Maes was hardly surprised to find he was staying late tonight.

Just a half an hour before, reports of McDougal being spotted in an alleyway relatively close to Central Command had come in. Along with those reports were hushed whispers of the famed Elric brothers being sighted and in combat with the former State Alchemist. And, of course, Colonel Roy Mustang and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye had turned their own fair share of heads upon their arrival.

Maes sighed as he wrapped up his file for tonight. On the Fuhrer's orders he was to transfer all intel he had gathered over to Colonel Mustang and his men, which was just fine by him. Running after crazed alchemists was more up Roy's alley than his.

Plus, it gave him an excellent excuse to go and personally give him the file. Not that he needed an excuse to visit his best friend- as well as tell him of his own 'news'- but cover stories were always appreciated.

Frowning, Maes considered his peculiar houseguest at the thought. He had spent the better part of his day in the office perusing through the birth certificates they had on record for all the citizens of Amestris. Took a hell of a long time, but it would have taken longer, even days, if he hadn't been able to narrow down his search. He and Kaldur had managed to create a believable backstory for him two days ago and the boy's readiness to provide names for his pseudo parents and a fake last name had spurred the small seed of doubt that had remained within Maes.

Although it was obvious that Kaldur'ahm wasn't a full-blooded Amestrian, the name he had provided for his father- Calvin Durham- was rather plain and typical for an Amestrian to have. And so, even though it wasn't much, Maes had taken to that lead and hit the books in an effort to either dispel the remaining skepticism he had over Kaldur's explanation for his appearance or begin to uncover a more "normal" truth that didn't involve jumping dimensions.

Alas, his search didn't provide any results. Any whom shared a semblance of similarity with the name 'Calvin Durham' or 'Kaldur' were either dead, too young or simply didn't match up to the boy currently living in his apartment.

Since the conclusion of his fruitless search and the arrival of his best friend, Maes had, once again, accepted Kaldur'ahm's story as the truth.

Stepping through the double doors to his office, Maes hurried down the hall, following the path to the Colonel's temporary office. He would have greeted his friend sooner, but, between their late arrival to Central and the briefing about McDougal, there was simply just no time.

It took a few minutes to reach the office he was in search for, but Maes wasn't complaining. It gave him a bit of time to reflect on what was about to transpire tonight.

Clutching the file a smidge too tight, Maes took a deep breath, plastered a goofy grin on his face, and threw open the door.

"Roy! How goes! Heard they put you in charge of catching The Freezer, huh? One hell of a nasty assignment, but it might just give you the boost you need to get the promotion to Central!"

Maes honestly wasn't expecting there to be anybody else in the office besides the Colonel and the Lieutenant, but in hindsight, he really should have.

Because sitting right there on the couch were the Elric brothers. Maes gaped, before he swiftly recovered and took the armored boy's hand in his own, shaking his hand vigorously.

"Well, would you look at my timing! You must be the Fullmetal Alchemist! It's an honor to meet the youngest State Alchemist in history! I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, a pleasure!"

"Uh...you want Edward," the armored boy quickly pointed over to the smaller of the two. "I'm his younger brother, Alphonse."

Startled, Maes let go of Alphonse's hands and, once again, gaped openly. "You're the Fullmetal Alchemist?!" He was so little! "Sorry, I had no idea that you'd be so-"

Upon seeing Edward's face contort in anger, Maes wisely chose not to finish his sentence.

"Hughes! What are you doing here? Go home."

And, just like that, Maes was reminded of exactly why he had sought Roy out in the first place. Trust his best friend to always get him back on track.

Straightening, he turned to face the Colonel, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Actually," Maes waved the file in his hand slightly, "I'm here on official business."

Striding over to Roy's desk, he laid the documents there before addressing his friend again. "First, here's all the records we have on Isaac the Freezer. Since you're in charge of bringing him down, this file just might prove to be of use to you."

"Secondly," Maes met Roy's gaze, "Gracia and I would love to have you over for dinner tonight, Roy. Thought we might take the time to catch up."

Maes hadn't planned on running into the Elric brothers so soon after running into Roy and so, he had to adjust his wording around them. Nevertheless, his friend was anything but stupid and thus, Maes watched a flicker of understanding pass through Roy's dark eyes.

