Part 3

Part 3

The train ride to Central had a very different feel to it than the one to Dublith. Alphonse's eager enthusiasm had been dampened by the reality of the dangers of the situation they were heading into. Ed found himself doing a lot of thinking, and even less inclined to try general conversation with Colonel Mustang.

The first day, when Mustang first left the car to get something to eat, Alphonse looked over at Ed almost immediately. "Edward. Do you still think we should be doing this? I mean, if it's that dangerous… we're not trained fighters."

"We're better than some," Ed countered with a sigh. "After all, we've been training our bodies as long as we've been doing alchemy. And now," he held up his hands and looked at them, remembered the night before, and the strangely wonderful feeling it had given him to simply put his hands together and transmute without taking the time to draw a circle. Alphonse had been able to do it too, a prize, it seemed, for daring to risk his own life to save his brother. Or at least, that was the best explanation they had. "Without having to draw a circle, can you imagine how fast we could pull off alchemy in a fight?" He was a little less impressed now with Mustang's special gloves that Alphonse has asked about on the way to Dublith.

"You sound like you want to," Alphonse replied softly.

Ed looked up at his brother. "It's not a question of want, Al," he replied. In truth, the idea actually held a lot of appeal, but his brother was so peaceful by nature. He was still a little surprised that Alphonse had come at all. "Look. If these homunculi are at fault for war and are going to cause problems and, and I created one of them, then that makes this whole mess at least partly my fault," he admitted. He didn't want to tell his brother his other reasons for joining the military. Alphonse still looked up to him for some reason, and he'd be hurt, Ed suspected, if he heard about Ed's baser ambitions.

"I understand," Alphonse nodded. "We'll fix things, Brother," he smiled encouragingly.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, and it looks like this is the best way to do it." He just hoped they weren't stepping into something messier than they really could handle. Either way, he would make sure nothing happened to Alphonse. His brother was the only real family he had left.

They arrived in Central on a gray, rainy morning. Ed looked around as they walked down the platform and out onto the street. "Nice play you've got here," he commented dryly to Mustang.

"It's not much, but we call it home," Mustang replied with the same stinging wit. "Let's go, boys. I need to have a word with superiors and see if we can get you into the exam in the first place."

Ed nodded. He'd known that was going to be a potential stumbling block. "When is the exam anyway?" He knew some people studied for months for this thing, some for years.

"Next week," Mustang replied.

"Next week!" Ed looked up at him.

"Afraid you won't pass, Edward?" Mustang smirked.

"No," Ed scoffed, covering his surprise. "You're a sadistic son of a pregnant dog you know that?"

Mustang chuckled. "I try."

Yeah, Ed definitely didn't like this guy. Good thing you didn't have to like superiors, or he'd already be in trouble.

They actually walked to Military Headquarters. Not that Ed or Alphonse minded, after all, they walked everywhere in Resembool. It was a good chance to get a feel for the place too. Even on a rainy day the city was bustling with people going about their business. Ed tried not to stare like some tourist kid as he took it all in. He really liked the energy, the potential in a city like this one he decided.

When they arrived at Central they went to Mustang's office which, Ed discovered quickly, really was a recent acquisition. There were boxes everywhere, and staff working to get things set up, or sitting at desks doing other work.

One of the men, a heavy-set guy with red hair looked up and grinned. "Well look who's back. Welcome 'home', Colonel."

"Thanks, Breda," Mustang nodded as he went to his desk and dropped his bag behind it for the moment.

"These require your attention, Colonel," a good looking blonde dropped a stack of papers on Mustang's desk, her expression was all business, and her tone firm, one note short of giving orders herself even though she was, Ed thought, a Lieutenant. He was trying to remember what the insignia all meant. They had covered them briefly in school at one point. Now he wished he had paid a little more attention.

"I'll get on them, Hawkeye," Mustang sighed, eyeing the papers distastefully.

"See that you do, Sir," she replied. "Also, that meeting you wanted scheduled with General Hakuro is scheduled in half an hour."

"Fast," Mustang smirked. "Good work."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Here's your messages, Colonel," a tall blonde guy with a cigarette in his mouth held out a list. He gave him a brief glare. "Clarice and Donna called twice yesterday."

"Excellent," Mustang chuckled. He paused, then looked back at the boys as if he had just remembered they were there. "Edward, Alphonse, this is Lieutenants Hawkeye, Havoc, and Breda. Follow their orders and stay out of trouble while I'm taking care of things."

"Excuse me, Sir," Breda looked at Ed and Alphonse. "Who are these kids?"

"Oh," Mustang chuckled. "This is Edward and Alphonse Elric. They're interested in becoming State Alchemists."

"Kids, as state alchemists?" Havoc looked at them contemplatively. "Interesting. Will the Fuhrer even let kids take the exam?"

Mustang headed for the door, pausing before he closed it behind him. "That's what we're about to find out." Then he was gone, leaving the boys standing in his office with a bunch of totally new faces.

Havoc stretched and shrugged. "Get comfortable," he commented wryly. "You're probably in for a long wait."

"Yeah," Breda chuckled. "Though if anyone can talk the General into letting you boys take that test, it's Mustang."

"Oh? Are they friends?" Alphonse asked curiously.

That was met with roaring laughter that made Ed scowl. These guys weren't taking them seriously.

"No, definitely not," Havoc finally chuckled an answer. "But the military's pretty desperate for State Alchemists lately; lost quite a few before that Scar guy did himself in."

"Scar; the serial killer?" Ed guessed.

