Blood Spilt
“Now that was something out of the ordinary.”
Another policeman looked at his colleague curiously. “What was?”
The first one pointed at the bodies of the chimeras. “Those two… and the Führer.”
“Don’t forget the major,” a third one said with a chuckle, overhearing the conversation.
The second one shrugged indifferently. “I don’t care for slaughtering. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.”
“Well, you have to carry the bodies just like the rest of us,” the first policeman said. “Now grab this guy’s legs.”
The second policeman complied, albeit grudgingly. He walked up to the bull-chimera and knelt down… only to collapse on the ground, sliced in two.
The dog-chimera arose with a grunt, using his blood-coated sword as support. Though he trembled violently, his eyes shone as he got ready his next kill.
The policemen remained rooted on the spot, scarcely believing what they were seeing. “You’re still--?”
That was the last thing either of the officers said. At the next moment, Dorochet made short work of them, slicing them just like a reaper. He didn’t even bother to look at the falling corpses. He simply headed out the corridor, limping and cursing under his breath.
Underneath Devil’s Nest, there was a different kind of world; a maze of darkness and silence. That was the best way to describe the sewer system that was built underground. Now, however, the silence was disturbed by two voices: a woman and a boy’s, both of them arguing and struggling for control of the armour that currently housed them both.
“I have… to get out…”
“Don’t think… about escaping…”
“Let me go!”
Footsteps echoed down the tunnel. Martel and Al looked up in surprise, unsure as to whom those steps belonged to, but they got their answer when Greed stepped out of the darkness.
“So you’re here,” Greed said, seeming surprised. “Where are the others?”
“It was getting dangerous, so they both left us here and they went back up,” Martel explained, pushing the helmet away so she could get a better view of the homunculus.
Greed shook his head. “No good. There are too many up there. As soon as they get back we’ll have to plan our escape.”
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”
Everyone turned around, for they didn’t expect to hear another voice so close to them. Al and Martel gasped in shock, for it was the Führer himself. Greed, on the other hand, didn’t seem that impressed.
“Okay, who are you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Sir?!” Al exclaimed.
“Bradley?!” Martel cried out.
That caught Greed’s attention.
“Bradley? As in… Führer Bradley?” he mused, locking his gaze on the approaching newcomer. “That’s interesting. What’s the most powerful man of the State doing here?”
Bradley didn’t bother to answer. In fact, he made a question of his own.
“How old are you?”
Greed stared at Bradley dumbly. “Excuse me?”
“I’m turning 60 this year,” Bradley continued, unsheathing one of his blades without losing a beat in his steadfast walk. “So, you understand, I want this over and done with.”
“Really?” Greed said with a chuckle. “Well, here’s another suggestion, gramps.” And with that, he transformed his right hand into a claw once more. “Retire while there’s still time.”
At the next instant, his claw was chopped off from the rest of his arm and landed on the water with a plopping sound. Greed stared at his arm in stunned confusion, but Bradley didn’t lose any time at all. He placed himself in attack position again; then lunged at the homunculus, slicing him mercilessly.
Now Greed knew that he was in trouble. He didn’t have the time neither to rejuvenate nor harden his body, and though he tried to gain some time with a few feeble attacks of his own, it was of no use. Bradley simply kicked him directly on the chin with such force that he threw Greed right through the wall.
“Curses, what are you?!” Greed exclaimed, trying to get back on his feet.
“That’s not the right question,” Bradley answered coldly, walking through the hole in the wall. “What you should ask yourself is: How can I survive battlefields full of flying bullets without ultimate shields and blades and still rise to this rank?”
With that, in a motion so fluid and fast that it was barely visible, he untied his eye patch to reveal the sign of the ouroboros in his eye.
It was enough to make Greed flinch.
“Now you understand. Just as you have the ultimate shield… I have the ultimate eye,” Bradley said, a cruel smile tugging on his lips. “Now… just how many times do I have to kill you before you die?”
Al didn’t move from where he had sat, trying to hear any kind of unusual noise. Martel, on the other hand, remained inside Al’s armour, unsure what she should do.
“What’s happening? Where’s Greed?” she asked.
Al shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s too dark in here for me to see.”
Suddenly, sparks and the sound of blades swooshing together filled the air, and both boy and woman managed to discern in the darkness the forms of Greed and Bradley, still locked in combat. And, to their surprise, Greed was losing badly.
