Other Worlds Than These

🦇—-;; Bruce knew he couldn't stay hidden forever, that much was a fact, but if he could create distance between Bruce Wayne and the rest of the vigilantes who were connected to the Bat, then maybe he could protect them. Not just from Batman's enemies, but the threat he posed to them too, with how out of control he'd felt whilst under the influence of Crane's toxin, and the Joker infection in his blood, and even prior tot hat with the threat Hugo Strange had posed to him with Arkham City, he hadn't really seen there to be any other choice but to activate the Knightfall Protocol and go underground when the death of Bruce Wayne and the Batman hit news networks. He's still not entirely sure he's stable after the repeated exposure to fear toxin that night, but he's been too focused on his physical injuries to care about that.

A bullet to the stomach doesn't exactly go away within a week.

His eyes narrow a little when he realises just who had stumbled across his little hideout. He'd been careful to pick this place, if only to keep looters from finding his remaining gear that he'd scavanged from the Cave, after the manor collapsed. He needed the medical supplies he had, and the computer equipment for the next step, he's not about to let anyone take it from him. Though, part of him is relieved that it's not some random, that it's his...son - for all they've never really spoken about their relationship, less so with Dick's move to Bludhaven, that is what Dick is to Bruce. - He's not surprised, he'd left clues, and Dick was too good of a detective, and knew him too well, to have missed them.

He doesn't respond to him right away, perhaps trying his best to maintain the anominity he gets the feeling he no longer has. Weighing the consequences of his next actions carefully. He can see Dick from where he's stood, and he looks over at the remains of the Batsuit, and huffs quietly. Really, the decision only takes a few seconds, but it'd stretch just long enough to let Dick know there was a decision being made. Clearly, Bruce opted for the less hostile one, and stepped out, revealing where he'd been hiding, but he didn't move further than that. Keeping his distance, as well as the bandana up and the voice modulator on.

Between the bandana and voice modulator, Dick couldn't tell for sure, but the man's build and body language were familiar. Plus there was the fact that he didn't want to fight him. That was rare in Gotham. People saw a mask and they were quick to either attack or run away. He was doing neither. So yeah. Dick had a pretty good feeling who he was talking to.

"No. Not a crime, but a pretty sad way to live." After his parents had died, Dick had thought that he was going to be alone. The Circus hadn't been considered a suitable place for him to grow up. Ironic, really, considering where he had ended up. All the orphanages and foster homes had been full so he'd been dumped in a youth detention facility. The plan was to move him as soon as a space opened up, but considering the backlog, that could have taken ages. He'd been surrounded by older, violent offenders who saw him as a weak target. He'd fought back of course, but that had just made things worse.

Bruce had saved him. Both from the detention facility and himself. He had given him a home – a purpose. He'd given him a way to avenge his parents without becoming a monster himself. Most importantly, he'd made it so Dick didn't have to be alone. He had someone who understood him. Dick hoped that Bruce felt the same way about him. Nobody could understand a loss like theirs without experiencing it first-hand. The difference was that Dick had had Bruce to help him through it. Bruce had had Alfred, but it wasn't the same as having someone who truly understood.

"Don't you have family? People who might be missing you while you're squatting here?" He asked, testing the water briefly before deciding to just go for it. "B?"

She considers his explanation of his ability—turning it over in her mind like a schematic on a vehicle, and continuing to find similarities to file away—even as she listens to his admission about the Jedi.

It is not the first time she has ever heard such words.

She wonders if perhaps it might do him some good to know as much.

"I... knew a Jedi Master once who said something similar. Not about the fall, of course. He was gone long before then. But about the faults of the Jedi Order," she begins, nodding as she sets aside her tools and sits across from him.

"He used to tell me that the Jedi do a great deal of good out in the galaxy, but that the dogmatic adherence to doctrine had created flaws . Stagnation. Obstinance. A reclusiveness that he felt damaged the entire point—not merely of the Jedi but of life itself and of what the Force is."

"Tell me, Cal Kestis: What do you know of the Living Force?"

"Sounds like a wise man." The Jedi Council likely wouldn't have taken too well to those thoughts if the Master she spoke of had voiced them out loud. The Order had always been proud and set in their ways. They had done good, yes. They believed in keeping peace, yes. But they had been far too resistant to change despite the fact that the world was changing without them.