"That's him," Breda nodded. "Crazy Ishballan who was going around on some vengeance kick, killing State Alchemists. Then he tried something out in this little Eastern city called Liore, and turned the whole place to sand in minutes."

"How did he do that?" Ed asked, eyes going wide.

Havoc shrugged. "Not sure really. Mustang's the Alchemist, not us. He said Scar was trying to make something."

"The Philosopher's Stone," Ed muttered to himself.

That got him looks from all three of the soldiers in the office, especially Hawkeye. "So, you've heard of it," she commented softly.

"Well, yeah," Ed shrugged.

"I wouldn't recommend talking about it outside of this office," Havoc suggested. "It's a pretty dangerous subject right now."

"So I figured," Ed sighed. "That blow-hard Mustang gave us a little information on the way in, but I get the feeling we don't have the whole story."

That comment got him further scowls.

"The Colonel's the best Alchemist the Military's got," Breda commented. "He's had it rougher than most of us, and he deserves respect, especially from a little runt like you."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET?!"

"Brother!" Alphonse sighed and grabbed his shirt. "Please forgive him, Sirs. He's a little…."

"Spastic," Havoc smirked, then sighed. "Well I suppose if Mustang thinks you're worth the trouble you can't be a complete waste of talent. So you boys are alchemists."

Ed pulled himself free of Alphonse's grasp. "Darn right," he smirked. "Good ones too."

"We'll see if you're good enough if you pass the State Exam," Hawkeye commented with a shrug. She didn't seem to be bothered as much by them; but she was all business; definitely one to watch. "But you won't cause trouble for the, Colonel. Got that, boys?" Her eyes flashed with a hint of danger that reminded Ed briefly of Winry.

"Yes ma'am," they chorused. Yeah, he wasn't going to mess with her!

To his surprise, she nodded and then smiled. "Good. Now, we will need to figure out what to do with you for the time being. You can't say in NCO Headquarters, or the barracks." She paused to think.

Yeah. Ed hadn't even considered where they would be staying. Some world traveler he was turning out to be!

"Helloooo…" came a cheerful male voice, and Ed turned to see a tall, lean man with dark hair and glasses coming into the room. "I heard Roy was back and…ah, hello," he looked down at the boys and smiled. "Let me guess, you're Edward and Alphonse right?"

"Umm… yeah," Ed nodded, too surprised that he knew who they were to come up with a more creative response.

"I thought so," he chuckled. "Roy said he was hoping you guys would be willing to join up."

"So you were expecting them, Lieutenant Colonel?" Breda looked up, a little surprised.

The Lieutenant Colonel nodded. "Yes indeed. These fellows are reputed to be quite exceptional talents. Hi," he offered a hand to Edward. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes."

It was the first truly friendly response they had gotten. Ed managed a smile and took the hand. Hughes' handshake was as firm and friendly as his words. Okay, this guy didn't seem so bad! "Hi. I'm Edward Elric."

Hughes shook hands with Alphonse as well. "And here I almost had it reversed," he smiled. "Nice to meet you both. Oh, and before I forget," he reached into his pocket, and suddenly Ed found himself face to 'face' with a picture of a little girl. "This is my divinely adorable daughter, Elicia! She's four now, and isn't she the most precious thing you've ever seen?"

"Uh…yeah, sure," Ed said, wriggling out from Hughes's arm around his shoulder. "She's cute." Well, the kid in the picture was cute, but wow! Hughes might be short a few screws.

"Totally," Alphonse chuckled, looking relieved he hadn't been grabbed.

"Since you know more about the boys than we do," Hawkeye commented. "Perhaps you have some idea if Colonel Mustang had sleeping arrangements made for while they're here, until the exam anyway?"

"Well sure," Hughes chuckled. "Well, not really. He probably hasn't even considered it. But I can solve that problem anyway. You boys can stay with me and my wife Gracia."

"Oh, Thanks, Lieutenant Colonel but…"

"It's no trouble at all," Hughes said, slapping Ed on the back. "We have plenty of room! And Elicia will have someone to play with!"

Alphonse chuckled. "Sure. That sounds great, Sir."

"Yeah," Ed put his hand up and worked a crick out of his neck. "Fantastic."

"Great. I'll tell Roy," Hughes replied. "Now I've got a ton of work I need to get back to. I'll come back here and find you boys after work. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Hawkeye commented before either boy could respond. "I'm sure the Colonel will be done with them by then."

"Excellent. Back later!" And Hughes was gone.

"He seems nice," Alphonse smiled.

"A bit off his rocker maybe," Ed sighed. "But nice. Is he always that enthusiastic?"

"Most of the time," Havoc shrugged. "Especially about his daughter."

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes takes family very seriously," Hawkeye commented. "Don't let his exuberant personality fool you."

Ed shrugged. "If you say so. So uh…what are we supposed to do for now anyway?"

Hawkeye shrugged and went back to work. "Wait patiently."

That was certainly easier said than done. Ed and Alphonse sat and waited for an hour while the others worked around them. Alphonse seemed interested in what was going on around them, and asked the occasional polite question, while Ed got very quickly bored. Sitting still was the one thing he really wasn't good at.

Finally though, the door opened and Mustang returned. He ignored them as he walked back to his desk, sat down, looked at the pile of paperwork, sighed, and then got down to work.

What, had they been forgotten? Ed scowled. "So?" he asked.

Mustang looked up. "What? Oh, yes," he shrugged. "You're both in."

"An hour waiting and that's it?" This guy was a real pain!

