Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Cobalt Red ❯ Prolouge ( Chapter 1 )

 

Keiyou: This story is one that I'm sure will make any fanatical Ro/Ed fan content, although I myself am an Ed/Win fan… (Ducks Ro/Ed fans throwing bricks)

 

Brief intro-

“Alright, Fullmetal. What kind of trouble did you get you and your brother into now?”

 

This will be a story with many chapters, and also my first time ever attempting a story that ends in Ro/Ed so if it's not up to your standards; either be nice about it or GO ELSEWHERE!

 

Disclaimer: I'd have a multi million dollar corporation, and absolutely no time to make fan fiction, so for the record and what it's worth, IT IS'NT MINE!!!

 

Indent key: Italics with quotations is for flashback and bold italics are for someone thinking.

 

Enjoy. (Even if title doesn't make sense)

 

Cobalt Red

 

The wind thrusted itself sharply against Ed's bare face as he stood outside in the bitter pre winter weather standing in front of the last place he expected to find himself.

“Burr…” he murmured, shielding his automail hand over his left arm and, in an attempt to warm himself; rubbed it vigorously.

Edward Elric, more widely known to his co workers in the military and in the public interest as `Fullmetal', was currently in an awkward situation, and this time; it wasn't his fault! His younger brother; Alphonse Elric, who, after a foolhardy attempt to resurrect their dead mother had caused him to loose his body, hence his soul was anchored to a giant suit of armor. Despite the intimidating way Al looked, he was an all around softy… which is what got them in trouble to begin with! Ed hadn't known that Al had snuck a stray kitten in the dorms (where they kept all their things that they didn't bring on missions) and the attendant caught Al feeding it when the man walked past their room, and despite all the complaining and threats made by Ed after he was informed; being the Fullmetal Alchemist didn't stop the Attendant from kicking them out.

“What'll we do, Brother?”

“Well, we can't buy a house, not even what the military pays me covers one of those.”

“We could rent an apartment!”

“Al, have you ever been to the apartments in Central? Most of the rooms are infested with rodents or some rabid insect, also if we went on a mission the last thing I would want to come back to is a room broken into with all our research and other stuff stolen.”

“A motel then…”

“That's even worse! Not only that, we would only be allowed to stay for a short time before we'd have to pack up again.”

“So were just gonna stay in this ally, brother!”

“This wasn't my plan! If you would have just listened to me when I said we can't have any animals, we wouldn't be out here hiding between a deli store and a pawn shop!”

“………”

“Forget it, its over and done with, I don't need you going to pieces over something we can't change, right now we need to think about what other options we have…”

“I know! We can go back to Rizembul!”

“No, no… I don't feel like going there, let alone traveling back and forth just to get to work, besides the train expenses would be a killer on my wallet.”

“So were stuck hauling our stuff wherever we go now?!”

“… Not necessarily… Listen, Al. I know you won't agree with me, but just listen before you say anything…”

“If it's something I won't like, Brother, I won't do it!”

“AL! Look, I need you to go to Rizembul with our stuff…”

“So we ARE going!”

“No, Al. I said you not we…”

“There's no way I'm leaving you behind in Central by yourself!”

“Who said I'd be by myself? Listen, while you're in Rizembul, I'll stay here with one of the people from the military, besides; I got a good plan on how we'll get a place to crash here.”

“You do!”

“Yup, but it'll take a while, about a month or so.”

“Are you sure, Brother?”

“Positive, Al. trust me…”

The flashback of his lie ended when a branch in the tree he stood near caved under the winds stresses. The truth was, at the time; Ed had no plan, none at all. He only told Al that he did so his brother wouldn't suffer the streets, Al acted tough; but Ed could see in the void Alphonse had for eyes that he was suffering.

Of course, Ed knew he himself couldn't survive like that either, so after he seen Al leave the station on train, he began to work out a plan.

