The Greater Evil

Chapter Four: Arrival of the Survey Corps

Rest did not come easily to Colonel Mustang's party. Exhaustion helped to dull the edges off the nightmares, but Alphonse could still hear crying and, occasionally, screaming as the rest of the people slept. It was bad enough when it was just his brother, but hearing even Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong having horrible nightmares helped him appreciate the things they'd witnessed…not that he needed help in the first place. Perhaps not being able to sleep was a blessing in disguise.

A quiet, yet less tired group performed their daily ablutions that morning, changing out of their dirty uniforms into something less likely to chafe due to accumulated sand, sweat, and blood. Edward simply opted for cleaning his clothes in water then transmuting the water into vapour. Simple, but effective. A whistle sounded somewhere in the distance, atop Wall Rose. Wondering what it meant, Alphonse walked to the nearest window. The youngest Elric saw a large group of soldiers gathered, some on horseback. The man at the head had short-cropped, blonde hair and thick eyebrows. His features were set as if carved from stone, belying his serious nature.

Off to the side, a trio of soldiers that looked to be his and Ed's age were standing together, obviously a tight-knit group. At the fore was a young man with short, brown hair and vibrant, green eyes. He didn't seem as calculating as his commander, but he had a furious kind of focus on his face, as if he were ready to spring into battle at any moment. To his left stood a girl with black hair just above her shoulders, her grey eyes looking forward, as if waiting for…something. To the brown-haired young man's right stood another boy, a few inches shorter than him. His blonde hair was longer than the girl's and his blue eyes were scanning the area, as if he was planning out a battle in his head. Next to the green-eyed teenager, riding on horseback, was a shorter man with short, lank, black hair and light brown eyes. He looked as if profoundly bored, but something about his posture made Al doubt that initial assessment.

Almost as if sensing that the group was ready to face the day, Commander Pixis and the leader of the newly-arrived brigade entered the barracks, the older gentleman smiling just a tiny bit wider at the alert soldiers standing before him.

"Colonel Mustang," Pixis said, waving toward the tall, blonde man. "This is Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps, as promised."

"Pleased to meet you," Mustang replied, holding out a hand to the serious-looking Commander Erwin, which the latter shook firmly.

"Likewise," Commander Erwin replied. "I hear you're from outside the Walls."

"Yes and no," Mustang replied, scratching his head. "It's…a bit difficult to explain, really."

"Commander Pixis told me of this portal you talked about," Erwin began. "He also told me about your rather…interesting abilities. I'd like to know what you think we can do for you, when you seem to have us outmatched, technologically."

"Commander Pixis," Colonel Mustang said, nodding toward the genial man. "Told me your people have been fighting these…titans, for at least a hundred years. My people and I haven't even fought them a week. And we're losing."

"Like most people do against the titans," Erwin responded before noting Mustang's rather outraged look. "I don't mean that as a mark against you, Colonel. Quite to the contrary, the fact that you've managed to kill some of them in such a short time is impressive. I think we could be of use to one another."

"Commander Erwin," the bored-looking man said as he entered the building. "What should we do with Jaeger? He looks like he's about to start chewing on his belts."

"Eren Jaeger?" Ed asked, a little excited.

"Might as well bring him and the other two in, Captain Levi," Erwin said with a shrug. "He might help with this whole arrangement."

"Jaeger, Ackerman, Arlert!" Levi barked out the door. "Get in here!"

"What is it, Captain?" the brown-haired boy asked.

"Mustang," Commander Pixis began, slapping the brown-haired boy hard on his back. "This is Cadet Eren Jaeger, the boy I told you about. His two friends here are Cadets Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. It's not a stretch to say that these three saved humanity when they rescued Trost and sealed that hole in the Wall."

"Saved humanity?" Armstrong breathed. "You mean…you're all that's left?"

"We are," Erwin noted with a bit of remorse. "The titans have nearly driven us to extinction."

At the mention of the titan's destroying most of his race, Ed noticed Eren's face take on a hateful look. It looked…familiar. It took a minute to recognize it: it was the opposite face to the one Mustang wore when all hell broke loose back at Emell. Where the Colonel's was one of cold, calculating, destructive impulse, Eren's was one of furious, hateful rage. Of all the people currently in this room, Ed could easily tell the one that frightened him the most. That kind of rage was extremely dangerous.

"Is there anything you can tell us about them?" Mustang asked. "Other than their healing power and weak spot, that is."

