The General gritted his teeth as he stumbled through the dark as quickly as his body could move. Warm liquid seeped through his sweatshirt and out of the hole in his shoulder, and he grasped the wound to prevent the bleeding as best as possible. He almost thanked the Homunculus who wounded him for dragging him closer to the Central Command Center, where phone booths surrounded the outskirts of the building. Then again, there wasn't much to thank it for considering the physical state it put him in.
General Maes Hughes was a good man. A man who spoiled his daughter to hell and loved his wife endlessly. He was a man who helped his best friend raise a child that he had grown fond of, though the poor soul had known nothing about raising children. He was a man who offered a place to stay in his domestic home to friends, acquaintances, and strangers the moment he discovered they didn't have a place to stay. He pushed his own tasks aside to help a pair of brothers throughout their journey and a young girl who was struggling with self discovery. He was bubbly, kind, and incredibly level headed. He was a good man.
As his vision went blurry, eyes focusing and unfocusing as he shuffled to a phone booth in sights, he thought back to all the things he'd spent time doing in the military. Everything that led up to him getting chased down by an artificial human, one who had the ability to morph its body into anyone they desired. Everything that led up to him being dragged away, him managing to pull his gun to shoot and break free, to being shot in the arm as he ran away in search of someone. Anyone.
He had to talk to Roy. He had to tell him what was happening, and how Pride was unleashed onto the country of Amestris. He managed to distract the Homunculi, for what it was worth. He just hoped that he could stay alive to tell Roy about the incident in detail. He was going to stay alive, dammit. For Elicia, for Gracia. He had to stay alive.
"Come on, come on," he grunted to himself as he dragged his weight into the phone booth. His blood stained hand left prints on the door and the phone handles. He leaned his body against the glass, looking around for the Homunculus that had been right behind him only moments ago. Maes panted, tilting his head back and waiting for Roy's home phone to pick up. His hazel eyes darted around the empty area. It was far too empty for his liking.
"Hello, Colonel Mustang residence."
"Roy," Maes gasped, hissing and moving the phone to press between his ear and shoulder so that he could hold his wound. The soft sound of blood dripping resounded throughout the small booth.
"Hughes, is that you? What's wrong?!"
"Listen! Lust found out about us, Havoc and Ed are likely being exposed to Pride right now. I got pulled away-"
Time seemed to stop when a cool metal pressed against the side of his head. Maes gulped, chest rising and falling erratically. The world started spinning as his very life seemed to flash before his eyes. He could feel the eerie smile burning into him from the side and Roy's voice shouting his name over and over again grew muffled, as if it had been submerged under water.
Maes slowly moved his eyes to the side, and his stomach twisted at the sight he saw. Standing at his side, with a gun to his temple, was the figure of his beloved wife. Her light golden brown hair, her green eyes, and soft peach skin all looked identical to Gracia's features, except it all felt horribly inhumane and cold. The look in her suddenly strange eyes told him that this was not his wife, and that he was not going to make it home to dinner.
"Roy," he cut off the Flame Alchemist's panicked voice. He breathed in and closed his eyes, a lump forming in his throat. "Don't do anything crazy. Please."
Maes hung up.
"That was rather smart of you," his wife's mouth moved, but the voice that came from it was far from hers.
"Please," he shuddered. The image of his beautiful daughter popped into his head as he squeezed his arm tighter. "I have a family to get to."
"I'm sure you do," the Homunculus sighed, scratching the side of its face with its free hand while glancing down at the picture of Maes and his wife and daughter that had fallen to the ground. "But you know far too much, all because of that damn traitor and that Flame Alchemist. Far too many of you know about us now, so... this'll be their warning to keep their mouths shut."
Maes was ready to fight after those words registered in his brain. He had to keep going, to do something to show that his life was valuable- his life was not meaningless. It could not be tossed to the side and stepped on by a creature who thought so little of him.
The Homunculus watched as Maes reached his bloody hand into his holster to retrieve his gun. It hummed, taking a step back and removing the weapon from his head to give him a chance to shoot him. A clear angle.
Maes twisted his body around and gripped his gun, aiming it at the mother of his child. His eyes were glossed over and his breaths were ragged. His head tilted downward to get the best angle, and he was set. The Homunculus and the General faced each other, guns pointed. The Homunculus cocked its brow, holding its weapon stably as Maes' hands shook with hesitation.
That one split second, the smallest look of regret flashing in his eyes cost him everything.
The Homunculus shook its head, basking in its ability to predict Maes' hesitance.
"Humans," he scoffed, pulling the trigger.
