metal heart║edward elric x reader [fullmetal alchemist]

Chapter 7: In Which You Enter the Trap--I Mean, Unit

A/N: So many people are commenting "Aye, sir!" and "Natsu!", and I'm just sitting here like: "I've never seen or read Fairy Tail, so I have no idea how these references got in here... xD" #accidentalreference

The PJO/ HOO references, on the other hand, are 100% deliberate. B)

Chapter 7: In Which You Enter the Trap--I Mean, Unit

YOU HADN'T EVEN taken off yet, and you were already encountering problems.

"Your waist?" Fullmetal asked, his voice incredulous.

You rolled your eyes. "Yes, Fullmetal. Unless you want to fall off the moment we take off, you have to hold onto my waist."

"Doesn't this thing have seat belts?"

"Only for one person," you explained. "I never planned on letting anyone else ride Festus, so there's only one saddle and one seat belt." The "seat belt" was actually more like a couple of straps around your legs, attached to the length of cloth that went under Festus's belly and held the saddle in place.

"I could transmute myself a seat belt--"

"You're not messing with my stuff! Either hold on, or fall off! Go, Festus!"

"Hey--!"

Festus took off running, and a moment later her wings snapped out and she began to soar upwards. Her body inclined sharply as she rose, almost reaching a 90 degree angle to the ground. Fullmetal yelled and grabbed onto your neck.

"FRICKIN' FLYING FERRETS, LET GO!" you shouted, though how much of that could be understood through Fullmetal's chokehold was questionable.

"You said to hold on!"

"Not to my neck, you imbecile! I can't breathe!"

Festus had leveled out by then, and Fullmetal moved his hands to your waist.

You soared above Central City in silence for a couple minutes, going faster than any car could have. No matter how many times you did this, you knew you would never get tired of being so high up, cutting through the air and feeling it rush past you, nothing but you and Festus...and, this time, Fullmetal.

Speaking of which, you wondered how he was liking his first flying experience. You turned around, half expecting to see him hunched down with his eyes squeezed shut. But that wasn't the case. Fullmetal was sitting up straight, glancing around with wide eyes. His blond hair whipped around his face.

"This is...kinda awesome," he said, and you could hear the wonder in his voice. A smile tugged at your lips.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

Fullmetal turned his gaze to you. "Hey, what's your actual name? I only know you as Maniacal."

"Again, it's Mechanical." You hesitated a moment after that. You were about to say the fake name the Colonel had told you to use, but something stopped you. There couldn't be any harm in telling Fullmetal your real name. There's no way he could have known you before.

"I'm [F/N]," you said finally. "[F/N L/N]."

Fullmetal frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?" you asked.

"I...I thought I remembered something." He shook his head, causing his braid to flop from side to side. "It's gone. Anyway, I'm Edward--"

He stopped speaking abruptly, and when you looked back around to look ahead, you realized why.

You had reached a clump of forested area, a patch of green that looked unusual amongst the streets and rooftops of Central. But what really caught your attention was the building nestled in the midst of the trees.

"That's the Unit," you said grimly. "Festus, bring us down." You didn't have to tell her; she was already spiraling towards the building. You would have liked to land a little bit away and try to sneak up on the Unit, but the trees looked so densely packed that you didn't know if Festus could fit between them, and you didn't want to waste time or risk damaging her any more.

Festus landed with a small jolt on the edge of the clearing. Edward slid off her side; you followed.

The Unit was a rectangle of dark grey concrete, only one story tall and with no visible windows. It bore no mark or insignia of the military. And it was, outside at least, completely deserted.

"The Colonel said it had been attacked," Edward said. "It looks fine to me."

It wasn't what you had been expecting either. "Maybe the damage is inside," you suggested.

"You're sure this is the right place?"

"Of course I am. Let's go check it out." The two of you headed for the building. The crackle of your boots crushing dried leaves was the only sound to be heard.

As you drew near to the doors, a guard in military uniform stepped out from the far side of the building.

"This building is property of the Armestrian military," he said. "Trespassers are not allowed. I must ask you to leave immediately."

"We're with the military," Edward said. He pulled out his silver pocketwatch and held it up for the guard to see. You pulled out yours as well. "We're State Alchemists. We were told the Unit was attacked."

The guard stood up straighter when he saw your watches, and when he spoke it was with greater formality and a note of uncertainty. "I don't know what you mean, sir. There has been no attack."

"Are you sure?" you asked. "Colonel Mustang said there was."

The guard shook his head. "We've had sentries around constantly, and no one has approached."

You and Edward glanced at each other.

"Maybe I did get the wrong place..." you muttered, not wanting to admit you could have messed up. But what other explanation could there be? Unless the Colonel had been wrong...

"Would you like to come inside and speak to the Commander?" the guard asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Edward said. You nodded. Maybe the person in charge could clear things up.

"Follow me, please." The guard produced a ring of keys from his pocket and used one of them to open the doors. You and Edward followed him into a completely white hallway. Panels on the ceiling emitted a bright light and a low electric hum.

There were several doors leading off the hallway, but the guard led you past them to a set of metal panels at the end of the hall. He pressed a button on the wall beside them, and soon the panels parted to reveal a small space inside.

"When you get out of the lift, follow the hallway to the end and knock," the guard said. "The Commander will be delighted to see you."

Something about the way he said delighted disturbed you, but the panels were already beginning to close, so you swiftly joined Edward inside the lift. The last sight you got before the panels snapped shut with a ding! was of the guard's retreating back.

A/N: Vote/ comment if you thought Ed was really adorable in the part when they were riding Festus, because I know I did!