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“Major Elric!”
Mustang’s voice stopped Ed from his ranting as if he’d been slapped. Ed didn’t turn, but he sensed Hawkeye and possibly Havoc turning at their desks to see what had happened. Mustang never addressed him by his rank. It was always “Fullmetal” or if he was relaxed, then “pipsqueak”.
“Take a walk, Fullmetal,” Mustang said, slightly quieter but with the same force.
Ed scowled. He was shaking and held himself back from rushing at the Colonel. As much as he wanted to stay here and keep arguing his point, he couldn’t stand the look of Mustang’s face for another second. He turned on his heal and started exiting the office.
“Come on, Al,” he said as his brother tuned to go with him.
“Al, I would actually like to speak with you if you would stay, please,” Mustang said evenly. Ed whirled around, the glare growing on his face
“It’s fine, Brother,” Al was quick to intervene, and Ed turned to the suit of armor, his chest puffing out as he took deep breaths. “I’ll meet up with you later.”
Ed stared at him for a second, but didn’t say anything. Then he yanked the office doors open, stomped through, and made sure to slam it on his way out.
The argument itself had been meaningless. Something or other about his behavior on a previous mission. Ed never understood why the Colonel was always so bent out of shape about things he did on the mission. He always came home successful, sometimes even completing more than the mission itself. Who cares how he did it as long as everyone was okay in the end?
Ed had gotten really mad though when Mustang had started bringing Al into it. Al had no responsibility towards Mustang, or anyone in the military. Ed was mad at himself for even bringing him to his report with Mustang. But he always did. Al did everything with him, and it felt wrong to leave him out of any of his work.
Ed stomped down the hallway with his arms crossed and his gaze turned down. Telling him to take a walk had seemed like a time out. A punishment reserved for kids. The farther he got from the office, the more angry he became.
“Major Elric?”
Ed flinched and scowled at the title. He looked up to see who had recognized him enough to know who he was, but not familiar enough to call him by his name like most of the military in this building. He immediately straightened up though, his right arm going to his head in a hasty salute. Brigadier General Iverly stood on the other side of the hallway, a great coat draped over his arm, and a briefcase in his hand.
“General Iverly, Sir!” Ed said. He knew he himself was famed among generals at Eastern command for being bold and careless. Although he was still furious with Mustang, the Colonel’s voice flitted through his mind, telling him to be respectful and obedient.
“At ease, Major,” Iverly said with a returning salute. “Where are you headed? Surely you should be getting ready to retire for the day?”
It was almost seven pm. Ed and Al had come straight to Ed’s report once they’d finished. He had been starting to regret the insightful thinking, and wishing he’d just gone home and collapsed onto his bed like he’d wanted to.
“I uh… I had a report due and didn’t want to wait until Monday to give it.”
“Ah, how very prudent of you!” Iverly said, “Mustang must appreciate what he has in you.”
Ed fought himself from rolling his eyes.
“Where’s you suit of armor? Your brother, right? A peculiar fellow, that one.”
Anyone else, and a comment like that would have gotten them a metal fist to the face. A general though? Ed was tempted, and it would be a slap in the face to Mustang, but with the corruptness in the government, Ed had to be careful with who’s bad side he got on.
“Al’s back at the office. We’re about to leave, I just–”
What was the excuse? He had to use the bathroom? He left something at another office? He had been kicked out of his own office for arguing?
Thankfully, he didn’t have to think of an excuse as Iverly interrupted him, his voice slightly quieter than it had been.
“I wonder if he’ll ever get his body back.”
Ed’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, any chance of having a poker face and playing dumb out the window. For a second Ed didn’t say anything. Couldn’t say anything, unsure of how to respond.
“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about–” Ed stuttered, not even convincing himself. He flinched as Iverly guffawed and took a step towards Ed.
“I’m sure there are things out there wondering how to disconnect his soul.”
At that, Ed clapped his hands together, making to transmute his arm into his signature sword. Respect be damned. But before he could complete the transmutation, Iverly advanced first.
Ed choked on a gasp as he felt the blow directly to his nose and cheekbone. He stumbled back and his vision greyed and blurred in front of him, taking his balance and making him fall on his ass. He held up his hand in a weak defense but it did nothing as General Iverly decked him again in his temple. The hit propelled him to the side and his head crashed into the wall with a sickening crack. Stars burst in front of his eyes and pain seared through his head, his ears ringing and his breath coming out fast and gaspy.
“I hope your secrets are safe, Fullmetal Alchemist,” Iverly sneered into his ear, and then he was gone.
For a while, Ed just lay there. His head was pounding and he could feel blood flowing out of his nose. He wouldn’t have been able to tell if anyone was walking down the hallway from the ringing in his ears but he hoped if there was someone, they would at least have the decency to give him a tissue.
Slowly, he pushed himself up, leaning against the wall as the dizziness threatened to fell him. Taking a breath, he tried not to choke on his own blood, and reached up to wipe the blood away from his mouth and nose. Hi face was still tender, and he winced.
With one hand against the wall and the other stemming his still bleeding nose, he carefully began walking back towards Team Mustang’ office. Thankfully, he hadn’t gotten far before he’d run into Iverly, because by the time he’d reached the door, the nausea had caught up to him, and the dizziness was making it harder and harder to walk in a straight line.
Letting go of the wall, he reached down and pushed the door open, staggering through after it.
“Edward?”
Hawkeye’s voice was questioning, and it was likely she hadn’t seen his face yet. His head was bent after all. The short walk down the hall must have been too much for his head though, as his throat closed, and he worried he was going to throw up right then and there. He lowered his bloody hand so that he could steady himself better, and that’s when he wavered again, clutching the doorknob.
“Chief–!”