As Maes lay in the corner of the booth, bleeding out from his devastating wounds, he cursed himself. He wished he had done more, helped more people. Kissed his wife longer before he went to work that morning. Told his daughter how much Daddy loved her ten times more than he had. Thanked Roy for being the best friend he could ever have. Assured Edward and Alphonse that they would find their original bodies. Given (Y/n) more helpful advice. Commended Shesca for all the hard work she had done on his behalf. Laughed with Armstrong harder than he had before. Fought harder, lived longer.
General Maes Hughes was a good man, one of the best men that had stepped foot into Central City. He was one of the good ones, as people would say. One who would always look for ways he could have done more even after he had done everything he could.
As the light faded from his eyes and he inhaled shakily, he apologized to his family once more for being unable to tell them that everything would be alright one last time. His head slumped to the side, and a long exhale escaped his lips as a silent tear trailed down his cheek.
The trees' leaves shivered and the wind howled in mourning of the good man the world had just lost.
Edward walked close to Alphonse as they traveled into the dark, decrepit hallway that trailed underneath Central Command. They were sure to walk around the permanent blood stains and bone fragments in their path as they tried to ignore the glowing red eyes beaming down on them from above. Edward glared into the back of the head of the large Homunculus that led them deeper down the hall. His name was Gluttony, the one that had been waiting for them at the gate while Bradley did what he could to get Havoc moving. The man had passed out due to blood loss, so the head of the military had to carry him over his shoulder.
"Brother," Alphonse started, causing Edward to look up at him. He could tell that his younger sibling was a little frightened by the way his voice quivered. "Where's the General?"
Edward frowned, a pit forming in his stomach once more. "I'm not sure. I watched him get pulled away by someone, and by someone I mean Envy. At least, I'm pretty sure it was. He's the only Homunculus that can shape shift."
"Are you serious? Do you think he'll be okay?"
"I just have to tell myself that he will. He's the General, he knows what he's doing more than I do. He has to be alright."
Gluttony hiccuped, in a similar fashion to how a child would if they were hiding something they weren't supposed to and afraid of getting caught. Edward didn't like the timing of that sound, nor the manner of it. If Hughes was in some type of danger, there was no way he could know how to get to him or where he even was. Edward was given orders to visit the Father, and he had no idea what would happen if he decided to disobey those commands and search for Maes instead. They all went into this, knowing that there would be risks. Ed just had to trust that Hughes was prepared enough to handle Envy.
"He's just in here," Gluttony said, his tone brightening slightly as if he were proud to talk of his Father. Edward and Al looked up at the tall, dark double doors caked with rust and traces of alchemy.
"You're sure your Father's just behind this door?" Alphonse asked, looking down at the childish Homunculus who nodded.
"He's been eager to talk to you today. He's just a little disappointed that your friend didn't come with you."
Al and Ed stiffened. Neither of them appreciated the likes of this Father guy being so interested in their close friend, Ed least of all. These Homunculi despised (Y/n), yet somehow she's all they bothered to talk about. How one person could get under an immortal being's skin so easily was beyond Ed, and he didn't like how they would refer to her like she was either a resource or a pain in the neck. They had no right.
The Elrics shuffled closer together subconsciously as Gluttony pushed the doors open. The room was cold, giving off an uncomfortable aura. It was rather barren except for some tubes of unidentifiable liquid and a pile of alchemic books on a level stone shelf. There was a staircase leading upward behind an occupied throne connected to more long metal pipes and tubes. The figure sitting in it glanced upward, and lifted his head upon seeing unfamiliar faces behind Gluttony.
The Elric boys' movements stuttered as they stopped midway into the room and caught a glimpse of the supposed Father of the Homunculi. His skin was much more wrinkled, his eyes more sunken, and his blonde hair a tad paler, but there was no mistaking it. This man was this spitting image of Van Hohenheim. Their father.
The figure who never moved much decided it would be best to get a better look at those who would pose as his human sacrifices. He stood from his chair slowly, as if the Elrics' time was nothing that concerned him. He lifted his hand to his chin and walked up to the boys. Gluttony watched with excited eyes, moving out of the way to give Father a chance to examine the blonde boy and the uninhabited suit of armor more closely.
Alphonse was utterly confused while Edward looked ready to tear the man to shreds. They both uttered the name of their own father at the same time, wondering how what was standing before them could be possible.
Father showed no expression in his face as he looked down at Edward with piercing eyes. He noticed the blood drenching his clothes. "You? Are you hurt?"
"W-What?" Edward asked. "Hold on just a minute, who the hell are you and why do you look exactly like Van Hohenheim?!"
"Van Hohenheim, you say..." he muttered slowly. "How exactly do you know of that man?"
"He's... he's our father," Alphonse said reluctantly, and Edward gritted his teeth at the phrase.
Father almost laughed, having not expected his prime candidates for sacrifice to be related in this manner. This puny world truly was small, and all the more reason for him to want to reach out to something bigger.
