Chapter Text
Ed stirred to the sounds of Madame Christmas's girls hustling and bustling about, sunlight gushing through the curtains and a headache pulsating within the confines of his head. He wrapped himself in the duvet, waves of nausea adding to his misery before he attempted to open his eyes. A groan tore its way from his lips as he did so and no, just no, he wasn't ready to deal with this now.
He fell in and out of consciousness more times than he could remember but he knew some time had passed by the time he woke. After a few more minutes, Ed finally felt brave enough to try and open them again. He raised his heavy eyelids half way only for them to fall shut. Yeah, no. He could be a coward right now, his brain swirling as the memories of last night and his meeting with Truth resonated in his mind.
Ed was more aware of his cracking headache than the layer of dehydrated saliva that coated his cracked lips. He smacked his lips and his stomach turned in an unfriendly way.
A repetitive knock cut through his dark thoughts and Ed began to sit up but gave up halfway and dove under the snug and warm covers of his bed, his flesh hand brushing the last few grains of sleepy sand from his golden eyes and a yawn escaping his lips as he did so. If the world wasn't ending, he knew he could've stayed under these covers forever.
The door cracked open before a gentle, melodious voice cut through all the chatter from downstairs and the pounding in his head, "Mr.Alchemist, may I come in?"
"Ugh, yeah, come on in." Ed managed to crack out from beneath the thin blankets.
The large wooden door creaked opened to reveal Vanessa. A tray was in her delicate-looking hands and what looked like his breakfast sat upon it; a steaming cup of coffee that roused the sleep from him and a plate of what smelled like bacon and eggs caused his stomach rebel against his better nature. Feeling his stomach protest to the smell, Ed tried to get himself to move towards the bathroom he noticed last night.
He raised them again and swung his bare feet to the wooden flooring; it was cold in an unforgiving way and if Ed wasn't already worried about so many other things at the moment, he would have shrieked like a little girl and jumped back into the welcoming covers that called to him from his bed.
Once on his feet, the room swayed almost causing him to lose balance and he reached out for the wall. His hand slipped along the high sheen paint and he sprawled onto the carpet with a crashing thump. The room swirled before becoming stationary again and he used the bedstead to pull himself to standing.
The sight that welcomed Vanessa was one of the younger blonde sailing past her to get towards the conjoining bathroom and hearing him empty his stomach into the polished toilet bowl.
Against her better nature, Vanessa let a snicker escape her as Ed made his way back into the room, hair a mess, dried drool shining on his face and cracked lips smacking on one another as he stumbled back into the room. He proceeded to trip over the odd knick-knack and object that was thrown haphazardly into the room by Roy back when he was still living with them. Chris just hadn't had the time nor enough worry to straighten the room up after he left for Ishval.
Ed stopped before the bed before falling face forwards and it was then that Vanessa let herself bark out of laugh at the sight of him. Ed lifted his head and gave a half-hearted glare before the sun hit his glassy unfocused eyes and he groaned, letting his head fall back into the covers.
"What'daya wnat?" came his muffled voice.
"I brought you your breakfast. The Madame asked me to tell you to straighten up and then you'll be getting to work. She asked me to ask you what to call you?" Vanessa told him, voice to preppy for him this early in the morning.
Ed turned his head to the side and paused for a moment, lost in thought, before he spoke, "...call me Trick."
"Trick? Is that like a last name or something?"
"Yeah, something like that," Ed told her.
Between the pounding headache, Ed closed his eyes and tried to think of anything else but the last 48 hours. In his mind, he saw flashes of blonde hair and blue eyes and blew out a breath of air as he tried to move on from those memories.
Vanessa nodded before she set down his tray on the wooden end table near the bed before she disappeared into the hall only to come back a few moments later. Towels alongside a few bottles that Ed assumed were some soaps before she bid him farewell and left him to his own devices.
Al didn't know what was happening, one moment he was following Gluttony to his 'Father', the next both Ling and Envy burst from Gluttony's stomach in a show of red alchemical light, blood and guts. And Ed didn't come through. His brother hadn't come through. Al knew if he had a body, he would be hyperventilating right now but he didn't, so he didn't get that luxury.
Then a big fight happened and Ling sacrificed himself to become the Homonculus Greed and he was shoving the little black and white cat and Xingese girl into his armour as they slept having over exhausted themselves fighting. After the dust settled, Al was left standing surrounded by immortal beings with not so innocent intentions and he had no idea what he was doing.
