149Hey everyone. No excuses except the usual insanities of life.
Now shut up and read.
Or not.
"You are certain of this, Mustang?" King Bradley asked into the phone, still at his desk.
"I am, sir."
Despite the weather, Fury managed to get the system rigged for perfect communication between Briggs and Central. "Fullmetal is nowhere to be found. There is no body; even in this weather we would have found it by now. We suspect he may have been captured."
"You are positive he did not desert you?"
Mustang was taken aback. The Fueher seemed rather fond of the Elrics; to suggest Ed would abandon his duties…seemed out of character for him. "I sincerely doubt it, sir. Fullmetal is immature and unpredictable. But he has proven himself loyal to our country first and foremost. The only thing I can imagine forcing him to leave the field of battle is if his brother was in danger."
"And his arm? The one Kintobor gave him?"
Mustang furrowed his brow. This was getting suspicious. "The remains of the arm were scattered; we recovered as much as we could. But there was no sign of blood, nor any other bodies."
There was a moment's hesitation on the other side. "I see." Bradley finally said. "I've always been fond of Fullmetal and his brother. But we cannot abide this; we have to assume the worse. Colonel Mustang, I am ordering you to track the Fullmetal Alchemist and bring him to justice. Capture him alive if you can, but if you can't…well, you understand your duty as a soldier, correct?"
Mustang only took a moment to answer. "Yes sir."
Bradley hung the phone up. He stood, arms crossed behind his back as the sun cast its light in the office. He turned to Robotnik, dressed in his military uniform. "It seems your ploy did not work."
Robotnik curled his lip, doing his best to keep himself from mouthing off. Until now, this felt easier than when he bided his time as Warlord Julian: Back then, he had to put on a mask. Here, he was able to be himself to a point. Until this moment. "With all due respect, my Furher," he emphasized. "The Combots performed as I had promised. The wards worked."
"Yes, your machines did as they were promised." King Bradly growled. "Their only malfunction…is you."
"I beg hour pardon?"
"I know why you built that arm specifically for Fullmetal. In a way, I almost respect it. Using an ally of your enemy to kill their king. And for that person to be tormented for the rest of his life with that knowledge…on paper, it's quite brilliant. Humans, after all, are a greedy and conniving species. But I can't deny there are some noteworthy exceptions." He looked at Robotnik's eyes with his one exposed eye. "Fullmetal was one of them, and you should have recognized that. You counted on him to want to keep the arm, because that would be exactly what you would do. Instead he found a way to destroy it, no matter the inconvenience to him."
Robotnik fumed at him, grinding his teeth. Seeing as he did not get the message, Bradley narrowed his eye. A sudden swish emanated from the air. Looking down at the Fuher's right hand, Robotnik noticed Bradley's saber was drawn. "When did he-?" Robotnik felt some hairs from his mustache fall. It was only two inches, and miraculously not a cut on his skin. Robotnik trembled; he could have just as easily fly off the handle and take his bald head! Yet he chose a small demonstration to make his point! Robotnik envied that kind of physical power…and yet, even this…thing! This thing also had a master he answered to…
"Your technical expertise is incredible, the likes of which we could have never dreamed," Bradley continued. "But it's clear, mo matter what position you once had in life, you are no general. You're just a smart boy who would rather play with toys then do the most sensible thing." King Bradley turned to look out the window. Robotnik not only had the customary pistol at his side, but he still had his robotic arm which he loaded with weapons over the years. He could use any of them to shoot the so called man in front of him, but turning his back on Robotnik was proof enough of the power he had over him. "Feel free to torment those creatures you brought with you on your own time. But as long as you are with us, your work on the Philosopher's stone AND Fullmetal take priority. Is that understood?"
Robotnik's lips quivered in anger before he ultimately gave a half-hearted curtsey. "Understood, my Furher."
King Bradley remained unmoved, but Robotnik could see his stone cold reflection on the glass pane, even in broad daylight. "Now maybe you can whip up an invention that can find Fullmetal and hopefully keep your ego in check."
Robotnik sauntered down the hallway, his mood completely down. "Congratulations, sir!" Snively ran up to him, carrying some papers. "I must imagine Fullmetal is wracked with grief in his soft heart, and better yet, Acorn is dead!" He whispered, careful not to draw too much attention. "And I can only imagine how the Freedom Fighters would react! Especially our pesky princess! Do you believe we have pushed her enough to consider the death penalty, should the worst happen!" He snickered at that. Robotnik quickly turned a corner, Snively following after him. "Sir? Did something-?"
Robotnik suddenly grabbed Snively, raised him up and pinned him against the wall. "Don't patronize me, you insolent slime!" He hissed. "Our new enemy foiled my trap! I know you lost track of the Freedom Fighters, and now Enerjak is loose!"
