![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
batsutousaiTitle: Reverti Ad Praeteritum
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood/manga
Author: Batsutousai
Rating: Mature
Pairings: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang, May Chang/Alphonse Elric, Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes, post-Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell
Warnings: Spoilers like whoa, Ed's potty mouth, canon-typical violence, pile 'o OCs, mute!Ed, original character death, angst, fluff, past dub-con, past adultery, Ed has all the guilt
Summary: Unwillingly forced to serve as a human trial for a crazy alchemist experimenting with time travel, Edward Elric finds himself standing across from Truth in the moment it takes his leg from him. Armed with the knowledge of what's to come and burdened with guilt for the choices he'd made as an adult, Ed sets out to fix every mistake he ever made and save every life they ever lost, no matter what it takes.
Key: "Speech" | 'Mouthing words'
'Writing'
:Sign Language:
"In another language" | 'In another language'
Well, Ed was absolutely right about being able to recognise the person Mustang sent to collect them at the station, as it turned out.
:Why did it have to be Führer Bastard, himself?: Ed complained as they walked over to where Mustang was waiting for them, having called out to them at about the same time that Ed and Al had both spotted him. His black coat meant he hadn't stood out in the crowd of commuters in quite the same way as if his uniform had been fully visible, but no way Ed wouldn't have noticed the bastard.
"Edward, Alphonse, welcome to East City," Mustang greeted as they reached him.
"Thank you, sir," Al returned with an uncertain smile. "We didn't expect for you to be the one to come meet us."
:Probably just used it as an excuse to get out of paperwork, the lazy–:
Al smacked his hands with a sigh.
"I had a bit of free time this morning," Mustang offered smoothly, wearing that charmer's smile of his that always made Ed want to punch him. Or kiss him. (Or punch his own mutinous brain, what the fuck?) "If you both have everything, the car is waiting for us on the kerb outside."
"I believe so, sir," Al agreed, touching the shoulder strap of his bag, then the strap across his chest that held the jian sword slung across his back.
Ed shrugged and nodded when his brother looked over at him, not bothering to check his things; he hadn't left anything on a train in almost twenty years.
"This way, then." Mustang led the way out of the station, offering a polite nod to the saluting MPs standing guard by the entrance as they passed.
The only car idling along the kerb was clearly military, which didn't surprise Ed. The man leaning back against the passenger's side door with a lit cigarette also didn't surprise Ed. As the man dropped his cigarette to step on and performed a salute, Ed signed, :Second Lieutenant Havoc,: to his brother.
Al sighed. :You're going to be unbearably smug if he has all the same team, aren't you?:
Ed snorted and shot Al a grin; very likely.
"Boys," Mustang said, drawing their attention, "this is Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, a member of my team. Havoc, Alphonse and Edward Elric."
"Good to finally have faces for the names," Havoc said, offering his hand.
Al bowed in the manner of Xing, then took Havoc's hand. "It's an honour to meet you, Second Lieutenant."
Havoc blinked. "Uh, yeah. That."
When Havoc turned to offer his hand to Ed, looking a little like he didn't know what to expect, Ed couldn't help a laugh. He almost bowed, just for the sheer amusement factor, but he'd been back in Amestris long enough, now, that the Xingan style of greeting was starting to feel weird, especially with people he already knew well enough to have in-jokes with (even if he was the only one who knew the in-jokes), so he just shook Havoc's hand.
Havoc relaxed slightly and looked towards Mustang. "Back to the office, Chief?"
"I'm afraid so," Mustang agreed with a helpless sigh.
Havoc grinned and stepped around the car to the driver's side, while Mustang opened the door to the back seat and motioned Ed and Al inside.
Mustang ended up in the passenger's seat, and he turned around slightly to look back at them. "Xing clearly agreed with you."
Al gave a slightly helpless laugh. "Yeah. Me more than Brother, I think, but he says he wouldn't mind going back, eventually."
Mustang nodded. "I believe Edward said something about their alchemy being different, in his letter?"
Al glanced at Ed, who shrugged and nodded. :I don't remember being specific about how, just that it was different,: he signed to Al.
