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cornerofmadnessTitle: Baiting The Hook
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
evil_little_dog and cornerofmadness
Genre: Action
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 8,778
Characters/Pairings: Edward/Winry, Envy, Alphonse, Lust
Warnings: 2003 Anime,
Summary: When Envy and Lust kidnap Winry, it’s up to Ed and Al to rescue her.
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work based on the series, Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa. No money is made from this fan work.
Thanks To: Copperletters, whose art inspired this piece. chapter one this way
Chapter Four
Envy waited for Ed’s charge, smirk firmly in place, the knife still pointed at Winry. As Ed reached striking range, his arm coming back for a punch, Envy darted to the side. Expecting this, Ed leaped after him, left hand hitting the ground first, flinging his legs up over his body. He cartwheeled after Envy, growling as he struck at the homunculus.
Leaping back, Envy taunted, “Too slow, pipsqueak!”
Ed showed his teeth in a dark grin. Moving Envy away from Winry was his goal, and Envy cooperated by leaping around. “You hurt my friend, you bastard!” Ed screamed, chasing after the homunculus.
Envy leaped up to the low roof of one warehouse, still higher than Ed could reach without transmuting a way up there. The homunculus squatted like a malevolent toad, smiling down at Ed. “I’ll hurt her still, if you don’t do what I want.”
Winry was a good half-a-block away, but Ed didn’t betray himself by looking back at her. “You already have,” he growled. “Why did you take her, Envy? Why’d you want me here so bad?”
“Don’t you know, pipsqueak?” Somehow, Envy’s smile widened. “Hurting her hurts you. It’s like a bonus.” He leaped from the roof, landing almost ten meters away on the cracked asphalt, bare feet not even bruised. Halfway between Ed and Winry. “I could hurt her now, before you even got close enough to stop me.” A red light crackled along his arm, shaping it into a blade – a mockery of Ed’s transmutation to his automail arm.
“Leave her the fuck alone, Envy!” Running after him wasn’t going to accomplish anything, Ed knew, but he could still do something. He clapped his hands together, slamming one down on the ground. The transmutation rumbled through the ground, catching the building closest to Envy, sending the exterior wall cracking down. Envy leaped sideways in response, and that’s when Ed lunged forward, gritting his teeth. His feint wouldn’t keep Envy off-guard long.
Racing up over the top of the broken wall, Ed flung himself over the top of it, letting loose a howl of rage as he plummeted down on top of Envy. The homunculus gaped at him for a split second, then raised that knife blade arm. Ed kicked on the way down, automail foot striking Envy’s blade. It rang out weirdly, Envy gasping as Ed landed on top of him.
They went down in a heap, Ed on top, one foot planted on Envy’s transmuted arm, the opposite knee planted on Envy’s chest. Ed held his own blade against Envy’s throat, pressing in to make blood trickle down the homunculous’s pale skin. Envy bared his teeth, grabbing for Ed’s arm with his free hand. Ed pushed the point deeper. “Stop struggling,” he panted.
“Gonna kill me?” Envy asked, his face relaxing into a dark, wicked smile. “Think you can do it, pip?”
“Stop calling me that!” Ed snapped. The blood oozed faster out of the wound.
Envy’s smile went wilder, wider. “You are a pip. Just a little dot on the face of this world. Don’t even know what’s going on – a leashed dog, dragged along behind its master.” He laughed, ignoring the blade digging into his throat. “When I whistle, you come, just like that!”
“I’m not your dog!” Ed fairly vibrated, rage making his body tremble. “And Winry’s not some piece of bait!”
“Ho, ho, that’s all that little bitch is! A pretty piece of bait!” Envy’s eyes widened, and suddenly, the red lightning flashed all over his body, transforming stiff, brackish hair to strands of pale blond, the sharp, angular face softening, the body shifting and swelling, and Ed nearly recoiled at the sight of Winry’s throat beneath his blade, blood rolling down the side of her ivory skin.
“You don’t fool me, Envy,” Ed hissed through his teeth.
“Ed, it hurts!” Envy said, mimicking Winry’s voice. She shivered, her lips trembling, her eyes so wide, and tears starting to form in them.
“You’re. Not. Winry,” Ed whispered, but he couldn’t make her bleed, no matter what he knew was the truth.
“Ed, please,” she whimpered.
“Gnng!” Ed closed his eyes against the pain in Envy’s false face, just for a second, just to remind himself that Winry waited for him to finish this, and help her. This isn’t Winry!
“Brother!”
Al’s voice made Ed’s eyes snap open – too late.
Envy slapped at the back of Ed’s locked elbow. The automail shifted, the blade slicing deeper into Envy’s pale throat, blood spurting out, making Ed jerk back to avoid it. A flash of red lightning followed the open wound, knitting it back together almost as fast as the blade cut. “Stupid pipsqueak!” Envy’s leg twisted up, the hook of his ankle catching Ed in the throat, flinging him back onto the asphalt with a crash. He twisted his body, grinning at Ed. “You’re still too slow,” he taunted.