"You were expecting something more? A fanfare parade and me jumping for joy?" Mustang asked; then shrugged. "Hakuro is willing to sponsor Edward into the program, because he's closer to the age of majority. I convinced him to let Alphonse give it a try, though he is highly skeptical that both of you have any chance of actually passing the exam."

"So why let us try then?" Alphonse asked.

Mustang smirked. "Because with that official stance, if you fail spectacularly, it reflects on my record, not his."

"Sure a friendly lot around here," Ed rolled his eyes.

Mustang just shrugged and went back to his work. "This is the real world, boys. Get used to it."

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ed asked. Really, he had no idea what to do with the rest of the day.

Mustang didn't look up. "I'm sure you can find something to do to entertain yourselves for a few hours. I would recommend studying for next week's exam. There's a written test, an interview, and a practical."

Ed couldn't argue with that. He and Alphonse found a quiet area of the grounds and practiced transmutations – without circles. That was still something that was novel enough to be entertaining too – and quizzed each other on facts; the chemical composition of various items, the rules of alchemy, obscure related historical facts, and anything else they could think of from Hohenheim's books that might be useful.

After a few hours, and a break where they ate in the Mess and got a lot of curious looks, they went back to Mustang's office, where Hughes found them shortly there-after and whisked them off enthusiastically to his place.

Much to Ed's relief, Gracia Hughes was completely…sane. She was a lovely woman, motherly and kind, and all in all a rather calming presence.

Little Elicia really was just that adorable. She grinned up at them when they came in the house. "Hi! You must be Daddy's friends. I'm Elicia. Would you like some tea?"

Alphonse chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, Elicia. I'm Alphonse. Tea sounds lovely."

While Elicia served up pretend tea to Alphonse in the corner, Gracia had the real thing, along with a dinner that smelled like heaven after living on whatever they could get traveling for several days. Ed dug in enthusiastically as soon as they were all seated. "This is wonderful, Mrs. Hughes," he managed between bites.

Gracia chuckled. "Thank you, Edward. Goodness. Didn't Roy feed you boys on your trip?"

"Oh he did, ma'am," Alphonse grinned. "That's just Ed."

"Gee, thanks brother," Ed grumbled to him, though he tried to slow down a little.

"Oh I don't mind," Gracia smiled. "I'm glad you like it!"

"Great," Ed grinned. "Can I have more, please?"

After dinner, Gracia went upstairs to put Elicia to bed. Ed and Alphonse sat down in the living room. Alphonse took a chair, and Ed sprawled out on the couch. "Wow, Gracia's a fantastic cook."

"She is," Alphonse smiled. "She reminds me a little of Mom."

Ed smiled. "Yeah, she does."

"Then you're a pair of lucky fellows," Hughes chuckled as he came over and joined them, sitting down at the end of the couch by Ed's feet. He seemed much mellower in his own home. Probably the effect Gracia had on him; Ed really couldn't complain. Hughes was turning out to be a pretty nice guy. The man's face became a little more serious. "Listen, I don't know how much Mustang has told you about what's been going on, but if you pass that exam next week, things are going to get interesting. I'm not trying to scare you off, but I think it would be better if you were prepared."

Ed sat up, sharing a look with his brother. They had been warned to be discrete, but how far did that extend? He really wanted to trust Hughes more than anyone else he'd met in the military.

Hughes seemed to catch the look, he smiled again. "Relax. Roy and I have been friends for years, not just colleagues. You couldn't have a better advocate in the military than him actually."

"That egotistical maniac?" Ed was skeptical.

"Roy may come across as callous, shallow, and somewhat delusional," Hughes chuckled. "But he's really a good guy." He straightened his glasses and sighed. "The military's not exactly the safest place for alchemists right now."

"We know," Ed replied. "Mustang told us about the homunculi, and the Stone too." He figured, if Hughes knew what those references even meant, he was legit. If not, he could play it off as a fake test.

Hughes blinked and nodded. "Good. Then you already have some idea of what you're in for. Though I can tell you, he's relieved that you came."

"Why are we so important anyway?" Ed asked. He had been wondering about that.

"Mainly, because you're alchemists, and the State really is that short on them," Hughes said. "But also…because of what you're supposedly capable of. Look, I'll level with you on this. When Roy came back from Resembool four years ago, he told me about you boys."

"H-how much did he tell you?" Ed swallowed.

"That you're the sons of Hohenheim of Light, a famous alchemist. And that, you were willing to take the kinds of risks State Alchemists may have to…even if they shouldn't." While he kept his gaze even with Ed's, Ed felt like Hughes was looking down at his leg. "No one else knows, Edward," he added a few moments later. There was nothing silly about his tone now. "But part of why you're staying here is because you won't get asked too many questions this way, and you'll have somewhere quiet to study for the next few days. Though you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," he added with a small smile.

"If you know what I did…why are you willing to trust us in your own home?" Ed asked. Something didn't add up.

"I told you, Edward," Hughes shrugged slightly. "If Roy says you're okay, that's enough for me. Everyone makes mistakes, some even worse than yours, and you didn't do it out of malice right? Intentions do actually matter. If I thought you were really dangerous, or Roy did, you'd have been arrested, not invited to join the military."

"And what happens when someone finds out who doesn't like it?"

"No one will," Hughes replied. "Not unless they hear it from you. Roy or I would likely be dead first."

"You're serious."

"Dead serious," Hughes nodded. "We need smart minds figuring out what's going. If you two could figure out how to attempt what you did at eleven, well, then you're just what we need right now in the State. But on top of that, I don't abandon kids."