Al nodded and turned back to Mustang. "Yes. It turns out they use a different energy source to power their transmutations than we do, which made for an interesting and – in all honestly, slightly frustrating, at times – study. Did you know, though, that the man who supposedly modernised their alchemy came from Xerxes, the same as our Philosopher of the East? Their titles are even the same, as what they call their teacher translates, roughly, to the Philosopher of the West."
Mustang blinked. "That's interesting. I wonder if they were contemporaries."
Ed snorted. :That's one thing to call them.:
"We could try matching up the years, I suppose," Al said, ignoring Ed, "though our clan didn't really have any exact dates. Elder Qiang said they should have a proper timeline in the Imperial City, but there was never any reason for us to leave our own lands."
:We couldn't have, not with all the assassination attempts,: Ed pointed out.
:And attempted thefts,: Al reminded him.
:Please. So far as the Xingan politics are concerned, it's the same thing.:
Al sighed and nodded. :I know.:
Mustang watched them for a moment, his expression impossible to read and his qi that forced calm that Ed had really only found in the best fighters, then he offered a faint smile. "I admit, I'm a little jealous of your opportunity to visit Xing; I'm told my grandfather would wax poetic about the countryside for hours, if given half the chance."
In the rear-view mirror, Ed caught Havoc shooting a vaguely surprised look in Mustang's direction. He knew the feeling; he had never once heard the bastard mention his family.
Al blinked. "Your grandfather, sir?"
Mustang nodded. "He was Xingan. A member of the...Meng clan, I believe?"
Mustang was part Xingan? Well, Ed supposed he did have the right colouring, and his eyes were a little narrower than commonly found in Amestris, but the rest of his facial structure was clearly western.
"Meng?" Al repeated, looking at Ed.
Ed blinked and ran through his mental list of the clans, something he'd cared far more about than Al. :Southern clan,: he signed when he placed the name with a specific clan. :Not quite coastal, but that area. We never had anything to do with them.:
"Brother says the Meng clan is down south, closer to the coast," Al explained. "We were farther north. A straight shot east from Youswell."
Mustang let out a thoughtful hum and turned to face front as they slowed to be waved through the carpool entrance. Once they were through and Havoc was looking for a spot to park, Mustang admitted, "I'm afraid I don't know much about the layout of Xing."
"Uh, large and sprawling?" Al blurted out.
Ed and Havoc both laughed, while Mustang sent Al an amused look.
:That was a classic me,: Ed signed. :Give me back my voice.:
:Shut up!: Al returned, clearly embarrassed. "S-sorry about that, sir. I can't tell you about most of the country, but I know some about the lands that border the Great Desert, if you're really interested."
"I may take you up on that, Alphonse," Mustang agreed with a faint smile.
Havoc finally pulled into a spot and they all climbed out, Mustang taking the lead on the way through the car park and into the command building. Ed and Al followed along directly behind him, Ed grabbing Al's shoulder so he could steer him out of the way of any traffic, which gave his brother the chance to look around without worrying about getting run over.
Havoc took up the rear – to keep him and Al from wandering off and getting lost, Ed would bet – and he said, "Been told you can't talk," to Ed.
Ed glanced back at him and nodded.
"Huh. That's shit."
Ed shot him a smile and shrugged; he'd got used to it and learnt to adapt, just as Havoc had once had to do when he'd lost the ability to walk. Not that Havoc had suffered that particular misery, yet, and Ed fully intended to keep it that way, if he could.
Mustang led the way into the outer office and stepped to the side to let Ed and Al in, Havoc slipping in behind them and closing the door. Familiar faces looked up from piles of paperwork, and it was a struggle for Ed to keep a wide grin off his face.
"These are the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse," Mustang told everyone, before looking down at Ed and Al. "Boys, this is my office team. You may remember First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." She nodded to them in greeting, which Ed and Al returned. "Next to her is Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda, then Warrant Officer Vato Falman, and across from Falman is Sergeant Major Kain Fuery."
Al swallowed and bowed. "It's an honour to meet you all," he said.
Breda and Fuery both looked a bit helplessly towards Havoc, who shrugged, having had no more idea how to respond to Al than they did.
Hawkeye stood and walked over with that smile that she always seemed to have in store for when Al was being his most polite. "It's good to see you again, Alphonse," she said, holding out her hand.