The pressure against his windpipe made Ed choke. He pinched the tendon behind Envy’s heel, squeezing hard as he could to try to force Envy to move. Pain had to work, he knew, but the flash of red lightning against his hand made him think that pain worked differently in the homunculus than it did in humans. Black spots danced in front of his eyes as his body labored to breathe.
“Brother!” Al’s voice seemed to come from far away. “I’ve got Winry!”
“Wha’d…want…her…” Ed managed to gasp.
Envy leaned even more weight on his leg, making Ed gag. “To make you dance to my tune, pip.”
“No,” Ed got out. His grip on Envy’s ankle loosened as blackness started to swarm up from the corners of his eyes.
Smiling, Envy curled over Ed, hands on either side of his head. “You are the most stubborn brat,” he said. “You’d risk that girl to get what you want, wouldn’t you?”
No, Ed wanted to shout, but all that came out was a croak.
“And I know it,” Envy gloated, his nose almost touching Ed’s. “You’d cast her off, and think you were doing it to keep her safe.” He laughed, heated breath blasting on Ed’s face. “You’d do it to everyone, thinking you could do this all alone.” His body shifted on Ed’s chest and the dark came up and covered Ed’s eyes.
Envy grabbed the hair on either side of Ed’s face, giving him a hard shake. His lip curled as he realized Ed was unconscious, and he dropped him back to the ground with a sneer. “That’s what makes you weak, pipsqueak.”
X X X
Al untied the blindfold and the gag. “Easy, Winry! It’s okay, it’s me.” He wished he could smile at her reassuringly. Tear tracks cut through the dirt on her cheeks and the side of her face was discolored with a bruise. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Where’s Ed?” she asked, breathlessly, as the gag fell away, then, “Ow!”
“He’s…” Al didn’t know. “He’ll be okay.” He hoped he wasn’t lying. Brother could be an idiot, and reckless, and Winry – from the expression on her face – knew that.
“I heard him, talking with that…” Winry shuddered, and let out a cry when Al finished untying her arms. “Oh, ow, ow,” she whispered, and Al could see that her arm hung crookedly.
“Your arm,” he said, horrified.
“It’ll heal,” Winry mumbled, though she cradled her broken arm in her other one, holding it against her middle.
“Do you think you can stand?” Al asked, worried. “I can carry you if you can’t!” His plates rattled with anxiety.
“I…I’m okay.” Winry managed to push herself up, leaning against his shoulder to help keep her balance. “Just need something to keep this arm stable!”
The fake smile she plastered on made Al want to hug her, or beat up Envy, he wasn’t sure which. He settled for nodding, making his horsehair plume bounce. “C’mon, let’s get you someplace safe.” Ed could take care of himself, Al thought. Hoped.
“No.” Glaring at him, Winry bumped into his chestplate with her elbow, making it ring. “We’re finding Ed. We’re leaving this place together.” Her wince at the realization she’d slammed her good elbow into unforgiving metal didn’t take away from her determination. “I heard fighting that way.” Winry suited words with motion, starting past Al.
“W-wait, Winry!” Al danced in front of her. “At least let me lead the way.”
“You don’t even know where we’re going!” Winry argued, tilting her head back to glare at him, not spotting the rubble on the ground ahead until it was too late.
Al caught her, making her cry out at his grip on her broken arm. “See?” he said, as she caught her breath. “It’s dangerous for you to be doing this, Winry!”
“I’m not going to just let you guys go into this alone! They took me for a reason!” Winry practically yelled at him. “To get to you!”
“Ugh.” Ed’s voice broke into their argument. He looked bedraggled, and dried blood splattered on his face and neck.
“Brother!” Al shouted as Winry breathed out, “Ed.”
“I’m okay,” he waved his hand, limping over to them, his eyes widening as he took in Winry’s state. Emotions spooled across his face, too fast for Al to read, finally stopping on disappointment. “Winry,” he mumbled.
“I’ll heal,” she said, giving him a crooked smile, “But you’re bleeding!”
“Not my blood.” Ed waved her off, giving her a long look. He took off his coat, dropping it to the ground, and clapped his hands together. Touching the coat, he transmuted it into a sling, more cumbersome than it probably needed to be, considering how much cloth he used. “Here, Winry.” He helped her slide her arm in place, the skin around his eyes tightening when she swallowed a gasp of pain. “We need to get you to a hospital to get this set.” Giving her a long look, Ed asked, “Can you walk?” He didn’t wait for an answer, squatting down. “Get on my back!”
Winry gaped at Ed, and then up at Al, then sighed, giving up. She climbed onto Ed’s back. He hooked his hands under her knees, and grunted, standing up. He took a step sideways to get his balance with Winry’s weight, then started walked. Al stared at his brother, shocked for a few seconds, then jogged after him to catch up.