"We're not exactly kids," Ed pointed out. "Though everyone seems to want to call us that lately."

Hughes's expression became one of amusement. "You're worse than kids, Edward; you're teenage boys; infinitely more prone to get into all sorts of trouble just by nature."

Alphonse chuckled. "You can trust us to behave, Sir."

Hughes laughed outright at that. "I appreciate that, Alphonse, and in most things, I suspect I probably can, or Roy would never have brought you with him no matter how talented you were. Besides, from the alchemists I've met, you're a lot that tends to be too focused on your alchemy and what you can do with it to be distracted by too many other things." With that he stretched and stood. "Which reminds me, it's getting late. You boys should get plenty of sleep if you're going to study tomorrow. I wish we could get you into the First Branch to get a hold of the alchemy library for studying purposes, but the military won't budge on the rules for that kind of thing, and, frankly, we don't want you two being noticed any more than any other candidates. With someone trying to get an alchemist to make a philosopher's stone for them, you want want to make yourselves targets unnecessarily early. Good night, guys."

Ed watched Hughes walk upstairs before turning to Alphonse. "Al, do you get the feeling we're suddenly pawns of some kind?" Hughes had, perhaps unwittingly, given them a useful piece of information. They knew someone was after the stone, and that homunculi couldn't create one. Now though, they knew that there was still a reason for someone to be after trained alchemists directly. And he guessed that had probably happened once or twice. Maybe an alchemist gone missing and found dead if they refused; something like that.

Alphonse shrugged. "It makes sense to me. Both sides need alchemists right? We should be careful, Brother. At least I'm sure we're on the right side," he added. "I mean, Hughes is really nice, and his family is too. Mustang's abrasive, but he seems to be sincere about stopping these guys."

Ed nodded. Much as he didn't like Mustang, Alphonse had a point. Besides, what were they going to do now? Back out and go home? Ed could never show his face to Winry again if he did. It would be admitting he really was worthless, and he just couldn't take that humiliation. "He does," he agreed grudgingly. "C'mon, Al," he stood up and headed for the stairs. "Let's get some sleep. We have a lot of training to do if we want to pass that Exam."

The week seemed too long and too short all at once. While they didn't have access to the military's alchemy section, Mustang had arranged for them to have access to the books of a couple of the State Alchemists still living in Central, and the boys spent hours alternately pouring over the material and practicing. They exercised and sparred twice a day as well, almost more for stress relief than anything else.

During that time that never saw hide nor hair of Roy Mustang. Not that Ed minded that in the least. Staying with the Hughes' was actually pleasant. They were a perfectly stable, happy family, something Ed hadn't realized exactly how much he missed. Oh sure, he missed his Mother, but it had never occurred to him to miss having two parents. For years, he had only considered himself as having one. Maes Hughes, for all his obsessive weirdness and tendency towards being silly, was a really good father; even firm when he needed to be, though Elicia was a very well behaved little girl. Gracia treated them like visiting family and, while she didn't treat them like adults, Ed didn't mind. She really did remind him of Mom sometimes. That, and she managed to always cook enough delicious food that at the end of the meal, even Ed could honestly say he was full!

The day of the exam dawned sunny, but cold. Gracia already had breakfast on the table when the boys came downstairs, yawning. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked with a kind smile as she served up eggs, bacon, oatmeal; good solid filling food.

"Some," Alphonse smiled. "Just a little please, I'm too nervous to be really hungry."

"Well I'll take what he doesn't want," Ed grinned as he sat down across from his brother. "I didn't think I'd get to sleep. But once I did…."

"I had to dump him out of bed," Alphonse smiled.

Gracia chuckled. "Maes said he'll give you boys a ride over when you're ready. He's upstairs with Elicia right now."

"Figures," Ed smiled. He was in a surprisingly good mood. The prospect of finally getting somewhere with all this, and showing off he admitted to himself, was appealing. This wasn't about height, this wasn't about age, this was about sheer alchemical ability, and Ed knew he had that.

"He means we appreciate it," Alphonse said. "It's nice to see a father who loves his daughter so much."

Gracia's expression softened. "We're lucky to have him." She knew that Ed and Alphonse's mother had died several years ago, and their father gone off; it had come out in conversation, though the boys had been purposefully vague, and Hughes had done nothing to inform his wife of anything unusual about the situation.

As soon as they were done, Hughes dropped them off for the exam. The written was, in all honesty, harder than Ed had expected. There were several questions that seemed to be entirely hypothetical, or theoretical, requiring him to try and figure out the best way to approach them. He came up with answers for everything, but by the end his brain felt a little like mush.

"Was that as hard as it felt to me?" Alphonse asked quietly afterwards.

Ed groaned. "Yeah. My brain feels like it's been trampled by sheep. Let's go get some lunch. They're supposed to have results and interviews right after." The Practical, if they were lucky enough to make it that far, would be tomorrow. Ed wished they were all on the same day; he'd rather get it over with.

"I'm not really hungry," Alphonse commented with a shrug, though he laughed when Ed glared at him. "But we can go if you want to."

While they were eating, Roy Mustang dropped down beside them.

"Long time no see," Ed snorted. "You finally remember we were here."

"Be nice, Ed," Alphonse frowned. "Hello, Colonel. Can we help you?"

"I have the results of your tests," Mustang replied without further preamble.

Suddenly, food didn't seem nearly as important. Mustang had Ed's full attention. "And?"

Mustang grinned smugly. "Congratulations boys, you both passed."

Alphonse's face lit up and Ed grinned back at him. "Told you we'd do it," Ed smirked at Mustang.

