Worlds Collide

A/N: Nomme de Plumme, the Thule Society is coming up very soon. Blissful Ignorance, Actually, I re-worked the wording on last chapter. Al and Winry aren't married, still dating (he's still only seventeen, so I'm giving him a little more time.) nette, Unfortunately, Roy/Ed is still a bunch of fluff, which I enjoy getting to write after all the friggin' angst and danger from the last story, but Wrath's storyline should be getting bigger now. Amethyst-eyed Koneko, I figure I'll give Al and Winry a little more time. To answer your question, the body is the Ulysses/Wrath of Earth's, but the gate did leave the Ed's limbs, but with human skin on the rest of the body, a better match. Kuragari75, thank you.

I've added more to this chapter. I realized the final part of Wrath's story wasn't long enough for another chapter, and there was some confusing over Stephen, who though he's using a fake name isn't an original character... entirely.

Chapter 4

Other Countries

London

Six months later

Every few days, Edward would ask Wrath about the other version of himself, making the former homunculus wish he had gotten to know Ed better. Eventually, the two had resorted to asking Hohenheim more about the other world, Wrath regretting having missed out on so much. More and more, he was regretting being in this world, with its high moral standards that it seemed no one ever managed to live up to.

But tonight, that didn’t matter, the three were going to see a play in London, one by someone named Shakespeare. Wrath had read one or two of the man’s plays, but they really hadn’t made much sense to him, still he had been assured by the neighbor who had insisted they buy tickets that watching was much easier than reading, and after the first few scenes, the language all started to make sense. The former homunculus doubted it, but this play was supposed to have some good visual gags, so that could make up for it.

The three rode in a carriage, nearing the city, when something started to spook the horses.

“This isn’t good,” Wrath said, feeling that that statement seemed blatantly obvious the moment it left his mouth.

Edward stuck a blond head out of the carriage, bringing it back inside as quickly as he could. “Envy.” Wrath could hear Hohenheim snapping the reins harder, yelling at the horses to run as quickly as they could. It had been nearly a year since Envy had found them last. They were near the city, when the large serpent normally gave up his pursuit, but it seemed he had grown tired of chasing and retreating and was going in for the kill tonight. Thankfully, upon the sighting of this creature, numerous men and women appeared toting guns and weapons of sorts, hurling them at Envy, giving the three in the carriage enough of an opportunity to escape into an obscured alley and into a crowd. Discretely, they watched as the beast disappeared.

“We cannot continue to do this,” Edward said. “I’m barely nineteen and that thing takes years off of my life every time it appears.”

Wrath looked up at Hohenheim. “How’s your four-hundred-year-old heart managing?”

“My heart’s barely fifty. My soul on the other hand…”

“Fine,” Wrath said, not needing the correction to his mistake. “What do we do? He’s getting bolder.”

“You two need to get somewhere safe. Envy is my problem, my responsibility. I’ll deal with him.” Hohenheim looked to Edward. “Do you think that Alfons could get you work in Munich? For both of you?”

“I think so. I might be of some use to him, and I’m sure we can find something for Ulysses.”

“But you can’t just let Envy catch you.”

“I have no intention of it, but he’ll follow me as long as he thinks he can get me, and one person’s easier to hide than three. I’ll see if I can use my connections through the government to get the two of you out of here tonight.”

********

Amestris

Roy was running late. He had tried so hard to get out of the office early, and he was late. He hoped he hadn’t missed too much. Walking by the armed guards at the front gate—additions made to the property since he became fuhrer—he made his way to the door, opening it to find Ed and Raine walking through the hall with a series of party favors. Roy nearly laughed when he saw a foil crown resting atop his sister’s dark head. He snickered aloud when he realized Ed had one that matched it.

“Shut-up you old fart,” Ed growled. “You’re late.”

“I know I am. I tried, I really did, to get here early.”

Ed’s lips tightened. “Speaking of early, the emissary from Creta arrived today. Two days early. He unpacked his things and is currently at our children’s second birthday party.”

“Why didn’t you let me know?”