“You’re going to the hospital, and then you’re going back home to the old hag and Risembool,” Ed was saying.
Winry rolled her eyes at Ed, but didn’t argue with him, just leaned her head against his shoulder.
X X X
In the waiting room, Ed sat in a chair, slumped over, his fingers loosely woven together. Alphonse sat next to him, gauntleted hands resting on his knees. The faint, constant rattle of metal plates let Ed know how worried Al was. He wished he could say something to settle him down, but he didn’t have any words.
Why pick on Winry? Why bring her to Central? It was a production, Ed knew; more than that, it was a warning. Winry hadn’t seen what the homunculi could do before; now she knew something about it. She’d told them about how Gracia had called her for Elicia’s birthday party, and picked her up at the train station, then changed into Envy. And a tall woman – had to be Lust – had helped him. They’d called Winry their bait.
Ed didn’t want to know how they’d figured out about Winry. She’d traveled with Al and him for a while. Somehow, the homunculi had to have been watching them, and decided to use Winry and show him just how helpless he could be.
I can’t put her into danger, Ed thought, his hands clenching into fists. “I can’t.”
“Brother.”
He glanced up at Al. “I don’t want her to get hurt any more, Al!” Winry’d lost so much already.
“I know, Brother.” Al lowered his head, the metal squealing softly at the movement. The red in the eye slots dimmed. “Winry didn’t deserve this.”
“No.”
A doctor came down the hall, and Ed sat up, seeing the man focused on Al and him. He got to his feet as the doctor paused. “You’re the Elrics, right? You brought in Miss Rockbell?”
“Yeah,” Ed said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets to hide the way they were shaking.
Al stood up, too. “That’s us, sir.”
“In lieu of actual family, Miss Rockbell asked me to let you know her status.” His eyes canted sideways and his mouth tightened – proof he didn’t like it, but would put Winry’s request first. Ed was glad he didn’t have to beat it out of the guy. “Her arm is fractured. There are bruises consistent with someone physically abusing her.” He looked Ed over.
“She’s my friend,” Ed said stiffly.
“Brother wouldn’t hurt Winry!” Al said, reaching out toward the doctor. His glance stopped the movement and Al’s hands fell back to his side with a creak. “We rescued her,” he added softly.
“That’s what she said.” The doctor didn’t look like he believed them, though.
“Can we see her?” Ed asked, deciding maybe he didn’t want to know any more about what the doctor thought.
The doctor gave them another long look. “I had to give her pain medication to set that arm. She’s not going to be very coherent.”
“That’s all right, sir,” Al said. “We just want to make sure…” his voice trailed off.
“She’s okay,” Ed finished sharply.
His suspicion didn’t fade, but he let them go into Winry’s room. Ed swallowed hard at the smell of disinfectants when he entered, and at the sight of Winry, wrapped in bandages and blankets on a hospital bed. Something inside him wanted to weep. He forced it down, stopping at the end of the bed.
Al went around to the side of it. Softly, he called, “Winry?”
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. “Al?” Her head turned until she spotted him. “Ed.”
“Hey,” he said, making himself smile for her. “Sorry…sorry you got involved in this.”
“It’ll be okay,” Winry murmured. “I’ll heal, an’.” Her voice trailed off, her eyelids drifting down.
“Yeah,” Ed mumbled.
“You know, Winry, Ed hasn’t had anything to eat for a while,” Al said, leaning back from the bed. “I’m going to go find him something to eat. I’ll be back soon,” he added for Ed as he walked past him, and Ed could swear he saw a mischievous light in what passed for his brother’s eyes before he disappeared out the swinging door.
“Uh.” Ed glared after his brother for a few seconds, but that wasn’t going to do any good. He swung back around to Winry. “Um.”
“I don’t blame you,” Winry said. He jerked his eyes up to her face, but she wasn’t looking at him. She had her hands on the fingers that peeped out from the cast. “It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself.”
“It is,” Ed insisted, coming around to the side of the bed. “If you weren’t our friend - ”
“If I wasn’t your friend, it would’ve been someone else, Ed! And, yeah, I wish.” She clenched her good fist. “I wish a lot of things, but I can’t change any of that, either.” Voice trembling, she still wouldn’t look at him. “Not what happened to Mom and Dad,” Ed’s gut twisted as he thought of what he knew about Mustang, and her parents’ deaths, “not what happened to you and Al!” Finally, Winry lifted her head, and her blue eyes gleamed, not with tears, but determination. “We’re a team, right? We’ll get through this together. You, Al and me.”
It was Ed’s turn to look away, though he touched Winry’s shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. “Yeah,” he said, knowing there was no way he’d risk her. Not to get his body back, not to get Al’s body back. “Yeah, we’ll do this together,” he said, knowing he lied.