"You don't say..." he gazed at Edward, who had begun to realize that this indeed was not the man who married his mother. He remembered the look of anger in his dad's golden eyes. All he saw in these eyes was desolation. "I suppose you do resemble him in some ways."
"So, you really aren't him?" Ed asked.
"Did you want me to be?"
"Then... how-"
"I wouldn't try to think about it too much. Your brain wouldn't be able to handle it right now." The Fullmetal Alchemist grimaced and shook his head rapidly, remembering what had been happening that led him to meet him in the first place.
"You're the one who created the Homunculi," he started.
Father could sense a long rant coming on that he didn't have time to bother with. He turned his back to the boy and walked back to his hard seat, sitting down with his signature bored expression as he always did. He watched the Elric boy with empty eyes.
"You're the one who turned the people of Xerxes into a Philosopher's Stone and you're the one planning to do the same thing to the people of Amestris to strike down what you call God! You're the one who thinks you can use me and the people I love to destroy an entire nation."
"By people you love, do you mean your brother or the (Y/n) girl?"
Edward's nose flared, and Alphonse could have nudged him playfully in the side if their situation hadn't been so alarming.
"You're missing the point. You're damn crazy if you think we'd let you use us for this."
"I don't much care for how you feel about the purpose you serve to me. I'm surprised that you know so much already, but that's probably the work of my failed incarnation of Greed. Though it disappoints me, I can't say I'm surprised about what he's done. He's gone and made a mess of things, but I suppose that's what human greed does."
Edward noticed how he spoke of Greed's sin as though he had no responsibility for his actions. Like his own Greed was far beneath him now that it was detached from himself- like the Greed he removed from his being had no correlation with him any longer, other than having worked for him for a short period of time.
"You never answered me. Are you hurt?"
Ed's frown deepened. "Why do you care?"
Father let out a long sigh, as if irritated that he had to explain himself. "I'd prefer if my sacrifices remain intact so that you can serve me well on the Promised Day."
"Is that so?"
"Then why would you plan to send Pride after (Y/n), if you care so much about the physical state of your 'sacrifices'?" Alphonse asked, taking the words of his older brother right out of his mouth. Father didn't seem to be keen on responding so quickly. It looked like the question irked him though his face remained as expressionless as it had always been.
Gluttony picked up on the almost unnoticeable hint of vexation in his Father's eyes, and his smile slowly faded at the sight. He didn't like it when he got upset. Though it was a rare occasion, Father was very frightening when his emotions spiraled out of control.
"He really did tell you everything, didn't he," he mumbled. "Is that why you're here causing trouble tonight?"
"I saw what Pride did to Jean Havoc," Edward started, marching forward. "I saw what it looked like. Pride's not like the rest of your 'children', it's like an animal. And you were gonna let that thing loose after (Y/n)?"
When Father looked up at the boy who had made his way over to his seat, he saw fire burning in his eyes. His jaw was taught and he looked as if he wanted to start a fight. Even more than this, he saw the eyes of a young man whose name was nothing but a number a few short centuries ago.
"In my defense, Pride was never meant to attack this Havoc man. Lust got carried away."
"And you don't give a damn, do you?!" Edward fumed. "Pride is now hell knows where and Havoc's lost a hell of a lot of blood. Look at my damn clothes!"
The boy gestured widely to the scarlet stains on his pants and at the hem of his shirt. This allowed Father to deduct that the blood was not his, therefore the Fullmetal Alchemist was fortunately unharmed.
"If you care so much about (Y/n), why in the hell would you risk her sharing Havoc's fate?"
"Not that I need to explain myself to you, but (Y/n) isn't like either of you. She requires an extra challenge that allows me to keep tabs on her."
"Stop talking about her like that."
Before Edward could do something he'd regret in the midst of his anger and worry for his superiors, Alphonse interjected once more.
"Why are you so scared of her?" Al asked. Gluttony looked up at him in confusion and Father tilted his head slightly.
"What reason do I have to be scared of a little human?" the decrepit blonde man asked.
"That's what I'm asking you. People tend to attack the things they fear or don't understand, which is kind of what you were doing by planning to use Pride to attack her."
Edward turned to look at his brother over his shoulder, before turning to see how the Father would respond to this accusation.
"You confuse me with yourselves. I'm not human so I would not understand what you're trying to say."
Edward groaned at the response. He wasn't sure if it was his uncertainty of Maes and Havoc's current condition, the way the Homunculi brought up (Y/n) as if they had a right to utter even the first letter of her name, or that this Father guy looked like the man he had hated for years, but he was incredibly pissed off. He figured that the best way to release these overwhelming emotions would be to take it out on the figure before him, who reeked of human devastation.