I need your help with something. Pronto.

"Sure," Roy replied with an easy smirk. "It's been a while since I've had Gracia's quiche."

Maes inwardly sighed with relief. With that taken care of, he had half-a-mind to just simply excuse himself and waltz on out of the office. That is, until something dawned on him.

Glancing back at the brothers, who had been watching him and Roy with muted interest, he was struck by how strikingly and painfully young they were. Hell, by the sound of Alphonse's voice, they were even younger than Kaldur'ahm.

And, just as his heart went out to Kaldur, his heart went out to the Elric brothers.

Damn these parental instincts.

"You! Elric brothers!" Maes abruptly pointed a finger at the brothers, startling both. "I have a very important question for you two! Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Maes had to suppress the urge to smile in amusement as he watched Edward sputter in confusion in front of him.

Blinking two golden orbs, Edward tentatively replied with an "uh... no?"

Sighing through his nose, Maes made a silent reminder to himself to educate his best friend on the basics of child care. Soldiers or not, the two brothers were still children and Roy was responsible for them, as their commanding officer. Never mind that Alphonse wasn't official military, but his constant tagging along definitely earned him a spot amongst Mustang's men.

But, that was for another time.

"Well," Maes mused, "It looks like you leave me no other option. You'll have to come with me." Reaching into the inside of his coat, Maes swiftly took out one of his prized photos and showed it to the boys in front him, putting on his trademark smile in the process.

"My wife Gracia and my daughter Elicia would love to have you! And I'm sure our houseguest wouldn't mind either!" Maes looked at Roy through the peripherals of his eye as he said the last sentence, catching the man's attention. Said man only raised an eyebrow at the revelation, but Maes knew it had efficiently tipped him off about Maes' little 'problem.'

"Well," the Lieutenant's voice echoed through the room, "if living accommodations have been settled I believe you best be going now, boys. I can finish up here, Colonel."

Roy's lips tilted into a slight frown. "Are you sure Lieutenant? I'm sure you must be tired as well from our trip. I can stay with you until we're both finished. It shouldn't take that long, anyway."

Lieutenant Hawkeye shook her head. "As you said, Colonel, there's not much left to wrap up. I can take care of the rest. Go with the Lt. Colonel. It has been quite some time since you've seen each other."

Maes smiled. Nothing could get past Hawkeye. Nodding his thanks to her, Maes addressed his friend.

"You heard the Lieutenant! Let's go, Roy! No use in keeping my darling wife and daughter waiting!"

He watched as Roy sighed and slipped on a small smile as he regarded his Lieutenant. "Alright then. I'll trust you to finish up quickly and get to the dorms just as fast, Lieutenant."

Hawkeye snapped into a salute as Mustang reached for his coat. "Of course, sir."

Dropping her salute, Maes followed her gaze to rest on Edward and Alphonse, who had begun to rise from their seats on the couch.

"Oh, and boys," Hawkeye's words halted them in place. "Do get some rest."

Maes didn't fight the amusement this time as he watched Edward and Alphonse duck their heads in response, a slight blush tinging the older's cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah, we will," Edward muttered.

"You too, Lieutenant Hawkeye." Alphonse's response was noticeably more polite than Edward's.

Shaking his head slightly at the brothers, Maes made sure to swing an arm around Roy's shoulders as he was passing him out the door, much to the shorter man's irritation.

And, so, they were on route.

Kaldur fidgeted with the collar of his jacket as it rubbed uncomfortably against his gills. Since he'd been so open upon his arrival with the Hughes' household, there hadn't been a need to conceal his gills. But, since tonight was the fateful night he was supposed to meet another stranger, both Maes and Gracia had thought it appropriate to... ease this 'Roy' smoothly into the truth.

The fact that Maes' best friend shared his best friend's name was a thought he'd stubbornly pushed from his mind. Tonight required his full attention and he couldn't afford to sulk over his situation in lieu of that.