"Don't get cocky, Edward," Mustang said. "There's still the interview before you get to the practical." He stood up again. "And you should know," he looked at Ed. "Alphonse scored higher."

"Oh really?" Ed looked over at his brother, who just shrugged, though he grinned. They had competed in many things over the years, especially when it came to alchemy. It had always gone back and forth; for the most part they were usually evenly matched.

The interview was another interesting experience. Ed sat on that three-legged chair and faced Fuhrer Bradley and the others in the room with a determined but school expression.

"Why do you want to be an alchemist for the state?

Well, they certainly didn't waste time getting to the point. It was a question Ed had been expecting, and it was something he had pondered for a while. A true answer, but one that reflected they would accept. "I made a promise to the only family I've got left and to myself, to become an alchemist in service to the state, and take all the good and the bad that comes with it." Telling them he was trying to prove to himself, and the world, that he wasn't a total screw up didn't seem like the better option. Ed held his breath, and was relieved when they didn't ask for elaboration, but moved on to other questions.

It was still a grueling interview. They did want to know about his automail leg. He and Mustang – through Hughes really – had agreed that a childhood accident was the easiest option; crushed under a fallen tree. It helped to have the story straight, in case they asked Alphonse about his brother too. It felt weird to right out lie about it, but better than telling them the real story.

Ed felt wrung out by the time it was over, but he left with his head held high and no outward sign of how tough it had been. He refused to show weakness.

At the end of the day, he and Alphonse waited for the results of the interviews, and for Hughes to get off work so they would have a ride back to his house. They could have walked, but it was a pretty good walk even for boys used to going almost everywhere on foot.

They waited in Mustang's office again, the Colonel wasn't in, but his staff were busy as usual. This time, Warrant Officer Falman and Master Gunnery Sergeant Feury were in house, as well as Breda and Havoc. Hawkeye was elsewhere. Alphonse chatted with the men in the office. They were getting pretty chummy Ed thought. Ed answered questions if asked, and listened to the conversation. They were learning a lot about the military if nothing else.

Eventually Mustang, Hawkeye, and Hughes all walked in together. Hughes looked up and grinned. "Hey boys, nice to see you survived so far."

Ed chuckled. "Yeah. They haven't thrown anything at us that'll kill us yet."

"That comes tomorrow," Mustang commented.

"You mean we passed?" Alphonse asked, sitting up eagerly.

Mustang nodded. "They were very impressed with your interview, Alphonse."

"Hey, what about me?" Ed asked as the thought occurred to him for the first time, what happened if they took Al, but not 'him?'

Mustang shrugged. "They passed you. Be grateful."

Ed wanted to smart off, but bit down on his tongue to keep from doing it. The quips Alphonse, Winry, Pinako – heck, most of Resembool – had never seemed to mind much hadn't made him particularly popular here, and anything that was publicly disrespectful to Mustang only hurt his chances of getting along with people that, he realized, he kind of liked. They didn't try to mess with him like Mustang did. They were straightforward and relatively easy going most of the time, but they took their work seriously enough. "Yes, Sir," he replied shortly.

"Wow, he can learn," Mustang quipped sarcastically as he crossed the room. "See you tomorrow at the Practical boys."

"Why does he always have to be that way?" Ed griped in the car on the way back to the house.

"Why do you have to antagonize him?" Hughes asked philosophically from the front seat. "You're a lot alike actually."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. What do I have in common with that ego-centric, demeaning, stubborn…"

"You're digging yourself into a hole, Brother," Alphonse chuckled. He was sitting up next to Hughes.

"I am not ego-centric!" Ed glared at the back of his brother's head.

"Two out of three is pretty good though," Alphonse replied, shrugging. "You could try being nicer brother."

"I have been nice," Ed scowled and looked out the window.

Alphonse seemed to give up. "If you say so. We should probably practice a little more tonight. Tomorrow's going to be interesting."

"That it is," Hughes nodded. "I hear that ten alchemists made it through the interviews, and even now, desperate as they are, they aren't likely to take more than two or three."

"Which means we have to be the best," Ed nodded. "Don't worry. We can handle it."

"That's the spirit," Hughes chuckled. "Optimism and determination."

"Or sheer stubborn spite," Alphonse sounded like he was grinning again.

Hughes shrugged. "That's another way to get through the Exam."

Alphonse was worried about his brother that evening. Edward was unusually quiet. There didn't seem to be anything too wrong with him –he ate his dinner—but it was clear that something was bothering his brother. He didn't want to ask in front of the Hughes' though. If he did, Edward would brush him off, or insist he was just distracted thinking about the practical part of the exam tomorrow.

So he waited until they were up in the guest bedroom they had been sharing, in bed for the night. "Brother," he asked into the darkness. "You've been unusually quiet this evening. What's bothering you?"

On the other side of the room, he could hear Edward rustling under the sheets as he rolled over. "Why do you think something's bothering me?"

"Because you're acting like it," Alphonse replied. "I know you, Ed. You're short tempered and abrasive. Tonight, you've just been quiet."

He could almost sense Edward trying to decide whether or not to tell him. It hurt to think that there were things his brother might not be comfortable telling him. They used to share everything; even if it led to fights.

"I'm scared, Al," Edward admitted finally.

"Scared?" Alphonse asked, puzzled. "It makes sense to be nervous, but what are you afraid of?"

"Failing," Edward replied softly. "What if only one of us gets in?"