"Oh, uhm, you too, ma'am," Al returned, taking her hand. "Though, I–" He grimaced and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I don't really remember you all that well, honestly. Winry's the one who told me who you were." Which was a lie, but a well-told one, and Ed wouldn't be surprised to learn that Winry had told Al something about Hawkeye.
"That's fine," she promised. "I know you were a little out of sorts that day."
Al let out a helpless sort of laugh. "That's putting it nicely, ma'am."
Hawkeye turned to Ed, then. "Edward," she said, inclining her head to him.
Ed offered her a knowing smile as he nodded back, then held his hand out, which she took. He motioned with his free hand behind his head, then pointed to her.
She blinked once, then reached back and touched her longer hair. "Oh, my hair?" He nodded. "Yes, I grew it out a bit."
He gave her a thumbs up, because he really did think the long hair suited her, though that might just be because that's what he was used to.
Her smile widened. "Thank you."
"I'm a little creeped out, now," Al muttered in Xingan.
Ed raised an eyebrow at him. :I'm allowed to think she looks better with longer hair. Also, SMUG.:
Al groaned. :I hate you.:
:S-M–:
Al smacked at his hands and quickly signed, :Stop.:
:–U-G,: Ed finished with a wide grin.
Mustang cleared his throat. "Something we should know?"
Al winced, his cheeks pinking slightly. "No, sir. Brother's just being childish," he said, shooting Ed a pointed look.
:I reserve the right to hold my awesome over your head at a later date,: Ed informed his brother.
:So what else is new,: Al signed, even as he asked Mustang, "Is there anything special we need to know about the exam, sir?"
Mustang motioned for them to follow him into his inner office, saying, "There are three parts to the exam: a written exam, a psychological exam, and the practical. From what I've seen of your work already, I'm certain you'll manage the practical portion fine, and very likely the written, especially with knowledge of Xingan alchemy." He motioned them towards the couches and closed the door as they both sat. "Are there any psychological concerns that are likely to flag?" he asked, looking between them.
Ed and Al traded looks before both shaking their head and turning back to Mustang. "No, sir," Al said quietly. "Some bad nights, but I don't think the military can really hold that against us."
Mustang shook his head as he walked around the couches to his desk. "No. They're mostly ensuring they don't give anyone looking to overthrow the government or hurt people a licence. Which reminds me." He pulled open the top drawer of his desk and pulled something out. "I have something for you, Edward."
Ed blinked and offered his brother's curious look a shrug, uncertain what was going on, but gamely stood and walked up to the bastard's desk. Mustang held out what appeared to be a single photo, and when Ed turned it around to get a good look at it, his breath caught.
It was a picture of Elicia Hughes and Nina Tucker, curled up together on what he recognised as one of the couches in the Hughes family's living room. Gracia was leaning over the back of the couch, a fond smile on her face, as she looked down at the two of them.
Nina was safe.
Ed had to catch himself on Mustang's desk as the wash of relief turned his real leg to jelly.
"Brother?" Al called, worried, while Mustang reached across his desk, like he thought he might need to catch Ed.
Ed took a deep breath and pushed away from the desk, then bowed as lowly as he trusted his shaky leg to let him, pressing the photo against his chest.
"What is it?" Al asked, shifting on the couch.
"A photo of a girl your brother asked me to help out," Mustang offered, almost sounding uncertain.
"Nina?" Al guessed.
Ed nodded as he straightened, holding the photo out to his brother. :She's with Hughes' family,: he signed, once Al had taken it, though he was watching Ed, instead of looking at the photo. :Nina's the one with the braids, and the younger girl is Elicia. And that's Gracia. She's safe.: He turned back towards Mustang as Al finally looked down at the photo. :Thank you,: he signed, though he knew the bastard wouldn't understand.
Mustang was still for a moment, then he slowly signed back, :You're welcome.:
Ed felt his eyes widening. What?
Something like victory gleamed in Mustang's dark eyes. :You owe me some explanations, I believe.:
Mustang knew sign language? How? When? Why?
Ed turned around and kicked Al's foot, bringing him to frown up at him in confusion. :Why the fuck does Führer Bastard know sign language?:
Al blinked in confusion. "Huh?" He glanced towards Mustang briefly, then back at Ed. "Uhm, well, when you asked me to deliver your letter, remember? You said specifically to him or the lieutenant, and I happened to see him while we were looking for books, so I handed it over. He wanted to know what we were looking for, and since you... Well, you trust him, so I didn't see any harm in telling him about learning sign language."
