Responsibility
When Ed arrived at the hotel, the light of the room he and the others had booked was on. That meant that Winry was inside, just like Beregond and Al had guessed.
That also meant that Ed couldn’t avoid talking to the girl any longer. He sighed, but he knew it couldn’t be helped; he would just have to grit his teeth and be done with it. So, he used his flesh hand to knock on the door politely.
“What?” Winry asked from inside.
Ed cringed at how annoyed the voice sounded.
“Winry, it’s me. Can we talk?”
“About?”
“About what happened this morning.”
The sound of a door getting unlocked reached Ed’s ears and, at the next moment, the door was open. Winry stood at the threshold and regarded Ed with a raised eyebrow.
“And what is there to talk about?” she asked. Though her voice was considerably low, she still sounded angry.
Ed huffed. “Can I come in first? There’s no need to have an audience,” he said, pointing with his thumb at the passers-by.
“No, I suppose not,” Winry agreed and beckoned the young alchemist inside. As soon as Ed walked in, she closed the door and faced him with her arms crossed. “Well?”
Ed didn’t speak at once. He shuffled his legs, looking anywhere but in Winry’s direction.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Winry’s expression finally softened. “Good,” she said with a nod.
“But…” Ed said, “I honestly don’t know why you should be upset in the first place. The guys were cheating and you knew it. I just evened out the field.”
Winry blinked, looking at Edward with a look of disbelief.
“What?” Ed asked, feeling that he was missing something very important.
She shook her head and walked past Ed to open her suitcase. “I never said they shouldn’t be punished, Ed. And I agree, you had to cheat; there was no way you could beat them otherwise.” She took out her toothbrush and toothpaste and headed for the bathroom.
Ed’s eyes widened. “Then what was the problem?”
“The problem was,” Winry said, stepping out of the other room, “that you went looking for a fight. The guys weren’t worth it and yet you acted reckless just to prove a point.” Her tone became quieter, almost sad. “You could have broken the automail again just because somebody said the wrong thing.”
“What are you talking about? That’s why I used alchemy.”
“Yes,” Winry admitted. “But is alchemy going to help you when you don’t have a hand to clap? I thought the previous couple of fights should have been enough of a hint.”
“That’s why I have you!” Ed exclaimed, unable to understand. “You can always fix it whenever that happens!”
Winry stared at Edward as though ready to hit him with the wrench again.
“Do you think so little of my automail?” she asked indignantly. “I didn’t give you one so that you can keep breaking it! If I knew that, then I wouldn’t have made one for you in the first place!”
Now it was Edward’s turn to stare at Winry, wrath boiling the blood in his veins.
“How dare you?” he asked in a hoarse whisper, trying to keep his temper under control.
“Excuse me?” Winry said.
“You heard me,” Ed replied, his voice becoming louder. “How dare you say that, when you know that the only reason that I asked for automail was so I could fix Al’s body?! Or did you actually forget that?!”
Winry instantly grabbed the wrench and got ready to throw it on Ed’s head, but, at the last minute, she stopped. She simply cast a dejected glance at her friend’s direction and placed the wrench back at her suitcase.
“No, I haven’t forgotten,” she said softly. “But you seem to forget it every time you get yourself involved in meaningless battles.”
Ed gasped, her words stinging him worse than any hit with her wrench would.
“Do you know why I gave you your automail?” Winry asked, facing Ed with tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. “Because it’s what helps you move forward. Every time I make any maintenance checks or adjustments to it, it’s as though I give you one small nudge forward on your quest and I don’t feel left out. I don’t want to be stuck just waiting for you and Al!” She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands on her lap and her head bowed, doing her best to hide the fact that she was crying.
Ed bit his lower lip. He had to admit that had never thought of it that way.
“Do you think you’re the only one who misses Al’s face?” she asked him, her voice choked and strained. She covered her face with her hands, full-out sobbing now. “Do you think I like seeing him like this?!”
“Winry…” Ed wanted to take her hands into his own and hold her comfortingly; he wanted to tell her how sorry he was for making her cry and reassure her that he would never be so reckless again; that he would fix Alphonse’s body, no matter what.
He never got the chance. At that moment, the door burst open and a very frantic-looking Al rushed in. Winry quickly wiped her eyes before Al noticed her in her upset state.
“Brother, you’re not gonna believe who’s--”
He never finished his sentence, because it was then that he jumped in surprise; someone behind Al tapped the suit of armour on the shoulder. Ed froze when he saw that it wasn’t Beregond like he thought at first, but a burly man with large hands and a bearded face.
In fact, it was…
Ed felt all his blood draining from his cheeks. And when Al turned around and saw the man too, the young alchemist was sure that the suit of armour would pale too if he could.
“Ed, do you know this guy?” Winry asked curiously.
He swallowed hard. “Yup… and that means…”
That means she’s here, too.
Well, he wasn’t sticking around any longer! He hurried to the window and opened it with the intention of jumping out, but he was greeted with such a powerful kick in his face that it sent him flying back into the centre of the room.