Snively began to sweat. "S-sorry, sir…" he choked.
"And Pride is putting the failure on me!" Robotnik finally released his nephew, letting him slide down. "This is not some animal royalty who will follow law and order when deciding our fates! They are just like us…maybe worse. And if we fail again…" Robotnik ran a finger across his large throat. Snively nodded.
Robotnik began to calm down, rubbing his chin. "Still, this situation is not unsalvageable," Robotnik brought his fingers together as he resumed walking. "The wards against Naugus worked. And I was able to contain Enerjak before; I can do so again. How goes the search for the Freedom Fighters?"
"A thousand apologies sir, but with the squad of combots gone there was no way of tracing them. I am building a new squadron as we speak, but it will take time, and I fear they will be in places unknown by then."
Robotnik nodded in agreement. "Too true…except…"
"Except-?"
Robotnik sneered at him, pulling up a file. "Never make new enemies without knowing as much as you can about them first." He gave it a good slap. "I know Fullmetal's origin: a small town called Resembool. I have no doubt the brothers will meet each other there; it's only a question of when."
"And then, we'll-?"
"No. Even with Bradley, we couldn't get away with murder, not even in the middle of nowhere. And no doubt the locals will raise a stink." Robotnik sighed. "We're not ready. But when we are…" He made that guttural, evil growl of pleasure he was known for. "…Nothing will stand in our way." He turned his back as he walked back to his office. "Now do make like a certain monstrosity and finalize the schematics. Our Endgame is at hand."
"Yes sir!" Snively nodded. His neutral face scowled with hatred. "…yours." He hissed.
Quickly, Snively made his way to the library. Though he did not have access to the alchemical knowledge, he could access quiet areas same as everyone else where he would not be disturbed. He found a table where he would not be disturbed and got to work. Indeed, he was doing the tasks his uncle ordered him. But Snively learned to be a multitasker, reading his files and working on a…personal project. "You caused trouble for me…bullied me, and humiliated me…" A small computer put together the parts of a roboticizer.
Or, if he suspected correctly, a possible Deroboticizer.
"Yet, in spite of all that…I think a partnership is possible. After all, you want to put that Disorganizero to use. For your brother, yes?" Snively quietly chuckled.
As dawn approached, the door to the cabin opened. Ed took a few looks outside, and stepped out. "Come on. We got to leave." He stepped out, Acorn slung over his shoulder. The one difference from the other night was that his arm was an emerald hue. It spread fast but for now seemed to stop.
After a few feet, the king strayed away from him. "I think I've the strength to walk."
"You sure?"
"You've done enough. And with only one arm too." Ed relinquished him, and though he was slow, he walked. "Where are we headed?"
"Hom-" Ed stopped himself. "The town I grew up in."
Acorn trudged with him. "Is it safe?"
Ed thought about this a bit more carefully. "Honestly? No; they're going to find us." He picked up the pace. "But it is the only place where I can find my brother."
Acorn nodded. "Very well. Lead the way." Ed nodded. "I do not mean to complain…but I hope it's warmer down there."
"It will be." Ed agreed. "We don't get snow down there this time of year."
An Amestrian Sheppard sniffed the ground, raising its snout and barking. "Hey!" Hackman yelled, holding its leash and his cigarette in his mouth. "The hounds got him!"
Mustang approached him. "Follow him, but keep the dogs on leash! We're trying to find him, not tear him apart!" Hackman nodded, giving him a knowing look. The kind of look where Mustang did not want to carry out an order, and did his best to bend it as much as possible.
"Sir!" Mustang turned to see Hoffman run to his side. "I know Fullmetal gives you trouble, but in the end he has always fulfilled his duty! Do you not find this strange?"
"There are many strange things in our line of work, Hoffman," Mustang said, showing no emotion. He began to speed up to a jog, though in the snow he may as well be exerting the same energy for a full on sprint. "While it is not our duty to question it, it doesn't go against them to find out as much as we can!"
Hoffman ran up to him. "And the creature? We have two of them, we confirmed two others escaped…but the third is unaccounted for."
"You think he's with Fullmetal?"
"He was seen engaging him before the chaos overwhelmed us all!" Hoffman confirmed. "What should we do?"
"Well, the Fuher ordered us to track down Fullmetal," Mustang explained. "So anything else is at our discretion!"
"How far do we have to go?" Acorn asked as gently as he could.
"Far." Ed answered honestly as he made his way through the snow. "But the town shouldn't be far. We can rest up there for a while…" He then heard the dogs barking. "Or we can try something else! Run!"
They both ran as fast as they could. Acorn was managing better than Ed expected, but he still grabbed hold of his arm to help him along. Ed looked behind him to see the shepards barking, the military trailing them.
