Aim
By Henrika
Henrika- My first chaptered FMA fic! Only two chapters, but hey, give me some credit. This isn't the one I promised, that one is still on the way. Hope you enjoy this.
Hawkeye was the one who found him there. Her gasp of shock would have given her away, but the noise covered the sound. She checked three times to make sure it was actually him before she hurried back to the office. She knocked on Mustang's open door and was waved in.
"Sir," She saluted. "As requested, I found Edward."
"Library?" Mustang guessed smugly.
"No. Besides, I don't have access there."
Mustang finally noticed the strange look on his first lieutenant's face. "Where did you find him?"
"I think you need to see this sir." Mustang nodded after a moment, stopping to issue a few orders before he left with the blonde. "Why were you looking for him in the first place sir?" Hawkeye asked as she led him to their destination.
"A new mission for him." Roy took in his surroundings, starting to recognize this part of the compound. He rarely visited it because of his duties and skills, but he still used the facility occasionally because of his fear of rainy days. It was also the most likely place to find Riza if she wasn't in his office. But for Edward to be here was…Mustang couldn't name the unsettling feeling that had settled in the back of his throat. He accepted the pair of earmuffs Riza pressed into his hands and looked towards the booth she was pointing at.
And looked again. Several times. He looked at Hawkeye, who nodded, then looked back at the person in the booth. Edward was wearing a black tank top, his cloak and jacket on a hook behind him. His gloves were still on, but the auto-mail metal perfectly matched the .22 caliber pistol in its hand.
Shell casings and empty clips littered the floor around his feet. Mustang couldn't see his eyes, which were focused ahead, but there was not mistaking the dead-set line in the boy's jaw. Edward squeezed the trigger as they watched, firing round after round into a target at the end of the range. Mustang checked the time sheet and finally accounted for the shell-covered floor.
Ed ejected the empty clip, quickly replacing it with another. He emptied three more in this manner before he ejected the last cartridge and set the gun down. He pressed a switch on the wall, slumping into the plaster. The pair of spectators moved towards him, stopping when they caught sight of the practice target.
It was a standard human target, a black background with a white male shape ringed with black lines marking the vital zones. On Edward's target, the heart and head zone were completely gone, the voids creating near-perfect circles.
Roy and Riza shared the collective thought, when did he get this good? , before they stepped up. Mustang gently cleared his throat, repeating the noise more loudly when he realized that Ed couldn't hear him through the earmuffs. The boy still jumped, pivoting until his back hit the wall. He glared at Mustang before mouthing "Hello." to Hawkeye. Mustang motioned for the group to move outside and Ed sighed before nodding. He pulled his target from its hook, inspecting it for a second before wadding it up. He grabbed a broom from the corner and swept up the casings and clips, throwing these and his target in the waste bin. He picked up the gun and returned it to the soldier at the weapons lock-up, then threw on his jacket and cloak. The three left their earmuffs on the table and exited the range.
"New mission Colonel?" Ed spoke first.
"Uh, yes."
"When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow. You're headed north."
"Right. I'll be in your office in an hour. I have to find Al first." He flicked open his pocket-watch. "Ack. I told him I'd only be a few hours." He pocketed the clock and turned to leave.
"Full Metal."
"Yeah?"
Roy tried to phrase a question, but he couldn't think of how to do it. Luckily, Hawkeye helped him out. "Has the military issued you a firearm?"
The boy raised his right arm, a metal joint clicking through the silence in the courtyard. "Don't need one."
"Then why were you in the firing range?" Mustang asked.
The blonde looked down, avoiding his superior's eyes. "I need to go find Al." He muttered quietly.
Mustang made a decision. "I expect you in my office in one hour Full Metal. You will then explain your presence here. Go find your brother." Ed looked suddenly ill, but nodded and walked away.
"Sir?"
Mustang sighed. "Something is off about this. I intend to get to the bottom of it."
"Yes sir."
Henrika-Next chapter will hopefully explain all.