Ed moaned and hid his face in his hands. He should have seen this happening, really. No way Mustang could have been comfortable taking on a mute subordinate without an easier way to communicate than writing shit down. Or, you know, trusting in an interpreter.
Still. Ed had kind of been banking on Al being the only person in the office who understood him. Not that he'd been planning to have any really private conversations around anyone in the military, but it would have been nice to be able to have at least some conversations around Mustang without the bastard knowing what he was saying.
He sighed and rubbed at his face. Pros. He could have completely silent discussions with Mustang almost anywhere, which may well serve them in some situations, especially those that called for absolute silence. And if he got stuck without Al, he wouldn't have to try interpretive dance to get a point across to the bastard. Fuck, Mustang knowing meant there were now three people he trusted, without question, who he could communicate with. And if Mustang knew...
Ed turned and levelled a hard look on the bastard, who had settled behind his desk and was hiding behind his hands; that was something he was going to get a lot less use out of, if he wanted to respond to Ed with sign language. :Who else knows it?:
Mustang watched him for a moment. "Lieutenant Hawkeye," he said, before nodding towards Al, "and the man who took that photo."
:Lieutenant Colonel Hughes,: Ed signed, :your best friend.:
Mustang's eyes narrowed. :Equivalent exchange.:
"Brother?" Al asked quietly.
Ed glanced over and gently took the photo from his brother's hands, then walked back to his couch to sit down. He sat the photo on the table between the couches, in a place he could easily see it, then turned to his brother. :You're going to have to translate names,: he warned, because Mustang didn't know the sign-names Al, Winry, and Ed had attached to various people, likely had entirely different versions for some of them.
Al's jaw tightened. :You're certain?:
:He was one of our greatest allies against the Dwarf in the Flask,: Ed reminded him, because he'd told Al that Mustang had managed to kill Lust and fought with them on the Promised Day. :I trust him, and I need him to trust me.:
Al gave a sharp nod. :Okay.:
Ed took a deep breath and turned to look at Mustang, found him watching them with sharp, too-intelligent eyes. It was reassuring, a bit, that the bastard wasn't trying to hide exactly how scarily clever he was, for once. A little freaky – Ed hadn't realised until everything came crashing down around their heads, the first time, that his CO wasn't nearly as lazy or stupid as he all-too-often appeared – but reassuring; Mustang wasn't taking this as a joke, and he was willing to listen.
:As unbelievable as it might seem,: Ed started, and there was never a good way to break this to people without making him sound a little bit cracked, :when I was twenty-nine, I got caught up in an array that sent me back to the moment I attempted human transmutation. I look fourteen, but I don't think of myself that way. Everything that I knew when I was twenty-nine – every language, every array, every face and name that I couldn't possibly know – I do.:
Mustang's hands clenched together, and then he separated them and slowly signed, :If you had told me that seventeen months ago, I would have kicked you out. But, in your letter, you told me that man would create a chimera that would be able to talk, and then you told me EXACTLY what it said, and how it died.:
Ed gave a silent little huff of a laugh, not even a little amused. :Before, we only realised what he'd done after he fused Nina with the family dog. There was no way to separate them. I...: He looked down at the photo on the table, at Nina sleeping peacefully next to Elicia. :I never forgave myself for not realising sooner.: He looked back up at Mustang. :Thank you. Honestly.:
Mustang gave a brief nod to that, very clearly uncertain what to do with Ed's gratitude.
Ed offered him a quick, knowing smile, then sighed. :In the car, Al mentioned the Philosophers from the East and West.: Mustang nodded. :They weren't just contemporaries, they were the only two beings to survive Xerxes' destruction.:
Mustang's eyes widened. :I thought no one had survived.:
Ed couldn't help a bitter smile. :Xerxes was destroyed because the Philosopher from the East wanted to turn himself into a Philosopher's Stone.: When comprehension didn't dawn – Ed didn't really expect it to; Mustang hadn't known much about the Stones, before – he signed, :Philosopher's Stones are made from living humans.: And there it was, horrified comprehension. :Half of the people of Xerxes went into each of them. The one who went to Xing was an unwilling accomplice, but the one who came here was the one who created and activated that array, knowing exactly what he was doing.
