Chapter Text
JUST A SCRATCH
bitten|bleeding|stabbing
Ed was starting to wonder if the Amestrian military was actually run by a hamster. Or some lower level intelligence being. Being a State Alchemist did actually come with duties, paperwork, the likes. Actual important stuff that only alchemists could do. Not this. This was stupid to assign an alchemist to.
The stupid thing in question was assigning Ed to guard a bakery, of all things. Not even an important bakery. They didn’t even grace it with paperwork. Just told him to watch the bakery and only to leave if something happened or Mustang called him back. It wasn’t even Mustang who gave him this order! It was from a visiting Colonel. Fuckin… Tomason? Tomason was his name. Stupid name. Stupid orders.
Ed frowned into his muffin as he took another bite. He ordered a muffin, on Tomason’s tab obviously. If he had to do this he would make it as annoying as possible. The only reason he listened is because Mustang wasn’t there to tell him he didn’t have to. And honestly? This Tomason guy was a little scary. Not that he’d tell a soul that. He can handle a tall, buff asshole with rank… If Mustang could back him up at least.
Ed wished Mustang was there. But no. He had to be in Central for a meeting. Riza had gone with him, the rest of the team was spread over the East while he was stuck in the office to keep an eye on East City. He didn’t even have Al with him! Alphonse was in Resembol. He was a little glad about that. He didn’t want Al to get upset with the visiting Colonel on his behalf. Al wasn’t in the military anyways.
Ed knows he probably looks out of place. Which is worse. An obvious State Alchemist? In the East? Don’t get him wrong, not everyone hates State Alchemists. But there were definitely more that do in the East, for obvious reasons.
He digresses. It makes him feel vulnerable, watched. He knows, logically that he’s not being watched just because he’s sitting in public. But without anyone else in his team around? He definitely feels unsafe. This is a stupid order. But Tomason didn’t let him ring Mustang or even Riza.
It wasn’t sitting right with him. He glances around discreetly, nothing was happening in the quaint bakery. It wasn’t even too full, this early in the morning. It was 7 am. He had been here since open, and was just finishing his third muffin. He probably shouldn’t be eating so many muffins but they were good. And free for him.
He hates this.
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Finally. He can leave the bakery. Ed sighs as he watches the owner nervously close the bakery from across the street. He felt bad for the man. He probably thought his bakery was going to be used for some military purpose or that he did something. It was still odd to Ed. He had stayed the whole 14 or so hours the bakery was open and nothing had happened.
It was dark out now. He didn’t exactly want to go back to the offices but Colonel bread boy wanted a verbal report on today. Stupid. It was 8:30, and he’s got a solid 10 minute walk back to office. Better get started, he supposes. He watches the bakery owner briskly walk away before turning and walking.
He’s tense the whole time, there had to be a reason that Tomason had him in that bakery. The question was, could he ask why? Or would that be seen as insubordination. That was the issue. This could have been done by a regular soldier if it wasn’t something that important.
The one thing he figured could be a valid reason is if they were planning an ambush for him, otherwise it was a power trip. If it was an ambush he’d be fine until he got to the offices. Otherwise he would be fine-
*BANG*
His thoughts are derailed as he turns towards the loud noise. A gunshot. He could have sworn he heard a scream as well. He arrives on scene, now this was something that a State Alchemist would be sent out for.
There were two men one woman. One dead man, one terrified woman, and his focus. The man with a gun. Ed doesn’t hesitate, he doesn’t even need his alchemy for this. He disarms the man, gun clattering across the alleyway as Ed stands in front of the body and the woman.
“Put your hands in the air, you are under arrest for manslaughter.” Ed’s words are firm before he glances at the woman. “Ma’am, go call the police to take him in.”
She glances at the body, eyes terrified and devastated, before she runs off. Ed looks back at the man, now criminal. He was staring at him with an odd calmness. Ed frowns more.
“I said put your hands in the-” Ed is cut off as he has to dodge the man swinging at him, a large machete in hand. How did he even hide that on him?! Ed doesn’t get to ponder this long as he engages the man in combat, ducking under the blade, blocking with his right and returning blows where he can.
He had been able to lead the fight deeper in the alley away from the general populace and the cooling body. That had thrown him off his game for sure. He could tell he was slacking in his form as he threw punches. And of course just as he could hear the siren’s wailing in the distance, he just had to hesitate dodging.
