nothing will ever be funnier in Son Yaz then when Selim caught them in the hotel room and spent the next 4 hours yelling "BUT THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS CANAN. HANDS! SHE WAS HOLDING HIS HAND! IN A HOTEL ROOM! HIS HAND CANAN." and Canan is just like "pls calm down you are going to pop a blood vessel" while Akgun is attempting to sink into the ground and die bc he feels terrible for accidentally making Yagmur fall in love with him and Yagmur just keeps trying to say she loves him but everyone keeps yelling at her to shut up EXCEPT for that one time when Akgun thought the best time for a proposal was in the middle of a gun fight and then they just basically screamed it at each other a hail of bullets and if this family isn't the best family to you idk what to tell you really
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uncertainty
summary: Riza sustains her Promised Day injuries at the same time Roy is pinned by Pride in the transmutation circle
an: tldr i was consumed by this idea all evening. the narrator, probably: this is the darkest timeline
this was originally supposed to be “riza gets her promised day injuries AFTER roy goes blind” but it evolved, grew arms and legs, then ran away from me. but. i am still v invested in that original idea so. why not play about w and write the same thing/something similar twice right? yolo
also. its been like. 4 and a half hours of work so if u see any mistakes no u didn’t <3
shoutout to those who left encouragement/interest in this idea and to meg for spurring the bradley being Bad idea along <333
rating: t | words: 3262 | tags: graphic depictions of violence, angst, angst with a happy ending, promised day, canon divergence, royai
read on ao3
“Let him go.”
Riza orders the Fuhrer to step down, to remove his swords from the Colonel’s hands, to stop piercing his flesh. Her gun is trained on him easily and Riza discovers she has no qualms about shooting the man in charge of the country. She will not hesitate to do so if he so much as breathes in the wrong way.
After his appearance, and his assault on the Colonel, Riza had watched the tips of Bradley’s swords pierce through the Colonel’s palms, had seen them bury themselves in the gaps in the stone beneath her commanding officer. With her heart in her throat, Riza had inhaled sharply and drawn her weapon without pause, training it on Bradley’s head.
Riza’s voice didn’t betray her raging emotions within. For years – over a decade – she’d kept them under wraps for a variety of reasons. And even now, faced with this horrifying scenario, she did not let them surface. As much as she wanted to, she wouldn’t do it again. Not after her confrontation with Lust. She’d made a promise to the Colonel, and separately, in private, to Roy, not to.
“You were always an exemplary soldier, Lieutenant Hawkeye, following every order without question or complaint,” Bradley remarks. His spine straightens but does not remove his swords from the ground beneath the Colonel’s palms. He does not stop from looming over Mustang but turns his head to look at her. It’s reminiscent of a shark swimming right towards its prey, going for the kill, but Riza does not let that analogy get to her. She strengthens her grip on her pistol instead. “What has changed now?”
He’s toying with her. If she argued against any of his orders while his hostage, he’d have her killed.
A memory suddenly pops into her mind.
“You could always court martial me, sir.”
Riza’s eyes flick to quickly look down at the Colonel, lying pinned, helpless, and watching her anxiously on the floor. Mustang never would, but she misses the days where she could argue lightly against his orders and do what she felt was right and just by him and others she cared about and supported.
The doctor with the gold tooth writhes in agony above the Colonel, Bradley, and Pride, trying to call out for help and salvation, but the homunculi ignore him. Unfortunately, Riza has to as well, for she has seen how quick Bradley is and has felt the terror and harshness of Selim’s shadows, so cannot let herself slip for a second. If she does, it may cost her life. Or the Colonel’s.
“Simply doing my duty to this country and it’s citizens, sir,” she replies evenly. She holds no remorse for her actions. Not after the Fuhrer took her hostage for so long and the team discovered he was part of a scheme to try and kill everybody.
“Your duties involve following my orders, Lieutenant.”
Bradley is reminding her of her position as he trains his single eye upon her, but Riza tries her best to ignore it. It’s unnerving how piercing his gaze is, but she holds steady. She will not give into him and his intimidation.
“I am the highest authority to you. At ease, soldier.” He bites out the words, forcing them out as he tries to keep a lid on his fury.
“Not this time, sir.” She will not blindly follow his orders. Images of the desert flash inside Riza’s mind. Not again.
It angers him, but before he can react properly, Pride quite possibly saves her hide.
“We don’t have time for this, Wrath,” Pride sneers suddenly. He glares at Riza and she stares back, unflinching. She’s an expert at this by now after so many months under their scrutiny. She will not fall now at the final hurdle.
In response to Pride, Bradley angles his head towards him, looking away from her, and Riza feels herself relax momentarily. She does not turn complacent. Far for it. She’s too wired and on edge with the Colonel pinned in a transmutation circle underneath a homunculus’ feet to be close to any semblance of calm. But with Bradley’s gaze no longer pinning her, it’s a welcome reprieve. Her shoulders relax and lower a fraction.
“Enough of this conversation,” Pride continues. “We’ve got more important things to do.”
“Of course.” Bradley sounds so calm that it causes the knot inside Riza’s stomach to tighten. It’s the same knot that’s filled with unease and uncertainty regarding their current situation. It trembles and contracts as she stabilises herself and recentres her weapon so it’s ready to make a kill shot if need be.
“We have more important things to do,” Bradley repeats quietly to himself. His voice is without emotion, completely different from the rage-tinged tone he’d used just moments ago. Under his moustache, Riza sees a small smirk. One corner of his mouth quirks upwards.
In a flash, he rips the swords out of the Colonel’s palms, causing him to cry out in pain. They must have snagged on his skin because his loud gasp was laced with anguish.
Riza fires unflinchingly as Bradley charges at her.
“Lieutenant!” The Colonel’s cry is a gasp. She knows he fears for her, but she cannot focus on that right now.
Her finger does not let up on the trigger and it is relentless. She doesn’t have time to pay attention to it, but behind Bradley, Pride’s shadows dance around the room and she cannot fathom why. If she could spare enough of her concentration and tear it away from the charging homunculus, she’d realise the shadows were protecting Pride’s main body from her bullets flying behind the Fuhrer.
Bradley is too fast. He ducks underneath her weapon and outstretched arms, swinging around to her back.
Before she can blink, Riza can feel the kiss of cold metal on her throat.
Shit.
Her eyes widen, and so does the Colonel’s. His teeth are gritted together as he’s trapped in the transmutation circle, but his eyes meet hers immediately. It’s interesting to note how her own gaze zoned in on his during her sudden moment of helplessness, but Riza knows exactly why. She does not deny it to her heart.
“You’re a pest,” Bradley hisses in her ear.
The metal moves easily against her skin, like a knife moving through butter, and she hears the Colonel yell. As her body crumples to the floor he calls to her. He barks her rank, pleading with her to stay with him and focus on him. Her head hits the ground hard, and she’s dazed for a second. Her vision turns grey, and she cannot focus on anything, but still hears the Colonel calling out to her.
