Chapter Text
Ed was tired. Tired and sore and confused.
Where the fuck am I?
He sat up, rolling his shoulder and leg as he did, checking the joints and connections to see if anything was misaligned, before looking around. He seemed to be in a city of some kind but not one he’d ever been to before. He was sitting outside a large building surrounded by fencing. Writing was on the gate but Ed was too tired to try reading it.
He tried to remember what he was doing before he woke up.
Al and I were working on something… using xing alchestry and our alchemy to open a different type of gate. Not for any reason. Just because we could now that we’re not in the military anymore. Or he isn’t at least. I’m on break I guess. I think something must have gone wrong? There was a big flash… maybe...
“Hey are you okay?” A soft voice broke Ed out of his thoughts, causing him to look up at a smiling raven haired boy. He looked nice enough, had a genuine smile. Trustworthy then maybe.
Ed scanned him up and down while the other just waited patiently. He seemed happy to let Ed go at his own pace which was nice if a little weird. He was tall though, lanky, and appeared to be wearing some type of uniform, not that Ed recognised it at all.
Who’s this nice to a random stranger sitting on the sidewalk? Also what the fuck is up with his elbows? Automail of some kind?
“I umm… I don’t know where I am?” He finally replied.
“You’re out the front of UA dude. Do you need me to help you somewhere?”
What the fuck?
“I- what? UA? What the fuck is that?”
“The top hero school in Japan? Did you hit your head or something? Are you a new student or something? Do I need to take you to Recovery Girl?”
What the FUCK?
“Okay I don’t know who that is or where we are. I’m from Amestris.”
“Uh alright dude,” the boys smile turned to a confused grimace briefly before returning in full force, “no worries! I’ll take you to Aizawa sensei and he can help us out for sure!”
Well I guess a sensei would be better than a random kid on the street? But still what the actual fuck?
“I’m Hanta, Sero Hanta, by the way!” He offered his hand and Ed grabbed it. The other boy pulled him off the ground easily, barely even straining despite the fact that Ed KNEW his prosthetic was heavy enough to throw people off who didn’t know to brace for it.
Well that’s kinda hot.
“Edward Elric. But you can call me Ed. Lead the way Hanta.”
Hanta went a little red at that, maybe a delayed reaction to how heavy he was? Ed decided to shrug it off.
Hanta led the way through a large gate, towards an even larger building. It reminded him of the Central Command Headquarters a little. After some walking around, during which Hanta pointed out different buildings around them and what they were for, Ed found himself with the other boy out the front of… a classroom?
It definitely looked like a classroom (not that he really remembered going to school as such but like… maybe?) with bored students and a tried old man at the front but the people themselves were… weird.
Are they all… augmented or something?
The teacher's eyes were glowing red and his hair was standing on end. At least one person wasn’t a normal human colour. There was a floating uniform with no one in it. One kid had automail sticking out of his legs. Another kid had fire popping out of his hands. And… did that one have a tail? Overall. It was weird. They almost reminded him of homunculi or chimeras… almost.
What the fuck?
“What the fuck?” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud but… too late now.
“Sero. Who have you brought to class with you?” His eyes snapped back to the teacher, who’s eyes were no longer glowing and hair was no longer floating.
“Ah well see I found him out the front, and he seemed really confused. He didn’t recognise UA or even japan? Said he was from some… Artemis-“
“Amestris-“
“-right, Amestris, a place I’ve never heard of before so I figured I’d bring him to you?” Hanta had a hand up, scratching at his neck by the end of the explanation and Ed had to resist the distinct urge to grab his hand and stop him.
“That’s… interesting.” The man said, walking towards him. He looked like a hobo but the way he held himself gave Ed the impression that it was on purpose to put people off. Like when Hawkeye dressed super pretty to distract people from her real skills. “What’s your quirk kid?”
“Oh he’s super heavy! Some weight density quirk?” Hanta seemed excited by the prospect or something, but the fact that he had caught onto how heavy Ed was and still hadn’t flinched picking him up meant that he was strong for sure.
But then the quirk thing… “Uh, no I’m heavy because of my automail,” he lifted the edge of his jacket to show the metal underneath before continuing, “I don’t know what a quirk is? Do you mean alchemy or something? Cause obviously I can do that.”