He gasps in pain as the blade digs into his side. Fuck. It was made worse by his flinch from the pain. The machete digging deeper, right into his hipbone. Fuuuuck. He stumbles back a bit, the man follows. Ed thinks fast, clapping his hands as he falls back as if on accident, and presses his hands to the concrete, transmuting a cage around the man before he could do anything else.
He presses his hand to his side, it hurt like hell and was bleeding too much. Luckily for him, the police arrived quickly, with an ambulance for the body, and unfortunately now him too. The woman was back as well, looking at him in horror.
“Major Elric! Are you ok?” an officer he had met before a couple times rushed to his side, going pale at the wound in his side. “We need a medic over here! Where is the gun?”
She puts pressure on the wound as she asks him, and no, he did not make a noise as she did. He points to the gun as the medics rush to him. After that is a bit of a blur, a large amount of his blood now staining the ground. At some point he removes the cage for the officers before the medics haul him into the ambulance.
The ride to the hospital is filled with questions, who to call, his blood type, and at that point he just shows them his dog tags. It had all his important information on them. At least he was still awake, just a bit dizzy and out of focus.
Once they got there they stuck him in a room where they proceeded to try to put an IV in. It didn’t go well. They had knocked him out after explaining that he needed surgery. Now he was fuzzy headed after waking hours later as the nurse checked him for anything else, both arms and legs restrained.
It seems Truth hated him because the cherry on top made itself know in the form of Tomason bursting through the door, making the nurse jump in surprise, face etched with what looked like anger before stopping as he actually saw Ed.
Ed frowned. Why was he here? He wasn’t in charge of Ed, and as far as Ed was concerned the report could wait till he wasn’t heavily sedated and much more anxious than before. It was close to midnight he was sure. Tomason had only paused for a moment before continuing towards him.
“Major Elric. Are you aware you were late delivering your report?” So it was like that then huh. “Are you aware of the consequences of-” Ed frowned hazily at the colonel as the nurse stepped in the way before the colonel could say much else.
“Sir, please leave my patient to heal-”
“Your patient is going to be getting a formal reprimand and required training on insubordination and time management.” The nurse stops him as he tries to go around her. Ed was already trying to tug off his restraints, trying not to panic.
“Sir, Major Elric just got out of surgery-”
“Does it look like I care about-”
“What is going on in here?” Both the nurse and Colonel were stopped short by a familiar, displeased voice in the doorway. Mustang. And Riza behind him. The Colonel goes pale at the site of Ed’s actual superior.
Riza walks over to Ed unimpeded and removes the restraints quickly, watching as he calms a bit. Ed glances at the stare down between the colonels. Riza puts a hand on his shoulder soothingly, pushing him to lay back.
He complies obviously, still tense but not as tense as Mustang and Tomason. Tomason starts to say something but Mustang’s expression stops whatever words were going to leave his mouth.
“Let talk outside. Elric needs to recover as I’ve been told.” Mustang’s voice is stern as he steps to the side and motions towards the door. Eyes tracking Tomason as he steps out of the room, shooting Riza a look before following.
“Ed. Would you like to tell me anything?” Riza has this knowing look on her face, as neutral as normal of course. The nurse finishes checking him over quickly as Riza stares him down.
“What kind of thing?” his words are slurred and Riza doesn’t skip a beat.
“What did you do today? Or yesterday? Colonel Tomason didn’t seem pleased.” She didn’t look away or waver in the slightest.
“He’s fuckin stupid.” he probably could stop himself from spilling, but the nurse is gone, the door is closed and it’s Riza. Why wouldn’t he tell her? “He had me watch a bakery alllll day. Nothin ‘pecial about it. Nothin’ even happened there! He didn’ even draft a formal report to send me there! It was on the way to th’ offices that I got stabbed.”
He knows he’s pouting and slurring his words but that doesn’t stop him. “One dead, one traumatized I think, and one in custody.”
Riza pats his head, it’s oddly soothing. “You did good Ed. You should rest. I’ll be right here. And Mustang will handle whatever Tomason tries.” and that’s all it takes. After a couple minutes of Riza patting his head he’s out like a light.