“Greed!” Martel cried out. But when she tried to get out, Al didn’t let her.
“Are you crazy?! It’s dangerous!”
“Bradley’s killing him!” Martel said. “I have to go!”
“Oh man… Guess my timing sucks, doesn’t it?”
At the sound of that voice, Al and Martel turned around to see Dorochet limping towards them, clutching his side in a weak attempt to stop more blood from flowing out. He could barely hold the sword in his hand, yet he still gripped it out of stubbornness.
“You know,” the dog-chimera said grimly, “I wish I could run but… dogs are too loyal for their own good. They remain at their master’s side till the end, no matter what.” He looked at Alphonse with a thoughtful expression on his features. “Martel, you’re still inside, right?”
The woman didn’t expect that question. Even so, she answered. “Yes.”
“Good.” And with that, Dorochet cut Al’s bonds with his sword.
Al stared at the chimera incredulously. “What are you doing?”
“Please,” Dorochet said, his voice soft... even sad. “Protect her for me. I’m counting on you, okay, kid?”
A gasping sound escaped Martel’s lips. “Dorochet, what…?”
She never got her answer, because it was then that Dorochet let out a terrible cry and rushed forward, wielding his sword wildly as he got swallowed by the darkness of the tunnels.
Martel screamed. “NOOO! Al, let me out!!!”
Al kept his helmet in place. “No!”
“Damn it, I don’t have the time to argue with you now! Let me out!” Martel cried, punching the helmet in the hopes of pushing it out of the way.
“You heard what Dorochet said!”
“Dorochet’s an idiot! Now let me out!”
Al trembled, for he could easily hear the clash of the swords and Martel’s screams of agony were tearing him apart.
“No means no,” he whispered, doing his best to keep his voice from trembling.
“So you expect me to just stay in here and let him get slaughtered?!” Another bang reverberated through Al’s armour. “Let me out! Please!”
The boy couldn’t do that, though. Not while he still heard the clashing.
“OPEN UP!” she shouted again.
Dorochet’s hoarse, pain-filled cry filled the air, and then there was the soft sound of a body – a dead body – hitting the water.
Martel banged on the armour again… but there was no more strength in her.
“I’m begging you…” she whispered tearfully.
Al bowed his head. “No.”
And the sound of fighting ceased altogether.
Pride held both blades tightly, a look of contempt in his eyes as he approached the kneeling Greed.
“That makes it fifteen deaths so far. How many more lives are left in you?”
“Son of a…” Greed stood up once more, looking angrily at the other homunculus. “I’ve got another question for you, Ultimate Eye. How are you gonna pay for what you did to my subordinate?”
Pride raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “You’re actually feeling sympathy for a pawn. That’s foolish.”
Greed scoffed. “Sympathy? Are you kidding me? There’s a reason why I’m called Greed, you know! Money, women and subordinates, all of them belong to me, and I’m not ready to give up my possessions, neither to you or the hag!”
Pride shook his head. “Then your greed is foolish and it needs to be dealt with.” And with that, Pride attacked again, this time pinning Greed on the wall with both blades, killing him again.
“Stay here for now.”
Al looked to his left and right, feeling the quiet that surrounded him now stifling him. Even Martel had grown silent, something that the suit of armour considered a blessing, under the circumstances. There was no telling what would happen if the woman was discovered, and that was something Al couldn’t afford. For Al was always true to his word, and if he was asked to protect someone, then he did.
I have to go up on the surface, Alphonse decided. Once there, he figured, he would get Martel out of him and sent her away. Hopefully, by the time the police force or the military went after her, she would find a good hiding place and perhaps a chance to restart her life somehow.
It was with that thought in mind that the suit of armour moved. However, a very familiar voice stopped him on his tracks.
“What’s the rush, Alphonse Elric?”
If Al were able to, he would have swallowed hard.
“N-nothing,” he stammered, chiding himself for his hesitant tone. Al had never been a good liar, but now it was the time to be one.
“Are you injured?” Bradley asked again, coming closer. His patch was covering part of his face, but Al could still discern the kind smile on the man’s features. “Do you need a hand?”
“No, I’m fine!” Alphonse said at once. “I can walk.”
“Are you sure?” Bradley insisted, offering his hand.
“Yes, I--”
It was then that his arm moved as though on its own accord and grabbed Bradley by the throat. Al gasped in horror, for he knew quite well what was happening.