Shifting his weight, he inspected himself in the mirror one last time before exiting the bathroom. Gracia had indeed returned a day and a half ago with a new wardrobe for him; an assortment of high-collar shirts and jackets along with trousers; as well as the occasional comfortable tank top (for when he was not in danger of running into any stranger on the street).

Kaldur'ahm was no fool and he knew he needed to blend in as much as possible in his new setting. But, even he couldn't help the pang of annoyance he felt every single time he so much as took a step in his restrictive clothing.

Sighing, Kaldur smiled gently at Elicia as he came into the living room and sat down on the couch, followed soon after by said little girl. She was practically bouncing in her seat as she beamed at Kaldur, her good mood infectious as his annoyance at his clothing cleared.

"Big Brother Kal! Daddy said Uncle Roy is coming over tonigh'! I haven' seen im' in, like, forever!"

Kaldur chuckled softly as Elicia's eyes bugged out and her expression took on that of a person sharing a large secret. "I am aware, little one."

Brushing her bangs slightly, Kaldur's heart lifted once more when Elicia erupted into giggles. He always did have a soft spot for children.

"Do you kno' Uncle Roy, Kal?" Elicia's green eyes gazed up at him in curiosity.

Kaldur shook her head at her. "No, I do not. But, I soon will."

Almost immediately after he said those words, Kaldur heard the sound of the doorknob turning and a familiar voice sounding throughout the apartment.

"Daddy's home!"

Kaldur barely registered Elicia squealing in excitement and bounding off in the direction of the door, for his heart had suddenly been clutched in an unexpected grasp of anxiety.

He knew it was ridiculous to respond in such a manner, given his current situation. Yet, he couldn't lie and say he was necessarily ecstatic at once again trying fate and risking being called a lunatic for simply explaining his existence. Still, if Maes believed involving 'Roy' would be helpful, then Kaldur would trust him. The man and his family had been nothing but kind since his arrival and Kaldur owed him at least that.

Steeling his nerves, Kaldur took a deep breath and rose from his seat on the couch, steadying himself as he did so. All he had to was go in there and introduce himself. Simple.

"WHERE DO YOU GET OFF CALING ME LITTLE! ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME OR-"

"Brother, be nice, these people are being nice enough to let us stay here-"

"Alphonse is right, Fullmetal. Tsk, I knew you had the height of a two-year old, but I didn't think you'd try to fight a child of your own stature-"

Kaldur froze. He had expected one new voice. Not three.

Definitely not three.

Standing completely straight, Kaldur strained to hear the conversation near the door, anger lazily buzzing through him as he contemplated on the unexpected revelation. The screaming one- Fullmetal if he remembered correctly- seemed to go a decibel higher in response to the last comment that was said by the third voice. A baritone drawl belonging to that of a man similar to Maes' age; the initial and only guest Kaldur had been aware of- Roy. The last voice, who Kaldur had not heard again since Fullmetal's yelling had grown, seemingly belonged to someone named Alphonse.

Kaldur groaned softly as he rubbed his temple in mild irritation. He stubbornly ignored the anger he felt in favor of reason. He would hear Maes out before acting in anger, thank you very much.

"Gracia, my darling, where's Kaldur run off to?"

"He's just in the living room, dear."

Kaldur ran his hand down his face in one last act of annoyance before composing himself. At least now would be the perfect opportunity to try out that backstory he and Maes had been working on two days ago. Small blessings.

And with that, his silver-blue eyes met Maes' hazel ones as the man stepped in the living room, his party close behind him.

Shoving his hands into his pockets in an attempt to appear more casual, Kaldur nodded his greeting to the strange entourage before him.

Maes stood at, more-or-less, the center of the entrance to the living room, with Gracia to his left and Elicia in his arms. To his right, there was a shorter man dressed in casual, but fashionable, attire. He had unruly black hair and equally dark almond-shaped eyes that seemed to widen as he took in Kaldur's appearance. Kaldur immediately put a name to the face- Roy.

Behind the quartet in front loomed a seven-foot tall suit of armor with bright red eyes that looked on from his helmet. In his hands, he held a young and remarkably small boy with golden hair swept back in a braid and golden eyes alight with apprehensive curiosity as he met Kaldur's gaze. He was cloaked in mostly black, barring his garish red coat and white gloves. His face was slightly flushed, as if he'd just finished yelling his lungs out. Kaldur regarded both of them curiously as the two unannounced guests; Alphonse the suit of armor, and Fullmetal the strange boy.