The whole class seemed curious by his arm but that changed to shock when he said he didn’t know what a quirk was. They all started murmuring among themselves, especially a short green haired kid, looking over at him as they did. The teacher seemed to debate something with himself before turning to his class and getting their attention.
“Get your gym uniforms and head to gym Gamma. Do some warm ups, sparing in groups of two, Iida you’re in charge with Yaoyorozu,” the kid with automail in his legs and a tall girl with a massive ponytail nodded their affirmative, “Sero and blondy with me.”
The teacher turned to leave, not even waiting for Ed or Hanta to catch up before heading off. He led them to an office with a massive door.
He knocked once before a loud “Enter!” was called out from behind the door.
“Aizawa! What seems to be the problem? I see you’ve brought someone new with you?” Ed turned to the voice to see…
A chimera. A fucking… a chimera. What the fuck. What the actual fuck.
“Ed, you okay? You’ve got a bit pale bud?” Hanta put a hand on his arm gently, making Ed realise he was shaking where he stood.
“You’re a chimera,” he breathed out, “who made you? Who did this?! I’ll have their certification removed at once. Who did this?” He tried to stay calm, being aggressive wouldn’t get him anywhere but it was hard. Ed walked forward steadily, stopping in front of the small mouse/bear chimera.
“I am unsure what you mean by chimera but I can assure you those who ‘made’ me have already been dealt with.” The chimera gestured at the seat behind Ed with a white paw, “now please sit down and tell me who you are.”
Ed sat in the chair unsure, still worked up from the sudden adrenaline rush of seeing a chimera. Hanta gave him a quick thumbs up to reassure him, even if the other boy looked a bit confused and concerned himself. Ed took a steadying breath.
“My name is Edward Elric. I am the state alchemist Fullmetal, I am 17 years old. I am from Amestris, my brother and I were conducting an experiment with Xing alchestey and our alchemy when I was knocked out and woke up here.” He was quiet for a moment while he thought back on what had happened since waking up, looking at the others in the room before looking back at the chimera in front of him critically, continuing with a short nod. “Based on what I’ve seen already I think I’m in a world different to my own. None of you know the words I know and you seem to know words I don’t, like ‘quirks’. I can still feel alchemy in the air around me so they must not be too different, though the modifications I’ve seen on people are confusing to me as most of them seem almost organic.”
Hanta and the teacher, Aizawa they had called him (he needed to remember that), both blinked at him in shock. Sure they knew he was different (who didn’t know the top hero school in japan?) but another world?
“And what you called me? A chimera? What does that mean to you?” The creature seemed curious but not freaked out like the other two, maybe a scientist as well?
“In my world chimeras are an abomination, taboo like any type of human transmutation. It is unethical and horrific to create one. It is the combination of a living human and animal resulting in a creature that has no quality of life, only pain.” Ed gripped his arm as he continued, squeezing it subtly as the memories resurfaced. “I knew a man who created one out of his daughter and her dog. She recognised me. He had done the same thing to her mother, his wife, years before. I didn’t kill him but I wish I did.”
That did seem to shock the creature. It startled back a little before collecting itself.
“I see. I was not created in that way but I see why you would be concerned at seeing me after that. I assure you I am not a chimera.” It seemed sincere and clearly was more advanced than a normal chimera so Ed decided to believe it for now.
“So he’s from another world. What do we do about it?” Aizawa leaned forward towards the creature as he asked though he looked over at Ed too. Hanta still seemed to be in shock, maybe a little upset about the chimera news?
“Hmm that’s a good question,” it turned to Ed again, “You mentioned alchemy? I’m assuming it will be different from our understanding of alchemy in this world. Perhaps you could show us?”
“Sure,” he said, standing and walking away from the table. Clasping his hands together before kneeling and pressing them to the ground to create a smaller version of the chimera, then clasping them again and pushing the floor back to how it had been.
Hanta was gapping at him, a slight flush on his cheeks. Maybe he was coming down with something? He seemed to go red a lot.
Aizawa though was looking at him critically, as if he was trying to figure something out.
“So is that all you can do or can you do more?”
“I can do pretty much anything with equal exchange as long as I know the properties and matching circle for it.”
“Circle?”