Then everything had changed in an instant and those who were left had no choice but to adapt and survive, or cling to the old ways and die. Cal had chosen the former. He had owed it to his Master to survive so that his sacrifice hadn't been in vain.

He shifted his hold on the text under his arm to hold it up in front of Ed, the dusty, battered cover reading, A Study of Eastern Medicinal Alchemy. "It's a little outdated, but the concepts shouldn't have changed much. I'm looking for information about alkahestry. It doesn't seem to be a common topic, but I doubt the only book they have is over fifty years old."

Russell tucked the book back under his arm and leaned lightly against the shelves beside them. "Have you heard anything about it? I've never met anyone who practices myself, and it's unlikely anyone in Xenotime has even heard of it. There are a few other topics I'm looking into, but this seemed like a good starting point."

Medicinal Alchemy, huh? Edward had read his fair share of books on the subject over the years, especially when he was younger and was actively researching how to bring their mother back. Then again when he was searching for a way to restore their bodies. The Philosopher's Stone had always been his primary focus, but he'd also explored other avenues.

"Alkahestry, huh? Pretty niche topic." Edward had heard of it, of course, though he'd never attempted it himself. It was similar to Alchemy, but different. From his understanding it was more used for medicinal applications whereas Alchemy was more...broad. More destructive in some ways. "I've heard of it. It's not something that's widely practiced outside of Xing though. Supposedly draws on the Earth's energy so you need to be able to sense Chi to use it."

Edward had been interested in the topic, but without someone to teach him, he doubted he'd be able to do it. There were far fewer resources compared to the resources for alchemy.

"There's probably more in the section reserved for State Alchemists. I can take a look for you. Being a dog of the military has its perks sometimes."

There was no doubt in Cal's mind that he was standing in the presence of Anakin Skywalker. He'd only met the man once, briefly when he was standing behind Master Tapal, but he'd never forget that Force signature. It was the strongest he'd ever felt, after all. Cal hadn't spoken to him back then. He'd been in too much awe at being in the presence of the legendary hero without fear.

"Okay. I get it. Different life now, right? Different person." Cal had been a padawan when the Order had fallen. He hadn't been on any radars. He hadn't had a name that would mean anything to anyone. He'd kept his lightsaber and connection to the Force hidden and nobody had paid any mind to him. Then he'd just been Cal the Scrapper. Nobody of consequence.

Things would no doubt be different for Anakin Skywalker. If the man went around flaunting who he was, he would have been found a long time ago. Anakin was the best of them, but even he couldn't take on the full force of the Empire alone.

"I'm not here to cause trouble. I just...the Inquisitors found me and my ship ended up here after I jumped to hyperspace."

❝  missed  me  ?  is  that  right  .  .  .  ❞  such  words  were  hard  to  believe  ,  especially  considering  how  he  had  been  made  to  shoulder  the  entire  worlds  &  many  lives  on  his  shoulders  alone.  how  funny  that  despite  such  displays  of  mastery  &  altruism  ,  he  hadn't  been  deemed  worthy  of  the  keyblade  master  title  (  perhaps  it  might  have  actually  been  due  to  the  darkness  in  his  heart.  )

giving  a  slight  shrug  ,  he  then  shook  his  head.  he  vividly  recalled  having  taken  ventus  into  his  heart  in  one  particular  timeline  ,  &  since  then  ,  they'd  been  inseparable  until  ventus  had  woken  up  from  their  deep  slumber.  ❝  i've  practically  known  you  my  entire  life.  i  can  bet  100  munny  you've  seen  me  naked.  anyways  ,  i  was  going  to  mention  vanitas  ,  but  he's  been  with  me  for  a  long  time  now.  ❞

oceanic  hues  briefly  glanced  down  at  his  shadow  before  focusing  on  the  blonde  again.  ❝  that's  because  i  didn't  want  to  be  found.  let's  just  say  if  anyone  had  found  me  at  the  time  ,  they  would  have  seen  me  making  some  questionable  life  choices.  ❞  placing  his  hands  on  his  hips  ,  he  snorted.  ❝  i  agree.  where's  my  happy  ending  ?  /  where's  my  prince  charming  ?  i'm  sure  a  kiss  would  make  everything  better.  ❞

"Well, yeah... 'course."