“Hawkeye!”
The others try to surge forward to intervene, but Pride’s shadows lash out and keep them at bay, pushing them backwards towards the outer wall. The homunculus forces them away from the two on the ground, preventing them from helping.
This is it.
She’s lying on the floor, bleeding out, with no one to assist her, and the Colonel is going to be forced to open the portal against his will.
She was supposed to watch his back and protect him. She was supposed to make sure no harm came to the Colonel so he could forge ahead and set in motion the plans he’d voiced to her over a decade ago. This was not how this was supposed to happen. Things changed in nanosecond and Riza’s brain has whiplash from trying to keep up.
“Do it, Pride.” Bradley’s anger is back under control. The bout of rage he’d experienced while advancing on her is gone. Or, it is back underneath his mask, hidden out of sight but simmering just below the surface.
Riza’s eyes meet the Colonel’s – no, Roy’s. His eyes are wide and panicked. She watches him strain against the dark tendrils holding him in place, but his struggle is futile and probably harming him. Through blurring vision she can see the colour red around his hands and up his forearm. The restraints must be cutting into his skin. Her mouth opens, asking him to remain still and not hurt himself. To not harm himself trying to escape to try and help her.
Impossible, she thinks to herself. Roy Mustang would tear the world apart for you. And you, him.
“Colonel –!” She wants to cry out to him, but with her injury it’s just a croak. A strangled, garbled call that doesn’t sound much like anything.
“Lieutenant!”
The homunculi ignore Roy’s cry, filled with such helplessness and anxiety. His expression is one of horror as their predicament hits him full force. His fight abates slightly, it stutters as his chest heaves with panicked breaths while realisation settles upon both their bones simultaneously.
They’re stuck and completely at the mercy of their enemies, with no hope of escape. No hope at all.
“It’s a shame to waste a soul,” Pride remarks quietly, sounding as though he’s talking to himself as he stares at the struggling doctor. His eyes lower lazily and focus on Riza. “When we have a perfectly good one right there.”
“Do it, Pride,” Bradley repeats, snapping this time. His mask is slipping.
Pride’s gaze lingers on her for a fraction of a second longer before turning back to look at the Colonel. His expression is unbothered by what he’s about to do. The complete opposite to the terror Riza can feel building within her.
You’re going to die, and he’s going to be forced through the gate.
“What will be taken from you Colonel, I wonder?”
Roy’s pained scream fills the air and infiltrates the gaps between her ribs. The sound cuts through her painfully, rattling her bones and constricting around her heart. She was supposed to prevent something like this from happening, but she didn’t.
Her vision fades and blurs even more intensely than before as the blue light from the human transmutation turns almost white. She cannot breathe. She cannot think.
The light winks out, leaving nothingness. The doctor falls to the ground, rolling slightly from the impact but Riza can no longer focus enough to determine what has happened to him.
You’re dying and he’s gone.
There was still a chance… A toll must be paid to pass through the gate so he may return alive, able to press on forward and achieve their goals and beat the bastards who did this to them today…
But it will be without her.
As Riza lies there, in a pool of her own blood, hearing her comrades call desperately out to her, a tear escapes from her lids and runs down her temple. She’s breaking her promise to the Colonel, to Roy. She’s leaving him, but it’s against her will, just like he had been forced through the gate against his.
She doesn’t want to leave him.
Images are flashing through his mind as he travels to the gate. It’s too much to bear inside his head. It feels like information is being stuffed into his brain far too quickly, and there’s too much. It’s overflowing. He sees snippets of his life, his past, and perhaps, what is yet to come?
Then there’s Riza, lying on the ground, clutching at her neck and lying in a pool of her own blood, but Roy blinks and she’s gone.
“Riza,” he gasps, the memory of what was done to her penetrating the fog inside his brain. It consumes him and his eyes squeeze closed. It does nothing though, it’s all he can see. It’s seared into his brain. He cannot escape the image of her dying, and him unable to help her.
The white room he suddenly finds himself in is featureless and unforgiving in its brightness. It hurts his eyes. Roy is reeling from arriving in the sudden and jarring expanse of white nothingness he finds himself in after passing through the gate, but he still squints and looks around frantically, looking for Riza, for some familiarity, momentarily forgetting himself as he’s overcome with his grief.
“What happened to her?” He demands an answer from the white being with the chilling smile. “Where is she?”
His questions go unanswered. When Roy starts to advance on it, the being simply smiles at him. After he takes about five steps, something secures around his aching wrist and jerks him backwards. Looking frantically down, wondering what is halting his approach, he realises with horror that these… things look similar to what Pride had used to restrained him before within the circle.
Not again.
“Is she okay?” His frantic cries are ignored.
Roy fights the tiny hands but there is no use. He cannot best them and it's worthless to try, but he continues to shout, beg, and pressure the smiling being to tell him what happened to Riza. To ask if she’s all right and going to live.
He has to. He needs to know.
Roy is drawn backwards, through a towering doorway, and into an inky black existence. Just like before, the last image he sees before everything goes black is chills him to his core. That white thing is still smiling at him in the distance, and for the first time since arriving there, Roy’s hoarse voice falters.
He will not receive any answers. He can yell until he is blue in the face, but no one will tell him if she’s okay, if she’s alive, or what happened to her. Terror was a constant companion after seeing Bradley’s sword slice through Riza’s flesh, but now panic was threating to overcome him once again.
Roy cannot lose her. He can’t.
The doors slam with a finality, leaving him in complete darkness that Roy gets the feeling he will never be able to escape from.
He’s blind.
The last thing he saw was Truth’s unnerving smile, and before that it was Riza on the floor, bleeding out and dying in front of him. That image was the last thing he saw in this world and it’s burned into his mind forever. It will not leave him be in his sudden pitch-black world.
He hates it. Abhors it. He wants to escape it but can’t. It’s with him always. A companion that lays out all of his failings before him. Roy chokes when he thinks about how she was left lying there, alone, critically injured, and he did nothing, could do nothing, to help or ease her pain.
Father tosses him around like a ragdoll, but Roy is still trying to adjust to being blind. He’s blinking furiously, hoping it will all turn out to be a horrible nightmare, but it’s futile. No matter how many times he blinks he cannot shift that image of her.
Is she even still alive?
He will not accept anything less.
“Sir?”
His head whips up and swings around frantically in its search. Roy thinks he may have been mistaken but… It is entirely possible his mind is playing a cruel trick on him, but he would also recognise her voice anywhere.
There’s a pressure on his forearm that commandeers his attention.
“Roy?”
The voice sounds scratchy. It catches as it pronounces the ‘y’ in his name, but Roy is filled instantly with recognition. The muscles of his face go slack as he stares wide eyed, yet unseeing, at the person he knows is in front of him.