X X X
Chapter Five
Wind blew through the platform at the train station, yanking at Winry’s long hair. She couldn’t help but smile, though, at the sight in front of her – Al and Elicia Hughes, with Miss Gracia. The real Miss Gracia, not the pretend one. When she found out Winry was at the hospital, she insisted Winry come and stay at her house until she was ready to leave Central. The first few days had been strange – Winry half-expected Miss Gracia’s form to change to that of the strange man known as ‘Envy’, and hurt her again, but, when it didn’t happen, she’d learned to relax around her friend again
Still, going home seemed like the best idea, where she could finish healing up. Granny and Den were waiting for her, after all, and, while she appreciated the time Ed and Al had spent on her – and with her – every day, since they’d rescued her – she knew they had to get back to their search.
Tucking her jacket a little closer around herself, Winry glanced around, finally spying Ed, returning with her train ticket. She excused herself to go meet him. “I wanted to say thanks,” not expecting Ed to turn his head away from her, scowling. “What?”
“Nothing,” Ed grumbled. He handed her the ticket. “Look…it’s probably best you don’t come back to Central.”
“What?”
“Winry, it’s dangerous here. This is the second time you’ve been kidnapped, coming here!” Ed dug his hands into his pants pockets, his lower lip sticking out. “And this time, you got hurt.”
“You’re not the boss of me, Ed!” Winry snapped back, wishing she had a wrench. “Everything turned out okay, both times!” She wouldn’t say anything about the nightmares she’d had, and how this kidnapping brought them up all over again.
“But it could’ve been worse!” Ed glared at her then. “A lot worse, and you know it, even if you don’t know those - ” he hesitated, “people! They’re bad, Winry. They could’ve really hurt you if they wanted and.” He stopped, his larynx bobbing before his face took on a steely cast. “You shouldn’t be friends with me.”
Winry wanted to slap him. “Ed, don’t be an idiot! You think this is bad? What about Carrie, from the next town over? Somebody attacked her. They found her body at the riverbank. And Tommy…do you remember Tommy?” She didn’t wait for his acknowledgment. “Tommy was taking his steers to market and someone robbed him, stole his cattle, and beat him. It was three days – three – before anyone found him.” She’d unconsciously moved closer to Ed. “Bad things happen everywhere, Ed. Tomorrow, there could be a train crash,” he winced, and Winry plowed on, “and that wouldn’t be your fault. The river could rise, and flood Risembool. Some crazy idiot could decide he doesn’t like the looks of our house and burn it down. It wouldn’t be your fault.”
Ed hissed, “But this was! Because you know me. Because they thought you were my friend.”
“So what, you’re going to stop being friends with me?” Winry almost reeled at the idea. “Edward Elric, so help me.” She grabbed the front of his jacket, hauling him even closer, ready to shout at him.
And realized she couldn’t say anything, because Ed was glaring at her, and she could see how worried he was, and how upset, and how hard he was trying to keep her from knowing any of it, especially – Winry started when Ed pushed her back, not hard, but enough to make her stagger. She thought she saw pain flash over his face, but when she looked again, he was just angry, and cold, and closing away from her like shutters on a house before a storm. “I’m sorry, Winry,” he said. “I’m sorry you got hurt. But it’s time for you to go home and…”
“And what?” She would not cry. She wouldn’t, not now.
“And,” Ed dropped his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. “Have a good trip.” He walked away, heading back to Al, leaving her standing there alone.
The final few minutes before her train left past all too quickly – Elicia made Winry promise to come back for a real ‘birfday party!’ and Miss Gracia agreed. Ed scowled but said nothing in regard to that, his jaw flexed and his face turned away. Al told her to have a safe trip, and said they’d been in touch, soon. Somehow, Winry doubted it, and told him so, making Miss Gracia laugh in exasperation.
And then the call came for her to board the train. Winry didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle of so many people, so she waited for the crowds at the steps to clear out before she began walking. The others followed her along the platform, Elicia chattering away, Al’s armor creaking, Miss Gracia gently correcting her daughter, and Ed…Ed didn’t say anything.
Winry climbed the steps into the passenger car, hesitating before going inside it. She looked down at Ed, and, as if he could feel her gaze, he raised his head. “Don’t wreck my automail, Ed!”
Finally, his expression softened. “Gear head!”
“Alchemy freak!”
“Get on the train before it starts moving,” Ed told her. “I’m not paying for another hospital bill for you.”
Winry grinned. “Yes, you would!” she said, and ducked into the passenger car so the porter could pull up the steps. She found a seat with a window and waved out at it her friends. Al, Elicia and Miss Gracia waved back, Elicia perched in Miss Gracia’s arm. Ed stood with his hands in his pockets, watching as the locomotive lurched forward, starting the cars off with a jerk.
Ed watched the passenger car as Winry passed by them, still waving. He whispered, “Yeah, I would.”