:And, in a little under a year and a half, he intends to do it again.:
"Here," Mustang whispered, his voice cracking.
Ed nodded. :We call him the Dwarf in the Flask, but he refers to himself as Father. He sits underground in Central, directly beneath Command, and waits for his Promised Day, while the homunculi he created see to the preparations. One of those homunculi is our Führer.:
Mustang slowly reached up and tapped down four fingers on his shoulder, over his rank marking, then pointed at his eyes.
Ed nodded again. :He knows you want his seat, from what you told me, once. But homunculi are created with a Philosopher's Stone, and they regenerate from even the most grievous of wounds. It's possible to kill them, but difficult as fuck, and we never come through unscathed.:
:But it can be done.:
:You once burnt one to death, nearly did it again to another one, and the Armstrong siblings managed to kill one working together.:
Mustang swallowed. :How many are there?:
:They're named after the sins,: Ed offered, :so seven. But one of them, Greed, left the whole lot of them years ago and is currently living in a pub in Dublith. So long as we leave him alone, he'll leave us alone.: Ed swallowed. :All of them have an ouroboros tattooed somewhere on their body.:
:Hence your warning to run.:
:Yes. And they all have one extraordinary ability. King Bradley – Wrath – has what he called the 'ultimate eye', which allows him to see any attacks coming, from any angle, so long as there isn't an obstruction he can't see through in the way. Lust has fingers that can extend extreme distances and have sharp tips. Anything Gluttony swallows goes to an alternate dimension that is fucking HELL to get out of. Sloth has extreme speed and incredibly thick skin; he once took a direct attack from a Briggs tank to the stomach and it didn't make a dent.:
Mustang squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at them, and Ed stopped signing and waited him out; he knew all too well how difficult to process all of this could be. After a moment, he let out a harsh breath and opened his eyes again, signing, :Greed isn't a concern, you said, so that leaves two.:
Ed sighed and nodded. :Envy is a shape-changer.: He couldn't stop from looking over at the photo on the table again, grit his teeth, and signed, :He wanders around Central Command in disguise, to obtain information, and he was the person who shot the child in Ishval.:
Mustang jerked at that. "You're absolutely–"
:He told me himself, and then he laughed,: Ed signed with a flat stare. :He can do animals as well as people, be aware. Al and I should be able to tell when he's nearby, but consider working out some sort of hand motion or phrase with your team and Hughes, in case you need to be certain who you're talking to.:
Mustang's expression was grim. :We'll figure something out,: he promised. :But my team is clean?: There was worry in his eyes, and Ed knew it was because he didn't want to have to get rid of the team that he'd come to like over the years.
Ed swallowed and managed a smile that ached. :Those five are the most loyal military team I have ever known. They will commit treason in your name, if you give them reason to, and they will follow you straight to the top without any hesitation.:
Mustang blinked a few times in rapid succession. :Good,: he signed. :That's a relief to know.: He cleared his throat and shook his head slightly. :We're still missing Pride?:
Ed couldn't keep his jaw from clenching, while Al quietly said, "Selim Bradley."
Mustang stared between them like he couldn't quite believe that, couldn't wrap his head around it.
Ed whistled and, when Mustang looked at him, grimly signed, :I told you to beware the shadows, because his ability is to become them. He does need light to do it, and his reach is limited, but we never discovered exactly how limited. Assume he can cover the whole of whatever city he's in, and blanket yourself in darkness if you want to be certain you're safe.:
Mustang let out a quiet huff that could have almost been amusement, if not for the twisted not-smile turning his mouth. "Monsters, monsters, everywhere," he murmured, before shaking his head. :You mentioned something about military high command being corrupt?:
:The Dwarf in the Flask has told them he'll make them all immortal if they assist with his plans. He's lying, but they're desperate enough, and probably scared enough of him, they're not questioning the validity of his promises. Assume everyone in Central is corrupt.: He shrugged. :Grumman and the Ice Queen are both clean, but I don't know about anyone else.:
Mustang gave a tight nod. :Those are still some powerful allies.:
Ed managed a smile at that. :They are that.: He glanced at Al, then offered, :We'll also have the Philosopher of the West as an ally, when he finally shows his stupid, useless–:
"Brother," Al complained. To Mustang, he explained, :Our father.:
Mustang blinked once, then his eyes went wide. He opened his mouth, then apparently thought better, because he signed, :Your FATHER is a Philosopher's Stone?:
Ed huffed. :According to him, his body is unaffected, so we're normal humans, though members of an almost extinct race.: He shook his head. :I would rather as few people know as possible. I left him a note telling him to use an assumed name to get in contact with us, and to do so through your office.:
Mustang frowned at that and pulled over a piece of paper and a pen. "What's the name?"