"Fullmetal!" That was Mustang! "Stop!"
"Hurry!" Ed shouted at Acorn. They pushed forward…and came upon a cliff.
For a moment, Ed was in panic. With only one arm, his transmutation was limited to drawing circles, and he had nothing to do so with. A circle made out of snow was unreliable! He kept looking around, until a familiar whistle bellowed. "A train!" The smoke coming from the chimney barreled forward. "Okay, get ready to jump!"
Mustang managed to run ahead of the pack, and he could see Ed's trademark coat ahead. He also recognized the other as one of those creatures. Ed turned back to look back at him. "Fullmetal, stop!" As he reached out his arm, Ed grabbed the Mobian and jumped. The troop ran to the edge, and Mustang caught the caboose of a train. Looking at the train, he could see Ed and the stranger on top of it.
"At least he's not dead." Mustang stared out, saying nothing. He then turned around and walked. "Look everywhere we can, men! Search the nearby towns, and fan out everywhere after that! We must intercept them before they get too far!"
As the other soldiers got to obeying his orders, Fallman ran up to him. "Sir, perhaps it would be better to send everyone to Resembool and wait for him there?"
Mustang turned to his sergeant. "I said search everywhere, didn't I?"
Fallman understood, and nodded. "I'll take two men with me to search the old mining towns!"
"That will do, Fallman."
Ed sighed, as the train carried them further away. "I imagine we won't escape them through this vehicle alone." Acorn said. "I can see this can only travel the tracks; no doubt they know where to intercept us."
"Well, let's not count on this train for too long." Ed agreed. Scanning ahead, he said "I think I know where this train is heading. We'll try to get off before then…And finally…home."
Ed had a seat as they took in the scenery.
Further down South, in the badlands, a lone man in a beige cloak walked. He carried a sack over his back, no doubt containing food. Though his cloak did not reveal much, as his right arm waved back and forth from his brisk walk, one could see an intricate tattoo from his wrist.
Had he been in a more populated area, he would have been marked as a wanted man because of it.
Unfortunately, though he wasn't recognized, he was currently being targeted.
A set of blue eyes from the mountains focused on the stranger, narrowing in anticipation.
He had gone a long time without eating, and was running on fumes. Either he robbed the man or starved.
If the sac did not contain food…well, perhaps he might have to become a full on predator now.
His tattered white gloves gripped the dirt, and his black boots moved so fast they appeared to become wheels.
In a second, he was gone.
The man heard a sharp whistle. It was unlike anything he heard before, and it was approaching…fast! Swiftly, he turned and extended his right arm. Electricity crackled around it, causing the green creature before him to stop. Scourge immediately felt the hairs and spines all over his body stand up, and just when the man was about to touch him, he spun atop the arm with his spin dash. He couldn't quite cut the skin, but as he launched himself forward, he tore the hood. The man ducked, dropping the sack, but unfortunately Scourge was in no position to grab it. He landed several feet away from the man, who turned to face him.
Scourge didn't know much about Overlanders; the only thing he remembered from the studies (before he and his gang burned down the schools) was that they came in a range of colors between black and white, so he supposed dark-skinned ones weren't unheard of. The man also had short white hair, and red eyes. But what got him was the cross-shaped scar across his eyes and forehead. By all accounts, it healed miraculously well, but it was a couple shades lighter than the rest of his body. "What manner of creature are you?" The scarred one asked. The way he looked at Scourge…it was more than being a freak in his eyes, or not belonging. No, with the way he looked at him, it was as if in this man's mind, he shouldn't exist at all!
"Look Tall Dark and Ugly," Scourge extended his hand. "Give me your supplies and I'll be gone in less than a snap!" He emphasized with the fingers on his other hand.
The scarred man did not seem to respond, and pulled back his sleeve, fully revealing the intricate tattoos on the arm. "Even if you were an ordinary thug, I wouldn't give all this to you. You're an even more obscene perversion than the last I destroyed years ago!" He stepped forward. "So, what is the name of the Alchemist who created you? Tell me, and once I send your soul to Ishval, I'll make your creator pay."
"Creator? You mean my parents?" Scourge chuckled. "They're gone. Saw to it myself."
Scar stopped. The two starred at each other, as if his words opened up a revelation to both. "I cannot believe you to be a natural creature of this world." Once more his hand came alight with energy.
"Well, technically, you're not wrong." Scourge charged, shocking Scar. Before he could react, Scourge was upon him. The hedgehog unleashed a flurry of punches across his stomach. The sheer speed and ferocity overwhelmed the Ishvallan man, and sent him tumbling back. Scourge aimed to pounce on him, but Scar slammed his right hand on the ground as it glowed and exploded.