X X X
Author:
evil_little_dog and cornerofmadnessGenre: Action
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 8,778
Characters/Pairings: Edward/Winry, Envy, Alphonse, Lust
Warnings: 2003 Anime,
Summary: When Envy and Lust kidnap Winry, it’s up to Ed and Al to rescue her.
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work based on the series, Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa. No money is made from this fan work.
Thanks To: Copperletters, whose art inspired this piece. chapter one this way
Chapter Four
Envy waited for Ed’s charge, smirk firmly in place, the knife still pointed at Winry. As Ed reached striking range, his arm coming back for a punch, Envy darted to the side. Expecting this, Ed leaped after him, left hand hitting the ground first, flinging his legs up over his body. He cartwheeled after Envy, growling as he struck at the homunculus.
Leaping back, Envy taunted, “Too slow, pipsqueak!”
Ed showed his teeth in a dark grin. Moving Envy away from Winry was his goal, and Envy cooperated by leaping around. “You hurt my friend, you bastard!” Ed screamed, chasing after the homunculus.
Envy leaped up to the low roof of one warehouse, still higher than Ed could reach without transmuting a way up there. The homunculus squatted like a malevolent toad, smiling down at Ed. “I’ll hurt her still, if you don’t do what I want.”
Winry was a good half-a-block away, but Ed didn’t betray himself by looking back at her. “You already have,” he growled. “Why did you take her, Envy? Why’d you want me here so bad?”
“Don’t you know, pipsqueak?” Somehow, Envy’s smile widened. “Hurting her hurts you. It’s like a bonus.” He leaped from the roof, landing almost ten meters away on the cracked asphalt, bare feet not even bruised. Halfway between Ed and Winry. “I could hurt her now, before you even got close enough to stop me.” A red light crackled along his arm, shaping it into a blade – a mockery of Ed’s transmutation to his automail arm.
“Leave her the fuck alone, Envy!” Running after him wasn’t going to accomplish anything, Ed knew, but he could still do something. He clapped his hands together, slamming one down on the ground. The transmutation rumbled through the ground, catching the building closest to Envy, sending the exterior wall cracking down. Envy leaped sideways in response, and that’s when Ed lunged forward, gritting his teeth. His feint wouldn’t keep Envy off-guard long.
Racing up over the top of the broken wall, Ed flung himself over the top of it, letting loose a howl of rage as he plummeted down on top of Envy. The homunculus gaped at him for a split second, then raised that knife blade arm. Ed kicked on the way down, automail foot striking Envy’s blade. It rang out weirdly, Envy gasping as Ed landed on top of him.
They went down in a heap, Ed on top, one foot planted on Envy’s transmuted arm, the opposite knee planted on Envy’s chest. Ed held his own blade against Envy’s throat, pressing in to make blood trickle down the homunculous’s pale skin. Envy bared his teeth, grabbing for Ed’s arm with his free hand. Ed pushed the point deeper. “Stop struggling,” he panted.
“Gonna kill me?” Envy asked, his face relaxing into a dark, wicked smile. “Think you can do it, pip?”
“Stop calling me that!” Ed snapped. The blood oozed faster out of the wound.
Envy’s smile went wilder, wider. “You are a pip. Just a little dot on the face of this world. Don’t even know what’s going on – a leashed dog, dragged along behind its master.” He laughed, ignoring the blade digging into his throat. “When I whistle, you come, just like that!”
“I’m not your dog!” Ed fairly vibrated, rage making his body tremble. “And Winry’s not some piece of bait!”
“Ho, ho, that’s all that little bitch is! A pretty piece of bait!” Envy’s eyes widened, and suddenly, the red lightning flashed all over his body, transforming stiff, brackish hair to strands of pale blond, the sharp, angular face softening, the body shifting and swelling, and Ed nearly recoiled at the sight of Winry’s throat beneath his blade, blood rolling down the side of her ivory skin.
“You don’t fool me, Envy,” Ed hissed through his teeth.
“Ed, it hurts!” Envy said, mimicking Winry’s voice. She shivered, her lips trembling, her eyes so wide, and tears starting to form in them.
“You’re. Not. Winry,” Ed whispered, but he couldn’t make her bleed, no matter what he knew was the truth.
“Ed, please,” she whimpered.
“Gnng!” Ed closed his eyes against the pain in Envy’s false face, just for a second, just to remind himself that Winry waited for him to finish this, and help her. This isn’t Winry!
“Brother!”
Al’s voice made Ed’s eyes snap open – too late.
Envy slapped at the back of Ed’s locked elbow. The automail shifted, the blade slicing deeper into Envy’s pale throat, blood spurting out, making Ed jerk back to avoid it. A flash of red lightning followed the open wound, knitting it back together almost as fast as the blade cut. “Stupid pipsqueak!” Envy’s leg twisted up, the hook of his ankle catching Ed in the throat, flinging him back onto the asphalt with a crash. He twisted his body, grinning at Ed. “You’re still too slow,” he taunted.
