How to Die - Chapter 5
Title: How to Die
Author: Shell Mel
Rating: PG - 13
Warning: Some violence and near death scenes. Also for Ed's swearing.
Spoilers: Spoilers for episode 22 and end of anime series.
Characters: Edward Elric, Roy Mustang
Summary: AU Edward never though much about the incident back in lab 5 with the red water. He doesn't really remember it that much. He's seventeen now, repaying his debt by helping Mustang reach the top now Al finally has his body again. But what happens when he and Mustang become targets for assassination?
Author Notes: Alternative ending to Anime series. Prologue is based in episode 22, while the rest is a year after the series.
Roy’s head hurt. It pounded painfully, causing him to groan softly. To add to his discomfort, he was lying in a rather odd position on the hard, cold floor. What was he doing on the floor?
He vaguely remembered something happening at the office. Something bad. But everything was blurry after that. He was trying to remember why he felt like shit. Then it hit him.
Slowly he crawled out from under the table. The mess hall? Why was he here? He couldn’t hear the gun fight going on around him. His hearing completely messed up from the explosion earlier.
He stood up and gazed around lazily. Fullmetal? He was confused by what the boy was doing. A cann-
That was as far as he got when a bullet hit him in the chest, hitting his heart. He was on the floor in an instant. Everything started to fade away quickly as the taste of blood filled his mouth and he fell into darkness.
He died. He had died.
Roy bolted upright. His headache faded and he was suffering no other real pain. That can’t be right! He ripped his shirt open to find there was no wound. Only a new scar to add to his collection. He had been hit. Yet somehow he wasn’t dead... Roy found himself shaking slightly. He was okay? He could feel his heart beating as he placed his hand over the scar. He was okay.
The sounds of Armstrong calling out to him broke him away from his thoughts. The mess hall was... a mess! There was blood everywhere, alchemized objects either buried in the wall or within a body, and a fierce wind that caused him to look up.
Fullmetal!
The boy was on top of a mountain that looked to be made of alchemized spikes. The boy was moving around violently, his movements disjointed like he was a puppet on strings. Spikes, spears and other pointy object were formed and sent out towards the few remaining people alive in the room. All except for Roy.
Roy could see Armstrong and his team were pinned, unable to escape whatever Ed was doing. Roy got to his feet, deciding he had to try and stop the boy himself.
He pulled himself up off the floor. His hand touched something wet. He looked down to see a pool of blood around him. Roy suddenly felt ill. Another reminder that he had definitely been hit, that he had died. As quickly as he could, he moved around from the blood. He left bloody footprints behind him, causing another wave of nausea to hit him. He’d seen death, countless times. Hell, he had been the cause of more the half the death he saw. But to see evidence of his own death? It was enough to shake any soldier.
It took Armstrong and Hawkeye’s calls to get him focused again. He could think about this later. For now, he had people who needed him. He couldn’t allow this to affect him. Not yet anyway.
With a slight amount of hesitation, Roy got his gloves out and pulled them on. Maybe he could shock Edward into stopping. With a snap, a small explosion should have gone off next to Ed’s head but it was blocked by a barrier that appeared then disappeared as quickly as that. Roy tried again, and again, but got the same result. Damn it!
The next one, he decided, would be just a small burn to the kid’s shoulder. Nothing too bad, but maybe enough to stop this madness. Again he snapped, and it hit! Oh shit... How could he feel so happy about that? Roy felt ill again. He had to remind himself it was for the greater good. He was hurting Ed to save Ed. It was only a small hurt, right? For the greater good.
Ed’s flesh clearly burned, and the shock from the attack almost knocked him off of his little mountain. Roy frowned as the pulsing of alchemic power seemed to increase, causing the winds to pick and the light from Ed’s body to grow brighter. The burn healed before their eyes, within seconds. It was if nothing happened. In a way Roy was happy his subordinate was okay, though annoyed that this was not going to be an easy task. Roy groaned. Of course, nothing was ever easy with this kid. Maybe he could stop this if he could get to the kid?
Without another thought Roy raced over to the mountain and began to climb quickly. The wind was beating him around, but he persisted. The spikes seemed to be constantly shifting around him, attacking those around him. Though, oddly enough when Roy climbed, the ones he was using did not move until he was gone. It was strange. He wasn’t getting attacked and the mountain seemed to be accommodating to his needs. Now if only Fullmetal was like that.
The closer Roy got, the more he could feel the power coming off the boy. He could smell, feel, and practically taste the alchemic reaction happening around Edward. Though the closer he got, the harder he found it to fight through it. If it wasn’t for the fact he felt he was in the best shape he had been in a long time, he would have probably been overwhelmed by it all. Maybe he simply felt so good because he had a second chance? Something else to ponder on later.
“Fullmetal!” He tried calling out to the boy as he climbed. “Get a hold of yourself, Fullmetal! That’s an order!”