"I don't think he is," the blonde fifteen year old said. Father's eyes moved to his face slowly. "I'll keep saying it because it ticks me off- you keep talking about (Y/n) like she's a rare recourse, but you also talk about her like you know who she is. It's clear to me that even though you know us as your sacrifices, you didn't recognize our faces or our relation to Hohenheim. Something tells me that if (Y/n) walked in here, you'd be able to figure out who she is right off the bat without anyone telling you. Care to explain that?"
An uncomfortable feeling resided within Father's chest as he registered Edward's words. No, he was not pondering his question. He refused to even sit and think about it for more than a mere second. He wasn't afraid of a child, a tiny pathetic human who had only inhabited the power that had rightfully been his. He didn't talk about her like a recourse because he was obsessed with harboring that power for his own though he knew that was impossible to do, even in this powerful state. He didn't know her, he just knew the ancient strength that resided within her. He just wanted to have what had been randomly bestowed upon her.
Except... it wasn't random.
Father knew that deep down, but preferred to think of it as an occurrence of chance. To think that the girl that wielded the power of a separate 400 hundred year old Homunculus befriended the sons of the man he had ruined the life of in Xerxes was absurd. There was no way that it was just by chance. This was fate, something that was meant to happen since Hohenheim set foot into Father's life. Still, he would deny, deny, deny. Simply to keep himself from stooping to the same level of the beings that he despised the most. Beings that felt fear, anxiety, anger, and jealousy. He was above this, and he was far above the boy he was giving him a deadly glare as he awaited his answer.
"I have nothing to explain to you," was the answer that Edward received, much to his displeasure. "If you think you can compare me to the likes of you so easily you are sorely mistaken."
It was clear to the brothers that no matter what questions they asked, they would not get a clear answer. It made them wonder why he asked to see them in the first place. If he was so concerned with dodging their questions and putting down the human species while doing so, what reason did he have to talk to them tonight?
"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Father changed the subject. Alphonse watched anxiously from where he stood a few feet away from Gluttony, and Edward continued to glower down at the first Homunculus as he proceeded. "Greed and your Colonel Roy Mustang have caused a great amount of disarray, which led to Lust being provoked and releasing Pride- who I have no control over unless he is within his confinements. It's clear to me that as long as the Colonel is in contact with his Unit and the people here in Central, there are going to be problems. So I took the liberty of interfering with that line of communication."
Heels clicking against the stone floor echoed throughout the area, as well as an odd shuffling sound against the ground. Ed and Al looked up to where the sound was coming from and froze when they saw Lust sauntering down the stairs, dragging a battered down Heymans Breda. Once she reached the level floor, she tossed the investigation specialist into the space, causing his body to slide against the ground as he let out a disgruntled groan. Edward and Alphonse were quick to their knees before the ginger, scanning his body for injuries. Blood spattered from his mouth when he coughed, and the bruising on his eye and lower cheek looked rather severe, but other than that he was nowhere near the shape Havoc was in.
Edward glared upward when he felt Lust's shadow loom over the three of them. She scoffed, looking down upon them as if they were ants in the way of her path.
"I'm getting a little tired of seeing you everywhere I go," she spat, stepping around him to join Gluttony, who was more than happy to see her. She patted his head motherly as she watched Breda struggle to get some words out. She drowned out their side conversation when Father caught her attention.
"You were sloppy, Lust. This was not what we discussed," the blonde reprimanded emotionlessly. Though it was less like a scolding, and more like an expression of disappointment in his children's loyalty to him.
"I'll admit, I got wrapped up in the moment but you never told me that Havoc was off limits. Besides, he came to me, not the other way around," she replied, leaning her body against Gluttony's shoulder.
"You should be well aware by now that if I don't address a potential outside option, it means not to take action with something I did not plan."
"Fine. You've made that clear, it won't happen again," she glanced down at Gluttony. "Especially now that Pride's gone AWOL."
"And who is to blame for that?"
Lust gave him a displeased look that Father did not catch on to simply because he was far too concerned with the outcome of his selfish plans.
"At least everything else worked out fine. Havoc's still alive unfortunately, but after what Pride did to him I doubt he'll ever be the same."
Upon hearing Havoc's name mentioned, Edward and Alphonse tuned into the conversation after making sure that Breda and Armstrong, who had been left upstairs to momentarily talk with Wrath, were somewhat alright.
"And Maes Hughes?"
"I assume he's taken care of. I didn't see him anywhere when I caught this one snooping around, so it's likely that Envy already disposed of him."
The Elrics' and Breda's hearts dropped to their stomachs.
With wobbly legs, Edward pushed himself to his feet and turned to face the Homunculi. They didn't notice him until he started speaking.
"Hold on, w-what are you saying? Envy disposed of him?"