The bond he had with Sora was special, even more so than the bond he had with Terra and Aqua in some ways. When Xehanort had stripped the darkness from him and left him to die on Destiny Islands, it had been Sora who had saved him. Then again after his battle with Vanitas. He'd been with him ever since. Until he wasn't. He'd wanted to wake up, of course. Wanted to see his friends again but he'd felt weird without Sora – like part of him was missing. It had gotten worse after Sora had disappeared.

"Heh. S'not like I was looking but...I get what you mean. You were just a baby when our hearts met for the first time." Ventus hadn't fully been aware of Sora's presence back then, but he'd known something was there. After Sora had fully taken him into his heart, things had been different. He'd watched him grow up. "It's weird. We were together for so long. Then we weren't. So yeah. I've missed you. Guess I wanted a real relationship with you, y'know? Instead of just being the guy hitchhiking in your heart."

"Vanitas is with you?" Ventus asked. His relationship with Vanitas had been complicated. They were two sides of the same coin. He'd hated him at first but over the years, that hatred had faded. Perhaps it was Sora's influence, but he'd come to realise that Vanitas had been just as much of a victim as him. They had been ripped in two. "How is he?"

Ventus did care about what happened to Vanitas. He'd tried to extend an olive branch to his 'brother' before he'd disappeared.

"But why? I mean...I'm pretty sure that your friends would have followed you anywhere. I would. Guess I did for a while." Ventus couldn't pretend to know what was going on in Sora's head after the whole Xehanort business, but after being with him for so long, he probably had a better idea than most. "You deserve everything. I'm sorry for dragging you into everything. If you hadn't saved me all those years ago you might have lived a normal life."

Of course, Sora might still have been dragged into the world of Keyblade Wielders regardless. Terra had chosen Riku as his successor, after all, but the Keyblade had chosen Sora instead when the other boy had fallen to darkness.

"Yeah!" Ventus would like to think that Terra and Aqua would be able to tell them apart, but he honestly couldn't say for sure. They'd never known Roxas. Just like Xion had never known him. The only people who had really known them both were Lea and Isa, though they had only known him for a short time. He'd liked them though. He thought they could have become good friends if they'd had the chance to get to know each other properly.

"We could even pretend to be telepathic. Like we know what each other is thinking." He didn't think that it would be too far of a stretch for them to believe. They were bound through Sora, after all. They had a connection that nobody else could really understand.

"Kerro?" Tsuyu looked up from the mystery book she was reading on the couch. "Oh. Hey Shoto, thank you kerro, I didn't have lunch yet." She put the frog themed bookmark in the pages and closed the book.

Looking over she saw the soba noodles looking as good as ever. She looked around for some chopsticks and grabbed a plate.

Shoto split the dish equally between the two of them before moving to sit at the table. The noodles smelled good, though perhaps not as good as the dish his sister made, but he didn't think anything could compare. She was a great cook. She'd been forced to step into the role of homemaker after their mother had been sent away.

"Tiring," he admitted with a soft sigh. "But it's fine. I'm willing to put in the effort to catch up with the rest of you."

Aside from Bakugo, he was the only person from his class who hadn't received his provisional license. He had been frustrated at first, but he'd soon realised that it had been his own fault. He had tried to do everything by himself and his heated rivalry with Yoarashi had been his downfall.

"Oh, don't worry, pretty boy – you are the pretty one," Nyx assured with a smirk. He knew most people would probably consider him more 'handsome' than pretty, but either way, they were both attractive in their own ways. When they were together they always turned heads and Nyx knew many of the glaives were wondering if there was something more going on between them. There wasn't – at least not yet.

"You're right. I'll let you take the lead, just in case – you make a pretty shield," Nyx teased, though he was partly serious. Not because he was a coward, far from it, but because he was more than ready to start a fight after suffering through time with Petra. Dick had made the experience much better, but it didn't change that the guy managed to get under his skin.

"I mean, if you're offering," Nyx would never say no to a free meal, after all. "But nah, I was just aiming for the free drink. I can pay for my own food." Especially since he was pretty hungry. Then again, his fridge had been pretty empty that morning, so he hadn't eaten as much as he usually wood. He needed to go grocery shopping on the way home, which reminded him–

"Did you hear? Apparently the council wants to cut our pay." Nyx didn't bother to keep the bitterness from his tone. He only knew because Crowe had been stationed as a guard at the last council meeting; apparently the crownsguard had been low on people that day and she was the closest available person. Something the council likely hadn't noticed – or maybe they just didn't care. Wouldn't surprise Nyx if they felt superior enough to discuss such a thing right in front of their faces.