Scourge jumped back, but the shrapnel managed to cut across him in several places and forced him to fall. As he lay on his back, that right hand of doom came for him again. Scourge revved his feet and quickly dashed back. He sneered, convinced he got away clean. But then his sleeve and skin seemed to explode. "Hhhnnn!" Scourge gripped his arm to stymy the bleeding.
Fortunately, it seemed all Scar damaged was the skin. If he really got him, Scourge feared he wouldn't even have an arm to be concerned over. "Alright then!" Scourge growled. "No more Mr. Nice Hog!" Scourge got into a spin again and bounced out of the way.
The wisest course of action would be for him to get away, but a combination of his need to survive and pride made him stay to fight. Scourge charged again, cocking his fist back. He managed to make Scar stagger, and he charged back for a kick. He thought he had it in the bag, but Scar grabbed with his left arm, and kneed him, just missing his groin and into Scourge's stomach. Turned out this man was a genuinely good fighter! Scar quickly twisted and threw him down into the hard desert ground. Scourge spun again, Scar jumping back in the nick of time as the hedgehog pressed his attack further.
Scourge was incalculably fast, and extremely strong for his size, but Scar was a great hand-to-hand combatant, and his right arm was a death sentence to those who touched it. Scourge's fury was easy to read, in spite of his speed. The fight became a battle of feinting and dodging, neither able to land a proper blow on the other without getting hurt themselves.
But there was a difference between then. In his years of preparing for his crusade, Scar was brutal but calculating and efficient. Scourge had a fuse an inch long and lost his cool easily. And his patience wore out long ago. "Enough!" Scourge jumped back, revving again. "Either you give me the food or I'll feast on you instead!"
Scourge zoomed right into Scar, landing a solid punch into his diaphragm. Scar gasped and coughed up some spittle. It didn't just hurt, this blow less damaging. But even so, Scourge made a critical error. "Vermin!" Scar wrapped Scourge's small arm and punched him hard in his own stomach. "Had you ran away when you had a chance, you could have lived!" He hit hard enough to knock Scourge's glasses to the ground and quickly threw him over, hard enough to crack the bedrock. Scourge was finally drained, his hunger finally taking hold. "Now embrace Ishvall!"
Scar's arm charged up, and brought it down… "Scar, enough!" A young woman's voice shouted.
Scar stopped, and the two looked to the source. "Hey…" Scourge grunted, the fight taken out of him. Scar stepped back. "Who the heck are you!?" The hedgehog asked.
"Scar, do not kill him." She repeated. "I know it goes against your beliefs, but he is not what you think. He is something more."
Scar glared at her. "Whether or not he is a creature of nature, he is still a wicked soul!"
"And many say the same of you; in fact, you condemned yourself to be one," the woman said. "Besides, our time and resources are precious. We could use any help we can find."
The canned food was terrible. Scourge believed he once heard the saying "Hunger Is the Best Spice." He figured that was why he was able to scarfed the canned meat down like he found ambrosia from the gods. Once he reached the bottom of his third can, he let out a loud belch.
Scar glared at him in disgust. Scourge was about to reach for the next can, when Scar placed his right hand between him and the rest od the food. "You've had enough; the rest is for the town."
Scourge rolled his eyes, and threw the used can into the fire. "So, you're a good guy? Bad guy?" Scar growled and looked back into the fire. "I'm confused."
"He's exactly what I need him to be." The woman said. "And perhaps you can too."
"Sorry, no dice." Scourge leaned back against a rock, sneering. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a box of toothpicks. Taking one, he got to work on his fangs. "If you see good in me, you need your eyes examined. I'm out for numero uno, always have been."
"And what is it you want most?"
Scourge went silent. "Whatever." He sighed. "I guess I can just take off, pray on the next poor shmuck. Hopefully one without an arm of death."
"How about a trip back home?" The lady said. "I believe I can get you back to where you came from…for a price."
Scourge chuckled. "I ain't exactly wanted back home." Then, he seemed to turn sad. "We used to be tight. Me and my gang. Causing trouble everywhere we went. Tails, very handy. Boomer, the muscle. Good to have a big guy on your team. 'Twan…okay, I don't miss him. But he was fun as a punching bag. And Sally…" Scourge made noises like he had the best meal of his life as he fidgeted. "No one could make leather work as good as she could."
"She broke your heart." The woman said confidently.
Scourge stopped to tremble, snapping his pick. "Don't have much of a heart to break," Scourge growled. Then, he seemed to look sad. "But yeah; she certainly ripped out what was there and smashed it to jelly." He thought back to his failures. "Can't say I blame her."
"You do not look like the type to look for forgiveness or or permission." She observed. "So, what's stopping you from going back, for whatever reason you want?"