Lust didn't even try to hide the wide smile that spread across her face as she pushed herself off of Gluttony and folded her arms. Father sighed.
"Don't provoke him. The last thing we need is our sacrifice throwing a tantrum in here."
"They were going to find out sooner or later, right?" Lust said tauntingly.
Edward's breathing grew irregular once more as his mind took him back to when he watched Maes get dragged away and he did nothing about it. There was absolutely no way that Maes Hughes was dead. It couldn't be. He was much more clever than Envy, much more composed. Envy had absolutely nothing against the General, right?
The Fullmetal Alchemist had only heard about Envy through (Y/n), but from what she had told him he had no real intentions of killing anybody. Or maybe that had only been in (Y/n)'s case, since she was the prime candidate for sacrifice. He honestly had no way of knowing how inhumane Envy could be, or how easily he would kill someone because he was told to or simply because he wanted to. But Maes Hughes? Had he really murdered him?
Maybe he was thinking too much about it. Lust had said that it was 'likely' that he had killed him, so maybe Hughes was still alive. Maybe there was no reason for him to worry, maybe everything was fine and Hughes was pinning the shape shifting Homunculus to the ground right now and forcing answers out of his mouth. But the awful feeling in his gut told him that something was still horribly wrong- that something terrible had happened that he didn't know about yet. Was this what (Y/n) felt? Was this how intensely she'd feel something as simple as a stranger having a bad day as they walked by her? He felt nauseous, like his world was only beginning to crumble around him and he had no real explanation for it. Only that feeling, and it would remain inside him until he discovered what had gone wrong.
(Y/n). Suddenly he remembered her relationship with the General- how he had been like an uncle to her for the majority of her life. How she had worn his long jacket to comfort her from all the mistakes she had made at the Fifth Laboratory. How if she wasn't with Roy, she was with Hughes in Central. How dearly she loved him, and how consistently he watched after her if Roy was too busy.
Hughes couldn't be dead. (Y/n) would be absolutely heartbroken, and Edward wasn't sure if he could handle watching her go through that.
"Hughes isn't dead!" he shouted, tears threatening to rim his eyes. Gluttony blinked curiously at him while Lust chuckled darkly. He could feel the fury bubbling inside him as well as the frustration with his lack of answers and the idea of Hughes actually dying. He didn't want to hear it- he didn't want to believe any of it.
Alphonse watched with worried eyes as he supported Heymans' back while he sat up. His brother knew that Edward was in no physical or mental state to start a fight, and the information that they were receiving right now was in no way helpful.
Lust was amused by the way Edward was getting riled up by something he wasn't even sure was true. He looked pathetic, trembling and forcing himself not to take action just yet in order to see what her next words would be. She was about to say something when the large doors behind them opened once more.
Everyone's attention turned to the newest intruders, and the military soldiers in the room held their breaths when Envy sauntered in, followed by Fuhrer Bradley, whose shoulder was drenched in Havoc's blood. Seeing Envy there only confirmed Lust's statement.
Envy walked into the space while Wrath remained by the door, silent. The envious Homunculus noticed the stiff air and everyone's eyes on him, causing him to cock a brow. He looked from Lust's smug face, to Father's impatient expression, to Edward's wide eyes. The boy looked as if he were about to explode.
"The hell's going on in here?" he asked casually, placing his hands on his hips as he moved to join Gluttony and Lust.
"Ah ah, careful Envy. You don't want to make another enemy, now do you?" Lust hummed. Envy sensed the malicious amusement in her tone and turned back to look at Edward, then to the younger brother holding Breda's back. It took him a minute to process what could have possibly sparked this kind of reaction upon him having just entered the room, then he remembered what he had just returned to base from doing. Lust gave him one last knowing look which almost made him chuckle.
"Well?" Father asked, filling the silence of the room and fueling the anticipation. Though he didn't mean to contribute to the game that Lust was playing, he merely needed to know if at least one of his children had completed the job they were meant to carry out (besides Wrath).
Edward shivered under the knowing gazes of the Envy and Lust. His palms were sweating and his heart was hammering aggressively against his chest. It felt like he was waiting to find out if he was going to die.
Envy sighed loudly, dramatically, and placed his palm to his forehead in over-exaggerated exasperation.
"You people are all the same. You let your emotions blind you because you're too sensitive when it comes to the truth and logical decisions. All I had to do was turn myself into his wife and the man was completely hopeless."
With each word that hit Ed's ears, he grew shakier. Alphonse noticed his body shivering immensely, and he reached his metal arm out to him in an attempt to calm him.
"No," he muttered, a lump forming in his throat.
Envy never would have thought he'd find human anguish more hilarious than he did back in Ishval, but the dreadful look on Fullemtal's face almost made him want to burst out laughing. It was quite refreshing to watch the species he loathed so much prove their petty insignificance with anger and tears.