Relief explodes within him. Muscles all over his body quiver and shake with it, and Roy cannot help himself. Every consequence, and everyone else, be damned. He surges forwards and upwards to his knees to wrap his arms – albeit clumsily – around Riza Hawkeye’s shoulders tightly.
He doesn’t even need her to confirm it. He knows it’s her by the smell of her shampoo and the faint smell of her perfume. It’s barely there underneath the smell of blood and the day’s grime, but it’s there, with him. It anchors Roy completely and tears surge into his eyelids.
“You’re alive,” he whispers.
Hands clutch desperately at his back. “I’m alive,” she confirms quietly.
Roy doesn’t care. He buries his face in the crook of her neck, and as an afterthought he realises he was lucky. It was not her injured side his face happened upon. Underneath his lips her skin is smooth and unmarked by the homunculi’s cruelty.
Roy inhales deeply and his eyes squeeze tightly closed as he savours the feeling of holding her, of knowing she is alive.
The last time he saw her, she was bleeding out. Dying. Chance, fate, or whoever, were smiling upon him today though, and Roy is grateful. He will take it. Roy doesn’t question her survival, just takes it at face value because that’s all he’s ever wanted in this last traumatic hour.
She’s alive.
Riza is alive.
His worst fear, his nightmare, had not come to pass after all, when it had seemed so likely before and he’d been left floundering, not knowing what the outcome would be.
The ‘how’ can come later. A tear escapes from beneath his closed lids and Roy simply rejoices in that fact while they have a quiet moment together. Another one follows suit when one of her hands lifts to rest upon the back of his head and pats it twice. It seems like a simple, friendly gesture, but he can feel the way the fingers of her other hand tighten their pressure upon his back. She’s still clinging to him and does not let up.
She’s alive. He can’t see her, but he can feel her touch and hear her breath.
“Are you okay?”
He wants to laugh. The joy bubbles up inside his chest when he hears the concern laced within her voice, simply because he is so happy to hear it.
Even if he cannot see her, this is enough for now.
“Are you?” He has no time to focus on himself. Not when the last time he saw her, she was so near death.
“Mei patched me up,” Riza explains, sounding hoarse.
Roy vows that owes that young alchemist a life debt. He will work until his dying breath to ensure it is paid for saving Riza’s life.
He pulls her in hurriedly for another embrace. It affirms that she is really there and breathing, and alive.
What he’s about to say is risky, but he’s in the mood for it. After what they’d just been through, Roy feeds the impulse because he needs her to know what he’s truly thinking.
Just in case.
When it came to Riza Hawkeye, his decisions always did have the tendency to be ruled by his heart, and while Riza still involved her heart completely, she was always the more level-headed and reasonable one, given their circumstances as subordinate and commanding officer.
Still, the situation called for it.
“I love you.” It’s whispered against the skin of her neck. Roy knows Riza hears him because her body stiffens with surprise.
Riza doesn’t respond until after a beat or two. It’s a simple nod, but it’s enough to know she acknowledges what he’s said. Roy doesn’t expect her to reply. They both know where they stand with one another and have done for years. The first time the sentiment had been expressed was after he returned from the academy, so this is not a shock revelation. It’s a means of comfort. A reassurance. And Roy feels it needs to be said. It’s also been a while since he’d last said those words to her, but right now it feels like it’s been too long. Another wrong in his book, but one he could correct immediately.
“I love you too, Roy.”
He blinks, surprised that she has said it back to him among the company of so many people, but they must not be paying attention to them.
Roy tightens his arms around her.
She’s alive, and she knows how he feels about her.
She knows.
They both do.
She’s okay.
That one thought eases all of his fears and leaves him feeling light, like he’s floating on air, so he buries his face into the crook of her neck once more to find an anchor.
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[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 38
Last time: Ed was super composed when talking to his crush, Granny Armstrong was here and gone before I knew it, and Selim stayed out past his bedtime. Onwards!
Riza gets back to her apartment, so shaken up over the Pride reveal that she starts at seeing eyes in the shadows, when it’s just her dog (does it have a name?). Yeesh, she has had a day, hasn’t she? The phone ringing suddenly doesn’t help her nerves, nor does Roy being cheesy and trying to pass off his mountain of flowers to her. Ocne he hears her little huff of stress he does a complete 180 and asks what’s wrong, but since we can’t know if Pride is listening she claims that she’s fine.
Roy’s left standing in the phonebooth, glaring down at the silent headset in his hand.
Huh, didn’t realize that Sideburns was still having to tag along with Kimblee, thought he’d stay at Briggs. Anyways, Kimblee and the Blondes have wound up at an abandoned mining town. Time to make like a cliched horror movie and split up! Two of Kimblee’s mooks are assigned to follow the Elrics.
Episode 38 - “Conflict at Baschool”
Now how to ditch the Mooks and the dozen other soldiers with them?
Eh. If it works, it works. They run off from the common soldiers but the Mooks are hot on their heels. Wait never mind they’re chasing them into the building too, they turn the wait what? Where did they… oh yeah, Ed’s an Earthbender. Ha! Nice job pulling up a wall that muffles Al’s heavy footsteps!
Uuuunfortunately, while they’re on their own to search Baschool now, in the words of Ed “this place is too damn big”. How on earth are they supposed to find Scar and May in all of this?
[Ed]: “If would make things a hell of a lot easier if Scar and that girl just came to us…”
[May]: “Alphonse!”
Well that was easy.
Aw, she still has her huge crush on Al, he’s not helping with his talk about how they were trying to find her and he really needed to see her. Yup, she (and Shao May) are so deep in Crush Mode she can’t even hear him ask for Alkahestry lessons. Ed snaps her out of it by demanding lessons, she tries to let him down gently- wait, “let me out"?
Uh oh.
[Angry!May]: “Excuse me?! Who is this woman, Al? How could you do this to me?”
Aw, sorry May. Don’t worry, you’ll find a guy some day.
Hey, Marcoh! Hey… Yoki? Wait, has Ed actually ever met Yoki before now? Yoki sure seems to think they did…
Ok, apparently this was a manga story, we’re getting a silent movie but the dialouge is in Japanese so I’ve got no idea what anyone’s saying. Apparently Yoki used to be mayor of a mining town, then Ed came in with a bunch of gold bars and… bought the title to the town?
Now hold up, am I understanding that Ed Transmuted a bunch of coal to gold in order to trick Yoki into giving up the title, and then passing it on to the miners who then kicked Yoki out of town? How? Is there such a thing as temporary Transmutation? I thought the effects were always permanent?
So after he got kicked out, Yoki went on to try and restore his fortunes through various trades (he failed in each one), “investing his savings” (the casino took the shirt off his back), and straight up trying to steal (from two GIANT women who could honestly give The Mighty Armstrong a run for his money in the muscles department, yikes), which led to him running into a young girl at a piano who… wait…
OH MY LETO DID YOU REALLY TRY TO STEAL FROM THE ARMSTRONG MANOR?! HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!
