Roy wasn't sure where they had come from. Every subordinate he'd questioned claimed that they hadn't slipped those plans into his paperwork, but somehow, they had ended up on his desk. In his prioritized basket, too. Which meant that whoever left the plans had access to classified military files. Quite concerning.
The mysterious plans contained a fearsome looking transmutation circle. Key symbols were rubbed out, of course, but Roy could tell what it was meant to do. It would transmute any metal within twenty feet of it into pure mercury. The myriad applications of this circle could cause such mayhem. Twenty foot pools of liquid mercury were a major hazard, especially if they showed up in a populated area without warning. And sure enough, the plans included a picture of that very transmutation circle next to a set of train tracks. If it were activated while a train crossed by it, whatever parts of the train, cargo, and passengers that weren't consumed by the mercury would surely be be destroyed. Included in the plans was a note telling him where he needed to be at what time in order to know exactly where this attack would happen and how to apprehend who was behind it. The amount of money he was asked to bring was ridiculous, but worth such valuable information, if it were true.
It turned out to be a big if, but as far as Roy could find out, the claim was credible. The photo hadn't been doctored and the transmutation was possible. None of his sources could confirm any other information, though. Roy's only choice was to make the meeting.
A burly man and woman met him in front of the public library as promised, and he went with them to a second location only because he knew Captain Hawkeye was tailing all three of them. The man waited with him outside a phone booth while the woman dialed a number. Trusting that it had been cleared of bugs beforehand, Roy took the receiver when it was offered him.
He was not expecting the voice on the other end. "Hey, Uncle Roy!"
Roy's jaw dropped. "Henry Elric, is that you?"
He laughed. "Your face must look hilarious right now. Dad would probably kill to see it."
Fullmetal's kid was involved with these spies? Who was the head of this network and how were they using the boy?
"Listen," Henry continued, "I wasn't intending on giving you this information myself. But my operative in charge of this case would've been compromised if they'd stayed in the city much longer and we didn't have time for anything else."
His operative? Henry was running this organization? "How -"
"You can ask me about my setup later. What you need is to know who's planning this attack and where to find them."
Henry was right. Though Roy was burning to know how Fullmetal's eldest had put together an operation that had found out things his agents (or for that matter, his mother's) had heard nothing about, there wasn't time for that. Besides, Roy knew where the kid lived.
The would be culprit behind the attack turned out to be a rogue alchemist with no ties to any known anti-establishment organization. It was for that reason that guys like him usually slipped through an intelligence network's cracks until they'd already worked their mayhem. Henry must have been keeping tabs on powerful alchemists in order to get the scoop on this. Roy wondered what kind of information Henry had on him. Another thing to ask the kid on his next trip to Risembool.
The information turned out to be well worth the exorbitant amount Henry had charged. Not only did he have the name and address of this alchemist, but he also had a handle on how he reacted when things got dicey, and weaknesses in his alchemy. When it came to apprehending the guy, all Roy had to do was fill in the blanks.
It was only when the alchemist was safely in custody, with all the forms filled out and Roy's name up for promotion again, that Roy and Captain Hawkeye made the trip to Risembool. They weren't without a sense of deja vu. Henry was only eleven, the same age Edward had been when Roy had recruited him. Though this time, there was no clerical error leading them to believe this kid was an adult.
As they stepped off the train, a kid peeled off from the group who were knocking tin cans off a fence with rocks. The things small town kids did to pass the time. As Henry walked up to them, Roy wondered if he had started the game so he'd have an excuse to wait for them by the train station.
"Uncle Roy, Aunt Riza," he said with a grin. "Long time no see."
"Sorry it's been awhile," said the captain.
"Yes," said Roy. "We've been busy, apprehending rogue alchemists and all."
"So I heard, so I heard."
"Yes, you do have very big ears, don't you? We weren't expecting that. I don't think you got them from your parents." From what Roy had been able to dig up, Fullmetal wasn't involved in his son's operation.
Henry shook his head. "Everyone in Risembool has big ears. It's a small town." Meaning that the boy didn't want to talk here. "Lemme show you my fort!"
He led them to a treehouse not far from his home. It was well made, for a treehouse. The roof and walls looked watertight and it would've taken Roy awhile to find the knot in the tree trunk that released the rope ladder. But this wasn't too surprising. Henry's mother was an engineer, after all. The inside wasn't much more impressive. The sunlight streaming in from the fort's only window illuminated a couple beanbag chairs, along with a few books, toys, and flashlights. A good playhouse for an eleven-year-old.