"Listen Pipsqueak. None of this would've happened if your pet's father had just minded his business."
"Shut your damn mouth."
"For the greater good," Envy grinned. "Some people just have to die."
All at once, everything seemed to happen right before Father's eyes. The way Heymans' face fell in horror, the shuttering of Alphonse' automail before he reached out to hold back his brother, and the tormented cry that fell from Edward's mouth. His voice must have gone raw, screaming to release the consuming emotion that he was feeling. The denial, the frustration, the rage, the sorrow. Father watched him attempt to transmute as his eyes blurred with tears, and when nothing happened Edward screamed again, but shorter this time. He continued to slam his hands against the stone in a fashion that looked as if he were a toddler struggling to stand on its own two feet.
Gluttony genuinely appeared scared, but when he looked up at Lust and Envy and saw that they were more pleased than concerned, his finger found its way into his mouth again.
Strings of curses fell from the Elric's lips when he realized that his alchemy was not working. King Bradley remained stoic, standing posted at the door as if he were one of the guards that followed him around all day. He looked much less like a ruler of a country and more so like a lethal escort.
Edward didn't let his tears fall in front of the Homunculi, so he resorted to angered yelps as he tried to use his alchemy once more. The thought crossed his mind that he was only proving Envy's point by letting his emotions take control over his actions, but he no longer cared.
Why did it have to be Hughes? Why did it have to be him? He was so kind, so warm. All the times he got on Ed's nerves now felt so distant, so far off in the past. The General had always been there for him and his brother, even if he didn't understand their journey or the real hell that they had been through. The dark haired man was always there. His daughter adored him, and his wife cherished him, Roy looked up to him, and (Y/n)...
"DAMMIT!" Ed threw his fist into the ground. It hurt, and he knew that his knuckles were going to bruise nastily but he didn't care.
This was all his fault. If he had just gone after him when he saw him get dragged away, he could have at least been there to try to protect him. He could have done something. Anything.
What was (Y/n) going to say? Edward hadn't even seen her in a week and the first time he would see her face, she'd be crying. Grieving the loss of a man Edward could have tried harder to save. Knowing that he was the reason she'd cry, the reason she'd break down and likely lose a part of her that had connected to Maes so strongly broke him. The guilt consumed him, and his bottom lip trembled while he stared down at the ground in a crouched position. His blonde hair fell into his face, covering most of his vision as his heavy breaths echoed throughout the room that now made him sick. First, he took his brother's life away and now he had taken one of (Y/n)'s role models away. Was he good for nothing other than stripping the happiness away from the people he loved? Could he do nothing else right?
A large, cool hand made contact with his back causing him to flinch. The sound of metal clanking eased his mind when he realized that it was Alphonse, but even so his brother's presence did nothing to diminish the weight in his chest.
"What did I say?" Envy's voice rang out. "You're all the same."
When Edward leaped upward, away from his brother, to throw a punch or some kind of attack at Envy, he was held back by the confines of manipulated stone. Red sparks erupted around him as the stone floor encased his arms and legs within some kind of cuffs, leaving the boy on his knees with his hands tied behind his back.
Alphonse shouted upon seeing his brother being handled so roughly, but when he tried to transmute nothing happened. How was Father able to use his alchemy, but not him or his older brother?
"...Wha...?" the fourteen year old started, looking down at his hands in confusion.
"You can't use your alchemy here, dumbass," Envy sneered, putting his hand on his hip. Alphonse looked up at him angrily.
"Now that we've gotten that out of our systems," Father started. "May I finish telling you what I need you to do?"
Alphonse gulped from where he knelt by his brother, who was pointlessly struggling against the stone. The younger boy growled, looking up at Father as he continued to explain.
"As Envy just told you, Maes was killed as a message. You are to no longer sneak around this base nor interfere with my plans for you. I understand that Greed has been in contact with (Y/n), so once she finds out about this incident she will not try to meddle any longer. If she or Roy Mustang decide to pull anything else, or if any of you speak of what happened tonight to anyone outside of your petty inner circle, I'll be sure to have that childhood friend of yours that I heard about eliminated."
Al and Ed held their breaths. They had no intention of roping Winry into their mess, yet here she was directly in the middle of it.
"Don't hurt her!" Alphonse shouted, though it sounded more like a plea than he wished for it to.
"I won't have to if you listen," Father shot back. "I'm putting you in 'timeout', if you will. Edward will go back to Resembool and you, Alphonse, will go to Briggs. I need you away from Central for now, and Wrath will handle the rest of the details."
"B-Briggs?! Up North?" Alphonse looked down at his brother, who had stopped struggling and now had his head hanging low. "But-"
"Roy's Unit will be separated, and the Flame Alchemist himself will remain here under Lust's watch."
