The Greater Evil

by Hagunemnon

In his panic, Father Cornello tears a hole to another world using the Philosopher's Stone. The horror that is unleashed is beyond anything the Elric brothers could have possibly imagined.

11. To Central Command

The Greater Evil

Chapter Eleven: To Central Command

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stood at the window of the train car, transfixed and completely motionless as they had been for the past two and a half hours. Ed raised an eyebrow, but inside he understood. If what they'd said was true, none of them had ever been outside their Walls before. Despite the admitted strangeness regarding the link between their worlds, as one could theoretically argue that they were, indeed, still technically behind Wall Maria, it was still the first they'd ever seen of deserts and steppes, much less trains and Amestris' definition of civilization.

"Like kids in a candy store," Captain Levi observed.

"You've got to admit, Captain," Hange replied. "All this is pretty amazing. Even what we've seen outside the Walls doesn't compare to even half of what we've seen here. I'll admit, I was expecting these trains to be a lot less comfortable than they are."

"Its one of the advantages of being summoned by the Fuhrer himself," Mustang said, not even looking up from his newspaper. "Private military train cars are easily the most comfortable way to travel. Usually, they're reserved for high-ranking members of the State Military like Generals."

"This is probably the only time I'll ever get to be in one," Havoc remarked sourly. "Can't have the higher-ups mingling with us measly foot soldiers, after all."

"I was under the impression that your leadership was more," Levi paused a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "Personally inclined."

"Don't let appearances fool you," Havoc responded, lighting a cigarette. "Generals Grumman and Armstrong are exceptions, not the norm. Most of the Generals I've heard about barely interact with anyone below the rank of Colonel, and probably wouldn't even speak to someone of my rank."

"I wish I could disagree with you, Havoc," Colonel Mustang said with a sigh. "But, I've heard much the same. I'm not one to rag on my superiors, but some of the gentlemen I've seen with General's insignia are little more than jumped-up bureaucrats with little to no actual combat experience or leadership ability. Most of that is handled by their subordinates, usually us Colonels."

"It sounds like you suffer from much the same problem as us," Levi commented, an odd mixture of light humour and a hint of camaraderie in his voice. "Not to...disparage the work Commander Pixis puts into making the southern territories' Garrison Regiment respectable, but there are others of his rank, both in his regiment as well as the Military Police that are little more than seat-warmers."

"Nothing of your own regiment?" Mustang said with a laugh and a conspiratorial wink.

"The Scouts are different," Levi answered, unperturbed. "We're a far smaller regiment with only one leader, Commander Erwin. That is partly due to our high mortality rate and the more mobile nature of our operations."

"You know," Havoc began, tilting his head. "What do you guys do, over there? I don't think we ever got a clear answer on that."

"The Scout Regiment's main job," Captain Levi responded almost automatically. "Is to scout areas outside the Walls in an effort to better understand the true nature of the titans and to aid humanity's ongoing war with the menace."

"So, more of an information gathering auxiliary force than a full military command, I take it?" Mustang inquired.

"Oh," Hange piped up, peering over to the group from the next seat over. "Don't let Captain Levi's rather dry description fool you, each of us is more than capable of handling ourselves in combat. We might not have the same level of technology that you do, but each and every one of us is battle-tested."

"Commander Erwin," Captain Levi began, glancing aside at the Squad Leader. "Would probably prefer that we get more recruits than we do, but keeping our numbers comparatively small makes operating quickly a more achievable goal than it is for the Garrison Regiment or the MP's."

"You know," Havoc began, putting out the dwindling remains of his cigarette out in the tray. "For all you guys' advancements with your gear, I'm honestly surprised you haven't moved beyond horses and carriages. Of course, I don't really know what kind of resources you guys have, so maybe cars are out of the question, but it just seems odd to me that I never saw a single steam engine or anything, that I can recall."

"It is indeed most curious," Hange replied, turning her attention once more to the conversation going on behind her. "I had Edward explain to me how this...steam locomotive works, and its astonishingly simple. Even with regular old firewood, something like this could move people and supplies a lot more efficiently than we can with just horses. That nobody in our world thought to design such an amazing thing is, quite frankly, more than a little strange."

