Nights on patrol were dull. There was no action around here at this time of night. The Resistance struck during the day, contrary to the preferred military strategy of attacking at night, when officers were visually vulnerable.

The Resistance was local, probably composed of citizens unhappy with our new government. One wouldn't think that a bunch of merchants and shopkeepers were a serious threat to an armed and trained officer, even if he was outnumbered. Well, think again. The Resistance was deadly. Groups of officers had fallen to only one or two assailants.

Nikolas Hiller, our Fuhrer after Mustang had been "impeached", was a dictator. He ruled Amestrus with an iron fist, taking our once proud nation and turning it into a nightmare. No one was safe anymore. Fear gripped the nation tighter than chains, in which many people were now literally bound. The Resistance was the only thing brave enough to take a stand.

As for me, I'd been forced out of my peaceful life in Risembool and back into military uniform as an Officer of the Secret Police, with the "promise" that my loved ones would receive the highest level of protection. The "as long as you behave" end of that sentence didn't need to be said. I heard it clear as crystal. In short, I was told, "Do what you're told, Elric, or everyone you've ever loved dies where they stand."

In short, I was a military lapdog again.

It was my job to arrest suspected traitors, who were really innocent men and we all knew it. I had to take them to the Chambers, where all prisoners were "interrogated" (tortured) for information they didn't have. And then, when I was unlucky, I had to patrol the Chambers. I wore earplugs to shut out the screaming. I had enough nightmares as it was anyway.

So now I patrolled up and down Cherry Street, twirling my nightstick and completely unsuspecting of trouble.

So of course I was completely shocked to be rushed at from behind and swiftly stabbed in the heel. Before I could even fully comprehend what the hell was going on, a hoarse voice ordered, "Bag 'em and gag 'em."

I struggled, of course, but they forced a cloth in my mouth, all the way down, until I choked, and hefted me into what felt like a flour sack. I heard people laughing about how I actually fit inside the flour sack and I kicked out in anger. For punishment they shook the bag, hard. I gave up, steam coming out of my ears.

"-boss is gonna love this," a voice whispered, distracting me from my steaming. The voice was too low to determine if it was male or female.

"Yeah she is." She? The head of the Resistance is female? "I can't wait to see the look on his-"they shook the bag- "face. Priceless," they said with relish.

"Hush now. We're almost there and we're being watched."

I heard voices, lots of them, and then I was stuffed into some type of tube or tunnel and pushed. I could feel myself falling, and I landed on hard ground, letting out an "oof" as I did.

I was picked up again, hearing a disgruntled voice mutter about my weight. Then, without warning, I was dumped on the ground, tumbling out of the sack with my rear in the air and my face in the dirt. I heard snickers from behind me and I turned around to glare at them, sitting up.

They had ballroom masks on, so I couldn't see their faces well enough to identify them. But they were female, and younger. Teens at the oldest.

"The boss wants to see you," they said in unison. My first thought was, twins.

"Okay?" I was confused. "Am I in trouble?" I asked sarcastically.

They didn't answer. Instead they grabbed me under my arms and hauled me away. I felt silk brush against me and suddenly I was in a brightly lit blue silk tent, a striking contrast to the hard packed dirt outside.

The girls dropped me on a chair and stood right by my head. I had no doubts whatsoever that they had their hands clenched around the handles of their knives, ready to strike.

I ventured talking after a few minutes. "So… I'm guessing you two are sisters?"

I noticed one had dark hair. "Well, aren't you clever," she answered coldly. I nicknamed her "Ice".

The other one, a blond, continued, "Twins, actually." Her voice was friendlier.

"So," I asked. "Which one of you is the one I do not want to cross?"

They both smiled, inviting me to guess. I nodded my head toward the blond, betting on irony.

She smiled widely. Ice grimaced. "I'm the gentler sister," she said.

Could have fooled me.

Several minutes later the tent flaps parted, and in walked a tall figure, cloaked in black. The girls at my side saluted. The woman smiled. "At ease, lieutenants." The girls relaxed at my sides.

