Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Riza Hawkeye

Her hair whipped around her as a train pulled into the station. The platform buzzed to life as people got off and joined the others waiting for their own trains. She found herself in a sea of reunions and a few tearful goodbyes. Despite the crowd, it was impossible to miss the suit of armor towering above it all; however, she made no move toward him. Instead, she stayed put, giving the two brothers as much privacy as they could get on the busy platform.

She watched as Alphonse stepped onto the train. She scanned the platform for his older brother, relaxing when she saw Edward elbowing his way toward her. He stopped just a few feet away. A train horn blared over the dull roar of the chattering crowd. The corners of her lips quirked into a small grin when one of the windows dropped and Al peeked out of it.

“Don’t forget to call, brother!”

He waved while the train started to roll out of the station. Ed shot his brother a brilliant smile. Riza couldn’t stop the soft chuckle that escaped her.

“I won’t!” he shouted with a slight wave of his own. “See you later, Al!”

Ed watched as the train pulled out of the station. He remained in his spot a moment after, staring off after it. His smile slowly faded away. With a brief shake of his head, he turned and approached her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said.

Riza ensured her grin remained intact, noticing Ed’s shoulders sag at her lack of impatience.

“No need to apologize.” She checked her watch. “It’s getting late, though. We should get you back to the dorms. We’ve got an early morning ahead of us.”

She swiftly spun around on her heel and meandered through the crowd, ignoring the groan from the teenager behind her. He followed her to the car without any further complaint, wordlessly climbing into the front seat. The streetlights flickered on to illuminate the quickly darkening street.

“How long do you think this assignment will take, Lieutenant?” he asked as she turned on the car.

She swallowed, keeping her gaze forward while she drove away from the train station and onto the road.

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” she admitted, “but I hope it won’t be long. Afterward, you should request some leave and head out to Resembool. I’m sure Al and Winry would love that.”

She could see Ed perk up at the idea out of the corner of her eye. He relaxed back against the seat and stared out the window. A few minutes passed, and neither of them said a word. It wasn’t until they passed Eastern Command that Ed finally spoke again.

“Thanks for the ride back to my dorm.”

She turned down the street leading to the dormitories.

“It’s not a problem,” she assured. “Besides, I should be the one thanking you. I wasn’t looking forward to dyeing my hair tonight until you said you could take care of that for both of us.”

Ed cringed, and Riza nearly chuckled again at the sight. She parked the car. Ed got out and trudged toward the building. Grabbing a couple bottles out of the backseat and exiting the car herself, it only took her a few swift strides to catch up. The two walked through the halls. None of the other officers paid them any mind while Ed led the way. Upon entering his dorm, her eyes widened at the books strewn across the desk, a few even falling onto the floor. A couple stacks lined the wall near the bed as well; however, aside from the books and a massive suitcase lying in the middle of the floor, the room was practically barren. Ed quickly cleared the desk before disappearing into the bathroom. There was a brief flash, then he emerged with a small basin of water and a couple towels. He set the basin down on the desk.

What is he going to do with that? That’s not much water. How is he….

“Can I see the hair dye?” he asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She handed him the bottles, which he quickly dumped into the water. He gave her the second towel and draped his own around his shoulders. She followed suit. Ed bent down until the tip of his braid was dipped in the water. He clapped and grasped the edge of the basin. Her eyes widened as black dye seeped from the tip of his braid all the way up to his roots. He straightened up, letting his hair rest against the towel.

“Your turn, Lieutenant.”

Riza promptly took her hair down and tied it back in a ponytail before leaning forward so the tip was submerged in the water. Ed clapped and gripped the basin again. A coldness crept up to the top of her neck and spread throughout her entire scalp as her hair was dyed, but it was over in a matter of seconds. She stood up, ensuring her ponytail landed on her towel, staining the material black where her hair made contact. She couldn’t stop her small grin from returning.

“Thank you. You certainly saved me some time.”

Ed shrugged.

“This will save us time on our assignment, too. I’m not entirely sure how long the dye is supposed to last. This will be a quick fix.” Ed glanced down to his braid and grimaced. “I hope we won’t have to do this again, though. I don’t want to look like the Colonel longer than I have to.”

Riza couldn’t stop the grin from spreading. She quickly dried her hair enough so it wouldn’t drip on her uniform before Ed took the towel from her. She turned to the door but stopped with her hand on the doorknob. Her grin faltered.

“Have a good rest of your night. Try to get some sleep. We’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

Ed nodded.

“See you in the morning, Lieutenant.”

“See you in the morning, Edward,” she replied, finally leaving the dorm.

Once in the hallway, she leaned back against the wall and sighed.

I really hope this doesn’t take long, Ed. We need to get you back here as soon as we can.

You really shouldn’t be going on this mission.

Edward Elric

“What do you want, Colonel?”

He plopped down on the lone couch in Roy’s office and rubbed his eyes. Heavy footsteps rapidly approached at the question.

“Brother!” Al admonished, but Roy merely waved a hand.

“It’s fine, Alphonse. I understand you two got back late last night. Fullmetal won’t get any taller if I keep interrupting his sleep.”

Two firm hands on his shoulders kept him from leaping off the couch, and Roy smirked at the scene before him. He opened his mouth, but the door quickly clicked shut when Riza sneaked into the office. Much to his surprise, she sat next to him on the couch instead of dropping off a stack of papers. Three files sat on the desk, and Roy passed two of them to his subordinates.

“General Grumman has ordered us to investigate a string of murders up in Marlowe,” he began. “I’m not sure if any of you are familiar with the city, but it’s about two thousand kilometers northwest from here. So far, there have been four victims. All of them went to the same school: Henthorn Academy. It’s the only private school in the city.”

“I’m assuming an investigation of the teaching and administrative staff has already been started?” Riza ventured, opening the file.

Roy nodded.

“The officers already dispatched haven’t found any promising leads, despite the mess at the crime scenes.”

His eyebrows furrowed. He set the file down in his lap and crossed his arms.

“If the military police haven’t had any luck, what does General Grumman think sending us will….” he trailed off, his eyes widening.

Roy couldn’t stop the chuckle that followed. Casting a quick glance to Riza, he noticed her lips were quirked upward a tad.

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you, Fullmetal?”

He set his suitcase down and slumped into the seat. He barely managed to stifle a yawn. He let his head rest against the window and closed his eyes.

“Going to sleep already?”

He clenched his teeth and opened his eyes to find Roy settling into the seat directly across from him. Riza sat down beside him. He blinked and nearly shook his head, still not used to seeing her with black hair. He inwardly smirked.

I’m sure the others would probably say the same about me.

Jean plopped down next to him, a stack of folders in his hand. He shot Ed a wry grin.

“Sorry, Chief,” he apologized, extending one of the folders to him. “We just have a few things we need to discuss, then you can sleep the rest of the train ride.”

He snatched the folder and opened it, taking the first piece of paper out and skimming it. He glowered at its contents.

“Is there a problem?” Roy asked.

He didn’t need to look at his commanding officer to see the smirk on his face. He couldn’t take his eyes off the information at the top of the paper.

Edward Mason. Son of Roy and Riza Mason.

“Not at all, Colonel,” he growled through gritted teeth.

Jean snickered beside him.

“You should probably start calling him ‘dad.’ You only have a few days before you start classes. I’m not sure how your fellow students would react to you calling their chemistry teacher ‘Colonel.’”

The paper crinkled when his hands balled into fists, and Jean’s snicker turned into a full-blown laugh. Ed’s head throbbed, and he swore a vein was about to burst. A few people boarding the train shot the group a curious glance as they made their way down the aisle toward their seats. Ed slumped further into his seat, as if that would hide his quickly reddening face. A hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Lighten up, kid,” Jean said, his smile softening. “Relax. It’s going to be the last time you can for a while.”

Ed cast his eyes back down to the file. Ignoring the name for the time being, he read the rest of the profile.

It says that I’m transferring from Kimbrel High School in East City to Henthorn Academy to finish out my first year of high school. The Colonel and Lieutenant have accepted new teaching positions at the school. I’m excused from all physical education classes due to me losing my arm and leg in a car accident…Mustang really thought of everything….

He scowled.

Damn him….

His eyes widened when he looked at the list of classes he would be enrolled in.

Geometry, chemistry, literature, Xingese, study hall…what the hell is that?

“It’s a fairly small school, so there weren’t many classes to choose from,” Riza said, as if she’d read his mind. “There actually weren’t many other elective options we could enroll you in this far into the semester. Since you’re excused from physical education, we’ve made arrangements for you to go to the library and work on your other classes during your elective hour.”

Ed could only nod, dread starting to form a pit in his stomach.

It’s been years since I’ve even been inside a classroom….

The train lurched and started to roll out of the station. He flipped through the other papers in the file, having not had much time with them the previous day before being ordered to give them back to Jean when he was leaving Eastern Command. He stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Giving more than a day’s notice before a mission like this would’ve been nice.

He huffed and continued looking through the papers. He froze when he saw the first picture. A girl with short, brown hair stared back at him. He gently touched the photo.

Name: Adelaide Dorland

Age: Fourteen

“She was younger than me,” he mumbled.

Jean tensed beside him. Any trace of humor dissipated at the comment.

“She was the fourth and latest victim,” Roy murmured, slowly leaning forward. The rest of his subordinates followed suit. “Her mother found her yesterday morning. Once General Grumman got word of this, he knew he had to do more than send a few officers to investigate.”

And that’s why we were sent on such short notice….

Ed swallowed and nodded. He continued scanning the page, blood running cold when he read further into the report.

The victim was found lying on the kitchen table. Her stomach had been dissected, and her organs were pulled out and fanned around her.

He closed his eyes and shut the file. He leaned against the window again, the glass colder on his now clammy skin. His stomach churned. Someone snatched the file out of his hand.

“The coroner didn’t find skin under any of the victim’s fingernails, and there aren’t any other signs of a struggle,” Riza observed. “It looks like the victim had to be unconscious while the killer….”

He could feel her eyes drift to him when she trailed off. He ignored it and took a deep breath.

“Correct,” Roy said.

“From what the other officers have reported, there’s a tight knit community surrounding the academy,” Jean added in, flipping through the papers. “Most of the students and faculty live on the same side of Marlowe. They said that it’s been a peaceful community, until recently. Everyone knows each other. Most people didn’t even lock their doors or windows at night.”

Roy nodded.

“Only the victims’ families have been willing to speak with the military. The faculty hasn’t been too cooperative. General Grumman hopes that having some eyes and ears within the teaching staff will assist with the investigation.”

“And he wants someone to see if the students know anything?” Ed ventured.

The Colonel nodded again.

“The students might not be comfortable talking to an officer or their parents if they know something they probably shouldn’t, or if they think it might get them in trouble. They might be willing to talk to their peers, though.”

He rubbed his eyes and slouched further into his seat. He could feel each military officers’ gaze settling on him. It didn’t take long for Jean to speak up.

“That’s all you need to know for now, Chief. Why don’t you get some sleep? You’ve got a lot of unpacking to do when we get to Marlowe, after all.”

He nearly groaned at the thought, but instead crossed his arms and leaned his head against the window. It didn’t take long for the constant clack against the train tracks to lull him to sleep.

Roy Mustang

He stared out the window. Different shades of green flashed by as the train sped through the countryside. His eyes drifted to the young alchemist sitting directly across from him. Ed had been asleep for the last two hours and hadn’t stirred once. He couldn’t help but grin at the sight.

He only seems to look his true age when he’s asleep.

The grin disappeared at the thought.

All four victims are around his age….

Riza shifted beside him, not taking her eyes off the file in her lap. He knew she’d read every bit of information in that file, but she flipped the papers back over and started reading them again. He nearly chuckled when he recalled her bluntly voicing her displeasure the second the Elric brothers had left his office.

You know I don’t want him here, either.

He rubbed a hand down his face. He took a deep breath and thought back to his commanding officer’s words.

“I’m sorry, Colonel. I know this isn’t ideal, but we have an opportunity that we can’t refuse. Major Elric could get valuable information from the other students at that school. He’s not just some kid. He’s a state alchemist that has proved he can take care of himself. He’ll be fine.”

He opened his own file again and spread out the pictures of the victims on his lap. He looked at each one of them before his eyes drifted back to Ed.

He’s never had to go undercover before. We’ve got a lot to discuss these next three days. I wish his first mission like this didn’t mean catching a psychopath.

A smirk slowly formed on his face.

Although, if he wasn’t already under orders from General Grumman and he found out about this case, he’d probably find some way to come out here and help hunt this killer down.

A firm hand on his arm pulled him out of his thoughts. Riza met his gaze for a brief moment before shifting it to Ed.

“You should probably get some rest, too, sir. You don’t look like you slept well last night. Besides, you have a lot of work ahead of you, especially since we’re touring the academy tomorrow.”

Roy eyes seemed to burn at the reminder. He rubbed them, not even wanting to think about the preparations he would have to make during the weekend.

As usual, you’re right, Lieutenant.

He nodded, gathered the papers back into the file, and closed it. He leaned back in his seat and looked out the window. It only took a couple minutes for his eyes to finally droop shut. The file was taken from his lap, and a reassuring hand squeezed his arm just before he drifted off.

Chapter Text

Edward Elric

He stared out the car window while they pulled out of the train station. He sagged against the backseat. His lips quirked into a grim line as he watched all the shops and buildings pass by.

I guess Marlowe isn’t too much different than East City.

Roy turned a corner, now driving them beside a wide creek. His eyes widened when he saw what lied across the water.

Two stone towers rose above all the surrounding buildings with a stone wall connecting them. Even from the distance, he could see the bright red double doors in the middle. The further along they drove the clearer he could see the red and white banner hanging above the doors.

“Is that the school?” he wondered aloud, breaking the silence that had filled the car since they left the train station.

There’s no way…I know I looked at the photos in the case file, but it actually looks like a castle out of those stupid books my old teachers tried to make me read….

Riza shifted in the front seat and looked back at him.

“It is.” She opened the folder in her lap and flipped through the papers before looking back up at the massive building across the creek. “Apparently, it’s the oldest building in Marlowe, but I never would’ve guessed it. The pictures didn’t do it justice.”

No kidding….

“Our house isn’t even a kilometer away from the school,” Roy said. He blinked and shifted his gaze back out the window. “Breda should have most of the boxes moved in. We’ll be passing Havoc’s apartment any time now. It’s supposed to be just a block north of the bridge….”

He trailed off and glanced in the rearview mirror. Ed sat up and turned around to look out the back window. Sure enough, the car behind them veered off down another street and out of sight. Roy turned the car to the left a few seconds later, and they were crossing the bridge. Ed’s jaw slowly dropped the closer they got to the school.

A series of stone steps led up to the doors. They split to avoid a patch of grass with a fountain in the middle of it before converging back into a single staircase. Intricate carvings decorated the top of the walls. He squinted but couldn’t make out what they were.

What the hell kind of school is this?

“Eyes on the road, sir!”

Roy jerked the wheel, flinging Ed into the back door. He slowly righted himself and rubbed his flesh arm. He glared at the seat in front of him.

“Sorry,” Roy mumbled.

Ed sighed and crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath. He stared out the window until the school disappeared behind them.

Riza Hawkeye

“What the hell is this?”

She was surprised Ed’s roar didn’t shake the house. She sighed and rolled her eyes at the chuckle just behind her.

“I think he finally looked in his closet.”

She set the box down on the dresser and left her and Roy’s bedroom only to be nearly bowled over by an angry teenager clenching a bunch of hangers in each fist.

“What the hell are these?” he asked, shaking the black slacks and white and gray, long-sleeved button-down shirts.

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“That’s your school uniform. Breda picked it up for us when he arrived.”

Ed blanched.

“Y-you mean I’ll actually have to wear this?”

“What did you expect, Fullmetal?” Roy chimed in. “I don’t think anyone would let you step one foot on school grounds with that red coat you insist on wearing. It won’t be as bad as you think. I’m sure the required shoes will make you look taller—”

Ed’s face reddened and he dropped the hangers.

“What did you just say?”

“Quiet!” Riza yelled. Both alchemists froze, all traces of smugness and rage erased from their features. She turned to Ed. “Ed, you’re undercover, so you will wear what’s required for us to complete this assignment. Do I make myself clear?” Ed swallowed and nodded. She snapped her head to Roy when he snickered. “And what did Lieutenant Havoc say about calling him ‘Fullmetal,’ sir? Besides, I don’t think a chemistry teacher of such a prestigious academy would antagonize his son in such a manner.”

Roy shifted his gaze down to the floor and he crossed his arms, deliberately ignoring the smirking Ed next to him. Riza walked back over to the dresser. She leaned her elbows against it and hung her head in her hands.

We haven’t even been here a day, and this is already exhausting….

“Why don’t we stop for the night?” Roy suggested. “Breda was kind enough to start unpacking for us while we moved the furniture in. We can finish after we tour the school tomorrow. I’m sure we could all use the rest.”

She looked over her shoulder, noticing Roy’s furrowed brows. She nodded.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Ed bent down, picked up the discarded clothes, and retreated to his room. Roy approached her and put a hand on her back.

“How about you go ahead and shower first? I’ll walk to that diner down the street and get us all something to eat, all right?”

She nodded again.

“Thank you.”

Roy left their room, closing the door behind him. She opened the box on top of the dresser and yanked out a shirt and pair of sweatpants. Entering the bathroom, her shoulders sagged when she saw the bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and soap already set out on the counter for her. She froze when she saw her reflection in the mirror above the sink, running her fingers through the long, black hair. She shook her head before turning on the water. Steam quickly filled the small room. She stepped into the shower and nearly groaned as the stress of the day practically washed away as she started washing her hair. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the shower wall.

This will hopefully last a couple weeks, just long enough to get more information from the school’s faculty. We should be able to narrow down a list of suspects and find this killer….

Her stomach dropped at the thought.

Who could be sick enough to dissect a teenager? Those kids are Ed and Al’s age….

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she started shivering. She turned off the now freezing water and grabbed the nearest towel. She quickly dried herself off and got dressed. Facing the mirror again, she stared at her black hair for the briefest moment before brushing it.

We won’t be here long. We’ll arrest this guy soon enough.

She left the bathroom and headed downstairs. She paused at the bottom of the staircase when she heard a series of footsteps in the kitchen.

“I’ve got the plates,” Ed announced. “I can’t find the silverware, though.”

“It must be in one of these boxes.”

She crept down the hallway and lingered just beyond the entryway to the kitchen. A couple of bags sat on the table. Ed set out the plates while Roy rummaged through one of the boxes. Within seconds, he’d procured some forks and spoons and didn’t hesitate to set them on the plates. Riza inwardly grinned at the sight.

Her stomach growled, motivating her to finally enter the kitchen.

Roy Mustang

“We’re excited to have you both on our faculty! I’m afraid the rest of the staff are in class at the moment, but you’ll get to meet them when you arrive Monday morning!”

He grinned at the overly enthusiastic principal. It took all the energy he had not to gawk at their surroundings the second they stepped out of the administrative offices and into the lobby. He was almost hesitant to walk on the pristine white marble floors. Massive windows lined the room, flooding it with natural light and giving a clear view of a courtyard. He and Riza were directed to the right and down a hallway.

“We’re excited to be here, Principal Meron,” Riza said. “We’ve heard all the praises about Henthorn Academy’s faculty and students. It’s an honor to join the staff, and I know Edward is looking forward to meeting his new classmates.”

The tall man looked over his shoulder at the two, his smile growing.

“We don’t get new students very often. He’ll be the center of attention for quite a while!”

It’s not like Fullmetal isn’t used to that.

Meron led them around a corner past a massive set of double doors.

“That’s our library. From the sounds of it, Edward’s going to be spending lots of time in there. Our librarian absolutely loves the students. She’s excited to have someone to keep her company in the afternoons!”

They made their way further down the hall, which was lined with doors on either side. Roy could see glimpses of the students through the windows on each door. His grin disappeared.

I can’t imagine them trying to focus after everything that’s happened over the last few weeks.

“Your class will be at the end of this hall, Mr. Mason,” Meron continued. “The chemistry lab is right next door. I would let you in right now….”

Roy forced a smile back on his face.

“There’s no need to interrupt their class! I’ll get here early on Monday to get myself organized.”

Meron nodded before turning around and walking back down the hallway. He looked to Riza.

“The gym is on the west side of the school. Your office will be between the locker rooms. The students are out on the track today, so you can look around if you’d like!” He led them out a door and into the courtyard. Stone tables were scattered across the grass. A fountain identical to the one in front of the school sat in the middle. “When the weather permits, a lot of our students come out here to eat lunch. If I didn’t have so much paperwork, I’d probably join them myself!”

“It’s absolutely beautiful,” Riza commented, looking down at the white flowers planted along the edge of the sidewalks.

They walked along the southside of the courtyard. Roy perked up when he looked through the window and saw Ed leaving the administrative offices with a girl right behind him. She was only a couple centimeters shorter than him and had curly, black hair that hung down to the middle of her back. She pushed up her glasses and looked down at the sheet of paper in her hands. Smiling and motioning for Ed to follow her, the two disappeared. He smirked to himself.

Looks like he’s already making friends.

“That’s Anya Lewis,” Meron explained. “She’s one of the class representatives. The second she heard we were getting a new student, she jumped at the chance to show him around. I’m glad to see her in good spirits since….” he trailed off, his smile faltering for the briefest moment before he forced it back into place. “Anyways, she and her brother are very social, and I know she’ll insist on introducing Edward to everyone they know! He won’t be short on friends. I can guarantee you that!”

Roy’s eyes widened. He looked to Riza, instantly realizing she was thinking the same thing.

Corinne Lewis was the first victim. Her brother and sister were the ones to find her on the kitchen table that morning.

He glanced back through the window, ignoring the principal’s rambling.

Principal Meron sure was quick to change the subject. I can understand not wanting to discuss the fact that four students at this academy have been murdered…but isn’t that something incoming staff should be aware of?