"Phew. That's like my whole thing." He was joking, of course. He could play the stereotypical dumb pretty boy when it suited him, but he'd rather get by on his skills. Still, it was funny to play the part in front of assholes like Petra if only because it made the man uncomfortable. Then again, there mere existence made him uncomfortable.

"A pretty shield, huh? Is that all I am to you?" He asked with a teasing smile. He didn't mind going first though. He was probably less likely to throw a punch right now. Not that he couldn't. Dick was just the sort of person who would try talking things through first. It was something that came out of growing up with Bruce. He'd spent years watching the man use charm and diplomacy to his advantage. "But fine. Guess that makes me your knight in shining armour, huh?"

"We'll see." Dick wasn't exactly loaded. When he'd moved out of Bruce's place, he'd been determined to do everything by himself. He hadn't wanted the man to financially support him, especially when other refugees were struggling. Besides, his parents hadn't had much. He was perfectly capable of living with the basics.

He honored Jason already in her mind as far as she was concerned. Sure, there was times where Dick worried her because of his adrenaline junkie nature. She knew deep down she would go off the deeper end if Dick died in the same manner as Jason did. She couldn't bear that.

Good. He listened to her command to keep behind so he didn't die from the blast that bastard resistance member attempted. As she made another resistance member pay with their life to bring up her past codename. Her warped mind thanks to Owlman's brainwashing made her act out in violence as a form of survival. To bring up her past meant death to those who dared. A fail safe as it were as Thomas Wayne Jr orchestrated it so he couldn't lose his most precious achievement taking a superhero from Earth-1 and mold her to his will.

Talon nodded and sprang into action. He had been waiting for that order – waiting for permission to let loose. A small smirk tugged at his lips. They had given them a choice, after all. Owlwoman ha given them the opportunity to surrender, but they had refused her offer of mercy. That was their fault. Besides, he was pretty ticked off that they had tried to blow them up. That was so not cool.

"Got it."

Most of the men were double his size, but Talon had learned to use his opponent's size against them. Plus there was always the element of surprise. They looked at him and saw a child. They thought him weak and that was their mistake. The last mistake they'd ever get to make.

Talon moved like an acrobat, elegant but lethal. His attackers couldn't hurt what they couldn't touch. He was too fast for them. By the time they'd clocked his position, he'd moved again. He was fast and efficient. No movement was wasted.

Within a matter of minutes, as expected, they were the only two standing. Talon wiped his blades clean of blood before sheathing them.

Regis offered Cor a soft smile. Outside of Clarus, his dutiful Shield, he knew that he could always trust Cor to have his back. The Marshal had been reckless in his youth, but Regis had always admired his tenacity and drive. Cor had only become more attractive as he had mellowed out some, but Regis had a duty to Lucis – and that meant procreation. Any budding feelings he held for the other male had been pushed to the wayside.

Regis had loved Aulea, but it seemed that his heart could not forget one of his first loves. He had never dared hope, but perhaps his own reckless move had opened up a door he had thought had been closed to him forever. Even if he had been aware of Cor's potential feelings towards him, acting upon his own feelings had seemed too risky. To think that it had actually taken him this long... Regis truly had his moments of foolishness still.

"You are correct, of course. As you say, you will always have a family with Noctis and I. You know my son adores you," he replied, feeling so utterly fond. It would be odd, to introduce Cor as his boyfriend to Noctis, but he truly did not think that his son would mind. With his mother having died whilst he was still so young, the addition of another 'father' would not taint his memory of her.

"You can keep up the act if you so desire around other people, but not in private. I would not wish such barriers between us," he offered, knowing Cor would likely struggle otherwise – and it would bring up a lot of unwanted questions, even if Regis had no intentions of hiding his new relationship.

"Now, let's get off the floor. Such an undignified place to confess – you truly deserve better." Whilst he was elated about the way things had developed, Regis had still been raised to do things the proper way. He could regret his impulsivity if only because of the location it had found place. It was a small struggle to get off of the floor, but with Cor's aid he managed.

"You will let me make it up to you, won't you, my dear? Dinner should be a good place to start. Flowers as well – it's been a while since I've ordered any personally..." Regis began muttering to himself, already making plans, not even considering that he might be moving too fast.

