Chapter 23: Turning Lies into Truths

Roy sat with Riza in the corner of a run-down bar located in a less than savoury part of Central. His broken arm was now in a proper sling and a cane rested across his lap.

Bandages could be seen beneath Riza's civilian clothes. The innumerable cuts and bruises the two sported were mostly healed by now.

He seemed to be lost in thought until two people entered, both on crutches. He smirked as he raised his hand to alert them to his location. "Well, well… the Elric brothers on crutches. It's a nice sight, you two."

"Yeah, and that bum leg of yours will certainly decrease your luck with the ladies." Ed snapped as he sat carefully on another chair. There were bandages visible beneath his shirt as well.

Roy chuckled. "You never know… some women are sympathetic to this sort of thing."

Al sighed as he sat, shifting his broken leg under the table to avoid tripping anyone.

This didn't seem like the sort of place that accidentally tripping somebody would be taken lightly.

"So why the hell did you drag us all the way out to this place? What was so important that you couldn't tell us at your office? Or did you get kicked out for going behind the Assembly's back?" Ed asked. Curiosity and annoyance were apparent in his tone.

Roy shook his head. "I did exactly what I said I would do. As soon as we were admitted to the hospital, I sent for Director Johnson and told him everything. Hell, we're going to be commended for our efforts to protect Central." He said, amused at the prospect. "Director Giles found out and came by trying to get us all thrown out, but Director Johnson warned him. Apparently he's on a very short leash… he may be gone soon…" He said as a sly smirk crossed his face.

"So you're expecting to be promoted to Director Mustang at some point?" Al asked sceptically. He knew there were older, more experienced men that would be more appropriate for the position than Roy, even though he deeply respected Roy.

Roy shook his head. "Not really, although the prospect would be nice…"

"General, please stop getting distracted." Riza said firmly.

Roy sighed and nodded. "I knew there was a reason I brought you." He said before staring intently at Ed. "There are some things I needed to tell you, and I felt that headquarters wasn't an appropriate place."

Ed frowned. "So you did do something that would piss somebody off in headquarters if it got back to them…"

Roy shrugged. "Just hear me out and you can decide for yourself…"

Ed could only nod, wondering what Roy had to say.

Roy hesitated as he looked around, checking to ensure that no rats of the military were in the bar before continuing. "First of all…" He nodded to Riza, who promptly pulled out a folder and set it on the table before Ed.

Ed blinked in surprise upon opening it: it was his State Alchemist file.

"I have to apologise… I was, once again, manipulating you."

Ed glared at Roy, but the glare quickly softened upon seeing the sad, tired expression on Roy's face.

"What do you mean you were manipulating Ed again?" Al asked worriedly.

"After a year of no contact, State Alchemists are classified as 'M.I.A.'. Two years with no sightings from anyone that knew you made them believe you were dead. The file was ordered destroyed shortly before that attack on Central. Nobody mentioned you came back with them, hell, nobody even mentioned you were there. You should thank them when you get the chance. You could have been branded a traitor for that." Roy said grimly.

Ed's expression darkened as he listened, but he nodded in understanding when Roy suggested thanking everyone who had covered for him a year ago.

"Captain Hawkeye rescued the folder, just in case. I always held out hope that you would return. Don't ask why. Probably because of how stubborn you've always proven to be."

Al sighed. "General, please stop trying to antagonise Ed…"

Ed shook his head. "I'm fine, don't worry about it." He said. He voice was surprisingly calm, considering the storm that had begun to brew in his eyes. He loathed deception of any kind, and it was apparent that Roy had pulled a large one since his return.

Roy stopped talking as the bartender brought him and Riza drinks they had ordered upon arrival. "Do either of you want anything?"

"No." Ed said simply.

Al shook his head.

Roy nodded to the bartender, who nodded in return before leaving.

"If I'm not a State Alchemist anymore, then how the hell was I able to access my research funds?"

