Edward sat and puzzled over what Mustang had just told him.
Him? A look-alike? Here in Central, even?
Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Brother. This could mean trouble." Al cautioned. He'd heard the conversation.
"Yeah, I know... But so far, my look-alike seems to be more interested in running and hiding than making trouble. Mustang says he ran from him this morning, and was screaming and fighting against Havoc and Breda." he nodded.
He stood up. "Come on. Let's go for a walk. I need some fresh air to clear my head." he told Al.
The two were in the lobby when they were stopped. "Mr. Elric! There's a call for you!"
"Thanks." he sighed, taking the phone.
"Edward?"
"Mustang? What do you want?" he snapped.
"Falman spotted your look-alike. We're going to flush him out and chase him to the hotel you're staying at, okay?"
"You're kidding! We'll be out front waiting!" he said, hanging up. "C'mon, Al!"
As they waited, he filled Al in on what was going on.
They were waiting a good ten minutes after that before someone came tearing around a corner, Mustang's team right behind him. The boy skidded to a stop when he saw them, jerking his hood up. "Please... It's not what you think..." the stranger said in a high, quavering voice.
"Yeah, yeah, save it, pal. All we wanna know is why you're dressing up like me!"
"I can't tell you that!" the boy wailed.
"Which arouses more suspicion." he smirked. "And if you don't tell us, I can always beat it out of you!"
He changed his arm into a blade and ran at the boy. With a squeal, the boy clapped his hands together and made a blade as well, parrying his blow. "Nice... You can do Alchemy like me too, so you're not just dressing for the show!"
"It's not what you think!" With a sudden surge of strength, the boy threw him off.
By now, Mustang's team had spread out. They'd surrounded the look-alike.
Realizing this, the boy let out a strangled cry. He extended one hand, pointing it at Fury. For a moment, his eyes went glassy...
Then Fury collapsed.
A single gun-shot rang out, and the boy cried out again. He clutched at his left shoulder, a small trickle of blood almost invisible against his red coat. They all turned to Riza before turning back tot he boy.
"Give it up, kid! We're outta your league." Edward warned.
"I never meant anything..." the boy whimpered. His head was bowed, hood still up.
"Just tell us who you are!" Mustang ordered.
"I can't... I can't tell you that... I don't want to hurt them..."
Now Ed was just pissed. He stormed up to the boy and grabbed his shirt-front. "Quit givin' us the run-around and start answering our questions!" he yelled.
"No!"
The boy thrashed free, covering his face. "Don't... Don't look at me... I don't want you to remember... I don't want to hurt you, or Al, or Winry, or..." The boy trailed off and started to sob.
"How do you know those names."
It wasn't a question, it was an order.
The boy fell to his knees. "I can't... I don't want to hurt you..."
He snarled. "Just tell us the truth already, damnit! Who the hell are you?!"
"If you tell us, this would go a whole lot easier, kiddo." Havoc said.
"I can't. I was told that if I stayed, I'd hurt you, Edward. I didn't want to hurt you."
A small alarm started ringing in the back of Ed's mind. He remembered people asking about someone he didn't know, their mother quickly hushing the askers. Could this be that boy that they were always asked about?
He pushed the thought away.
"Tell us. Your. Name." he ordered through gritted teeth.
"No!"
"Now!" he spat, striking the boy.
Large and liquid eyes looked up at him, full of tears and hurt. "But if I do... You'll be hurt. I don't want you to get hurt."
"Shut up with that shit already and tell us."
"Brother, cam down!" Al begged.
"I'm sorry I ran, Ed. But I thought it would protect you." The boy took a deep breath. "My name is Edmund Elric."
There was stunned silence.
"Tell the truth." Mustang said, breaking the silence.
"I am." Silently, the boy reached into his pocket and took out a silver watch much like Edward's. He opened it. "Remember..."
The last word was in his head. He reeled back, gasping as a flood of images overcame him.
Playing on the rolling green hills...
Laughing, chasing...
Singing silly little rhymes...
His brother, his twin, Edmund...
It stopped, and he shook his head rapidly to clear it. He faintly saw Al doing the same. The boy- Edmund- was in the grip of Havoc and Mustang, struggling to free himself. They'd probably seen him and Al stumble back and figured something bad.
"No! Get offa him!" he snarled. Using Alchemy, he forced the two away.
Eyes blazing, he approached Edmund. Edmund flinched away as he came to stand barely a foot away from him. "You idiot!" he finally yelled, shoving his twin. With a small squeak, Edmund fell to the street. "How could you do that to us? Just erase your very existence from our minds like that! Did you do that to anyone else, or just us?"
He didn't give Edmund the chance to answer, falling onto him. He wrapped his arms around Edmund. "You idiot, you're almost as bad as Dad." he hissed.
"I'm sorry... Someone told me that if I stayed with you, you'd... You'd end up dead, Edward. I didn't want that." his twin trembled.
"Everyone winds up dead one day, Edmund. You can't just listen to everything people tell you!" Al scolded from behind him.
"I'm sorry... Edward, I did everything wrong that you did... I did it too..."
He sat back on his heels, staring into Edmund's tear-filled eyes. "You were watching the whole time, weren't you? You saw how we wanted it, and when we failed, you thought you'd try to do something for us." he predicted. He got a shaky nod in reply.
Edmund was his twin. They were identical, save a few facts. Their birth-marks, for example. He had a small sun on the back of his neck, and Edmund had a faint crescent moon. People said that this was because they were as different as the sun and moon. Also, Edmund was a telekinetic. He could read minds, remove or insert information from someone's mind, and move small objects with his mind. Edmund was more emotional, and tended to be the more reasonable one. He was the one that tended to rush right on in, without much of a plan. Edmund would think everything through before making one move, often winding up in success for him.
"Edward?"
"What?" he groaned, turning to Mustang.
"This boy is who he claims, then?"
"Obviously, you bastard! Why else would Al and I be getting all soppy over him?!"
"You've gotten very coarse, Edward..." Edmund said softly, flinching a little.
"That's the result of you not being here for me! Without me, sorry, but you're weaker and too timid. Without you, I'm coarse and snarky and I've got a bit of an attitude!" he said.
A weak smile touched Edmund's face. "T-true..." he nodded.
"Now come on, get up!" Ed grinned as he stood up.