"Oh," Alphonse considered that. "I guess I'd be okay with it. I mean, if I don't get in, that doesn't mean we can't still be together. I won't leave you alone, Brother."

"I meant," Edward continued. "What if you get in, and I don't?"

Alphonse hadn't even considered that possibility. "Well, then we'll still stick together," he said. "And if neither of us make it, well then, we'll figure out something else. We could go home." Though Alphonse didn't think they would; not knowing what they knew now. How could they?

"If I don't make it in, I can't go home," Edward replied.

"What? That's silly," Alphonse rolled over. It was a cloudy night, so he couldn't see more than the barest silhouette of his brother's bed. "Of course you can. Aunt Pinako and Winry would probably be happiest if we failed and came home anyway you know." It had hurt that they hadn't wanted them to leave, but they had let them go anyway. It was nice, and a little scary, to be allowed to make such a big decision on their own.

Edward shifted. "I won't go home then," he amended. "Not until I do something to prove that I'm not just some washed-up loser, nothing but a 'glorified handyman' before I'm even eighteen."

"No one things of you like that!" Alphonse objected.

"Oh?" Edward snorted. "That's exactly what Mustang called me when he showed up in Resembool, Al. And he's right; and I hate him for that. The only thing I'm any good at is alchemy, and if I can't do something meaningful with that, something more than just fixing broken tools… hell, any good craftsman can do that. Well, if I can't, than I'm not worth much more than the cost of my auto-mail."

His tone was so bitter, so fatalistic. Alphonse winced. "That's not true, Brother."

"So what else am I good at?" Edward challenged.

"Umm… fighting?" Alphonse suggested, finding himself at a loss for a convincing argument.

"Also not much use outside the military," Edward replied. "No, Al. I can't play second string while everyone I know takes charge of their own lives and does something worth doing. Pitt's going, if he hasn't gone already, to train to be a doctor. You're talking about the University. Winry's only still in Resembool instead of Rush Valley because of me."

"Who said that?" Alphonse asked. He hadn't heard that! Well, he knew Winry had feelings for his brother…

"Winry," Edward replied bitterly.

"Wow." Alphonse wasn't entirely sure how to take that. She had been waiting, he suspected, for them to admit their feelings to each other. Well, that had happened finally! So why did he get the feeling that had only complicated things?

"Whatever," Edward sighed. "I'm tired, Al. Get some sleep."

"Sure, Brother," Alphonse sighed, settling back in under the
covers and closing his eyes. He'd only had time for a brief conversation with Nellie before leaving, but she had said she understood. They hadn't made any promises to wait for each other. They both agreed they weren't old enough to really think this was it. If they were still interested when Alphonse came home, or she decided to leave Resembool well, then they could try again.

Apparently, things between Edward and Winry were far from being that simple or that reasonable. Alphonse felt for his brother, and hoped he could come up with a way to help him feel better if things went badly tomorrow.

Ed tried not to let his nerves show the next day. He was worried about having admitted some of his insecurities to Alphonse as it was. There was no need to burden his brother with his problems, and now he kept noticing glances in his direction from his brother. Was that sympathy he caught on his face? He hoped not. He just ate his breakfast and got ready to go.

The parade grounds outside Military HQ contained a large amount of raw materials provided for transmutation. While Ed and Alphonse had discussed strategies for what to do, the one thing they both agreed on was, one of their best tricks was the fact that neither of them needed a circle to transmute. That alone gave them an edge, if they used it right.

The first man to go created a monolithic statue out of stone, amazingly detailed and tall enough both boys had to crane their necks up to see the top of it, but tired himself out. The second one a self-rejuvenating waterfall that ran back around into one continuous loop, that rose up into the air.

"Wow," Alphonse commented softly. "They're good."

"We'll beat them," Ed replied, sounding more confident than he felt.

Their chance came sooner than he anticipated. The third man used wood from trees, and water, to make a hydrogen-paper blimp. It was impressive, until a hole developed; then it crashed into the towering statue and smacked into the waterfall, toppling slowly over as stone crashed down and the water began to spill in a violent torrent. The men were still standing below, and people standing nearby stepped back, shouting.

Ed didn't think, but darted forward. With a clap of his hands he dropped to the ground. Above him, things began to glow. He was vaguely aware that Alphonse had done the same thing. He didn't try to formulate a plan…he just transmuted. Something that would be harmless to the people standing below.

The rocks and water rose into the air under the combined power of two transmuting alchemists, then there was a bright flare.

Gasps of surprise, and not fear, made Ed open his eyes and look up.

Hanging above them both was a huge wreath of flowers, like the one he had made for Mom before she died, and shining within it, a perfect double rainbow. He looked at Alphonse. "Did we do that?"

Alphonse was grinning. "Looks like it."

Apparently, that was more than enough.

"Good work, boys," Mustang nodded a little later in his office. "That little display really impressed the Fuhrer. You're both in." He slipped two envelopes across the table. "It's a tradition for all alchemists to have a second name. These are yours."

Edward pulled out the paper and looked down at it. Full Metal? Wasn't that ironically appropriate. It was hard, heavy, no-nonsense; he liked it. He looked over at Alphonse. "So what're you?"

Alphonse chuckled. "True Soul."

"The Fuhrer said he hadn't heard such an honest and well intentioned person in years," Mustang chuckled.

"And you, Brother?" Alphonse asked.

Ed smirked. "Full Metal."

Alphonse grinned. "That fits."

Mustang pulled two watches out of his desk. "Every State Alchemist gets one of these," he said, sliding them across the desk as well. "They'll help amplify your alchemic power. Take care of them. That's your only identification as a State Alchemist."