:H-O E-L-R-I-C.:
Mustang nodded and promised, "I'll make sure everyone knows to keep an ear out for him."
Ed nodded. :There's also one other ally we're going to need to wait to show his head, but it won't be easy to get him on our side. He nearly killed me a handful of times, and I still don't quite know why he changed his tune.:
Mustang sighed. :Why do I get the feeling I won't like this?:
Ed smiled at him, and it felt wretched on his face. :He's Ishvalan.: Mustang flinched. :And he's made it his life's goal to kill every single State Alchemist.:
Mustang rubbed at his eyes again. "Wonderful." He looked back at Ed and signed, :Why do we need him?:
:The Dwarf in the Flask has a way to block the ability to do Amestrisan alchemy,: Ed signed, and Mustang's eyes went wide. :That Ishvalan's brother created an array to counteract that, but I don't know where he hid the notes. I have a general idea of what the array looked like, and I MIGHT be able to recreate it, with a great deal of work, but he's also the one who killed Bradley, so I'd rather have him on our side.:
"The enemy of my enemy," Al added quietly.
Mustang nodded, his expression grim.
Ed took a deep breath, then signed, :What I said, before, about not snooping? Hughes was killed for knowing too much.:
Mustang stiffened. "Killed?"
Ed nodded. :I'm willing to fill him in, so he doesn't accidentally stumble across the information that made him a target, but not in Central.: He sighed, then added, :Like I told you, those guys out there–: he waved towards the door to the outer office :–and Hughes, they're nothing, to the homunculi. If they're caught digging, they will be killed. If you need to fill them in, it's probably best to only tell them what they need to know, and tell them to come to you for anything more.:
Mustang clenched his jaw and nodded.
Ed took a deep breath, then signed, :If someone needs proof, or they need information I don't have, Al or I will get it.:
Mustang straightened. "You are not about to go putting yourselves in danger–"
"We won't be," Al interrupted quietly, his mouth downturned and his eyes sad. "They need Brother and me."
Ed nodded and, when Mustang turned to him, explained, :The Dwarf in the Flask needs five alchemists who have performed human transmutation to activate his array. Al and I are two, our father is a third, and, if they find out about her, our teacher will be the fourth. If they catch any of us snooping, they'll attempt to find leverage so we keep our mouths shut and our heads down, but they won't kill us.:
Mustang continued watching him for a moment and, when Ed didn't add anything more, asked, :The fifth?:
:There isn't one. The State Alchemist program was created to find alchemists strong enough to survive human transmutation or, better, who had already done it. Right now, there's only four people alive in Amestris who have attempted human transmutation, to my knowledge.:
Mustang narrowed his eyes. :Right now?:
Ed swallowed. :They will force someone to perform human transmutation, if necessary.:
"Who?" Mustang demanded, a faint tremor in his voice, his qi pulling in close and streaked through with a sort of haunted certainty.
Ed pointed at him.
Mustang closed his eyes and nodded. "I see." He drew in a slow breath and pressed his hands against the top of his desk, his qi returning to that forced calm with only hints of stress and a grim sort of fear hidden underneath. "For the exam," he said, didn't quite manage the casual business tone Ed was used to hearing while the bastard delivered orders or directions, but it was a fair attempt, "we'll be heading up to Central City. The military will pay for your train tickets there and back to East City, as well as lodgings in Central City while you're taking the exam, but everything else will need to be out of pocket. Is that going to be a problem?"