Noctis was a good kid. A damn adorable kid, but that might be him being biased. He'd been there the day the Prince was born, after all. He'd almost destroyed the Regalia in his haste to get Regis to the hospital in time to welcome his son into the world. Cor had fallen in love with the boy then and there. Part of the reason was because he was Regis's son, but the other part was because he was just so small. So innocent. Cor had made a silent vow that he'd protect him, not only as the Prince, but Regis's boy.

"Do you think he will approve?" However strong his feelings for Regis were, he would not act on them if the boy was against it. Cor knew how much Regis loved his son and the last thing he ever wanted to do was come between them. Noctis came first. Always, and Cor wouldn't have it any other way. "He adores me as your friend. Do you think he'd accept me as something more?"

Noctis was still so young. He might not understand, and even if he did, children could be...protective of their parents.

After pushing himself to his feet, Cor reached down to help the King up, keeping a careful hand on the man's arm to steady him. Once he was up, he loosened his grip, but he didn't move his hand away completely.

Russell had been standing a the same shelf, staring at the same page for a good five minutes, lost in thought over the latest scrap of information he'd been able to glean from the words he must have read over three times as his focus wavered. This one had to have something useful. Just one lead was all he needed, even if all it did was point to something else he could research more deeply instead. This wasn't going to be another dead end. He wouldn't let it be.

The sound of his name snapped him out of the depth of cycling thoughts. Russell slowly raised his gaze from the text to settle on a brightly smiling face. Despite the cloudy expression he'd worn just a moment before, he couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at the corner of his lips seeing Ed here now.

"Yeah, you're not wrong there."

The library at central was an alchemist's dream, even more so the areas restricted to State Alchemists. That was the main reason he'd joined the military in the first place. Their quest for the Philosopher's stone had no been an easy one and there were so few books that even mentioned it. It had been a means to an end and he'd been adament that only he needed to take the exam. He hadn't wanted Al to be a military dog too.

He didn't comment on the absence of Fletcher. There were a ton of reasons why he wasn't there – Alphonse wasn't currently with him, either. They were brothers, yes. But not always inseparable. Hell, for all he knew, Fletcher had gone looking for Al. They were pretty similar.

Barnabas stopped in his tracks, having just come from yet another unproductive council meeting. Sometimes he deeply regretted having joined the council and other times he was very grateful that he was not left out of the loop – especially with some of the decisions the others wished to make. The lack of logical thinking was frustrating to deal with, to say the least.

Cor was a person he could trust to be sensible. Their relationship was complicated, but that was nothing new in Barnabas' case. He kept most people at a distance, but Cor was one of the few who had his respect. They also worked well together, whenever the occasion called for it.

Even so, Cor still cared for people, which was evident in his line of questioning. "A bad influence? I suppose some might think so, if they desire to be narrow-minded," he replied, not bothering to outright deny it. He had assumed that Cor would find out about their lessons eventually, but they had come far enough now that he didn't think the prince would allow the marshal to interfere with them.

"I am simply teaching him how to protect himself." That was the truth, even if it was not that simple. He was sure Cor could read between the lines, at the very least. "We can only hope he won't need to put my lessons into practice, but a well maintained sword will protect him far better than a dull blade." A fitting metaphor, in his eyes. Cor might not agree with him, but Barnabas didn't always expect them to see eye to eye.

"Is your protectiveness the only reason you are seeking me out?"

Cor was only half joking about Barnabas being a bad influence. He trusted the man had good intentions. He trusted that the man was acting in what he believed to be the Prince's best interests. Noctis was young though. He had a good heart. Cor worried that Barnabas's teachings would be too much for the boy.

Barnabas had been an assassin. A damn good one. There were a lot of useful skills he could teach Noctis, but how to kill was the one that worried him the most. Taking a life was...difficult. It changed you. He knew that one day the boy might have to, and it would be better that he know to not hesitate, but still...

It didn't sit right with the man who had driven Regis to the hospital in such haste that they almost crashed when they had heard Aulea had gone into labour.