Ed looked over in time to see Havoc hurrying towards him and then there were arms around him, supporting him, and gently lowering him to the ground.
“General Iverly– think– he knows–” Ed gasped. He brought a shaking hand up to his pounding head.
“Just breath, Ed, try to calm down, your heart is racing.”
Ed’s eyes were closed, and his heart was racing. There was too much movement happening around him. Just listening to it made him dizzy. Someone set something down near his head, and he heard Havoc rustling around with it next to him. Hawkeye said something about getting the Colonel and Al. Then something warm and wet was on his face, and he tensed, turning his head away from it.
“Relax, Ed,” Havoc said, “I’m trying to clean the blood off of your face.”
“Brother!”
Ed turned his head towards his brother’s voice, but immediately hitched a breath as the world spun and the side of his face throbbed.
“Easy,” Havoc said, gently holding his head still. “Try not to move, Ed. What hurts?”
“Head,” Ed ground out, “face.”
Ed still had yet to open his eyes, but he could hear Al kneeling down next to him. His hand twitched, wanting to reach out and feel that he was there, but his arm felt heavy and refused to move.
“What happened?” Mustang’s voice was calm and steady and furious. Ed startled, not realizing the Colonel was there at all.
“He said something about General Iverly knowing,” Havoc said, “I think he’s concussed, Boss.”
Ed jumped again as he felt new hands grasping his shoulders. He opened his eyes to see Mustang swimming in his vision, a murderous look on his face.
“Fullmetal, did General Iverly attack you for information just now?”
Just the sound of his name brought images of his face to his head and made Ed dizzy. He wanted to scream, to throw up, to go after Iverly and pound him senseless. But he couldn’t go after him now, he could barely open his eyes.
“Yes…” he said, “knows… about Al–”
Mustang’s eyes widened and he glanced quickly at the suit of armor leaning towards Ed next to him before standing up and addressing Hawkeye who’d just reentered the room.
“We’re going after Iverly,” he said, “I need him detained, but not arrested… yet. Brief Breda.”
Ed felt himself fading, there was something cold on his head, and the ringing in his ears seemed to be getting louder.
“A-Al–” Ed gasped, “I-I–”
“Brother!”
“Chief, you gotta try to stay awake–”
Ed really tried to ignore the ringing and keep his eyes opened, but his vision was cutting out and it was getting harder and harder to focus, and even when Mustang’s desperate voice yelling “Fullmetal!” floated into his mind, he gave in to the blackness.
“Fullmetal!” Mustang yelled but Ed’s eyes fluttered shut and he became still, his breathing evening out. “Edward!”
“Boss, he needs a hospital,” Havoc said, readjusting the ice pack he’d placed on Ed’s head.
“I will burn his lungs,” Mustang said evenly. “To do that to a subordinate, let alone a child!”
“Colonel, Lieutenant Breda and I are ready when you are. Best to leave soon so we can intercept General Iverly before he gets too far.”
“Havoc, take care of Fullmetal. Take Falman and Fuery to the hospital with you. Keep me updated, this shouldn’t take long.”
Al heard all this happening but he was just staring at Ed, still and pale below him. Part of him wanted to go with Mustang and ask Iverly why he would do something like this, but the other part of him needed to stay with his brother and see him awake again.
“Al I need your help,” Havoc was saying, “Al!”
“Sorry, Lieutenant,” Al said, shaking himself back to the present. He gently slid his hands under his brother and lifted him carefully to his chest plate.
“Alright then, let’s go.”
Ed groaned when he awoke to a too bright light, and he squinted, trying to ride out the throbbing in his head. As if sensing his discomfort, there was the sound of a curtain closing, and the lights (wherever they were) dimmed, making the pain much more manageable.
“Where am I?” Ed slurred, not even sure who was here with him, and not really caring to figure it out.
“The emergency room,” Mustang said to his right. Ed would have rolled his eyes if he didn’t think it would make him hurl.
“Great,” he said. It made him mad how breathless and quiet his voice was. He was already annoyed that he was at the hospital, and it had to be Mustang watching over him?
“Where’s Al?” Ed asked. He turned to look at Mustang and almost sat up in surprise “holy fu–”
“Apparently Iverly has a thing for punching,” Mustang said around an ice pack he was holding to a bruised and swollen left eye. Ed assumed he had one to match.
“Yeah, well…” Ed paused, closed his eyes, and took a breath, “‘least he didn’t…give you a concussion. I’m still mad at you,” he added. Mustang only rolled his eyes and huffed a breath.
"I asked Al to find you another blanket," Mustang said. He sighed, dropped the ice pack. Ed winced again. Iverly really did a number on him.
"Let's call a truce," Mustang said, "for now at least."
Ed scowled. It was too easy being mad at Mustang, but he was so tired, and Mustang had gotten punched on his behalf.
"Fine," he grumbled. He brought a hand up to his head and felt the tenderness on the side of his face.
"Iverly's not getting away with this," Mustang continued, "attacking a subordinate? The higher ups won't be able to ignore something like that, no matter what excuse Iverly gives."
"He won't... say anything about Al?"
"Unless he wants fire in his lungs, he won't even think of it."
Ed blinked, shocked at the threat. Thankfully though, he didn't have to react as at that moment, Al hesitantly pulled the curtain back and snuck into Ed's corner of the emergency room with an armful of blankets.
"Brother, you're awake!" he said loudly, making Ed squeeze his eyes closed. "Sorry!" Al said much quieter.
"I'm going to go track down that nurse who said she would bring your discharge papers," Mustang said, standing and pushing the ice pack to his face again.
"Hey," Ed said weakly. Mustang turned. Ed had to admit he looked miserable, his hair a mess and his face a giant bruise. "Thanks."
Mustang's face twitched and he smirked, giving a curt nod. "Any time, Fullmetal."