Just as soon as he'd properly put a name to all the new faces, Kaldur watched as Fullmetal raised an eyebrow at him and turned to Maes, asking, "Who's this kid?"

Kaldur blinked. Kid?

Maes grinned as he strode over to Kaldur, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder, Elicia trained on his hip. "This is Kaldur Durham. He's the son to a very good friend of Gracia's, who passed away just a month ago. His mother died when he was young and he was raised by his father, Calvin, up until recently. He's staying with us until he can get back on his feet."

Tearing his eyes from Kaldur, Roy instead chose to scrutinize his friend. "Since when do you pick up strays off the streets?"

Maes grinned back at him. "I could ask the same of you, Roy-Boy."

"I will incinerate you, Maes."

"I love you too, buddy."

Kaldur regarded the two with slight amusement, the anger from before having dulled to a small hum, before a young and tinny voice entered the conversation.

"Um... excuse me... Kaldur? Are you Ishvalan?"

Kaldur turned to regard the armored boy in surprise- more for how his voice sounded than the question. He assumed it hadn't processed initially because of the confusion and anger clouding his judgement before, but he had the cold realization that Alphonse's voice was very young. Unfortunately, to the others around him, excluding the Hughes', it didn't seem like his surprise was warranted from Alphonse's voice.

Fullmetal, who had been looking at him contemplatively since Maes had introduced him, jerked in Alphonse's grip and strained his neck to stare up at the suit of armor in shock.

"Al! We gotta work on your tact! You can't just ask that!"

"Oh, please, Brother! You're the last person who should be lecturing me on tact!" Alphonse sounded embarrassed as he turned to Kaldur, apologizing to him for his insensitive question.

For his part, Kaldur merely blinked at the two's (brothers?) antics, almost too distracted to notice how Roy stiffened at the question.

Filing away Roy's reaction for later musing, Kaldur finally found his voice to address the group; namely Alphonse, who was practically buzzing with nervousness.

"I do not find the question offensive at all, actually." Kaldur offered what he hoped was a soothing smile to the pair in front of him. "My mother was, indeed, an Ishvalan and my father was Amestrian. I am afraid I do not have many memories of my mother, however, seeing as she passed on when I was four."

The lie came easy to his tongue. Truth was, his mother and foster father were indeed well and alive back in Shayeris, although he figured using their names was easier than constructing new ones.

Upon uttering his response, he noticed, with a start, how everyone's moods seemed to darken, with the exception of the Hughes'. Puzzled, Kaldur looked around the room before settling his eyes on Roy, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Kaldur," the man began, "how old are you?"

Frowning slightly at the odd question, Kaldur responded, "I am seventeen, sir."

If the man's behavior hadn't puzzled him before, it certainly had him perplexed now.

Kaldur watched as the man closed his eyes, heaved a grand sigh before muttering, "I need a drink," and swiftly turned on his heel and exited the room.

Maes sighed quietly to the side of him before walking back over to Gracia and handing her their daughter. Giving both a peck on the cheek, the family man turned around and regarded the trio of teenage boys.

"I need to go talk to him and we've still got twenty minutes till dinner, so," Maes grinned ruefully at them and spread his hands out to his sides, "get to know each other? Do what kids your age do."

And soon after, he was gone too, his footsteps trailing after his friend's.

Kaldur looked at the two strange boys before him and felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation.

Well, this was going to be fun.

Roy had been to the Hughes' apartment plenty of times in the past. As it were, it was only natural for him to expect to see that ever eternal whiskey bottle on the table in Maes' study.

He wasn't disappointed.

Roy twisted the cap off with slightly trembling fingers and let his thoughts run wild as he poured the amber liquid into one of the glasses set nearby.

Seeing Kaldur's dark complexion and pale hair had caught him off guard, but hearing the affirmation that he had Ishvalan heritage had caused him to feel a familiar surge of guilt. Even more so when he heard how young the boy had been when his mother died.