Yeah… there was no mistaking that kick…
“And just where do you think you’re going, Ed?” a woman’s voice sounded just outside the window. Moments later, the woman herself had climbed inside the room. She looked at Ed with a grim look on her face, locks of her micro-braided hair falling almost in front of her eyes. “You’ve always been so predictable.”
Oh… crap… Ed could only sit up and look at her, a nervous smile on his lips. “Hello, Teacher. What are you doing here?” he asked, trying to be as polite as possible.
Winry blinked. “That’s your teacher?” she asked. She looked at the woman from head to toe. “So that’s Izumi Curtis?”
“Yeah. She taught us everything we know,” Ed whispered.
Meanwhile, Izumi was busy looking around the room as though in search of something. Or rather, someone.
“WHERE IS ALPHONSE?!” she bellowed angrily.
The suit of armour got so afraid that he stood on attention like a trooper. “Ma’am!”
Surprisingly, Izumi smiled sweetly and scratched her head embarrassedly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t thank you for escorting us here,” she said cordially. “Do you by any chance have any idea where I can find Alphonse?”
It was very painful to watch Al at such a shaking state, and his voice was barely audible when he answered quite honestly: “I’m… I’m… Alphonse.”
She chuckled. “Right, right, of course you are,” she said. “Now, as I was saying…” As the words registered, however, her voice trailed off and her eyes widened broadly. “Wait a minute...”
Al tried to step back on tip-toe and avoid what was coming next but, unfortunately, he wasn’t fast enough. In the blink of an eye, Izumi grabbed him by the arm and threw him on the floor.
“So you’re hiding in disguises now?!” she cried, her wrath burning in her coal-black eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ve heard plenty of stories about my idiot apprentices who broke from every rule I taught them to become scum of the military! Isn’t that right, Ed?”
Ed instantly cowered behind Winry, his teeth chattering in his fright.
He and Al were in big trouble and they both knew it.
Beregond walked back to the hotel with the groceries in his hands, hoping that the others didn’t get worried about him. He hadn’t expected that there would be so many people at the store and, by the time it was his turn, a half hour had passed just like that. Beregond figured that the least he could do was cook their dinner, so that he made up for his delay.
Ah… The light is on. Beregond saw it only too clearly the moment that he turned around the corner and caught sight of the hotel. When he walked up to their room and knocked on the door, however, there was no response.
Beregond blinked in surprise. “Edward?” He knocked again.
The only answer he got was silence.
“Alphonse?”
No reply again. Beregond grasped the doorknob, taken aback to see that the door was unlocked. He quickly stepped inside, looking for any sign of his companions.
“Winry?”
The room was empty. Not only that, most of the suitcases were gone, too. In fact, it was as though none of the children had ever been there.
Something was wrong; Beregond could feel it at his bones. He hurried at the registration desk, ringing repeatedly the bell for the receptionist to come.
“Can I help you?” the man asked as soon as he arrived, quirking an eyebrow in mild confusion.
“Yes,” Beregond answered at once. “Do you remember the three people that were with me?”
“Of course, sir,” the receptionist said. “You were with two blond children and a tall man in armour.”
“Right,” the Gondorian said. “Have you seen them at all in the last half hour?”
“Only the man and the short boy,” answered the receptionist. “They came to check on the girl who arrived quite earlier than them.”
“But you didn’t see them coming out.”
“No, sir.”
Beregond swore under his breath and hurried back into the room. He started looking around again cautiously, hoping that he would be able to get some clue as to what might have happened.
The first clue he got was the window itself. It was wide open, and it didn’t take a great mind to guess that the children might have exited from there. The second clue was the door. There was no sign of forced entry, which led to two options: the window served as an entrance, too, or that the children let someone in. In either case, it was obvious that Ed and Al didn’t try to stop that someone; there were no signs of struggle.
Could it be that that someone was familiar to the boys then? But Beregond was aware that none of the children had been to Rush Valley before.
Unless… the mysterious someone wasn’t from Rush Valley.
Perhaps it was someone from the military? Beregond dismissed that idea at once, because there was a very important fact that counteracted it. He was left behind. That meant that that someone only knew about Ed and Al, not Beregond.
So… who was it?
Someone courteous enough to let the children take their luggage with them, Beregond thought, remembering the missing suitcases. That was somewhat comforting to Beregond; it meant the children weren’t in any immediate danger.
Yet the one important question that had remained hadn’t been answered yet. Where were Ed, Al and Winry now?
It was then that he noticed some water spilled on the floor. Beregond approached carefully and knelt down to have a better look at it. His eyes widened when he realised that the water was actually forming a trail leading to the bathroom.
Beregond pushed the door wide open and walked in. There was nothing there either, he had expected as much. Even so, he noticed that the tap wasn’t completely turned off. Moreover, when Beregond touched the towel by the sink, he realised that it was completely dry.
Beregond smiled as he understood what happened. The water was spilt on purpose, under the pretence of shaking the hands dry after washing them. The Gondorian knew only one who would pull a trick like that.