"Yes Sir," Alphonse nodded.

"Good. Lieutenant Havoc, make sure these two get proper uniforms. Report back to me when you're dressed, and we'll discuss your first assignment."

That was it. No further fanfare. Just a simple congratulations, you're a dog of the military now, go fetch your own leash and tags. Nice. Ed stuck the watch in his pocket. "Let's go, Al."

He followed Lieutenant Havoc down the halls until they reached the right room.

The man inside looked them over skeptically. "I've got something small enough for you," he pointed to Alphonse. "But I'm not sure I have anything in midget," he smirked at Ed.

"Easy, Brother," Alphonse grabbed him as Ed contemplated violence.

As it turned out, they did have a uniform that fit Ed, mostly. It was a little loose, and a little long. Ed felt like a kid playing dress-up more than a bona fide member of the military. Maybe Gracia would be kind enough to do some quick alterations before he had to wear it again tomorrow.

"It itches," Ed complained as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"It's not so bad," Alphonse grinned.

"You're just saying that because it looks good on you," Ed muttered, glaring at his brother. Alphonse looked much more tailored. The shorter hair cut helped. Ed's longer braid looked out of place.

Alphonse shrugged. "You look fine, Brother."

"If you're ready to go, peacock," Havoc chuckled. "The Colonel actually has work for you boys to be doing now that you're not just here for laughs."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PEA?"

"It's a bird, Edward," Alphonse sighed. "We're ready, Lieutenant."

"Good," Havoc nodded, smirking at Ed. "Better watch that temper there, Major."

Oh yeah. Ed was a Major now. So was Alphonse. That actually meant he technically outranked the Lieutenant. Still, Ed suspected trying to pull rank this early in the game would only get him smacked down. "Thanks for the advice," he commented.

When they returned to Mustang's office, things were as busy as ever.

"What's our assignment, Colonel?" Alphonse asked when they stood in front of Mustang's desk once more.

Mustang looked at Alphonse with approval, and chuckled when he looked at Ed, which made his blood boil. "We have a warehouse full of old alchemical research, projects, supplies and the like. It needs to be inventoried so we can determine what is still useful, and what needs to be disposed of." He handed them each thick packets. "That's the last inventory that was done on the place."

Ed looked at the date on it. "But, this was five years ago!"

Mustang nodded. "I know. Better get hopping, Fullmetal. You've got work to do now."

"So this is the glory of serving the State," Ed groused five hours later. He had clambered around on top of shelves and boxes, scrambled up and down ladders, and counted all the items in over fifty boxes already. Alphonse had been just as busy, though he didn't seem to mind nearly as much.

"It needs to be done, Brother," Alphonse shrugged as he closed up another box and marked off several things on the list. "You can't have expected us to get handed something big right away can you? We're still technically kids, even if we are State Alcehmists."

"With all Mustang's talk of homunculi and the Philosopher's Stone and an immediate threat, yeah, I kind of expected something more useful," Ed groused, dropping down onto a box and wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his uniform. "And this thing's hot too. How much more do we have to finish?"

"That's it," Alphonse smiled. "Well, at least, that's the last box. There are several things missing actually that aren't marked as having been removed."

"I wonder why," Ed looked at his own list. Yeah, there were a few things missing on his still. "Maybe they just keep lousy records?"

At the back of the building, something clanked to the floor. In the metal and wood building, the sound echoed.

"Or maybe there's a rat," Alphonse commented softly.

"Let's go," Ed stood and motioned for his brother to take the left, and he'd take the right. If they could come around and corner whatever it was, they might find out what had happened to the missing supplies.

The high stacked shelves made great cover, especially for two young men. It wasn't long before Ed spotted their quarry. A man, in his mid-thirties maybe, carefully slipping a box out through a hole in the wall, one likely made with alchemy since it hadn't been there when they started at this end of the building. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he asked, stepping out into the open.

The man froze, and turned, his eyes wide, then dove out of sight.

Great. "Give up," Ed suggested as he followed him around. "And this will be easier on you." He was pretty sure he and Alphonse could handle one guy. At least, until he came around the corner and ducked with a yelp as an alchemical flash sent bullet-shaped chunks of concrete at his head. He rolled, and vanished around another corner. darn! "Heading your way, Al!" he called, figuring the heads up would be needed, and the man probably knew there were two of them in here already if he'd heard them talking at all. He also knew that Al wasn't actually in the direction the man was heading, so he wasn't giving away his brother's position.

Alchemical chaos ensued as they chased the man through the storage warehouse, trying not to destroy everything they had just created; extending metal shelving across aisle ways, buckling concrete, and even generating rope out of any material that would work to try and catch him.

Finally though, it came down to good old fashion enginuity. Ed leapt to the top of one set of shelves, running across the boxes and noticing the man running below, with a burst of speed, he leapt ahead, and transmuted the shelf, sending a box toppling down on the man…. .who sprawled to the ground out of the way as the box of lead bricks –it would be lead- slammed down behind him.

"Got him!" Alphonse called as he caught up and slapped hand-cuffs he'd whipped up out of shelf-metal onto the man, who appeared to be unconscious.

"Great!" Ed called as he tried to come to a stop…only to realize he'd misjudged the length of the shelves, and slid off, crashing to the floor with a solid thump that ended with his head thumping the shelves behind him and the crunch of metal breaking. That didn't sound good! "Owww…" he rubbed his head as he sat up. He tried to move his leg, and it worked, but barely. It sounded like the foot was broken in a few places. "That's not good."

