Rematch

[rewritethis]

Character(s): Ed Elric, Greedling
Location: The halls of Garden, and then not too far outside them...
Rating: PG-13 for shortarse; maybe R later if the violence gets bad, but probably not
Open/Closed/Finished: Closed
Summary: What do you call it when some jerk decides to pick a fight in a hallway on absolutely no provocation? Equivalent exchange!

[Inspiration's a tricky thing. It's treated as random, spontaneous, a stray particle drifting through the universe that only hits whatever it does by chance - but unless there's already something there for it to interact with, unless you've already put the right kind of thinking in, it'll pass straight on through.

Ed's been doing a lot of thinking since that last spate of Time Compressed newcomers. Earlier, he could have been spotted in the library or the back of a classroom flicking agitatedly through one of his well-thumbed notebooks and looking even moodier than normal.

But you would have had to notice that earlier. There's no trace of it now, no sign of wavering as he charges down this corridor with one specific target in mind.]

Hey, you!

[And he makes a grab for said target's shoulder, in no way expecting it to land.

It's a long shot - so long that it goes beyond unreasonable, it's insane, and he's insane for trying it. Everything he's heard about the world Greed is from tells him he's dealing with something he doesn't understand, and that always ends so well. Still, he has to try. If it works...

Goddamn he hopes this works.]

Comments

[gotgreedy]

[Greed's just aware enough, and more than ready enough, to get a little out of position as the spikes spring up -- which is all that stops him from being totally trapped. He loses more that a few seconds to shielding himself so he can shove free of the spikes with a growl.]

[rewritethis]

[A couple of seconds is more than long enough for the array to finish tracing itself out in all its glory. It's large enough to surround both Ed and Greed completely.

Ed isn't really gloating at this point - if anything, a glimpse of his face will betray a look of almost the opposite of triumph - but neither is he taking his hands away.]

Well, here goes...

[The entire circle lights up a harsh, piercing red.

And then, without much fanfare, fades.

Ed looks stunned. Attempting a transmutation of this scale without a test run, he'd been bracing himself for some wildly out of control reaction or vicious rebound, but...]

Something's still missing? [His disbelief quickly picks up an edge.] How could something be missing?! He's right there!

[Although possibly not in the same place he was the last time Ed looked, because this lapse of attention just cost whatever was left of the time that stunt with the spikes managed to buy.]

[gotgreedy]

What the hell was that?

[Greed shoves his way out of the last of the containment, more disbelieving and confused than actually angry.]

[rewritethis]

[Hearing the question jolts Ed more or less back to reality. He looks up, face twisting in sudden anger and a shade of something else.] I didn't ask you to talk! [Clap.

Another wave of spikes bursts out of the ground, warping the lines of the array. It isn't nearly as fast as the first, though.]

[gotgreedy]

[Greed smashes the spikes away with one dramatic sweep of his arm, then lunges forward, claws open to catch at Ed's shirt. He intends to get some answers.]

[rewritethis]

[This is a point where for once in his life ripping his shirt in half might serve some practical purpose, but either Ed isn't struggling hard enough or his heart isn't in it.

Still, the only answer Greed's getting for now is another silent, sullen glare.]

[gotgreedy]

Answer me, Fullmetal. What was that?

[rewritethis]

Too bad. I can't tell you. All I know is what it was supposed to be.

[He isn't doing a great job of disguising the shaking in his voice.]

Guess I have to make you hold still the old fashioned way...!

[Suddenly, he kicks hard, trying to wrench his clothes free.]

[gotgreedy]

[Gratuitous shirt-tearing, right? Greed dodges back and to the side, away from where the spikes had been shooting up at him.]

You could try just asking. Unless this is something I wouldn't approve of.

[rewritethis]

[Gratuitous shirt-tearing, yep. But he barely notices the cold.]

Well, how would I know that? Just 'cause the other Greed had a deathwish doesn't mean I get to go around making assumptions.

[gotgreedy]

Wait. You're trying to kill me?

[rewritethis]

[Clap.] Is that a no?

[In a burst of blue light, the ground under their feet quickly begins to repair itself, along with the array.]

[gotgreedy]

What is wrong with you?!

[That isn't Greed's voice. Still his body, of course -- or rather, Ling's body, which Ling himself wears different than Greed does. Eyes mostly closed, posture different, and a look of shock that has none of Greed's usual calculation behind it.]

Aside from this being MY body, what do you think you're going to accomplish like this?!

[rewritethis]

[...what just happened?

Ed's hands curl into fists on the ground as he distractedly looks down and tries to focus. Must be a trick of some kind. Well, whatever. He can still do this. Maybe the array just needs a little alteration...]

An equivalent exchange, what else?

[gotgreedy]

Equivalent exchange?! What could my life, Greed's life, and a few hundred Xerxian souls buy you, Edward? What's suddenly worth taking a life for?

[rewritethis]

[Just from the look on Ed's face, it's obvious he's struggling to make sense of any of this - and it's starting to dawn on him that his lack of comprehension implies something he really, really doesn't want to be true.

He doesn't move.]

What the hell are you talking about now?

[gotgreedy]

I don't know what a homunculus is to you. But the one you're looking at now is a human Philospher's Stone. Hundreds of souls condensed into one stone, then inserted into my body.

All the energy you could ever want. You'd just have to sacrifice me, Greed, and those souls. Get your body back. Get your brother's body back. All you have to do is spend someone else's lives like cenz.

[rewritethis]

[Slightly more of that spiel makes a twisted sort of sense to Ed, but it turns out not to matter. Two words are all it takes for the world to freeze around him. That damn Stone...

Very slowly, he slumps into something close to a sitting position.]

...Why should I believe you?

[gotgreedy]

Not believing won't make it any less true.

[The shifty-eyed Ling watches Ed slump, then crouches down and offers him a wave.]

Strange as it is, I guess we haven't met. The name's Ling.

[rewritethis]

[Ed isn't even looking. He raises slightly unsteady hands to clap again. Then he presses one palm to the ground with a muffled squelch and absolutely nothing more.

Dammit. This is starting to remind him of a whole boatload of things he'd rather not think about.]

This is how it's gonna be, huh? [When he does find his voice again, it's uncharacteristically quiet, but by no means soft.] How's anyone supposed to move forward when every step is a step back?

[gotgreedy]

[Ling rotates to sit next to Ed, frowning.]

First, you stop punching at the wall.

[rewritethis]

Don't sit so close. Your face gets on my nerves. [He's looking steadily down at his feet.]

And don't think for a second I wouldn't do it, either. You just aren't what I'm looking for.

[gotgreedy]

You're fine with that? Murder, just to get what you want?

You can look Al in the face after that? Or Winry? That's the sort of man you want to become?

[rewritethis]

[He hangs his head, withdrawing further into himself.]

Who the hell cares what I want?

[gotgreedy]

I think I just told you. More people than that, too.