Well done, Edward, Beregond thought, quite proud of the boy’s quick thinking. Now let’s see what other clues you’ve left behind. It couldn’t be anything transmuted though, Beregond was quite sure of that. Edward would never risk the intruder, or intruders - Beregond couldn’t dismiss that option either - to notice the light of the alchemical reaction. No. If there was another clue, it had to be something subtle. Something that Ed could place in the short amount of time that he had at his disposal while in the privacy of the bathroom.
Something like…
Beregond’s train of thought was cut off when he saw himself on the mirror. He grinned broadly.
I wonder…
He opened the tap so that hot water streamed out and then waited patiently for the results. This shouldn’t take long, but Beregond had to pay attention at all times because he could easily miss it.
Three minutes later, vapours from the hot water started fogging the mirror. A few seconds later, Beregond saw the message Edward managed to write with his flesh fingers on the silver-coloured surface.
Teacher came. Find Ishbalans.
Beregond sighed. So that explains matters. It was quite ironic really. They hadn’t intended to go see Ed and Al’s teacher, but she made sure that they did anyway. Now, at this unexpected turn of events, Ed made sure that Beregond would see to their true goal of their venture to the southern parts of Amestris.
Beregond turned the tap off and walked out of the bathroom. He shivered as the cold air hit him quite abruptly, so he closed the window. As soon as he locked the door as well, he knelt down beside the bed to take his suitcase from under it, grateful for his forethought, and he started changing to his nightclothes.
Beregond had to admit that he should be grateful; things could have turned out to be a lot worse for Ed and Al. Nevertheless, the Gondorian still felt his heart sinking a bit, because this time he was on his own. More than that, whatever decisions he made now wouldn’t just affect him, but the boys as well. The responsibility was far greater.
At least Edward trusts me with it.
It was with that thought hope that he finally settled to sleep, for he had to rest. Tomorrow, he was in for a long ride.
“This is the worst hour one could have possibly arranged a meeting,” Havoc asked wryly. “Couldn’t it be put off till morning?”
“Apparently not,” Roy answered. He was walking up the stairs with Riza and Havoc following closely behind, so that his meeting with the Führer and his transfer to Central would be officially over. It didn’t take them long to reach the great oak door to Bradley’s office.
“Wait here,” Roy instructed his escorts. Riza and Havoc complied at once and stood at attention by the door.
Roy stood by the door for a few moments, taking a few deep breaths to mentally ready himself; then opened the door.
“You wanted to see me, Sir,” he said, saluting.
“Indeed I did,” Bradley said quite cheerily. He beckoned Roy inside. “I apologise for the late hour but, as you well know, it couldn’t be helped. The late Brigadier General Hughes was a good friend of yours, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, he was.” Roy sat down on one of the chairs.
“Then I’ll try to keep this meeting short for you,” Bradley declared.
“You’re only too kind, Sir. But you shouldn’t be concerned on my account,” Roy said smoothly. “The Brigadier General died in the line of duty like it’s expected from any soldier. There’s no place for grief.”
“Noble words, but your face betrays your weariness. I was told that you arrived quite late last night.”
“That’s true, Sir,” Roy said. Technically.
“Then it’s settled; I’ll be brief.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Excellent. Now…” and at that Bradley regarded Roy calmly, “Do you know why I asked for your transfer here?”
“I believe it was because your Excellency was impressed by the exploits of two of my subordinates,” Roy answered without hesitation.
Bradley chuckled. “Indeed, that’s one reason.”
This time, Roy raised an eyebrow in mild curiosity. “Are you telling me there are more reasons than that?”
“I’m afraid so. Some them are also quite ominous,” Bradley said. “Your subordinates’ actions have made me realise that they work for a good, loyal man. And we’re now living in times when honesty and loyalty is of utmost importance.”
Quite the coaxing, I have to admit, Roy thought. That meant Bradley wanted to gain Roy’s trust, which was one point against the Führer. It meant he wanted to make sure Roy wouldn’t suspect him of anything.
“With all due respect, Sir, but you’re saying that as though those two qualities are rare commodities,” Roy said, pretending not to understand.
“But they are,” Bradley said. He leaned forward, his expression serious. “I think you knew a man by the name of Connors, isn’t that right?”
Ah… here it comes.
“Yes, Sir. We served together in Ishbal,” Roy answered. He decided to take it one step further to bait Bradley. “I’ve also heard news of his death. It was a most unfortunate thing that his heart should fail him at such an age.”
“Indeed,” Bradley said. “However, there is something that you should know, Colonel.”
“Which is?” Roy asked, though he already suspected what Bradley was about to say.
“Though it was decided that we should not inform the public about this, I’m in the uncomfortable position to inform you that Brigadier General Connors was murdered.”
Roy widened his eyes in the right amount of surprise. “Murdered?” he echoed, voice faltering perfectly. “How?”
“Poison from the looks of it,” Bradley said. “Arsenic.”
No mention of the tea, Roy noted mentally. Two points against the Führer.