He didn’t realize he’d fallen behind Meron and Riza until he looked back up and they were almost to the door leading to the west wing of the academy. Meron was still animatedly talking to Riza, and Roy could see the strain in her smile. He jogged to catch up to them.

He’s not just reluctant to discuss the matter with the military police. He won’t talk to anyone, at least anyone outside the academy.

We can only hope the rest of the faculty will be more helpful.

Chapter Text

Riza Hawkeye

She slowly sat up in the bed and eased herself off it, careful not to wake Roy sleeping soundly beside her. She tip-toed across the floor and descended the stairs. Feeling along the wall, she made her way down the hall until she felt the light switch. She cringed when light flooded the kitchen. She searched the cabinets until she found a kettle and tea bags within them. She grinned, filled the kettle, and set it on the stove. She leaned back against the counter and rubbed her eyes.

It was kind of Breda to do our grocery shopping for us. We should be good at least for this week. Between Roy and I catching up on our lesson plans, I can’t imagine trying to—

A soft thud came just over her head. Mere seconds later, uneven footsteps grew louder as they came down the stairs. She took the kettle off the stove and filled it with more water. The footsteps stopped.

“What are you doing up, Lieutenant?”

It didn’t surprise her in the slightest that there wasn’t an ounce of sleep in Ed’s voice, confirming her thoughts on the constant creaking she’d heard over the last couple hours.

“Couldn’t sleep,” she said, turning around and leaning against the counter to find Ed lingering in the entryway to the kitchen, “and I’m guessing you couldn’t either?”

Ed shook his head. She motioned for him to sit at the table. He sat down and slouched forward, leaning on his arms. She opened another cabinet and took out two mugs before joining him.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asked.

Ed nodded before lying his head down on his folded arms.

“I know I shouldn’t be. The girl who showed me around seemed nice enough. I’m sure the other students will be, too. I just….”

Ed trailed off, saved by the shrill whistle of the tea kettle. Riza got up and moved the kettle off the burner. She only waited a minute before pouring its contents into the mugs. She didn’t speak until she set the steaming mugs down on the table. Ed perked up, and she couldn’t help but grin.

“It’s chamomile tea. It helps me when I have trouble sleeping. Breda got plenty of it for us, so feel free to make it whenever you want.” Ed muttered a quick “thanks” before taking a sip. Riza did the same before setting her mug down and clasping her hands together on the table. “It’s understandable that you’d be nervous, Ed. This is your first time going undercover. You’re going to a prestigious academy and must keep up the charade of a student while trying to get as much information as you can to help the military track down a serial killer. It won’t be easy.”

Ed rubbed the back of his neck. He opened his mouth only to shut it and take another drink from his mug. Riza narrowed her eyes.

That must not be the only thing bothering him.

However, she didn’t say another word. She drank her tea in silence.

Trying to drag it out of him won’t help anything. He might not even be comfortable—

“I saw her staring at my automail.” Riza blinked. Ed shifted his gaze down at the mug in his hands. “The girl that showed me around campus. She was nice, but I caught her staring at my automail hand. She didn’t ask me any questions or anything….”

“But she still noticed?”

Ed nodded.

“I’m…I’m just not used to people staring. What if someone asks me about it?”

Riza set her mug down again.

“If you feel comfortable with sharing the story we came up with in the file, you’re free to tell it; however, no one is entitled to an explanation if you don’t want to give one. Don’t let anyone pressure you into telling them, all right? If they try just let the Colonel or me know and we’ll put a stop to it.”

It took a minute for Ed to finally meet her gaze. A small grin tugged at the corners of his lips.

“All right.”

Riza quickly drank the rest of her tea before getting up and setting the mug down in the sink.

“Try to go to bed soon. We need to be up in a few hours.”

Ed nodded and muttered an almost silent “good night” before he started drinking his own tea again. She glanced over her shoulder one last time as she left the kitchen.

Get some sleep, Ed. Tomorrow will be a long day for all of us.

Roy Mustang

The first rays of sunlight filtered into the kitchen the second he opened the curtain. He squinted at the sudden brightness and turned away from the window. Rubbing his eyes, he headed toward the stove but stopped at the ringing that cut through the house’s silence. He quickly picked up the phone.

“Mason residence.”

“Glad to know you’re already up and around, Colonel!” Jean’s voice came from the other end. “Can’t have our favorite chemistry teacher be late for his first day of school!”

His brow furrowed at the strain in Jean’s voice.

“I know you wouldn’t ring us this early just for a wakeup call.”

He was met with a moment of silence before Jean spoke again.

“There’s been another victim.” He clenched the phone so tight his knuckles turned white. “His name’s Micah Belden. He was only fifteen…his dad found him on the kitchen table about an hour ago. A detective just notified me, so I called you right away. I’m about to head to the crime scene.”

Roy rubbed a hand down his face.

“All right. What’s the address? I’ll meet you there.”

“Sir, you have to go to the academy—”

“And I’ll still be on time for classes. What’s the address?” he asked again, stretching the phone cord as far as he could so he could search for some pen and paper.

After some persuasion and scribbling of directions, he hung up the phone and headed upstairs to his and Riza’s room. He quietly rummaged through the drawers and closet and threw on his white shirt and black slacks. He went into the bathroom, shut the door, and turned on the lights. His mouth went dry while he buttoned up his shirt.

It’s only been a few days since the last victim. The killer had been waiting at least two weeks. What the hell changed?

He tucked his shirt into his pants and fastened the belt around his waist. He smoothed out his hair. When he left the bathroom, Riza was already sitting up in bed. She yawned and stretched.

“Have you eaten yet?”

Roy shook his head and shifted his gaze down to his feet.

“There’s been another victim,” he said softly. When he looked back up, Riza was tightly clutching their comforter. “Havoc just called and let me know. The crime scene’s only a couple blocks away. I’m heading there and I’ll meet you two at the school.”

He sat down on their bed and shoved his feet into the required black shoes.

“Should I tell Ed?” Riza asked next.

Roy stiffened. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head again.

“It’s still early. The other students probably won’t know yet, but I can’t imagine it’ll be long before they find out. The more genuine his reaction is, the better for our cover.”

Riza put a hand on his back.

“Are you sure about this?”

No….

He nodded anyway. He walked into the closet and grabbed his gray tie and black suit jacket. Riza got out of bed as he threw the jacket on and helped him straighten his tie.

“I’ll make breakfast then. Do you want me to bring you anything?”

The blood drained from his face. His stomach churned at the thought of food.

“I’ll be all right,” he muttered. “Thank you, though. I’ll see you soon.”

He left their bedroom and rushed down the stairs. He grabbed his briefcase from their nearly bare living room. After a quick peek inside, he snatched his keys and headed out the door.

He turned east, having to cover his eyes to shield them from rising sun. The chilly air whipped around him while he walked down the street. It took him almost no time at all to pass the diner he’d stopped at just a couple nights ago. Once he reached the next intersection, he veered to the right. He could see the cars congregated around the house the second he turned down the street. He quickened his pace and stalked down the street. He was only a block away when Jean emerged from the cars, jogging to meet him.

“Lieutenant Havoc—"

“Sorry, sir, but we can’t risk the parents seeing you. They’ll probably be going to the academy later this week to collect Micah’s things.” Roy slowed to a stop and set his briefcase down. Jean’s face was whiter than a ghost. “Besides, you don’t need to go in there. You already have a rough day ahead of you.”

Roy crossed his arms.

“I understand. What have you all found out?”

“Not much,” Jean admitted, his shoulders sagging. “Eston Beldon woke up to find the front door of their house wide open. He walked into the kitchen and found Micah…anyways, he called for help and has been trying to keep his wife and daughter away from the kitchen ever since. We’re trying to hurry and get all the evidence we can. The coroner should be here soon to take the body.

“Like the other victims, his body was dissected, and his organs were fanned out on the table. Despite all the blood, there aren’t any footprints inside the house. We’ve checked for fingerprints—hell, we’ve checked for anything that could help us find this killer—and we haven’t found anything. We searched Micah’s room. His window was open, but it doesn’t look like the lock was tampered with. Micah probably forgot to close it. Eston thinks if he’d checked it again before he went to bed….”

Roy winced and his chest tightened.

I can’t even begin to imagine how any of these parents feel….

“We’re interviewing the neighbors in case anyone saw something, but we haven’t had any luck so far,” Jean finished.

The two were silent until a van pulled up to the house a minute later.

“What do you need me to do?”

“You and Lieutenant Hawkeye need to listen to anything the staff say. Listen to every conversation you can among the students. Write everything down and don’t leave any details out. We need to see if there’s anything connecting these students aside from just going to the same academy.”

A man stepped out of the van, walked around to the back, and opened it. He rubbed a hand down his face before unloading a gurney.

Even though he’s a coroner, it can’t easy performing an autopsy on someone so young…that died so brutally….

“We will, Havoc.”

Edward Elric

He grabbed the strap slipping down his shoulder and shifted the backpack higher up on his back. He looked around the street. A few people were opening their stores. Several kids wearing Henthorn Academy’s uniform ran out of their houses and gathered on the sidewalks before heading toward the school. He and Riza had only walked a couple blocks west of their house, but the academy was already in sight.

“Your dad should be meeting us any second now.” He tripped over his own two feet at the words but managed to right himself before he could completely fall. “He’ll probably be waiting at the….”

She trailed off when a pair of footsteps rapidly approached them from behind. He glanced back to find Roy running to catch up to them. He shook his head.

That’s right. Outside of our house, it’s not “Lieutenant” and “Colonel” anymore. I can’t forget that, especially today.

“It’s about time you showed up,” Ed grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Roy slowed down to their pace. He reached out to ruffle his hair and laughed at the indignant squawk that followed as Ed batted his hands away. He pulled out the small band and quickly smoothed his hair out before pulling it back into a ponytail. He turned around and glared at Roy.

“What the he—”

Riza shot him a look that caused him to snap his mouth shut.

I guess most kids attending a school like this probably wouldn’t yell at their parents like that.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

That damn Colonel’s probably enjoying this.

His eyebrows rose when Roy grabbed Riza’s hand. Neither one of them missed a beat and kept walking. Ed’s mouth hung open, but he shook his head and caught up to them. The three were quiet the rest of the short walk to the academy. Ed paused at the bottom of the stairs, staring beyond the fountain at the massive double doors. He didn’t pay any mind to the students passing them and ascending the steps. Roy and Riza had only climbed five of them when they realized he wasn’t with them. Roy turned around.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

Ed swallowed and nodded. He joined them a heartbeat later. Roy put a hand on his shoulder and kept it there as they walked up the stairs. He gave it a squeeze just before the three entered the academy. Unlike the tour on Friday, the lobby was filled with chattering students. Dozens of conversations echoed throughout the halls, making it nearly impossible to think over the dull roar around them.

“We’ll see you later,” Riza whispered before she and Roy entered the administrative offices.

Roy flashed him a grin and a quick wave before the door shut. He waved back before reaching into his pocket and unfolding the piece of paper he’d nearly forgotten that morning.

It looks like my first class is geometry. If I’m remembering correctly, that should be to the left….

There was no possible way to ignore the stares of the other students while he walked down the hall. The bits and pieces of conversations he heard didn’t help the matter.

“That must be the new kid.”

“His parents are the new teachers, right?”

“I’ve never seen a boy with such long hair….”

His jaw clenched, but he kept walking. Suddenly, a girl just a couple centimeters shorter than him stepped right in his path. He blinked, finally noticing the black curls. Her smile nearly blinded him. The corners of his lips quirked up into a grin. Before he could open his mouth, she was already speaking.

“It’s good to see you again, Ed! I’ve been keeping an eye out for you. I’m in your geometry class, so I thought we could walk there together. It can be a bit harder to find your classes with so many students in the halls.”

Ed rubbed the back of his neck, but his grin didn’t falter.

“Thanks, Anya.”

She led him down the hall with ease, weaving between the students without missing a step. He tried to keep up with her. He bumped into other students and mumbled apologies over his shoulder as they went. Someone hit his right shoulder, and the force stopped him in his tracks. A boy towered over him and rubbed his arm. Ed nearly winced.

Sounds like he bumped into my automail pretty hard….

The kid opened his mouth but quickly shut it when he got a good look at Ed.

“Damn new kid,” he muttered under his breath.

He adjusted his backpack before continuing down the hall in the opposite direction. A gentle tug at his wrist caught his attention a second later.

“Sorry, guess I got a little ahead of myself and lost you for a minute!” Anya apologized. He glanced back over his shoulder, and she tugged on his wrist again. “Don’t worry about him. We need to hurry. I’m sure Mrs. Wendell has some books and work you’ll need to catch up.”

The two made their way further down the hall and around a corner. They slowed down when they reached the right door. Ed was greeted by the sight of two dozen empty desks. A bigger desk sat in the front corner of the room next to the chalk boards. The woman sitting at it turned around when she heard them enter the classroom and grinned from ear to ear.

“You must be Edward Mason!” she said, instantly standing and approaching the two. “I’m Mrs. Wendell. I was so excited to hear we were getting a new student!”

Anya nodded.

“I thought I’d bring him by early since you probably have—”

The girl hadn’t even finished the sentence before their teacher rushed back to her desk and rummaged through the drawers. She pulled out a folder and book and held them out for him, which he instantly accepted.

“I’m not sure what you covered at your last school, but that folder has notes for everything we’ve gone over so far this year. There’s a few exercises in there as well to help you practice.” Mrs. Wendell guided him to desk at the back of the room. She looked to the door as students started filing into the classroom.

“This will be your seat. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! I’ll be more than happy to help!” Her smile widened. “Welcome to Henthorn Academy, Edward!”

He barely muttered a “thank you” before she was heading back to the front and greeted more students. A pit in Ed’s stomach grew as more students entered and settled into their seats. Every one of them stared at him just a little longer than necessary when they noticed him at the back of the room, and he fought the urge to squirm under all the attention.

I guess they really don’t get new students that often.

A bell rang, and everyone sat down, and Mrs. Wendell stood at the chalkboard.

“I’m sure you all have noticed, but we have a new student that just transferred from East City! Edward, why don’t you stand up and tell us a little bit about yourself?”

He inwardly sighed but planted his hands firmly on the desk and stood up.

Please tell me I won’t have to do this all day.

Roy Mustang

The bell rang, and not a single student hesitated to swiftly throw their notebooks in their backpacks and rush out of the classroom.

“Did you understand any of that?”

“Of course not. Did you?”

“Does anyone remember the last time we had a decent chemistry teacher?”

Roy shook his head, casting all thoughts of the horrendous lesson plans he’d been given out of his mind.

If I had to guess from those lesson plans, this school never had a decent chemistry teacher. My first class is set to graduate this year and they’re practically starting from scratch. I would’ve thought an academy like this would invest in a better chemistry teacher….

Just as quick as his last class left, his next one started entering the room and settling into their seats. He glanced at the sheet of paper the last teacher had left for him.

It looks like I have first years for the next class…and honestly this lesson won’t be much different from my last. But if I’m not mistaken….

Ed walked through the door, following a boy with curly black hair that hung down to his shoulders. He seemed to be talking Ed’s ear off. His subordinate didn’t have a chance to utter a word, so he merely settled for offering a nod and a grin whenever it seemed appropriate. Roy stood when the two approached his desk. The boy stopped talking, but only for a moment. He flashed a blinding smile and held out his hand which he shook instantly.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Mason! I’m Kenneth Lewis. I sit in front of Edward in geometry. What did he learn at his last school? He picked up our lesson faster than anyone in the class!”

Roy met Ed’s eyes and raised his eyebrows. Ed crossed his arms and shifted his weight, his gaze falling to his feet.

“He’s always been a fast learner, but I’m glad to hear your first class went so well! Let’s see….” He trailed off to look at the sheet of paper and gestured to the desk in front of them. “…it looks like you’ll be sitting front in center for my class.”

In any other circumstance, he would’ve laughed at the way Ed’s body tensed. His mouth opened only to shut again a second later. He could only imagine the thoughts running through the kid’s mind. Ed took a deep breath and met his gaze again with a smile that had to take every bit of strength he had to muster.

“All right. Thanks, dad!”

Kenneth snickered as the two turned toward the desks.

“It has to be weird having your dad as your teacher.”

Roy chuckled and shook his head. More students settled down at their desks and pulled out their notebooks.

“Did you hear about Micah?” the student sitting just right of Ed whispered.

His blood froze in his veins.

Dammit, not now! How can rumors be spreading this fast already? We’re only in the second class of the day.

“Yeah, Wyatt said he walked by his house on his way to school and saw it swarmed with police.”

“Do you think he got gutted like the others?”

How can a kid so casually ask that? Do they even truly understand what’s been happening?

He risked a glance to Ed who was staring right back at him. His face had paled considerably. His mouth was moving, and Roy’s chest tightened.

Did you know?

His lips quirked into a grim line, and Ed practically slammed his notebook onto his desk. The room was still buzzing with chattering students, so no one paid the sound any mind. He leaned back in the chair. He never once took his furious eyes off Roy. Finally, the bell rang.

“All right, everyone take your seats,” he ordered, standing up in front of the chalk board.

He scanned the classroom as the talking died down, making sure he didn’t linger on Ed for too long.

Maybe not telling him wasn’t the best decision.

Chapter Text

Riza Hawkeye

“Did I say you could slow down?” she yelled across the track. The group of boys running together stopped laughing and picked up the pace instantly. It wasn’t much longer until they weren’t able to talk at all. She yelled out again when they ran by her. “Keep this pace for four more laps.”

At least two of them blanched at the instructions, but neither of them said a word. All the girls ran in a group together and were less than half a lap behind them. One of them was clutching her side. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

According to the notes the previous teacher left me, they should be in much better shape than this. He even specified the pace, and the kids couldn’t even keep it for their first lap. Did he just let them sit around and do nothing all class?

When the students finished running and a few were on the verge of vomiting, she figured that to be the case. She checked her watch.

I guess a quick break wouldn’t hurt.

“Get some water. You all have push-ups and sit-ups next.”

Sighs of relief echoed amongst the students. They trudged over to their water bottles and plopped down on the ground. For a couple minutes, they didn’t say a single word. It wasn’t until they’d guzzled at least half of their water did any of them try to talk again.

“I’m going to be so sore tomorrow.”

“How are we supposed to make it through the rest of the day?”

“That cute new kid definitely won’t like me if I’m all sweaty from gym class!”

Riza barely suppressed a grin at the latest complaint. She approached the students.

“If you all have the energy to talk, I think you’re ready for class to continue. On your hands and feet. Fifty push-ups for all of you.” She was met with several gawking faces and merely raised an eyebrow back up at them. “Get to it. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be done with class.”

Grumbles erupted from the students, but they begrudgingly started their pushups. She sighed when she saw some of them barely moving their arms.

I suppose I can let it slide today. It looks like it’s going to be a rough week for them, after all.

Edward Elric

He opened the double doors to the library. A desk sat to the wall just to his right. A few tables and chairs were set up further along the wall. Otherwise, the massive room was filled with nothing but shelves and books, giving the library in East City a run for its money. His jaw dropped.

“You must be Edward!”

He nearly jumped at the voice. He looked around for the source. A yelp and crash followed a couple seconds later. A plume of dust erupted out of one of the aisles. He shrugged off his backpack and ran over and saw a woman clamoring to her feet and dusting herself off. A ladder lied in the middle of the aisle, and books were scattered all over the floor.

“Are you okay?” he asked, stooping down to pick up some books.

The woman laughed and straightened out her skirt.

“Yes. I’m Ms. Nelson. It’s nice to meet you! Sorry about this. I should know better than to get distracted when I’m dusting off these shelves!”

She took some of the books out of his arms and put them back on the shelves. He grinned and bent down to pick up more.

“This is an amazing library,” he said.

Ms. Nelson’s smile stretched from ear-to-ear.

“I’m so glad you think so! I don’t get a lot of students in here.”

Ed snapped his head up.

“Why?”

He looked around at the shelves, finding dust covering them. Ms. Nelson simply laughed.

“I guess most of these kids aren’t interested in books. Besides, their parents could pretty much buy them any book they wanted. I guess they don’t really have a reason to be in here.” She sighed. “It’s still a shame, though.”

It really is. We didn’t have anything like this at our little school back in Resembool. We only had a couple books in the classroom.

Ms. Nelson put her hands on her hips.

“You’re free to read as many of these books as you want! Aside from having you help me dust them off occasionally, I don’t have anything planned for you. You could get a head start on your homework if you wanted. I’m just happy to not spend all my afternoons alone in here!”

Ed nodded and went back to the front of the library to pick up his backpack. Ms. Nelson headed back to her desk and motioned for him to sit at one of the tables. The door opened, the two whipping their heads toward it. A man with short, gray hair poked his head in. His eyes widened when he met Ed’s gaze. He disappeared; the door slammed shut a second later.

What the hell?

“Who was that?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“That’s Sal,” she sighed, the corners of her lips quirking into a frown. “He’s the janitor and just started about four months ago. He doesn’t really talk to the rest of the staff nor the students. After hearing some of the rumors and stories the students have started about him, I can’t really say I blame him. Sometimes he’ll stop by here to read for a bit before starting his shift….”

Ms. Nelson kept rambling, but Ed tuned her out.

He started working here about a month before the murders started…I suppose that could just be a coincidence….

His heart plummeted into his stomach.

And there’s already been another victim….

Ed dropped his backpack and sat down at the closest table and plopped down in the chair. He pulled out a couple of his notebooks but couldn’t get himself to open them.

Mustang didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. There’s no way he couldn’t have known about it. He nearly missed walking to the school with Hawkeye and me. He was probably at the crime scene.

He clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth.

Why the hell didn’t he tell me anything?