But Roy suspected this treehouse was Henry's base of operation. The walls were thick, thick enough for secret compartments. The fact that Henry had hit a knot on the tree in order to release the ladder meant that there were wires running through the trunk. Roy would have bet good money the kid had a telephone hooked up to his tree house.
"You guys are lucky," said Henry. "I almost never let grown ups in here. I only use them when I have to."
Roy raised an eyebrow. "So most of your operatives are children?"
"Anyone ever tell you that children should be seen and not heard? It applies to spies, too. People aren't suspicious of children. They talk around us like we're not there. They say stuff in front of kids that they'd never say around other grown ups. Being a kid is a great information gathering move."
"How much do your parents know about this?" asked the captain.
"They know I've been up to something. But they've probably figured it all out by now. They're not stupid."
Roy had to agree. "Not stupid" was the least that could be said of Fullmetal and his wife.
"And they're okay with it?" the captain asked.
"They keep a close eye on me. They made me promise to ask them for help if I'm getting in over my head. It's good to have some reserve forces I can call in if I need to."
Roy couldn't help but smirk at the idea of a kid referring to his parents as "reserve forces." And Roy had to admit he had thought of Edward that way too from time to time. "So why espionage?" he asked Henry. "What made you decide to put your talents to use this way?"
"My dad tells weird bedtime stories. I don't think he's told you this. He tells us about the little alchemist and his armor brother and their adventures fighting monsters."
Roy had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "The little alchemist?"
Henry grinned. "Fits right in with the little engine that could, doesn't it? The little mermaid, the little prince. Little red riding hood," he added with a chuckle. "None of the characters in my dad's stories have names. Except for the monsters, of course. He talks about the Xingese prince, or the scar faced Ishvalan - though I guess he didn't have a name to begin with. The man in the white suit. The colonel" - he looked right in Roy's eyes as he said this - "and his lieutenant."
He looked at the captain for just a moment before continuing. "Those stories, they're not supposed to be about real people. They're wacko fairy tales. Except my dad was a little alchemist who had an armored brother and served under a colonel who could shoot flames out of his fingertips. I started figuring this out when I was seven. And my dad wouldn't confirm or deny how real those stories were, because if they were real, then they'd be top secret, wouldn't they? So I did my own research, to fill in the blanks. And there were a ton of messed up things he left out. Like the time he got impaled. And the philosopher stone-powered zombies that ate people. Nina Tucker." He said that last name more quietly.
"Anyway, you don't figure all this out without doing a little spying, without making a few contacts. So I decided to take what I had and grow it. I like knowing things. It's fun to know them before anyone else does, too. Not to mention it makes good money. My operatives need that. Most of them are street kids who don't have anybody. So I teach them how to find things out. How to fight. How to use codes. How to survive. And I pay them like they're grown ups with good jobs. Now they can take care of themselves and they don't have to worry where their next meal is coming from. Plus it's exciting, being a spy."
"You don't worry about putting them in danger?" asked Roy.
"Sure I do," said Henry. "That's why I have them work in pairs. And I hire grown ups when I have to. No matter what, it's safer than a lot of stuff that happens to street kids."
Roy supposed Henry was right. Besides, Roy had little room to talk when it came to putting children in danger.
"And I can count on you guys, too, right? To step in if things go wrong? You guys know more about this than any grown up in the world. And you know I don't tell secrets for free."
Roy smirked. "Equivalent exchange, huh?"
Before Roy would agree, the captain asked, "Why don't you tell us what information you have on the general, here?"
Henry laughed right out loud. "What, you think I'd blackmail you, Uncle Roy, Aunt Riza? Dad would ground me if he knew!"
Roy had his doubts. "Oh he would, wouldn't he?"
"Of course he would. He'd think it's embarrassing. Besides, all the best dirt on you is stuff anyone with half a brain could figure out. Useless as flame alchemy on a rainy day. I keep an eye on powerful alchemists so I can keep them from doing something heinous. All your heinous acts are in the past, so what can I do about that? Besides, Aunt Riza, isn't it your job to keep him from doing those things?"
The captain nodded. "That it is."
"So you can trust me. And I can trust you, right?" He held out his hand.
The captain took it. "Yes. You can consider us on call for any emergencies."
"Awesome. Let's go to my actual house. Your grown up bodies are probably all cramped from being in here. And we're having stew for dinner!"
Roy didn't say anything to Edward, but he was sure he would be proud of the work his kid was doing. Knowing someone out there was doing something to keep alchemists in line would sure help Roy, at least, sleep better at night. And while Roy wasn't exactly starving for more information sources, an asset was an asset. Henry and his treehouse club had proven useful just now and would probably prove useful in the future.
One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to look at a pair of street kids the same way ever again.