“Martel, no!”
She didn’t listen to him. With tears of fury trickling down her youthful round visage, she still held Bradley’s throat, doing her best to squeeze his life out of him.
“Stop it, Martel!” Al cried again.
She only stuttered one word. “B-Bradley…”
“Please… Don’t!”
Bradley said nothing. He simply drew another sword from his back and thrust it in one of the armour’s many cracks.
Al screamed as he felt the blood getting splattered inside him, staining everything… including his seal. Excruciating, mind-numbing pain coursed through him as he was suddenly falling into a blackened void from where there was no return. Al tried to fight back, but hands resembling snakes guided him swiftly into a large gate and didn’t let go. Not even when the gate opened and he was shoved inside. Not even when the knowledge with which his head was filled almost overwhelmed him. Not even when he saw a bright presence just ahead of him.
Mother?
Mother!
But it wasn’t her. It was another soul, and it was lying in what appeared to be a deep sleep. It was a soul Al wasn’t supposed to know. Even so, Al was sure that he should know it. Or rather… he would know it much later.
How…?
His hands reached out for the familiar figure. He could almost touch it…
“AL!”
Al blinked, snapping out of what had seemed like a bad dream and finding himself in a room he didn’t know, surrounded by numerous people that were talking amongst themselves… and Ed banging on his armour.
“Damn it, Al! Just answer me!”
Still dazed, Al lowered his gaze in his brother’s direction. “Brother?”
“Of course it’s me, Al! Are you okay?”
But all Al could see now was the red colour that stained his brother’s cheeks.
“You have… blood on your face.” He looked around to get a better glimpse of his surroundings, finally registering that he was back at the Devil’s Nest. “Wh-What happened?”
It was then he noticed it. His chest plate was wide open… and a covered body was sprawled on the floor.
“I’m sorry, Al,” Ed said ruefully. “They had to open you and take her out of you.”
Alphonse shook his head. He caught himself trembling, as a wave of grief and anguish washed through him, replacing the numbness that had grabbed hold of him.
“Al?”
The suit of armour just buried himself in his arms, his tone filled with the tears that he couldn’t shed.
“I couldn’t… save her…”
Ed sighed and patted his brother’s arm. “It’s not your fault, Al.”
“But…”
“Al, we can’t save everyone. You know that, right?”
Al didn’t speak this time. He simply nodded.
“All right,” Ed said. He stood up, careful of the bandages that covered his wounds. “Let’s go now. I need to clean you before we check up on Teacher.”
Al nodded again, but he didn’t even try to lift himself. Armstrong, who had been watching the conversation closely, stepped close and stood beside Edward.
“I can help him, if you want,” he told Ed gently.
Ed looked in Armstrong’s direction in relief. “Yeah. Thanks, Major.”
“Wait a moment.”
Ed and Armstrong turned around and stood in attention, recognising the voice, but Al flinched and bowed his head. Bradley had indeed come into the room, escorted by Lieutenant Colonel Archer. The Führer was back to his usual military attire, and he was now walking towards Ed with quite the stern look in his features.
“Major Elric?”
Al could sense his brother tensing. “Yes, Sir?”
“There’s something I must ask you about the mastermind behind all this,” Bradley asked, getting straight to the point. “Did you negotiate with him?”
“No,” Ed answered at once.
That answer wasn’t enough for Bradley. “Did you get any important information?”
It didn’t take a great mind to see that Ed was now stepping on dangerous ground.
“Nothing that would interest the military,” he replied, choosing his words carefully.
However, it seemed Bradley wasn’t that easily fooled. “Don’t misunderstand me, Major Elric,” he said, his voice cold and business-like. “This isn’t about the military. If you have done any deals with them, then we could even execute you on charges of treason. Now…” and with that, he took another step forward, “Did you make any deals?”
Ed returned the gaze unwaveringly. “None. Any other questions?”
Al caught sight of Armstrong placing a hand on Ed’s shoulder – a sign that he was becoming dangerously defiant in the presence of the Führer. A presence that was now suffocating the young boy.
“Brother… let’s go home…” he said weakly. He couldn’t take anymore of this. He just wanted to get out.
Ed still looked at Bradley, jaw set and all but clenching. “You heard my brother, Sir. He wants to go home. Are there any other questions?”
Bradley smiled. though there was hardly any mirth reflected on his features.
“That’s it. Thank you, Major Elric.”