But his calls had no effect. Would anything have an effect? What if he couldn’t stop the young alchemist? His subordinates were down there. They needed help and Edward didn’t seem to care who was friend or foe right now. The only one who wasn’t getting attacked was Roy himself.
Roy pulled himself up the last few feet. He could almost touch the boy now. He was puffing from the climb. The winds were making it harder and harder, but he couldn’t stop now. When he was close enough he grabbed the jerking alchemist, wrapping his arms around him in an attempt to restrain the boy.
Edward’s body jerked around wildly in his grasp, almost knocking them both off the spike mountain, but managed to hold his ground and the alchemist. Slowly, the jerking became less and less as Edward became limp in his arms. Roy tightened his grip on his subordinate as he passed out where they stood.
Roy breathed a sigh of relief. He stopped it. His subordinates were safe, he was safe and from the looks of things the enemy was subdued. Roy looked around, wondering how the hell he was going to get himself and the boy down safely. Thankfully, Armstrong was quick to come to their rescue. A set of stairs was alchemized for them to use. He gave the larger alchemist a thankful smile as he carefully moved the young boy in his arms so he could get a hand under his knees. It was no easy task. The kid weighed a ton!
His team greeted him at the bottom with wide range of expressions. Concern, for Edward and himself. Confusion about what the hell had just happened. Paranoid, as if there might be more enemies, though all the ones in this room were now dead. Happiness, as their whole team had somehow made it through this insanity alive.
Roy frowned as he looked down at the unconscious alchemist. He was so pale. His hair was mostly out of its customary braid. It seemed to have lost its normal shine, looking practically dull. Ed’s breathing was short and ragged, as if it was either too hard or painful. The kid wasn’t looking so good.
“Sir?” Riza said carefully. “We need to leave. We need to get you both to a secure location.”
Roy nodded, thinking about where they could go. They needed someone to look at Edward to see if he was alright. He also needed to get checked over, to make sure everything was okay. It wasn’t every day someone survived being shot and not even having the wound to prove it. Well except for a little scar anyway.
“You’re welcome to use the Armstrong Estate,” Armstrong suggested. “It would be an honour to have you at the house. It is extremely secure and large enough to house everyone while we discuss what has happened.”
“Thank you, Armstrong,” Roy said, deciding that would be their best course of action. “Is there anyone you might be able to call for us doctor wise. Fullmetal isn’t looking too hot.”
“Of course,” Armstrong said as they got moving. “Our family doctor will be able to look at young Edward and perhaps make sure you have not sustained any... damage.”
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Author: Shell Mel
Rating: PG - 13
Warning: Some violence and near death scenes. Also for Ed's swearing.
Spoilers: Spoilers for episode 22 and end of anime series.
Characters: Edward Elric, Roy Mustang
Summary: AU Edward never though much about the incident back in lab 5 with the red water. He doesn't really remember it that much. He's seventeen now, repaying his debt by helping Mustang reach the top now Al finally has his body again. But what happens when he and Mustang become targets for assassination?
Author Notes: Alternative ending to Anime series. Prologue is based in episode 22, while the rest is a year after the series.
Roy’s head hurt. It pounded painfully, causing him to groan softly. To add to his discomfort, he was lying in a rather odd position on the hard, cold floor. What was he doing on the floor?
He vaguely remembered something happening at the office. Something bad. But everything was blurry after that. He was trying to remember why he felt like shit. Then it hit him.
Slowly he crawled out from under the table. The mess hall? Why was he here? He couldn’t hear the gun fight going on around him. His hearing completely messed up from the explosion earlier.
He stood up and gazed around lazily. Fullmetal? He was confused by what the boy was doing. A cann-
That was as far as he got when a bullet hit him in the chest, hitting his heart. He was on the floor in an instant. Everything started to fade away quickly as the taste of blood filled his mouth and he fell into darkness.
He died. He had died.
Roy bolted upright. His headache faded and he was suffering no other real pain. That can’t be right! He ripped his shirt open to find there was no wound. Only a new scar to add to his collection. He had been hit. Yet somehow he wasn’t dead... Roy found himself shaking slightly. He was okay? He could feel his heart beating as he placed his hand over the scar. He was okay.
The sounds of Armstrong calling out to him broke him away from his thoughts. The mess hall was... a mess! There was blood everywhere, alchemized objects either buried in the wall or within a body, and a fierce wind that caused him to look up.
Fullmetal!
The boy was on top of a mountain that looked to be made of alchemized spikes. The boy was moving around violently, his movements disjointed like he was a puppet on strings. Spikes, spears and other pointy object were formed and sent out towards the few remaining people alive in the room. All except for Roy.
Roy could see Armstrong and his team were pinned, unable to escape whatever Ed was doing. Roy got to his feet, deciding he had to try and stop the boy himself.