After he somehow survived an Armstrong-propelled piano to the face, he ended up in the Ishvalan compound, where he would do the second-stupidest thing in his life trying to take Scar for a bounty, and he’s finally ended up here.
So we’ve got a room where Yoki is ranting about his “epic vengeance”, Winry and Al are trying to calm down a heartbroken May, Ed’s still pushing for Alkahestry lessons, and Marcoh is probably wondering if he wasn’t better off with the Goths. So where’s Scar?
Kimblee’s getting the news that Winry’s escaped her own minders, Sideburns volunteers to go look for her and takes command of two troops, brushing off Kimblee’s words. The Crimson Alchemist is left standing there, scowling after a proper leader. Eh, you got some good Manipulator points from last episode, but you’ve still got to make up for your pitiful train battle.
Scar’s going through some cans and bottles for food when two of Kimblee’s Mooks show up and demand his surrender. What, you punks think you can take on The Killer of Alchemists? Oh! Apparently they’re chimeras, part boar and part toad respectively. Time to kick some monster butt, Scar!
Mid-ep pictures of Yoki and the Chimeras (Zampano and Jerso). Yeah, I’m just gonna call you Boar and Toad.
The Blondes and the Brunettes are sitting in a circle now, Ed explaining that he found out what Philosopher’s Stones are made of, and their new angle of researching Alkahestry. And what do you know, Marcoh’s got a book by someone who worked to combine the Transmutation disciplines. Ed’s not too happy to hear that they need Scar to break the code (what, you guys didn’t work on that between the cabin and this mining town?). Ah well, where is the Ishvalan, anyway?
*boom*
There he is! Ed and Al order the others to stay put and head his way.
Toad is surprisingly fast for his bulk, dodging Scar’s HoDs and kicks while Boar launches spikes from his back. Also, Toad can spit goop. One drawback to Scar’s style, it’s entirely melee. The chimeras plan to just stick to ranged attacks to wear him down. Scar tries to run off to the side, but a spike cuts his arm and goop glues his hand to the ground. Oh no, if only there was someone on the way who could save him…
Da dada dah! Ed and Al are here to save the day! Al picks up on them being Kimblee’s goons from Central. Now, how to-
“AAAAH! TALKING MONSTERS!”
Hahahaha! Oh, that is priceless! Pretend to freak out over the inhuman beasts in the room that are “pretending to be your friends”, so you’ve got an excuse if they report back to Central. Toad tries to slime them but notes that Ed is faster than Scar… and grinning like a loon? Oh yeah, this is his first time fighting with his new automail, it’s lighter than the old set so he moves faster! Hits lighter though, Toad’s back up and spitting actual spit. Thanks for telling us what it is, now Ed can break it down to water and freeze your back! And throw his brother into the Toad? Oh, ouch! Metal Armor + Frozen Flesh = Bad Times.
Whoop, Boar’s back up, yelling that he and Ed are on the same side. Oh yeah? Prove it! If you’re human then transform back and ahahaha!
[Ed]: “Thanks for the opportunity, sucker!”
Alright, one Chimera down, knock out the Toad and LETO! What the hell Al, did you just snap his neck?! Jeebus!
Scar’s freed himself from the goop, good. Now we can all head back to the others and what. Ed, no. You were literally just told that you need him to decipher the journal and you’re both working against Central now, just tell him what you’ve learned and WHY. NO. YOU DO NOT NEED TO FIGHT. STOP IT. You want him to pay for what he’s done? Then get his help deciphering the journal, fix your bodies, then you can have a great big revenge brawl.
Ok fine, whatever. Ed and Al charge him, you might wanna look out for the HoD or protect your arm… oh yeah, the new arm is an alloy, not steel. Just like when Ed tried disarming Buccy, Scar’s failure just means Ed’s close enough to kick him. But like his file says, when Scar’s in trouble he tends to wreck the ground, he bursts through the rubble to strike Ed-
[Winry]: “Don’t hurt them!”
Winry?! Ok while I appreciate the character development and the chance to confront your parents’ killer, did you leave the Brunettes? Scar’s distracted by her arrival, giving Ed and Al the chance to knock him down and secure his arm. Before she can talk to Scar though, Sideburns shows up. Hopefully Kimblee’s not too close behind.
Sideburns orders “the ungodly experiments by our superiors” tied to a column (so they’re still alive?), approaches Scar wait what no don’t shoot him! We need him to break the code! Ed, Al, stop him! Winry?
Hoo boy. Winry’s confronting Scar.
[Winry]: “Why? Why did you kill my mother and father?”
[Scar]: “...there’s nothing I can say that won’t sound like an excuse. And nothing can change the fact that I am responsible for their deaths.
Wait, boom?! What? No! Ok ok, calm down, maybe this is another Ross Deception. Trick Kimblee into thinking that Scar is dead?
Sparks and a flame show Buccy underground, still with the Tunnel Rescue Team and saying… uh oh. They’re over the 24 hours, and Armstrong the Great said they’d cover the entrance with concrete after that. Come on, don’t leave these guys stuck! They aren’t Alchemists, they’ll have to go back through the Pride-infested tunnel and find another way out!
Well, Buccy tries knocking on the door anyways. Silence. Crap. Alright, back down- hey, it opened! It’s Tank Grandpa! Did you really defy Armstrong The Great’s orders? Nice knowing you, buddy.
What do you mean, it hasn’t been 24 hours? I doubt that Buccy went on that mission with an improperly timed watch… unless he was given one, to ensure he got back on time?
[Tank Grandpa]: *points to shattered pocketwatch* “It’s a nice watch, isn’t it? General Armstrong gave it to me whenever you guys left.”
HA! Best General in the show by far. Sorry Grumman, you’ll have to settle for second.
Armstrong the Great is hanging out on top of the fort when Buccy gives his report on two survivors. Apparently she’s outside to look at the mountains, admiring the simplicity of their black and white in the winter. Buccy must be feeling really damn confident right now because he argues that it’s not true, if she just looks up she can see the blue sky.
[Buccy]: “There’s nothing that’s entirely black and white.” *MASSIVE SHIT-EATING GRIN* “And thanks for showing your soldiers a little mercy! It means a lot, sir.”
[Armstrong the Great]: *smiles* “That’s nice, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
New Ship confirmed!
Incoming convoy! Are Kimblee and the others coming back? Did they forget to pack lunch?
Oh crap. Central’s already sent some forces to find out what happened to Raven.
Explosions! Back in Baschool, Kimblee’s finally shown up to the building where everyone was fighting, sees Ed rush out through the smoke.
[Ed]: “You bastard! This is all your fault Kimblee, you were supposed to be watching Winry!”