"Why under me?" Lust complained.
"Not directly under you. He'll just be transferred permanently to Central. If he does something I wouldn't like, you know what to do," Father looked down at Edward's defeated form for a moment. "I suppose (Y/n) can accompany you, Fullmetal Alchemist. I don't necessarily want her up north or here."
Alphonse thought that was a strange thing to say. Why would he care if (Y/n) went to the North Command Center?
"I believe that's all I have to say to you now. Someone will retrieve you or send you a call when you are to return back to Central. Am I clear?"
The fourteen year old boy wasn't sure what to do. His brother was clearly at a loss, his own mind had yet to comprehend Hughes' death, and everything was moving much too fast for his liking. He turned to look at Breda, who was clutching his ribs and glaring down at the ground in disbelief. He must have tuned out when he heard about Maes' demise. The suit of armor then looked to Lust and Envy, who were looking back down at them waiting for a response. Gluttony appeared to be overwhelmed by the situation considering the fact that he was now cowering behind Lust's hip with his thumb tucked into his mouth. The Fuhrer, or Wrath, had yet to say anything as he remained silently posted at the door.
It looked like Alphonse would have to make the decision for his brother. Edward was far too lost in his head to be able to contribute to the current conversation, and it broke Al's heart to see. He had no doubt in his mind that Edward was blaming himself for this. He noticed the familiar way he shielded his eyes from everyone in the room and hunched his back in shame. Alphonse had seen it all before.
With a heavy sigh and the conclusion that there was no other choice Alphonse could make now that Winry's life was on the line, he turned to Father and nodded.
"We'll do what you say." Father hummed in approval and lifted his hand to curl his fingers into Wrath's direction. The black haired leader of the military complied to this silent order and made his way toward the Elrics. Father released Edward from his confines with the flick of his wrist and a flash of red sparks, causing Ed's arms to fall to the ground before him as he crouched even further. "But if you think we'll let you get away with this, you're wrong!"
Envy cocked a brow at the younger boy's sudden outburst.
"We may let emotions get the best of us, and we may not understand you Homunculi as much as we thought we did, but we're not going down without a fight!" Wrath rolled his eyes once he approached the boys, watching as Alphonse rose to his feet and placed a hand to his chest. "You killed someone close to us, and I don't know how yet but somehow- in some way we will avenge him! You won't get away with this death and destruction, you hear me! You won't!"
Alphonse' voice faltered, and Edward blinked upon hearing his brother's desperate shouts. Usually, he'd be the one yelling, screaming that he would find a way to get them back for all that they did. Hearing Alphonse take his place showed him just how much this was affecting his brother as well. Alphonse was always so calm and collected, hearing him yell was so out of character for him. That's how he knew that his brother was in just as much pain as he was.
Envy and Lust exchanged glances, but did not say anything more.
"You two. Up," Wrath demanded Edward and Heymans directly. Alphonse helped his brother to his feet while Breda took it upon himself to get up off the ground, eyes burning into Bradley's eyepatch. Wrath noticed, but didn't bother acknowledging it. "We need to make some things official. My office."
The man who held the lives of Amestris in his hands walked ahead of them, expecting that the three would follow. They did, afraid of what would happen if they didn't.
Once the four of them had gone upstairs, Envy huffed loudly.
"What are you huffing and puffing about?" Lust asked, though she was preoccupied with wondering why Gluttony had suddenly hid behind her.
"I'm pretty sure everything just turned into an even bigger mess. You know Sloth is up North, right? What'll happen if the Pipsqueak's brother runs into him?"
"And Hohenheim is likely entering the country from the East, which means that there's a possibility he'll run into the Fullmetal and Empath Alchemists. I bring this up to say that it no longer matters. They've been sworn to secrecy, and as long as they know what's good for them they'll sit still until they are needed."
"And Pride? What about him?"
"Would you like to go search for him for me?" Father asked, though it was not a request. "It will give you a reason to avoid the Flame Alchemist's path. After all, he's not going to be very happy when he finds out what you've done to the General."
-
The second Roy drove into Central City, (Y/n)'s stomach twisted in discomfort. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. The air reeked of devastation and Homunculi, and though there was one sitting beside her as Roy floored it to the Command Center, the feeling she had was nothing compared to how anything she'd sensed from Greed. The (h/c) haired girl felt an animalistic presence combined with the chilling feeling of emptiness, as if a soul had been stripped from the city. She gulped, hands trembling. She had been sure to fix Greed's shield on the way in case he needed to fight, but somehow she knew that even with a Homunculus by her side she would not be protected from whatever aura she was sensing.