“I see,” Roy said. “Do we have any suspects so far?”
“I’m afraid yes. And it appears they are the ones behind Brigadier General Hughes’ death, too.”
Really? Roy snorted within his mind. Third time’s a charm.
“Who are they, Sir?” he asked, sounding as though he was trying to keep his emotions in check.
“It has to do with a certain investigation that the late Brigadier General Hughes was conducting concerning a place called Lab 5. And what you’re about to hear, Colonel Mustang, doesn’t leave this room. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” Roy said. “Tell me everything.”
Outside the Führer’s office, Riza and Havoc still waited patiently for Roy to come out. They didn’t exchange any words at first, but it seemed that the silence started growing quite heavy on them – especially on Havoc.
“Hawkeye… Can I ask you something?”
Riza turned to his direction in surprise. “What is it?”
“It’s about Sarah.”
Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. “What about her?” she asked curiously.
“She…” Havoc bit his lower lip. “I mean… we…”
Riza smiled knowingly and saved him from the embarrassment of his confession. “I see.”
Havoc sighed with relief. “Good.”
“I still don’t see where the problem is though,” Riza pointed out.
Havoc swallowed hard. “Well... We agreed to keep it a secret. I wanted her to be safe, just in case something happened while… you know. But…” He stopped.
“But?” Riza prodded gently.
Havoc shook his head. “What if it isn’t enough? She will be treading on dangerous ground anyway.”
As far as Riza was concerned, there was only one answer to that.
“If you love her, you’ll protect her. That’s more than enough.”
Havoc noticed the softened expression on her features as she spoke those words, but he didn’t show it. He didn’t have the time to anyway, because it was then that the door opened again and the Colonel walked out. The two lieutenants immediately started following him again, unsure what to make of things. The Colonel was awfully quiet, and it seemed as though he hardly acknowledged his subordinates’ presence.
“Sir?” Riza finally ventured.
“I’m certain now,” Roy said, still walking. “The Führer is involved. He blamed everything on an Ishbalan terrorist group. ”
“That doesn’t explain the presence of the mercenaries,” Riza said.
“Indeed,” Roy answered. “But that’s not all. He said that they were led by a man by the name of Noah, a former member of another terrorist group called the Defiance, which was operating in secret back in the Ishbal Massacre.”
Havoc’s eyes widened, because he recognised the name. “One of your missions was to uncover them,” he said.
“Yes,” Roy said. “I even encountered that man.”
“And?” Riza asked.
“I torched him to death.”
That left the two lieutenants without a doubt either.
The Führer couldn’t be trusted.
Bradley was still in his office when a voice cut him off his thoughts.
“It looks like the dog got the bone,” Envy said, stepping out of the shadows.
Bradley, however, wasn’t so confident. “Something isn’t right.”
Envy snorted. “Admittedly, he acted too shocked when he heard about the Brigadier General Connors’ death, considering he hated the guy. But you couldn’t expect him to throw a party right in front of you, do you?”
“That’s not it,” Bradley said. “He was too compliant.”
“And that’s bad because…?” Envy asked.
“A man who allows subordinates like the Fullmetal Alchemist and Sergeant Beregond to take initiatives such as roaming around the country on their own can’t possibly be so acquiescent himself.”
“But you gave him something that he wants. The death of his buddy cost him,” Envy reasoned. He cocked his head. “Did he give you any signs that he knew something more than he let on?”
Bradley had to shake his head at that. “No. But that can still change.” He glared in Envy’s direction. “There’s still the matter of that mystery alchemist who surprised you. He could approach Mustang and tell him about what really happened to Brigadier General Hughes.”
Envy grinned. “You leave that bastard to me. When I find him I’m gonna make him wish he was never born. As for Mustang, I’m sure you can think of something so that we can get rid of him.”
“Dante’s orders were only to keep an eye on him. That’s why we brought him here.”
“Orders can be revoked,” Envy said with a shrug. “You can also have with you someone who seems easier to manipulate if the Flame Alchemist does prove rebellious.”
Bradley smirked. “I’ve already made arrangements on that, too. Lieutenant Colonel Archer’s first mission will be to escort me south, where I’ll be inspecting the southern military headquarters.”
Envy raised an eyebrow in mock astonishment. “What a coincidence. The Fullmetal pipsqueak and his company are heading in that direction, too.”
“That’s why you’ll be coming with me,” Bradley said.
“Of course,” Envy said with a chuckle. “Have Lust and Gluttony already gone ahead?”
“Yes. The original plan hasn’t changed.”
Envy’s eyes gleamed dangerously.
“Good.”
TBC…
That also meant that Ed couldn’t avoid talking to the girl any longer. He sighed, but he knew it couldn’t be helped; he would just have to grit his teeth and be done with it. So, he used his flesh hand to knock on the door politely.
“What?” Winry asked from inside.
Ed cringed at how annoyed the voice sounded.
“Winry, it’s me. Can we talk?”
“About?”
“About what happened this morning.”