“Technically a normal person would have to draw out a transmutation circle to do something like that but because of my background that’s not necessary for me.” He probably said that a bit too smugly but all well. He was one of the few people who could do it because of going through the gate, so whatever.
“And this automail you mentioned?” The teacher was looking at his arm pointedly, like he had X-ray vision or something.
Ed pulled off his gloves and jacket, he was only wearing them because someone decided they had to do their experiment out in the desert which meant wearing stuff to keep the sand out of the gears, god knows Winry would kill him if he got them clogged in sand. He also lent down and rolled his pant leg up most of the way. He’d gained some weight after everything had happened, the strain from keeping Al’s body alive in the gate lessening and allowing him to grow again, meaning his automail had been adjusted accordingly (he was even taller than Winry now thank god).
“They’re prosthetics to replace my arm and leg that I lost. My friend Winry makes and services them for me. Mostly different types of metal and obviously I can transmute them if I need,” he clasped his hands and created a knife off his arm like normal before putting it back again. “Like that.”
“Hmm okay. Sero,” the boy startled at being addressed, seemingly focused on Ed’s arm and leg, “show him your tape so he can see what a quirk is.”
“Ah okay,” he said rubbing the back of his head, “but it’s not really as exciting as your thing dude.” He addressed this last part to Ed, looking slightly shy about it.
The tall boy stood and bent his arms so his elbows were in front of him, before firing a white material out of them. Ed had noticed the other boys' extra large elbows of course but he hadn’t realised they had a purpose. He rushed forward to see.
Grabbing them and getting up close he saw that there was an opening in the elbows themselves, which must have been where the material came from. They seemed an organic addition, not something added onto him as an enhancement or anything, and there wasn’t any sign of a circle to be seen. He pulled at the piece of material still attached to the boy only to have it stick to his metal fingers, he jerked away slightly in surprise before moving closer and trying to analyse it.
A laugh from above him made him look up in surprise, before flushing slightly when he realised how close to the other boy he had gotten. He may have shot up after the gate but Hanta was somehow almost a head taller than Ed and he hadn’t realised until he was standing right below him.
“You sound like Midoriya dude! It’s really not that exciting I promise. Wait till you see my classmates' quirks. Those are cool.” He flashed a large grin at Ed, who hadn't even realised he had been analysing the other boy out loud.
“Ah sorry, it’s super interesting though! How is it sticky? Do you produce it organically? Does it run out? What’s it made out of? Can-“
“Alright that’s enough,” Aizawa was looking at him with his hair floating and eyes red again like they were when he had first entered the classroom with Hanta, “you have a quirk, or pretty much one, you have prosthetics, and you’re a nerd. You’ll get along with the others fine.” His hair fell back down finally, maybe that was his quirk?
Ed crossed his arms stubbornly at his words though, turning to the older man, “I’m not a ‘nerd’, don’t be insulting. I am a scientist. I am a high ranking member of my state's military. I have taken down governments and homunculi and created new forms of alchemy.”
“Well while that all sounds impressive you’re here now, and if you’re stuck here you can stay with us! We have extra rooms in the dorms and you can attend classes to get used to our world while we work on a way to send you home, yes?” The chimera was clearly trying to deescalate the situation but it also said this like there were no other options which, okay fair Ed didn’t really have any other options at the moment so it made sense to stay, but still, rude much.
“Come on dude it’ll be fun! I can introduce you to the squad and you can research our quirks or whatever?” Hanta was clearly trying to appeal to his scientific nature after his rambling over the other boy's quirk and outburst at Aizawa, but he had to admit it was working. How such a tall lanky dude could look cute with puppy-dog eyes was beyond him.
Wait, did he just think Hanta was cute? Oh no no no. Nope. Locking that one away. Ed would never hear the end of it if Al or Winry found out he thought a boy was cute!
He realised that they were still waiting for an answer, so instead of letting on that he had briefly had a gay-panic, he elected to pretend he had just been thinking it over.
“Okay fine, not like I have many other options,” he looked to Aizawa with a contemplative grin, “you mentioned sparring earlier. Can I get in on that?”
Aizawa just huffed, looking over at the chimera who just nodded and waved, before leaving the room without a word, clearly expecting Hanta and Ed to follow once again.
It was supposed to be a simple experiment in the desert with Al, how the hell did I end up here?
All well. Who knows? This might actually be fun.