He sank down into a chair just as he heard the door open and close. Roy closed his eyes.

"So, I take it that making me reminisce on my sins wasn't the only thing you had planned for tonight. What is it you want, Hughes?"

There was a small shuffling of steps as Maes took his seat next to Roy.

"...y'know, you really shouldn't resort to drinking away your problems, Roy."

Roy felt a strong twinge of irritation. "You're avoiding the question. What did you need me for, Hughes?"

There was a pause followed by a slight rustle from Maes shifting into a more comfortable position next to him.

"Well, for starters, you don't have to drink yourself into oblivion. Kaldur's not Ishvalan and his mother didn't die because of the war."

Roy snapped his eyes open to stare at Maes in muted shock and less muted skepticism. He raised an eyebrow at his friend, a silent prompt for him to elaborate.

Hughes took in a shaky breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Before I tell you anything else, I need you hear me out completely. What I'm about to say isn't what you're going to expect and I don't expect you to believe me right away. But, you have to listen to everything I say before you make judgments. Understand, Roy?"

Bringing his glass of whiskey up to his lips, he nodded slightly to his friend, his eyes never leaving Maes'.

"Kaldur isn't from Ishval, Amestris, Creta... from anywhere that we know. He's from Atlantis, a city situated under a country called America. Kaldur'ahm is from a completely different world and he's stuck here until we can figure out a way to get him back home."

Edward liked to think that he could read people fairly well.

He had always been perceptive and observant to others' around him, even from a young age. It was one of the things that he had learned to hone and improve upon since he became a State Alchemist, as his instincts usually never lead him astray.

And right now, looking at the older boy on the couch in front of him, he couldn't help but feel like something was...off about him.

He didn't get the feeling of danger from him, no, that wasn't it. Rather, it was an odd feeling of just... not knowing who he really was. Even though Mr. Hughes had introduced him to them, Edward got the distinct feeling that they hadn't been told everything.

And that piqued his curiosity a great deal.

Crossing his legs, he broke the silence that had filled the room since the Hughes' and Mustang had left.

"So, Kaldur, did you ever meet Mr. Hughes before you moved in with him?"

He felt Al shift slightly beside him as his brother's inquisitive stare burned into his back.

"..I had heard of him and Gracia from my father, but only met him shortly after father's passing. We had lived in the West area, away from Central, up until my father's death."

Edward hummed contemplatively as he looked over the other teen once more. He definitely looked like he had some Ishvalan blood in him with his dark complexion and light hair, but he didn't have the trademark red eyes Ishvalans were known for.

"You're on a first-name basis with the Hughes'?" Al asked from beside him.

Kaldur grinned sheepishly. "At their insistence."

A few seconds passed before the quiet was broken yet again. "Before we move on to more interesting discussions, I would like to politely ask for an introduction from the both of you. It appears we skipped over that in our initial meeting with the others."

Edward blinked and exchanged a glance with his younger brother. Even though the brothers knew who they were talking to, Kaldur hadn't been afforded that same luxury. Whoops.

Flushing slightly, Edward offered his own sheepish grin to Kaldur. "Ah, sorry about that, we're a bit tired from today. My name's Edward and he's," Ed gestured over to Al, "my little brother, Alphonse."

The elder Elric smirked. "Although, most people know me as the Fullmetal Alchemist. I am kind of a big deal around here."

Alphonse snorted. "And you call the Colonel cocky."

"Hey! At least I have something to show for it! That old man is useless practically 90% of the time!"

"Fullmetal Alchemist?" Kaldur asked from across from him.

Ed deflated slightly at Kaldur's inquiry. "Yeah, y'know, youngest State Alchemist in history? 'Hero of the People' or whatever other bullshit the media is spouting these days?"

A slight 'tut' sounded from the kitchen where Gracia and Elicia were. "Language, Edward."

Ed's cheeks became stained with a rosy red. "Sorry, Mrs. Hughes." At his younger brother's snickering, Ed whipped around and glared at him.

"You are a State Alchemist?" Edward turned back towards the other teenager, who was staring at him in shock.

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow at Kaldur, who had his own eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"But... you are a child."