Scourge looked up, adjusting his glasses. "…Good point."
"I'll go along with this, so the military may finally pay…" Scar said. "But I'm not going to like this!"
"Then don't like it," she responded. "Perform the task you promised; that is all I ask of you." She turned back to Scourge. "As for you, I might need you as a bodyguard. Until the task is complete, and I promise to get you home."
"But you DO have the means and knowledge to get me there?" Scourge asked, making sure it passed the sniff test. "Right?"
"Smart." She answered. "And yes; I do."
Inside the palace, the Freedom Fighters and Al met to discuss their future. "So, what's the plan?" Sonic asked their human benefactors.
"We're going home." Al responded.
The mobians were silent. "That's it!?"
"Well, we never thought there was any circumstance where we would need to go into hiding!" Al said defensively, waving his arms. "Even so…it's probably the safest place for us."
"Al's right." Sally said. "He told me about his hometown; it's mostly farmland. We will be harder to spot, and danger will be easier to see. Not to mention we won't have to hide in an apartment anymore."
"Oh yeah, good point." Sonic nodded.
"Well, I for one am excited to see where you and your brother grew up!" Catherine announced, grabbing hold of Al's arm.
"Well, we better get going then!" Knuckles raised a fist.
Winry, however, looked on sadly. She knew, ever since the 14th of October four years ago, the brothers didn't have a home to return to.
Ed and Acorn jumped off the train right before it reached the station. "Follow me."
They were in small town, rather derelict. Probably one of the few mining towns still operating in the region. They kept low to the ground, under the windows and avoided what little children were out. The men were probably out at work, and it seemed all the women were inside doing chores. In fact, that was what Ed was counting on. Soon, Ed found some clothes hung out to dry. "Aha!"
Ed found two hoods, and gave one to Acorn. "I understand why I would need one…" Acorn put it over his person. "But is this really okay?"
"Now you're behaving like royalty." Ed said, putting his on. "At least, how royalty should behave. Anyway…" Ed jotted down a note, and clipped it onto the wire. "…I'll recompense them."
Quickly, they made their way out. "Those men…you work for them." Acorn said. "They must know where you live."
"Yeah." Ed rubbed his nose. "Never thought I'd have to be on the run. Anyway, we're going to take a long way home." Ed took notice of Acorn's crystalized hand. "Think you can hold it off?"
"It's out of my control now." Acorn gripped it. "I'm sorry."
Ed looked away in thought. "I'm not a medical alchemist…but there must be something I can do!"
Robotnik got work to work with a cauterizer, etching a pattern into his left palm. Looking at the transmutation circle, he sneered in satisfaction. "Perfect." He then placed his hands on a tall rock. Blue light formed around it, electricity sparking. As it faded, he held a simple gold crown. "Heh. I didn't have materials for a crown like dear Max had before his banishment, but this will do." He looked towards a stone wall and transmuted the surface into a mirror. He admired the tiara on his head, laughing. "Such power..."
"Sir?" Not expecting the slightest interruption, Robotnik transmuted a sword from a low hanging stalactite and pointed it at Snively. "EEK!" He fell over on his back, sweating.
Robotnik sighed, planting the weapon in the ground. "You should know better of all people than to sneak up on me." Dusting himself, he glared his nephew. "Well? Report!"
Snively shakily stood up. "W-well, the military had captured two of the combatants. The Furher wants you to research them."
"Hn." Robotnik nodded. "Who are they?"
"The female is a spider, but…" Snively gulped.
"But what, Snively?"
Snively pulled at his collar. "The other…is Warlord Kodos."
Robotnik blinked in awe. "He survived…"
"Shall I sick our Swatbots on him?"
"The Furher ordered them to be researched," Robotnik said. "I don't think he would appreciate us vaporizing a specimen as fine as Kodos."
"But sir, if he gets out, he'll kill you!"
Robotnik sneered. "Not if he gets to eat you first." He adjusted his suit as Snively gulped. "Besides…I'm actually looking forward to catching up with him…"
"Let me out!" Kodos roared as he banged against the bars of the cage in desperation. He rattled them so hard, the soldiers jumped back in fear, convinced he would break out.
There was another factor that caught their attention: the creature's skin was crystallizing. Was it doing that on purpose, or was it suffering from some sort of unusual disease? Finally, the door opened, revealing the new research scientist. He saluted them, and they returned it. Kodos' eyes widened in surprise, then fury. "You…"
"Fascinating," Robotnik commented, acting like this was the first time he encountered them. "I heard of the late Tucker's speaking chimeras. Not only did I not entirely believe the reports, it seems someone outdid him by far…"
Kodos roared and banged the cage again. "Sir, I would be careful!" One of the soldiers cautioned him.