"Someone seeking knowledge about the titans?" A perky, feminine voice called from outside. In the room stepped a happy-looking young woman with her long, brown hair set in a ponytail. Her glasses framed her exuberant, brown eyes well, and the Flame Alchemist could tell that she would be every bit as irrepressibly chipper as Hughes when he was going on about his daughter.

"This, Colonel Mustang," Captain Levi said, looking visibly annoyed. "Is Squad Leader Hange Zoe. She spearheads our investigation of the titans."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Mustang said cordially, shaking Zoe's hand. "Is there anything specific you can tell us about them? Anything that might give us a tactical advantage?"

"Of course I can!" Zoe chirped, her eyes alight. "Where to begin…? Oh, I know! Titans don't possess a digestive system-"

"They don't?" Ed asked, shocked at the implication. "You mean…you mean they don't even eat humans as food?!"

"No," Zoe said as if she were reading off an invisible checklist. "As far as we know, they only eat humans, and they derive no sustenance from the act. They seem to support themselves from sunlight, though how they do this has…eluded me. They're still plenty dangerous at night, though!"

"We know," Mustang replied darkly. "We were there when Emell was overrun."

"Emell?" Levi said, quirking his eyebrow.

"One of the cities on the far eastern edge of our country, Amestris," Mustang temporized.

"How'd you fight them?" Levi asked, his curiosity now piqued.

"We erected a massive wall around the city, easily twenty meters high and ten meters thick," Mustang began slowly. "We had some advanced warning and the military conscripted the city's local alchemists. It would have held out, had one of the conscripts not gotten lazy…"

"Made the wall to brittle, I take it?" Levi responded.

"No," Mustang said, his eyes narrowed in anger. "They built it near a fuel depot and over some underground fuel lines. A stray bullet struck one of the fuel containers and the whole thing cascaded, destroying a massive section of the wall."

"What kind of fuel are you talking about?" Zoe asked, peering at the Colonel. "Coal? Wood? Oil?"

"Gasoline," Mustang replied simply. "It's…a heavily refined form of petroleum, it's what runs almost all of our civilian vehicles. It's highly flammable, even explosive, under the right conditions."

"Is that what runs your transport?" Pixis asked.

"Our transport runs off diesel," Mustang replied. "It's slightly less refined than gasoline, but it's more stable and lasts longer."

"I would love," Zoe said, eyes twinkling madly. "To see this transport of yours! From what I hear, it's far beyond anything we have!"

"Uhm," Mustang began, this woman was absolutely irrepressible. "Go right ahead. Ed, Al," Mustang continued, turning toward the Elric brothers. "Show the Squad Leader here the transport."

"Would you mind taking Jaeger here with you?" Levi asked, giving the young man a sideways glance.

"Not at all!" Zoe replied excitedly. "More friends on the quest for knowledge! Lead the way, Ed and Al!"

Ed said nothing, but raised an eyebrow at the woman. She acted a lot like Winry when she saw a piece of new machinery…about ten seconds before she'd stripped it down to the bare wires. Walking outside the barracks, Ed savoured the fresh air. The air here seemed a lot cleaner than in Central, almost like back home in Resembool. If it weren't for the man-eating giants, Ed would find this place extremely relaxing. Maybe, if they found a way to be rid of them for good, the two worlds could be joined, should the portal last. As Zoe squeed and inspected the large transport, Eren walked next to the boy with the long, blonde ponytail, this…Ed.

"Have you ever fought a titan, Ed?" Eren asked seriously, as if he was testing him.

"Eren," Armin warned. "That's hardly polite."

"It's okay," Ed replied warily. "I have. I've killed some, too. I was there when the portal first opened when…when the titans took Liore."

"That you survived without ODM gear is amazing," Armin replied, a bit astonished. "How'd you survive without mobility?"

"Alchemy," Ed replied simply. "Al and I contained them with a wall for a time, before they broke through. Thanks to that, we managed to evacuate a good portion of the city. Still, though…I couldn't tell you how many people they killed."

"What's alchemy?" Armin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Alchemy is the art of understanding the structure of matter," Ed responded, going into lecture mode. "Deconstructing it, and reassembling it as something else. We alchemists can use that power to turn lead into gold, or to erect structures. There's limits, though," Ed continued, lowering his head. "Nothing can be gained without giving something of equal value in return."

"I have a question," Al began. "What's this ODM gear you guys keep talking about? I take it that it's the belts and canisters and things you're wearing, but…how's it work?"

"Its formal name is omni-directional mobility gear," Armin replied. "As for how it works, well…these cylinders contain compressed gas which propel us forward. Our paring blades have triggers to release grappling hooks. Using that, as well as our own momentum, we can move in any direction we want, so long as we have gas."