Ed bristled. "It's not like I'm much younger than you are. I'm fifteen! And besides," he slumped against the back of the couch, "s'not like the military has an age requirement for getting a State Alchemist certification. It's common knowledge. As long as they get their weapon they could care less if it's in the form of a toddler or a grown man."

Kaldur frowned at the bitterness in his tone. "If you despise the military, then why are you a soldier?"

Edward stiffened, but, before he could say another word, Alphonse interjected.

"Brother and I have been studying alchemy since we were little. But, there's only so much we can learn from civilian libraries. As military, Brother can get access to all sorts of other resources that we wouldn't be able to get to otherwise. And, we also get to help people across the country on missions. Well, most times."

Kaldur raised his eyebrows. "You became soldiers simply to study?"

Ed nodded. "We're scholars first, dogs of the military second. And Al's not official military, anyway."

"They still send both of you on missions, even though one remains a civilian?"

Ed scoffed. "As if I'd leave Al behind! Besides, those dumbas- jerks know better than to fight with me!"

"Also, the Colonel lets me," Al added.

Kaldur nodded slightly, as if digesting the information. He looked over both brothers before stopping to observe Alphonse.

"May I ask a question?"

Ed crossed his arms behind his head. "Sure. It's not like you haven't already asked some already."

"Why are you dressed in armor, Alphonse?"

Roy blinked as he regarded his best friend with open disbelief.

Silence stretched between them, only broken by the sound of Roy clearing his throat.

"...you've tried a myriad of different things to get rid of my 'unhealthy habits,' but you usually give my intellect a little credit. A different world, Maes? Seriously?"

Maes frowned at him. "I'm being serious. Look, I know it isn't something that's easily believable, hell it isn't even realistic. But, I couldn't find any records of him on file and I found the kid in some random alleyway bleeding from his arm. He didn't know where he was and even after he knew, he still didn't recognize anything. I thought it was amnesia at first, perhaps a stronger case of it, but he told me of his world's countries and their continents. An entire world, separate from our own. I don't think an amnesiac could be capable of constructing an entirely different reality that only they knew."

Roy scoffed. "Still, a different world? Maes, we don't live in a comic book. There's no way that's possible. Did you ever consider that maybe the kid doesn't just have amnesia, that maybe he's got something else too?"

"I did..." Maes hesitated. "But, Kaldur hasn't been acting in a way that would suggest he's got those other issues. He's been nothing but polite and calm, if a little reserved, since he's been under my care."

Roy swirled the contents of his glass before downing it in one swallow. Putting the glass down on a nearby end table, he eyed his friend next to him. With disbelief and skepticism still thrumming loudly against his veins, he said, "Suppose I entertain this insane story that you've told me. Why did you need my help?"

Maes smiled humorlessly. "What? I can't just update my best friend on the latest gossip?"

Roy smirked back. "With you, it never is that simple."

Mustang watched bemusedly as Hughes chuckled before his face smoothed out into a stony expression. "I wanted to tell you for a few reasons, actually. For one, I just wanted to have someone else in on the picture, someone who I could trust."

The bespectacled man rolled his eyes as his friend dramatically placed his hand over his heart and batted his eyelashes at him.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But, between the two of us, one of us has to have a heart that isn't emotionally stunted."

Mustang gasped theatrically. "Maes, I'm wounded."

Maes snorted. "And I don't give a damn. But, besides that, I was wondering if you'd be able to find something on your end that might give us a new perspective on this whole mess."

Roy raised one eyebrow. "Something on my end?"

"...there's only thing that I can think of that has the potential to do something like this, Roy."

Roy shook his head, a stern look overtaking his face alongside a shadow of minuscule offense at the statement. "No. That's impossible. Alchemy wouldn't be able to do anything like this. It's a science, Maes. A science that's rooted in law and reason. Kids dropping out of the sky from another dimension doesn't qualify as one of the side effects of alchemy. Or as one of its main goals."

His friend sighed. "Yes, I know it's a science, but is there any other explanation for what's happened? Our technology isn't nearly so advanced as to fathom bending realities and there isn't anything else we can put the blame on, Roy. Can't you think of anything that might give us a lead on getting actual answers?"

