Vic and the Secret Door, Ch. 2

"Vic and the Secret Door"
Chapter 2  -- "Picturesque"

His blond eyebrow twitched as his fist clenched.  "Alright," Ed said through gritted teeth, "you're pretty good at imitating people, I'll give you that.  But that doesn't explain how you know my name."

Vic spread his hands, at a loss for an explanation that they would accept.  Al sighed, still trying to stop laughing.  "Brother, you really shouldn't be worried about that, you know."

"Oh yeah?" Ed still looked like he could slap his hands together at any moment and send the guy flying through the air via a shaft of transmuted stone.  Preferably shaped like a massive fist.  

"Honestly guys," Vic interrupted, pushing himself to his feet and brushing the dust and grass off his pants, "I don't exactly know what's going on here, but I'd really like to figure out where I am and how to get… home…" He looked down at Ed, a bit surprised.  "Wow… you really are that sh---"  Al made a quiet whimpering noise of warning.

"Say it.  Just say it." Ed clenched his fist, shaking.  A loud grinding noise emitted from his clenched teeth.  "I dare you."

Rightfully fearing for his life, Vic shut up and looked around, taking a cautious step away from the moody teenager.  He looked around for the first time, really taking in where he was.  

Of course, the train still clattered by noisily, steam billowing from the engine as it travelled along the tracks that split the field they stood in.  The sky was a bright blue, a few clouds floating along cheerily.  Birds sang in the trees that shaded a small, open-air station platform.  A dirt road, lined with a stone barrier, led into an equally small picturesque village.  The air was warm but pleasant, carrying the smells of sheep, cows and crops ready to be harvested.  Far into the distance, a two story house was visible.  Closer, the sound of children laughing carried on the wind.  Closer, though, a car idled… but nothing like what Vic was used to.  It looked like something straight out of a black and white movie or a classic car parade.  

The postcard scene was offset, of course, by the giggling armor and angry beansprout standing close at hand.  

Finally Vic threw his hands in the air.  "I give up, this is a funny joke guys.  Michele? Travis? Whose idea was this?" he shouted to the field around them.  "Where did you find the good cosplayers? I'm impressed, ok? Best I've ever seen.  Very funny.  Next they're gonna try transmuting, right? And then there'll be these amazing special effects that you and some of the sound guys pulled together, right?"

"Off his roooocker…" Ed murmured in a sing-song to his brother.  Louder, he continued, his anger suddenly forgotten as he bounced to the next subject on his mind.  "Riiight then… why don't we get going, Al…"

Vic stuck out his lip in a mock pout.  "Aww, I was hoping for the alchemy demonstration…"  He thought he'd figured it all out – A big joke made the most sense, after all – and if they'd gone THIS far, planning-wise, he was sure they'd figured out alchemy.

"You really want to see alchemy, old man? Sure, why not."  Always eager to show off, Ed clapped his hands and pressed them to the ground.    A larger-than-life-sized statue of the small state alchemist formed itself from the ground, blue lightning lingering around it momentarily.  The face of the statue was glaring, tongue sticking out disrespectfully.  

Vic sat down hard on the ground once more, out of pure shock.

"Uhm, brother?" the echoey voice of Alphonse ventured, "I think you might have… scared him." With agility that a suit of armor should never have, he spun and knelt next to the wide-eyed Vic.  "Mister? Are you alright? It's just alchemy…"

Vic nodded.  "Right.  Just alchemy.  An everyday occurrence."  His mind raced.  Get a hold of yourself.  Something's gone horribly wrong… or horribly right.  I'm in Amestris.  That would be Risembool, then.  These are Ed and Al.  REALLY Ed and Al.  Alright then.  Pull yourself together.  Just take things as they come.  It's an adventure.   He stood once more and sighed, psyching himself up.  "Okay, very nice, um… very nice work.  I'm impressed," he said, looking at the statue.  

"Glad you're happy," Ed replied, rolling his eyes.  "C'mon, Al, we've gotta get going."  The suit of armor nodded and started walking towards the village.  

Vic grinned.  "Winry waiting for you?"

"None of your--- HEY!" Ed ran up to him, eyes blazing.  "Alright, who are you, REALLY? How do you know about Winry?  How do you know so much about us?"

Vic shrugged, trying to rack his brain for a suitable explanation.  "You're the world-famous Elric Brothers.  The oldest brother, Ed, and the younger brother in the armor, Al."  This seemed to appease Ed somewhat, and he continued.  "Everyone knows about you, plus I told you, I'm your voice."

"Yeah, yeah, sure.   You're a great impersonator."

"No, I'm your voi- oh nevermind."

"Whatever you say, Pops." Ed waved the comment aside.  "But that doesn't explain how you know about Winry."

"She's a famous automail mechanic?" he offered, shrugging.

Al nodded in agreement.  "She IS the best, brother… He's got a point."

Ed still looked at Vic with suspicion, but didn't say anything more.  Turning on his heel, he marched down the road toward the two-story house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are you still following us?" Ed asked a few minutes later, turning back to see the bedraggled man walking a few paces behind.  

"So it would seem," Vic answered.  He hadn't found a better direction to go, after all.  He was stuck in a world he thought only existed behind a television set.

"I don't pick up strays, that's Al's job," Ed shot back.  

"Hey! The kitten was a one-time thing," Al interjected.  

"That's beside the point," Ed replied.  "The point is --"

His answer was cut short by a deep rumble that seemed to come from all around them.  Light flashed in the sky, and what could only be described as a giant rectangle of emptiness simply opened up in the air.  A black-clad figure fell from the empty space, tumbling to the ground head over heels and landing with a loud "Oof!" in the grassy field nearby.  A sword and scabbard flew from the gap behind him, stabbing the earth about a foot away from the man's head.  With no sound whatsoever, the space of emptiness closed, and the sky resumed its normal look.

"Oh no, not another one," Al moaned.  

"Another one?" Vic questioned.  

"Yeah, that's how we found you, Pops," Ed hollered over his shoulder as he ran towards the spot where the newcomer had fallen.  

"Are you alright?" Al called as he ran, the armor thunking and clanging in rhythm.    

The man sat up, holding his bald, highly reflective (and now somewhat bloody) head.  "Owww… just my luck."  He reached for the sword and yanked it out of the ground.  "Somebody's gonna pay for that," he muttered.  He looked up and saw the three running towards him.  Instantly on the defensive, he jumped to his feet, ignoring the trickle of blood that ran down past his left eyebrow and dripped off his chin.  

"Mister, are you alright?" Al repeated.  "You fell!"

"No kidding, I hadn't noticed that.  Thanks for pointing it out." He grinned at his own sarcasm.  The slightly rumpled uniform fell back into place as he pressed his feet into the ground, fighting for a good foothold.  His sword was held loosely in his left hand, the scabbard in the right, ready for anything.

Ed glared at him, going into an equally battle-ready position.  "We're not here to hurt you," he cautioned.  "We just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt." Nevertheless, he was prepared to fight if necessary – as always.

Vic ran up next to the two Elric Brothers, slightly out of breath.  He took one glance at the newcomer and his eyes widened like saucers.  "Ikkaku?!"

End Chapter.