All he could think of where his brother was? Where could he be? What if he was hurt, bleeding somewhere in a dark back alley with no one to help him? Al found himself being led down a dark, wet tunnel that seemed to go on forever by the homunculus Envy. It seemed to be hours before the two of them stopped in front of an elevator and Envy clicked something before he turned to look briefly at him.
"Just get in." He said before he entered the elevator. After a moment, Al followed Envy's order and once he entered, Envy pushed a red button and the doors shut before them.
The elevator began to rise up through the shaft and Al tried to keep himself occupied by looking anywhere other than Envy before he couldn't help himself and looked over to see an unknown soldier, so common and human-looking that Al could see why Envy hadn't been caught up until now by anyone.
A ding resounded through the elevator before the doors opened to reveal a familiar looking hallway to Al and it was enough to make him pause in shock, however, Envy had no such problems apparently as he walked through without blinking at the change of scenery before them. It took him a few seconds before he could gather his bearings and he left the little elevator behind.
"Is this...?" he let the question trail off.
"Central command? Why yes, it is." Envy asked as he looked back at him before an evil grin overtook his face and looking at it now, Al could see Envy shining through the soldier's human appearance.
"Come on, I need to take you to see Wrath, he'll be taking over babysitting you now. Right, this way." Envy led them down long twisting hallways and passages before they stopped in front of a set of large intricate wooden doors with shiny golden doorknobs. Envy opened the door and gestured for Al to follow him.
Al stepped inside almost to step back in shock as Bradley and Mustang were shown to be sitting across from one another, but he shook off his shock as he moved closer. Al approached the table as Mustang turned his head forward once more and closed his eyes and kept his arms crossed.
Bradley- no, Wrath, looked towards the two and narrowed his eye when Envy didn't leave right away. "Where's Fullmetal?" he asked in a no-nonsense tone.
"Dead."
It only took one word to shatter Al's world into a million little pieces. And no amount of alchemy could fix it again. He knew that but at that moment, Al wished for more than anything that it did.
Because human transmutation couldn't bring back the dead and even if it could, Al could give nothing.
He had nothing left.
Mustang barely had time to register that before Envy and Wrath were talking again, nonchalant and uncaring that everything in his world turned upside down. If Roy thought his world was turned upside down before, it had nothing on what he was feeling right now. The little brat was gone? Impossible. It just didn't seem real. Then again none of this did and yet...it was.
"What happened?"
"Well, the only way to get out of that fat bastard's stomach was to perform a reverse human transmutation to open the failed gate he had inside. The blonde brat warned us that it could rebound on him...guess it did, because he didn't come back with us. We don't know what exactly happened, but we know he's as good as dead, whether he's still stuck inside, stuck inside the gate or simply dead. We'll need to find another sacrifice. Better start looking!" Envy gave a shit eating grin as he waved them all goodbye.
A pit of dread seemed to drop in his stomach as Roy looked back to Bradley with eyes reflecting his days from the war and a heavy heart weighing down his shoulders. Now was no time to mourn, not here, not now.
Bradley turned and looked at them both, "Now, let's discuss business then, shall we?"
Ed stumbled his way down the stairs, dried hair pulled back into a messy bun and a fresh pair of clothes that Vanessa snuck in earlier when he finally made his way into the shower. He wore a pair of military blue sweatpants and a black tank top that somehow fit him perfectly and Ed had the sneaking suspicion that these belong to a certain Furher Bastard back when he was young, but he didn't say anything to Chris when he walked into her bar barefoot with his travelogue in hand.
He hopped onto one of her many maroon leather bar stools and caught the steaming cup of coffee she slid him from down the counter where she was pouring her own. She looked up, took in his appearance and gave an approving hum. Ed picked it up and began to take a sip.
"You'll need a makeover," she commented absentmindedly, watching with amused eyes as Ed did a spit take all over the counter at her comment.
"Excuse me!" Ed hacked out.
"You're dead, aren't you? And as far as I know, from what Roy told me, only you and you're brother have golden hair and eyes," she answered.
"So what, you're gonna dye my hair black or something?" he cried.
"Heavens no, that's a bit extreme and what happens when the dye starts to come out? People will instantly know you dyed it when your blonde locks start to show. No, I think we should dye it a different shade of blonde, that way when it starts to come out, it won't be as noticeable. I can get Vanessa to go get you some different shades for you to choose from."
"What about my eyes then?"
"That's easy, coloured contacts and just to sure, we'll get you some fake glasses to complete the look. I was thinking about a shade of blue or brown. The hair you can get away with being somewhat blonde but your eyes will have to change."