Wait what?
NO.
Argh that’s Winry being carried by Scar no no how did he escape did May break him out why can none of these idiots just talk to each other?! Argh!
Wait, hold on. There’s a bandage on his cut arm…
Ha! Elaborate Ross Deception, go!
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next chapter 18
I pulled the phone from his ear and spoke into the receiver. “If you truly love us, come home. Let me bring you home.”
“If I came home, I would only hurt you and him. I need to fix me,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”
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“I love you t—” My voice broke. “Selena, don’t do this.”
“I…” she tried to say. “Justin, Ivan is a code name for someone in the government. I saw his name on the guest list for Senator Colemen. I think it is Avian Doers.”
That was all I heard before silence rang out on the other end.
“Selena?”
Silence.
“Selena?”
Silence.
“Wife, answer me!”
I didn’t want her to be gone. I couldn’t handle her being gone. It felt as though my body was too heavy to stay upright on its own, like the world was crushing my lungs. The phone, like everything I held dear to me, slipped out of my hands. When had everything gone so wrong? When had I failed? How could she just leave? What had happen to her?
“Justin.”
“WHAT!” I yelled so loudly that Ethan jumped before letting out cries, and part of me wanted to join him. Taking him into my arms, I wrapped myself around his tiny body. “I’m sorry, kiddo,” I whispered into his ear.
“Son,” My father stepped in, “The police have a warrant out for your arrest. They will be here in thirty minutes. We need—”
“Make sure all our rooms are secured and I’ll be out in twenty-five minutes. Send Mother in.”
“Justin, you can’t be—”
“Goodbye, Father,” I said to him, taking a seat in the rocking chair. Staring at the big eyes looking back at me, I tried to think of what I was going to say to my son.
“Your mother and I are starting this parenting thing badly,” I told him when the door closed. “But we’ll make it up to you, I swear. I hope when you’re my age you look back and all you see is us, that we didn’t miss anything. Rule number six: sometimes in order to win, you have to lose.”
He smiled and for a moment, and it was like he could read my mind. He reached out for me and I kissed his hands as I cradled his little head.
“Don’t worry, you’ll never learn them all. I think my father made them up as he went.” I rocked him until his eyes drifted closed.
He was another thing I didn’t want to let go of. Placing him back in his crib, I fixed my suit and brushed my hair just as my mother walked in, fire burning in her eyes.
“Your father says you’ve lost your mind.”
I kissed her cheek. “I don’t want Olivia to touch him. Neal either, for that matter. Please, keep him safe until this is over, or I get out, whichever happens first.”
She slapped me. “So you have lost your mind. Justin, we can call the lawyer, make bail. Just because they arrest you doesn’t mean this is over. They still have to prove you’re guilty. That’s democracy.”
“Mom, no judge will give me bail. I will be gone for a while until I prove my innocence. But if it makes you feel better, call the lawyer.”
Looking back at Ethan once more, I walked out to find my whole family lining the hall, each of them just as angry as my mother.
“Make sure nothing derails Senator Colemen from becoming President, am I understood?”
“Fuck that!” Neal snapped. “What about you? You can’t just walk out there. Have you lost your fucking mind?”
“I second that.” Declan walked up, trying to read me. Leaning in, he whispered, “Is there a plan here? You have an endgame, right?”
“Just to proclaim my innocence to whoever will listen,” I said. “Don’t break anything while I’m gone.”
Walking down the hall, every servant came out to watch as well. They poked out of rooms, and even froze on the grand stairs as I walked towards the door. Among them, the little boy I smuggled over was holding onto his mother’s dress.
“It wasn’t me. I swear, sir. I swear,” she cried, holding him closer to her.
BOOM.
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BOOM.
BOOM.
“Mr. Justin Callahan, this is the Chicago Police Department, we have a warrant for your arrest in the murder of Selena Nicci Giovanni Callahan.”
Opening the door, I walked out into the sea of flashing lights.
EPILOGUE
“To betray you must first belong.”
—Harold Kim Philby
OLIVIA
The cheers made the stage we stood upon rumble with such force that I had to hold onto Neal. I squinted against the flashing lights in order to see straight.
“Thank you, America!” my father yelled, riling them up even more. “I am proud, honored, and so blessed to be your President. It’s been a long and strange journey, but together we will change America for the better. We will make this country—that city on the hill—great once again.”
“How much longer is this going to take?” Neal whispered as he leaned into me. I wanted to roll my eyes.
Where did he have to go?
“Neal, the judge denied bail. Your brother is going to spend the next five months in jail before the trial. Right now, this is a win. A bloody good win when we so badly need one, so smile for the damn cameras.” Leaning away for him, I took a small step forward, waving and smiling at all the people who came to see us. The Colemens, the first daughter of the fucking President of the United States, we did it.
How big is my crown now?
“I am smiling, dear. But I will not just forget about my brother. That judge needs to go—”
“Can we talk about this later?” Why couldn’t he just let it go? Justin wouldn’t give two shits if he were arrested. The judge was a hard ass and I loved her for it. She wanted Justin behind bars as much as I did. Now if Evelyn would just let go of Ethan, everything would be perfect.
I would handle that later.
When my father took a step back, I applauded even louder, wrapping my arm around Neal’s as we were led backstage where Mina stood, suited up with her head set and clapping like a seal. Everyone around her stopped to take pictures of my father.
“Mr. President.”
“POTUS.”
My father is the President.
“Olivia, I’ve got to go,” Neal said, pulling away as everyone focused in on my father.
Grabbing him by the arm, I pulled him into the hall, but it was just as full of people as inside. He didn’t even blink as he broke free of me before heading over to the elevator.
“Neal,” I hissed, stomping over to him.
He shook his head as he waited for the golden doors to open. It was the only place we were going to get a damn moment, so I just bit my lip tapping my heels on the marble until we stepped in.
“I don’t want to hear it, Olivia.”
“Neal, my father just won the election! And you want to go back into your basement with Declan and Sedric trying to figure out how to save that idiot!”
“OLIVIA!” His hand hovered over my neck as he breathed through his nose and tried to hold himself back.
“Neal, he’s not even trying! It’s like he wants to be in that cell. Tell me when are you going to stop wasting your time, and mine, on a brother who doesn’t give a shit!”
He shook his head, and pulled off his red tie before he stepped out of the metal box on the ground floor where his black Mercedes was already waiting for him. “Neal, please stay, or at least bring Ethan so we can all take photos.”
“I’ll see you at home, Olivia,” he said as Fedel held open the door for him. “But don’t forget it was my idiot brother who took your useless father and made him President.”
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The door shut. Fedel’s eyes burned into mine before he got into the driver’s seat.
“UGH!” I screamed as his tail lights faded out of the garage. It made me want to take off my Prada pumps and throw them after him.
