run, i'm a natural disaster

17. Questioning

It's the day after the Promised Day. Amestris still stands, Father is gone, Al has his body back, and Ed is still female. After all the things Mustang's team have seen over the years, it is that that they have the most problems with. Ed is lounging on the window sill of Roy's room, having been kicked out of her brother's to eat, and is currently avoiding the nurses and reporters that cluck over her like fussing hens.

Hawkeye is the first one to speak. "How, Ed?" She looks at the girl in front of her, searching for the boy she had known since he was ten. The shit-eating smirk is right, as is the stance, flaunting the automail and being deliberately provoking. The sparkling eyes and the soft lips, however, are new and daunting.

"How what Lieutenant? How did I get Al's body back? How did we save Greed? How did I fix my automail up? How did I avoid military police on the run? How do you make milkshake? How do you make glass out of sand? How are books printed? How-"

Riza fixes him- her, with a glare, practised on years of dangerous criminals, idiot recruits and Mustangs avoiding work. "You know what I mean, Edward."

She flushes slightly, and folds in on herself. "A-an accident."

Roy snorts. "Another one, Fullmetal? Come to fix it again?" He has a sneer across his face, and Riza would slap him if she could reach, but Ed gets there first. She claps, and a spike presses from the head post of his bed into the back of his head. "I know a lot of mean tricks now, Colonel Bastard," she hisses. "Don't make me try them." Roy remembers seeing how she removed a room full of ex-Fuhrer candidates and shudders before apologising promptly.

"What are you going to do?" asks Furey softly. He's always had a bit of a soft spot for the Elrics, like they all have, and is coping with it better than Riza is, and definitely better than Roy is.

"Dunno." Ed says lazily, and sinks back against the window. "You lot hurry up and get better, OK?" She grins like a feral cat, and slinks towards the door. "When you're all better and aren't blind no more, I want'ta fight you guys- I gotta see how much I've improved fighting for my life." She kicks open the door, and vanishes with a loud "Laters!"; the door slamming behind her.

Furey looks after her. "Ed hasn't changed much, really, has she?"

Riza looks thoughtful. "Not in the ways that matter." Her new style of speaking, with slang-style words and dropped letters, gives Hawkeye clues about where exactly Ed's been travelling. She finds that she is not in the least bit pleased with this new manner, nor the knowledge that comes with it, and decides to train it out of her, the same way she trained Black Hayate, so she doesn't have to feel like a failure for not protecting him- her (she know's it's irrational, but then again, she'd always felt maternal toward the Elric brothers- siblings).

Roy snorts in a way filled with disgust and distaste, hating only being able to hear Ed's exit and not being able to see the expressions on his men's faces, hating not being able to guess what they are thinking about. He also regrets not being able to see Ed's new form (because really, little Fullmetal as a girl? It should be very, very funny, especially as when Fullmetal was male, he had been mistaken for a girl many a time.) He then remembers what she did to Envy for calling her little, and his amusement drains away.

He really, really hopes he can get used to the new Fullmetal, preferably before she kills him.

A.N: Tada- a drabble with the widely popular Mustang's crew! And more Mustang! :D

Hawkeye was requested a while back, I believe, so here she is in all her glory!

Ed here is adopting a slightly rougher accent, common in lower class areas. With all the hanging about in dreary pubs and dark alleys, I think all of Greed's gang would have adopted a few mannerisms here and there (Greed had his moment in the last one- did you spot it? C:)

Updated so fast because I'm in a ridiculously good mood after visiting London, trying Pocky for the first time, buying £29 worth of Anime and Manga, and eating too much takeaway. Also as a thanks for reaching 73 whole reviews, and at the rate we're going, we'll hit one-hundred some time soon :O It's crazy! 8D

I am not taking requests for drabbles at this time. D: Sorry.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

- Tom

[Thanks go to Moonlit Water Sunny River, Hyper V, Mini Hayden, , FullMetalMiniSkirt and aeva elementia, the reviewers so wonderful they deserve a song - however, I ain't gonna write one, I'm failing composition as it is! xD]