"What do you want with me?" I demanded, earning a jab in the ribs from the "gentle" sister.

The woman didn't answer. She took off her cloak, and a blond ponytail fell to brush her back. She took off her mask, keeping her back to me. She took a deep breath and turned around. My jaw fell open and my eyes went wide. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"W-Winry!" I gasped, choking on the name. "What the- I thought- but how?"

"It's a long story," my childhood friend sighed, sitting down in another chair. "And not necessary to tell. Now," she leaned close, narrowing her blue eyes. "What am I going to do with you?"

This wasn't the Winry I knew. She seemed older, wiser, and colder. I felt my hands tremble- she radiated authority.

She studied me hard, looking me up and down several times before letting out a sigh. "Reyna, Anna, leave us. I think we need to talk in private."

"But-"Ice protested.

"Reyna." Winry fixed Ice, Reyna, with an icy stare. "That's an order. I appreciate your concern, but I assure you I'll be just fine alone with him."

"Yes, ma'am," Reyna mumbled, taking Anna's arm and leading her out of the tent. She looked back. "We'll be right outside," she said, half promise, half warning.

Winry watched them go. "They're good lieutenants. The best. But they're overprotective." She sighed and turned to me. "Hello, Ed."

I smiled a bit. "Hey, gearhead."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I wish we didn't have to meet like this- as prisoner and interrogator. But I need your information. I'm asking as a friend, Ed." She looked me right in the eye, pleading. "Help me stop this."

I sighed. "I don't really know anything."
She regarded me, trying to discern if I was telling the truth. "But you must know something," she insisted, not giving up. "Anything."

"Well, unless you count the fact that I patrol the Chambers and I know the majority of the torture instruments used, no. Oh, and that the Fuhrer has a special room where he tortures prisoners himself. It's heavily guarded, and only select prisoners are taken in there."

She nodded. "Go on."

I thought for a second. "Hiller tortures the prisoners himself. He tends to favor surgical tools over actual torture devices. And I know he goes slow-"my voice cracked at the memory, "-to draw out their screams." My tone was icy.

She nodded again. "That's all?"

I nodded. "That's all," I whispered. All I can do for my country, I thought bitterly.

Winry sighed. "Thank you, Ed." She tried to hide her disappointment. "You can do one more thing for me."

"And what is that?"

"We're planning an attack tonight. We could use the extra hand, and you have a disguise." She curled her lip at my military uniform. "You'll be helpful."

It wasn't much, but at least I got to do this. "I'm in."

Winry beamed. She hugged me, and when she pulled away I grabbed her face and pressed my lips to hers, catching her off guard. After a few minutes… hours… I pulled away, grinning. She blinked and apparently decided to not react. "Reyna. Anna." They appeared at once. "Get him ready. He's coming with us."

They nodded, Anna smiling and Reyna rolling her eyes. They told me we were going to attack a patrol of officers taking some Resistance captives to the Chambers. Within minutes we were up on the streets and moving swiftly. When we got close to our target, Winry whispered, "Good luck," and slipped away into the darkness. I strolled along, like I always did, twirling my nightstick. I nodded to the officers as I passed.

I kept walking, pretending to drop my nightstick. One of the officers bent to help me pick it up and a loud yell sounded from the group. We whirled around and saw caped figures diving in and out of the group, steel knives flashing in the streetlights. Within minutes all officers were on the ground, unconscious and bleeding.

Winry was out of breath. "Excellent work," she panted. "Back to base." She turned to me. "Thank you Ed."

I opened my mouth to say something when I was cut off by the shrill whistle blowing in the night. I recognized it at once. "Run!" I yelled, pushing Winry into a dark corner of the street and covering her body with mine as five officers ran by, brandishing guns.

"Ed," Winry whispered. "You know we can't-"

"I know," I mumbled. We had the same plan in mind. I gripped her arm, kissed her forehead, and hauled her out into the street, yelling, "I found her! I've caught the leader of the Resistance!"