Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Gifts And Curses ❯ Starting Down the Mystery Mile... ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

“B-brother?” Al had seen alot of frightening things in the past few years, but he still found himself taking a step back from the creature with glowing violet eyes approaching him. He'd seen eye's like that only once before - when they'd failed in bringing their mother back. Al cringed at the memory, and then the creature gave a quiet, hopeless sob, and pitched forward. He snapped out of the horror of his memories and instinctively caught the pathetic-looking figure in his arms. Looking closer then he wanted, he noted that the 'creature' was actually human, a girl - a dying girl.

Al panicked, afraid for the girl, afraid to find out just what had happened to her, exactly what she was...and her eyes! He couldn't stop looking at her eyes...!

“B-brother! Ed!” Al screamed, his hollow voice loud and shrill as he tore his eyes away from the girl's. He turned his head, looking back over his armored shoulder at the street behind him where Ed was slowly shuffling along, his nose buried in a dusty alchemy text.

“Edwaaard! Brother!”

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“We still don't know who the hell she is,” Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was saying impatiently as Al once again accosted her outside of the women's infirmary a few days later. “ She's human, alright - the doctors think she was caught up in an alchemic explosion in a battle-zone somewhere, but to our knowledge there isn't anything like that going on anywhere near here, right now. She'll live, but she was pretty damaged. Her vocal cords, her eyes, especially. They say she'll probably be legally blind from now on. Sadly, they had to amputate her right hand, it was complete mess. The good news about that is she's a fine candidate for auto-mail. She's lucky you got to her when you did, Alphonse.”

Al's shoulders slumped remorsefully. “I feel so guilty, now. She...I was scared of her when I first saw her...and she could barely even see me. She needed help, and I just panicked!”

He turned his head slightly as a familiar, white-gloved hand settled on his arm.

“Don't worry about it, Al,” Ed said, his voice soothing. “You did the right thing in the end.”

Alphonse sighed and turned back to the lieutenant. “Is there any way I could see her? All I can think of is how scared she must be, thinking she's all alone. Maybe she'd feel better knowing someone is here who cares about her.”

Edward grimaced at that. “Al...it's a nice thought, but it might not be such a great idea. She's obviously been through a lot...and besides, we don't know who she is, or even where she came from. She could be some kind of spy - “

“Ed, really! Someone who looks like she did couldn't possibly be a spy!” Alphonse said, a frown in his voice. “So, could I see her, please?” he asked the Lieutenant again, disregarding Edward's slumping shoulders.

She nodded her head slowly, clearly reluctant. “I don't see any reason why not, I guess, now that she's out of danger - but maybe Edward should go in with you - just in case.”

Ed groaned at Al's side, and then sighed, looking peeved. “Sometimes I wish you weren't quite so generous and kind-hearted, ya' know,” he muttered grumpily. “Okay, Al. Let's get it over with. It's past dinner time, and I'm starving!”

Alphonse made a noise. “Brother! How can you be so selfish? And didn't you just eat an hour ago?”

“Yeah, yeah - but that girl. There's something about her. She gives me the creeps just looking at her!” Ed gave a theatrical shudder.

Al placed his hands on his 'hips' as he loomed over his older brother. “She gives you the creeps? Look who you're talking to, brother! I'm a disembodied soul in an armored suit!” What was with him? Edward was acting as if he'd just asked him to visit with the devil!

Edward seemed to consider this, and then he shrugged, giving in with a sheepish smirk. “Heh. You got me there, Al. Let's just go, alright? Everything'll work itself out.”

-^^-

“Remember, she dan't speak very well at the moment. In time we think her voice will heal, but she needs to rest. Just move slowly around her. Any quick movement tends to disorient her, since she's basically seeing in shadows.”

“Have you been able to get anything out of her yet? Like who she is, or where she's from?” Edward asked, his voice carefully hushed as they approached the curtained bed.

The doctor shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. She's still very traumatized.”

As they reached the curtained area, they could hear soft, scratchy noises, which they came to realize were the girl's attempts to talk. She kept saying the same thing over and over again, and Alphonse was certain he'd have gotten goose-bumps if he'd been able. If one didn't bother to take time to listen closely, it sounded as if she was having an extremely difficult time breathing - but no. They were most definitely words. It sounded like 'Rah-ee, mussst, and brit-her,' and he was turning it around in his head when Edward suddenly exclaimed, “Roy! She's saying 'Roy'!”

