Alchemist/Exorcist (FMA: Brotherhood x Blue Exorcist) RinxEd)

Chapter 12

       TW: talk of attempting and desiring to unalive oneself

           "Rin, are you paying attention?"
           Rin met Yukio's gaze, realizing he had been daydreaming. Al, Ed, and Colonel Mustang all fell silent, also turning to look at him, "Erm...no, sorry."
           Mustang sighed and shook his head, as Yukio apologized and asked him to continue. They all sat in Mustangs office, the colonel at his desk and the pair of brothers on the two couches in front of him. As he continued, Rin met Ed's eyes across the coffee table and felt his face burn. He had been daydreaming about their kiss last night, how soft Ed's lips were, where it could have led...
            If only he hadn't been shut down like that.
            What was Ed's deal? He thought he liked him back. Or was he going crazy?
            "Okumura?"
            "Ah! Sorry!"
            "As I was saying," Mustang grumbled, "We still can't find Victor Mansfield, but you said he had an accomplice?"
           "That's right," Ed said, "Those two led us in circles. But we have no idea who the other man is."
            "We have a pretty good idea actually," Mustang handed Ed a file. He looked at it, passed it to Al, who passed it to Yukio, "Private James Holloway. He looks up to Victor a great deal. And..."
            "And?"
            "Last night, he threw himself off the top of the bank on 5th,"
            "So he's out of the picture?" Rin asked, looking over Yukio's shoulder.
            "Nope, he walked it off," Mustang emphasized each word.
            "He what?!" Al gasped as Yukio said, "Yeah, that'd be a big clue he's working with Victor. Any idea where he went to?"
            "We're thinking his apartment. The address is there,"
           
           
             That afternoon, Yukio led the other three down the second floor hallway of a small apartment complex, gun drawn. They watched the numbers on the doors grow, though it wasn't hard to guess which was Holloway's. Loud crashes and cries of pain were coming from  door 207. As they reached it, Yukio kicked it in and all four surged in, expecting a fight, but they were greeted by a pathetic yelp of surprise.
             The apartment was trashed, the blinds closed so the only light was in golden stripes cutting across the carpet. James Holloway was a trembling form in the corner.
             "You James Holloway?" Ed asked, coming up to him.
             James lifted his head from his hands and nodded emphatically. He was sobbing, spittle flying from his curled lips as he rambled, "Make it stop. Make it stop."
            "Make what stop?" Al asked.
            "The voices, they never stop, make them stop, make them stop,"
            "It's the demon blood," Yukio said, "He drank some of Katie's."
            At the sound of Katie's name, James flew into a rage, clapping his hands over his ears, "Katie! I killed her! I knew her, we were neighbors, she was just a kid! I killed her! I drank her blood! Victor—he told me to wait to do his...his stuff or whatever...but he never came and—and..."
            He dissolved into sobs again. "He drank demon blood straight," Yukio said, "It's affecting him."
            Ed kneeled in front of James, "Victor, where is he?"
             James just squeezed his eyes shut and continued sobbing, shaking his head, "Make it stop, make it stop. Want to die, want to die."
            Ed grasped his shoulders, "James, I need you to focus. Then maybe we can get you some help. Where. Is. Victor?"
            "I don't know. Please, I don't know. Please, kill me. Make it stop,"
            "Do you know who the next victim is?" Yukio tried.
            At this, James became completely alert, bloodshot eyes wide as he clearly stated, "Rin Okumura. Son of Satan."
            "What?!" Yukio gasped and Ed heard a choked sound come from Rin. He felt his own pulse quicken.
            He seized James by the collar, "What does he want with Rin?"
            James melted into sobbing as suddenly as he'd snapped out of it, "He said...with the very...p—power of the devil...he'll burn Amestris to the ground...He'll drain every last drop from Rin Okumura...Please make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! Kill me! KILL ME! Please, I just—"
              He was cut off by two gunshots. Ed flinched, practically feeling the bullets whiz by as they entered James' chest. "No!" he cried, "James? James?"
               The private stared off somewhere over Ed's shoulder, finally done sobbing and murmured, "Thank...you."
               Before going still.
               "What did you do?!" Ed leapt to his feet and surged at Yukio, who still held his gun up. Before he could react Ed punched his with his right hand. Yukio reeled back holding his jaw and braced for another blow, but Ed shoved past him and stormed out.
              Yukio went to follow, but Al grabbed his arm, "Don't. Just give him—Yukio!"
              Yukio had shook him off and left the apartment. He caught up with Ed outside on the sidewalk, "Ed!"
              The other boy was trembling. He whirled to face Yukio, "Why did you do it?! We could have helped him!"
              "There's no cure for someone who's consumed pure demon blood. It's toxic. It would have killed him eventually. We had to put him out of his misery,"
             "That's not your call to make! You're in no position to play god!"
             "Oh, that's rich coming from you!"
             Ed jumped back as if Yukio had swung at him. After a heartbeat of stunned silence, he fired back, "You didn't even try! Just like with Katie. Can you save anyone?!"
             "Yukio, Ed," a voice came from behind Yukio. Rin and Al had caught up to them. Yukio was gazing at Ed coldly, as he spoke to his brother, "Come on, Rin. We're going back to Japan."
            "Wh—What?" Rin choked.
            "No, don't go!" Al cried.
            "It's for the best, Al," Ed murmured, "Good riddance."
            With that, he turned and stormed across the street. Rin gave a strangled gasp and had turned white as a sheet. Al raced after his brother, "Ed, wait!" while Yukio seized Rin by the arm and dragged him in the opposite direction.
             "Yukio, stop! Wait a second!" Rin yanked free and jumped back, "We can't go back to Japan!"
              "Rin, did you not hear James back there?! Victor is gunning for you next!"
              "Great, let him come,"
              "You can't mean that,"
              "Hell yeah, he wants to destroy an entire country. I can be bait,"
              "Other exorcists can handle this, they'll call in Shura. My priority is you now,"
              "Bullshit, I'm not leaving now,"
              "Rin, this is not up for discussion. Are you sure this has nothing to do with Ed?"
              "Of course not. Even if it did, that's none of your business," Rin said, "I'm seeing this through for my reasons and my reasons only. I'm going to find Ed and Al and apologize for whatever the hell you said,"
              "Fine. Go ahead. Say whatever you want. I'm going to Central Command to report James' death and tell them we're backing out, and we're going back to Tokyo if I have to drag you,"
             "You go ahead and try, Four-Eyes!" with that Rin took off across the street.