And he walked out, without looking back.
TBC…
Another policeman looked at his colleague curiously. “What was?”
The first one pointed at the bodies of the chimeras. “Those two… and the Führer.”
“Don’t forget the major,” a third one said with a chuckle, overhearing the conversation.
The second one shrugged indifferently. “I don’t care for slaughtering. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.”
“Well, you have to carry the bodies just like the rest of us,” the first policeman said. “Now grab this guy’s legs.”
The second policeman complied, albeit grudgingly. He walked up to the bull-chimera and knelt down… only to collapse on the ground, sliced in two.
The dog-chimera arose with a grunt, using his blood-coated sword as support. Though he trembled violently, his eyes shone as he got ready his next kill.
The policemen remained rooted on the spot, scarcely believing what they were seeing. “You’re still--?”
That was the last thing either of the officers said. At the next moment, Dorochet made short work of them, slicing them just like a reaper. He didn’t even bother to look at the falling corpses. He simply headed out the corridor, limping and cursing under his breath.
Underneath Devil’s Nest, there was a different kind of world; a maze of darkness and silence. That was the best way to describe the sewer system that was built underground. Now, however, the silence was disturbed by two voices: a woman and a boy’s, both of them arguing and struggling for control of the armour that currently housed them both.
“I have… to get out…”
“Don’t think… about escaping…”
“Let me go!”
Footsteps echoed down the tunnel. Martel and Al looked up in surprise, unsure as to whom those steps belonged to, but they got their answer when Greed stepped out of the darkness.
“So you’re here,” Greed said, seeming surprised. “Where are the others?”
“It was getting dangerous, so they both left us here and they went back up,” Martel explained, pushing the helmet away so she could get a better view of the homunculus.
Greed shook his head. “No good. There are too many up there. As soon as they get back we’ll have to plan our escape.”
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”
Everyone turned around, for they didn’t expect to hear another voice so close to them. Al and Martel gasped in shock, for it was the Führer himself. Greed, on the other hand, didn’t seem that impressed.
“Okay, who are you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Sir?!” Al exclaimed.
“Bradley?!” Martel cried out.
That caught Greed’s attention.
“Bradley? As in… Führer Bradley?” he mused, locking his gaze on the approaching newcomer. “That’s interesting. What’s the most powerful man of the State doing here?”
Bradley didn’t bother to answer. In fact, he made a question of his own.
“How old are you?”
Greed stared at Bradley dumbly. “Excuse me?”
“I’m turning 60 this year,” Bradley continued, unsheathing one of his blades without losing a beat in his steadfast walk. “So, you understand, I want this over and done with.”
“Really?” Greed said with a chuckle. “Well, here’s another suggestion, gramps.” And with that, he transformed his right hand into a claw once more. “Retire while there’s still time.”
At the next instant, his claw was chopped off from the rest of his arm and landed on the water with a plopping sound. Greed stared at his arm in stunned confusion, but Bradley didn’t lose any time at all. He placed himself in attack position again; then lunged at the homunculus, slicing him mercilessly.
Now Greed knew that he was in trouble. He didn’t have the time neither to rejuvenate nor harden his body, and though he tried to gain some time with a few feeble attacks of his own, it was of no use. Bradley simply kicked him directly on the chin with such force that he threw Greed right through the wall.
“Curses, what are you?!” Greed exclaimed, trying to get back on his feet.
“That’s not the right question,” Bradley answered coldly, walking through the hole in the wall. “What you should ask yourself is: How can I survive battlefields full of flying bullets without ultimate shields and blades and still rise to this rank?”
With that, in a motion so fluid and fast that it was barely visible, he untied his eye patch to reveal the sign of the ouroboros in his eye.
It was enough to make Greed flinch.
“Now you understand. Just as you have the ultimate shield… I have the ultimate eye,” Bradley said, a cruel smile tugging on his lips. “Now… just how many times do I have to kill you before you die?”
Al didn’t move from where he had sat, trying to hear any kind of unusual noise. Martel, on the other hand, remained inside Al’s armour, unsure what she should do.
“What’s happening? Where’s Greed?” she asked.
Al shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s too dark in here for me to see.”
Suddenly, sparks and the sound of blades swooshing together filled the air, and both boy and woman managed to discern in the darkness the forms of Greed and Bradley, still locked in combat. And, to their surprise, Greed was losing badly.