"He knows how to protect himself. You're teaching him how to eliminate a threat." Cor just hoped Barnabas knew what he was doing, because Noctis had grown fond of spending time with the man. He hadn't come out and said that, but Cor could tell. "I'm not here to tell you to stop. If I did, His Highness would be more determined to train with you. Just...don't push him too hard. He wants to impress you. When he wants to impress someone he can be...reckless."

as  he  stood  amidst  the  empty  street  in  twilight  town  ,  his  thoughts  veered  towards  roxas  ,  xion  ,  &  axel  ,  wondering  whatever  became  of  them  after  he  had  been  sent  to  quadratum  (  purgatory  )  upon  the  war's  end.  shaking  his  head  ,  he  was  about  to  summon  a  dark  corridor  to  leave  when  someone  screamed  his  name.  turning  his  head  ,  he  saw  a  familiar  face  ——  the  face  of  someone  he  held  a  special  connection  with.

he  didn't  think  anyone  would  recognize  him  given  how  much  he'd  changed  ,  but  he  supposed  the  bond  they  shared  had  something  to  do  with  it.  ❝  i  had  to  do  a  double  take  because  i  could  have  sworn  you  were  roxas  for  a  split  second.  ❞  jokingly  said  ,  somewhat.  it  was  hard  to  distinguish  the  two  blondes  from  each  other  by  merely  looking  at  their  face.  thankfully  though  ,  they  wore  different  outfits.

"Yeah...that tracks." Ventus admitted, reaching up with one hand to rub the back of his neck. It was still weird, getting mistaken for Roxas. He was getting used to it, but...yeah. It was weird. Especially considering Vanitas had ended up looking more like Sora. Seeing Roxas for the first time had been pretty wild. It wasn't just some passing resemblance. They were identical. "Suppose it doesn't help where we are."

Sometimes Ventus felt like a pretender. There were more people who mistook him for Roxas than the other way around. He'd been gone for ten years. Even the people who had known him back then had probably forgotten about him. He'd befriended Lea first, but Roxas was the one who had cemented a bond with him. Roxas had made more of an impact, he supposed.

"Good, I think. I guess everyone has been making up for lost time, you know? Living the lives they never got to before." Terra and Aqua had lost ten years of their lives. Xion, Roxas, and namine had been created. Some of them had been lost, others never supposed to exist, but Sora had found a way to bring them all back together. It was amazing, really.

"We missed you, you know? I mean...I know we only knew each other properly for a short time but...our hearts had known each other a lot longer." Sora had given him refuge, keeping him safe until it was time to wake up again. Ventus could never truly repay him for that. "We looked for you for a long time. Terra, Aqua and I searched the Realm of Darkness top to bottom."

Ventus had remained hidden himself though, hadn't he? Vanitas had searched for him for a long time.

To say that Izumi was disappointed would have to be a terrible understatement of how she felt that her pupils had went against her teachings. Had went against the very flow of the world, the very first lesson she ever taught them when their training began all those years ago.

The whole reason she would discourage it had been because she made that same mistake. Tried the impossible and paid for it. That was the price of trying to bring back her unborn child and that was the price that these boys paid for trying to bring back their mother.

How could she blame them for wanting their mother back?

She had that same feeling with wanting her child badly enough.

Even so, they had went against her and had learned the hard way.

"You went against the flow, you went against the very laws of nature and you went against the same thing I taught you to not do."

Her voice stern but wavering in its firmness, she was no idiot, she could see how he hurt. The look in his eyes, the admission..

What was she going to do with him?

A soft sigh escaped her lips, coming to the teen and leaning down to pull the boy into a hug.

Gentle. Comforting. That's what Edward needed right now.

Equivalent exchange was the first and most important law of alchemy. All alchemists, however skilled, knew that. It was the first thing Edward had learned about the subject back when he'd been reading his father's old books. Alchemy wasn't magic, after all, it was a science, and the bitter truth was that while a human body was simple enough to recreate, there was nothing that could compare to a human soul. That was why human transmutation was forbidden. They had just been children though. Two lonely boys who wanted to see their mother's face again.

It had been different with Alphonse. Ed had acted quickly enough to pull his brother's soul back before it had crossed through the gate. It had still been human transmutation, but after already committing the taboo once – after losing his leg, trading his arm to keep his brother hadn't been a difficult choice.

His obsession with finding the Philosopher's Stone wasn't born from a desire to attempt playing God again. The dead couldn't be brought back no matter how much you wanted them to. No. His mother was gone. Al though...Al was still alive. A human trapped in metal. If it had just been him, Edward would have left things be. He would have accepted the automail arm and leg as a reminder of his sins. He couldn't leave Al stuck in that suit of armour though.

What little composure the boy had shattered when Izumi pulled him in for a hug. He couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him. Maybe Winry? He slumped, his flesh hand moving to grip the fabric of her shirt for purchase.