Chapter One: I Hate Mission Papers!!

A Chapter by Emunah June.

I slammed the mission papers down on the table. Why did I have to go and do such a stupid misson? Mustang was always sending me on stupid missions like this! "Brother, are you going to get ready or what?" my brother, Alphonse, called from the other side of the room. A puff of breath slowly leaked out of my nostrils. "Inspecting gold mines? That's SO boring!" I shouted, picking up the papers and tossing them over my shoulder. As the papers fluttered to the ground, Al attempted to pick them up.

"Brother, we need to go. Colonel Mustang will get mad if we--"

"Who CARES what he thinks?! He's been running me ragged ever since I got back from Lior!" I exclaimed as I slammed my head against the table.

Al sighed as he gathered the papers together and placed them in a pile next to my head. "Brother, why don't we ask for a vacation day?" Al asked.

"Oh yeah? And go where?"

"Home."

"I don't think so, Al."

"But Brother! You'd feel better!"

"Yeah, a wrench to the skull will make things a million times better. Thanks for the idea."

I lifted my head from the desk and gazed over at my mission papers again.

Elric, Edward

You are assigned the task of going and inspecting the Youswell coal mines and inspecting the gold flow. The trip should take a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 8 days. When the mission is complete, write a 3 page report on the following events.

King Bradley

How badly I HATED these papers! While I wouldn't mind returning to our hometown, Resembool, I didn't really care for having my friend, Winry, throwing a wrench at me and nagging me about how I haven't been "taking care of my AutoMail". You see, when I was a kid, I lost my arm and leg in an accident. My brother...well...he lost his whole body, but I sealed his soul to a suit of armor on the other side of the room. It's safe to say we survived that night by the skin of our teeth. I had my arm and leg replaced by metal prosetics called "AutoMail."

More about that later.

Trying not to growl out of frustration, I stood up from my desk and slammed my palms against the wooden top. "I'm going out for a walk. Be back later," I whined as I grabbed my red coat and walked out the door.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Central's streets were bustling and busy as I threw my coat's hood over my head. Everyone seemed to have their own agenda. To keep my profile low, I looked down at my feet and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. As I walked, I began to clear my head. Okay, so Al wanted me to go home and see our friends, but I didn't want to. Simple enough. However, as a big brother, I need to consider his opinion sometimes. I sat along the rim of Central's fountain and crossed my legs, then looked to the sky. What would be the benefits of going home? Well, for one, I'd get away from all of Central's hussle and bussle. For another, it would be sorta nice to talk to our friends. It's been awhile. But even as nice as it would be, they still didn't know I joined the military. I've kept it a secret from them, mainly because I know that Winry is going to k-i-l-l me when she finds out.

Anyways...

"Oh my goodness, Mom!" a little boy called, and I looked straight at him. He was looking straight at me. "Mom! Mom! It's that boy we read about in the paper! Look, Mom, look!" he called to his mother, who fixed her eyes on me. I felt a small drop of sweat seep into my shirt collar.

Oh no.

"Why yes it is! Hello sir!" she called as they began to walk over. I straightened my hood and stood up. "Hi," I answered back, and the little boy looked at me with stars in his eyes. "You're my hero!" he told me. I faked a smile as I knelt down and pat his head. "Oh really? Well, that sure is cool to know," I told him, and he looked like he was about to die of heart failure. Once I stood up, his mother looked at me. "My boy here absolutely adores you Mr. Fullmetal. Really, he does. All he wants to know is what the 'hero of the people' is up to, day in and day out. Do you think you could maybe give him your autograph......if you're not undercover or anything," she asked, whispering the word undercover. I shook my head. "I'm not undercover right now. I'd be happy to give your son an autograph," I said, fake smiling again. Just as he handed me a pencil and held out his piece of paper, I got an idea. "Hey kid, what's your name?" I asked him as gently as I could. The boy grinned. "My name is Henri!" he shouted, and I nodded. Then I turned to the fountain. "Watch this!" I instructed, and then I clapped my hands together.

Oh yeah.

I could feel it: my alchemic power. It was flowing through every part of my body, head to toe. I closed my eyes and began to feel the alchemy uncoiling and traveling into my palms. I opened my eyes and threw my hands onto the foutain's water as I released all my power. The water began to ice over.

Again, oh yeah.

See, what I just did here? Alchemy. It's sorta like magic, I guess. Most people need a diagram called a Transmutation Circle in order to use it, but I don't. I just need to clap my hands. However, I can't do what I want with it all the time. See, even this awesome science has a rule you must obey: Equivalent Exchange. The rule applies to every alchemist, including me. What's the rule? If you use alchemy on one thing, only something with the same attributes will come out of it. Basically, ice is just frozen water, so I could make ice out of the foutain's water. I couldn't make the water into bread or anything. That's not an Equivalent Exchange.

Cutting out a chunk of ice with my arm-spike (oh yeah, I can turn part of my metal arm into a giant spike), I rolled the ice in my hand. Henri looked absolutely mesmorized. "Tell me Henri, what's your favorite animal?" I asked. Henri thought about it for a moment, then looked excited as he told me his answer. "A cheetah!"

I smiled. "Alright, a cheetah then," I answered, and I closed my eyes and tapped into that alchemic power again. It slowly unfurled and bubbled inside my veins until it exploded in my hand. Electric bolts became visible as I opened my eyes and saw nothing but a bright blue light in my hand. Finally, the light faded, and in my hand was a cheetah made of ice. On it's back said "Henri". "Here you, a gift from the Fullmetal Alchemist to you, Henri," I said as I handed the cheetah to him. Henri's eyes went as wide as golf balls. Then he looked at me. "Oh, Mr. Fullmetal!! Thank you ever so much!!" he cried as he showed his mother. "I know Henri, isn't he wonderful? Thanks again Mr. Fullmetal, he's gonna remember this day forever," she said, smiling at me. I nodded. "Please, call me Edward...or Ed, whichever is fine," I told her. Henri grinned. "How about Fullmetal Edward?" he asked, still admiring the cheetah. I smiled, this one a little less fake then the last.

"Sure."

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© 2010 Emunah June.

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Eline

Wuah! I love your way of writing! I love how you can describe Edward's point of view so good, it's almost as if you are actually the creator of the original series itself. I'm so gonna read all of these chapters. I hate myself for reading this so late, now I gotta go to bed, lol. Tomorrow I'm gonna read more! :D
~Your friend from youtube! ^^