Mustang let out an irritated huff. "No, I can't. Again, it's a science. There's nothing whimsical about alchemy. Every transmutation, every equation and every theory has an explanation behind it. Logic rules in this domain and something can't be created out of nothing."

Turning to face his friend fully, Mustang regarded him with a fierce seriousness. "Alchemists are governed by the Law of Equivalent Exchange. In order to gain something, something of equal value must be lost. Suppose we do find an answer in alchemy, no matter how improbable and illogical that answer may be. Making a wooden horse out of a table is one thing, Maes. Moving humans between realities is another. Can you imagine the toll it would take to achieve something of that feat?"

Maes paled. "I... hadn't thought of it like that."

Roy regarded the man next to him solemnly. "If Kaldur's story is true, then I don't see how he would have been able to survive the trip over. By all means, he should have been dead on arrival. Not that there would've been a corpse to prove that."

He ran his hand through his hair as he paused to take a breath. "However, his story being true is a double-edged sword in that manner. Did he ever tell you anything else about his world or how he managed to make the jump in the first place?"

Maes frowned in contemplation. "Nothing much, except for some of its history. Kid got tight lipped when I asked about Atlantis, though. And he said that he didn't remember exactly how he got here."

"Atlantis? That underground city you mentioned earlier?"

Maes sent him a sheepish grin. "Ah, it's not underground, per say."

Ed's hands fell limply at his side upon hearing Kaldur's question. He exchanged a glance with Alphonse before stammering out, "uh, he wears that as part of- part of his Alchemy training!"

Beside him, Al nodded his head fervently in agreement. "Yeah! It's a new form of training we're trying. I'm not allowed to take it off until I'm done!"

Across from them, Kaldur regarded them both curiously before nodding. "Alright, I suppose that makes... sense."

Ed nodded. Crisis averted. "It's part of the whole 'train the body, train the mind' aspect of Alchemy. Al's just building up his muscle by lugging around in his armor." He rapped his knuckles against his brother's chest plate for added emphasis.

Tiny footsteps scurried over the carpet as Elicia ran into the room. She hurried over to Kaldur and slapped her tiny palm against his knee. "Mama said food's ready! And, after food we can p'way!"

Edward watched as Kaldur's lips smoothed into a gentle smile, his hand coming to rest on the little girl's head. "Thank you for telling us, Elicia. We will be there in just a moment."

Giggling, she beamed back at Kaldur and twirled around to face the two brothers. "Will Bigger Brother and Little Brother p'way too?"

"You said it was a city under a country called America, did you not?"

"More like, under one of America's oceans..?"

Roy regarded his friend with incredulity.

"You've lost your mind. Are you suggesting that Kaldur can breathe underwater?"

Maes grimaced and took a deep breath. "This is going to be harder to explain than the whole other world thing.. basically, Kaldur isn't entirely human."

Roy frowned. "What do you mean by 'not entirely'?"

Before his best friend could reply, a knock sounded throughout the room.

"Maes, dear? Dinner is ready and the boys are already at the table."

Hughes shot him an apologetic smile before responding to his wife. "We'll be there in a just a second, love." And then in a whisper, said to Roy, "explain after dinner?"

Roy's eyebrows furrowed in indignation at the prospect. Maes could not just drop that and expect him to do the same-

And he was already opening the door and leaving the room. Great.

Roy pinched the bridge of his noise and sighed. Nothing could ever be normal around him, something always had to happen. Damn his luck.

Hey... it's been a while, huh? Honestly, let's just say college is a bitch, moving is a bitch, work is a bitch and my time management skills suck ass at best.

Regardless, I can at least say that this hiatus has at least brought some good out; namely in the form of internet and a working laptop. This should help me get my shit together so fingers crossed for that.

Other than that, I hope ya'll liked this new chapter! It's hella late, but I hope that the length of it at least helped soften the blow.

Also, just wanted to take the time I thank each and every one of you for still tuning into Fish Out of Water, despite my long hiatus! Virtual deserts for all!

I hope to see you guys soon for the next chapter- I don't plan on abandoning this, I promise!