He pulled himself up off the floor. His hand touched something wet. He looked down to see a pool of blood around him. Roy suddenly felt ill. Another reminder that he had definitely been hit, that he had died. As quickly as he could, he moved around from the blood. He left bloody footprints behind him, causing another wave of nausea to hit him. He’d seen death, countless times. Hell, he had been the cause of more the half the death he saw. But to see evidence of his own death? It was enough to shake any soldier.
It took Armstrong and Hawkeye’s calls to get him focused again. He could think about this later. For now, he had people who needed him. He couldn’t allow this to affect him. Not yet anyway.
With a slight amount of hesitation, Roy got his gloves out and pulled them on. Maybe he could shock Edward into stopping. With a snap, a small explosion should have gone off next to Ed’s head but it was blocked by a barrier that appeared then disappeared as quickly as that. Roy tried again, and again, but got the same result. Damn it!
The next one, he decided, would be just a small burn to the kid’s shoulder. Nothing too bad, but maybe enough to stop this madness. Again he snapped, and it hit! Oh shit... How could he feel so happy about that? Roy felt ill again. He had to remind himself it was for the greater good. He was hurting Ed to save Ed. It was only a small hurt, right? For the greater good.
Ed’s flesh clearly burned, and the shock from the attack almost knocked him off of his little mountain. Roy frowned as the pulsing of alchemic power seemed to increase, causing the winds to pick and the light from Ed’s body to grow brighter. The burn healed before their eyes, within seconds. It was if nothing happened. In a way Roy was happy his subordinate was okay, though annoyed that this was not going to be an easy task. Roy groaned. Of course, nothing was ever easy with this kid. Maybe he could stop this if he could get to the kid?
Without another thought Roy raced over to the mountain and began to climb quickly. The wind was beating him around, but he persisted. The spikes seemed to be constantly shifting around him, attacking those around him. Though, oddly enough when Roy climbed, the ones he was using did not move until he was gone. It was strange. He wasn’t getting attacked and the mountain seemed to be accommodating to his needs. Now if only Fullmetal was like that.
The closer Roy got, the more he could feel the power coming off the boy. He could smell, feel, and practically taste the alchemic reaction happening around Edward. Though the closer he got, the harder he found it to fight through it. If it wasn’t for the fact he felt he was in the best shape he had been in a long time, he would have probably been overwhelmed by it all. Maybe he simply felt so good because he had a second chance? Something else to ponder on later.
“Fullmetal!” He tried calling out to the boy as he climbed. “Get a hold of yourself, Fullmetal! That’s an order!”
But his calls had no effect. Would anything have an effect? What if he couldn’t stop the young alchemist? His subordinates were down there. They needed help and Edward didn’t seem to care who was friend or foe right now. The only one who wasn’t getting attacked was Roy himself.
Roy pulled himself up the last few feet. He could almost touch the boy now. He was puffing from the climb. The winds were making it harder and harder, but he couldn’t stop now. When he was close enough he grabbed the jerking alchemist, wrapping his arms around him in an attempt to restrain the boy.
Edward’s body jerked around wildly in his grasp, almost knocking them both off the spike mountain, but managed to hold his ground and the alchemist. Slowly, the jerking became less and less as Edward became limp in his arms. Roy tightened his grip on his subordinate as he passed out where they stood.
Roy breathed a sigh of relief. He stopped it. His subordinates were safe, he was safe and from the looks of things the enemy was subdued. Roy looked around, wondering how the hell he was going to get himself and the boy down safely. Thankfully, Armstrong was quick to come to their rescue. A set of stairs was alchemized for them to use. He gave the larger alchemist a thankful smile as he carefully moved the young boy in his arms so he could get a hand under his knees. It was no easy task. The kid weighed a ton!
His team greeted him at the bottom with wide range of expressions. Concern, for Edward and himself. Confusion about what the hell had just happened. Paranoid, as if there might be more enemies, though all the ones in this room were now dead. Happiness, as their whole team had somehow made it through this insanity alive.
Roy frowned as he looked down at the unconscious alchemist. He was so pale. His hair was mostly out of its customary braid. It seemed to have lost its normal shine, looking practically dull. Ed’s breathing was short and ragged, as if it was either too hard or painful. The kid wasn’t looking so good.
“Sir?” Riza said carefully. “We need to leave. We need to get you both to a secure location.”
Roy nodded, thinking about where they could go. They needed someone to look at Edward to see if he was alright. He also needed to get checked over, to make sure everything was okay. It wasn’t every day someone survived being shot and not even having the wound to prove it. Well except for a little scar anyway.
“You’re welcome to use the Armstrong Estate,” Armstrong suggested. “It would be an honour to have you at the house. It is extremely secure and large enough to house everyone while we discuss what has happened.”
“Thank you, Armstrong,” Roy said, deciding that would be their best course of action. “Is there anyone you might be able to call for us doctor wise. Fullmetal isn’t looking too hot.”
“Of course,” Armstrong said as they got moving. “Our family doctor will be able to look at young Edward and perhaps make sure you have not sustained any... damage.”
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4