"I assure you, the cages are quite adequate to hold them." Robotnik sneered in glee. "Leave us." The soldiers stared at each other, and saluted him.
As soon as they exited, Robotnik dropped the charade. "It has been a long time, old friend. And our reunion is just the way I preferred it."
"You sniveling-!" Kodos banged the cage, growling. He finally hung his head in despair. "I should have known better than to trust an overlander."
"Oh, you should have!" Robotnik agreed. "But you wanted power, and confided in me! Why?" Robotnik paused to make sure he understood it was a rhetorical question. "Because we were alike" Kodos's upper lip curled. "Tell me, if the shoe were on the other foot, would you have not done the same? No; you were an opportunist, just like me."
Robotnik eyed a tea set in front of him. He reached for it, and using a pole, offered a hot cup to Kodos. "Did King Max tell you what happened since you fell into the Zone?" Kodos snatched it, and slowly sipped. "He made me the new Warlord in your place. So trusting…so…" Robotnik paused to search for the word. "…naive." Robotnik poured himself a cup. He preferred machine oil, but it was good to break habits every once and a while as he took a seat. "From there, when he put me in the position necessary to take the Kingdom, it was easy. I'd like to say you would have been able to achieve it, but quite frankly, subtlety has never been your strong suit."
"What do you want, Julian!?" Kodos yelled.
"Haven't heard that name in such a long time." Robotnik sighed. "I was hoping we could let bygones be bygones. I want to start over from where we left off, and work together." Robotnik set the cup down. "Well, more accurately, you will work for me."
Kodos starred at him, and began to chuckle. His chuckle soon became full blown laughter. "The years have made you crazy, Julian!"
Robotnik seemed to expect that answer, and eyed Kodos' crystal hand. "I've read the report, how some force turned you and your comrade into crystal. But, it's not your own power that transforms you, is it?" He brought his hands behind his back. "It is fascinating, crystallization of living tissue. Something that should be impossible in living organisms. Tell me, what do you think will happen to you when it's finished?" Kodos remained silent. Robotnik leaned down for a closer look at his hand; Kodos, to his own surprise, did not react. Instead, he let him observe like a real medical doctor. "It seems right now it's just your skin that's crystallizing. Not too serious now, but in the long run it will cause you serious problems. If you get hurt, there's no guarantee this new skin will regenerate like normal. I imagine without the magic that governed this change, just moving could crack and expose you." Kodos snorted. "And I imagine it won't stop there; perhaps it will progress to your blood. Bad way to go, your circulatory system pumping shards of crystal and slicing your veins. Your lungs, making just breathing torture. I don't need to elaborate on your heart."
Kodos shuffled to the side, hiding his hand. "Well, I suppose that alone makes a partnership untenable anyway."
"Are you sure?" Kodos eyed him. "You remember Sir Charles, don't you?" Robotnik continued. "He created a treatment that could heal any injury, cure any disease."
"Impossible." The lion snarled.
"Oh, no. It was very real. I should know; I perfected it myself." Robotnik bragged. Kodos stared back. Robotnik could see the movement in his eyes; he struggled to hide his grin. "I have him!"
"What do you want in return?" Kodos growled skeptically.
"You'll pay your debt after we finish the process." Robotnik answered.
"Don't do it." The spider, sitting in the lotus position inside her own cage said. He could tell by how rigid her legs were they too were suffering from the crystallization. She didn't sound panicked, more like a warning.
Very well, Robotnik thought. She would be useful for other experiments. "Seems your friend has made up her mind, Kodos." Robotnik leaned closer to the bars. "What is yours?"
Four days had passed. The Mobians finally left the mansion, much to their dismay, but they knew it was a temporary arrangement from the beginning. Deciding going back to Ed's apartment was not the best course of action, they took a winding route towards the middle of Amestris. In fact, they came across a a very familiar place for Alphonse.
"Whoa, THIS is the dying city of Aquroya!?" Sonic said as he eyed the city atop an abandoned building.
The area was beautiful, though most of the city was rather plain. But what caught everyone's attention was the giant lake in the middle. Not only did it add to the natural beauty, but it sported ruins all along.
"This looks like a nice place to live," Knuckles said. "So, why is it a problem?"
"The lake wasn't here before," Catherine explained. "It was the result of a flash flood and short-sighted infrastructure. The water flooded in all at once, and displaced much of the city. What remains has made it a tourist attraction, but the lake still grows."
Sally sighed. "It's a shame. If they worked with nature, they could turn all of it to their advantage…"
"And yet they feel like they are either in control of everything, or decide to ignore the problem altogether." St. John chimed in. Bunnie elbowed him in the side thankfully with her right. "Oof!" Geoffrey rubbed his side. "What?"