The pressure against his windpipe made Ed choke. He pinched the tendon behind Envy’s heel, squeezing hard as he could to try to force Envy to move. Pain had to work, he knew, but the flash of red lightning against his hand made him think that pain worked differently in the homunculus than it did in humans. Black spots danced in front of his eyes as his body labored to breathe.
“Brother!” Al’s voice seemed to come from far away. “I’ve got Winry!”
“Wha’d…want…her…” Ed managed to gasp.
Envy leaned even more weight on his leg, making Ed gag. “To make you dance to my tune, pip.”
“No,” Ed got out. His grip on Envy’s ankle loosened as blackness started to swarm up from the corners of his eyes.
Smiling, Envy curled over Ed, hands on either side of his head. “You are the most stubborn brat,” he said. “You’d risk that girl to get what you want, wouldn’t you?”
No, Ed wanted to shout, but all that came out was a croak.
“And I know it,” Envy gloated, his nose almost touching Ed’s. “You’d cast her off, and think you were doing it to keep her safe.” He laughed, heated breath blasting on Ed’s face. “You’d do it to everyone, thinking you could do this all alone.” His body shifted on Ed’s chest and the dark came up and covered Ed’s eyes.
Envy grabbed the hair on either side of Ed’s face, giving him a hard shake. His lip curled as he realized Ed was unconscious, and he dropped him back to the ground with a sneer. “That’s what makes you weak, pipsqueak.”
X X X
Al untied the blindfold and the gag. “Easy, Winry! It’s okay, it’s me.” He wished he could smile at her reassuringly. Tear tracks cut through the dirt on her cheeks and the side of her face was discolored with a bruise. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Where’s Ed?” she asked, breathlessly, as the gag fell away, then, “Ow!”
“He’s…” Al didn’t know. “He’ll be okay.” He hoped he wasn’t lying. Brother could be an idiot, and reckless, and Winry – from the expression on her face – knew that.
“I heard him, talking with that…” Winry shuddered, and let out a cry when Al finished untying her arms. “Oh, ow, ow,” she whispered, and Al could see that her arm hung crookedly.
“Your arm,” he said, horrified.
“It’ll heal,” Winry mumbled, though she cradled her broken arm in her other one, holding it against her middle.
“Do you think you can stand?” Al asked, worried. “I can carry you if you can’t!” His plates rattled with anxiety.
“I…I’m okay.” Winry managed to push herself up, leaning against his shoulder to help keep her balance. “Just need something to keep this arm stable!”
The fake smile she plastered on made Al want to hug her, or beat up Envy, he wasn’t sure which. He settled for nodding, making his horsehair plume bounce. “C’mon, let’s get you someplace safe.” Ed could take care of himself, Al thought. Hoped.
“No.” Glaring at him, Winry bumped into his chestplate with her elbow, making it ring. “We’re finding Ed. We’re leaving this place together.” Her wince at the realization she’d slammed her good elbow into unforgiving metal didn’t take away from her determination. “I heard fighting that way.” Winry suited words with motion, starting past Al.
“W-wait, Winry!” Al danced in front of her. “At least let me lead the way.”
“You don’t even know where we’re going!” Winry argued, tilting her head back to glare at him, not spotting the rubble on the ground ahead until it was too late.
Al caught her, making her cry out at his grip on her broken arm. “See?” he said, as she caught her breath. “It’s dangerous for you to be doing this, Winry!”
“I’m not going to just let you guys go into this alone! They took me for a reason!” Winry practically yelled at him. “To get to you!”
“Ugh.” Ed’s voice broke into their argument. He looked bedraggled, and dried blood splattered on his face and neck.
“Brother!” Al shouted as Winry breathed out, “Ed.”
“I’m okay,” he waved his hand, limping over to them, his eyes widening as he took in Winry’s state. Emotions spooled across his face, too fast for Al to read, finally stopping on disappointment. “Winry,” he mumbled.
“I’ll heal,” she said, giving him a crooked smile, “But you’re bleeding!”
“Not my blood.” Ed waved her off, giving her a long look. He took off his coat, dropping it to the ground, and clapped his hands together. Touching the coat, he transmuted it into a sling, more cumbersome than it probably needed to be, considering how much cloth he used. “Here, Winry.” He helped her slide her arm in place, the skin around his eyes tightening when she swallowed a gasp of pain. “We need to get you to a hospital to get this set.” Giving her a long look, Ed asked, “Can you walk?” He didn’t wait for an answer, squatting down. “Get on my back!”
Winry gaped at Ed, and then up at Al, then sighed, giving up. She climbed onto Ed’s back. He hooked his hands under her knees, and grunted, standing up. He took a step sideways to get his balance with Winry’s weight, then started walked. Al stared at his brother, shocked for a few seconds, then jogged after him to catch up.