“Greed!” Martel cried out. But when she tried to get out, Al didn’t let her.
“Are you crazy?! It’s dangerous!”
“Bradley’s killing him!” Martel said. “I have to go!”
“Oh man… Guess my timing sucks, doesn’t it?”
At the sound of that voice, Al and Martel turned around to see Dorochet limping towards them, clutching his side in a weak attempt to stop more blood from flowing out. He could barely hold the sword in his hand, yet he still gripped it out of stubbornness.
“You know,” the dog-chimera said grimly, “I wish I could run but… dogs are too loyal for their own good. They remain at their master’s side till the end, no matter what.” He looked at Alphonse with a thoughtful expression on his features. “Martel, you’re still inside, right?”
The woman didn’t expect that question. Even so, she answered. “Yes.”
“Good.” And with that, Dorochet cut Al’s bonds with his sword.
Al stared at the chimera incredulously. “What are you doing?”
“Please,” Dorochet said, his voice soft... even sad. “Protect her for me. I’m counting on you, okay, kid?”
A gasping sound escaped Martel’s lips. “Dorochet, what…?”
She never got her answer, because it was then that Dorochet let out a terrible cry and rushed forward, wielding his sword wildly as he got swallowed by the darkness of the tunnels.
Martel screamed. “NOOO! Al, let me out!!!”
Al kept his helmet in place. “No!”
“Damn it, I don’t have the time to argue with you now! Let me out!” Martel cried, punching the helmet in the hopes of pushing it out of the way.
“You heard what Dorochet said!”
“Dorochet’s an idiot! Now let me out!”
Al trembled, for he could easily hear the clash of the swords and Martel’s screams of agony were tearing him apart.
“No means no,” he whispered, doing his best to keep his voice from trembling.
“So you expect me to just stay in here and let him get slaughtered?!” Another bang reverberated through Al’s armour. “Let me out! Please!”
The boy couldn’t do that, though. Not while he still heard the clashing.
“OPEN UP!” she shouted again.
Dorochet’s hoarse, pain-filled cry filled the air, and then there was the soft sound of a body – a dead body – hitting the water.
Martel banged on the armour again… but there was no more strength in her.
“I’m begging you…” she whispered tearfully.
Al bowed his head. “No.”
And the sound of fighting ceased altogether.
Pride held both blades tightly, a look of contempt in his eyes as he approached the kneeling Greed.
“That makes it fifteen deaths so far. How many more lives are left in you?”
“Son of a…” Greed stood up once more, looking angrily at the other homunculus. “I’ve got another question for you, Ultimate Eye. How are you gonna pay for what you did to my subordinate?”
Pride raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “You’re actually feeling sympathy for a pawn. That’s foolish.”
Greed scoffed. “Sympathy? Are you kidding me? There’s a reason why I’m called Greed, you know! Money, women and subordinates, all of them belong to me, and I’m not ready to give up my possessions, neither to you or the hag!”
Pride shook his head. “Then your greed is foolish and it needs to be dealt with.” And with that, Pride attacked again, this time pinning Greed on the wall with both blades, killing him again.
“Stay here for now.”
Al looked to his left and right, feeling the quiet that surrounded him now stifling him. Even Martel had grown silent, something that the suit of armour considered a blessing, under the circumstances. There was no telling what would happen if the woman was discovered, and that was something Al couldn’t afford. For Al was always true to his word, and if he was asked to protect someone, then he did.
I have to go up on the surface, Alphonse decided. Once there, he figured, he would get Martel out of him and sent her away. Hopefully, by the time the police force or the military went after her, she would find a good hiding place and perhaps a chance to restart her life somehow.
It was with that thought in mind that the suit of armour moved. However, a very familiar voice stopped him on his tracks.
“What’s the rush, Alphonse Elric?”
If Al were able to, he would have swallowed hard.
“N-nothing,” he stammered, chiding himself for his hesitant tone. Al had never been a good liar, but now it was the time to be one.
“Are you injured?” Bradley asked again, coming closer. His patch was covering part of his face, but Al could still discern the kind smile on the man’s features. “Do you need a hand?”
“No, I’m fine!” Alphonse said at once. “I can walk.”
“Are you sure?” Bradley insisted, offering his hand.
“Yes, I--”
It was then that his arm moved as though on its own accord and grabbed Bradley by the throat. Al gasped in horror, for he knew quite well what was happening.
“Martel, no!”