“Roy?” Alphonse asked aloud, habit making him scratch his 'temple'. The heavily sedated girl in the bed gave a small whimper of surprise as the doctor pulled the curtain open. He felt guilty, but he was relieved to se her large, vacant violet eyes were covered with dark glasses.

Ed was becoming increasingly excited as he looked at her. It was almost impossible to tell what she looked like underneath all the gauze. He could see that she had long, spiky black hair - the same color as Colonel Roy Mustang's, as a matter of fact!

“That's it!” Ed pointed excitedly. “Al! She related to Colonel Mustang! Hey, I bet he's your brother, right?”

The girl slumped a little, as if in relief as she 'looked' in Ed's direction.

Ed let out a victorious whoop and jumped in the air, punching out a fist in triumph.

“Awright! See, Al? I told ya' everything'd work itself out!”

“Mr. Elric, please!” The doctor hissed, holding out a hand. “She needs quiet!”

Alphonse shot his gaze towards the girl and saw her cringing slightly, her head shooting back and forth as if she were trying desperately to see them.

Edward immeadiately swallowed his excitement and plunged his gloved hands into his pockets.

“Heh. Er...sorry about that.” He lowered his voice to speak more gently, and the girl visibly relaxed as she looked sightlessly towards him.

“I'm also really sorry you have to be related to a pain-in-the-ass like Mustang,” he added in a low mutter.

“Ed,” Alphonse groaned.

Ed took a step forward before he checked himself and stopped. He looked her over, golden eyes narrowing a little as they came to rest on the wrapped stump of her small wrist. He clenched his own auto-mail hand into a fist before he relaxed and went on, his voice a little too upbeat.

“Listen, I'm Edward Elric, and this - well, my brother is here, too, his name's Alphonse. Colonel Mustang isn't here right now, but we'll send for him right away....won't we, Al?”

“Of course,” Alphonse nodded, feeling a little surprised at the look of determination in his brother's eyes. He was being pretty protective of her all of a sudden for someone who'd just claimed the girl 'gave him the creeps'!

Edward nodded, and looked back at the damaged, pitiful scrap of humanity laying in the narrow hospital bed. She was resting against the pillows now, beginning to fall asleep, her stump resting on another pillow.

The doctor silently shoo-ed them out of the ward, and Alphonse tried not to make a sound as he followed his brother back into the hallway.

“Damn. I wish we knew her name. Mustang never said anything about having any family, much less a sister.” Ed sighed, a dark frown drawing his eyebrows together.

“He wouldn't,” Alphonse said solemnly. “I always got the feeling the Colonel has a lot of enemies.”

“Her name is Juliana,” Riza Hawkeye suddenly said from behind them. She scowled when the two brother's turned to give her varying looks of disbelief.

“What? We...talk.”

Ed arched a brow. “Yeah,” was all he said, though he was obviously of the opinion that Lieutenant. Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang spent their time together doing other, more important things, these days.

Riza actually blushed, and then put her hand on her sidearm in silent warning, one eyelid twitching.

Edward gave a high, nervous laugh and turned on his heel, grabbing the crook of Al's elbow. “Well, c'mon, Al. We need to go see Lieutenant Hughes - he'll know how to get in touch with the bastar- ” Ed caught himself and cracked a mean grin, “I mean, Colonel Mustang...”

-^^-

“What?!”Al and Ed stared at at Maes Hughes, gape-mouthed.

“Whaddya' mean, you can't reach him by phone?” Ed, predictably, exploded, waving his arms wildly. “Where the hell is he, the fucking North Pole?”

Alphonse cringed. “Brother, please...!”

“Listen, I've sent a dispatch out to his last known location. If she is Juli - “

“What do you mean, 'if'?” Al asked, confused.

“Yeah, have you seen this girl? There is no faking what she went through,” Ed said coolly.

Hughes held up both hands. “Hey, I'm not...doubting you, really, I'm just sayin'...”

Ed tilted his head and gave the older man a suspicious stare. “Okay, what the hell's goin' on, here?” he demanded.

Al groaned.

Hughes's eyes sharpened behind the glint of his spectacles. “Edward - “

“No, you're gonna tell me what's up. This isn't you - you don't do cold and clinical - not like Mustang. Don't try to convince us you don't care. Why are you so concerned about this?”

After a long, tense moment, Hughes sighed and reached up to pull off his glasses. Massaging the bridge of his nose he closed his eyes, and then...

“Because, Ed...Juliana is dead.”

-^^_

A/N: Revised, edited, 814/05.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any related characters.

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