"Can you walk, Edward?" Alphonse asked as he came over and helped him to his feet. Ed tested the foot.

"Well enough to get back and tell Colonel kiss-ass his idea of an assignment stinks."

Alphonse grinned. "So you're fine. Let me call reinforcements and we'll see about getting your foot fixed."

Ed leaned against the shelves while he waited for Alphonse to return. The man didn't stir. Apparently he'd slammed his head when he dove out of the way. He looked like a pretty ordinary guy really. Ed wondered what he was doing stealing out of a military warehouse.

Alphonse returned with other soldiers a few minutes later, and the man was taken into custody. After a report was done, and the hole marked and photographed, Alphonse and Ed went back through fixing everything that had been transmuted.

By the time they were done, Ed couldn't walk straight on the foot at all. Fortunately, his brother was a willing crutch back to Mustang's office. It was late, but the Colonel was still at work, as were several of the staff.

"Good work," Mustang smirked when they finished telling him what had happened. "We've had someone sneaking in there for a couple of weeks now."

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Ed asked, annoyed.

Mustang shrugged. "I figured someone would catch him eventually."

"You set us up!"

Mustang looked up over his report. "The opportunity was there, Fullmetal. I had no way of knowing the thief would actually show up today."

"Excise me, Sir," Alphonse asked. "But, why was he stealing alchemy supplies anyway."

"Apparently his funding got cut a few months ago on a project," Mustang shrugged. "So he was trying to find other ways of continuing." He shrugged. "Better get that foot fixed, Fullmetal. There's plenty more work for the two of you tomorrow."

"Not just hold on a –"

"Umm…excuse me?"

They all turned and looked at the nervous looking Second Lieutenant in the doorway. He swallowed, then stood up and saluted. "Sorry for interrupting Sirs! But Major Elric and Major, um, Elric – wow that's confusing – well, they have a guest here Sirs!"

"A guest?" Ed looked at Alphonse. Who would be coming to see them in Central?"

Mustang sighed. "Escort her in here, Lieutenant Fiennes."

"Her?" Ed looked back at Mustang. "Did you know someone was coming?"

Mustang shook his head, and smirked. "No. But I'd bet a promotion on who's going to walk in that door."

"Hrmph," Ed leaned back against the couch he'd been sitting on and crossed his arms.

There was a knock on the door again a few minutes later. Without looking up, Mustang called out, "Come in, Miss Rockbell."

"What, Winry?" Ed sat up a little. Surely Winry wouldn't have come all the way too…

The door opened, and – much to Ed's annoyance that Mustang was right – Winry walked into the room, carrying a bag and her tool kit. She smiled until she saw him on the couch, with the auto-mail leg propped up, boot off since the damage had been looked at, so it was rather evident. "What?! You're gone less than a month and you manage to do this? What were you doing!"

Ed blushed and looked away. "Inventory."

"Of what? Explosives?"

"No need for shouting," Mustang cut in dryly. "The Majors' Elric just finished apprehending a thief who's been giving us some trouble lately."

"Oh." The red faded from Winry's face. Only then did she seem to notice the uniforms, cause she smiled. "Congratulations guys." She sighed and shook her head. "I guess I should get you fixed up."

"My office is not a repair shop," Mustang frowned. "Or a hook-up location. I suggest you go elsewhere."

"You'd never know it the way his phone rings," Havoc grumbled.

"What was that, Havoc?"

"Oh, nothing Sir."

Winry looked like she wanted to hit Mustang as much as Ed did, but Alphonse spoke up first. "No problem, Colonel. I'm sure there's somewhere else we can go."

As Alphonse was helping Ed up and Winry was collecting the broken pieces of his foot, the door opened and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes walked in. "Well, I thought I heard you saw some action today, Edward. I didn't realize there were casualties," he chuckled and looked up. "You must be Winry." He offered her a hand to shake.

Was Ed the only one surprised she'd shown up?

Winry nodded. "Yes, Sir," she said, taking it a little hesitantly.

"You're as lovely as the boys told me," Hughes smiled. "Well, if you need someplace to repair Edward's foot, I suggest we go on back to my place. It's dinner time anyway, and I suspect you'll have a more willing patient when he's fed."

Winry chuckled. "That's usually the case," she agreed.

Nice, Ed just loved being talked over. "Let's go," he said. He'd have walked out if he hadn't needed Alphonse's help. Instead, he had to suffer the humiliation of being helped down the hallway and out to Hughes's car.

"So what are you doing here, Winry?" he asked once he was settled into the back seat and they were on the road. Alphonse was up front with Hughes again, and Winry was in the back with Ed. For some reason, that made him uneasy. Whether it was the fear of getting clocked with a wrench, or the urge he had to try kissing her again, both were making the ride more difficult.

"Well that's a fine hello," Winry sniffed. "I come all the way out from Resembool to congratulate you guys and I don't even get a 'glad to see you?'"

"How did you know we'd pass?" Alphonse asked curiously.

Winry chuckled. "Confidence; you're both too stubborn to fail."

"Got that right," Hughes chuckled. "Talented too; you missed quite a display this morning."

"And this afternoon, apparently," Winry smirked. The way she was behaving, it was almost as if nothing had ever passed between them out of the ordinary. Ed wasn't sure what to make of that. "I also thought you would probably have need of my services at some point. You're always rough on your auto-mail."

The unsaid 'I told you so' hung in the air, making Ed uncomfortable. He sighed. "Thanks for coming," he finally smiled.

"Yeah," Alphonse said. "You have great timing!"