She didn’t listen to him. With tears of fury trickling down her youthful round visage, she still held Bradley’s throat, doing her best to squeeze his life out of him.
“Stop it, Martel!” Al cried again.
She only stuttered one word. “B-Bradley…”
“Please… Don’t!”
Bradley said nothing. He simply drew another sword from his back and thrust it in one of the armour’s many cracks.
Al screamed as he felt the blood getting splattered inside him, staining everything… including his seal. Excruciating, mind-numbing pain coursed through him as he was suddenly falling into a blackened void from where there was no return. Al tried to fight back, but hands resembling snakes guided him swiftly into a large gate and didn’t let go. Not even when the gate opened and he was shoved inside. Not even when the knowledge with which his head was filled almost overwhelmed him. Not even when he saw a bright presence just ahead of him.
Mother?
Mother!
But it wasn’t her. It was another soul, and it was lying in what appeared to be a deep sleep. It was a soul Al wasn’t supposed to know. Even so, Al was sure that he should know it. Or rather… he would know it much later.
How…?
His hands reached out for the familiar figure. He could almost touch it…
“AL!”
Al blinked, snapping out of what had seemed like a bad dream and finding himself in a room he didn’t know, surrounded by numerous people that were talking amongst themselves… and Ed banging on his armour.
“Damn it, Al! Just answer me!”
Still dazed, Al lowered his gaze in his brother’s direction. “Brother?”
“Of course it’s me, Al! Are you okay?”
But all Al could see now was the red colour that stained his brother’s cheeks.
“You have… blood on your face.” He looked around to get a better glimpse of his surroundings, finally registering that he was back at the Devil’s Nest. “Wh-What happened?”
It was then he noticed it. His chest plate was wide open… and a covered body was sprawled on the floor.
“I’m sorry, Al,” Ed said ruefully. “They had to open you and take her out of you.”
Alphonse shook his head. He caught himself trembling, as a wave of grief and anguish washed through him, replacing the numbness that had grabbed hold of him.
“Al?”
The suit of armour just buried himself in his arms, his tone filled with the tears that he couldn’t shed.
“I couldn’t… save her…”
Ed sighed and patted his brother’s arm. “It’s not your fault, Al.”
“But…”
“Al, we can’t save everyone. You know that, right?”
Al didn’t speak this time. He simply nodded.
“All right,” Ed said. He stood up, careful of the bandages that covered his wounds. “Let’s go now. I need to clean you before we check up on Teacher.”
Al nodded again, but he didn’t even try to lift himself. Armstrong, who had been watching the conversation closely, stepped close and stood beside Edward.
“I can help him, if you want,” he told Ed gently.
Ed looked in Armstrong’s direction in relief. “Yeah. Thanks, Major.”
“Wait a moment.”
Ed and Armstrong turned around and stood in attention, recognising the voice, but Al flinched and bowed his head. Bradley had indeed come into the room, escorted by Lieutenant Colonel Archer. The Führer was back to his usual military attire, and he was now walking towards Ed with quite the stern look in his features.
“Major Elric?”
Al could sense his brother tensing. “Yes, Sir?”
“There’s something I must ask you about the mastermind behind all this,” Bradley asked, getting straight to the point. “Did you negotiate with him?”
“No,” Ed answered at once.
That answer wasn’t enough for Bradley. “Did you get any important information?”
It didn’t take a great mind to see that Ed was now stepping on dangerous ground.
“Nothing that would interest the military,” he replied, choosing his words carefully.
However, it seemed Bradley wasn’t that easily fooled. “Don’t misunderstand me, Major Elric,” he said, his voice cold and business-like. “This isn’t about the military. If you have done any deals with them, then we could even execute you on charges of treason. Now…” and with that, he took another step forward, “Did you make any deals?”
Ed returned the gaze unwaveringly. “None. Any other questions?”
Al caught sight of Armstrong placing a hand on Ed’s shoulder – a sign that he was becoming dangerously defiant in the presence of the Führer. A presence that was now suffocating the young boy.
“Brother… let’s go home…” he said weakly. He couldn’t take anymore of this. He just wanted to get out.
Ed still looked at Bradley, jaw set and all but clenching. “You heard my brother, Sir. He wants to go home. Are there any other questions?”
Bradley smiled. though there was hardly any mirth reflected on his features.
“That’s it. Thank you, Major Elric.”
And he walked out, without looking back.
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