends were attacked tonight."

Riza frowned. "Are they all right?"

Roy nodded. "A little shaken up, but they'll be fine." He said, standing up and grabbing his coat.

"Come on, I'm done now." Riza nodded and motioned for Black Hayate to follow, which he did without needing a leash.

Roy and Riza stood at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you ever going to tell Fullmetal or are you going to keep toying with him?" She asked in concern as she hooked Black Hayate to his leash.

He shrugged. "It all depends on the circumstances from this point onward."

Riza nodded in understanding. "Captain Havoc is returning from his vacation tomorrow."

"Oh? I thought he wasn't due back for at least a week?" Roy asked in surprise.

Riza shook her head. "He says his mother is feeling much better. She actually told him to return, saying that if he stayed any longer he may lose his job."

Roy chuckled in amusement. "That sounds like Mrs. Havoc. Although if Havoc did lose his job, it wouldn't be on my orders… he's far too valuable to me."

Riza nodded. Havoc was the second best shot after her.

Roy knew his flames wouldn't always be able to protect him and Riza and Havoc were his best defence should his flames fail. "I'm going to visit Madame Christmas for a while. Please be careful going home, Captain."

Riza nodded. "You too, General. Come on, Black Hayate."

Black Hayate barked in acknowledgement as she saluted Roy before walking away.

Roy watched her with concern until she was out of sight before walking towards his favourite hideaway.