Chapter Two
"Brother?" Al asked while Ed showered in Central Headquarters. He tried not to look at Ed showering. Just because she took on a male persona didn't mean that she was physically male, and it definitely didn't mean that the stalls in the shower covered her chest.
"You can call me your sister if you want," Ed said. "We're alone right now."
"Well..." Al trailed off. Ed didn't know about the girl inside of his armor, so he would continue calling her his brother for now. "Are you upset about what happened with Ling?"
"He's still alive," Ed said. "We're going to get him back." She would deal with it later. "Oh, and he knows about me."
"What?" Al asked.
"He knows that I'm a girl," Ed repeated. "And the homunculi do too apparently. Along with King Bradley."
"Wait, King Bradley knows?!" Al exclaimed. "How could he have let you into the military under a false persona then?!"
"That's what I asked Envy," Ed said with a sigh. "He said something about Bradley not wanting to scare me away. They needed us to look for the stone. Something about us being needed for sacrifice?"
"Brother, I never thought I'd say this, but I think you need to leave the military," Al said. "It doesn't seem like it's doing us any good. Everyone we know is being put in danger and the military is manipulating it all through King Bradley."
"I've been thinking about it," Ed said as she stepped out of the shower, toweling herself off before wrapping the towel around her waist.
"Can you please put on a shirt?" Al asked.
The door suddenly slammed open with Envy shouting, "Yo! What's the hold u-?!" Envy stopped in his tracks as he stared at Ed and Ed stared at him.
The scream could have been heard halfway across Central city.
When Envy opened the door to King Bradley's office, Ed immediately spotted Mustang sitting and Bradley's round table.
"Colonel?" Ed asked. "What's going on?
"Where should I begin? Fuery's been shipped south, Falman's been sent up north, Breda's been reassigned at the west, Lieutenant Hawkeye is now a personal assistant to the Fuehrer," Mustang explained.
"Please, sit down, Fullmetal," King Bradley ordered. "We have some personal things to discuss."
Ed and Al shared a look of suspicion before sitting down beside Mustang. They all knew this wasn't going to end well.
"Furher," Ed began. "So what was that in the hospital the day you came to visit me? You really had us going, didn't you?"
"I don't recall lying," Bradley spoke. "I instructed you to suspect everyone and not to meddle further. The only thing you need to know is that you're important to us and there's no need for you to dig any deeper. Accept the importance of your role and keep your heads down. You do that and no harm will come to you."
"Well that's great for us," Ed said cynically. "But what about the others that aren't 'lucky' enough to be considered sacrifices?"
"There's nothing you need to know that I haven't already told you," Bradley said. "Is that clear, Fullmetal Alchemist?"
Ed laughed. "You gave that to me as my title. I only joined the military because I thought it might help us get our bodies back. But now...now I know what the State Alchemist program really is. You're using it as a way to recruit your sacrifices. Well, I'm not gonna let you use me to complete your sick goals." Ed threw her bloodied watch onto the table. "I resign my title as a State Alchemist!"
Bradley looked down at the pocket watch sitting in front of him. "The symbol of a dog, fittingly crusted with blood," Bradley stated.
"Your plans are gonna fail," Ed sad. "I swear on my own grave that I'm gonna stop you. I'll warn the other State Alchemists. I'll tell them-!"
"But if you tell a secret of mine, I must tell a secret of yours," Bradley interrupted. "Isn't that how equivalent exchange works, Edelle?"
"What is he talking about?" Mustang asked, snapping his head away from Bradley and to Ed.
"That won't work," Ed said. "It won't. There are others that already know about that."
"Fine, if that won't work, then what was that lovely young girl's name again?" Bradley asked. "Ah, yes, it's Winry Rockbell. Your automail engineer. And you grew up with her in Resembool as well, if I'm not mistaken. She's practically a family member isn't she?" Ed tensed. "I've heard she's made quite the name for herself in Rush Valley. Such a sweet and trusting girl."
Ed jumped from her chair. "You stay away from her! Just leave her out of this!" Winry had nothing to do with any of this and Ed didn't want her involved.
"Well, that's up to you." Bradley tossed the pocket watch back into Ed's hands. "If you'd rather not take it, then I'll simply have to cut her down." Ed glared at the man as she pocketed the watch. "How thoughtful."
"Uh, sir, you don't have to worry about us," Alphonse said. "But I have to ask; if we continue to serve under your watch, can we please continue to keep searching for a way to get our original bodies back? Please, sir."
"I don't see why not," Bradley said. "As long as you don't interfere with our plans. And what do you have in mind, Colonel? You wouldn't do something so petty as to leave the military."
"Good question; I'm on a short leash here," Mustang said in thought. "I still find that preferable to giving up. And I still have my ambitions; your plans don't change that." He held up his own pocket watch. "So I'll hang onto this. And I'll retain my rank too."
"That's fine with me; we have nothing more to discuss," Bradley said as the three stood and exited the room.
Once the three were safely out of the room, Mustang turned to Ed.
"What the hell was he talking about in there?" Mustang asked. "He called you Edelle."
"Oh, I was hoping you wouldn't catch onto that..." Ed trailed off. "You got any change?"
"Why?" Mustang asked, pulling out some change from his pocket, which Ed swiped from him.
"Damn, is that all you got?" Ed asked.
"It's apparently more than you've got!" Mustang exclaimed.
"Thanks!" Ed shouted, running away from the man with Alphonse.
"And he didn't answer me," Mustang said with a sigh.