Pride really is a burden to bear, because Ed couldn't bring himself to impose on anyone he knew from Head Quarters, and with equivalent exchange being his policy, he couldn't find any reason that anyone would take him in without him giving something in return, so for the past week Ed had been using what was left in his wallet to rent hotel rooms up until about three days ago, he was flat broke, and ended up sleeping on a bench in one of Centrals parks at night, sleeping being an overstatement, every sort of noise he heard kept him awake, and he would mentally kick himself for being so jumpy, not only that; the lack of shower was beginning to reveal itself!

 

“So this is what the Great Fullmetal has come to…” he muttered, all the while dreading another brilliant plan he came up with last night while crouched under his red coat half listening to some random hobo talk his ears off about his younger days. He despised this new plan, even mentally AND verbally try to talk himself out of it, it was something beyond forgiveness in his books! After constantly pushing himself in reminding that this was for his brother; he slowly stepped forward, raised a clenched fist, hesitated then with force, knocked quickly on a door down an “Oakvally” street while hoping against hope the part that played in his “Unforgivable” plan wasn't home.

 

Declaring after only a few seconds that no one was there, he turned to leave when to his disappointment; the door opened behind him and Ed looked back to see his raven haired boss poking his head out the door to look at the new visitor.

“Fullmetal?” Roy said, eyebrows arched in surprise as he opened the door more and stepped out, strangely unacostoming to Ed, in a casual pullover sweater and regular jeans `Well, it's not like his only clothes is his uniform' thought Ed.

“Why are you here?” He asked Ed, then cocked an eyebrow and took a step back while scanning him warily “And why do you reek of body odor?”

Ed was silent for a moment, he bit at the insides of his cheeks while staring at the numbers on the small mail box that hung next to the door, then breathed in and out deeply before putting his pride numbing words into the open, once again reminding himself that this was for Al…

He had to do this…

There were no other options…

He must…

“I wanted to know if there are any missions available!”

`There! I said it!'

 

Roy looked at the ill-kempt boy dumbfounded, jaw slightly slacked and eyes in question…

`Who is this kid? This isn't Fullmetal;the one I know would never willingly ask me for a mission let alone come to my house asking....'

“How did you find my address?” Roy asked while crossing his arms

“I remembered one time you left it written on a piece of paper on your desk.” Ed replied, still not looking Roy in the eyes.

Roy was about ready to ask if this was actually Elric he was speaking to, until he noticed that something was amiss. Not only were Ed's clothes a bit botched, but also his eyes looked darkened, not as bad as during the Nina incident, but still; he looked tired. On further inspection, and Roy almost missed it, the kid's face looked a bit sunken in…

There was definitely a problem here…

“Alright, Ed. What kind of trouble did you get you and your brother into this time?”

 

Ed looked taken aback at the sudden (politically correct) Accusation and darted daggers in Roy's direction “What makes you think something's wrong!”

“Well, for one thing, you smell like something that was spawned behind a poultry factory…”

Ed's eyes slit deeper.

“…And another, I believe you have been undernourished for some time.”

“WHAT MAKES YOU THINK SOMETHINGS WRONG?” Ed repeated through gritted teeth, then lost his hostile glare when his stomach decided to side with Roy's statement.

“Well?” Roy asked, gesturing to Ed's growling belly, the kid scoffed then turned away.

“I didn't come here to have you hound me, I only came to ask if you had any missions for me, if not then I'm leaving!”

With that said, Ed went to walk off the porch, or at least tried to; at the moment a hand had griped his left shoulder and kept him from going anywhere.

“What the hell?!” Ed snapped, looking back at Roy.

“Hold it, Edward…” Roy said. “I can't have you leaving in the condition your in”

“What Condition!? Even if I was in trouble…” Ed said trying to pry his shoulder out from under the Colonel's hand “…Which I'm NOT!” he added quickly. “What does it have to do with you? It's not work related!”

“You've read the military handbook, haven't you, Ed?”

“Yes!” Pause “A few pages…” another pause “Not every single detail…WAIT! What's your point?”

“Well if you had paid attention, you would know the Fuehrer also had it labeled somewhere in there that for special cases, like yourself, under aged…”

“Don't call me small!”

“I didn't. Anyways, if an enlisted military worker believes there is a problem with the `Special Case', the said enlisted is given permission to investigate the cause.”