"This deception has been running for a very long time…" Roy said, pausing to take a drink. "Once Al was found alone by that Rose girl, it was obvious to me what had happened. I immediately siphoned what remained of your research funds into a private account, and then manipulated your State Alchemist file to reflect that. A quarter of my pay went into that account each time."

Ed paled upon hearing that, simply because even a quarter of a General's pay was nothing to scoff at.

"Although, when I had begun to lose hope and gave up my rank and took that post up north, I stopped putting anything into the account. After that attack on Central, and learning you were really alive, I redoubled my efforts and increased the amount I put into the account."

Whatever colour had returned to Ed's face promptly vanished. "What do you mean by redoubled…?" He asked weakly.

"Half of my pay." Roy said simply.

Al nearly fell out of his chair. "Are you serious, General?" He gasped in shock.

Roy nodded.

"Why…?" Ed asked as he began to recover.

All hatred at being manipulated had vanished now as he wondered why Roy would go to such lengths just for somebody he used to manipulate, blackmail, and anger simply for the fun of it.

Roy shrugged as he took another drink, falling silent as a few drunken patrons staggered past them while trying to find the door.

"Call it atoning for my past behaviour, if you will. At first, you were just a pawn I could use to further my own gains while allowing you to seemingly do your own thing… but then, as time went on and the situation you two had gotten yourselves into got worse and worse…" He sighed, shaking his head. "Basque Grand would laugh in my face if he heard me say this…" He said.

Riza put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He nodded in gratitude to her. "I began to grow attached to you two. You went from being pawns to being like younger brothers I felt compelled to protect. Which is why I was so pissed off at you for taking off like you did back then without trying to come to me for help." He said, glaring at Ed.

It was obvious that it still stung that the brothers shirked his help and opted to become fugitives that he was forced to hunt.

Ed countered his glare with one of his own before both men looked away.

"It was also due to the fact that if you had come back and I convinced you to keep your State Alchemist license, it would have been suspicious if you had gone to withdraw money and there was none." He said, regaining his composure.

Al and Riza sighed in defeat, knowing that the stubbornness the two men possessed was infinite and any hope of them acting like friends was futile.

"Anyways… technically, you've never been part of the military this entire time. If the higher ups got wind of that, Director Giles would have put every one of us in jail and stripped us of everything."

"I can see you going to jail, but why me?" Ed asked worriedly.

"Impersonating a military official." Riza explained. "General Mustang would be jailed on various conspiracy charges. The rest of his staff would be jailed on the same charges, even if we denied any knowledge."

Ed and Al paled at the thought of Riza and the others being jailed just because they were Roy's subordinates.

"A State Alchemist is a military official, even if they don't follow the same rules as normal military officials do. Since you've been running around calling yourself a State Alchemist all this time, against official records that say otherwise, that would mean you were impersonating a State Alchemist."

Al looked at Ed, whose eyes narrowed as anger began to build up again. "All for one last pull of the puppet strings? You'd risk sending all of us to jail just to manipulate me one last time?" He growled. It was apparent that his anger was barely being controlled.

Riza raised a hand in warning. "Alphonse too would be arrested should word of this get out, for the same reasons as me and the others would be. So be careful with how you choose to react to this information, Edward."

That statement quickly quelled Ed's anger.

"So let's keep this between us, shall we?" Roy asked. His eyes narrowed at Ed, who reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Good. The money in the private account is yours to keep. It's quite a bit, and it should keep you secure for a while. Although I suggest that you do a better job at maintaining your automail or else the Rockbells will drain it from you pretty fast." Roy said with a smirk. "I have a proposition for you, though."

Ed frowned at the thought of any proposition Roy would offer him. "What?" He snapped quietly.

"You can choose to hand over your watch and give up the title of the Fullmetal Alchemist, or you can rejoin the State Alchemist ranks for real this time. Since you are an accomplished alchemist with a highly decorated record, you can skip the trials and regain your certification without any hassle."