The sound of a door getting unlocked reached Ed’s ears and, at the next moment, the door was open. Winry stood at the threshold and regarded Ed with a raised eyebrow.
“And what is there to talk about?” she asked. Though her voice was considerably low, she still sounded angry.
Ed huffed. “Can I come in first? There’s no need to have an audience,” he said, pointing with his thumb at the passers-by.
“No, I suppose not,” Winry agreed and beckoned the young alchemist inside. As soon as Ed walked in, she closed the door and faced him with her arms crossed. “Well?”
Ed didn’t speak at once. He shuffled his legs, looking anywhere but in Winry’s direction.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Winry’s expression finally softened. “Good,” she said with a nod.
“But…” Ed said, “I honestly don’t know why you should be upset in the first place. The guys were cheating and you knew it. I just evened out the field.”
Winry blinked, looking at Edward with a look of disbelief.
“What?” Ed asked, feeling that he was missing something very important.
She shook her head and walked past Ed to open her suitcase. “I never said they shouldn’t be punished, Ed. And I agree, you had to cheat; there was no way you could beat them otherwise.” She took out her toothbrush and toothpaste and headed for the bathroom.
Ed’s eyes widened. “Then what was the problem?”
“The problem was,” Winry said, stepping out of the other room, “that you went looking for a fight. The guys weren’t worth it and yet you acted reckless just to prove a point.” Her tone became quieter, almost sad. “You could have broken the automail again just because somebody said the wrong thing.”
“What are you talking about? That’s why I used alchemy.”
“Yes,” Winry admitted. “But is alchemy going to help you when you don’t have a hand to clap? I thought the previous couple of fights should have been enough of a hint.”
“That’s why I have you!” Ed exclaimed, unable to understand. “You can always fix it whenever that happens!”
Winry stared at Edward as though ready to hit him with the wrench again.
“Do you think so little of my automail?” she asked indignantly. “I didn’t give you one so that you can keep breaking it! If I knew that, then I wouldn’t have made one for you in the first place!”
Now it was Edward’s turn to stare at Winry, wrath boiling the blood in his veins.
“How dare you?” he asked in a hoarse whisper, trying to keep his temper under control.
“Excuse me?” Winry said.
“You heard me,” Ed replied, his voice becoming louder. “How dare you say that, when you know that the only reason that I asked for automail was so I could fix Al’s body?! Or did you actually forget that?!”
Winry instantly grabbed the wrench and got ready to throw it on Ed’s head, but, at the last minute, she stopped. She simply cast a dejected glance at her friend’s direction and placed the wrench back at her suitcase.
“No, I haven’t forgotten,” she said softly. “But you seem to forget it every time you get yourself involved in meaningless battles.”
Ed gasped, her words stinging him worse than any hit with her wrench would.
“Do you know why I gave you your automail?” Winry asked, facing Ed with tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. “Because it’s what helps you move forward. Every time I make any maintenance checks or adjustments to it, it’s as though I give you one small nudge forward on your quest and I don’t feel left out. I don’t want to be stuck just waiting for you and Al!” She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands on her lap and her head bowed, doing her best to hide the fact that she was crying.
Ed bit his lower lip. He had to admit that had never thought of it that way.
“Do you think you’re the only one who misses Al’s face?” she asked him, her voice choked and strained. She covered her face with her hands, full-out sobbing now. “Do you think I like seeing him like this?!”
“Winry…” Ed wanted to take her hands into his own and hold her comfortingly; he wanted to tell her how sorry he was for making her cry and reassure her that he would never be so reckless again; that he would fix Alphonse’s body, no matter what.
He never got the chance. At that moment, the door burst open and a very frantic-looking Al rushed in. Winry quickly wiped her eyes before Al noticed her in her upset state.
“Brother, you’re not gonna believe who’s--”
He never finished his sentence, because it was then that he jumped in surprise; someone behind Al tapped the suit of armour on the shoulder. Ed froze when he saw that it wasn’t Beregond like he thought at first, but a burly man with large hands and a bearded face.
In fact, it was…
Ed felt all his blood draining from his cheeks. And when Al turned around and saw the man too, the young alchemist was sure that the suit of armour would pale too if he could.
“Ed, do you know this guy?” Winry asked curiously.
He swallowed hard. “Yup… and that means…”
That means she’s here, too.
Well, he wasn’t sticking around any longer! He hurried to the window and opened it with the intention of jumping out, but he was greeted with such a powerful kick in his face that it sent him flying back into the centre of the room.
Yeah… there was no mistaking that kick…
“And just where do you think you’re going, Ed?” a woman’s voice sounded just outside the window. Moments later, the woman herself had climbed inside the room. She looked at Ed with a grim look on her face, locks of her micro-braided hair falling almost in front of her eyes. “You’ve always been so predictable.”
Oh… crap… Ed could only sit up and look at her, a nervous smile on his lips. “Hello, Teacher. What are you doing here?” he asked, trying to be as polite as possible.
Winry blinked. “That’s your teacher?” she asked. She looked at the woman from head to toe. “So that’s Izumi Curtis?”