Roy Mustang

The students flooded the halls and filled the entirety of the main lobby. He didn’t let them slow him down, instead weaving in and out of the chattering students and staff while he made his way toward the front doors. It seemed as if a dozen students were right on his heels. They quickly shuffled around him and ran down the rest of the stairs. Riza and Ed were waiting at the bottom steps for him. He put a hand on Ed’s shoulder.

“How was your first day—”

“Fine!”

The way Ed shoved his hands into his pockets indicated otherwise. His shoulder briefly jerked, but after a quick look around, Ed decided not to shrug it off. He risked a glance at Riza. She frowned before leading them down the sidewalk toward their house.

“Did you get along with the other students?” she asked.

“They’re fine.”

Ed didn’t talk the rest of their short walk home. The second Roy unlocked the door, he stomped up the stairs. They barely heard the faint thud of his backpack hitting the floor before his bedroom door slammed shut. Roy trudged into the living room. He dropped his briefcase by the coffee table and slumped down on the couch. Riza joined him a second later. He buried his face in his hands.

“He found out from the other students,” he muttered, the words slightly muffled. Riza didn’t say anything, but he didn’t let the silence last long. “Honestly, I didn’t think the news would’ve traveled that fast. The students were all talking about it by the time I had him in class.”

“Do you regret not telling him?”

Roy nodded.

“He’s angry, and I can’t say I blame him,” he grumbled.

“Then you should apologize.”

Roy sighed but nodded again. Riza squeezed his shoulder.

“We should give him some time to cool down, though. I’m sure his day was stressful enough. I’ll start dinner.”

Roy stood up.

“No, you cooked last night. I’ll—”

Bang!

The two cringed at the sound. They could only imagine the force required to make the door hit the wall that hard. Footsteps thundered overhead and down the stairs. Ed stalked into the room, having already thrown off his tie and blazer. Fire burned in his eyes.

“What the hell, Colonel?”

Neither of them bothered to correct him. Roy rubbed the back of his neck.

“Look, Ed, you have every right to be upset—”

“How could you neither of you tell me there was another victim?”

“I ordered Hawkeye not to,” he barely got in before Ed continued.

“Why? I thought we were supposed to be working together to catch the guy doing this. I trusted you to tell me everything during this assignment, so why wouldn’t you tell me that? Isn’t that something I should know?”

“Because I was wrong!” Ed’s mouth snapped shut at the words. After a few seconds, seeing that Ed wouldn’t start yelling again, Roy continued. “Havoc called and let me know there was another victim this morning. I made the decision not to tell you. I didn’t think the other students would be talking about it by the second class of the day, and I thought a genuine reaction from you would be what was best for our cover, but I can see that I only upset you. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

Ed’s eyes widened. He crossed his arms and shifted his gaze down to his feet.

“Are you really?”

Roy didn’t hesitate for a second.

“I am.”

Riza stepped forward, getting Ed to look back up.

“You were right, Ed. We’re supposed to be working together. We’ll never withhold information concerning this assignment from you again.”

Ed looked between the two military officers.

“You won’t?” They both shook their heads. Ed took a deep breath, but slowly uncrossed his arms and unclenched his fists. “All right.”

He turned around and headed back upstairs to his room, much quieter than when they first got back to the house. Riza’s shoulders sagged, and Roy nearly collapsed back on the couch.

That was close. We can’t afford not to trust each other. Not on an assignment like this.

“I’ll start dinner,” he mumbled.

He retreated into the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

We’ve only been here a few days and there’s already been another murder. The killer doesn’t seem to wait a specific amount of time between victims. For all we know, there could be another victim tomorrow. We hardly got the chance to talk to the rest of the staff today….

“Need some help?”

Roy spun around to find Ed setting a couple notebooks and folders down on the kitchen table, all traces of his previous rage completely gone.

“Don’t you have homework? I heard your teachers gave you quite a bit of work you need to catch up on.”

“Do I actually have to try?” Ed whined.

Roy smirked but kept looking through the cabinets.

“I’d imagine a kid getting into such a prestigious academy would put a lot of effort into his homework. You need to keep up your cover, don’t you?”

He ignored the swearing under the kid’s breath and pulled out a few cans.

“At least I got most of it done during study hall,” he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “Have you seen the library? It’s incredible, and none of the students use it.”

He stooped down to pull out a pot and set it on the stove.

“That’s a shame.”

“I guess the janitor stops by sometimes. He saw me, turned right around, then left. I found out from Ms. Nelson he only started working there about four months ago.”

He froze and looked over his shoulder at Ed who was tapping his pencil against the open notebook.

“I suppose it could just be a coincidence….”

Ed bit his lip and nodded.

If it really is the janitor…and Fullmetal saw him today….

He suppressed a shiver and started opening the cans. He dumped the contents into the pot, mindlessly grabbing a spoon and stirring.

I know Riza and I only got to talk to the staff briefly during our lunch break, but no one mentioned anything about the janitor. I guess no one had a reason to. It might just be a coincidence….

“Let me chop up the carrots for you.”

Riza bumped into him and shook him out of his thoughts. She gathered a knife and cutting board and set them on the counter next to the stove. Within seconds, she was chopping up the vegetables and adding them to the pot. She grabbed the potatoes next and started peeling them. Roy met her gaze. Her lips barely moved, but he understood, nonetheless.

Are you okay?

He stopped stirring for a second, then nodded.

I have to be. There’s already been another victim, and I’ve made a bad call this early-no. I can’t think about that. I won’t do that again. I’ll keep Fullmetal in the loop on everything we know. We have to move forward.

“How was your first day of school?” he tried asking again, adding the potatoes to the soup as Riza finished cutting them.

Ed shrugged.

“It was fine, I guess. The other students seem nice enough.” He briefly cringed. “Although, it doesn’t seem like they’re taking these murders too seriously. A couple of them were joking about being nice or they’ll get cut open.”

Roy clenched his eyes shut but kept stirring.

I guess I shouldn’t really expect anything else from high school students. Besides, who knows what their parents are telling them about the murders. I’m not sure if they really understand—

Steam rose from the pot, and the liquid was starting to bubble. He grabbed the nearest rag and wiped his forehead.

“Looks like the soup is ready,” he announced.

Ed swiftly cleared the table and grabbed three bowls down from the cupboard.

“How did the first day of teaching go for you all? I’m sure it was difficult for you, Colonel, considering you actually had to work and couldn’t sit around and avoid paperwork all day.”

A vein popped in Roy’s forehead, but he took a deep breath. Riza handed him a bowl with a wink.

“It was good, however,” Riza drawled, sparing Ed a brief glance while she poured herself some soup, “I noticed a lot of the girls were distracted during class. They were talking and I’m pretty sure I heard something about some cute new kid that just transferred.”

Blood rushed to Ed’s face. He tilted his head down, allowing his bangs to hide most of the blush. Roy chuckled.

“A couple of the students in my last class mentioned a new kid that was supposedly a math genius and I quote: ‘insanely hot.’ They couldn’t have been talking about the same kid, could they?”

Ed groaned and plopped down at the table, and neither of them could contain their laughter any longer. Riza joined Ed while Roy set his bowl down. He walked over to the window, noticing the kids running into the house across the street as the last rays of sunlight started fading. He closed the curtains. He turned back to the table and grinned at the sight of Ed and Riza already eating and talking. Ed pulled out one of his notebooks and slid it across to her, pointing at the equations within them. Roy’s grin faltered. He left the kitchen and headed straight for the front door, turning the deadbolt with an audible click.

I wonder how many families ate one last dinner like this, not knowing what would happen to one of their kids….

He shook his head before finally joining Riza and Ed at the table.

Chapter Text

Riza Hawkeye

She yawned and trudged down the stairs, hand gliding along the railing. She rubbed her eyes once she reached the last step.

We may not have gotten too much information this week, but at least it’s Friday. We’ll have a couple days to recuperate before trying again next week. Hopefully nothing….

She mentally shook the thought away and entered the kitchen. Sunlight streamed in through the window onto the table. She automatically wandered toward the cabinets and rummaged around for the tea kettle. She stifled another yawn while she filled it up with water and set it on the stove. The stairs creaked, and a pair of footsteps descended them. Roy walked in with his hair sticking up in the back and his shirt and sweatpants slightly wrinkled. Considering his eyes were half-closed, she could only guess he was still half-asleep.

“Morning, sir,” she said, grabbing a couple mugs from another cabinet.

He mumbled something like “good morning” and sat down at the kitchen table, hanging his head in his hands. She turned back to the stove. Steam slowly rose out of the kettle.

“Did you open the curtains?” he asked.

She whipped around to face the table. Roy was sitting straight up, all traces of sleepiness gone. His eyebrows scrunched together as he stared out the window.

“No. They were already open when I came down here. You probably forgot to close them last night.”

Roy shook his head.

“I..I thought I….” he shifted his gaze down to the table. “You’re probably right. I just forgot.”

“I can’t say I’d blame you. It’s been a long week. You’ve practically had to rearrange the entire curriculum for your students. You’ve been up late every night.”

“I guess so.” He stood up and left the table. “I’ll go make sure Ed’s awake. We’ll need to leave in an hour.”

Riza smirked.

“I’d recommend getting yourself ready first. I don’t think you’d appreciate his thoughts on your current look.”

She barely caught a glimpse of the glare he shot her way. She removed the kettle from the stove but stopped before she poured the water in the mugs. She looked over her shoulder back at the window.

Roy usually does close the curtains every night before he goes to sleep…no. It’s just been a long week. This case is a lot different than just procrastinating paperwork, after all.

Edward Elric

He walked through the halls, tightly clutching the tray in his hands. He used his shoulder to push the door leading out to the courtyard open. The wind whipped around him. He couldn’t help but sigh once he left the stuffy hallway behind.

“Hey, Ed!” He looked to his left to see Kenneth standing up and waving him over to one of the picnic tables. “We’re sitting over here today!”

He grinned and headed toward the table. Anya perked up and scooted down the bench to make room for him. The other two girls were already eating their sandwiches, but they still waved when he sat down.

The one with red hair is…Petra! That’s right! The other one is….

“How’d you think you did on the geometry test, Nora?” Anya asked.

Nora! Dammit I can’t forget that. This is the third time I’ve eaten with this group this week.

Nora paled at the question She ducked her head, letting her long, brown hair cover most of her face.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t think anyone does,” Kenneth chimed in. “I studied every single night this week and still feel like I failed.”

“You say that after every test, and you get one of the top scores every single time.”

Kenneth turned to Ed.

“I’m surprised you took the test, Ed. Mrs. Wendell said you didn’t have to if you weren’t ready yet, but you were the first one to finish!”

Ed shrugged.

“My last school covered most of the material, so there wasn’t much for me to catch up on.”

“Guys!”

All five heads turned to the other side of the courtyard. A boy was sprinting straight toward their table. Ed squinted a little.

That’s...Ted? No, Theo! He’s in all but one of my classes.

Theo skidded to a stop and hunched over the table while he tried to catch his breath.

“You guys won’t believe this!” he managed between gasps. “I overheard Mrs. Wendell talking to Mr. Mason on the way to the teacher’s lounge, and Ed got the highest grade on our exam!”

Kenneth jumped up, rounding the table and clamping his hands on Ed’s shoulders. Ed nearly flinched at the contact but allowed Kenneth to shake him back and forth.

“Congratulations, Ed!”

Anya was beaming at him.

“That’s quite impressive!”

Ed stared daggers into his sandwich and decided to ignore the heat rushing to his face.

“I don’t know why you’re so happy, Anya. Looks like you’ve got some competition for top of our class besides Kenneth!”

Ed took a bite of his sandwich and kept his gaze down on his tray. The conversation faded around him. His eyelids started to droop, but he forced them right back open. He took another bite, hoping the food would give him more energy.

How can these students stand to be cooped up in this building all day only to go home and do homework for hours on end? It sounds like they’ve never had a decent chemistry teacher if Mustang’s lessons are kicking their asses. I’m lucky I already understand that material—

“Are you coming with us, Ed?”

Ed shook his head and swallowed his food.

“What?”

“Are you coming?” Anya giggled. “We’re having a picnic at the park across the river tomorrow if you’d like to join us.”

“Oh…I…I al-already….” he stuttered.

Nora shook her head and offered him a smile.

“You don’t have to. We know it’s only your first week. If you’re anything like me when I moved here three years ago, it’ll take you over a month to get your stuff unpacked.”

Ed rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah. I’ve still got a lot to do at home.”

“You can join us next time,” she offered.

Ed nodded. The students quickly finished their lunch and headed back inside the school with their trays. Theo slung an arm around his shoulders and steered them toward their next class.

“Since you seem to know geometry, would you mind tutoring me? I’ve been really struggling with these lessons….”

He inwardly groaned while Theo rambled.

At least we only have three more classes, and we’re done until Monday.

He entered the classroom, instantly folding his arms on the desk and laying his head on top of them. Theo was still talking, even after Ed let his eyes close.

“Quiet down, everyone!” His eyes shot right back open when his Xingese teacher entered the class, picked up a piece of chalk, and started scribbling on the board. “Picking up from yesterday….”

He reluctantly picked up his head and propped his chin up on his palm.

The day really can’t end soon enough.

Roy Mustang

He unlocked the house and headed straight for the couch. He plopped down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I didn’t think this week could last any longer. Riza and I barely got to speak with any of the staff this week. If we hadn’t spent so much time adjusting the lesson plans, maybe we could’ve—

“It’s only been a week, sir.”

I swear she can read minds.

“I know,” he sighed.

The couch dipped when Riza sat down. She leaned back, letting her head drop against the back of the couch.

“There could be another victim at any time….”

He flinched at the thought.

“I know,” he said again. “We haven’t made any progress either.”

“We have a cover to maintain. Havoc’s been trying to investigate the staff and getting nowhere. The reports were right. The staff won’t talk to anyone outside the school. There’s no evidence leading us to any of the teachers, so we can’t exactly force them to speak with us.”

“You’d think a killer targeting students at their academy would be enough motivation to cooperate with the military during the investigation. They have to be hiding something.”

Riza shrugged.

“Probably, but there’s also the chance they don’t know anything. It really wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t want to waste their time talking with officers if they didn’t think they had any useful information.”

If that’s the case, I wish they’d just say that….

Roy straightened up.

“Do you think someone told them not to talk to the military?”

Riza’s eyes widened.

“Mrs. Wendell mentioned something about her and another teacher meeting a donor for dinner this weekend. It would make sense for an academy like this to get extra funding. Since no one’s talking with the police, we don’t have a list of who’s funneling money to the school.”

Roy stood up and made for the stairs. He stopped in the doorway of Ed’s room to find the kid sprawled out face-down on the bed. He smirked at the sight.

“I know you’re tired, but we need to talk. You can sleep afterward.”

Ed groaned but rolled over and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Roy headed downstairs, hearing Ed following him when he reached the bottom step. Riza was already in the kitchen. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Roy joined her, and Ed sat down right across from them.

“I know it’s been a long week,” Roy started, “but we think we’ve got an idea of how to move forward.”

*break*

Riza shifted next to him, jolting Roy awake. He closed his eyes and carefully rolled over onto his back. After a few minutes, he opened them again and glared at the ceiling.

Dammit.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He slid out of bed and tip-toed toward the door. He cracked it open, light filtered in from the hallway. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Riza hadn’t stirred. When she didn’t move, he crept out of their bedroom. He looked up to the lone light illuminating the hallway and top of the stairs. He shook his head.

I must’ve really been tired if I forgot to turn that off before we went to bed.

He started down the stairs. A couple creaks echoed throughout the house, and he froze.

Fullmetal crashed on the couch after dinner. Considering his door was still open, he’s probably still sleeping down there.

He carefully took another step, wincing when it creaked again. He slowly descended the stairs, grateful when he finally reached the entryway. Light streamed in from the kitchen into the living room.

Did I really forget to turn off the kitchen light, too?

He rubbed his eyes, quietly walking through the living room. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and shivered when the cool breeze hit him. His heart stopped.

I’ve never opened the window….

His eyes shot open. His dinner threatened to reappear at the sight.

“Ed!” he screamed.

He rushed to the table and gripped the edge. Ed lied on it, eyes closed and unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. His shirt was sliced open. Blood streamed down his sides from a cut running from his chest to the middle of his stomach. Roy scrambled over to the counter and grabbed as many rags as he could, rushing back to the table and pressing them over the cut to staunch the blood flow.

“Roy!” Riza called from upstairs, her footsteps rapidly running down the steps a second later.

He’s still breathing, but we can’t handle this.

Riza stopped when she reached the kitchen. Her gun clattered to the floor, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. Roy took a deep breath, relishing the rising and falling of Ed’s chest beneath his hands. Riza was at his side in an instant.

“He’s still breathing, but he’s unconscious. We need to get him to a hospital. That cut’s too deep for us to handle on our own.”

Riza nodded. She grabbed the keys to their car while Roy slipped his arms under Ed’s back and legs. Ed’s head lolled against his chest when he picked him up. Riza held the front door open for him as he sprinted to the car. In a flash, she was opening the back door for them and jumping behind the wheel. Roy slid into the backseat with Ed. He pressed down on the rags as the engine roared to life. Riza grabbed the back of the passenger seat, looked over her shoulder with only a brief glance at the two, and pulled out of the driveway.

“We saw a hospital when we came in. It was a couple kilometers before the bridge if I remember right.”

“Hurry!” he ordered.

She sped through the streets, her eyes flickering to the rearview mirror often. Roy kept pressure on the wound. He concentrated on the slow rise and fall of Ed’s chest under his hands. He swallowed around the lump in his throat.

If I hadn’t woken up….

His hands clenched into fists around the rags. The car slowed down. He didn’t even wait for it to completely stop before he flung the door open. When he picked Ed back up, the kid groaned.

Dammit!

“We’re getting you help, Ed. Hang on.”

He slammed the door shut with his foot and sprinted inside the hospital.

Chapter Text

Edward Elric

He opened his eyes only to clench them shut again at the blinding light that welcomed him. He tried to roll over, but an ache in his chest and stomach stopped him.

What the hell happened?

“Ed?”

Lieutenant? It can’t be time to get up for school yet, can it? Wait…it should be Saturday. I think I fell asleep on the couch last night….

His eyes suddenly flung wide open. He attempted to sit up, but a pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders and gently pushed him back down. Riza loomed over him, a weak smile growing across her face.

“I’m so glad you’re awake,” she said. “You shouldn’t try to move around too much. You’ll rip your stitches open.”

Stitches?

He tried to look down at his chest. Riza adjusted the pillows behind him and eased him up so he could lean back against them. Beneath the pale blue shirt he’d been given, he could see the gauze wrapped around his chest all the way down to his stomach. An IV drip dangled next to the bed and attached to the crook of his flesh arm. Riza left his bedside, leaned out the door, and waved at someone outside the room. He looked around, his eyebrows furrowing.

How did I get here?

Footsteps raced down the hall, getting louder as they got closer to the room. Roy braced himself in the doorway, his shoulders sagging when he saw Ed was awake. He slowly walked into the room and sat on the edge of his bed. He swallowed.

“How are you feeling, Ed?”

“I….”

He coughed and cleared his dry throat. Riza was at his side in an instant with a glass of water. He relished the cool water sliding down his throat and gulped all of it within seconds. Riza took the glass from him. He took a shaky breath, hoping the two didn’t notice.

That’s right. I was sleeping on the couch. Something covered my face and I couldn’t move. Then I passed out….

“I’m okay,” he finally answered.

Roy and Riza looked to each other, the latter crossing her arms.

“Really?” she asked.

Ed stiffened, the cut his chest and stomach protesting that slight movement.

I have to be, don’t I?

Both officers stared at him. After a minute of silence, he couldn’t stop his bottom lip from trembling. He bit it, trying to stop before Roy or Riza could notice, but it was too late. Roy slid closer to him. He reached out but hesitated and retracted his arms.

“Can I….” he trailed off.

Ed found himself nodding. Roy gently slipped his arm behind Ed’s back, adjusting himself so Ed’s head rested against his shoulder. He caught another glimpse of the bandages. He screwed his eyes shut.

I shouldn’t be here. What the hell happened?

He opened his eyes, his gaze shifting between Roy and Riza.

They’re the reason I’m here.

“Thanks,” he breathed.

Roy’s arm tightened around him. Riza sat on the bed next to them and gripped his hand. A nurse walked into the room. She grinned at them.

“It’s good to see you awake, Edward!” She checked the IV and scribbled onto her clipboard. “Are you feeling any pain? Your drip is getting a little low.”

Ed shook his head.

“Does anyone from the military need to talk to him yet?” Roy asked.

“There’s a Second Lieutenant Havoc that just arrived in the waiting room. I wanted to see if you all were ready before I sent him in here.”

Roy looked to Ed, waiting until he nodded before turning back to the nurse.

“Send him this way. I want to talk to him before he speaks to my son.”

“Of course,” the nurse said, walking out of the room with Roy right on her heels.

Roy Mustang

He leaned back against the wall and watched the nurse disappear down the hall. He ran a hand through his hair.

We were so close to losing him….

“Sir!” He looked up to see Jean running past all the nurses and doctors right for him. After a glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching them, Jean grabbed his arm and dragged him to the end of the hall and into the stairwell. His subordinate clamped his hands down on his shoulders. “What the hell happened?”

Jean’s chest was heaving.

“I don’t know, Havoc. I came down the stairs and found him unconscious on the table. The killer made a deep cut, but that’s been stitched up.”

“How the hell did this guy get in?”

“The kitchen window. I’m assuming you’ve got a team heading out to our house?”

“I’ve got officers heading there now. I’ll meet up with them after talking to Ed. They haven’t had any luck finding fingerprints at the previous crime scenes, but I’ll tell them to take a good look there just in case.” Jean took a deep breath. “How’s the Chief doing?”

“He’s….”

He’s been quiet since waking up. He let me hug him. He can’t be okay. Someone just tried to dissect him!