"What kind of gas?" Ed asked, this kind of thing would be invaluable, even when fighting regular people.

"I don't know," Armin replied, scratching his head. "I'm not sure anyone does, really."

"Where do you get it?" Ed held forth.

"Underground, I think," Armin replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," Ed responded, his head lowered. "Where it comes from can tell us what kind of gas we're dealing with. Since its underground, it might be either natural gas or methane. What's it smell like?"

"Bad eggs," Armin replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Most likely natural gas, then," Ed replied. "I have a friend back home that could study that and make a lot more, maybe even improve it. Those blades…they look a bit strange."

"How so?" Mikasa asked suspiciously.

"Could I see one?" Ed asked, a theory forming in his head.

"I guess," Armin replied, handing a paring blade to Ed.

"This is definitely steel," Ed began, studying the blade before taking off his left glove and running a finger along the blade. "No protective oil, though. That means it's likely an iron-chromium alloy. Going by the stiffness of the blade, I'd say that there's far too much chromium in here. These blades would be good for cutting flesh and bone, but not much else."

"How can you tell all that just by looking at it?" Eren asked, shocked at how this guy was all but dissecting the blade in his hands.

"Carbon steel," Ed began, handling the razor-sharp blade carefully. "Would require a protective oil coating to keep it from rusting. High chromium content prevents rusting, but too much makes the steel brittle. Hard, but brittle. If you accidentally hit a rock hard with this, it'd shatter on impact."

"You're saying all this," Mikasa said a bit testily, a tad irked that her equipment, by proxy, was being so clinically scrutinized. "As if you have something better in mind."

"I do, in fact," Ed replied in a disconnected voice. "Let's see…you'd need something resistant to rusting that's light, yet durable, hm. Maybe…platinum?"

"What's that?" Armin asked, looking at the blade that was part of what was keeping him from being titan fodder.

"It's a metal," Ed responded, looking the blade over. "It's a lot harder than steel, and about the same weight. It's also less brittle, so your blades wouldn't chip and break as easily. I could…transmute one, if you want."

"You can change it back, right?" Armin asked hesitantly.

"I should be able to, yeah," Ed replied, holding the blade up to the sky and studying it.

"In that case, I don't see why not," Armin responded.

Ed nodded and placed the blade gently on the ground. Kneeling down, he clasped his hands and placed them on the blade. As the smoke cleared, the blade was shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Ed picked it up and handed the blade to Armin for his inspection. Gingerly taking the blade and attaching it to one of his trigger mechanisms, Armin noticed an immediate, if small, difference. The blade felt...different, slightly lighter, but it didn't brutalize the air as it passed through like super-hardened steel did. On the contrary, the air practically sang as Armin swung his blade, an astonished look on his face.

"This," Armin began, searching for words to describe what he was experiencing. "This is amazing!"

"Ooh," Zoe said in a chipper voice, her head poking out the back of the transport. "Was that alchemy?"

"Yeah, it was," Ed said, a measure of pride creeping into his voice. "It's different from how most people do it, since they need an array to effect a transmutation, but it works just as well!"

"Edward," Mikasa said, walking toward the alchemist. "Could you transmute my blades? I want to see what Armin's on about."

"Hehe," Zoe giggled as Edward transmuted the blades in Mikasa's hands. "Popular with the ladies, are you?"

"Don't get any funny ideas!" Ed interjected, embarrassed.

"I…see," Mikasa said, swinging her blades. "They feel different, but better."

"Populaaaaar," Zoe chirped.

"Squad Leader," Commander Erwin warned, walking toward the group. "Don't tease our allies, please."

"Ackerman," Levi began, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Why are you and Arlert staring at your paring blades like they're newfound friends?"

"Ed did something to them," Armin said, still somewhat astounded at how his blade gleamed in the sunlight. "He studied one of mine and said that the steel was really brittle, so he transmuted it into…platinum, he said."

"You could tell the composition of our blades just by studying them?" Levi asked, turning towards Edward with a calculating expression on his face.

"I'm an alchemist," Ed explained. "As far as I know, we all train ourselves in understanding the properties of different chemical elements, as well as various compounds and alloys. Understanding what we're working with is the first step of transmutation."

"Most impressive," Levi said, looking at Armin's blade. "And useful."

"So is this vehicle!" Zoe said happily, hopping out of the back. "I bet it could move several times faster than a horse at full gallop! It's so amazing! I would love to study more of your world's technology!"