“You’re going to the hospital, and then you’re going back home to the old hag and Risembool,” Ed was saying.
Winry rolled her eyes at Ed, but didn’t argue with him, just leaned her head against his shoulder.
X X X
In the waiting room, Ed sat in a chair, slumped over, his fingers loosely woven together. Alphonse sat next to him, gauntleted hands resting on his knees. The faint, constant rattle of metal plates let Ed know how worried Al was. He wished he could say something to settle him down, but he didn’t have any words.
Why pick on Winry? Why bring her to Central? It was a production, Ed knew; more than that, it was a warning. Winry hadn’t seen what the homunculi could do before; now she knew something about it. She’d told them about how Gracia had called her for Elicia’s birthday party, and picked her up at the train station, then changed into Envy. And a tall woman – had to be Lust – had helped him. They’d called Winry their bait.
Ed didn’t want to know how they’d figured out about Winry. She’d traveled with Al and him for a while. Somehow, the homunculi had to have been watching them, and decided to use Winry and show him just how helpless he could be.
I can’t put her into danger, Ed thought, his hands clenching into fists. “I can’t.”
“Brother.”
He glanced up at Al. “I don’t want her to get hurt any more, Al!” Winry’d lost so much already.
“I know, Brother.” Al lowered his head, the metal squealing softly at the movement. The red in the eye slots dimmed. “Winry didn’t deserve this.”
“No.”
A doctor came down the hall, and Ed sat up, seeing the man focused on Al and him. He got to his feet as the doctor paused. “You’re the Elrics, right? You brought in Miss Rockbell?”
“Yeah,” Ed said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets to hide the way they were shaking.
Al stood up, too. “That’s us, sir.”
“In lieu of actual family, Miss Rockbell asked me to let you know her status.” His eyes canted sideways and his mouth tightened – proof he didn’t like it, but would put Winry’s request first. Ed was glad he didn’t have to beat it out of the guy. “Her arm is fractured. There are bruises consistent with someone physically abusing her.” He looked Ed over.
“She’s my friend,” Ed said stiffly.
“Brother wouldn’t hurt Winry!” Al said, reaching out toward the doctor. His glance stopped the movement and Al’s hands fell back to his side with a creak. “We rescued her,” he added softly.
“That’s what she said.” The doctor didn’t look like he believed them, though.
“Can we see her?” Ed asked, deciding maybe he didn’t want to know any more about what the doctor thought.
The doctor gave them another long look. “I had to give her pain medication to set that arm. She’s not going to be very coherent.”
“That’s all right, sir,” Al said. “We just want to make sure…” his voice trailed off.
“She’s okay,” Ed finished sharply.
His suspicion didn’t fade, but he let them go into Winry’s room. Ed swallowed hard at the smell of disinfectants when he entered, and at the sight of Winry, wrapped in bandages and blankets on a hospital bed. Something inside him wanted to weep. He forced it down, stopping at the end of the bed.
Al went around to the side of it. Softly, he called, “Winry?”
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. “Al?” Her head turned until she spotted him. “Ed.”
“Hey,” he said, making himself smile for her. “Sorry…sorry you got involved in this.”
“It’ll be okay,” Winry murmured. “I’ll heal, an’.” Her voice trailed off, her eyelids drifting down.
“Yeah,” Ed mumbled.
“You know, Winry, Ed hasn’t had anything to eat for a while,” Al said, leaning back from the bed. “I’m going to go find him something to eat. I’ll be back soon,” he added for Ed as he walked past him, and Ed could swear he saw a mischievous light in what passed for his brother’s eyes before he disappeared out the swinging door.
“Uh.” Ed glared after his brother for a few seconds, but that wasn’t going to do any good. He swung back around to Winry. “Um.”
“I don’t blame you,” Winry said. He jerked his eyes up to her face, but she wasn’t looking at him. She had her hands on the fingers that peeped out from the cast. “It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself.”
“It is,” Ed insisted, coming around to the side of the bed. “If you weren’t our friend - ”
“If I wasn’t your friend, it would’ve been someone else, Ed! And, yeah, I wish.” She clenched her good fist. “I wish a lot of things, but I can’t change any of that, either.” Voice trembling, she still wouldn’t look at him. “Not what happened to Mom and Dad,” Ed’s gut twisted as he thought of what he knew about Mustang, and her parents’ deaths, “not what happened to you and Al!” Finally, Winry lifted her head, and her blue eyes gleamed, not with tears, but determination. “We’re a team, right? We’ll get through this together. You, Al and me.”
It was Ed’s turn to look away, though he touched Winry’s shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. “Yeah,” he said, knowing there was no way he’d risk her. Not to get his body back, not to get Al’s body back. “Yeah, we’ll do this together,” he said, knowing he lied.