“About as good as he can be given the circumstances?” Jean finished.

Roy nodded.

“He woke up about fifteen minutes ago. He hasn’t said much. I can’t say I blame him.”

Jean let go of his shoulders and leaned against the railing on the stairs.

“I really don’t want to make him talk about it yet—”

“But we don’t have a choice. He’s the only survivor. We need to take advantage of this information while it’s still fresh in his mind. I’ll call General Grumman after that and get us on a train back to East City. Fullmetal doesn’t need to be here after this.”

“Right,” Jean muttered, grabbing the door and holding it open for Roy. “Let’s get this over with.”

Roy led them back down the hall toward Ed’s room. He looked over his shoulder to see Jean had straightened up. His face cold and determined, as if he didn’t know the kid that nearly lost his life that night. The two entered the room, Jean’s shoulders sagging a bit when he realized the nurse hadn’t returned yet. Roy immediately went to resume his spot next to Ed, but Jean froze when he saw the kid, his gaze lingering on the bandage peeking out from his shirt.

“Hey, Ed.”

The tiniest of grins formed on Ed’s face.

“Good to see you, Lieutenant.”

Jean rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s good to see you too, but I have to say I wish it were under better circumstances.” He fished a small notebook and pen out of his pocket. “I…I really hate to do this, but we need to talk about what happened.”

Ed nodded, and Roy scooted closer to him. He could see Ed’s hand gripping Riza’s even tighter than before.

“I hate to say that I didn’t see much. I was sleeping on the couch when someone pressed a cloth over my face. It smelled sweet, but it burned when I tried to breathe, and I got dizzy instantly.” Jean winced but scribbled quickly. Ed’s shoulders hunched up slightly, and he seemed to shrink on himself. “They held me down and trapped my arms, so I couldn’t even try to fight back.”

Fullmetal, you have nothing to feel ashamed about. Of course they…wait….

“They?” Jean echoed, glancing up from his notebook.

Ed’s eyes slowly widened.

“Yeah. There were two of them. One sat on my stomach and pinned my arms down. I tried to move my legs, but someone else grabbed them to keep me still.”

We never even considered there might be more than one killer….

“Do you remember anything else? Did you hear any voices?”

“No. I passed out pretty fast. I’m sorry….”

Roy gripped Ed’s shoulder.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“Besides,” Jean said as he snapped the notebook closed, “you’ve already helped us an incredible amount. We now know that we have two killers we’re trying to find, and I think we have a way to narrow down a list of suspects. It sounds like the killers knocked you out with chloroform. There should only be a few places you can get that around here. I know there’s a lab on the north side of the city that distributes to most of the drugstores around here. It shouldn’t be hard to get a list of customers then go to the stores and get their inventory. We can narrow down a suspect list from there.”

The nurse and Ed’s doctor entered the room. Jean nodded at them before opening his notebook again. He wrote something on a piece of paper, tore it off, and handed it to Roy. He turned to leave with a wave.

“If you need something or remember anything else, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Riza said, reluctantly letting go of Ed’s hand and following Jean out of the room.

Roy cracked a grin when he read the note. He showed it to Ed, who couldn’t help the quiet snort as he took the paper from Roy.

Get better, Chief! You’ll be back to annoying the Colonel in no time!

Riza Hawkeye

She nearly jumped when Ed snored softly next to her. She looked down on the sleeping teen, unconsciously gripping his hand harder.

“I can see if we have a spare shirt for you, if you’d like.”

The nurse shot her a sad smile. She glanced at her shirt, her eyes widening at the blood stains on it.

How did I not even notice that….

Ed stirred next to her. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he stilled at the gesture. She thought back to walking Jean out of the hospital.

“Your house is currently a crime scene, but they should be done before Ed gets released. I’ll clean everything up before you get home. I’m sure Ed will need to take it easy for a couple days before you guys can even think about leaving.”

“Would you mind?” she asked, running her fingers through the long, black hair again.

“Of course not.”

The nurse was out the door in an instant. She kept looking at the door, waiting for Roy to come back. Another nurse came in just over an hour ago to tell them a representative from the school had heard the news and wanted to speak with them. Roy volunteered to go so she could keep watching over Ed while he slept. She couldn’t help her disappointment when the door opened and it was the nurse who entered. She held out a purple long-sleeved shirt.

“It’s the only thing I saw that might fit you. I’m sorry. I couldn’t find anything for husband.”

Riza smiled at her.

“Thank you. I know Roy will appreciate you checking for him.”

The nurse checked Ed’s IV one more time before leaving again. Riza carefully stood up from the bed, hoping she wouldn’t wake Ed. Once she was sure he didn’t stir, she swiftly changed. She held up the blood-stained yellow night shirt in front of her. Her stomach lurched at the massive red splotches. She threw the shirt into the closest trash bin and sat down in one of the chairs. She hung her head in her hands, willing the nausea to go away.

She straightened up when the door opened. Roy grinned when he entered and saw Ed asleep. He took the seat next to her.

“Are you all right? You’re looking a bit pale….”

He trailed off when he saw the shirt in the trash bin. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair.

“One of the nurses tried to find another shirt for you to wear but couldn’t find anything,” she explained. “I’m sorry.”

Roy nodded.

“That was kind of her to look.”

The two were quiet after that, with only Ed’s occasional snores to break the silence. Roy let his head rest against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. It didn’t take long for his breathing to even out. She was tempted to do the same, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Ed.

“Principal Meron was in the waiting room.”

Riza broke her gaze away for the briefest moment to see Roy still in the same position, but with his eyes open now. Her own eyes burned, but she couldn't get herself to even consider the idea of sleep.

“News really does travel fast in this city. He wanted to let us know he can get someone to cover our classes for the next couple days if we need it. He even offered to bring Ed’s lessons and homework by our house personally.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I said we’d call him tomorrow night with a decision.”

“We’re not going back to the academy, are we?”

Roy shook his head.

“Havoc should update General Grumman the second he’s done at the crime scene, and I’m calling him as soon as we get back to our house. I’m sure he’ll understand that after almost losing a state alchemist, there’s no need for us to be here anymore, especially when the officers finally have more information and a direction to go in now. Besides, I would imagine the killers will keep a low profile for a while. They’ve never had a victim survive—”

“Which is why we should stay here,” Ed interrupted.

Roy shot up from his chair and was at Ed’s side in an instant. Riza joined him on the other side of the bed.

“How are you feeling? Do you need me to get one of the nurses—”

“No. I want you to explain why the hell we would leave. We haven’t found the killers yet!”

Riza’s shoulders relaxed at the strength in Ed’s voice.

I guess the initial shock has worn off. He seems to be feeling a little better….

Ed’s gaze met hers briefly before he looked back to Roy. She couldn’t help the slight tug at the corners of her mouth.

The fire was back in his eyes.

“Ed, you’ve helped the investigation enough,” she said.

“But it’s not over. If you’re right and the killers are laying low anyway—”

“Then the officers stationed here should have plenty of time to investigate before the killers take another victim,” Roy interrupted, his voice raising. “That’s the best-case scenario. The worst is the killers will set their sights on you immediately and try to finish what they started.”

“That’s all the more reason to stay. If we could draw them out—”

“This isn’t up for discussion.”

“Why the hell not? Are you really that concerned about the military losing a state alchemist?”

“Dammit, Ed, we’ve almost lost you once and that’s more than enough!” Roy yelled.

Ed’s mouth snapped shut. Roy stared daggers into the floor. After taking a few deep breaths, he pinched the bridge of his nose and turned for the door, muttering something that sounded like “I’m sorry” under his breath. The door shut behind him followed by a thump indicating he was probably leaning against it.

“We’ll discuss this more when we get back to the house,” she said, sitting back down beside Ed. “Until then, try to rest.”

Ed nodded. After running her fingers through his hair a few times, he already drifted back off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Roy Mustang

The dread that had been slowly building since they left the hospital came to a head the second he turned down the street. Their house got closer and closer, and the next thing he knew, he was pulling into the driveway. He turned off the car and stared at the porch.

How can it look so normal?

“Wait a minute before coming in,” he whispered to Riza as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

She nodded and got out of the car, opening the back door for Ed. He headed up the driveway and stopped in front of the door. He found the housekey. His hands shook, taking a few seconds longer than it should’ve to unlock the door. He entered the house. Disinfectant immediately assaulted his senses. He walked further into the living room, the scent getting even stronger. He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath before gathering the courage to look at the kitchen.

The table and floor were spotless.

I can’t believe just last night that very table was covered with blood until it was dripping onto the floor….

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He headed back out the door and onto the porch. Riza met his gaze just as Ed was easing himself out of the car. He nodded. Riza let Ed lean on her while they made their way into the house. Ed started down the hallway but lingered once he caught sight of the living room. He made to take another step forward but stopped.

“Do you want me to help you up to your room?” Roy asked.

“Please.”

Putting a hand on Ed’s back, he turned Ed around and guided him up the stairs.

“I’ll bring some water up to your room,” Riza said, disappearing down the hallway.

About halfway up the stairs, Ed paused and reached out to lean on the railing.

That pain medication is really taking a toll on him. Although, I’m sure this must be better than going without it. I can’t imagine how much that cut….

He cast the thought from his mind. He wrapped an arm around Ed’s waist and helped him up the rest of the steps. Ed collapsed on the bed the second he reached his room, sprawling out on his back and letting his legs dangle off the edge. Roy adjusted the pillows while he watched Ed’s eyes start drooping shut.

“Just a minute, kid. That can’t be comfortable.” He maneuvered Ed further onto the bed so his head was resting on a pillow before covering him with a blanket. He straightened up, his eyebrows furrowing when he realized he couldn’t hear footsteps coming up the stairs. “I’ll be right back with some water.”

He headed downstairs and stopped after he got off the bottom step. Riza was standing in the living room and staring into the kitchen. He walked down the hall, pulling out his wallet and holding it out to Riza when she turned to him.

“What—”

“It’s getting late. The diner down the street should be closing soon, and we have to eat. I’ll get Ed some water and watch him until you get back.”

Riza glanced in the kitchen one more time before finally taking the wallet.

“I’ll be back soon.”

She headed out, letting in the dark orange glow of the sunset illuminate the hallway for the briefest moment before she shut the door behind her and leaving Roy in the dark. He fumbled around for the light switch to the side of the kitchen entryway. Ignoring the pit in his stomach, he entered and headed straight for the cupboard. It didn’t take him long to grab a glass, fill it with water, and practically race out of the kitchen.

I don’t think we’ll ever be able to eat in there again….

He headed back upstairs to find Ed already asleep. He set the glass down on the nightstand and sat down on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair.

Dammit, Ed. This would be much easier if you’d let us take you back to East City.

Riza Hawkeye

She stared out the window for a few seconds, arms crossed tight across her chest. She sighed, turned around, and walked back across the room to the closet. She only stayed there for a moment before turning back around and walking toward the window again. She glanced at the clock.

I’ve been pacing like this for an hour.

She leaned against the wall, her gaze settling on Ed. He’d barely moved once she relieved Roy of his watch to let him get some sleep. His untouched food sat on his nightstand with a fork settled on top of the takeout box. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. A flash caused her to whirl around and face the window. A car sat a few houses down. The headlights illuminated the street for only a couple more seconds before they turned off. She watched it for another minute. Then another. And another.

No one got out of the car.

She ran to her and Roy’s room, not bothering to turn on the light. She fumbled around her dresser for her gun.

“Riza?” Roy asked.

“There’s a car down the street. No one’s gotten out. I think someone’s watching the house.” She found her gun and put it in her waist band. “Stay with Ed.”

Not even giving her commanding officer a chance to argue, she ran down the stairs. She slipped out the door and crouched down behind the bushes. The car was still there. She couldn’t hear it idling, so she kept her eyes on the house it was parked in front of and started counting the seconds.

It’s been five minutes. Not a single light in that house has come on, so whoever’s car that is must still be in it.

She let a few more minutes pass.

They’re definitely watching the house.

Her hand drifted toward her gun. She grabbed it when the car door flung open but immediately let it go when she saw who stepped out of the car. She stood up and stalked across the street. She crossed her arms.

“Havoc, what do you think you’re doing?”

Jean raised his hands.

“I’m sorry. I know I probably should’ve called. I just left the police station. I wasn’t sure if you and the Colonel had gone to sleep yet and didn’t want to risk waking Ed—”

“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing! What if I had—”

“I wanted to watch over the house!” Jean hissed. Riza’s jaw dropped, but she quickly closed it. Jean rubbed his eyes. She took another step closer and could see how bloodshot they were. “I know you and the Colonel need sleep, but someone needs to keep watch in case the killers decide to….”

Jean’s eyes clenched shut. She couldn’t help but cringe, neither officer wanting to imagine the killers coming back to finish what they started.

“I can see you’re exhausted. You can’t keep watch. Have you even slept since last night?”

Jean stiffened then shook his head.

“But you three need to sleep more than I do. You three have a cover to maintain. Talking to Ed gave the investigators the leads they needed. They don’t need my help right now. I can keep watch while you and the Colonel get some sleep.”

“Havoc—"

“Please, Hawkeye.”

Riza sighed.

“Not tonight. We can handle ourselves for one more night. We’ll talk with Ed tomorrow. If he’s still insistent on staying, I’ll call you and take you up on your offer, but you won’t be of any use tonight. Go and get some rest. I imagine you’ll have some long nights ahead of you.”

Jean opened his mouth to say something else, but ultimately nodded. He yawned.

“Good night, Lieutenant.”

“Good night.”

Jean got back in the car, and Riza retreated to the house. She stood on the porch, watching while the headlights once again illuminated the street. Within seconds, Jean’s car was heading down the road and out of sight. She rubbed her eyes and entered the house. She closed and locked the door before leaning her forehead against it.

“Riza?”

She looked up the stairs to see Roy at the top of them.

“It was just Havoc. He offered to watch over the house so we could get some sleep. I told him we’d give him a call tomorrow.”

Roy nodded. She headed back up the stairs. Roy walked just ahead of her back to Ed’s room. Much to her relief, he was sitting up a bit and had the takeout box in his lap. His eyes were half-closed. Riza opened her mouth, but Roy shook his head.

“I wouldn’t bother,” he advised, his voice low. “He woke up and needed more pain medication, and he’s been pretty out of it ever since. I can’t say I blame him. He was already exhausted before….” Roy shook his head. “He hasn’t said a word to me. He’s managed to eat a little bit, though.”

Ed took one more bite before setting the box back on the nightstand. He laid right back down, eyes now completely closed. Another minute passed before snoring filled the quiet room. Roy grinned, crept over to the bed, and pulled the blanket back over Ed. He leaned against the wall next to the window.

“You should go back to sleep,” Riza suggested, still lingering in the doorway. “You couldn’t have gotten much before Havoc showed up.”

“I don’t think I can.”

She sighed.

Well, I can’t either.

She leaned against the doorframe.

We might as well get comfortable. Looks like we’re both going to be here awhile.

Edward Elric

He rolled over on his side, letting out a groan at the harsh stinging that accompanied the movement. He promptly turned back over onto his back and opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed into his room. He squinted.

What time is it?

He looked at the clock, eyebrows shooting up when he saw it was just after two o’clock. He blinked and shook his head. He carefully propped himself up on his arms. He waited a minute before pushing himself up completely and swinging he legs over the side of the bed. Keeping his upper body as still as possible, he stood up and walked out of his room. He stood at the top of the stairs. He slowly descended the stairs with his hands hovering over the railing. Much to his relief, he made it down the stairs with no problems.

Roy and Riza were sitting on the couch. Roy was scribbling something in the file on his lap. He leaned against the armrest, propping his head up on his hand. Ed didn’t have to step any closer to see that his commanding officer was struggling to stay awake. Riza held up a newspaper in front of her and seemed equally as tired. Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

“How is there already an article about-Ed!”

She instantly folded up the newspaper and set it aside with a grin. Roy immediately stood up.

“I put your leftovers in the refrigerator,” Roy said. “You must be hungry. If you’d like, we can warm them up for you.”

Leftovers? What the hell?

Roy disappeared into the kitchen. Riza must’ve sensed his confusion. She grinned at him.

“We got some food from the diner down the street last night. You woke up for a bit and ate some before you took your pain medication and fell back asleep.” She tilted her head. “You don’t remember any of that, do you?”

He shook his head and plopped down on the couch. Roy emerged from the kitchen with a roll of gauze.

“Sorry, Ed. Can’t let you get too comfortable yet. We need to clean and redress your cut.”

Ed groaned again and eased himself off the couch. Roy led him to the first-floor bathroom. He carefully took off his shirt while Roy turned on the faucet. Roy reached into the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a washcloth. Ed felt around the gauze for the end. From the looks of it, it was somewhere on his back.

“Uh—”

“Turn around,” Roy ordered.

Instantly finding the end of the gauze, Roy started unwinding it. Within a few seconds, Ed was staring down at his cut. The skin right around it was discolored. It wasn’t bloody; however, he could see every single stitch. He didn’t even want to count them. He wanted to look away, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the black line running from his chest to his stomach.

“Here.” Ed snapped his head up to see Roy holding out a wet washcloth to him. “Run this around the cut. Don’t add too much pressure.”

He followed Roy’s instructions while Roy started unraveling the roll of gauze. The second he set the washcloth down on the sink, Roy handed him the end. He held it against his stomach, just beneath the end of the cut, and Roy wrapped the gauze around his stomach and chest. He bit his lip, and he could’ve sworn Roy cringed.

“Sorry,” Roy muttered under his breath.

He finished as fast as he could. Ed grabbed his shirt and put his arms through the sleeves. The aching in his chest intensified when he raised his arms. Roy was quick to help him get the shirt over his head. Riza was just leaving the kitchen when they returned to the living room, and Ed couldn’t miss the way she quickly walked past the table. She held a steaming plate in her hands. He almost declined, but as if on cue, his stomach growled. Besides, he couldn’t deny that the meat and potatoes smelled great. He took it and sat on the couch. Riza joined him while Roy sat in the chair across the living room. The three were quiet except for the occasional clang of Ed’s fork against the plate. Roy took a deep breath.

“I suppose we have a lot to talk about,” he started, finally breaking the silence. Ed swallowed his potatoes and nodded. Roy leaned forward so his arms were resting on his knees. He looked Ed in the eyes. “You’ve had a little more time to rest, so I’d like to ask you again in case you’ve changed your mind: are you sure you still want to attend classes at Henthorn Academy?”

“Yes.”

A slight frown tugged at the corners of Riza’s mouth.

“Even if we could talk to General Grumman and get him to send more officers to infiltrate the academy and track the killers down?”

Ed nodded again, and Riza’s frown deepened; however, she seemed to accept his answer.

“When are you wanting to return to classes?” Roy asked next.

“Tomorrow.”

“Ed—"

“The sooner we catch these guys the better.”

“Two days of rest isn’t enough to go right back to school!” Riza protested.

“It’s not like I’m in your gym class or anything. Besides, I’m sitting most of the day. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

Riza pinched the bridge of her nose, and Roy shook his head and sighed.

“The killers could very well be on staff. While we don’t think they would strike again, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario. If they got you alone tomorrow, do you think you could defend yourself?”

Ed looked down at his half-empty plate.

“I think I could do alchemy—”

“You think or you know, Ed?” Riza interrupted.

His grip on his fork tightened.

If I’m on my pain medication, I should be able to move around with no problems. I should be able to transmute my arm into a blade just fine…having to use it though…what if I can’t….

“I know.”

Roy narrowed his eyes.

“We’ll revisit this again before I call Principal Meron. However, we still need to set some ground rules for whenever we return to the academy.” When Ed didn’t protest, he took it as a sign to continue. “We’ll be escorting you to and from the academy. I know there were a couple days last week we let you come back while we had to stay a bit later, but that won’t be an option any longer. You’ll have your pain medication with you to take as you need throughout the day, but if you don’t think you can last through the school day, you’ll get either Riza or myself and we’ll bring you home. If for any reason you feel like you can’t stay or need to leave, you’ll let us know immediately. We understand remaining at the academy is really your call to make, but if we see you’re struggling and can’t carry on this mission, we’ll call it off and return to East City. Do we make ourselves clear?”

“Crystal,” Ed replied without any hesitation.

Both Riza and Roy relaxed. He could practically feel the relief radiating off them. Roy glanced at the clock in the living room and got up.

“Considering the time, I’ll go ahead and call Principal Meron to let him know we’ll be there tomorrow; however, if we see you’re not feeling up to it in the morning, we’re staying here.”

Roy disappeared into the kitchen. His stomach growled, and he looked down at his plate. Riza chuckled.

“Why don’t you finish that up while I make us some dinner.”

Ed quickly finished his food. He yawned. Before he could stand up, Roy took his plate.

“Rest,” he ordered. “You look exhausted enough as it is. At least for now, you’ve got a long day ahead of you tomorrow. I’ll bring down some of your books from your room.”

Soon, he had a stack of books on the floor next to the couch. He picked one up and opened it. He wasn’t sure why he even bothered, though. The words blurred, and he slumped against the armrest fast asleep within minutes.

Chapter Text

Edward Elric

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cool morning air. Cars flew past the three walking along the sidewalk, whipping his black ponytail each time.

“Do we need to slow down?”

He looked up to see Riza looking down at him. She tucked a piece of black hair behind her ear, and her eyebrows scrunched together.

“I’m fine.”

Roy was just a few steps ahead of them, Ed’s backpack slung over one shoulder and his briefcase in the other hand. He glanced back at them before hefting his backpack higher on his shoulder.

“Just let us know if we’re walking too fast.”

I swear you two have told me this ten times already. We’re only a couple blocks away from the house!

He bit his tongue and kept walking. Soon enough, the academy was in sight. Students and staff were flooding the steps and somehow filing in through the front doors.

“Can I carry my backpack now?” he asked.