“Well, you were so determined to get out of the office that you stopped accepting calls or messages.” With his left hand, Ed poked him in his ribs. “When Falman isn’t there, be more specific to your substitute secretary and let them know that calls from me are to be accepted at all times.”

“I’m sorry, Ed.”

“Damned right you are.” Ed set the favors on the table, then walked back to Roy and placed a ridiculous-looking paper top-hat on his head.

“I can’t meet the emissary like this.”

“The emissary is sporting two cones on his head. You can meet him with a top-hat on. Besides, Aideen put this princess crown on me two hours ago and yells at me when I take it off. Be grateful.” With that, Ed pulled him down for a quick kiss on the cheek, purposely snapping the elastic band under his chin, which held the hat on his head.

“Papa!” a tiny voice said, running from the study. With a grin, Roy watched as Aideen, clad in a blue jumper came running toward him, arms outstretched, a crown matching Ed’s on her head.

“How’s my little princess?” Roy said, swooping down to pick her up, throwing her into the air just a bit before resting her against his hip.

“Not a princess. Queen!” she huffed.

“Well, my little queen, happy birthday.”

“Daddy and Auntie princesses.” Ed groaned, looking like he desperately wanted that crown off his head. “No taking off, Daddy.”

With a tight-lipped smile, Ed looked at her. “No, I’m not taking it off.” Then, as he walked by papa and daughter, he mumbled, “Always the friggin’ woman. Always.”

Roy was about to remind Ed that last night it certainly hadn’t been that way, but the fiery-eyed little girl at his side forced him to keep his mouth shut. “Well, Queen Aideen, how old are you today?”

“Two,” she answered proudly.

“That’s right.” Still holding her at his side, her hand holding onto the gold braids of his uniform, they walked together into the study, finding Nicholas sitting on Sig Curtis’s lap, chattering away, Jean and Gracia standing nearby, his arm around her waist as she sipped at punch Ed had proudly made himself, knowing the blond, probably much too sweet. In shock, he watched as the rather rotund figure of the Creta emissary stood opposite Breda, both attempting to make Elysia Hughes laugh herself simple as they charged at one another like bulls. Pleased, the seven-year old laughed, thoroughly enjoying herself. Al and Winry sat on the sofa, his hand resting on her knee. Roy knew the younger brother had yet to celebrate his eighteenth birthday and he was still very young, but he wished the teen would just get on with asking the girl to marry him. It didn’t mean they had to get married right away, but they were already so close the sign of commitment seemed a natural step.

Falman and Fuery were in the corner, acting as middlemen between a still-determined Alex Armstrong and a reluctant Raine Mustang.

Roy felt Ed grab his hand. “Come here, I want to have you hear something," Ed pulled Roy over to the leather chair where Sig sat, listening with the patience of a saint to a story of words and gibberish from the blond boy. “Nicholas, count your numbers for your papa.”

Nicholas turned and smiled at Roy, apparently noticing for the first time that his father was home. Proudly, the little boy puffed his chest out, wide black eyes glittering as he said. “One, two, three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

Roy looked over at Ed, who held up a hand to keep him from saying anything. Then, he turned to Roy, holding up three fingers. “How many is this?”

“Three.”

Ed held up his full hand. “And this?”

“Five.”

“And this?” Ed asked, holding up four. Nicholas didn’t answer at first. Ed continued to hold up his hand.

“Don’t like.”

“He’s been doing this all day. I can’t get him to say it,” Ed said. “He knows his numbers and he knows four exists, but every time says he doesn’t like it. I don’t really care, as long as he knows what it is. It’s just strange.”

Sig smiled at the boy. “Won’t you even say it for me?”

“No, Gampa Sig. Don’t like.”

“Papa,” the dark-haired girl in his arms said, “hear what I can do. Abcdefghijklmopqrstuvwxyz.”

“We think the entire alphabet’s in there,” Ed said. “Al and I haven’t been able to pick the whole thing up, though.” He rubbed Aideen’s arm. “I’m going to go get the cake,” he said.

“Cake?” Nicholas said, practically twisting around on Sig’s lap.

“And you only get one piece,” Ed said, pointing at Nicholas with his right hand, then turning it on Roy, repeating, “One piece.”