X X X
Chapter Five
Wind blew through the platform at the train station, yanking at Winry’s long hair. She couldn’t help but smile, though, at the sight in front of her – Al and Elicia Hughes, with Miss Gracia. The real Miss Gracia, not the pretend one. When she found out Winry was at the hospital, she insisted Winry come and stay at her house until she was ready to leave Central. The first few days had been strange – Winry half-expected Miss Gracia’s form to change to that of the strange man known as ‘Envy’, and hurt her again, but, when it didn’t happen, she’d learned to relax around her friend again
Still, going home seemed like the best idea, where she could finish healing up. Granny and Den were waiting for her, after all, and, while she appreciated the time Ed and Al had spent on her – and with her – every day, since they’d rescued her – she knew they had to get back to their search.
Tucking her jacket a little closer around herself, Winry glanced around, finally spying Ed, returning with her train ticket. She excused herself to go meet him. “I wanted to say thanks,” not expecting Ed to turn his head away from her, scowling. “What?”
“Nothing,” Ed grumbled. He handed her the ticket. “Look…it’s probably best you don’t come back to Central.”
“What?”
“Winry, it’s dangerous here. This is the second time you’ve been kidnapped, coming here!” Ed dug his hands into his pants pockets, his lower lip sticking out. “And this time, you got hurt.”
“You’re not the boss of me, Ed!” Winry snapped back, wishing she had a wrench. “Everything turned out okay, both times!” She wouldn’t say anything about the nightmares she’d had, and how this kidnapping brought them up all over again.
“But it could’ve been worse!” Ed glared at her then. “A lot worse, and you know it, even if you don’t know those - ” he hesitated, “people! They’re bad, Winry. They could’ve really hurt you if they wanted and.” He stopped, his larynx bobbing before his face took on a steely cast. “You shouldn’t be friends with me.”
Winry wanted to slap him. “Ed, don’t be an idiot! You think this is bad? What about Carrie, from the next town over? Somebody attacked her. They found her body at the riverbank. And Tommy…do you remember Tommy?” She didn’t wait for his acknowledgment. “Tommy was taking his steers to market and someone robbed him, stole his cattle, and beat him. It was three days – three – before anyone found him.” She’d unconsciously moved closer to Ed. “Bad things happen everywhere, Ed. Tomorrow, there could be a train crash,” he winced, and Winry plowed on, “and that wouldn’t be your fault. The river could rise, and flood Risembool. Some crazy idiot could decide he doesn’t like the looks of our house and burn it down. It wouldn’t be your fault.”
Ed hissed, “But this was! Because you know me. Because they thought you were my friend.”
“So what, you’re going to stop being friends with me?” Winry almost reeled at the idea. “Edward Elric, so help me.” She grabbed the front of his jacket, hauling him even closer, ready to shout at him.
And realized she couldn’t say anything, because Ed was glaring at her, and she could see how worried he was, and how upset, and how hard he was trying to keep her from knowing any of it, especially – Winry started when Ed pushed her back, not hard, but enough to make her stagger. She thought she saw pain flash over his face, but when she looked again, he was just angry, and cold, and closing away from her like shutters on a house before a storm. “I’m sorry, Winry,” he said. “I’m sorry you got hurt. But it’s time for you to go home and…”
“And what?” She would not cry. She wouldn’t, not now.
“And,” Ed dropped his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. “Have a good trip.” He walked away, heading back to Al, leaving her standing there alone.
The final few minutes before her train left past all too quickly – Elicia made Winry promise to come back for a real ‘birfday party!’ and Miss Gracia agreed. Ed scowled but said nothing in regard to that, his jaw flexed and his face turned away. Al told her to have a safe trip, and said they’d been in touch, soon. Somehow, Winry doubted it, and told him so, making Miss Gracia laugh in exasperation.
And then the call came for her to board the train. Winry didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle of so many people, so she waited for the crowds at the steps to clear out before she began walking. The others followed her along the platform, Elicia chattering away, Al’s armor creaking, Miss Gracia gently correcting her daughter, and Ed…Ed didn’t say anything.
Winry climbed the steps into the passenger car, hesitating before going inside it. She looked down at Ed, and, as if he could feel her gaze, he raised his head. “Don’t wreck my automail, Ed!”
Finally, his expression softened. “Gear head!”
“Alchemy freak!”
“Get on the train before it starts moving,” Ed told her. “I’m not paying for another hospital bill for you.”
Winry grinned. “Yes, you would!” she said, and ducked into the passenger car so the porter could pull up the steps. She found a seat with a window and waved out at it her friends. Al, Elicia and Miss Gracia waved back, Elicia perched in Miss Gracia’s arm. Ed stood with his hands in his pockets, watching as the locomotive lurched forward, starting the cars off with a jerk.
Ed watched the passenger car as Winry passed by them, still waving. He whispered, “Yeah, I would.”
X X X
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