Ed was a little surprised, not that the Fuehrer had that in the rule book; but that Roy Mustang spoke about it without the usual sarcasm that dripped with his voice. `Sheesh! Maybe it's the uniform that makes him an unbearable swine…'

“Not only that, Ed…” Roy continued “I couldn't live with myself knowing my subordinate is sleeping on the streets.”

 

“I…” Ed didn't know how to respond to this new side of his boss, so instead he looked down at the mat on the porch, and ended up proving to Roy that the assumptions he'd made were correct.

“At what point did you plan on letting anyone know about this?” Roy asked releasing Ed's shoulder, hoping the boy wouldn't run off, he didn't.

Ed continued to stare vacantly at the ground below, letting out short quick breaths, as if he were contemplating his next move.

“You obviously weren't going to let anyone know, I see.”

“Humph!” Ed murmured then crossed his arms in front and looked away.

“Would you by any chance be hungry?”

“NO!” Ed snapped; then growled when his stomach made protesting noises again.

Roy sighed “At least let me lessen my guilt by staying to shower yourself!”

Ed stopped griping, and inspected his underarms… `Egad!'

“Fine…” The kid said half glad Roy suggested it “…if it'll stop your whining.”

 

`~`~`~`

 

The hot water stung his eyes as Ed stood looking up past the steamy torrent at the shower head, not actually seeing it, but past it; as if there was something beyond it, something only he was given permission to see, aftermaths of images flooded his mind.

“I couldn't live with myself knowing my subordinate is sleeping on the streets…”

`So different out of uniform…' Ed thought, lathering a sweet smelling shampoo in his hair.

He was also further surprised when he left the bathroom into the adjoined room next to it; there were his clothes, clean and folded.

`Okay, VERY different out of uniform!'

Later, after Ed had his clean and laundered clothes on, he exited the room and, with a little difficulty, made it down the stairs and past the living room, where Roy had put down a phone he just got done using, and crashed onto a green sofa, donning reading glasses (`weird!') and began straitening out numerous papers that littered the small coffee table in front of him.

“Thanks, Colonel.” Ed said getting his jacket (also clean!) off the coat rack near the threshold “I'd better be going now…”

“Hold it, Fullmetal!” Roy suddenly said, causing the boy to look back at him.

`Oh no, that simper…what the hell's he up to now?!'

“I just got off the phone with the Fuehrer…”

Ed blinked a couple of times and cocked an eyebrow “Why should I care?”

Roy sighed and pushed his reading glasses onto his head and looked over at Ed with the same smug like look.

“I told the Fuehrer about your current situation, Edward.”

It took a few seconds for the realization to sink in for Ed. the rule he missed in the handbook, it didn't occur to Ed how Roy seemed eager to keep him there…

It was all a set-up!

“Huh?” Ed murmured, voice slightly cracked

“And under orders by the Fuehrer,” Roy continued “Your not to leave here, except to either go to work or are at another militants resident.”

“WHAT!!” Ed yelled eyes wide and teeth dangerously sharp.

“The order will remain until your brother returns.”

Ed was beside himself, so mad his words came out in half stutters “B-but I told Al to stay at Riz-zembl at least a-a month!”

“So you've told me…” Roy said picking up his now neatly stacked papers and got off the sofa.

“The guest rooms in the back, there's plenty of food in the kitchen, but for now there's noodles on the stove, there's a drawing room with plenty to read if you get bored, just remember to put them back where you found them, and I'm only going to say this once; the basement is off limits!”

 

Ed gaped and stood like the medusa had frozen him, until he was jerked back into reality by a hand patting him on the shoulder.

“Hey, think about it this way, your not lying to your brother when you said you'd be with someone.”

Ed muttered something inaudible.

“Good night, Ed.” Roy said walking past him and up the stairs.

 

`I was so wrong!' Ed thought, throwing his jacket at the coat rack in order to vent his vicious `MUST-THROW-METAL-ARM-AT-COLONEL idea.

`Uniform or not! That guy is still a bastard!'

 

Ending Ch.1

 

 

Keiyou: how was it? I'll continue if it's good enough, so be kind, please Rewind…err, Review! (sweatdrop)