Ed and Al glanced at each other, Al biting his lip, while Ed frowned; they'd found some extra money stuffed into each of their packs on the train, clearly left by the Curtises, which would be enough to cover food and a hotel in East City for about two days, by Ed's calculations, or two to three days' worth of food in Central City. As with the train ticket, there was some uncertainty about actually accepting what had been given in spite of Teacher's disapproval of their intended course, but they really didn't have a lot of options left to them.
"How long until we leave for Central?" Al asked.
Mustang frowned and pulled a paper over from one of the smaller stacks. "There's a train leaving tonight, which I may be able to manage." He shot them a knowing look. "Limited funds?"
Al sighed and nodded. "Brother used most of what Mum left us to buy supplies for travelling to Xing. We saved enough for a couple train trips inside Amestris, once we got back, and our teacher slipped us some extra when we visited her, but it's still not much. The sooner we can get our licences, the better."
Mustang inclined his head. "Then we'll aim for tonight's train."
:You probably have work to avoid doing, then,: Ed signed with a smirk.
Mustang blinked, then relaxed back into his chair with a quiet huff, amusement glinting in his eyes and curling around the edges of his qi. "You two are welcome to remain in the outer office and distract my team, or go out into the city to sightsee, as is your preference. The train is due to leave at eighteen-hundred; I suggest you not be late."
"We won't be, sir," Al promised as he stood, then bowed. "Thank you for being so accommodating."
Mustang straightened and inclined his head as Ed stood. "Thank you for accepting my offer." He looked at Ed. "Edward, you're welcome to keep that photo."
Ed blinked and picked up the photo; it hadn't even occurred to him, really, that Mustang would let him have it. Though, thinking about it now, with as freely as Hughes handed out photos of his family, he expected Mustang had a pile somewhere, and giving this one to Ed was hardly going to be a loss. (Hell, he didn't even know for sure that the bastard actually kept the massive amount of photos that experience suggested Hughes forced on him.) He pulled out his journal and slipped the photo inside, signing, :Thank you,: once he'd slipped his journal back away in his sash.
Mustang offered him a faint smile, there and gone almost too quick to believe it was real. "Please send Lieutenant Hawkeye in for me," he requested, reaching for one of the piles of paper on his desk.
"Of course, sir," Al promised, and led the way from the inner office. "Lieutenant Hawkeye?" he called.
She stood from her desk. "You're done?"
"Yes, ma'am. The colonel asked us to send you in."
She nodded and stepped around the group of desk. "Thank you, Alphonse."
Al inclined his head, then turned to Ed. :What do you want to do?:
Ed shrugged. :We should probably let them work, so Hawkeye doesn't shoot anyone, and I wouldn't mind getting some food.:
Al's mouth quirked. :I wouldn't mind some lunch, either,: he admitted. :Do you have some place in mind?:
Ed nodded and started for the door to the hall, walking sideways so Al could see him signing, :There's a really good café about two blocks down that's pretty cheap.:
"Oh, you boys are leaving?" Havoc called.
Ed glanced over and found Al giving the man an easy smile. "Yeah. Brother says he's hungry, and we'd both kind of like to get a feel for the city before the train to Central."
"Do you need a guide?"
Al shrugged. "I'm sure we'll be fine. And if we do end up getting lost, it shouldn't be too hard to find someone willing to give us directions to the station, right?"
"I guess," Havoc agreed. "Be careful, though, okay? There's some nasty parts to this city."
Al's smile widened and he reached back to tap the hilt of his jian sword. "I appreciate the warning, but I think we'll manage." Then he turned back to Ed and motioned for him to lead the way out.
In the hallway, Al signed, :I think I understand, now, why it always annoys you when people treat you like a child.:
Ed snorted. :You ARE a child, Al,: he pointed out, and Al shoved him. :But, yes. Havoc means well, but all he knows about us is that we're kids who have been to Xing and are alchemists. And I'm mute. Not a one of them knows we've had martial arts training, to what extent, or even what we can do with alchemy.:
Al sighed and nodded. :I guess we'll just have to prove we're more capable than we look, then.:
Ed laughed. :You really ARE starting to sound like me.:
Al grimaced and shoved him again. :Just shut up, Brother.:
01 || 02 || 03 || 04 || 05 || 06 ||
11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 18 || 19 || 20
21 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 25 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29 || 30
.