Just as I was turning around, a black Lincoln came up slowly. Stepping forward, I waited until I could see my reflection in the tinted glass. The door opened, waiting for me to take a seat. Taking a deep breath, I slid in. “So I finally get to meet the face behind the voice.”
He turned to me. His graying hair, deep brown eyes and crisp suit all looked so familiar to me. He sat there drinking from his crystal cup, completely relaxed and amused.
“Olivia Colemen Callahan. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He gave me his hand, but I didn’t shake. I just waited.
“The moment Justin was arrested, you popped up. And I think you’re the one who got the judge to sign off declining his bail. So, who are you? I’ve seen your face before…are you a rival boss?”
He smiled, shaking his head and staring out the window. “No, I’m not a rival boss. Or at least not a boss of the Mafia.”
“Then who are you?”
Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a small card and handed it to me.
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Avian Doers, director of the FBI.
Shit.
“I want a deal.”
“Flip it over, my dear,” he said, leaning back.
It felt like it had taken me longer than it should have to flip the business card over with my red nails. But when I did, I froze. He had written his true name on it.
“You’re Ivan,” I whispered.
“Now, let’s talk about a different type of deal.”
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[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 32
[Tephi]: Finally.
Last time: Ed set extreme debt repayment terms, Kimblee gave a gift, and Scar dabbled in facelifting. Onwards!
The search for Shao May continues, although all the Elrics have found so far are little black and white pugs, not pandas. Meanwhile their quarry is with the person they’re actually trying to find for lessons, grabbing supplies for the road trip north.
Episode 32 - “The Fuhrer’s Son”
Ooh! An episode around the Fuhrer’s kid? We’ve seen a him a few times when Bradley’s with his family, I’m down for an episode that explains how this all works. We know that he’s adopted, but not why the Fuhrer’s gone and gotten married as well. All just a cover to pose as human?
At the train station once more, Conductor’s sending off an East City train. May runs through the crowds, slowing down by some MPs who are discussing Scar. Meaning she’s distracted and bumps into someone, dropping her groceries and Shao. Whoops. Nothing to see here, officers?
...uh… So we aren’t actually supposed to buy this disguise, right? I mean, I’m fairly certain that’s a dude in a paper-thin disguise as an old lady. Keeping track of the Xing princess? If so, for who?
Wow, for a princess in a faraway land May is really free with her information, saying that she’s transferring to a North-bound train. Then again, she decided Yoki was a person of good repute. Disguised Old Lady notes… whoops. Apparently she actually is a lady, seemed confused at such an odd cat following May.
Later that night, down in the sewers, a cloaked figure is supporting another. Wait, Scar is here? Then who was the cloaked figure that May guided onto the train? I’d thought that it was Marcoh still recovering from his Hand of Rearrangement, but for some reason they’re down here in the sewers and not on the outbound train. How do they expect to get to the North, then?
Cops are chasing the duo with flashlights and guns, until the duo becomes just Scar pulling a Creepy Clown at them. Rockslide, and escape through the dust. Later, coppers!
In Central Kimblee’s going over the case files, noting that the Scar Sightings are trending towards the West. Buddy, I get leaving a false trail, but how far are you going to go before turning right?
Kimblee’s on the case now, takes his entourage of Blue Shirts to a large marble building… and passes an old lady with a cane and shawl on the stairs. Once at the train station could be brushed off as odd, but seeing her here now? Old Lady, what are you up to? Kimblee even picks up on it despite this being his first interaction, calls her suspicious but then turns back to pursuing Scar. Methinks you’re going to regret that later.
A church bell is ringing on a clear day, we’re UUUUUGH we’re at Maes Hughes’ grave. Stop reminding me of his fridging, show. Roy is paying his respects as YOU. Ok, who is Old Lady? She shambles up and makes small talk with her, do you…
…
…
WHAT
GENERAL GRUMMAN?!
Wow, just… wow.
Ok, back to serius biznis. I know that it’s difficult, Roy, but keep it together. Dude may be eccentric, but he is a General. You called him for a reason.
The Elrics are taking a break from the fruitless panda search to look up Alkahestry in the library.
Oop, back to the Colonel and the General. Grumman’s been updated on Central being controlled by the Goths, and his minions scattered/held hostage. Grumman talks about how he himself was asked about his opinions on immortal soldiers, when he dismissed the idea as ridiculous he found himself transferred to the East. On the plus side it means he was free from the Goth’s corruption, but unfortunately it’s left him off to the side cleaning up messes. Even the small successes he’s earned, like pacifying the Liore riots, were undone when Central forces were deployed to replace his own. And here he is, so close to retirement welp he’s dead. Nice knowing you, ya kooky general.
Alright, so the General’s in on the plan. But more immediately important to our heroes, he recognises the panda sketch that Roy is carrying. Quick, to the library!
No luck for the Elric brothers, in all the library they can’t find anything about Alkahestry. Guess they’ll have to head to Xing-
HE RETURNS! ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY ARMSTRONG!
Towering over the bookshelf, he easily pushes them aside to reach the shocked Ed, then shushes him for being loud in a library. Never change, man.
Well, I dunno if I’d have send The Mighty Armstrong to ‘quietly’ tell Ed about his target moving North, but you gotta use the tools at hand. Ed’s got a path now, time to-
A letter of introduction? For ‘her’? Someone past North Command, at a spooky looking black wall-
-an officer nicknamed “The Northern Wall of Briggs” Major-General…
…
…
…
Major-General Armstrong
Tank-Lady is Major-General Armstrong
…
…
YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS
Move over mid-ep character cards, I no longer care about Mrs. (?) Grumman or even the Fuhrer’s adopted kid Selim Bradley. You think that you can tell me that there is another Armstrong in this setting, who’s basically in charge of the Night’s Watch?! Fudge that, push those nobodies aside and get moving north!
Wait
The new Armstrong… how is she related to our current version? She didn’t look old enough to be his mother, and sharing the same name…
Tephi. Tephi.
So help me, if you knew that we would be getting to a sister of The Mighty Armstrong and didn’t make me watch this show faster-
Screw it. Calling it now, I need to see The Powerful Armstrong as soon as possible. I am now updating at least twice a week, Wednesdays for sure and whenever I can fit an episode in elsewhere. I need this character!
Ok, freakout is mostly over. Moving on!
Scar and Marcoh are still heading the wrong way, although as they’re on a bridge over a bunch of train tracks I think I know their plan now. MPs are catching up Scar and now-obviously Yoki, the two are cornered on the bridge… just as a train whistle blows! Now, as long as the cops just stand there and don’t try to move forward and restrain you, this should work.
Oh yeah, smoke from the train! That’ll help, the cops just stand uselessly as the train passes and the two fugitives are obscured, and are shocked to see them gone after the train passes. A+ job fellas, I’m sure your boss will be happy with your performance.
Wait, train for West City? Why? Don’t you need to go north?
