Chapter Text
Aizawa Shouta was hating life right now. Don’t get him wrong, he had a hyperactive best friend that he loved, a job teaching brats that he didn’t completely hate, and a mango jelly packet waiting for him when he got back home.
But, crouching here on the edge of a building, eyes burning from all the quirk usage, he just wanted to sink into the welcome warmth of his bed and get in a couple hours of sleep before he was required at the school.
It was nearing the end of his shift, he could just barely see the sun peaking over the horizon. Aizawa stood up and stretched, he could already feel the soft comforter around him. Just as he was preparing to call the end of his shift he heard or rather saw, it. A slight buzzing in the air and a kid being chased down an alley. God damn it.
***
What the fuck?! Edward was definitely not panicking. He was just a little confused. Who the hell are these people and where is Alphonse??!
The last he remembered he was heading back to Central with Alphonse and Armstrong and the next thing he knew he was standing alone in an abandoned warehouse. Well, he hadn’t been alone for long. Even though he was still disoriented, he didn’t pass the state alchemy test at 12 for nothing. He had quickly shoved past the thugs at the door and made a break for it, racing down the equally abandoned alley.
Ed could hear the footsteps of one of the men chasing him right now. Thankful for the abundance of concrete in the alley Ed slapped his hand to the ground, forming a bat. He turned around swinging, catching one of the men off guard.
“What the hell, you shitty midget!” He growled, clutching his head, blood leaking through his fingers. “You fucking broke my nose!”
Ed felt blood rushing in his ears, “Who are you calling a shrimp?! I’ll bust your kneecaps in! I’m-”
Ed’s threat was interrupted with a lunge from one of the other men. Beat them up first, monologue later, Ed scolded himself. I just need to get rid of these fools and then I can figure out where I- OH MY GOD THAT DUDE HAS FOUR ARMS!
Ed stumbled back in a mixture of surprise and disgust, dropping the bat as he fell, what is this? Human transmutation?
The man took advantage of Ed’s shock and grabbed him, lifting him straight off the ground. Ed gritted his teeth and struggled against his grip but he couldn’t reach the walls of the alley and already black spots were starting to dance in the sides of his vision.
The man squeezed his throat even harder and another one of his (four!!) arms grabbed Ed’s flailing hands.
“You don’t have to make this so hard on yourself,” He croons. “We just wanted to talk.”
“Fuck you.” Ed gasps, but his limbs are already feeling like sandbags and he can hear a faint buzzing in his ears. Just as everything starts to fade away he hears the fwhip of moving fabric and feels the hand around his neck loosen.
Ed kicks himself out of the man’s grip and collapses to the floor, gasping for air. He can faintly hear the crunch of bone and the cries of the men who were following him.
He looks up and through watering eyes he can see the back of the man who saved him. He stood slouched with one of his hands in his pocket, and tendrils of white fabric shoot out and curl around the other men. Ed can see that his hair is somehow defying gravity, floating in tendrils above the dude's head.
Ed picks himself up with trembling legs and clasps his hands together. He doesn’t want to stick around to see if this new guy is a friend or foe. First things first he needs to get away.
***
Ed slumps against a pillar. He still was not freaking out. Not at all. It doesn’t even matter that everything looks so weird and that he has no idea what is going on or where he is. He winded his fingers through his hair and pulled. Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium… Calm down Ed. Calm down.
“Hey, kid.”
Ed started, whirling to face the man in black from earlier. His hair was no longer floating up in the air and now fell around his face in waves. His hands were slightly raised, possibly in an attempt to appear harmless although Ed was hardly comforted seeing as he still had the loops of rope (?) around his shoulders.
“You’re going to be okay. I’ve apprehended the men who were chasing you and the police and paramedics will be here shortly. Are you hurt?”
Despite the fact that his throat was still throbbing, every inch of his body felt pummelled, and he only understood half of what the man said to him; years of military training snapped in and Elric straightened, “My name is Edward Elric. State Alchemist. I-” He hesitated, unsure of how much information he needed to give, “I don’t know where I am.”
The man frowned at his words, his brows furrowing slightly, he opened his mouth to reply when the wailing of sirens filled the alleyway.
The man turned towards the flashing lights, “We can speak more once you’ve been treated.” His voice had gotten softer and more gentle as if he was speaking to a scared animal. Or a crazy person.
Ed gritted his teeth. “Stop treating me like a kid!” He snapped.
The man snorted and a brief smile ghosted around his lips, “You are one, problem child.” Then he ignored Ed’s tense look and placed his hand lightly on Ed’s shoulder, guiding him towards the ambulance.
***
Ed sat in the hospital bed, playing with the white sheets. The people in the ‘ambulance’ had freaked out once they saw his metal arm and no matter how much Ed tried to reassure them that it was his choice they would not calm down. The last he had seen of the man in black was his grim face before they shut the ambulance doors and drove off. They had rushed him into the hospital, ran a bunch of tests, subsequently discovered his metal leg, and proceeded to freak out all over again.
Finally, Ed had been shuttled into an empty room. Ed crept up to the door, opening it a crack and looking outside. Just outside his room was a group of doctors and nurses conversing near a table. One of the doctors had a lizard tail that swung from side to side as she gave her orders to the nurse with hair that was literally fire. Ed felt slightly nauseous. He closed the door with a quiet clunk.
***
Aizawa was already feeling the beginnings of a headache, he had preemptively called Detective Tsukauchi and Principle Nezu in anticipation of a long interrogation, but something about this problem child put him on edge.
He had been contemplating the mediocre caffeinated beverages in the vending machine when one of the nurses rushed over.
“Eraserhead, sir,” She panted, “We need your assistance! We’ve finished treating Mr. Elric but the patient has barricaded himself in his room and won’t let anyone in.”
Aizawa sighed heavily. “Lead the way.”
A small crowd of nurses and police officers alike were crowded outside the door when they arrived. Aizawa identified Detective Tsukauchi in the crowd and ordered the rest away.
When they finally got the door opened they were greeted with a snarling Edward, crouched near the windows. His arm had been transformed into a sharp blade.
Aizawa activated his quirk but it stuttered when he realized that it had no effect on Ed. Impossible... he doesn’t have a mutation quirk and his arm was obviously not a literal blade earlier, so it must require activation.
Perhaps catching on his shock, Tsukauchi took the lead, raising his hands and calmly addressing Ed, “Mr. Elric, I am Detective Tsukauchi, we understand you may be confused right now. We just want to help, and hopefully, answer some of your questions.”
Ed didn’t seem convinced but he did lower his arm. His golden eyes were still glinting dangerously. “What’s with everyone outside?” He demands. “Are you guys practicing human transmutations? Are you conducting experiments with the philosopher’s stone?”
Detective Tsukauchi shook his head appeasingly, “We’re not sure exactly what you’re talking about Mr. Elric. Are you referring to their quirks?”
“Quirks?” Ed seemed more confused than angry now. Which Aizawa saw as a step in the right direction.
Detective Tsukauchi gave a brief history of quirks, going over their evolution from hundreds of years ago. Every word he said seemed to make the kid's face more pale and grim.
Finally, when Tsukauchi was done with his explanation, Ed collapsed back onto his bed and swore in every language he knew.