The feeling only got stronger by the time Roy pulled up to the Central Command entrance. He and Riza threw themselves out of the car, and Greed was about to do the same when he saw (Y/n)'s unmoving figure. During the five to six hour long ride they had just endured, (Y/n) barely moved an inch. He wasn't even sure how it was possibly for a human to sit so incredibly still for such a long period of time, but when he looked in her eyes he saw that she was anywhere but connected with the atmosphere around her.
The avaricious Homunculus nudged her shoulder harshly, causing her to snap out of her daze and look up at him with petrified eyes. He told her to hurry up, and she complied. They hopped out of the back seat and grouped up with Roy and Riza. There were no guards posted out by the entrance, which was lucky for them but also quite strange.
Roy mentioned that Hughes had likely called him from an outside line, so he sent Greed and Riza off into opposite directions to search for his presence by any telephone booths. Roy kept (Y/n) by his side. They both were incredibly anxious at the moment, and it wouldn't have made sense for them to be separated. That would only cause more stress and anxiety for either of them.
As they rounded the barren corner, a horrid shiver ran down (Y/n)'s spine. The uneasiness was clear on her face when Roy glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He lifted his hands to his face, attempting to hide his grimace as they walked farther down the path, preparing his gloves for transmutation. He told her to stay close, which she did. Her eyes darted all around her, at the trees, the pavement, behind her, anywhere. She didn't like this. She didn't like this one bit.
Never in her life had she associated Central with such a mortifying feeling. Many good childhood memories had been made here in Central, with Edward and Maes Hughes' family. The sensation that was invading her senses as she walked close beside her father was foreign, and she couldn't comprehend how it was associated with a place she used to enjoy visiting.
It felt like she and Roy were walking forever, and before she even knew what she was doing her hand clung to his long jacket. (Y/n) often strived for independence, claiming that she could do things on her own without help to prove to her father that she was more than capable of handling herself and her alchemy. This was something that she'd done since the moment she grew more comfortable with Roy after he adopted her. The simple action of her fist clinging to his clothing proved that she was scared, that the presence of Roy gave her something to hold onto in the face of something horrible. That's how he knew that whatever was about to show itself to them would be bad.
"Roy?"
The feeble sound of her voice startled him. Once again, it reminded him of when he first adopted her. "Hm?"
"What did Maes say to you over the phone?"
He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye. "He said something went wrong, and then he told me not to do anything crazy."
(Y/n) furrowed her brows. She didn't like the sound of that.
"Tell me what's wrong," he said.
She gulped. "I just- this doesn't feel right. Something's really wrong here."
"You mean the Homunculi?"
"I mean- yes, but it's something else," she shivered. "I don't know how to describe it, but I'd rather not say what I think it feels like..."
The (e/c) eyed girl trailed off when a lonely phone booth came into view. She stopped walking, causing Roy to turn and look at her in concern. Her eyes fixated on the booth far off in the distance, and she couldn't make out if it was occupied or not from where she stood, but she knew what she felt. Roy turned to look at what she was looking at, squinting to get a better look.
Was that blood?
(Y/n)'s feet moved before she had time to think. She released Roy's jacket and ran as fast as she could toward the phone booth.
No. No. No.
As she got closer, the sight of feet hanging out of the booth only grew clearer. When she finally reached the booth, her body froze.
Her legs gave out beneath her and her pupils constricted. She forgot how to breathe, how to even stand. She didn't know what to do, whether this was real or just a figment of her wildest imagination. It didn't feel real. It felt like a dream, a sick twisted dream that she couldn't seem to wake herself up from.
She could hear Roy's feet against the pavement coming into earshot, yet everything went numb. Her mouth was agape and her eyes stung with tears though she didn't even notice. She just sat there, on her knees. Staring at the man who lay slumped in the corner of the booth.
(Y/n) could feel the eyes of a much more powerful presence on her, peaking in between the clustered leaves of the trees behind the booth. But she didn't care. She couldn't bring herself to focus on anything else, she couldn't even move her body when Roy shoved past her and kneeled into the booth, trying to shake awake his best friend who had clearly been dead for hours.
Within one single moment, everything clicked. Roy's frantic shouts and pleads for Hughes to wake up, the blood staining the glass of the phone booth, the picture of Hughe's family laying in a drying puddle of blood.
This couldn't be happening.
(Y/n)'s hands flew to her head as the sobs wracked her body so suddenly. Everything was so loud, too loud. The animalistic Homunculi's glare into her head from behind the trees, Roy's yells blending into her own choked sobs.
The realization that Maes Hughes was dead.
It was all too loud, too suffocating. (Y/n) didn't know what to do as she sat there on her knees wailing loudly, her voice so loud that it reached the ears of a certain Elric, who sat in a room on the opposite side of the Central Command building.