Ed's fist tightened around the watch he had been unconsciously holding since Roy began talking. A warning crunch of protest from the lid's hinge made him release it in surprise.

"You don't have to choose right now, in fact, it's best that you don't. You know everything now. Think it over. Remember… no matter what you choose, the money in that account is yours to keep." Roy said as Riza helped him stand.

By the time they had reached the hospital, his leg had become completely immobile.

Al looked at him sadly as he rested his weight on the cane. "Is it permanent?" He asked.

Roy looked at Al in surprise before smiling. "It will heal with time. The doctors say that I will have a permanent limp, but the cane can be thrown away in a few years."

"What about…?" Ed asked softly. He had begun to feel guilty about what happened to Havoc, even though everyone tried to convince him it wasn't his fault.

Roy looked at the floor. He too felt guilty about Havoc's condition. "He's alive and well, but he's paralyzed from the waste down. The doctors say recovery is slim, but Havoc's convinced he can recover enough to be useful to the military again. And you know what…?" He asked, looking at Ed with determination.

Ed stared at him in surprise. "What?"

A sly smile appeared on Roy's face. "I believe him." He said simply before limping away with Riza close behind.

Ed stared at his back until the door shut behind them before ordering a drink.

"Well brother…?" Al asked tentatively.

Ed waited until the drink arrived and quickly downed it before shaking his head. "I don't know, Al… I honestly don't know…" He said quietly, staring at the vacated seats where Roy and Riza sat.

Only a few days had passed before Ed stood before Roy and Riza in his office.

Roy's dark expression made it clear he had already told them what his decision was. "Are you certain about this, Edward?" He asked, resting his cheek on his good hand.

Ed nodded. "I'm certain, General."

Roy sighed as he motioned to Riza, who promptly produced Ed's file.

Roy rested his hand on it as she placed it on his desk. "You know there are going to be a lot of people furious with you."

Ed took a hesitant breath before nodding again. "I know…" He moved towards the window and stared out it, resting his weight on the crutches.

Getting his leg repaired had been the last thing on his mind the past few days.

"…but I also know I can't settle down anymore. I've been on the road since I was eleven; it's become almost natural for me. Al can still settle down, he's always been the calmer one. I know that if I were to stay in one place for too long, it would drive me crazy."

Roy sighed again, shaking his head. "All right, if you're absolutely certain, I'll begin making arrangements."

Ed looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

Roy nodded. "Yes. By the end of the week, you will be working under me."

Ed frowned at the prospect of working for Roy, but nodded. "Thanks, General."

Roy held his good hand out to Ed, who shifted his weight to free up a hand.

After a quick handshake, Ed began to limp back to the door.

"Welcome to the military, Fullmetal." Roy said grimly.

Ed looked back at him. His expression was just as grim as Roy's tone. "Thanks…" He said before walking out the door.

Riza looked down at Roy sadly. "You were hoping he'd refuse, weren't you?"

Roy nodded as anger flared in his eyes. "Of course I was… although the realistic side of me figured he would rejoin the State Alchemists. I never expected, even in my wildest fears, that he would opt to officially join the military…" Anger and sadness mixed in his voice as he watched Ed walk down the stairs. "I'll just have to keep him safe for them…"

Fullmetal Alchemist

"Return to Chaos"

The End

Author's Note: This is on my profile, but I decided to post it here as well because I have a feeling more people read this than they do my profile.

Requests are open for Return to Chaos: Bonus Chapters! If you want to see your favourite character (they can't be already dead, sorry) appear in a bonus chapter for Return to Chaos, feel free to PM me and put in your request. Anonymous requests are allowed, but I will be giving notice as to who requested whom, so if you don't want it to come up "XX appearing at the request of Anonymous", then please include your account name. Any of the characters/places who appeared in FMA at least once (including: Psyren, Clause, the Youswell Coal Mining town, etc.) are free game.