"Sugah, not now!" Bunnie hissed.
"You seem to be familiar with this area, Al." Winry said.
"Yeah. Brother and I stopped by here before." For a moment, he remained silent. His thoughts drifted towards Clara. Well, Psiren more accurately. He didn't know how he managed to let the older woman sucker him like that. He should have listened to Ed-!
"Alphonse?" Catherine asked. "Is everything alright?" Al turned towards her. "You seemed…lost in thought."
"I was?" Al rubbed his helmet tail. "Well, I guess you're not wrong."
"Oh?" Catherine gave him a coy look. "Perhaps a girlfriend here you left behind?"
Al looked on. "Don't worry. I was way too young for her anyway." He held his hips as the wind blew. "Come on. We better settle in."
The hotel was one of the nicer ones Al settled in. Aquroya was a well sought after tourist town, so of course they would make their hotels as fancy and luxurious as possible. Catherine's deep pockets also helped.
"Ahh…" Sonic lay back on the soft bed. It was absolutely giant, and there were two of them in the room! Sonic felt it could support Robotnik with little difficulty, he felt like he was floating! "I'm going to enjoy this..." Sonic opened his eye to see Knuckles laying at the end. "Knuckles-!"
"What?" The echidna asked, not bothering to get up. "It's a king-sized bed. For them; for us this is practically a pool of feathers. The mattress itself is softer than my own pillow. I'll keep over here, you rest over there."
Sonic rolled his eyes, for once not spoiling for a fight. "Fine…"
"He's right, this is soft!" Tails sighed with glee as he fell into the pillow besides Sonic.
"Yeah…sure is…" Sonic winced. Normally he would gladly share space with Tails, but he sincerely hoped to have this luxury to himself just once for an hour. "Please, for the love of Maria, don't let…" Sonic looked to see St. John curl up like a cat in the middle, his bushy tail surrounding most of his body. "Figs."
Catherine and Winry agreed to share the second bed, and the two female mobians sat with them by default. "I bet this is normal for you." Catherine smiled at Sally, patting the beds.
Sally sighed, but still smiled. "A long time ago, yes. Nowadays not so much; I don't think I've truly lived like an actual princess." She had to stifle a giggle as Sonic tried to punt Geoffrey off the bed, who just swatted his foot away. "I remember when Sonic used to come over to play. He liked my bed…" Sally seemed to almost shiver. "And used every opportunity to jump on it like a trampoline!" Bunnie had to giggle. "What? You don't believe me?"
"Oh no, Sally girl. It sure sounds like Sugah Hog." She turned to her in a teasing manner. "I just don't think it infuriated you as much as you claim."
Sally seemed to turn red. "Are you kidding? He kept throwing my favorite blanket in disarray, and Daddy had to lecture me several times about keeping my room tidy!"
Winry and Catherine were doing there best to hold in their laughter. "Didn't you have servants?" Winry asked between giggles.
"Of course we did!" Sally threw up her arms. "But Daddy didn't like to make the servants work harder than necessary, and he always told me 'Princesses should learn to be self-sufficient before they rely on others.'"
"Wow." Catherine lit up. "Your father sounds like a kind and grounded soul."
Sally's eyes widened, then relaxed as she recalled old memories with contentment. "He was."
Winry, however, began giving her a rather coy look. "Sally…How old did you say you were again?"
"Sixteen." Sally answered. "Why?"
Winry began to giggle in spite of the hand on her mouth. "You're a little older than me, and still refer to your Dad as 'Daddy'."
Sally went from a light cherry to a ripe tomato. "I-Is that so unusual?"
Finally Winry couldn't take it anymore and fell onto the bed, kicking her legs up. "It's adorable!"
Sally just looked down at her knees and balled her fists, somehow looking redder than Knuckles. "There there, Sally Girl." Bunnie patted her. "The way ah once addressed mah relatives ah still talked like a little kit."
Al hung back in the corner, crossing his arms. Though he couldn't express it, he was happy. As he saw Sally throw a pillow back at Winry, he felt that Winry was giving Sally what she really needed: family. Satisfied he wasn't really needed at the moment, he straightened up. "I'm going to get some cash." Al announced, addressing Catherine. "I appreciate you for helping us with our rentals, but I can't let you do this all the time. Not only is it wise to diversify out spending, but I'm worried they'll track you as a target."
"Are you sure, Alphonse?" Catherine asked.
"Brother's research fund isn't nearly as lofty as your fortune, but it's more than adequate for places like this." Al waved as he helped himself out the door.
"Let me see."
Max lifted his hood to expose his bare chest to Ed. The crystallization had spread to his sternum. His left side was still flesh, but it looked like that wouldn't be spared for much longer. The crystal was also beginning to crawl up his neck and onto his face.