“Do you think—” The look he gave Roy got him to hand it over. Roy grinned. “Sorry. I just don’t want you straining yourself more than you have to.”

They stopped while Riza helped him ease his arms through the straps. A group of students ran by them, the two boys in front laughing. One pointed behind them at the girl just a few steps back, but his smile instantly faded when he saw Ed. The girl stopped and followed the boy’s gaze.

“What—”

Her mouth snapped shut when her eyes met Ed’s. The kids looked at each other before sprinting toward the school. Roy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. The three continued on down the sidewalk. A few more students passed them and stared a few seconds too long while they walked by. Roy stopped at the edge of the steps. He turned around and put his hands on Ed’s shoulders.

“Are you sure—"

“Don’t even think about finishing that!” Ed hissed. “I’ve made my decision and I’m still sure about it.”

Roy nodded and started up the steps, Riza and Ed right on his heels. It didn’t take long for Ed’s breathing to become labored. He paused at the top of the steps, taking a few seconds to catch his breath.

“Is something wrong with your bandage?” Riza asked.

He blinked and looked down at his chest. His hand was already on it, touching right wear the cut began. It stung, and his chest started to ache, but he shook his head. Roy held the door open for them. Ed gripped his backpack straps and walked into the academy.

Like usual, the roar in the lobby was almost deafening. Roy grabbed Riza’s hand, and they disappeared into the administrative offices.

Mustang usually heads straight to his classroom…maybe Principal Meron wanted to see them….

He couldn’t dwell on it. He navigated through the students crowded in the lobby and headed toward the hallway. As he passed by more students, the lobby got quieter. He fought not to hunch his shoulders up by his ears under the stares directed his way. He could feel dozens of eyes on him. The students parted as he made his way down the hall.

“Hey, that’s the kid that almost—” a particularly boisterous student from his Xingese class yelled, but someone interrupted him.

“Be quiet and don’t bother him!”

More students parted in front of him to reveal Kenneth. He slung and arm around Ed’s shoulders and guided him down the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kenneth glaring at the students that he must’ve thought looked at him too long. Soon enough, they made it to their geometry class. No other students were in the classroom yet. Mrs. Wendell hadn’t even arrived.

“Are you all right?” Kenneth instantly slapped a hand to his forehead. “That’s a stupid question. What I…I mean is…physically are you okay? Word spread around town pretty fast. I guess Principal Meron said it was bad….”

“I just needed some stitches. I’m okay other than that. I’m sure I’ll heal up in no time.”

Kenneth’s shoulders sagged, and he slumped down in his seat.

“G-good. I’m…I’m glad you’re okay, Ed….”

Ed set his backpack down and took his own seat. He watched Kenneth pull out a notebook and set it on his desk. He opened it, but it was easy to see he couldn’t focus on any of the contents inside.

He and Anya lost their sister to these killers…and I survived….

“Oh, Edward!” Mrs. Wendell entered the classroom. She dropped her papers and covered her mouth with her hands, not caring about the papers scattered all over the floor. She rushed up to his desk. “Principal Meron said you’d be in classes today, but I didn’t know if you’d be feeling up to coming.” She gave him a tight hug. “If you need to talk to someone, I’d be more than willing to listen, okay? And please let me know if any of your classmates pester you about this too much.”

Ed grinned and nodded. She headed back to her desk, and a couple students that just entered helped her pick up all the papers. The classroom quickly filled up. Each student gave Ed a second glance when they entered, but Ed did his best to look through his notes and ignore it.

It’s going to be a long day….

Roy Mustang

He walked around the classroom, eyeing the papers on each desk as he walked by. The students were keeping their heads down. They were constantly flipping pages back and forth in their textbooks. He couldn’t help but be grateful each of his classes had been relatively quiet. Considering the chatter regarding the murdered student on their first day at the academy, he could only be relieved that these students at least had the decency not to discuss the matter in his classroom.

That didn’t mean he didn’t catch every student’s eyes wandering toward Ed at least once during the last class.

“Uh, Mr. Mason?”

He spun around on his heel to see a girl with curly, black hair at the front of the room with her hand raised. He grinned and approached her desk.

“Yes, Anya?”

“I can’t seem to balance the last reaction.”

He looked to the board and down to her notes, instantly noticing the eraser shavings as she rewrote the reaction.

“Sometimes it helps to write out each element and how many you have on both the reactants and products sides.”

Anya nodded and immediately wrote out each element in the reaction. He glanced at the clock and walked back over to his desk. He cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention.

“Class is about to end, so if you’re not finished, just copy the reactions and work on it tonight. We’ll spend the first half of class going over them tomorrow.”

A few students frantically scribbled in their notebooks. He closed his binder and put it in the desk drawer, pulling out the one for the next class. The bell rang, and the students immediately gathered their things. They slowly filed out of the classroom. Not even one of them came up to his desk to ask if he’d be available after school to answer questions. The last few students just left when the shouting erupted from down the hall. Several students ran past his classroom.

He bolted from his desk and braced himself in the doorway, leaning out into the hall. A crowd had gathered a couple classrooms down. He briskly walked down the hall, some students freezing at the sight of him.

“What’s going—”

“WHY DID YOU GET TO LIVE?”

The question roared over the buzz of the crowd and echoed down the hallway. He froze mid-step.

Ed….

He rushed to the crowd and pushed his way through the students. In the middle he saw Ed slumped against the wall with another student towering over him. Blood streamed from his lip down his chin, and a few red spots grew on his white shirt. Another teacher elbowed his way through the crowd. The student took another step closer to Ed. The other teacher sprang into action and grabbed the student by the arms.

“What do you think you’re doing, Dorland?” Roy was at Ed’s side in an instant while the other teacher dragged Elkin away. He looked to the surrounding students. “The rest of you, get to your next class!”

The students parted while he manhandled Elkin down the hall, but Roy didn’t pay them any mind. He was only vaguely aware of the crowd dispersing. He cupped Ed’s face and tilted his head up to get a better look at his split lip, but Ed batted his hand away when he only caught a glimpse of it.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” He helped Ed to his feet and planted his hands on Ed’s shoulders. He could more clearly see the red spots on his shirt, but they didn’t seem to be growing. “Your stitches might’ve ripped. We need to get them checked.”

“What happened?”

The two looked up to see Ms. Nelson heading toward them. She covered her mouth when she got closer.

“I don’t have a class this period, so I’ll cover yours if you need to take Ed to Nurse Phillips, Roy.”

Roy nodded.

“Thank you.”

She walked past them and quickly disappeared down the hall. The bell rang again, and the two were alone in the hallway.

“Ed—”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ed crossed his arms and turned to walk down the hall, but Roy only tightened his grip on his shoulders and steered him toward the administrative office.

“You still need to get checked out. We need to know if your stitches are ripped and if we need to take you back to the hospital.”

Ed didn’t protest when he was guided further down the hall. He sighed when they reached the glass doors of the administrative offices. The woman at the desk closest to the doors dropped her jaw when she saw them. She shook her head.

“I’ll call Nurse Phillips and let her know to be expecting you.” She stood up and pointed past a couple more desks to the next door. “Make a right at the end of the hall. She’ll be the fourth door on the left.”

She picked up the phone while the two made their way through the front office. Roy pushed the door open so hard it banged against the wall, but he caught it before it could come back and hit Ed. Closed doors lined the narrow hallway. Even from their position, it was impossible to miss the gold placard on the wall at the end of the hall before it split. It was silent except for the occasional ringing phone from behind one of the closed doors. Their footsteps echoed down the hall while they walked. Yelling erupted behind the door next to the gold placard.

Principal Meron

Ed’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He could only imagine that Ed was grateful to not be on the other side of that door. He glanced to the left, noting that it only led to a supply closet. They turned right and approached the fourth door on the left which opened when they were only a couple steps away. Nurse Phillips stepped to the side and let them enter. The office was small. There was only a desk, a couple chairs, a counter against the far wall with a sink, and a table partially concealed by a curtain. The nurse nodded toward the table.

“Go ahead and sit down.” Roy helped Ed get up onto the table before pulling up one of the chairs beside it. Nurse Phillips reached under the counter to grab a rag. She ran some water under it before approaching the table. “I need you to unbutton your shirt.”

Ed stared at Roy, waiting for him to nod before lifting his hand up to the top button of his shirt. He slowly started undoing the buttons, stopping when the shirt was halfway open. A little blood streamed from the top of his wound, but it didn’t look as though the rest of stitches had completely ripped. Nurse Henderson bent down to get a closer look and wiped the blood away with the rag.

“You’re a lucky kid, Edward.” She returned to her desk to grab a bandage and put it over the top of the cut. “It doesn’t look like you’ll need to go back to the hospital, but you will need to make sure you take it easy. I imagine it wouldn’t take much for your stitches to bust open right now.” She handed the rag to Ed who immediately started wiping the blood off his lip and chin. She left the office but returned in an instant with an ice pack and grabbed another rag to wrap it in. “Your lip is a bit swollen. This should help. Return it to me when it melts. I’ll get you another one if you need it.”

She returned to her desk. Ed swiftly buttoned his shirt back up and took the ice pack, muttering a soft “thank you” under his breath. He hopped off the table and made for the door. Roy was right behind him. He grabbed the doorknob on his way out.

“Thank you.”

Nurse Phillips didn’t even look up from her desk.

“Have him come back if he needs anything else.”

He shut the door and looked up to see that Ed was already half-way down the hall. He jogged to catch up.

“Ed—”

“I still don’t want to talk about it.”

“And I won’t make you right now.” Ed came to a halt and spun around on his heel. His eyes were comically wide. “However, I do need to let you know that Principal Meron thought it would be best if you saw the academy’s counselor a couple times a week. I told him I’d bring the idea up with you, but after what just happened, I know he’s probably going to push for it even more.”

“But I don’t want to—”

“I know you don’t,” Roy said, lowering his voice and putting his hands on Ed’s shoulders, “but we need to send you anyway, at least for appearances if nothing else. You don’t have to say anything to the counselor if you don’t want to. Please just promise me that if you do need to talk, you’ll either talk to the counselor or come to your mom and I.”

Ed shifted his gaze down to his feet, but after a few seconds, he nodded. With a hand on his back, Roy guided him back down the hall.

Riza Hawkeye

She scribbled furiously on the paper in front of her. She flipped through the rest of the stack, ensuring everything was filled out properly. The bell rang. She stuffed the papers into a folder, stuck it inside one of the drawers of her desk, and slammed it shut. The students must’ve heard her from her office because both the boys and girls vacated the locker rooms with almost alarming speed. She grabbed her keys and locked up her office before exiting. The hallway was filled with talkative students making their way toward the front of the school. She weaved through them before veering off down an emptier hallway, having to fight her way through the students heading the opposite direction. She sped up when she saw the doors to the library. She opened them and instantly spotted Ed at one of the empty tables. He had a couple books and a notebook spread out in front of him. He dropped his pencil when he saw her.

“Mom?” he asked.

“You must be Mrs. Mason!”

She jolted when she realized Ed wasn’t alone. A short, brown-haired woman with glasses sat at the massive desk near the doors.

How did I not notice her?

She shook the thoughts from her mind. She smiled at the woman, approached her, and extended her hand.

“Yes, but please call me Riza. I don’t believe I’ve had a chance to meet you yet.”

The woman beamed at her and shook her hand.

“I’m Lynn Nelson. I have to say, it’s been great having Edward to keep me company in here every afternoon! He’s helped me so much keeping the library clean and….” She trailed off and glanced over her shoulder at Ed, who was slowly getting out of the chair. “I told him just to study today. I couldn’t….”

“That’s very considerate of you, especially because I know he would’ve pushed himself too much unless you instructed him otherwise.”

Ed was leaning heavily against the table while he gathered his things. Lynn took a couple steps closer.

“How’s he doing?” she whispered.

Riza crossed her arms. Her smile faded.

“As well as he can be given the circumstances. He doesn’t remember much of what happened Friday night, but he’s still shaken up.”

Lynn grimaced.

“I can’t even imagine….”

Riza’s grim expression broke right back into a smile when Ed approached the two.

“Do you need me to carry that?” she asked, gesturing to the backpack.

Ed shook his head. She quirked an eyebrow, but let it go for now. Ed waved over his shoulder as they headed toward the doors.

“See you tomorrow, Ms. Nelson.”

“Wait!” Riza spun around on her heel just as Ed opened the doors. “If…if you ever want to, you’re more than welcome to eat lunch in here with me. I know some of the staff can be kind of intimidating….”

“I’d love to take you up on that.”

She could’ve sworn Lynn’s smile was blinding if she hadn’t turned around to follow Ed out of the library. Most of the students had cleared out of the halls, so she slipped Ed’s backpack off and slung it over her own shoulder.

“Hey—”

“You can’t have much energy left. I saw you struggling to get up in the library, and we still have to walk to our house.”

Ed didn’t protest further and let Riza lead them down the hallway. They only passed a couple of students on their way to the lobby. Roy was waiting for them by the administrative offices. He grinned when they approached. He held the door open for them and clapped a hand on Ed’s shoulder while they descended the steps.

“How’s your—”

Riza could barely hear his voice, but Ed was quick to put an end to whatever he was about to ask.

“It’s fine! It’s not bleeding anymore if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“What?”

Both Ed and Roy froze and looked back at her. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the two. Roy swallowed.

“We’ll talk at home,” he said.

He let go of Ed’s shoulder but hovered a little too close to him while they continued down the steps to the sidewalk. Neither of them said another word as they made their way back to the house.

Ed must really be struggling…he’d usually at least say something by now….

They rounded a corner, and their house was finally in sight. She barely unlocked the house before Ed brushed past her and headed up the stairs. Roy followed. She watched until the two disappeared, then she shut the door behind her and locked the deadbolt. She leaned back against it and dropped Ed’s backpack, running a hand through her hair. She paused when her fingers reached the ends.

Looks like the dye is already fading. I’m sure Ed’s must be, too.

Roy came back down the stairs with a few files tucked under his arm.

“He’s tired. I figured we could let him sleep until dinner’s ready. I’ll go down the street and get some food from the diner in a little bit. I don’t think either of us feel like cooking.”

Unable to argue, Riza nodded and followed him into the living room. He plopped down on the couch and flipped the first file open, thumbing through the pages. Within a minute, his eyebrows furrowed. She sat down next to him and leaned over to look at the papers. Her heart sunk when she saw the picture.

That’s Adelaide Dorland…she’s the youngest of the victims….

“One of the students punched Ed and shoved him into the wall. I’m surprised that didn’t rip his stitches, but they’re fine for now.” Her jaw dropped. She looked up at Roy, but his eyes never left the file. “His name’s Peter Dorland. He’s Adelaide’s older brother.” He leaned back against the couch and ran a hand down his face. “I didn’t even think….”

Riza swallowed.

Some of the victims have siblings that go to the academy….

“I heard Principal Meron yelling at him in his office. He shouldn’t have lashed out at Ed, but the kid just lost his little sister. I just don’t understand what Meron’s thinking. He was pushing for Ed to talk to the school’s counselor and wouldn’t even listen when I told him about the referrals Havoc and the other officers gave us.”

“He doesn’t want any of the students lashing out,” she said, “and he doesn’t want any of them talking to someone outside of the academy. He’s only concerned about the academy’s image. From what I’m hearing from the rest of the staff, the academy relies on funds from their donors. If they think something’s wrong at the academy, they might not give any more money.”

“Or they might be involved. We need to get invited to one of those events.”

She nodded before relaxing back against the couch.

We really need to, but I’m not sure we have much more time to wait.

Chapter Text

Jean Havoc

“Thank you for being so patient, Lieutenant Havoc.” He followed the sergeant into the hospital. The nurses and doctors stopped and stared at him when he passed them through the hall. “Dr. Lewis has had a rough time. He’s the only coroner in the city, and this is the busiest he’s been in his entire career.”

He tuned the officer out as he was led to the stairwell at the end of the hall. They descended the steps to the basement. He was grateful for his uniform jacket as they approached the morgue. The air in the hallway would’ve chilled him to the bone, otherwise. The walls were stark white, the only color coming from the dull gray door. He put his hand on the doorknob but didn’t turn it when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I understand you want answers, and I’m sure General Grumman has been on your case about getting answers, but please go easy on Dr. Lewis. His daughter was the killers’ first victim, and no one else would volunteer to come out here and do the autopsy.”

His chest tightened.

He had to perform the autopsy on his own daughter?

“Of course,” he said, turning the knob and entering the morgue.

Dr. Lewis glanced up before he covered a body and rolled it back into the mortuary rack. He pulled off his gloves before heading over to the lone desk in the room, scribbling something on a stack of papers.

“It’s good to see you again, Sergeant Giles. Thank you for being so patient with me.” He approached the two officers and extended a hand out to Jean. “You must be Lieutenant Havoc.”

Jean shook his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, doctor. I’m sorry we have to—”

“Oh, no need to apologize. The military has an investigation to do. I want to help in any way I can.”

He dropped the pen and turned to face the officers. Jean whipped out his own pen and notebook.

“I’m sure you’ve heard that the latest victim survived.” Dr. Lewis nodded. “After we interviewed him, we determined the killer is using chloroform to sedate his victims. Would you know any place around here that would manufacture….”

Jean trailed off when Dr. Lewis immediately opened his bottom desk drawer. He rummaged around until he found a folder. He opened it and flipped through a couple of the pages, circling some of their contents.

“I don’t know of any place around here you could get chloroform, but you could easily make it. Here are the order forms I fill out to order the chemicals I need for my tests. I’ve circled what the killers would need to buy. I hope this helps.”

He closed the folder and held it out. Jean took it and flipped through the pages, noting the names of the labs on the order forms. He simply nodded and held out his hand. Dr. Lewis furrowed his eyebrows but shook his hand anyway.

“We won’t take up any more of your time, Dr. Lewis. This will help us more than you know.”

The sergeant’s eyebrows furrowed as well, but he still followed Jean out of the morgue. Neither spoke until they’d made it back down the hall and into the stairwell.

“Lieutenant, didn’t you have a few more questions—”

“Yes, but we need to get to the labs and get a list of customers now. Dr. Lewis said ‘killers.’ The military hasn’t released that information to the public yet, and none of the nursing staff was in the room when I interviewed Edward Mason.”

The sergeant gripped his shoulders and spun him around.

“Are you really saying Dr. Lewis murdered his own daughter?”

Jean sighed and shook his head.

“No, but we need to get our hands on these customer lists. He absolutely knows more than he’s letting on. He might’ve known there was more than one killer before the military ever did. There has to be a reason he never came forward with more information, so I wasn’t going to waste any more time asking questions we wouldn’t get answers to.”

He spun back around, yanking his shoulders out of the sergeant’s grip and heading further up the stairs.

Riza Hawkeye

She stopped at the doors to the library, balanced her tray in one hand, and rubbed her eyes, willing herself to be more alert. She opened them, and Lynn grinned at her the second she stepped foot inside.

“I’m so glad you could join me, Riza!” She grabbed a small bag and left her desk. She motioned for her to follow. They wove through a couple of the aisles before reaching the door at the back of the library. Lynn grabbed a book before she opened the door. Right after Riza stepped through, she set the book down before the door shut, propping it open. “This door is always locked from the outside. I remember my first day here and I locked myself out here twice!”

Riza laughed. She closed her eyes as the chilly breeze whipped around her. Her classes had worked out in the gymnasium today, so she hadn’t even had the chance to step outside since she arrived that morning. She followed Lynn, and they didn’t stop until the shadow of the building ended and the sun shined along the ledge lining the sidewalk.

“It’s so quiet,” Riza muttered, setting her tray down on the ledge.

“That’s why I come out here. It’s nice getting some fresh air without running into the other staff.”

Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Have you ever eaten in the teacher’s lounge?”

Lynn shook her head.

“I did my first day, but I couldn’t again. Everyone is so nice, but…I just….”

“Don’t fit in?” Riza ventured.

Lynn pushed her glasses up and smiled.

“Exactly. I saw in the newspaper that the academy was looking for a school librarian a few years ago. The opening was there for weeks. I didn’t think they would even consider someone like me. They usually only hire former students, and my family never could’ve sent me to a school like this. Although, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Your son is the first student I’ve had even step into the library in months. If no one else was willing to apply, I guess they didn’t have another choice.” She looked down at her sandwich. “He’s brilliant, but I’m sure you already knew that. Every teacher he has always says so when they come into the library. I don’t think any student at the academy has ever stumped them with questions, but Ed certainly has.”

Riza grinned.

“That sounds like Ed.”

“Is he going to the dance?” Riza perked up as Lynn took a bite of her sandwich. “I can hear the chatter in the hallways. I think he’s caught the eye of every girl in school—”

“What dance?”

Lynn finished chewing and swallowed.

“The academy has a formal dance every semester. All the donors pitch in for dinner for all the staff and students. There’s an orchestra, and the students usually dance the rest of the night. One of the donors comes in and holds dance lessons during gym class the day before.”

Riza’s eyebrows rose.

“When’s the dance?”

“Next Friday evening. Did Principal Meron not tell you?” Riza shook her head. “I guess they might not be making quite as big of a fuss this year with everything…I mean I’m just glad they haven’t canceled it yet, and I sincerely hope they don’t. Some might disagree, but the students absolutely love it, and I think it would do them some good to have a sense of normalcy for an evening.”

Riza looked down at her tray.

“Of course.”

“Mrs. Wendell and I were invited to go to dinner with some of the donors Saturday night. Principal Meron said we could ask another teacher to come with us. Would you like to—”

“I would love to!” Riza interrupted, shooting Lynn a smile. “I haven’t had the chance to meet any of them yet. They must be some incredible people to be willing to invest so much into the students’ education.”

Lynn beamed at her even brighter than yesterday and grabbed her hand.

“I know the donors can be a bit intimidating, but don’t worry! We’ll stick together!”

Riza’s hand tightened around Lynn’s.