Roy rolled his eyes, making Aideen giggle, and he had no choice but to squeeze the little girl tightly in his arms, then reach his right hand around and tickle her, making her giggle even louder.

********

Munich

“You are to report back to central command that the Thule Society has captured the psychic, essentially buying her for her services, understand Captain,” the major said, looking down at the black-haired man. “I am remaining behind, to see if I can infiltrate them.”

“But, Major, isn’t that a bit of risk?”

“You doubt my ability to speak German like a native?”

“No, sir, but at the circus, no one cared what nationality you were. Sir, if the Thule Society suspects, they would just as well kill you.”

“When you’re a spy, that is generally a risk. That’s why I didn’t have a family. Speaking of which, isn’t it the twins’ birthday today?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, then, you need to get yourself back to London before their birthday’s over with. It’s still early. You might have time to see them before the day’s completely over.” The major smiled as the captain saluted him. “Roy, get your arse home and give Riza my best.”

“Yes, sir. If for some reason I should need to reach you, by what name do I address you, sir?”

“Stephen Waldemar.”

********

Wrath stepped off of the platform, trying to find the man they were to meet. “What’s his name?”

“Stephen Waldemar,” Edward said. “Apparently, someone loyal to England because this was the name that Hohenheim gave me.”

In the distance, Wrath saw as a relatively tall blond man with slicked-back hair and piercing blue eyes shook hands with a shorter, dark-haired one. “Roy,” Wrath said in a hushed voice. “Edward, that’s Roy.”

“Interesting,” the blond said.

“That’s all you can say?”

“Are you trying to play matchmaker, Ulysses?” At his own words, Edward grew a bit red.

“Well, no.” Honestly, Wrath had never considered whether or not this Edward was gay or not, though his introspective moments when the topic came up seemed to lead Wrath to the affirmative. “I was just trying to show you the man the other Ed married… I guess.”

“For a man, I suppose I could do worse, but it seems like there’s a pretty big age difference.”

“Well, there was, but that didn’t matter.”

The two teens approached the blond. Edward spoke first. “Are you Stephen Waldemar?” he asked in German. The only reason Wrath knew that was the question posed to the older man was the repeated practice it had received on the wait for their small airplane. The taller blond said something in German, nodding his head in the affirmative. Edward replied, the man said something else, Edward replied.

“Can you two speak English for heavens sake!”

“Very well,” the rich bass voice of the older man said, with a slight German accent. “And what is your name?”

“Ulysses Elric,” he answered. “Now are you going to show us around this city or are we going to have to get lost for ourselves?”

“Ulysses!” Edward said.

“The boy is straight and to the point,” Stephen said. “There is no flaw in that. Let us go.”

Wrath eyed the man warily. Listening to his accent and knowing that somehow he was connected to the British government, he couldn’t decide if this man was German or not. All the former homunculus cared about was that this man didn’t do anything stupid to get him or Edward into trouble.

********

Amestris

By the end of the party, Ed had collapsed on the sofa, sound asleep, Nicholas on his chest, Aideen snuggled at his feet. Roy finally took the opportunity to remove his paper hat and the too-tight elastic band. Going into the kitchen, he found the emissary from Creta helping himself to another glass of punch.

“I am sorry that you had to come in today. We could have showed you a better time in Amestris,” Roy said to the older man.

“Not at all, though I felt a bit like a party-crasher. I had to run out to buy the two little ones presents—”

“Which you shouldn’t have done, sir.”

“It was their birthday today. Of course I did. Fuhrer, I know things have been a bit strained between your country and Drachma in the last two years since you took over as leader of Amestris, but the honest fact is that Creta has watched you very carefully, seeing that you have rebuilt lands that were destroyed by your predecessor, designed numerous advances using your country’s alchemy—”

“I’m afraid credit for that goes to my spouse. Ed is a brilliant alchemist, and his name is gradually becoming a means of threatening my researchers. When they can’t complete something, I give it to him and he usually finds a solution in half of the time they wasted working on a project in the first place, and if he can’t, his brother Al does.”

