AN: Here's another chapter for a guys, thanks so much for the reviews and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it.
Ed's head was reeling from the information that he had just been told, not only was he supposed to looking for the homunculus and Scar. They were going to go out to the nearest town tomorrow to look for Scar, and he was supposed to join the search. They had told him that his alchemy skill was needed for the search that and Ed was the only person hear who had fought Scar so he knew what to expect. While he was thinking he hadn't realized that he was in front of his room that he shared with Al and Winry, only to hear them speaking, "Ed has been gone for a while now, I'm getting worried about him."
"Winry, he can take care of himself, and you should calm down." Al's voice was soft and full of trust and Ed couldn't help but smile, his dream had been wrong, Al wasn't too mad at him that he had lost his trust in his brother.
"I know but with the way he was earlier I can't help but be nervous." Winry close to the door Ed could tell by the volume of her voice.
Ed put his hand over the door handle and pulled it open to find that he had been right about where Winry was, she had been pacing so she had just turned her back to him as he opened the door, Al was sitting on Ed's been and looked up in shock as Ed walked in, "awe Winry you keep worrying about me like that and you'll end up over stressed."
"Ed!" Winry screeched grabbing him into a hug , "Thank goodness you are ok!"
"What did you think I was doing it was just a meeting." Ed laughed as he hugged Winry back, not quite sure why he didn't want to let her go.
"I don't care, you were a mess this morning and then you have to go and play nice with a killer." Winry snapped hitting Ed's arm lightly.
"Killer?"
"I know what Kimblee has done." It was Winry's turn to be matter of fact with her face set into a serious mask.
"Yeah I guess he isn't the best man to talk to, not very nice either." Ed smiled pulling his red cloak off, and the jacket that he had pulled on leaving him in his jeans and tank top. "Nothing bad happened, Kimblee can't attack me without angering the military and possibly getting himself thrown back into jail. Though I don't think he wants to, because for the moment he needs me." Ed smirked looking over his shoulder at his roommates. "I have a mission with them tomorrow morning, and before you ask I cannot tell you anything about it, but either way you guys will have to remain here."
"Ed! I've been allowed to go on every mission before why not this one." Al was hurt but Ed's dismissal.
"Al, that was when Mustang was sending me on the missions, up here I am to listen to the Briggs solders and as much as I hate it Kimblee is also my superior." Ed was not surprised to see that Winry looked irate about his last comment. "Also I would feel more comfortable with you looking out for Winry because most of the higher ups will be out on the field with me."
"Ed will this be dangerous," Winry asked eyes swimming with worry.
"Yeah, but not as bad as any other job," Ed moved his hands to the pull out the pocket watch from his pocket, looking at the military symbol, "Hey Al, would you hand me a cigarette," he asked not taking his eyes off the watch in his hand.
"Ed why are you being so nonchalant about this," Winry yelled watching as Al wordlessly handed Ed what he asked for.
"Winry I'm scared as hell, but I have no choice about this, I have to do what they say or you could get hurt, and I can't let you get hurt." Ed nodded to his brother and headed to the door lighter and cigarette in hand.
"Ed you don't have to go, you can smoke in front of us, the smell won't bother me too much, I just don't want you to leave my sight right now." Winry spoke honestly and was met with a small smile from Ed.
"Are you sure Winry?" Ed asked uncertainly, but when she nodded he decided that he would listen to her, but he still walked to the window and opened it sitting down on the sill. He lit the cigarette and drew a deep breathe through it, feeling the chemicals flood into his body. Ed closed his eyes and leaned back relaxing into the window sill, feeling the eyes of his friends on him so he opened his eyes. "What's up?"
"You look like yourself more then you have for a while," Al spoke a little shyly, Ed could hear the smile in his brothers voice and couldn't help but smile himself, "do those things really help that much?" Al's voice took Ed by surprise and he had to look up to know if his brother was really asking him that.
"Yeah, I guess they do, though I never thought that they would, I was very skeptical when I tried them but they surprised me." Ed was speaking softly not meeting his brother's eyes.
"Why did you try them?" It was Winry's turn to ask when she noticed that he was willing to talk without yelling at them.
"I in Mustangs office and Havoc had left his there when they were called away on a emergency meeting and…" Ed stopped speaking looking out the window, it was a surprisingly warm day for the frozen wonderland they were living in, "and I let my curiosity get the better of me so I picked one up and I pulled it apart, I wanted to look at what was inside of it, since they were not sold in Resembool so I wanted to know what they were made up of." Ed smiles slightly taking another long draw, "I didn't thing to try it till I had put it back together, using alchemy I was able to make it look like I hadn't done anything, but I was still curious, so I tried it and well you know the rest." He sighed putting the butt out with his automail hand threw it into the trash, "You mind if the window stays open for a little longer?" when they both shook their heads he returned to his seat on the sill.
After Ed was reseated the room had lapsed into a silence that wasn't strange or uncomfortable, just there, Al pulled a book out and began to read about some form of alchemic law and Winry had pulled out her tools and was polishing them to a shine. Ed was the only one who was watching out the window as the Briggs men was packing up some of the cars for the oncoming search, he noticed with a some interest that they were pack quite a few guns and boxes for ammunition, he silently thanked the stars or whatever was up there that he had the Lieutenant teach him how to properly fire and handle a gun.
Ed shook his head as he glanced at his brother and friend who both focused on their tasks looking content and happy. What would they do if he didn't come back from this search team? He wonders absently looking back out the window. He couldn't think like that, and tried to push that thought out of his head but it would not leave, he knew that this would be a dangerous mission and wished that he could tell them what was on his mind but knew that if he did they would both insist that they were coming and that would put them in danger of getting hurt. Ed couldn't let that happen he could bear the thought that they could get hurt trying to help him, not like Hughes.
