Leave A Scar (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Broken Parts

The Homunculus in front of me grinned, steam rising from between sharp teeth.

My right hand stretched out, the long claws against the back of my fingers responding.

Even with this, even with the new weapon... We were still unmatched, for the first time.

So they'd gotten stronger? Or whoever was making them was just getting better?

I only knew this weapon I had... It was fierce, but would I truly be able to use it?

I didn't know.

I backed up, and behind him, in some distant area of the junkyard they had trapped us in, Ed's automail arm collided with a fierce attack. I briefly saw small parts, and the rest was taken from me as a claw swung in my direction.

Alarms went off in my head, ones deep enough for me to act on as well. Offensive strikes, and with a few slips and strikes, with claws sharp enough, I was able to pierce into the homunculi's flat chest. Dolls. Monsters.

Not humans.

And the Philosopher Stone was pulled out, the thing in front of me dissipating into ash and then that ash flaking into nothing.

We were the same.

After the scream faded, after silence grew, I shot my gaze up at Edward. The homunculi he was dealing with was gone, thankfully, but his arm...

He stayed on all fours, eyes closed, and head bowed. But whatever he was waiting for never happened. He looked up, to the remains of his automail, and scowled.

"Why isn't it working?!"

He pushed himself off the ground, and for a moment his leg gave out. Slipping to the side, a loud creak accompanying it.

It wasn't his leg that was profusely damaged, though. The remnants of his arm was scattered around him. And walking closer, I saw the bolts and shards of his front plate. He picked up broken parts, motions quick and fierce.

"Let's just hurry up and get back to the hotel," he said. "I just need a screwdriver and I'm good."

"But..." Al stepped forward, watching his brother leave with a frown. "Brother, do you really know what you're doing?"

Ed whipped around, and for a moment the length of his hair transfixed me again. Those years, those miles symbolized in each braid.

"I'm fine!" he quipped. "Let's just get back before another one of those freaks get to us!"

So we did. Walking in the shadows, Ed hunched low. His parts rattling in his arms.

I didn't know what to say, but I felt like I was a part of those shadows. Silent, dark, casting a gloom onto everything.

I wanted to think, wanted to wonder what had happened with Winry. But I didn't, and I couldn't, so I wondered nothing until I got to the hotel.

I sat close by, watching him lay everything out on the coffee table, screwdriver flipping between fingers until it was settled in between thumb and forefinger.

Repairing it... after years of not knowing how to?

What was the reason? He didn't even try to use alchemy...

"She makes this look easy," he muttered, fitting one bolt inside his forearms, and I leaned over enough to watch it screw in beside a streak of colorful wires. I tried to sneak a glance at his face, my heart leaping when golden eyes glanced back at me.

"You just gonna watch?" he asked. And then a small smile curved his mouth. "Hand me another bolt. This is simple!"

And within the hour, he was screwing the last bolt, attaching the front plate. His arm flexed, hand coming to a fist, and grinned. "Ha! 'Can't do it,' my ass!" His hand pointed to Al, who stared back at him from the table with bright eyes. "Feels way better than before, that's for sure."

A pause went through the soul in the armored suit, and then those eyes curved, a slight giggle come from him. "Glad you got it all figured out."

Again... I felt so lost. The thought bubble patterned with big dots nearly came above my head, but Ed stood up, hands at his hips.

"So guess we'll lay low and try and catch a night train out of here," he said, walking to the kitchen with his hands in his pockets. "Need to dress a bit differently, I guess."

Al nodded. "Your coat is a bit eye catching."

Ed turned to him, eyebrow perked, and then grinned widely. Mischievously, even. "I was just talking about making it midnight blue or black! Blend in with the environment a little bit!"

I could almost see the drop of sweat on Al's helmet as he sighed. "And here I thought you'd dress normally."

Ed grinned, laughing through the smile he gave us.

About an hour later, Al and I were waiting in the main room. Al had ventured out, returning with a bottle of grey dye; the same bottle Ed was using in the bathroom.

I'd heard the sink fill and then go silent. I waited, bouncing my knee nervously, and eventually Edward emerged, his coat, dyed a dark gray...

It looked... well.... it looked weird!

He raised one brow at me, and then cocked his head to the side, smiling. "What're you starin' at?" he asked, laughter riding underneath his words.

I smiled, eyes closing. "Nothing, Edward," I said, and left it at that.

So, we walked. Sticking underneath shadows of alleyways, strips of light beaming down on us only when they had to. When the sun visors ran out of mass, leaving us in moonlight.

It was easy, moving like this. I had the chance to mold a few more inner-walls. Things that had broken upon seeing Ed fulfill his task of fixing his automail. Putting both Al and I to shame.

I only looked ahead, at the beacon of his flamel insignia. Now encased in such a dark color.

Change was a strange thing, how constant it was.