"Maybe that could be arranged," Colonel Mustang said, stepping into view. "Your knowledge of the titans combined with our technology and alchemy would make for a very potent combination."

"Indeed," Commander Erwin agreed. "I think I'll grant your request, Colonel Mustang, contingent on your people showing ours where this portal is and proving that things really are as you say."

"That sounds reasonable," Mustang replied, nodding. "We can't take your whole regiment with us, though…we have room and supplies for five extra bodies, but no more."

"Very well," Erwin said before thinking for a moment. "Squad Leader Hange Zoe, Captain Levi, I want you two to take Jaeger, Ackerman, and Arlert with you and accompany Colonel Mustang and his troops to this portal and investigate their world."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Levi said, arching an eyebrow.

"If what they say is true," Erwin explained. "They may well need our most experienced titan slayers to assist them. Jaeger, Arlert, and Ackerman will act as backup for the Squad Leader while she studies things on the other side."

"To think," Zoe said gleefully as she visibly vibrated. "I'll be the first to study a whole new world! Maybe there will even be new titans! Oh, I can't wait!"

"At least one of us seems excited," Havoc remarked sullenly.

"Commander Erwin," Eren began, looking at the blonde man with a mixture of respect and admiration. "When do we leave?"

"That depends," Erwin replied, turning towards Mustang. "Do you have sufficient supplies to make it back to your world?"

"We'll need some more food," Mustang responded, checking off items in a mental list. "We likely have enough to make it back to Eastern Command, maybe even Central, but I'd like some breathing room, if you don't mind."

"I think I can divert enough rations for you," Erwin said, nodding. "It should only take us about four hours to make the necessary arrangements."

"And it'll take us about two days to reach Central," Mustang temporized. "Assuming we sleep in shifts."

"I don't think that will be an issue," Captain Levi said simply. "We'll help you keep watch for any titans."

"I'd ask," Mustang began, turning towards Levi. "That you alert either me or Edward should a titan be spotted. A lot of the area between Liore and Central is desert and open land. No offense, but your gear would be nearly useless, there."

"Makes sense enough," Levi replied, nodding. "Consider it done. If worse comes to worst, Eren, at least, should be able to help in a pinch with that ability of his."

"Sounds like we have a plan," Mustang said, holding out a hand for Captain Erwin.

"It would seem so," Erwin replied, shaking Mustang's hand firmly. "I warn you, Colonel Mustang," Erwin started in a deadly serious tone. "If my men think you're trying to play us, they won't hesitate to cut you down."

"Of that I have little doubt," Mustang remarked with a wry smile.

Sure enough, just over four hours later, a cart bearing a rather large amount of bread and various vegetables approached the transport, the soldier driving it unashamedly staring at the newcomers and their odd vehicle.

"So," Ed began, barely looking at Eren as the two of them hoisted a large sack of potatoes into the back of the transport. "How long are you guys gonna be with us?"

"According to Captain Levi, Commander Erwin said our mission would likely be about a week," Eren responded, stretching his arms a bit. "Two, at most. Your Colonel agreed to bring us back once we're done."

"Who is that Levi guy, anyway?" Ed asked, taking a long-awaited seat as he waited for the rest of their group to arrive and begin the journey back. "The way you guys look at him…the way Commander Erwin treats him, it's like he's some war hero or something."

"He is," Eren said, a steely gaze forming on his face. "Captain Levi is the Survey Corps' best titan slayer. Some people say he's worth an entire battalion of soldiers. I've never seen him in action, myself, but I've heard that he took down a score of titans by himself, once."

"That's…" Ed began, his eyes wide. "Impressive. I'm glad we've got him, and the rest of you guys, on our side, then."

Eren merely smiled and nodded, putting forth a hand, which Ed shook. His grip was extremely firm, and when their hands parted, Eren looked at Ed with one eyebrow raised. Ed sighed, figuring it was inevitable.

"You noticed, huh?" Ed said, taking off his coat, revealing his automail arm. "It's automail."

"I've never seen a prosthetic like this before in my life," Eren said, looking at the metal arm with a mixture of awe and wonder. "How…how did you get something like that?"

"My brother and I," Ed began in a whisper, making sure nobody else was around. "We…a long time ago, we tried to use alchemy to bring our mother back to life," his voice hitched as he remembered that horrible night. "She died when we were just kids. We studied all the alchemy we could. The day we tried to bring her back…the transmutation went wrong. I lost my right arm and left leg. Al…" Ed continued, shaking a little. "Al lost his entire body. I just barely managed to bond his soul to that suit of armour."

