Broken↩️🪭 ✔

Chapter 21

Edward and Riza walked into the small place that Beje was conducting his experiment at and knocked on the door. Edward leaned a little into Riza's leg, not feeling very well at the moment. It had been almost a week and half since he called Roy and told him how he really felt about the whole situation. He had expected the response that his superior had given him but was still boiling over the fact that he had been right and it had been done. He knew that Roy was dense when it came to certain things, but Edward had spelled it out so clearly and yet... and yet the man didn't seem to even flinch. He didn't seem to have one iota of a clue about what was going on and how much pain Edward was in.

It wasn't exactly the pain of knowing that Al was gone and what he was supposed to tell Winry or Pinako, it wasn't the pain of knowing he could do nothing to help his brother and it wasn't the pain of having to relive his heart being figuratively ripped from his chest after he heard the last shriek of fear and pain when Alphonse finally 'died'... No, he had come to a draw on those feelings within him about that pain. He couldn't get away and he couldn't get to him; there was nothing he could have done to help his little brother and he would have to live with that every day. Edward decided it was a punishment for the silly taboo he had dragged Alphonse into anyway. He should have lost him then, but luck was kind. Luck was not so kind this time, and Edward knew that this pain was something he had to tuck away and remember to forget. He deserved this pain for his lack of ability to help. This pain was acceptable.

The pain Edward couldn't get rid of, couldn't forget, was the feeling of the man he looked up to so much (even if that bastard didn't know) and that he had left him. He had abandoned Edward to his captors, made him feel like he was going to rescued only to be mocked and proved wrong on all accounts, and the worst part was that Roy didn't even know what he was doing to him. Edward tried to forget it but it stuck so strongly in his mind and it came up at odd occasions. Anything that reminded him of Roy reminded him of his abandonment and an event that had occurred during such a time. It was exhausting to his brain.

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Riza touched the top of Edward's head and noticed that he was a little warm. She didn't say anything as the door finally opened and Beje smiled.

"Hello, Ms. Riza. Hello, Baby Edward." Edward frowned as Copplestone looked at him. "You look beat, kid. What happened?"

"Restless nights..." he grumbled as he moved from under Riza's hand.

"You said you finished the formula?" Riza asked.

"Yes, I have! Come in, come in..."

Beje held the door open to let them in and led them to the back of the small house. A small lab was set up on a tall table and Beje grabbed a vial of orange liquid.

"This will get you back to your normal self. Are you sure you want to go back to being a teen? You're so much cuter this way and you have an extra 8-10 years of life to you."

"Coming from you, Copplestone, that statement doesn't make me want to trust you at all." Riza growled.

Beje grinned. "I would never do anything untoward to a child. As we've seen, I kill them if they do." He turned back to Edward. "Seriously, though, this is your last chance."

"I have to figure out what to do with Al and I promised I would make that decision as soon as I was back to normal. I can't leave him like that anymore. He deserves a proper place... not... in the dark."

Beje nodded. "Fair enough. Now this will be just like the last time. You'll fall asleep from fatigue and when you wake up, you'll be back to your old self."