Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Uncle Roy ❯ Arrival ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist. Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Golden eyes peered around the busy train station as Winry collected her things and Al bought something for lunch. His mind was still reeling with the thought of Hughes being dead. He could still see the Major's smiling face in his mind and could still hear his excited voice as he talked about his daughter's birthday. Everything just sort of seemed to move in slow motion right now, the people around him moved sluggishly and those who were running appeared to be walking. The sounds around him were dulled and barely existent. The sounds of trains leaving and arriving didn't ring in his ears and he didn't hear the sound of Al approaching until a metallic hand landed on his shoulder.

Edward Elric looked up into his brother's armored face and barely registered that he had a bag of food with him. His stomach jerked at the proposal and he shook his head, standing as Winry walked up with her bag. His body moved of its own accord as he followed Winry and his brother towards the entrance/exit of the train station. He didn't notice until he bumped into him that Major Armstrong had come to meet them. He was saying something but he couldn't hear him, only the dull murmur of everything else around him. Winry put an arm around him, like a mother would, and led him to the car Armstrong had waiting. He was reminded cruelly of the philosopher's stone as Winry let him rest his head on her shoulder and brushed some fingers through his hair, regardless of how shattered she was. Voices began to come back slowly as if someone was turning up the volume on his world.

“It must've been quite a shock,” Armstrong was saying. “For all of you,” He felt Winry nod and the fingers in his hair become more tender.

“What was he doing when...” Al paused, searching for the right words so as not to upset anyone. Al, ever the gentle one. “When he passed away?” Armstrong started the car and began to drive towards the Central offices.

“We're still investigating that,” he answered.

“He was researching the philosopher's stone,” Ed murmured brokenly. He didn't realize he had spoken until he noticed that the fingers in his hair had stilled. It was suddenly made clear to him that the Major had realized that as well, before Ed had even spoken a word.

“We believe so, yes,” Armstrong said. The conversation continued but Ed couldn't hear it. His mind was already reeling with possibilities of what the Major—Brigadier General, had found out. It didn't even cross his mind to be grieving over the loss of a dear friend. His body was already doing that.

 

 

“I want to see the pictures of the crime scene,” Ed said, interrupting Hawkeye's explanation of how they had found Hughes. The chatter that had been in the room stilled and he could feel eyes burning into him from many different directions.

“I would like to as well,” Al spoke up. “It might give us a clue as to who might've killed him.” Hawkeye watched the two boys closely and nodded.

“I'll go and get the files,” she said and walked from the room. Ed felt Winry put a hand on his shoulder but he brushed it off and walked over to the window looking out over the over cast area that was central. He didn't want comfort right now, he needed to think, think of what Hughes had found and how he could find out what Hughes knew before he died and who had killed him. Ed swallowed hard and looked up as Hawkeye came back and Al spread the files out on the table. He disregarded Winry's gasp as the pictures were laid out. His heart was frozen he could tell and he picked up the first picture. It was of Hughes laying on the sidewalk entrance to the park, one arm curled under him and the other pointing out to something. His face was turned so that he was staring across the street and his eyes were open and seemed to be pouring out his secrets even in death.

“What's he pointing to?” Al asked quietly.

“We're not sure. We've canvassed the area but we haven't found anything,” she said. Ed heard the scrap of chair legs and knew that Winry had excused herself from the room. Ed picked up the next few pictures, pictures of the blood spatters leading up to the body, the initial place where the body had been found, the picture a few feet from the larger blood spatter. He listened as Al read out the medical reports and other documents, storing it all away for later review. His mind was working in overdrive to try and figure out what it was that Hughes had found out. The door opened again and he heard Armstrong report that Hughes's wife and daughter were here.

“Why are they here?” Hawkeye asked.

“To see Colonel Mustang.” He answered. Ed's ears perked. It hadn't even crossed his mind to report in to Mustang when he got there.

“He's not here today,” Hawkeye answered.

“He's not?” Al asked, looked up form the report he was skimming.