Ed took a deep breath as he shuddered, gears turning in his head and mind racing a million miles an hour. He turned and looked her in the eye, "Ok, okay...do I have to cut my hair?"
Chris waved her hand in a dismissive wave, "Nah, you can keep it. If anything, from behind people might think it's you but the more you subtly change your appearance, the easier it'll be to fool them when they actually see you. They'll think its a trick of the light and wave it off as nothing. By the way, 'Trick'?" she asked.
"I don't know if you can get me this, but I'll need a military licence. Lt.Colonel Patrick Mors."
"A Lt.Colonel, huh?"
"Rank means nothing to me, however, I want to be as far away from my old identity as possible. By the way, I'll need to be outfitted with some new automail."
"New? What kind of new?" Chris asked.
"The Northern Type."
"North? What's up North?"
"Allies."
Mustang watched as Al ran away from the room as fast as he could with his money, leaving him standing alone in the hall. The boy had been given a state alchemist's watch and a renewed hope after their conversation with Bradley...Ed might not be exactly dead, they just didn't know for sure that he was alive either.
And Al thought that maybe if he went with May on her journey, they could find the philosopher's stone together and he could pay a toll to grab his brother back from the gate...but before that, he left to tell Winry the news.
Mustang sighed, a swirl of emotions inside him raging as he walked down the halls absentmindedly before he remembered something very important...it was on the tip of his tongue...usually, Riza would remind hi- oh...
"Lieutenant!" Mustang shouted as he came to a stop.
Armstrong's massive figure appeared towering over Mustang, his face stoic and his eyes shadowed over, "Is there something troubling you, Colonel?" He gruffly asked.
Mustang deflated and turned to the wall, putting his hand on it and bowing his head. "You seem slightly discomposed," Armstrong said. Mustang turned and gave a half-assed glare.
"Just how do you expect me to appear? I had hoped a young woman would be standing there, not a mustachio, muscled man." He said as footsteps were heard.
"Colonel," Riza said.
Mustang looked up to see Riza in front of him. He gasped. "Lieutenant."
"I was getting worried," Riza said before snapping back into respectfulness. "Sorry." She saluted. "Lieutenant Hawkeye, reporting back to post from latrine break, sir."
"Major Armstrong happened to be passing by. He was nice enough to watch my post for me." She dropped the salute and turned to Armstrong. "Thanks for everything, Major. I appreciate it."
"No trouble at all," Armstrong said. Mustang just stared at Riza. "So you didn't run off?" Riza looked at him. "Someone once told me to never give up, no matter what and once was all I needed."
Mustang blinked, surprised in his eyes before it melted away to a warm fondness for the woman before him, "Just don't ever tell me you wished you'd run when you had the chance." He turned around but looked over his shoulder at her. "Alright?"
"It's too late for regrets." She said before walking over to him.
Roy stopped about 12 feet away from her before he turned around and called back, "Oh, and Lieutenant?"
Riza turned towards him," Yes, sir?"
"I have some troubling news to tell you later. Could you gather the old team together at the usual spot? I have some things to tell you all."
"Of course sir."
Al stood awkwardly inside the phone booth, letting the phone ring as his ears- metaphorical- began to pound. He had already called Granny and Teacher, heard yelling, screaming and promises to help him find Ed. Now, all he had to do is deal with Winry.
The phone finally connected and before he could even get a word through, a soft "Hello?" reached his ears.
"Hi, Winry."
"Al!" she happily greeted him. "Its good to hear from you. Are you okay? Where's Ed? Is he there?"
Al swallowed before he spoke, "Well, you see..."
Ed was fiddling with his new hair and glasses as he fought the urge to rub his eyes for the fifteenth time in the last hour since he had gotten his new hair colour and glasses. They were a lot like the ones Riza wore when undercover and his hair was almost the same shade as Aunt Sarah's. His eyes were blue like Winry's and his sighed as pulled back his hair into an elegantly messy bun.
He was wearing the uniform Chris managed to get him- don't ask him how she got it so fast, he didn't want to know- though he took it off just before he came down again and pulled on Mustang's old sleepwear. He now definitly knew that Furher Bastard was completely nuts because how could anyone leave these clothes behind, they were so soft!
Ed hopped on the bar stool and nodded thanks to Vanessa who passed him his glass of whiskey. Just as he was taking his first sip, the bell rang and Ed briefly turned to look at the newcomers and proceeded to choke on his drink.
Why? Because Mustang and the team just walked into the bar.