“Amidst all you have done, Fuhrer, you have also managed to maintain this lovely family. You know that my country has no issues that you have a husband and not a wife, and I must say that even at his young age, your husband does a remarkably good job with those two little prodigies you are raising. But most importantly was the difference I saw tonight from the former leader. Your spouse welcomed me into your home, not a palace, but your home. I was greeted warmly by your friends and allowed in on a family gathering, without any sense of being an outsider. People like that, my country welcomes with open arms. Though I must obviously analyze your political stances, Fuhrer, I want you to know that I believe you will have an ally to the west.”

Finishing off the cup of punch, the man then extended his hand, Roy taking it in his own and shaking it.

“Now,” the emissary said, “if you will forgive me, I think I am going to go to bed.”

Roy nodded, hoping that Sig hadn’t left anything behind when he’d moved his things to Raine’s house—he was to stay with Roy and Ed, but with the emissary there, Raine had offered her tiny cottage as a place to house the still larger-than-life man.

As he watched the round man struggle to climb up the stairs, he went back into the study, kneeling beside Ed, still sound asleep with the crown on his head. It brought back memories of an old fairy tale from his childhood. Vaguely remembering, Roy leaned down and pressed his lips to his sleeping lover’s. Lazily, two gold eyes fluttered open.

“What was that for?”

“To thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

********

Munich

This Stephen led Wrath and Edward to a modest apartment in the city’s center. Wrath couldn’t explain it. There was a sense that this man wasn’t who he claimed he was ate away at the young teen. Finally arriving at the flat, Stephen shut the door behind them.

“Are you really German?” Wrath asked.

With sharp blue eyes, Stephen stared at him. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because Hohenheim Elric works for Winston Churchill. He isn’t about to entrust the only family,” Okay that was a lie, but who cares? “he has to some random German. Where were you born?”

“Wales,” Stephen answered, the accent changing to show it. “My mother was German.”

“And what is your name?”

“Stephen Waldemar.” Wrath quirked his head to the side, making it obvious he didn’t believe this. It became a stare-down between the thirty-something man and the nearly fourteen-year-old.

“Okay, we know that isn’t your real name. So, Edward, let’s just go to your cousin. We don’t need this fake German’s help.”

“I cannot tell you my name.”

“Then tell us why you are willing to help us. Simple request. What’s the answer? Why should we trust you?”

“Because I’ve been tracking a woman who was a supposed psychic at a circus. I had been working undercover there when the Thule Society snatched her out from under my nose. Her name is Noa. She’s a Roma, and I can only imagine what an Arian-obsessed group such as the Thule Society wants with her.”

“And what do you want with her? I’m guessing you work for the British Government?”

“Honestly, to bring her to England, where they will probably use her powers. That isn’t my concern. My concern is the fact that they don’t consider a Roma a human being worthy of their time. If she doesn’t give them what they want, she is dead.”

“And the Thule Society holds no interest for you?” Edward said, folding his arms across his chest.

“You are the first connection we’ve had to this group. It is an opportunity to find out what they are up to. Germany is still trying to re-establish itself after the war, and this group… It doesn’t bode well.”

*********

The next morning, Edward called his cousin, obviously having trouble believing that Alfons would get himself involved in such a group. Still, the younger cousin assured Edward that he would find him a job.

While the two cousins met and discussed their work in rocketry, Wrath looked around the apartment, finding numerous books on science and, to his surprise, alchemy.

“Why do you have these?” he asked Stephen. “Something to do with the Thule society?” Wrath flipped through the book, having missed the world where these symbols and form of study were commonplace.

“They would make very little sense to—”

“This one,” Wrath said, not entirely sure where his knowledge even came from, “is a symbol for fire alchemy.”

“How do you know that?” the older man asked.

“I know a bit about alchemy.” The tall blond knelt down in front of Wrath. “And you thought I was going to be worthless baggage, didn’t you?” The young teen smiled. “I’m your ticket into the Thule Society. Because, after glancing over your attempts at rocket science, you aren’t a great physicist. You stand a better chance of learning alchemy.”

“But how do you know all this?”

Thinking back to the Gate, Wrath said, “Let’s just say I took a crash course.”