“Yeah. She taught us everything we know,” Ed whispered.
Meanwhile, Izumi was busy looking around the room as though in search of something. Or rather, someone.
“WHERE IS ALPHONSE?!” she bellowed angrily.
The suit of armour got so afraid that he stood on attention like a trooper. “Ma’am!”
Surprisingly, Izumi smiled sweetly and scratched her head embarrassedly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t thank you for escorting us here,” she said cordially. “Do you by any chance have any idea where I can find Alphonse?”
It was very painful to watch Al at such a shaking state, and his voice was barely audible when he answered quite honestly: “I’m… I’m… Alphonse.”
She chuckled. “Right, right, of course you are,” she said. “Now, as I was saying…” As the words registered, however, her voice trailed off and her eyes widened broadly. “Wait a minute...”
Al tried to step back on tip-toe and avoid what was coming next but, unfortunately, he wasn’t fast enough. In the blink of an eye, Izumi grabbed him by the arm and threw him on the floor.
“So you’re hiding in disguises now?!” she cried, her wrath burning in her coal-black eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ve heard plenty of stories about my idiot apprentices who broke from every rule I taught them to become scum of the military! Isn’t that right, Ed?”
Ed instantly cowered behind Winry, his teeth chattering in his fright.
He and Al were in big trouble and they both knew it.
Beregond walked back to the hotel with the groceries in his hands, hoping that the others didn’t get worried about him. He hadn’t expected that there would be so many people at the store and, by the time it was his turn, a half hour had passed just like that. Beregond figured that the least he could do was cook their dinner, so that he made up for his delay.
Ah… The light is on. Beregond saw it only too clearly the moment that he turned around the corner and caught sight of the hotel. When he walked up to their room and knocked on the door, however, there was no response.
Beregond blinked in surprise. “Edward?” He knocked again.
The only answer he got was silence.
“Alphonse?”
No reply again. Beregond grasped the doorknob, taken aback to see that the door was unlocked. He quickly stepped inside, looking for any sign of his companions.
“Winry?”
The room was empty. Not only that, most of the suitcases were gone, too. In fact, it was as though none of the children had ever been there.
Something was wrong; Beregond could feel it at his bones. He hurried at the registration desk, ringing repeatedly the bell for the receptionist to come.
“Can I help you?” the man asked as soon as he arrived, quirking an eyebrow in mild confusion.
“Yes,” Beregond answered at once. “Do you remember the three people that were with me?”
“Of course, sir,” the receptionist said. “You were with two blond children and a tall man in armour.”
“Right,” the Gondorian said. “Have you seen them at all in the last half hour?”
“Only the man and the short boy,” answered the receptionist. “They came to check on the girl who arrived quite earlier than them.”
“But you didn’t see them coming out.”
“No, sir.”
Beregond swore under his breath and hurried back into the room. He started looking around again cautiously, hoping that he would be able to get some clue as to what might have happened.
The first clue he got was the window itself. It was wide open, and it didn’t take a great mind to guess that the children might have exited from there. The second clue was the door. There was no sign of forced entry, which led to two options: the window served as an entrance, too, or that the children let someone in. In either case, it was obvious that Ed and Al didn’t try to stop that someone; there were no signs of struggle.
Could it be that that someone was familiar to the boys then? But Beregond was aware that none of the children had been to Rush Valley before.
Unless… the mysterious someone wasn’t from Rush Valley.
Perhaps it was someone from the military? Beregond dismissed that idea at once, because there was a very important fact that counteracted it. He was left behind. That meant that that someone only knew about Ed and Al, not Beregond.
So… who was it?
Someone courteous enough to let the children take their luggage with them, Beregond thought, remembering the missing suitcases. That was somewhat comforting to Beregond; it meant the children weren’t in any immediate danger.
Yet the one important question that had remained hadn’t been answered yet. Where were Ed, Al and Winry now?
It was then that he noticed some water spilled on the floor. Beregond approached carefully and knelt down to have a better look at it. His eyes widened when he realised that the water was actually forming a trail leading to the bathroom.
Beregond pushed the door wide open and walked in. There was nothing there either, he had expected as much. Even so, he noticed that the tap wasn’t completely turned off. Moreover, when Beregond touched the towel by the sink, he realised that it was completely dry.
Beregond smiled as he understood what happened. The water was spilt on purpose, under the pretence of shaking the hands dry after washing them. The Gondorian knew only one who would pull a trick like that.
Well done, Edward, Beregond thought, quite proud of the boy’s quick thinking. Now let’s see what other clues you’ve left behind. It couldn’t be anything transmuted though, Beregond was quite sure of that. Edward would never risk the intruder, or intruders - Beregond couldn’t dismiss that option either - to notice the light of the alchemical reaction. No. If there was another clue, it had to be something subtle. Something that Ed could place in the short amount of time that he had at his disposal while in the privacy of the bathroom.
Something like…
Beregond’s train of thought was cut off when he saw himself on the mirror. He grinned broadly.
