Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 36

He could hear that he was in a crowded hall of some sort..the sounds, though muffled, echoed as if off stone walls of some sort. He supposed he was here earlier, because he could feel the same sorts of energies in the air playing on his nerves and skin. Annoying because it made the itching at his neck worse. As his left was currently holding the kind lady's elbow, he could only grit his teeth instead of rubbing it.

The lady leading him was nervous. Extremely so. He could tell by the shaking in her shoulder. Then he felt it..deep in his chest. A familiar..yet not...sensation. Like the potent feel of the calm before the storm.

He was targeted by someone. Behind him. And they were just about to..!

He moved, releasing her elbow and rolled quickly away to his right, making himself the worst target possible. He heard her cry out, and several others too, muffled though they were to his hearing. He clapped his hands before his chest once he found his feet, distinctive sound cutting through the noise of the crowd around him, quickly removing the bag, blindfold, and earmuffs in one hasty equation and touch; there was time for only for deconstruction. The warming energy moved thorough him; he could see the blue of the reaction as it went into effect before his closed eyelids. At once, he opened his eyes and he went into his fighting stance, leading with his right arm.

There was a salt-and-peppered fuzzy haired, tall robed..wrinkled person..with a rather pointy hat, pointing a wand right at him. The man took a breath.

Ed clapped his hands again and slammed them to the ground. Then boom of the reaction echoed, and blue lightning arched. Beneath the man the equation came to life in the circle of power, and up rose a great stone hand--displacing the stone it was made of as it formed. It gripped the man within moments, wrapping fingers firmly about the waist, pinning the wand to the man's leg and out of Ed's sight. When the equation was finished, the only things the man could effectively move much was his head and feet, tips of toes dangling about a foot from the ground.

Ed smoothly reentered his fight stance.

The man looked down at him, green eyes wide, and thick eyebrows up so far on the lined face that they nearly touched his hairline.

"You alvright.. Mrs. Figg?"

Ed flicked his eyes to the kindly lady, and saw she too was looking at him with a similiar expression on her face; He didn't let that distract him from his opponent, however. He had just wanted to be sure she hadn't gotten struck with whatever had just been thrown at him.

"Y-yes."

Then he flicked his eyes around. He noticed several people standing, looking at him. Several had wands in their hands. He shifted his stance slightly, just in case. He chanced a quick look behind him. 'More people.' He thought. 'Shit.' There was a slumped body against the wall. Several people were checking on whoever the robed figure was.

"My..sincerest apologies...!" The wrinkled man said with a baritone voice, slight panic in the tone. "I was told you were but a Muggle!"

"A Muggle? Here? In the Ministry?!? Don't be a fool." Mrs. Figg said with a nervous laugh, her voice shaking slightly.

Ed narrowed his eyes.

"Vhat did you just shoot at me?"

"That? Oh. Uh--j-just a 'stupify'--" Shrugging the shoulders."--was going to follow it up with an 'oblivate'. Standard procedure, y'know."

"You were going to make me CARRY the boy out of here?!?" Mrs Figg nearly shouted, managing to sound outraged.

The wrinkled man regarded Mrs. Figg with narrowed eyes. "Perhaps I was told to target the wrong person?"

"What!?!? You TWIT!" Mrs Figg roared. "I'M A SQUIB!!!"

Ed broke his stance, and stood normally. He absently brushed the remains of the first transmutation off his shoulders where it had gathered like dust as he looked around. He saw a lot of curious glances beyond the crowd gathered around them. Beyond that people were a series of what looked like fireplaces, complete with burning fires within. Quite a few appeared to have lines formed before them, as if the people were waiting to put them to some kind of use. He blinked. The hall they were in was HUGE. Mostly peacock blue in color.

"....the hood then?" Ed heard, and turned his head back to the speaker.

"Oh? Vhat vas dat? " Ed said.

"Oh..I was asking about the hood. Why did you..?" The wrinkled man said.

Ed looked over to Mrs. Figg, and raised an eyebrow. She frowned, and looked like she was about to panic. She shook her head slightly.

"Ooooooh..daaaat? My English...naat dat goot. Vaat is voart...ah!"

Ed looked back to the wrinkled man, trapped as he was in the transmuted floor.

"..Trainink." Ed said with a quick nod, and waved dismissively.

"TRAINING?!?"

"Ja! Vvork goot, no?" Ed smiled his widest smile. Beaming. Indicating with a grand gesture of his right arm, the body of the unfortunate, and now dazed, wizard behind him.

The wrinkled man blinked.

"Y-yes. I was assisting him. Now if you don't mind, we REALLY must be off. We have an appointment to see to, and we really are running late now, thanks to you. Come on." Mrs Figg said, and firmly grabbed Ed's right arm, giving it a tug.

"H-hey!..wait--!" Said the wrinkled man.

Mrs. Figg ignored him, and worked their way through the crowd. Once they were far enough away to be out of earshot, Ed breathed a whisper to her.

"...Glad dey didn't tink to use guns..."

"Mr. Elric...I think that guns... " She said just as softly, patting his right metal arm as they made their way. Her eyes widened a bit at the resulting soft 'thunks!', but she managed a weak smile."...are the least of your worries..."

Ed found himself smirking back, as he heard a faint, "Get me out of this thing!" down the great hall.

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