And maybe I’ll get an idea why the staff has been so uncooperative with the military.

Edward Elric

His heart sank as he trudged past the library and toward the front of the school. The chatter in the hallway grew quieter by the second. As soon as the bell rang, the halls were silent. It was almost unsettling to hear his footsteps echoing in the lobby as he approached the front offices. He opened the door, and the secretary at the nearest desk greeted him with a blinding smile.

“Good afternoon, Edward! Ms. Watson’s expecting you.” She jerked her head toward the door just beyond the desks. “Take a left at the end of the hall. Her office is the third door on the right.”

“Thank you.”

He headed through the door into the hallway he’d just been in the previous day. His eyes immediately locked on the plaque in front of the office at the end of the hall. Unlike yesterday, he couldn’t hear any yelling beyond the closed door as he approached. He just saw the silhouette of Principal Meron pacing back and forth. He veered to the left, and the third door on the right was already open. He closed his eyes and rubbed a hand down his face.

This has to be the dumbest—

“You must be Edward Mason!” He looked up to see a woman with long, brown hair tied into a ponytail going over her shoulder peeked out into the doorway. She motioned for him to enter. After only a moment of hesitation, he walked into the office. It was dim, the only sources of light coming from the small lamp on Ms. Watson’s desk and a slightly bigger lamp the couch and plush chair on the far wall. “Please take a seat wherever would make you most comfortable!”

He made his way over to the couch and sat down. He shifted a bit, surprised that the piece of furniture was much more comfortable than it looked. He settled in and let his head rest on the back of the couch. His eyelids started to droop.

Maybe this isn’t so bad, after all.

“So how are you adjusting to Henthorn Academy?”

His eyes flew right back open, and he lifted his head. Ms. Watson swiveled in her chair to face him, a notebook on her lap and a pen in her hand. She winced. Ed rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh—”

“I’m sorry. That was an insensitive question, all things considered.”

“You could say that.”

The two were silent, and Ms. Watson stared down at her notebook. He fought the urge to fidget under the awkwardness filling the room.

“Is…is there anything you’d like to talk about concerning Friday night?” Ms. Watson asked, finally breaking the silence.

“I’ve already talked about it as much as I wanted to when the military came to the hospital.”

Ms. Watson sighed, shifting her gaze back down to her notebook. Ed’s eyebrows furrowed.

She doesn’t have any idea what to say, does she? Although, I would say this is definitely above her paygrade. I can’t imagine how many students have been in here since the killings started.

“It’s…weird,” he admitted. Ms. Watson perked up instantly, pen at the ready. “Last week it seemed like some of the students were joking and not taking the situation seriously, but ever since I came to school Monday morning….”

“Everyone seems to take the fact that there’s a killer on the loose a bit more seriously?” she finished.

He nodded.

“The classroom goes silent when I walk in. No one really talks to me aside from the people I sit with at lunch.”

“Are your friends treating you differently?”

Friends? I guess that’s what you could call them….

“N-not really. They’re constantly talking about this dance that’s coming up. I think they’re trying to take my mind off things. Anya and Kenneth bring up how I should go with their group at least three times a day.”

Ms. Watson chuckled and shook her head.

“Of course, those two would. I’m sure you know Anya’s your class representative, so she’s in charge of planning it, and I have no doubts her brother and sister are….” She trailed off and pressed her lips together. “I mean it’s good those two have something to focus on. Some parents shelter their kids a little too much, which makes me understand how some don’t truly grasp the reality of the situation. Others put an insane amount of pressure on their kids. That doesn’t seem to be the worst thing for the time being, though. Some come to me think they could be next….”

Ed tuned her out as she rambled. He let his head fall against the back of the couch and closed his eyes.

Well, as long as I’m still alive, there hopefully won’t be another victim.

Roy Mustang

He shut the front door and leaned back against it, dropping his briefcase by the staircase. Riza appeared at the top of the stairs and tip-toed her way down.

“Ed’s asleep,” she whispered. “He passed out the second we got home.”

“I’m not surprised. It’s been a hell of a week for the kid, and it’s not even over yet.”

He’d just pushed himself off the door when someone pounded on it from the outside. His shoulders sagged when he looked through the peephole and saw Jean on the other side. He opened the door.

“Havoc, what—”

Jean barged past them and further into the house.

“Have you checked the mail yet?”

Riza blinked at him.

“It’s on the table—”

Jean didn’t wait for her to finish. He headed straight to the kitchen, and Roy was right on his heels. He sorted through the few envelopes. He ran a hand through his hair.

“Have you gotten any strange letters? Any notes under the door?”

“Havoc, what’s going?”

“Dr. Lewis knew there were two killers. His daughter was the first victim, but he never came forward with that information.”

“You think the killers are threatening him?”

“I think it’s a possibility. He’s already lost one daughter. He had to perform the autopsy on her, too. He knows exactly what those bastards did to her. I think it’s understandable he would do anything to protect his other kids, even if it meant withholding information from the military.”

“Did he mention any strange letters?”

“Even if he got any, I don’t think he would,” Riza said, entering the kitchen. “The killers could’ve called, but no one aside from Principal Meron has called us the last couple days.”

“I didn’t ask, but I doubt he would’ve answered me truthfully anyway. I figured it might be a long shot, but—”

“Ed has classes with both Anya and Kenneth Lewis,” Roy interrupted. “Dr. Lewis didn’t even let his kids speak to the military, but they might be willing to talk to a fellow student, especially one that can understand them in a way the others can’t.”

Riza nodded.

“And I’m going to dinner with some of the academy’s donors Saturday night.”

He whipped around to face her, eyebrows raised.

“How—”

“Lynn invited me. Principal Meron has to be covering for them. Only someone with money like they have could persuade someone to not cooperate with the military.”

Roy smiled.

Getting in with the donors didn’t take near as much time as I thought.

“Then it’s settled. Havoc, we’ll need a microphone. Hopefully we’ll be closer to finding our killers after Saturday night.”

Chapter Text

Edward Elric

He walked out of the cafeteria with his tray in hand, automatically heading for the door leading to the courtyard. Scanning the area, he spotted his usual table, but the sight made him stop in his tracks. Nora, Anya, and Theo were sitting and already eating their food. His eyebrows furrowed.

Kenneth’s gone. He’s usually the first one at the table.

He wandered through the nearly empty halls, most of the students having already gathered either in the courtyard or the cafeteria. He caught a glimpse of a couple teachers while he walked by the open classroom doors. He spun around on his heel and started to head back toward the courtyard when he heard a sniffle. He stopped and turned back around. After a couple of hesitant steps, he heard the sniffle again. He peeked into the nearest classrooms only to find them vacant. When he reached Mrs. Wendell’s classroom, he spotted Kenneth sitting at the desk in the back corner. His head was down on his folded arms, but he held a crumpled piece of paper.

“Kenneth?”

Kenneth pushed himself up and wiped his eyes.

“Hey, Ed!” He forced a smile. “Sorry, I was just hoping to catch Mrs. Wendell to discuss our latest quiz.”

Ed stopped at the desk just in front of Kenneth and set his tray down. He glanced at the crumpled paper and raised his eyebrows.

“You only missed one question—”

“I shouldn’t have missed any. You didn’t after you were almost….” Kenneth trailed off, his eyes widening. “I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay—”

“No, it’s not. I’m sorry. I just mean I didn’t have any reason not to get a perfect score.”

Why the hell does that matter so much to him?

“It’s just a quiz. Besides, you and Anya are the top of our class.”

Kenneth ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

“Not for long, especially since you transferred here. My dad was at the top of his class when he graduated Henthorn Academy, and he wants all three…he wants Anya and I to be at the top as well.”

If he’s in tears over a damn quiz, Dr. Lewis must put a lot of pressure on him and Anya.

“If you’re not, it’s not the end of the world.”

“You haven’t met my dad. Corinne was the smartest one of us,” Kenneth chuckled as he shook his head. He suddenly stopped and finally met Ed’s gaze. “Do…do you know about….”

“Yeah. Principal Meron didn’t say anything about it, but I’d heard within a couple days of moving here.”

“I figured. Most people are considerate enough not to mention it around Anya and I, but it still feels like no one can stop talking about it.”

Ed swallowed.

“I’m sorry.”

Really? You can’t think of anything else to say to him? You can’t even imagine how hard it must be for him to even see you when those bastards killed his—

“Did you tell the military there were two of them?”

Ed blinked at Kenneth, the thoughts racing through his mind coming to a halt. Just when he thought the tears had stopped, his classmate’s eyes were watering again. He slowly nodded, and Kenneth’s shoulders sagged. His classmate actually smiled.

“Why didn’t you?” Ed asked.

“I saw them the night they killed Corinne.” Ed’s jaw dropped, but Kenneth didn’t seem to notice. He stared down at his desk. “I woke up and heard footsteps in the kitchen. It was just after midnight, so I thought it was Corrine or Anya, but I heard different voices. I snuck out of my room and peeked into the kitchen.” Ed winced, and any trace of a smile on Kenneth’s face completely disappeared. “There…th-there was so much blood, and one of them was pulling something out of Corinne and setting it out on the table.

“I wanted to scream…but I just couldn’t. I wanted to get my parents, but it’s like I couldn’t move. I managed to duck back into the hallway when one of them turned around. The floor must’ve creaked because they stopped talking. I heard one of them walking toward me, but he stopped. He mentioned something about coming back to finish off the other two if they needed. I couldn’t breathe until I heard the back door open.”

The two sat in silence until Ed mustered the courage to break it.

“Have you told anyone what happened that night other than me?” he asked next.

“Just my dad. He found me collapsed in the hallway. I couldn’t even tell him what happened before he went into the kitchen and found Corinne. I told him about what one of the killers said about coming back to finish Anya and I off….”

“So he never told the military there were two of them to throw off their investigation from the beginning?”

Kenneth nodded, and Ed sighed.

He’s been holding all of this in for weeks…and knowing how many other students have been killed by these guys….

“I’m the one who told the military there were two of them. If anything, they’ll—”

“Don’t say it, Ed,” Kenneth interrupted wiping his eyes again, “and I’m sorry for unloading all that on you. I shouldn’t have.”

“In your defense, it’s not like Ms. Watson is much help given our situation.”

Kenneth chuckled and stood up, stuffing his papers into his backpack. Ed followed suit and picked up his tray. Kenneth slung an arm around his shoulders and steered him toward the classroom door.

“You’re absolutely right. Do you think we could talk Principal Meron into giving her a raise? I don’t think she’s paid enough to deal with students like us.”

The two walked through the empty hallways and out to the courtyard. Every student at their usual table perked up at the sight of them, and Kenneth straightened up and plastered a smile on his face. A knot coiled in Ed’s stomach.

No one should have to see what Kenneth did. No one should hold in a secret like that and have to go on with their life like nothing happened. No one should feel like they have to lie to the military to protect their family.

We need to find these bastards now.

Roy Mustang

The final bell of the day rang, and the students before him closed their textbooks and packed up their backpacks.

“If you didn’t finish the problems on the board, don’t worry. We’ll review them as a class on Monday. You’ll have a quiz right after.”

He fought a smirk at the groans that followed. Aside from a couple students who genuinely seemed interested in the subject, it seemed as though most of the students enrolled in the class since the academy hadn’t had a competent chemistry teacher in nearly a decade. He’d lost count of the complaints he’d overheard about having to do actual assignments in this class. He gathered his notes and tucked them away. Once the last student exited the classroom, his shoulders sagged.

We’ve made it another week. Hopefully after the dinner with the donors tomorrow, Riza will—

“Hey, Ed!”

“You know the academy has a dance coming up, right?”

He perked up and whipped his head toward the door.

“Uh…y-yeah….” he heard Ed stammer.

He grabbed his briefcase, turned off the lights to the classroom, and shut the door behind him. Ed stood frozen against the wall, his hands tightly grasping the straps of his backpack. Four girls surrounded him, and Roy recognized two of them from Ed’s class. One of them took a step closer and twisted a finger through her hair. Ed blushed.

“Have you asked anyone to the dance yet?”

Ed’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he turned his head just enough that he saw Roy, and Roy’s eyebrows rose at the pleading eyes that met his own.

He wants my help to get him out of this? I can certainly do that.

He straightened up and headed toward the group. As soon as the girls realized he was there, they took a couple steps away from Ed.

“Oh, M-Mr. Mason, I’m sorry we….”

The girls froze, and the one speaking snapped her mouth shut when he held up a hand. They parted when Ed joined him.

“No need to apologize, but I’ll have to disappoint you, ladies. I think Ed was trying to tell you he already has a girlfriend.”

“Aw, really?” they all groaned at the same time.

“I’m afraid so.” He clapped a hand on Ed’s shoulder and looked down on him. “How is Winry, by the way? Your mom said you called her last night?”

The blush on Ed’s face deepened. Roy could see the vein getting ready to pop on his temple, but he sucked in a deep breath.

“She’s fine,” he gritted out.

“Did she go to your old school?”

“Does she have a job?”

“What’s she studying?”

Roy blinked as the questions kept coming. Ed rubbed the back of his neck.

“She’s an automail mechanic.”

One of the girl’s eyes widened so much Roy was surprised they didn’t bulge out of her skull. The three others seemed defeated.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you all will find a date to the dance,” Roy assured.

They grumbled under their breath, but ultimately turned around and walked back down the hall.

“Why does she have to sound so cool?”

“I bet she’s gorgeous, too.”

Roy smirked as they walked out of sight. Ed’s shoulder tensed beneath his hand. He crossed his arms and stalked away from Roy, who merely snickered and easily fell into step next to him.

“I hate you so much.”

“I believe the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you.’”

“Bullshit.”

“You looked like you wanted my help—”

“You didn’t help at all!”

“Did I get them to leave you alone or not?”

Roy would choose to ignore the next words Ed muttered under his breath considering he wasn’t in the mood to court-martial his subordinate. The two made it to the entrance of the academy, and Riza was already waiting for them on the steps. She raised an eyebrow when she saw them.

“Do I want to know?”

Ed didn’t even spare her a glance as he descended the steps. Roy gave her a dismissive wave.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a few girls hoping Ed would ask one of them to the academy’s dance.”

“And did he?” Riza asked next, the corners of her lips quirking up.

“Of course not. I simply informed them that he’s already in a relationship.”

“I’m sure Winry appreciates your loyalty, Ed. It can’t be easy with such a long-distance relationship.”

Ed whirled around and pointed at Riza.

“Not you, too!”

Roy couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. He ignored the odd looks people passing them on the sidewalk shot their way. Ed’s pace only turned into a jog, quickly leaving the two officers behind.

“Wait up!” he called, but Ed only ran faster.

“Come on, sir,” Riza chuckled under her breath, “we can’t let him get too far ahead.”

Without another word, they jogged after him.

Riza Hawkeye

She stared at her hair in the bathroom mirror, only tearing her gaze away to look at the comb, brush, clips, and hair ties that covered the bathroom counter. She ran her fingers through the recently dyed strands. She picked up one of the clips and turned it over in her hands.

I’m not sure if any of these will match my dress. No one in the military would care, but these people—

“Need some help?”

She looked to the mirror to see Roy leaning against the door frame. She set the clip down and nodded. Roy instantly picked up the brush and ran it through her hair.

“Up or down?” he asked next.

“Up.” He separated her hair into three different pieces and started braiding. “Lynne should be picking me up in about thirty minutes.”

“Good thing this won’t take long then.”

He swiftly finished the braid before grabbing one of the black hair ties and wrapping it around the end. He picked up one of the clips and a few bobby pins and held them between his teeth. He picked up the braid again. She couldn’t see what he was doing. She could only catch glimpses of his hands moving, once in a while grabbing a clip or bobby pin and sliding it into her hair. The two were silent for only a few minutes before he was done. He opened a drawer, grabbed another mirror, handed it to Riza, and turned her around.

“What do you think?”

She held up the mirror and could see the braid had been wrapped up into a bun. She could barely see the clips and bobby pins.

“It’s perfect.”

Roy grinned and left the bathroom. She set the smaller mirror down before grabbing her eyeliner. It only took her a minute to touch up her make up. Once she was back in her and Roy’s bedroom, she grabbed the blue satin dress she’d laid out earlier. She took off her robe and stepped into her dress, pulling the only strap up and over her left shoulder. After slipping on her black heels, she left the bedroom and saw Roy waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs with her purse. He motioned for her to turn around when she reached the last step.

“Are you sure you don’t want Ed and I to come?” he asked as he zipped up her dress.

“For the last time, I’ll be fine.”

Roy opened his mouth, but a knock drew his concerns to a halt. Riza checked through the peephole for only a second before opening the door with a smile plastered on her face.

“It’s good to see you, Lynne!” She stepped to the side and motioned into the entry way. “Please, come in.”

Lynne took a couple hesitant steps into the entryway, her black skirt flowing with each step and her eyes trained on Riza the whole time.

“You look absolutely stunning!”

Roy slung an arm around her.

“She does, doesn’t she?”

“You’ll fit right in! I’m sure the donors are excited to meet one of the new teachers….”

Roy and Lynne chatted, but Riza fought off the heat rising up her neck into her cheeks. She glanced up the stairs to find Ed peeking around the corner; however, he didn’t seem to be looking at her. He raised his eyebrows at Roy, and a smirk slowly grew on his face.

“I supposed you two should get going?” Roy said, snapping her back to reality.

Lynne nodded and headed out the door.

“We shouldn’t be out too late!”

Riza followed, only turning back for a moment to peck Roy on the cheek before she shut the door behind her in case Lynne happened to look over her shoulder. She inwardly grinned and was grateful her colleague was already hopping into the front seat when she heard laughter within the house. She slid into the passenger seat and barely got her seatbelt on when Lynne started backing out of the driveway. The two were silent until Lynne turned onto the street leading to the academy.

“I’m glad you wanted to come with me,” Lynne admitted. “I usually dread going to these dinners, but it’ll be nice to have a friend there.”

Riza forced a grin onto her face. She looked out the window as they drove past the school.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.”

“I’m sure they’ll ask you a lot of questions, but don’t worry! If you get uncomfortable, wink at me and I’ll come up with an excuse to get us out of there! Once dinner is served, it’s pretty easy to sneak out.”

Lynne turned down another street a few kilometers away from the academy. Shops and cafés lined both sides of the street. More people than Riza could begin to count swarmed the stands and filled the tables outside the restaurants. The further they drove, the less crowded the sidewalks became. The car slowed to a stop at a two-story building at the end of the street. A man stood on the steps leading up to the door. Lynne got out of the car. Riza blinked before following suit. The man nodded at the two of them, and Lynne handed him her keys. She grinned as she sensed Riza’s questions.

“The staff at this restaurant will park the car for us. Was there not a place like this in East City?”

No there isn’t.

She shook her head. Lynne giggled.

“It took me a while to get used to it.”

Riza ran her hand along the wrought iron railing leading up the steps. Someone opened the door for them. Lynne shrugged off her jacket, revealing the black and gray striped blouse underneath.

“Can I take your purse for you?”

She whirled around to see two men in tuxedos: one folding Lynne’s jacket over his arm and the other holding a hand out to her.

“You can put it with my jacket, and I’ll take the number,” Lynne answered before Riza could even open her mouth.

Wordlessly, Riza handed her purse over while the other man scribbled something onto a ticket and handed it to Lynne. She followed Lynne through the dining room. Both sides of the restaurant were lined with booths with a single gas lamp sitting on the table. All of them were occupied. The wait staff swiftly scribbled on their notepads, filled glasses without a single drop falling onto the table or floors, and carried food out of the kitchen with such a speed that she was surprised none of them ran into each other.

They headed toward a curtain at the back of the dining room. Another man in a tuxedo swept it aside to reveal a staircase. More voices echoed down the stairs the second the curtain closed behind them and got louder with every step they took. Once they reached the top, Riza’s eyebrows rose into her hairline. The far wall had windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, giving a clear view of the river and bridge they’d driven over their first day in Marlowe. A bar occupied an entire corner with a couple bartenders serving drinks to those occupying the stools in front of it.

“It’s good to see you again, Lynne!” Riza’s gaze was ripped from the window to see a woman in a long-sleeved floor-length black dress approach the pair. She cocked her head to the side. “Isn’t that the outfit you wore to the last dinner?”

Lynne’s smile wavered.

“It’s—”

“And the one before that?” The woman turned to Riza and extended her hand. “I’m Heather Barnaby. I take it you’re Mrs. Mason?”

Riza’s teeth clenched together, but she managed a smile and shook Heather’s hand.

“Call me Riza, please. It’s nice to—”

“My husband would love to talk to you. Our nephew goes to the academy and says he’s never been in better shape because of your class. We were glad Meron mentioned you’d be coming tonight.”

Heather steered her toward one of the mahogany tables near the windows. She looked over her shoulder to Lynne, but she, Mrs. Melvin, and a couple other donors were heading toward the bar.

“This is Riza Mason,” Heather announced when they reached the table.

Four men and who Riza assumed were their wives sat at the table. Each of the men wore nearly identical suits. From what she could see of the women’s dresses, she had definitely made the right choice in attire for the evening. One of the men stood up and pulled out a chair for Riza.

“It’s nice to meet you, Riza! I’m Dean Barnaby.”

He pushed in her chair, and a chorus of names parroted around the table. She tried to file away as many as she could, but not even a minute passed before the questions started.

“How did you come up with your curriculum for your gym class?” someone asked.

Dean perked up.

“I would like to know, as well. My brother said my nephew wouldn’t stop complaining for days after your first day at the academy, but he absolutely loves your class now. He brags about how much faster he is than his cousins all the time. Did your class at East City High School have the same workouts?”

“Most of my students there were planning to enlist in the military, so I—”

“Well, that explains a lot.”

“I certainly hope you toned down the workouts for the academy students.”