I wonder…
He opened the tap so that hot water streamed out and then waited patiently for the results. This shouldn’t take long, but Beregond had to pay attention at all times because he could easily miss it.
Three minutes later, vapours from the hot water started fogging the mirror. A few seconds later, Beregond saw the message Edward managed to write with his flesh fingers on the silver-coloured surface.
Teacher came. Find Ishbalans.
Beregond sighed. So that explains matters. It was quite ironic really. They hadn’t intended to go see Ed and Al’s teacher, but she made sure that they did anyway. Now, at this unexpected turn of events, Ed made sure that Beregond would see to their true goal of their venture to the southern parts of Amestris.
Beregond turned the tap off and walked out of the bathroom. He shivered as the cold air hit him quite abruptly, so he closed the window. As soon as he locked the door as well, he knelt down beside the bed to take his suitcase from under it, grateful for his forethought, and he started changing to his nightclothes.
Beregond had to admit that he should be grateful; things could have turned out to be a lot worse for Ed and Al. Nevertheless, the Gondorian still felt his heart sinking a bit, because this time he was on his own. More than that, whatever decisions he made now wouldn’t just affect him, but the boys as well. The responsibility was far greater.
At least Edward trusts me with it.
It was with that thought hope that he finally settled to sleep, for he had to rest. Tomorrow, he was in for a long ride.
“This is the worst hour one could have possibly arranged a meeting,” Havoc asked wryly. “Couldn’t it be put off till morning?”
“Apparently not,” Roy answered. He was walking up the stairs with Riza and Havoc following closely behind, so that his meeting with the Führer and his transfer to Central would be officially over. It didn’t take them long to reach the great oak door to Bradley’s office.
“Wait here,” Roy instructed his escorts. Riza and Havoc complied at once and stood at attention by the door.
Roy stood by the door for a few moments, taking a few deep breaths to mentally ready himself; then opened the door.
“You wanted to see me, Sir,” he said, saluting.
“Indeed I did,” Bradley said quite cheerily. He beckoned Roy inside. “I apologise for the late hour but, as you well know, it couldn’t be helped. The late Brigadier General Hughes was a good friend of yours, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, he was.” Roy sat down on one of the chairs.
“Then I’ll try to keep this meeting short for you,” Bradley declared.
“You’re only too kind, Sir. But you shouldn’t be concerned on my account,” Roy said smoothly. “The Brigadier General died in the line of duty like it’s expected from any soldier. There’s no place for grief.”
“Noble words, but your face betrays your weariness. I was told that you arrived quite late last night.”
“That’s true, Sir,” Roy said. Technically.
“Then it’s settled; I’ll be brief.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Excellent. Now…” and at that Bradley regarded Roy calmly, “Do you know why I asked for your transfer here?”
“I believe it was because your Excellency was impressed by the exploits of two of my subordinates,” Roy answered without hesitation.
Bradley chuckled. “Indeed, that’s one reason.”
This time, Roy raised an eyebrow in mild curiosity. “Are you telling me there are more reasons than that?”
“I’m afraid so. Some them are also quite ominous,” Bradley said. “Your subordinates’ actions have made me realise that they work for a good, loyal man. And we’re now living in times when honesty and loyalty is of utmost importance.”
Quite the coaxing, I have to admit, Roy thought. That meant Bradley wanted to gain Roy’s trust, which was one point against the Führer. It meant he wanted to make sure Roy wouldn’t suspect him of anything.
“With all due respect, Sir, but you’re saying that as though those two qualities are rare commodities,” Roy said, pretending not to understand.
“But they are,” Bradley said. He leaned forward, his expression serious. “I think you knew a man by the name of Connors, isn’t that right?”
Ah… here it comes.
“Yes, Sir. We served together in Ishbal,” Roy answered. He decided to take it one step further to bait Bradley. “I’ve also heard news of his death. It was a most unfortunate thing that his heart should fail him at such an age.”
“Indeed,” Bradley said. “However, there is something that you should know, Colonel.”
“Which is?” Roy asked, though he already suspected what Bradley was about to say.
“Though it was decided that we should not inform the public about this, I’m in the uncomfortable position to inform you that Brigadier General Connors was murdered.”
Roy widened his eyes in the right amount of surprise. “Murdered?” he echoed, voice faltering perfectly. “How?”
“Poison from the looks of it,” Bradley said. “Arsenic.”
No mention of the tea, Roy noted mentally. Two points against the Führer.
“I see,” Roy said. “Do we have any suspects so far?”
“I’m afraid yes. And it appears they are the ones behind Brigadier General Hughes’ death, too.”
Really? Roy snorted within his mind. Third time’s a charm.
“Who are they, Sir?” he asked, sounding as though he was trying to keep his emotions in check.
“It has to do with a certain investigation that the late Brigadier General Hughes was conducting concerning a place called Lab 5. And what you’re about to hear, Colonel Mustang, doesn’t leave this room. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” Roy said. “Tell me everything.”