"I," Eren began, looking somewhat ashamed for asking such a personal question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," Ed replied with a heavy sigh. "Since that day, we've been trying to find the Philosopher's Stone, so we can return our bodies to the way they used to be. I…I don't know if we should keep going or not, sometimes."

"Why?" Eren couldn't help but ask.

"We got a lead," Ed began, knowing this was inevitable. "There was a religious leader, a priest, in the town of Liore that was performing miracles. Curing the sick, making the blind see, things like that."

"You thought he had this Philosopher's Stone?" Eren asked, though he already knew the answer.

"He did have it," Ed responded automatically. "Al and I cornered him. He was using it to gather followers that he could use to overthrow the government. We…all we wanted was to get our bodies back. Father Cornello, he was called, got desperate. His Stone responded, creating the portal between our worlds, and…and bringing the titans into our world."

"Damn," Eren responded, lacking words for a moment. "Though, maybe this is a blessing in disguise…"

"How?" Ed began with an edge to his voice. "How could this possibly be a blessing?!"

"You guys," Eren replied, his eyes narrowing in thought. "You have abilities we don't, you're capable of killing titans without ODM gear. Pooling our abilities, we can finally kill them all! We've been waiting for a hundred years for some kind of edge against them, and here you are! Besides," Eren began, his voice going into a whisper. "Technically, we're going outside the walls. No one outside the Survey Corps has managed to do that and come back alive since we found the Walls."

"I…see," Ed replied, scratching his chin. "With your knowledge and our resources, maybe we can beat them. Wait a sec," he continued, his head shooting up as Eren's words hit him. "You mean nobody's been outside these walls in a hundred years? How? Why?"

"Knowledge about the outside world is illegal," Eren responded angrily. "If you're caught with it, you'll be executed on the spot."

"What." Ed said, his mind going blank with outrage.

"What?"

"You mean to tell me," Ed began, his brow furrowed in anger. "That you can't even know about the outside without risking death?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Eren spat. "We all have the complacency of livestock, nobody even wants to see the world beyond the Walls."

"I think you're right," Ed said, looking at his feet, concentrating. "We can do one another a lot of good. Something about this stinks, and I don't like it."

"Me, too," Eren replied, looking to his right. Following his gaze, Ed saw the rest of the group walking toward the transport.

"Everything ready, Fullmetal?" Colonel Mustang asked Ed.

"Yep," Ed replied, before his eyes went wide with shock as Zoe rushed to him. He'd forgotten to put his coat back on…or at least lower his sleeve.

"What's this?" Zoe asked with a squeal of delight. "A prosthetic limb? It's incredible!"

"Maybe, if we get the chance," Ed began, shifting nervously. "I can introduce you to the mechanic who made it for me. She could tell you more about it than I could."

"I'd love that!" Zoe said excitedly.

"Enough showing off, Fullmetal," Mustang said, a small smile on the edge of his lips. "Let's get moving."

As the rest of the soldiers crawled into the back of the transport, Riza taking the passenger seat while Mustang sat in the driver's seat, Ed thought on Eren's words. Something about them seemed…wrong, and Eren was far angrier about the situation than he was letting on, but Ed got the feeling that he wasn't angry for the same reason as Eren. Restricting knowledge only served one purpose: to control. Alchemists used it for certain dangerous subjects like human transmutation. However, to keep people from being curious about the outside world…that left a bad taste in the Fullmetal Alchemist's mouth. Restricting people's ambition to be free, to come out from under the titan scourge…there was something sinister at work here. The few glances he got at Colonel Mustang's face showed that Ed wasn't alone in noticing something was terribly amiss here.

Author's Notes

Not as much horror as its predecessors…hell, it's practically lighthearted in comparison. Still, it helps drive the plot forward and showcases some nice interaction between the two worlds, as well as differences in thought. Yeah, Ed and Mustang are pretty quick on the uptake; aside from Alphonse, those two are, in my opinion, the two most perceptive people in all FMA, except maybe Hawkeye. I might have made Hange a bit more exuberant than she is in canon, but she's one of those types that loves a new discovery, and a semi-modern military transport, as well as a fully-functional prosthetic arm, are a very, very far cry from the more 17th century tech AoT has available to them. Kinda like exposing Leonardo da Vinci to an M1 Abrams and a powered exoskeleton.

With that said, I'd like to thank you all for your reviews! They really help me keep going, especially now that things are rather a bit hectic between college and my new job. I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Five of The Greater Evil, Bridging the Gap! Take care!