That must’ve been a joke because everyone was laughing. She forced herself to join in. More and more questions erupted from around the table, which she answered without any hesitation. She nearly jumped when a server put down a plate in front of her. It seemed to be full of assorted appetizers, but she couldn’t name a single one of them. Nonetheless, she grabbed something and took a bite when the other started eating. Heather suddenly leaned closer when the discussion shifted to one of the other donors.

“Sorry for all the questions. Usually, Meron is more transparent with us about any new staff coming to the academy. He’s barely said a word about you and your husband.”

“He won’t answer any of my calls at all,” Dean said, taking a sip of his wine and leaning back in his chair. “If my nephew wasn’t about to graduate, I’d recommend he transfer to another school.”

“Dean—”

“Why?” Riza couldn’t help but interrupt.

“The school won’t be getting any more money next year if he doesn’t start giving us answers about whose been killing—”

“Dean!” Heather hissed again. She turned to Riza. “Sorry, I told him not to bring that up tonight, especially with you here.”

Dean set down his wine glass.

“My apologies, Riza. That was thoughtless of me. We were genuinely happy to hear your son was okay.”

Getting cut open by a couple serial killers isn’t “okay.”

“We’ve been trying to get answers from Meron ever since the second student was murdered,” Heather continued. “All of the donors have. We told him to tell the military anything he knew at the very least, but he won’t cooperate with the military at all.”

“How are you so sure he knows something?” Riza asked.

“We’ve known Meron since we all went to Henthorn Academy,” the man next to Dean spoke up. “He became a teacher straight out of university. He kissed enough asses to become principal within a couple years. He used to be at every single one of these dinners and used to call us every week. Ever since that first girl was murdered, we haven’t heard from him at all. Believe us when we say he’d be here if he truly didn’t know something.”

Riza’s stomach sank. She stared at her plate. Half of the appetizers were gone, but she couldn’t get herself to pick up anything else.

“Excuse me,” she muttered.

She stood up and left the table, but no one else seemed to notice. She headed toward Lynne and Mrs. Wendell who were still at the bar.

Seems like we were wrong. Meron isn’t trying to protect any of his donors. They want answers, too. They’re even willing to stop funding the academy if he doesn’t help the investigation. I can’t imagine him still sending the teaching staff to these events if a couple of them were the killers.

The only person Meron would go this far to protect would have to be himself.

Chapter Text

Edward Elric

He rolled over on his side, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders. Rain pelted against the window. Occasionally, a bright flash of lightning would filter through the window followed by thunder a few seconds later. He closed his eyes and tried to relax his body. He took three slow deep breaths before turning over on his back, flinging the blanket off, and sitting up. He trudged out of his room, but tip-toed down the stairs, careful to avoid making a single sound. He saw his efforts were in vain when he reached the bottom of the steps to find a light coming from the kitchen. Another flash of lightning through the living room window nearly blinded him, and the entire house went dark. That didn’t last for long, though. A faint, flickering light now illuminated the kitchen. Within seconds, Riza emerged holding two steaming mugs in one hand and a candle in the other. She grinned at him.

“I could hear you tossing and turning.”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Did I wake you?”

“I’ve been up for a while. I’m surprised the power didn’t go out until now.”

She handed him one of the mugs before sitting in one of the chairs, setting the candle on the small table beside it. He didn’t hesitate to take the couch, pulling his legs up to his chest and resting the mug on his knees. Thunder rumbled again, louder than before and shaking the house. He half-expected to hear Roy getting up and coming down the stairs, but a couple minutes passed by without a single creak above them.

“How the hell can Mustang sleep through a storm like this?”

Riza snorted and rubbed her eyes.

“Normally, I don’t think he would.”

Ed looked back down at his mug before taking a sip.

“So, what’s kept you up all night?” he asked next.

“It’s my turn to keep watch.”

He almost dropped the mug.

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

“We’re teammates on this mission, so I won’t lie to you,” Riza sighed. “Lieutenant Havoc offered to watch the house in case the killers return. However, we didn’t feel like that was necessary with the two of us here, especially considering he’s needed for the formal investigation. We discussed it and agreed it would be best for one of us to stay up and keep watch in shifts. We probably should’ve kept you in the loop with that decision—”

“How the hell do you two expect to keep that up?”

And how the hell didn’t I notice? They’ve been teaching on such little sleep. I never would’ve guessed—

“Please trust me when I say we’re both fine and have every intention to continue this until the mission is over.”

“You can’t—”

“We’ve gone days with no sleep before. If it makes you feel better, you can stay awake while we get some rest this weekend.”

Ed snapped his mouth shut.

I guess she has a point. But she and Mustang shouldn’t be….

The rain got louder, and a cold breeze swept in from the kitchen. Riza bolted from her seat and reached into her robe, dropping the mug and spilling the tea on the living room floor.

“Get upstairs, now!” she yelled, pulling out her gun.

Before Ed could protest, she threw the back door open and ran into the storm.

Riza Hawkeye

She catapulted over the fence and tore across the neighbor’s backyard. She was lucky that the entire neighborhood didn’t lose power. The houses along their street were dark, but she was able to use the lamps along the street behind them to see. Despite the onslaught of rain, she caught a glimpse of three figures in black jumping over another fence a few houses away.

What the hell? There’s three of them?

Pushing her shock to the side, she followed them. The rain started falling even harder, stinging her face while she kept running.

She sped up when they split. Two jumped over another fence while the other veered off to the right, running through someone’s vegetable garden toward the lit street and turning left once they hit the pavement. She pivoted the second she landed, her foot sliding in the mud, but she managed to keep upright. She gained some ground when she made it to the street. Ignoring the burning in her legs and tightening the grip on her gun, she kept running.

The killer picked up their pace and made a right when they reached the end of the street. When Riza rounded the corner, she slowed to a stop when she saw it was a cul-de-sac and there was no sign of the killer.

No….

There were ten houses in total. She ran to the closest one and perched herself on top of the fence, nearly slipping off the top. She looked as far as she could and saw nothing. She sprinted across the street only to find the same result. She slowly lowered herself down, spinning around and scanning the whole street.

“Dammit!”

She spun around again, as if the emptiness would change. She ran a hand through her soaking wet hair. A pair of headlights made their way toward her, but she barely even noticed.

“Riza!” Jean yelled, stepping out of the car with an umbrella.

She stared as he motioned her toward the car. She looked down the cul-de-sac one last time.

How could I have lost them?

“I drove around the neighborhood and didn’t see them either,” he yelled over the roar of the rain. “There’s no way we’ll find them in this storm. Let me take you back to the house.”

Riza didn’t say a word as she trudged toward the car, Jean already walking around and opening the passenger door for her. The seat was completely soaked before he turned the car around and headed back toward the house. The two were silent while they made the short drive. Roy opened the door when they pulled into the driveway. She reluctantly got out of the car and headed up to the porch.

“I lost them,” she admitted, taking the towel Roy held out for her.

Jean closed his umbrella and shook off the water before entering the house.

“I headed this way as soon as you called, sir. I drove around the whole neighborhood and didn’t see anything.”

“There were three of them. They clearly know the neighborhood well enough to know where to hide if I lost them and Havoc couldn’t find them.”

The power was still off, but Roy had lit more candles around the house. Ed came downstairs carrying a couple more towels and laid them out on the couch for Riza. Her entire body shivered while she sat down, and Roy didn’t hesitate to drape a towel over her shoulders.

“Ed could only remember there being two,” Roy said, rubbing the back of his neck, “so either the third was keeping watch or the third was recruited to ensure they finished the job this time around. It doesn’t matter. We need to update the rest of the officers in the investigation.”

Jean shrugged off his uniform jacket and sat down in one of the chairs.

“I’ll let them know first thing when I arrive in the morning.”

“Havoc, you need to go tell them now—”

“Waiting a few hours won’t change anything. Besides, all of you need sleep,” Jean said, staring down Roy and Riza. “I’ll stay up the rest of the night and keep watch. We need all three of you at your best, especially with a full week of classes and that dance at the academy on Friday night.”

Much to her surprise, Roy didn’t argue. She couldn’t either. Roy trudged toward the stairs with a candle in hand.

“Thanks, Havoc.”

Ed blinked, but ultimately followed. Riza dried her hair off as much as she could before she joined them. Roy exited their bedroom with a pillow and some blankets tucked under his arm. Ed blanched when Roy followed him into his room.

“You don’t have to—”

“Don’t argue with me, Ed,” Roy grumbled.

Riza heard the pillows dropping to the floor and grinned, imagining Ed fuming inside; however, Ed didn’t utter another word. She heard the creak of him sitting on the bed and the rustle of blankets shifting around. Once the two were settled in Ed’s room, she quickly shut the door and stripped off her drenched clothes. The cold rain had soaked her to the bone, and her body wouldn’t stop aching and shivering. She dove for the bed when she got the dry nightgown on. Her shivering stopped when the comforter settled around her, and she drifted off to sleep.

Roy Mustang

He rubbed his eyes as the three walked down the sidewalk, Ed picking up his pace when he saw Anya and Kenneth get dropped off in front of the school. He grinned when they waved at Ed, Kenneth slinging an arm around his shoulders when he finally caught up. Riza squeezed his hand when they ascended the steps to the school.

If Meron’s avoiding the donors like they said he is, he’s definitely hiding something. He likely wouldn’t keep anything incriminating in his school office, but we need to check at the very least.

He checked his watch. Classes didn’t start for another hour. Only a few students wandered the lobby, so Roy veered toward the dark administrative offices. The secretary wasn’t even at her desk yet. The hallway leading toward the counselor’s office was dark. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he approached Meron’s office. He grabbed the doorknob, gently turning it. His eyebrows rose when he realized it was unlocked. He slowly opened the door, ensuring it didn’t creak. He didn’t get to open it very far before he froze.

The blinds were open, but no other light was on in the office. Meron was asleep at his desk, his head lying on top of his folded arms. He immediately went to leave but paused when he saw a pair of muddy tennis shoes by the office door. He looked back at Meron before shutting the door with a quiet click.

He hurried back down the hall and out of the administrative offices.

No one in their right mind would’ve been out in that storm last night.

He entered his classroom and set his briefcase down on his desk.

Muddy shoes alone aren’t enough to make an arrest, but he was definitely out last night.

He would need to call Jean as soon as he could. He grabbed an eraser and started cleaning the chalkboard of yesterday’s lesson. He forced himself to smile when a couple of his students entered the classroom and took their seats, knowing that he had a long day ahead.

Edward Elric

“Do we really have to do this?” he groaned.

Roy chuckled and gripped his shoulder, pushing him into the store.

“I’m afraid so, Ed. You don’t have a formal suit, and you’re required to have one for the dance.”

“Do I really have to go?”

“For the tenth time since we left the school today, yes.”

He found himself steered through the aisles of pants and jackets. His eyebrows furrowed.

“These all look the same. How about we just grab something and—”

Roy yanked him to a stop and scoured the racks before them. He kept glancing at Ed before settling on a pair of simple black slacks and shoving them into Ed’s hands. He looked through the suit jackets next. He pulled one off the rack and held it up to Ed.

“This looks like it might be a bit too big….”

Roy trailed off with a chuckle when Ed’s eyebrows twitched. He put the jacket on the rack and grabbed another. He led Ed toward the fitting rooms, grabbing a white button-down shirt on their way. Ed stumbled when Roy shoved him into the dressing room and slammed the door shut. As much as he wanted to argue, he wanted to get out of that store as soon as possible. He quickly changed out of his uniform and into the slacks and button-up shirt given to him. He stuck his flesh arm through the jacket sleeve before leaving the dressing room.

“Why the hell would you choose to wear this?” he asked. “I can barely get my right arm through it’s so tight.”

Instead of the teasing he was expecting, Roy wordlessly helped him adjust the material until he could slide the automail arm through the jacket completely.

“Normally, you’d get a tailor to help it fit you perfectly, but I’m afraid we don’t have that kind of time. This will have to do for now.”

He helped Ed out of the suit jacket before sending Ed back into the dressing room to change back into his school uniform. On their way to the checkout counter, Roy swiped a red and black striped tie to complete his ensemble. Ed looked out the window while Roy paid for the clothes, his eyebrows rising when he saw Jean approaching the store. He nudged Roy and gestured to the window, but Roy didn’t seem surprised in the slightest, simply handing him the bag as they left the store.

“Fancy seeing you two here,” Jean said with a grin.

“I told you exactly where we’d be going, Havoc.”

Jean fell in step next to them. They walked down the sidewalk full of people running in out of the shops. The second they turned the corner, the chatter and footsteps started to fade. Jean ducked into an alley and slowed to a stop, Roy and Ed right on his heels.

“I reviewed all the reports from the officers that tried to talk to Principal Meron,” Jean said, leaning against the wall. “Apparently, they’ve only been able to see him at the academy. Every time they go to his house, he doesn’t answer. They talked to his neighbors, and none of them have even seen his car in a couple months. He owns a couple of other properties in the city, and they haven’t been able to catch him at any of them.”

Roy leaned back against the wall across from Jean, crossing his arms over his chest.

“That just confirms what the donors told Riza at dinner the other night. I stopped by his office before classes this morning. I found him asleep at his desk. He’s hiding something or he’s hiding from someone.”

“That would explain why there was so much dust in his bedroom. He’s probably been staying at the academy all this time.”

Roy’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t tell me you broke in—”

“All I’m saying is if Meron didn’t want someone getting into his house, he shouldn’t have locks that are easy to pick.”

“Lieutenant Havoc, you didn’t have a warrant!”

“And I didn’t leave any trace that I was there. After last night, we can’t wait for this guy to grow a conscience and talk to the military. If he isn’t one of the killers, he sure as hell is involved.”

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose.

“We’ll talk about this later. Riza and I are supposed to chaperone the dance. Principal Meron should be there with the rest of the staff. We can better search his office then while he’s occupied.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to do that? I could—”

“No!”

Roy and Jean looked at each other when they spoke at the same time. Jean put a hand on Ed’s shoulder.

“If he’s involved, he’ll probably be keeping an eye on you. We can’t risk a chance of him getting you alone.”

“I can handle myself!”

“We know you can,” Roy said, “but you shouldn’t have to. The killers have tried to come for you twice already. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if Riza hadn’t been awake last night. Please trust us to handle it.”

As much as Ed wanted to argue, he bit his tongue. When he didn’t protest, Jean and Roy visibly relaxed. Jean reluctantly left, heading back to his apartment. Roy’s hand replaced Jean’s on his shoulder, and he let Roy steer him back toward their house. He could only hope they would actually find evidence to progress their mission.

Chapter Text

Roy Mustang

He sat on the edge of his and Riza’s bed, rubbing a hand down his face.

It’s just for a few hours. You can chaperone a bunch of high school students for a few more hours. Havoc is coming by to keep watch afterward. You can sleep through the night.

He stood up, grabbing his suit jacket and shoving his arms through the sleeves. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, noting the dark circles under his eyes. He’d have to ask Riza to help him cover those up, he picked up the red tie laid out on the bed. He’d just wrapped it around his neck when the phone rang downstairs.

“I’ll get it,” he called to Riza who was in the bathroom fixing her hair. He passed Ed’s room, noticing Ed hadn’t even changed out of his school uniform yet and was sprawled out on his bed. “We need to leave in fifteen minutes, Ed.”

He smirked at the groan that followed. The phone rang again as he made his way down the stairs.

“Mason resid—”

“I finally got a list of customers from the labs Dr. Lewis sent me to,” Jean started, interrupting Roy. He breathed heavily on the other line, so Roy could only guess he ran to the nearest phone. “Dr. Lewis is the only person in the city to purchase all of the chemicals needed to make chloroform.”

Roy crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

“He had to know that.”

But there’s no way in hell he’d murder his own daughter…would he?

“I would say it was just a distraction, but I saw another name on the order forms. I called the hospital and asked if Dr. Lewis had any assistants. His last assistant quit four months ago, and he hasn’t had a new one since. His last assistant was Sal Bromley.”

Roy dropped the phone. He scrambled to grab it and pressed it against his ear.

“The janitor at the academy used to work with Dr. Lewis?”

“Looks like it.”

He could hear Ed and Riza’s footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Thanks, Havoc.”

He hung up the phone. Forcing a smile, he greeted Ed and Riza when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Riza swiftly grabbed his arm and led him to the first-floor bathroom, digging some concealer out of her purse. She dabbed it under his eyes, blending it into his skin until the dark circles disappeared.

“I need to teach you to do this yourself,” she muttered under her breath.

Hopefully we won’t be here much longer for that to be necessary.

As soon as she was done, he grabbed Riza’s jacket from the hall closet, opening the door and handing it to her. She raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything as he ushered her and Ed out the door.

Riza Hawkeye

Roy had been silent the entire walk to the academy, not even engaging Ed as he grumbled and fiddled with the cuffs of his jacket. She fought the dread building up within her when the academy was within sight. A few cars pulled up to the front steps. Well-dressed students with floor-length gowns and suits ascended the steps of the school. Ed made no move to join them, opting to walk with her and Roy the rest of the way.

“I’ll ask one last time if you’re sure you don’t want me to search Meron’s office—”

“We have it handled, Ed,” Roy assured, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Try to enjoy yourself tonight.”

She chuckled at the groan that followed. They walked up the steps and entered the academy. The lobby was dark except for the dark orange light of the sunset filtering through the windows. Looking over her shoulder to make sure no one else was coming up the academy steps, she and Roy veered off toward the administrative offices. They both waved at Ed while he headed toward the gymnasium.

They stalked past the secretary’s desk and down the hall. Once they were out of view of the lobby, Roy pulled a flashlight out of his jacket pocket to guide their way. No light peaked under any of the doors, but they still moved in silence. Once they reached Meron’s office, they weren’t surprised to find it locked. Riza didn’t hesitate to take out a couple of her bobby pins and pick at the lock. Within seconds, the door opened. Roy swiftly shut it behind him while she turned on the lamp and rummaged through the filing cabinets.

None of the officers investigating have gotten ahold of the student records. If we can find some sort of link between the students, maybe we could figure out why….

Her heart dropped when she couldn’t find records for any of the murdered students.

“Looks like Meron destroyed the records of all the victims,” she sighed.

Roy searched the drawers of Meron’s desk, but the grim look on his face told her that he wasn’t having any luck either. He straightened up and ran a hand through his hair.

“Havoc called me just before we left. Apparently, Sal used to work for Dr. Lewis. He quit four months ago, and Meron must’ve hired him on right after.”

Riza’s eyebrows furrowed.

“If Meron himself isn’t responsible but knows Sal is—”

“It’s a long shot, but Sal might be somewhere around here tonight. Go on to the dance. I’ll try to find him.”

“Sir—"

Roy didn’t even wait for her to finish before leaving Meron’s office. She quickly shut all the filing cabinets and turned off the lamp. She lingered in the administrative offices as another group of students arrived for the dance. Once they were out of sight, she entered the lobby, smoothing out her dress and following them down the hall.

Edward Elric

He blinked when he entered the gymnasium. He’d only been in here once when Anya gave him a tour of the academy, but he still recognized the work that went into decorating the space for the dance. A small stage had been set up in the corner where a string quartet was already playing. Lights were strung up all along the walls, and that was the only light aside from the lanterns placed on the few tables set up which were quickly being filled with an assortment of food.

“Ed!”

He looked up to see Kenneth, Anya, and Theo already gravitating toward the tables of food. He didn’t waste another second and joined them. He got in line behind Anya and grabbed a plate. Anya looked over her shoulder with a smile.

“I’m surprised to see you here! This doesn’t seem to be your sort of thing.”

He shrugged.

“My parents are chaperoning tonight. It’s not like they gave me much of a choice.”

Anya laughed, handing him a plate. He scanned the gym again, not seeing any sign of Roy or Riza. More students and teachers arrived, the echo of the chatter amongst them loud enough to overshadow the music from the string quartet. He mindlessly filled his plate as he followed his classmates. His relief was palpable when Kenneth led them to a corner of the gym away from the crowd of students.

“Are you timing Principal Meron’s speech this year, Theo?” Kenneth asked, grabbing a carrot stick off his plate.

“I should. My brother said Principal Meron droned on for nearly two hours at the dance a couple years ago. No one even danced afterward. That’s all anyone talked about until summer.”

Anya and Kenneth laughed. Suddenly, all the talking and music stopped. His eyes flickered back to the door, and he saw Riza sneaking into the gym. Meron stepped onto the stage with a microphone in hand. His classmates groaned, Kenneth even nudging him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the principal.

“It’s been an eventful year here at Henthorn Academy,” Meron started, the usual smile Ed had begun to associate with the man vanishing. “I wish it could’ve been a better year for all of us. I have only one wish for the students and staff present tonight: have fun. I hope you all can forget everything else and enjoy yourselves, even just for a few hours.”

With that, Meron stepped off the stage and motioned for the string quartet to continue.

“I think that’s the shortest speech Principal Meron’s ever done,” Theo chuckled.

His classmates continued talking, but Ed tuned them out and picked at his plate. The dance floor was soon filled with students and even a few teachers, slowly swaying to the music.

How the hell can he say something like that after what’s happened this year?

“What about you, Ed?” He looked up to find his three classmates staring back at him. Anya leaned in closer, so he could hear here over the much louder music. “Do you have your plans for the summer yet?”

Theo clapped him on the shoulder as Kenneth left the group and walked back toward the food tables.

“I bet you could get a great internship with your grades! Several businesses around here would love to have someone as smart as you working for them for the summer.”

Ed shrugged.

“I haven’t thought about it too much. I’m just trying to make it through the end of the semester.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “What about you, Anya?”

“Kenneth and I are probably interning with our dad again. We did last summer and it was very educational for both of us.”

Ed dropped his plate.

Anya and Kenneth interned with Dr. Lewis….

“Are you okay, Ed?” Theo asked, bending down to help Ed pick up the food.