Poor Al is still pouring over the books for any hint on Alkahestry, remarking May’s use of long-range transmutation. Huh, so Alkahestry differs in being more capable of medical uses and in ranged abilities? I wonder if Alchemy has any advantages over it?
Sudden shorts? Ah, it’s you. The kids who I was initially excited to learn more about but now view only as an obstacle from The Powerful Armstrong. Go on, shoo!
Ok, fine. I’ll give you points for recognizing Al as the Fullmetal Alchemist’s brother, not Fullmetal himself. But as exciting as it is to meet a Main Character, watch the volume; this is a library after all. Selim/Fuhrer Jr. asks about all the books Al has piled around, Al wishwashes about researching medical techniques when Ed runs up, yelling about heading out of town. Aw, Selim’s a fan of Ed, too! Doesn’t know enough to not call Ed short, though. Ed is angry rrright up until Selim’s Secret Service put guns up to his head. What, you two didn’t know this was the Fuhrer’s kid? Awkward…
No, scratch that, this is awkward. Getting invited to the Bradley household for tea? How did that happen? I get that Selim is a fan of the Elric Brothers, but still… smalltalk has turned to Selim talking about learning Alchemy and working with his father. Ouch. They can’t know what Bradley is really up to, of course, but it’s hard reconciling what we know with this little family, a son in awe of his father and a mother wistfully remembering their first date.
Um. Papa Bradley’s home. And he is NOT happy to see the Elrics. He’s already been established as their enemy, holding the threat of harming Winry against them. To walk into his own home and see those two sitting across from his wife and kid? Simple cover or something more, he’s clearly taking that as a threat.
The awkwardness increases! Ed struggles to reconcile this peaceful little family with the truth, and Bradley makes a veiled reference to Ed’s own family before heading back to work (Selim pouting at the briefness of the visit), with Riza following behind
Eventually Ed and Al make their goodbyes, promising Selim that they’ll visit again later. I wonder, will that be before they at best arrest or at worst kill his adoptive father, or after? Regardless, time to move on. North!
Scar and Yoki are still hanging out in their train car, as Kimblee’s goon squad searches others. Kimblee looks over the map, notes the rocky mountains. Train slowing down at curves, with a person who can change the ground for a safer landing? They jumped off way before West City, and Kimblee sees something to the north that makes him grin.
North, north, north, everywhere we look people are heading north. Let’s get there already!
Post-credits scene! Ed and Al are on the train, looks like Ed’s added some winter padding to his regular red coat outfit. The brothers remark that it might be neat to see some snow, they never got much back home. Weak midwest winter weather, am I right?
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[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 46
Last time: The Armstrong Siblings “fought”, Envy pulled a Loki, and Greedling got a new crew. Onwards!
Timeskip apparently, Narrator’s saying that our guys planned as the year changed and it’s spring now. “Ready or not, the Promised Day would soon arrive.” So the Day is in spring?
Episode 46 - “Looming Shadows”
Gee, I wonder which shadow-based Goth is going to feature in this episode?
Hey Sideburns! What brings you down to the land of sun, sheep and cheerful villagers? Wait, Resembool? That’s the hometown of the Blonde Trio! Oh I get it, take a break to fill up on water for the train, while you’re there pass a note to Granny Rockbell, she’s probably wondering why Winry hasn’t called lately.
Or forget the note, just smuggle Winry home! Been a while, hasn’t it? You went to Rush Valley to study automail and wound up with an apprenticeship, then went to Central to patch Ed up, went back to Rush Valley because of demanding customers, went to Fort Briggs to patch Ed up again, and after dealing with Ishvalans and Goths you’re finally home.
While the disguised Briggs troops look around the workshop, Winry heads upstairs for a long-awaited outfit change HEY cameraman stop creeping on Winry can’t you see she’s changing her shi
Um
Yeah Ed, I’m having the same reaction. Minus the sandwich, but yeah. Same face on my end.
So Winry understandably screams at the Surprise Boyfriend in her bedroom her guards run upstairs guns ready surprised to see the Protagonist chilling then Gorilla and Boar are there pointing their guns at the guards then the Rockbell Dog comes running up to bite Gorilla (not the cat Chimera? Missed opportunity) on the bum who gets pulled off by an irritated Greedling then Winry recognizes “Ling” then the troops recognize Kimblee’s former men who recognize guys from Briggs then accusations about everyone following each other start flying and everyone’s yelling at each other
[Winry]: “Ok Ed, you want to tell me what’s going on here?”
[Ed]: “Looks like a cautionary tale about guns.”
[Winry]: “Don’t be a smartass, tell me why you’re in my room!”
[Blushing!Ed]: “I just wanted someplace private to eat my sandwich!”
By this point Winry is just Done and kicks the guards/the chimeras/Greedling out, Ed and Dog cowering at the sight of the furious mechanic with a wrench. Awww but now she’s admitting she was worried about Ed and he says he was worried about her and Al- hey wait a minute. Where’s Little Brother? At the trainstation with Sideburns? Hurry Ed, you can reunite with your brother and Absentee Anime Father! Wait no need to stop and say goodbye and give Winry back her earrings and kiss her already you fool. Or not? Oh yeah, Ed’s kind of a fugitive, while it’s Sideburns and Al at the train if any of Bradley’s forces are around and see him then they’re all in trouble. So what, he just has to wait and let his brother be separated from him again? That sucks.
Granny Rockbell! Good to see you again. After all the other interlopers recover introductions go around, and Winry tries to talk to Ling but nope! It’s Greedling now. The “boss” gives the backstory over supper, explains that they’re crashing at the Rockbell’s place because Ed’s automail is banged up thank you I was wondering if they were going to address Ed moving with the old limbs after a growth spurt. And don’t think I missed your game Granny, you passed on Ed’s checkup so the two kids could chat on their own.
Ed’s glad to get the good news about Liore rebuilding, and learns that Al’s going with Sideburns east to help with the combined North/East forces. And Beard’s heading to Central? Damnit so Ed has to choose between helping his brother or his pops. Winry says it’s almost the Promised Day ok I’m sorry but when is the Promised Day? Is that like an Amestris holiday or something? Spring Solstice? Anniversary of Amestris’ founding? Selim’s birthday? When is it?! Whenever it is, Ed notes that they might be able to use it to get their bodies back, but there’s the likely risk of catastrophe. So he wants Winry to take her Granny and the dog out of the country-
Winry does not approve of this plan. Honey, I get that you have faith in the Protagonist and hate the idea that people will get hurt if he fails, but you have to admit that he’s up against long odds. We can hope that he’ll succeed, but even Armstrong the Great ordered her family out of Amestris on the chance of failure. And HA! He is taller than her now! Growth Spurt confirmed!
(yes Winry’s leaning forward in that shot but damnit I’m taking this)
...dude! Not cool! Don’t just gripe that she just doesn’t understaaaaaand and storm out! Don’t let that be the note you part on!