“No,” Hawkeye said. “He called in and said that he wasn't feeling well so he wouldn't be in today.” Armstrong walked out of the room and Ed heard the approaching voices of Hughes's Wife and little Elisia. Elisia seemed happy for some reason, even with the passing of her father. The door closed and the room was silent once again.

“Ed,” Hawkeye began. Ed's golden eyes turned to her curiously and was a bit surprised to see the spark of fear in them. “I think the Lieutenant Colonel is up to something. Something forbidden,” Ed's heart nearly stopped at what the word, Forbidden, implied.

“What do you mean?” Al asked. Hawkeye took a breath and crossed her arms leaning against the table.

“Elisia was upset at the funeral, she didn't really understand what was going on and…” Hawkeye took another breath to steady herself before continuing. “She asked Roy to perform a human transmutation.” Ed's eyes shot open wide as Al asked if he was going to try it or not.

“I… I'm not sure. I think… that he might.” He felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. Thoughts of Roy doing what he had tried… and failing. Hughes's face popped into his mind and thoughts of the philosopher's stone mingled along with Roy, human transmutation and… It was too much. He hardly heard the startled cry from his brother before everything went black and he floated away, to be pummeled by his own thoughts and imaginings.

 

“Brother!” Al shouted, catching Ed before his head hit the sharp corner of the table. Hawkeye rushed over to them and took his brother's prone body from his arms, so the cold of his armor wouldn't shock his brother at all. Ed's breathing was quick and irregular, his eyelashes still against his pale cheeks and his body unresponsive to Hawkeye's gentle shaking. Al heard the door open and looked up as Armstrong and Winry took in the situation, Winry looking as if she would faint herself. Instead, the blonde automail mechanic just rushed over to help Hawkeye. Slowly, Ed's eyelids began to flutter and his breathing returned to normal. The tension in the room slowly began to lessen.

“It was just the shock of everything,” Hawkeye said checking over Ed's pulse and breathing again. Winry let out a troubled sigh and brushed some hair from Ed's face.

“I'm not surprised. He was still awfully pale from that phone call when we got here.” Winry said. Al kept his other comment of his teacher's visit to himself and watched his older brother carefully. As Hawkeye told Winry to take him to some hotel, Al could feel, if he had a heart in this metallic body of his, start to pound as Ed's body started to shake with coughs even though he was unconscious. As his coughing became worse, blood spattered from his mouth to stain Hawkeye's uniform and dribble down his chin.

“Oh my god, Ed!” Winry shouted. Al quickly scooped his brother from Hawkeye, as she shouted orders to take him to the infirmary. Al's metal feet clanked on the wooden hallway floors as he followed Armstrong to the building's small infirmary. Al felt dread pool in his hollow chest cavity as Ed's coughing got worse before suddenly stilling all together. He prayed to any god that was listening to please let his brother be alright.

 

“Please,”

 

 

“Uncle Roy! Please! Please bring him back!”

 

Those words. They would be so harmless if they had come from anyone else's mouth other then hers. But they hadn't and they still rang in his mind every time that nightmare came to him. Each time it was different. Each time some new element was added to it. And each time it tore into him and ripped out what little heart he had left. Those words clung to him as he listened to Hawkeye's voice report that the Elrics had arrived and that Ed had fainted and began coughing up blood. The reason why was unclear but Roy knew, just knew, that Ed had found out the truth. Why he was sick, why Hughes was gone, and about Elisia's request. A request that he couldn't ignore. Roy hung up the phone and stood from his bed. The time was coming, time for him to fulfill her request. All he needed was a few more ingredients and then he would draw the circle.

Roy's body moved again and began to move all of the clutter to the sides of the room. Rain began to pound relentlessly upon the earth as he grabbed his coat and walked out into the night, not caring about the rain that hit him. All he needed was a few more things… just a few more things.

 

 

A/N: hey guys, new update and within three or four days of my last one!!! Ok, cause some of you are going to ask questions, Ed was coughing up blood because of stress. And he fainted because his mind couldn't take it. So there. Now review!!!