“I-I’m fine.” Ed straightened up and headed for the nearest trash can.

“Ed?”

He ignored Anya’s calls for him. He weaved through the students on the dance floor, looking for Riza.

If they worked with their dad, they would have the access to….

He fought the urge to vomit, his hand wandering to the scars on his stomach. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t worry about finding Riza. He needed to get out of this crowd. He pushed his way toward the exit. He stumbled into the hallway, supporting himself against the wall. The door slammed shut behind him, the music and chatter fading drastically.

I know two people attacked me that night. Anya and Kenneth would make sense considering the Colonel coming downstairs scared them off. A grown adult probably would’ve attacked him too instead of running away. Kenneth telling me that story about Corinne’s murder must’ve been a tactic to throw off the investigation…or to gauge if I realized it was him…but that doesn’t explain the third person Lieutenant Hawkeye saw the other night….

He whirled around when the door opened. Anya stepped out into the hallway.

“Are you feeling all right, Ed?” she asked, gently closing the door behind her. “You’re looking a little pale.”

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Stepping back as she took another step closer to him.

“I’m…I’m just not feeling well.”

“Are you feeling nauseous? I’m sure there’s something in the nurse’s office we could get you.”

She grabbed his hand and started leading him down the hall.

“That’s not necessary—” he tried to protest, but Anya wasn’t hearing it.

“It’s not far! I don’t want you missing your first academy dance.”

“I should find my parents. I’m sure one of them could take me home and—"

He was cut off again when something hard collided with the back of his head. Stars exploded across his vision as he collapsed to the floor. He barely had time to register something warm dribbling down the back of his neck before everything faded to black.

Roy Mustang

He stalked down the hallway toward the gym, straightening out his jacket and tie. There wasn’t any sign of Sal on the academy grounds. Breaking into the janitor’s closet hadn’t gotten him any answers either.

I’ll have to catch him Monday morning. The rest of the staff says he keeps to himself, so it’s not like I could get any more information from them. I’ll sneak into the school Sunday night and camp out outside of the janitor’s closet if I have to….

His thoughts trailed off when he heard whispers and frantic footsteps just as he reached the foyer. From the sounds of it, they were coming from around the corner. He crept closer to the next hallway.

“Check to make sure no one else is coming!” someone hissed.

He quickly ducked behind some lockers, pressing himself flush against the wall. He heard footsteps coming down the hall before stopping, so he could only assume someone was peering around the corner. The footsteps retreated, and a door slammed shut a few seconds later. He pushed off the wall and ran down the hallway. He rounded the corner before the sight in front of him stopped him dead in his tracks.

Blood was smeared across the normally pristine white tile floor until it disappeared under a classroom door.

Automatically reaching for his gloves, he slipped them on and approached the door the blood trail led to, his eyebrows raising when he realized it was the biology lab. He pressed his back against the wall, slowly moving until he could peek through the small window in the door. The desks had been shoved aside, and several drawers had been yanked open. His eyes darkened when he saw Ed on the floor. Given the fact he wasn’t moving, Roy could only guess he was unconscious. Anya and Kenneth were on their knees beside him, the latter holding a scalpel and slicing through Ed’s dress shirt.

When he tried the doorknob but found it locked, he stepped back and snapped. The door was engulfed in flames. The glass from the small window shattered, and the wooden door burned to ash within seconds.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to my son?” he demanded, storming into the lab.

Anya stared at him with wide eyes, but Kenneth didn’t hesitate to maneuver himself behind Ed and prop him up. He yanked Ed’s head back against his shoulder and held the scalpel to his throat, pushing it hard enough to draw blood.

“St-stay back!” Kenneth yelled.

Roy stopped, eyeing the thin line of blood trickling down Ed’s neck. Anya kept glancing between Roy and the now empty doorway.

“How…how did…who….”

She couldn’t seem to figure out what question to ask; however, Roy only ignored her.

“Drop it, Kenneth,” Roy ordered, his voice eerily calm. “Let Edward go.”

The hand holding the scalpel trembled, and Roy pressed his thumb and middle finger together, waiting for his chance to snap, but the trembling suddenly stopped. Roy could see something moving out of the corner of his eye. He ducked and rolled just before he heard the gunshot. Before he could get to his feet, another shot was fired, and the bullet grazed his left shoulder. He clenched his teeth and looked toward the doorway to find Principal Meron standing there, smoke still coming out of the barrel of the pistol in his shaking hands.

Roy didn’t hesitate to snap this time. Flames shooting through the air until they hit Meron’s arms. Meron swore and dropped the gun, and Roy turned his attention back to Kenneth.

“Please don’t hurt them!”

Roy’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. His gaze shifted between the kids and the principal. Meron’s chest was heaving, and he looked like he was on the brink of tears.

“They tried to kill my son—”

“I swear they’re good kids! Please, you must believe me. They’re good kids. None of us ever wanted this to happen. It’s not their fault—”

Meron was cut off with a hit to the back of his neck. He crumpled to the ground to reveal Riza behind him. Her eyes widened when she saw Kenneth holding the scalpel to Ed’s neck. The brief moment of confidence the boy had was shattered. The shaking in his hands resumed, the scalpel cutting slightly deeper into Ed’s neck.

“Dammit!” Kenneth swore, his voice breaking. “Just go away! We’ll—”

“Kenneth, stop! They’ll kill us!”

Kenneth looked at his sister, fury burning in his eyes.

“Shut up, Anya! We have to finish—”

Roy found his moment the second Kenneth lifted the scalpel off Ed’s neck just enough to adjust his grip. He snapped, flames circling through the air and around Kenneth, latching on to his suit jacket. Kenneth screamed and dropped Ed completely. He scrambled backward, trying to take his jacket off. Roy extinguished the flames the second Anya was at his side only to snap again, creating a flame barrier around the two siblings. He looked to Riza who was already hovering over Ed, inspecting the cuts on his neck and feeling the back of his head.

“The cuts are shallow, but he needs to get that head injury looked at.”

Roy nodded, gripping his shoulder where the bullet grazed him.

“Call Lieutenant Havoc and take Ed with you. I can keep an eye on these three until the military gets here.”

Riza didn’t need to be told twice. She slid Meron’s pistol over to him, but looking at the lifeless man on the floor, it was clear he probably wouldn’t need it. He watched as Riza picked Ed up under his back and legs and carried him out of the lab. He heard her footsteps disappearing down the hall. Roy sagged back against the cabinets, keeping his focus on the flame barrier surrounding the two killers.

“They’re good kids. None of us wanted this to happen. It’s not their fault.”

Roy rubbed a hand down his face, his mind brewing with even more questions he could only hope they’d finally get an answer to.

Chapter Text

Roy Mustang

He stared through the one-way glass at Anya Lewis. The girl hadn’t said a single word since she and Kenneth had been separated. Considering the way Dr. Lewis had stormed into the building yelling at every officer in sight when his kids were brought in, Roy didn’t expect that to change anytime soon. The two were shaking at the sight of their father. It took three officers to wrestle Dr. Lewis into a holding cell when he tried to grab them and leave. Jean was sitting in the room next door with Kenneth. Since he hadn’t seen his subordinate in over an hour, he guessed Jean wasn’t having much luck either.

The door slammed open, and Ed walked in. His hair was down, and streaks of blond started to peak through the black at the roots. A bandage was wrapped around his head, little splotches of red seeping through the fabric. A smaller bandage covered the cut on his neck.

“Edward Elric, I told you to stay in the infirmary!” Riza yelled, stalking in before the door could swing shut again. “Your doctor said you need to rest!”

Ed ignored her and walked straight up to Roy.

“Do you think there’s a chance they’d talk to me?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Colonel, I’m their age. They might be more comfortable—”

“They tried to kill you twice. Besides, your cover’s been blown. I doubt they’d even trust you at this point.”

“But I’m the best shot we have!”

“That may not be necessary,” Jean said, walking in with another officer. “Kenneth wouldn’t talk, but we got a call from Marlowe Hospital. Meron’s awake. He should be getting discharged in a couple hours and is coming straight here. He’s willing to cooperate.”

Roy nodded.

“Let’s get Anya and Kenneth into a holding cell. Keep them away from Dr. Lewis.”

Jean didn’t hesitate to follow the order, turning around and disappearing back through the door. Riza entered the interrogation room, speaking softly to Anya. The girl got up and followed Riza out, but she froze when she saw Ed. Her teeth clenched, and her hands curled into fists. She only took a single step toward Ed before Riza grabbed her arms and yanked her away from him and out of the room.

“Let me go! He shouldn’t be here! This is his fault!”

Anya’s yells faded as Roy shut the door behind Riza while she dragged Anya down the hall. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms, looking Ed in the eyes.

“You should’ve listened to Lieutenant Hawkeye and stayed in the infirmary. You’re exhausted. Besides, you shouldn’t have to see them—”

“I deserve answers, Colonel.”

Roy closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Will you at least rest until Meron gets here? I promise I’ll get you before we start the interrogation.”

It was a miracle that Ed didn’t argue any further with him. When Ed nodded, Roy stepped to the side and opened the door. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he escorted Ed back to the infirmary, and Ed didn’t bother shrugging off the contact.

Once back inside the sterile, white room, Ed kicked off his shoes and laid back down on the bed closest to the door. It didn’t surprise Roy in the slightest when he heard soft snoring within seconds of Ed’s head hitting the pillow. Roy grabbed a spare blanket from a cabinet and draped it over Ed who didn’t even stir.

He pulled up a chair next to Ed’s bed, settling in and not intending to move until Meron arrived at headquarters.

*break*

Meron sat in the chair Anya sat in mere hours ago. His bandaged hands were resting on the table, completely still. Not even his fingers twitched. Roy stood with Riza, Ed, and Jean, all of them staring through the glass. His hand clenched around the files of all the victims in his hand.

He might not be the murderer, but he knew who the killers were. He could’ve prevented the death of some of these kids.

He didn’t take his eyes off Meron as he reached for the door.

“Lieutenant Hawekeye, you’re with me.”

He heard Riza’s footsteps just behind him as he entered the room. Meron’s eyebrows rose when they approached the table and sat across from him.

“I must admit, you both had me fooled. I didn’t suspect in the slightest that either of you were military.”

“If you had cooperated with the military months ago, we wouldn’t have needed to resort to this,” Roy said, setting the files down on the table.

“How are Anya and Kenneth?”

“Neither of them nearly got murdered by their own classmates, so I think they’re fine all things considered.”

The coldness in his tone made Meron flinch. Riza organized the files in front of Meron, ensuring the photos of the victims were front and center.

“They’re away from their father, if that’s something you’re concerned about,” she added. “Ed’s okay. Although, it doesn’t seem to have crossed your mind to even ask.”

Meron’s shoulders slumped. He buried his face in his hands. Roy glanced at Riza. After taking a few deep breaths, Meron finally looked at the two again.

“I am sorry for what happened to your son—wait, is Edward actually your son?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Roy interjected. “What matters is that Anya and Kenneth tried to kill him twice, and you knew what those two were doing. We would like to know why you were okay with letting them murder children.”

Meron flinched again.

“It’s not that straight forward.” Roy leaned back in his chair, gesturing for him to keep talking. “I went to Henthorn Academy myself. I graduated twenty years ago with Ryan Lewis. We’ve been best friends our entire lives.”

Meron’s breath hitched, his eyes landing on Corinne’s picture in the files spread out before him. He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing.

“Ryan had always been at the top of our class. He was the fastest runner on the track team. He had a very successful academic career at Henthorn Academy and continued it into university, then medical school, graduating at the top of his class there, too. I know he wanted all his kids to follow in his footsteps.

“We drifted apart when we first graduated and left for university, but we reconnected after a few years. I was at his wedding. I was there when Anya, Kenneth, and Corinne were born. I watched him excel in his career. We both got busier, but I always made an effort to visit him and the kids. It was easier when they enrolled in the academy and I’d see them nearly every day. His kids were just as brilliant as him. They were constantly fighting each other for top of the class. I thought that would’ve been more than enough for Ryan, but it wasn’t. He couldn’t seem to see the good all of his kids did. If they so much as missed a single question on a homework assignment, he’d obsess over it until they got it right. It got even worse after his wife passed away two years ago.

“I truly wish I had seen the signs sooner. I didn’t know how bad Ryan had gotten until he invited me over for dinner one night. I was confused when Corinne and Anya were the only ones at the table eating with us. I asked where Kenneth was, and Ryan told me Kenneth missed a question on one of his biology exams and wouldn’t be having dinner that night.”

“Why didn’t you say anything right then and there?” Roy asked.

“You think I didn’t? I told him that was abuse! He couldn’t treat his kids like that. All he said was I didn’t have kids so I couldn’t understand.”

“Why didn’t you report him after that?” Riza crossed her arms after that. “He should’ve been turned into the military right away.”

Meron shifted, his eyes dropping to the table. Roy leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

“Did he have something on you?”

Riza opened one of the files in front of her. She flipped through its contents before looking back at Meron.

“Lieutenant Havoc called Central University where you claimed to have graduated with the class of 1895, but there were no records of you graduating at all. I’ll admit I’m curious how you managed to land a position at all at Henthorn Academy.”

“I don’t think the donors of the academy would’ve allowed someone without a degree to run the school,” Roy continued, taking the file from Riza. “I do see a letter of recommendation from Dr. Ryan Lewis.”

Meron buried his face in his bandaged hands.

“I’ve dreamed about being the principal of Henthorn Academy since I was a student here, but I don’t believe I was made for higher education. I took a couple of classes at the local university and failed completely. I was embarrassed anytime I was asked about my classes, so I left Marlowe completely. I worked odd jobs in South City for a while. Ryan found me there when he came down for a conference. He convinced me to move back—"

“And he helped you get the job at the academy, even though you had no qualifications,” Riza finished.

Meron nodded.

“The donors loved him, and a glowing recommendation from one of Henthorn Academy’s most successful graduates helped. He even called the board posing as a dean from Central University to confirm my education. He would come to most of the events with the donors and coached me on how to act when he couldn’t be there. Eventually, I was able to keep up the appearance on my own.”

“So you were more worried about being exposed as a fraud than making sure Anya, Kenneth, and Corinne were safe?”

Meron flinched at Riza’s tone but nodded again.

“In a weird way, I felt like I owed him. I would see the kids at the academy every day, so I always gave them extra food from the cafeteria and checked on them, but I knew Ryan was escalating. Anya came to school with a black eye and split lip. She played it off as an incident in gym class, but when I asked the previous gym teacher what happened, he said Anya told him she fell down the stairs. I don’t want to imagine what they were going through at home.

“I’m not sure how Corinne did it, but she managed to pull ahead of both Anya and Kenneth. She always looked exhausted, so I’m guessing she would stay up for hours studying. She aced every single exam. Aced every homework assignment. Anya and Kenneth were both doing well in their classes, but they couldn’t keep up with her anymore. Kenneth had been requesting to talk to Ms. Watson. I searched her filing cabinets for the notes from his sessions, and he had confided in her that his dad was yelling at him every night and asking why he couldn’t be like Corinne. The pressure was taking a hell of a toll on both him and Anya.”

“Did Ryan call you when they murdered their sister?” Roy asked.

“I’ll never forget it. I knew something was wrong when I got a call after midnight. I couldn’t even understand what Ryan was trying to tell me he was so hysterical. I just jumped in my car and drove to his house.” Meron’s breath hitched. “Anya and Kenneth had stabbed Corinne in the chest. There was so much blood…and Corinne’s eyes were open…staring off into nothing….”

He wiped his eyes. Roy looked at Corinne’s file.

“The autopsy report said she was sliced open like the others…Ryan forged the autopsy report, didn’t he?”

It took a few deep breaths before Meron got himself back under control.

“I’ll admit that was my idea. I hate that it took something that drastic for Ryan to realize how bad he messed up with his kids. He’d already lost his wife and one of his daughters. I’ve never seen him look as broken as he did that night. I couldn’t stand the thought of him losing the rest of his kids. I asked him if he understood the gravity of what he’d done and if he’d stop being so hard on Kenneth and Anya. When he agreed, I made him go back to his room and told him to stay there until the morning and he’d call the military then. He couldn’t see what was about to happen.”

Both Roy and Riza were about to be sick.

“Did you really slice Corinne open and take her intestines out?” Riza demanded.

Meron shook his head.

“No. Anya and Kenneth did. They were completely unbothered by what they’d done. I don’t think they had any remorse. They realized their dad would always compare them to Corinne and they snapped. If they couldn’t do as well as Corinne in school and take her spot at the top of the class, they’d just remove her completely.

“I knew they had spent their summers with Ryan in the morgue. I’d begged him for years to let them have a normal summer like the rest of their peers, but he always told me they needed the education. Kenneth and Anya probably knew more about the human body than most adults. I told them to cut her open and take her organs and intestines out. I figured the military wouldn’t expect two teenagers to do something that gruesome.”

“You weren’t wrong,” Roy muttered, glancing through the rest of the files. “The rest of the victims were rising stars of the academy, I’m guessing? Is that why we couldn’t find their files? You destroyed them so the military wouldn’t put the pieces together?”

“Adelaide was the fastest sprinter on the track team, and she was the youngest. Wyatt didn’t have the best grades, but he was probably the greatest presenter in the second-year class and a few of the businesses were scouting him out for internships. He hadn’t applied for any, but some of the donors had heard about him from our staff and had given him a few verbal offers. Word was spreading around pretty fast about that. Several students were gaining notoriety at the academy, and even if Ryan wasn’t putting all that pressure on them anymore, they couldn’t forget about it. They’d see another student getting recognition and hear Ryan’s voice asking why they couldn’t be more like those kids.

“A couple weeks after Corinne died, Ryan called me again. He said he couldn’t find Anya and Kenneth. We searched the town for them but couldn’t find them anywhere. When we got back to the house, they were both asleep in their beds. We heard about Xavier’s murder the next day. Ryan went to the morgue to perform the autopsy, and he noticed he had some chemicals from his inventory were missing.”

“And you still didn’t think you should turn them in to the military? Were two dead kids not enough?” Roy snapped.

“I hoped it wouldn’t happen again!”

Riza filtered through the files until she found the second victim’s picture and held it up to Meron.

“You know if you had reported them to the military, Xavier would be alive.” She grabbed more of the pictures and held them up to Meron. “So would Adelaide. So would Wyatt.”

“I know that!”

Any semblance of composure Meron had was gone now. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at the pictures. Riza took a deep breath and dropped them.

“We understand that Kenneth and Anya were abused. We understand you thought you were protecting them and Dr. Lewis, but your actions resulted in the death of four more kids and the attempted murder of another.”

Roy stood up, and Riza followed suit, gathering the files and tucking them under her arm.

“Will Anya and Kenneth go to prison for the rest of their lives?” Meron asked.

“We can’t make any guarantees as to what happens to them,” Roy started. “If you said they showed no remorse, they’ll more than likely get tried as adults, especially considering the brutal nature they murdered their classmates, but that doesn’t mean we won’t do everything we can to make sure they get the help they need.”

They walked out of the room, leaving Meron behind. Roy held the door open as Jean walked in with another officer in tow, already pulling out a pair of handcuffs. They found Ed leaning against the wall, much paler than he was before the interrogation started. None of them said anything as Jean cuffed Meron and escorted him out of the room. Once he was gone, Ed finally found his voice.

“Will Anya and Kenneth really be tried as adults?”

Roy put a hand on Ed’s shoulder and squeezed it gently.

“I don’t know, but I meant it when I said we would get them the help they need. No child deserves what they went through, but they do need to face the consequences for what they did to their classmates and what they tried to do to you.”

Ed looked like he was about to vomit but let Roy and Riza lead him back to the infirmary without a single protest.

Edward Elric

He slid into the back seat, buckling his seatbelt the second he shut the door. Riza sat in the passenger seat, her head leaning back against the headrest and with her eyes closed.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything else we need to pack up?” he asked.

Riza shook her head.

“Lieutenant Havoc is taking care of the rest for us. He should be back at Eastern Command next week. General Grumman wants us to return and give him a full briefing as soon as possible.”

Jean and Roy walked out of the house and stopped on the porch. They only exchanged a few more words before Jean dropped a briefcase in Roy’s arms. Without looking back, Roy opened the trunk and shoved it in. With a deep breath, he closed the trunk and jumped into the driver’s seat. The three were silent as Roy backed out of the driveway. Ed stared out the window until the house disappeared.

They crossed the same bridge they did when they arrived in Marlowe just mere weeks ago. Ed twisted around to look out the back window, catching one last look at Henthorn Academy.

At least none of the students have to worry anymore…but I bet none of them thought the killer could be in their own school….

“We’re here,” Roy announced, putting the car in park.

Ed blinked, not realizing they’d already arrived at the train station. He opened the car door and grabbed the lone suitcase sitting in the backseat with him. Riza was already walking up to the ticket counter while Roy grabbed the remaining suitcases and briefcase from the trunk. They ascended the platform, and Riza approached them with tickets in hand.

“Looks like the next train leaves in twenty minutes.”

She passed Roy and Ed their tickets, and Ed’s eyebrows rose into his hairline when he saw the destination.

“We’re going to Resembool?”

Roy and Riza both grinned.

“I thought you might need some time to recover properly after these last few weeks,” Roy said, taking a seat on one of the benches. “Lieutenant Havoc called the Rockbells last night and let them know to expect you. He said Al sounded pretty excited to see you.”

“But I thought you had to report to General Grumman?”

“He can wait a couple days. Considering your injuries, Lieutenant Hawkeye and I didn’t feel comfortable unless we make sure you get to Resembool ourselves.”

Riza sat on the bench next to Roy and motioned for Ed to join them. Ed rubbed the back of his neck, pausing when he felt the bandage on the back of his head.

This was a hell of a mission to say the least. Maybe the colonel actually has a point for once.

He sat next to Roy and Riza on the bench, and the train couldn’t get there any faster.