Outside the Führer’s office, Riza and Havoc still waited patiently for Roy to come out. They didn’t exchange any words at first, but it seemed that the silence started growing quite heavy on them – especially on Havoc.
“Hawkeye… Can I ask you something?”
Riza turned to his direction in surprise. “What is it?”
“It’s about Sarah.”
Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. “What about her?” she asked curiously.
“She…” Havoc bit his lower lip. “I mean… we…”
Riza smiled knowingly and saved him from the embarrassment of his confession. “I see.”
Havoc sighed with relief. “Good.”
“I still don’t see where the problem is though,” Riza pointed out.
Havoc swallowed hard. “Well... We agreed to keep it a secret. I wanted her to be safe, just in case something happened while… you know. But…” He stopped.
“But?” Riza prodded gently.
Havoc shook his head. “What if it isn’t enough? She will be treading on dangerous ground anyway.”
As far as Riza was concerned, there was only one answer to that.
“If you love her, you’ll protect her. That’s more than enough.”
Havoc noticed the softened expression on her features as she spoke those words, but he didn’t show it. He didn’t have the time to anyway, because it was then that the door opened again and the Colonel walked out. The two lieutenants immediately started following him again, unsure what to make of things. The Colonel was awfully quiet, and it seemed as though he hardly acknowledged his subordinates’ presence.
“Sir?” Riza finally ventured.
“I’m certain now,” Roy said, still walking. “The Führer is involved. He blamed everything on an Ishbalan terrorist group. ”
“That doesn’t explain the presence of the mercenaries,” Riza said.
“Indeed,” Roy answered. “But that’s not all. He said that they were led by a man by the name of Noah, a former member of another terrorist group called the Defiance, which was operating in secret back in the Ishbal Massacre.”
Havoc’s eyes widened, because he recognised the name. “One of your missions was to uncover them,” he said.
“Yes,” Roy said. “I even encountered that man.”
“And?” Riza asked.
“I torched him to death.”
That left the two lieutenants without a doubt either.
The Führer couldn’t be trusted.
Bradley was still in his office when a voice cut him off his thoughts.
“It looks like the dog got the bone,” Envy said, stepping out of the shadows.
Bradley, however, wasn’t so confident. “Something isn’t right.”
Envy snorted. “Admittedly, he acted too shocked when he heard about the Brigadier General Connors’ death, considering he hated the guy. But you couldn’t expect him to throw a party right in front of you, do you?”
“That’s not it,” Bradley said. “He was too compliant.”
“And that’s bad because…?” Envy asked.
“A man who allows subordinates like the Fullmetal Alchemist and Sergeant Beregond to take initiatives such as roaming around the country on their own can’t possibly be so acquiescent himself.”
“But you gave him something that he wants. The death of his buddy cost him,” Envy reasoned. He cocked his head. “Did he give you any signs that he knew something more than he let on?”
Bradley had to shake his head at that. “No. But that can still change.” He glared in Envy’s direction. “There’s still the matter of that mystery alchemist who surprised you. He could approach Mustang and tell him about what really happened to Brigadier General Hughes.”
Envy grinned. “You leave that bastard to me. When I find him I’m gonna make him wish he was never born. As for Mustang, I’m sure you can think of something so that we can get rid of him.”
“Dante’s orders were only to keep an eye on him. That’s why we brought him here.”
“Orders can be revoked,” Envy said with a shrug. “You can also have with you someone who seems easier to manipulate if the Flame Alchemist does prove rebellious.”
Bradley smirked. “I’ve already made arrangements on that, too. Lieutenant Colonel Archer’s first mission will be to escort me south, where I’ll be inspecting the southern military headquarters.”
Envy raised an eyebrow in mock astonishment. “What a coincidence. The Fullmetal pipsqueak and his company are heading in that direction, too.”
“That’s why you’ll be coming with me,” Bradley said.
“Of course,” Envy said with a chuckle. “Have Lust and Gluttony already gone ahead?”
“Yes. The original plan hasn’t changed.”
Envy’s eyes gleamed dangerously.
“Good.”
TBC…
Subtitles
- Brother's Debt
- Fullmetal Body, Fullmetal Heart
- A Quiet Day
- In The Night
- Two Men's Faces
- Transfer
- Making Plans
- Shadows Of The Past
- Underworld
- The Price Of Immortality
- Departure
- The Key
- Enemy Revealed
- A Step Back
- A Step Closer To The Truth
- A Race
- Rush Valley
- Responsibility
- Izumi
- Time To Stand Still
- Wild Child
- Encounter
- Riddles In The Dark
- In Search For Answers
- A Teacher's Mistakes
- Complications
- Visits
- The Nature Of A Homunculus
- Dante Of The Deep Forest
- Kidnapped
- Fight At The Devil's Nest
- Innocence Lost
- Blood Spilt
- Recovering
- Bearers Of Ill News
- The Flame Alchemist
- True Colours
- Markings On The Ground
- The Mission
- Heading To Liore
- Change Of Plans
- The Scar
- Holy Mother
- A Mother's Face
- Final Moments