"Does it hurt?"
"Not too much," Max said. "If I move too quickly, it feels like something glued to my skin is being peeled off."
"Feel anything deeper?" Ed asked.
Max nodded no. "If it got any deeper, it surely would have reached my heart by now."
As Max covered himself again, Ed asked "But you were able to go crystalline before, right?"
"Within the Zone, yes." Max nodded. "But there, Master Naugus was the conduit that allowed us to control the transformation, to remain mobile."
"And when you did, you could still see and breathe?"
"Well, on the seeing, it felt different. Almost like we saw the Zone through someone else's eyes." Max explained. "Oddly enough I don't recall breathing when transformed. It was like in that state it was no longer a need. However, if this spreads further and goes deeper, I fear that won't be the case."
Ed nodded. What was happening to him was terrible. But the analytical part of him still found it fascinating. As much as he hated those who abused science and alchemy just because they could, he couldn't deny that they did uncover fascinating knowledge in the process. His experience with Shou Tucker was proof that potentially useful knowledge could come out of unethical alchemy and science. "You rest here. I'm going to get myself some cash and we're getting out of here first thing at dawn." The squirrel nodded as Ed headed out.
Al entered the bank, fifteen minutes to spare before closing time. "Better hurry." He got odd glances from the tellers, but he was used to that. Thankfully the last person on the left finished his transaction and headed out, giving Al a nervous side glare. Paying him no heed, Al walked over to the teller. "Hello. My name is Alphonse Elric; I'd like to make a withdrawal from my brother's account."
Ed groaned, exhausted from the ordeal. He wanted to so nothing more than plop into a real bed and snore away. But this would be his only chance to get actual cash before closing. Otherwise, it would make their hiding that much harder. He went in, and focused on the teller on the right side. He took no notice of her staring on the other side. "Excuse me," he approached her, setting his watch on the desk. "Edward Elric. I'm a State Alchemist, I need to make a withdrawal."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Elric, but I believe someone else in your name is also making a withdrawal." They both said.
Ed's eyes widened, while Al somehow also expressed surprise on his face. They slowly turned around, stared at each other…and shouted as they pointed at one another.
"ED!"
"AL!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
"ED, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM?!" Winry shouted as she brought her hands to her cheeks.
Almost immediately after the meet up, the brothers agreed to bring him to Al's rental. And of course, the missing automail arm was the first thing Winry took notice of. "I-I had no choice!" Ed protested, raising his left up in defense and turning his head away. For a good moment, nothing happened, Ed cautiously opening his eye. Winry was looking calm. "Well?!" Ed shouted. "Get it over with!"
"Get what over with?" Winry asked.
"The wrench!" Ed shouted. "Everytime I break your automail, you throw it at me!"
"Yeah!" Winry said. "When you break MY automail!" Winry emphasized.
At that realization, Ed calmed down, chuckling. "Oh, right."
"Personally, I'm hurt that you would dare compare that gaudy thing to my work." She pouted, turning away.
Now Ed felt a familiar yet different feeling of panic. "W-winry, it meant nothing to me! I swear, your automail is the best!"
Al chuckled, relieved that things were getting back to normal. "Well, however you got here, it's past cool and good to see you again, Ed." Sonic placed a hand on Ed's shoulder.
"Same." Ed nodded.
"What happened?" Tails asked, eyeing Ed's vacant sleeve.
Ed froze, and sighed. "It turns out, Robotnik made that arm for a specific purpose: assassination."
Sally's eyes widened. "You wouldn't-!"
"I didn't want to, but he anticipated that." Ed explained. "The arm locked in position on him when he felt he was vulnerable. I had no choice…but to destroy it."
Geoffrey crawled over to put a hand on Sally's shoulder. "And my father?"
Ed sighed again, and moved away to let a hooded figure walk in. Careful not to reveal his hands, he removed his hood, revealing the familiar face of King Acorn, stunning all the mobians. "As far as I can remember, I had no name." He said. "But from what Mr. Elric has told me, I was once Maximillian." Seeing no response from the others, he continued. "I don't know if I will get my memory back, but in spite of what has happened between us, I beseech you…"
Sally suddenly ran up and hugged him, eliciting a wince from him. "It's okay," Sally sobbed. "I'm just glad you're here." Though Max was surprised, he nonetheless gently patted her nape.
"Sally, I'm sorry, but we don't have much time." Ed said.
Sally stepped away. "What?"
Ed reached over and pulled his hood, showing the green crystal on his skin.
One thing that would have been interesting to see in the comics would be Kodos reuniting with Robotnik. I imagine a bunch of things happened between his name drop and the Endgame Saga that got in the way of that.