"Ed are you crying," Al asked looking up from his book.
"Just thinking," Ed answered but before he could elaborate there was a knock on his door.
Ed got up and answered the door to find an out of breathe Falman panting in the door way, when he saw that Ed was watching him he straighten up and spook, "Fullmetal Sir, I was told to tell you that there has been a change of plans and that you are to report to the front entrance imedately sir." He finished his speech with a solute and a small smile, "you are to bring with you only what you will need to stay warm and preform alchemy, all other battle equipment will be provided for you."
"Right I'll be down, don't wait for me." Ed spoke forcing his voice to remain calm despite the tears that began to burn his eyes.
"Yes sir!"
"Battle equipment Ed what's going on?" Winry's voice was fearful and her eyes were wide.
"Standard procedure in these parts I assume," Ed's voice was strained with the effort to keep calm and not show his racing heart. "Al can I skip the wait and have a cigarette now, I don't have any on me so I won't get one later and I could use one now?" Ed asked to shift the conversation away from the battle and onto something, anything else, but as soon as h said it he noticed that he could really use one.
"I guess… no more today though." Al muttered handing him the lighter and a cigarette. It was barely noon and Ed has had his 3 already today, "Ed are you sure that a pack lasted you 4 days?"
"Yes Al," Ed sighed standing up strait, pulling his cloak over his shoulders; he knew why Al had asked. "Normally I would have 2 in the morning and evening and one around noon like I have today, but there is no way that I will get one later because I won't have any on me, you heard him only what I need to do alchemy well that's my hands and arms." He grabbed them and lit is with practiced ease, "Thanks though, for worrying about me so much though." He threw the lighter to his brother closing the door behind him before they could ask anything more.
He ran down the stairs 2 at a time and made it to the entrance before he was even done with his cigarette. "Fullmetal, I didn't know you smoked?" he heard captain Buccneer comment as He walked to cars.
"I have for some time, though I am trying to quite." Ed said as he nodded to the solider handing him a small handgun, Ed pulled it up checking the sight and without thinking glanced up to his barracks window noticing that both Winry and Al were watching him.
"You know how to shoot?" the solider asked while Ed was checking the gun.
Ed nodded looking over at the targets they had set up, "What are those for?"
"To check every ones shooting skills so that we know where to put you. Care to take a shot or two?" the solider answered without hesitation and lead him to a target where he was surrounded by others emptying a clip into the targets.
"Sure." Ed answered setting up his feet and taking aim at the targets, conscious that as soon as he pulled the trigger both Al and Winry would know he was trained in more than just hand to hand combat. Ed lined up his sights with the heart of the target and taking the wind into consideration just as he was taught to he fired 5 times all hitting in a tight cluster around the heart. Without pause he readjusted his aim and fired the remainder of the clip into the target's head, when he stopped he realized that those around them had stopped and watched him shoot.
That is when General Armstrong walk over to them, "Fullmetal when did you become such a good shoot, I thought that you were and alchemist?"
"I am an alchemist but I had Lieutenant Hawkeye teach me how to shoot when I realized that I was in deeper trouble then I thought originally, but my real combat skills lay I hand to hand, I was trained with my brother by my teacher." Ed boasted and looked over to see Al and Winry standing wide eyed at the entrance of the fort. "Excuse me, please." When the General nodded he walked over to them. "What are you doing here?"
"Seeing you off," Al said trying to put his brother's defiance in his voice, "When did you learn to shoot like that." Al couldn't keep the awe out of his voice when he spoke.
"I asked Lieutenant Hawkeye to teach me after the incident in lab 5, I figure if I had something to fall back on in a fight I would be better off." Ed said watching Winry more than Al, she looked shocked and out of place. "I figured that if I needed to I could transmute my arm into a gun or something."
"Ed you had better not!" Winry yelled pulling her wrench out of no were and hitting Ed across the forehead with it.
"Winry!" Al jumped grabbing his brother's arm to stop him from falling over.
"Haha, that's the Winry I know," Ed laughs as the solider from before starts toward them. "Don't worry about me, I'll come back." Ed mutters pulling her into a hug and muttering in her ear, "Take care of my little brother while I'm gone."
Before she could say anything the solider walked over to him and spoke, "Fullmetal sir, your weapon," he handed Ed belt that held 4 gun holsters 2 on the side like standard belts that were given to the novices and 2 crossed behind him, it looked like something that would be given to Hawkeye over someone like him. Seeing his confusion the solider added, "You said that you were mainly trained in hand to hand so we thought it would be better for you to have a lighter weight belt and not as large of guns. Sir."
"Thanks," Ed clicked the belt on and moved around. "This is great thanks." He said brightly looking back to the cars. "When are we leaving?"
"As soon as we get the ok by General and Major Kimblee."
"Right thanks call me when you get it ok. Dismissed." Ed ordered and looked back at his tag friends. "You guys should go back to the room."
"We will when you leave ok?" Winry asked but didn't mean that to be a question and looked at Ed again. Here stood same boy who left to become a state alchemist when he was only 12 and now he was 16 and stood taller than she was now. His shoulders where broad and squared as he watched absently while the other soldiers load the things into the cars. She also noticed that he was nervous by the way that he was fidgeting, he could stand still. "Ed, you ok?"
Ed hadn't heard Winry speak because at the same moment the soldiers waved him over to the so they could get going. "See yah later guys." Ed spoke getting into the car. Soon it began moving and he couldn't stop the feeling that everything will go wrong during this search mission.
