[Here the names of the Homunculi are based on the manga, not the first FMA anime]

It was dark in the underground. The only source of light was the gigantic machine that stood in the middle of this vast room. It illuminated a kind of light that made the room appear more mysterious.

Three shadows could be seen only. They were looking at a certain direction-towards the machine.

'So,that Flame Alchemist is causing some problems, I see',the man sitting on that machine like thing said.

'Father,he killed Lust. Do you think it's wise to keep him alive? He's only creating trouble for us.', a homunculus named Envy said.

'I think we better keep him alive. His friend Hughes died and he got agitated. If he dies now,it'll create suspicion.',Wrath aka Bradley said,the Fuhrer of the country.

'Are you saying you're afraid?',Envy said rather angrily.

'No, I'm not afraid. I'm saying this because it'll be beneficial for us.', Wrath replied

'Wrath, what are you planning exactly?', the man whom they were calling Father, asked.

'Father, seems like this Mustang man isn't that strong from the inside as he seems to be. He's still soft inside. I don't quite understand how that could be possible after the war, but yes,he still cares for the lives of the people near him. The death of Hughes hit him hard but it seems he was able to control himself. And it also seems like his subordinate Hawkeye tamed his wild heart back then. Which makes me feel – if we can take Hawkeye in our control, we may find a way to use Mustang the way we wish.' A meaningful smirk crossed his face.

'Do you think it will work? The woman is just a subordinate.', Envy said. Much controlled right now.

'Envy, don't you still understand that humans are not that rational! They don't care about anything more than their loved ones. They are not just smart enough.'

'Ok, Wrath, I'm giving you the duty. Clear this mess up quickly.', the golden haired Father said.

'As you wish Father', Wrath said.

It was raining slightly. Around 9-10 people were standing in that rain. Two or three of them had umbrellas, the others didn't. Sadness was clear in their faces...He was gone... He used to be a lively person after all. At least until the war sucked away all the life in him...

All of them were looking at the marble tombstone which read - 'Ken Benner, died at the age of 22'

Riza's sharp memory was continuously reminding her that the person walking beside her could never be the same Ken Benner. Because she herself was present at his funeral! That young lad was too soft to endure the pain that he brought along from the battlefield and died two or three weeks after that. Riza knew very well that someone was impersonating her dead friend but she acted like she didn't know. Because whoever it was acting as her friend, was unaware that she knew the truth and it was a golden chance to know the reason why that person was doing this. This anonymous surely had some motive to accomplish and it had to do something with Colonel. So, she wanted to keep this man away from Colonel and Colonel would be safe at the HQ, after all he knew how to take care of himself...

This brought back another memory. The memory in which she was sitting on a bench outside the Rockbell house when she and Colonel went to invite Edward Elric for the state alchemist test. Then a little girl named Winry Rockbell came and sat beside her. The girl said,'I don't like military'. Young Riza said,'I also don't like it'. Winry was surprised to hear the answer and asked,'But you're working for the military. If you don't like it then why are you doing this job?' 'Because there is someone I wish to protect',she replied in a determined voice...Yes,she wanted to protect him from all the dangers. Because without him life would be meaningless for her. And here she is, playing with her own life, for the sake of the man she loved. 'Please be safe, Colonel',she wished only this.