Look, even Greedling’s mocking you. And NOPE you stay the hell away from my ship you Goth.
[Ed]: “That kind of wanting is dangerous; That’s not how reality works. Take a look, this is what I got for wanting something unrealistic.”
What, a badass robot arm? I mean, I’ve made my stance on being a cyborg clear, I’m not really sympathizing with you here buddy. Greedling disagrees as well.
[Greedling]: “You wanna bring back someone that you’ve lost. You might want money. Maybe you want women, or you might wanna ‘protect the world’. These are all common things people want. Things that their hearts desire. Greed may not be ‘good’, but it’s not so ‘bad’ either.”
Ed starts walking away.
[Greedling]: “You humans think greed is just for money and power! But everyone wants something that they don’t have.”
Ed comes to a stop on the stairs. Then he keeps on walking.
You’re leaving already? Where are you heading, Al or Beard? Also hot damn Ed’s rocking the suit look, I’m so proud of my no-longer-little boy. Thankfully he’s trying to leave on a good note with Winry, goes so far as to say he’ll stop them like she told him to promise earlier.
...wait, did you just basically tell your LI to get in the kitchen and cook for your victory?
Back in Liore wait are the Chimeras and Yoki still there? Why didn’t they head to Central with Beard? See even Boar’s complaining that they need to prepare for the Promised Day oh so they’re waiting on Scar and Marcoh to come back never mind here they are. What were you guys up to, anyway? Ok then guess we’ll find out in Central.
The majority of the Mine Crew is back on the road now, Toad and Boar chatting about the irony of working with a former Antagonist to save their own country. Scar retorts that he’s not trying to “save” Amestris, but change it. Yeah, with how militarized and expansionist Amestris is under the Goths I suppose it’s be essentially a new country, changed to be unable to cause another Genocide.
[Voice?]: “If you truly dream of changing the world, you must first be able to change yourself!”
It’s the Ishvalan Elder! With a bunch of other Ishvalans, talking about “the ebb and flow” wait a minute that sounds suspiciously like the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Jeez, when was the last time we got to update the EEC? Should I count this? Anyways, Toad and Boar are shocked to see other Ishvalans, turns out that recruiting these guys was what Scar and Marcoh were up to these past few months.
And there’s General Grumman! Back in his uniform, looking over his troops. And Sideburns is there too, with the Northern forces. Everything’s all set- a “stumbling block”?
Uh, that’s Fuhrer King “Wrath” Bradley up in the observation tower. I’d call that a bit more than a “stumbling block”. So what now?
Later that night Al’s still in that train car bored out of his non-corporeal mind oooor slipping away. Crap, he’s getting worse. He needs his body back, soon.
A crash? Al’s looking outside did water just fall on ooooooooh no. That’s not water.
Gluttony! Crap, run dude! It’s not just Wrath here but Gluttony’s back in the field SHIT IT GOT WORSE. Normally light would be safe but it just cast a shadow behind Al and Leto-damn Pride is here to do that hand-grabby thing from the last intro, and Al’s losing his connection again no no no
Al’s down. The hands are moving in. Al…
[Pride]: “You rest up Alphonse, just take it nice and easy for a while. We’ll wake you on
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“-on the Promised Day.”
GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIS SIGIL
...how the hell did this episode go from “hyuk hyuk lets have Winry almost undress in front of Ed” to “hyuk hyuk lets have Al get captured by the Goths”. What the Leto.
Mid-ep pictures of Winry undressing and Wrath drinking tea.
Armstrong the Great’s hanging out in her mansion when Roy pays a visit. They take a walk outside as Roy admires the size of the home, “you could hide an entire battalion in it” real subtle, wannabe-Fuhrer. But Armstrong the Great says he can have it if she dies? Holy crap does Armstrong the Great think she won’t survive this? It’s one thing to order non-combatants out of the line of fire, but you’re writing your own will? Although it is sweet that you would leave it to Roy wait hold on I ship Roy/Riza you stop that right now you homewrecker!
Ok fine you can take flowers to celebrate your victory although that happened months ago wait WHAT?! You’re only just now telling her that Selim is one of the Goths? What the hell took you so long, that’s kind of an important thing to know! Fine whatever, she knows now so- hah ok that was funny, glad to see it’s still a good rivalry between the two. And making her angry enough to throw the flowers (representing “ladylike charm”) in the fire along with the note, nice touch.
Bradley’s overlooking the drills while Grumman gripes about feeling helpless. We seem to share the same initial thought that the artillery cannons being fired could “accidentally” blow up the observation tower, but since the guy’s a Goth that’s probably just piss him off. Uuugh, and the good guys can’t find Al anywhere, where did the Goths take him? And on the day before the Promised Day, too!
A General come to talk to Bradley? Warning him about Grumman staging a coup but Bradley already knows about the plan damnit he’s questioned Al. But that’s not the plan? Ooh! So while these drills are going on Scar’s Ishvalans are preparing to attack Central, then Grumman can move his troops to “save” Central, meeting up with Roy’s forces. Damnit General, way to spoil the secret plan. Bradley watches the drills a bit longer to confirm that Ishvalans are gathering outside of Central, then orders the train to depart.
Some of his flunkies are complaining about Roy being “treacherous” (say the guys planning to massacre a friggin country) when the train reaches a bridge- wait. Wait wait wait. Ooooooooooh. Grumman? You are a genius, please never be my enemy.
Yup! The train comes to a stop in the middle of the bridge, ostensibly because of some sheep crossing the far side. Then the engine splits off and books it for the far side of the gorge. 3...2...1…
Hahahaha screw you Wrath! Uuunfortunately while I see a bunch of twisted metal and a broken bridge where the traincars used to be, I don’t see Wrath’s body so we have to assume he lived.
Damn I would not want to be that Snitch General when Bradley climbs out of that ravine. Tactical Genius Grumman just snaps his fan closed and laughs the laugh of the victorious.
And now the end credit music is starting up as hell yeah Riza’s getting her guns back out!
[Riza]: “This is it, everything goes down tomorrow. It’s Do or Die now. I’m glad the two of you have got my back.”
[Breda]: “Hey, anything for you Riza. Even if it does mean deserting.”
[Fuery]: “Oh man… there go our careers…”
[Riza]: “Heh. Once the dust’s settled, we’ll make sure the Colonel answers for us.”
After-credits of the Central Officers freaking out over the assassination news. Armstrong the Great’s just chilling in her chair, mentally mocking the fools for panicking the moment their leader is gone. Maybe now’s her chance to
Nope
Never mind. Uncle and Sloth are right behind her. The Officers regain their composure as their ultimate leader finally steps foot outside of his Pipe Room.
[Uncle]: “I’m still here with you, and I’m watching over Central.”
...wait a minute, did Ed ever give back those earrings?
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