Colonel Mustang nodded in curious affirmation as he looked out the window of the train car, taking in the view. Rolling hills like this...one could almost be forgiven for thinking the country was at peace, that they hadn't been fighting man-eating giants that defy all logic, that there wasn't a seemingly stable portal bridging two very different worlds together. Indeed, were it not for the symbol of the Amestrian State Military emblazoned on the cars, a casual observer would think that these were just a privileged, but small group of friends, heading towards the heartlands of Amestris on vacation. Far away from the front lines, from what defenses were no doubt cropping up as they traveled, slowly pinning the titans against the ruins of Xerxes and the vast desert between Amestris and Xing, Colonel Mustang let out a sigh, one from the very pit of his being. Out here, he could truly relax for a while, relatively free from the threat of titan incursion, certainly moreso than he was back east. The Flame Alchemist didn't know what the Fuhrer had in store for them, but he knew that he, as well as his companions, should savour every last second of this trip before they arrived at Central Command, the very heart of Amestris' State Military operations. On the upside, he'd get to see Hughes again. His best friend's incessant chattering about his daughter was as annoying as it was endearing, and he'd sorely missed it. Maybe they'd have time to stop by and chat for a little bit before heading out to whatever assignment the Fuhrer ended up giving them.

If Al were in his old body, he'd be smiling. Just an hour after they'd boarded the train, shortly after a very animated conversation with Hange, Ed was fast asleep in his seat, snoring lightly, a peaceful look on his face. It didn't take an alchemist to see that Ed was exhausted both physically and emotionally, and any chance his brother could take to rest was one Al cherished, even if he couldn't join him. There were times he cursed his hollow, metal body. He couldn't smell or taste or feel...somehow, he could both see and hear, and the less he thought about that, the better. However, even he had to admit his body had some distinct advantages. He didn't need rest or food, he could survive climates that would kill most people in short order, he was far more resilient than others. Thinking, there was a question Al had that had popped into his mind before, but he never got around to asking.

"Hey, Armin," Al said, knowing nothing short of a bomb going off could wake Ed from his slumber.

"Huh?" Armin replied, turning towards Al, eyes wide. "Oh! Al! What's up?"

"You guys say that titans only go after humans, right?" Al began slowly.

"Yeah," Armin responded with a nod. "From what we've seen, they completely ignore animals and other forms of life."

"How would a titan respond to another form of intelligent life," Al said carefully. "One that's of human intelligence, but not necessarily in human form. Like, how would a titan respond to a cat if it could talk and reason like a human?"

"I don't know," Armin answered slowly, narrowing his eyes in thought. "We don't have anything like that in our world, so I couldn't really tell you. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Al replied, finally realizing a way to phrase his question that didn't out the fact he was a soul bonded to steel. "Alchemists can create things called chimeras. They're...considered abominations by most normal practitioners, but some people have made chimeras that can think and reason like people, to a limited degree. I was wondering if a titan would ignore something like that because its not technically human."

"I don't know," Armin said, scratching his chin. "Theoretically, the titan should ignore a chimera, or any other non-human creature, no matter how intelligent. But, for all our knowledge, we still know very little about how titans operate or even why they eat humans. I'm not sure even the Squad Leader could give you a definite answer to that one."

"I see," Al responded, nodding. "Thanks, Armin."

"Any time."

It was a very good thing his face was made of rigid, fixed metal. Gears were grinding away in his head so loudly that Al was surprised the others couldn't hear them. Titans only went after humans, but it didn't seem to care about their intelligence, perhaps even their souls. If that were true, then Al's unique situation could prove quite useful, assuming a titan didn't crush him or something. If they would ignore him completely, then he could easily slip past the veritable wall of giants and head straight for Eren's basement, provided he had a map. It would mean not risking the lives of others, and if he had a car, and knew how to drive it, he could even do it fairly quickly. Mulling it over, Al found one glaring flaw in his plan: he'd have to reveal what he was to others. He knew that Colonel Mustang and Hawkeye knew, but the only other person who'd been privy to his condition, one Shou Tucker, was long since dead, and Al knew that his rather unique condition would be a point of...interest amongst the military brass, who would likely want to metaphorically dissect him to discover how he operates. What's worse, they could imprison his brother for performing alchemy on his soul, to say nothing of what they'd do if they figured out what they did with their mother. Still, Al knew not to discount the possibility completely. If nothing else, it could prove useful.

The hours passed by fairly uneventfully in the train car. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin remained transfixed by the Amestrian landscape, Ed was fast asleep, Hawkeye was cleaning her rifle as Hange watched in fascination, and Colonel Mustang and Havoc were teaching Levi the intricacies of poker, a game at which the unflappable Captain excelled very quickly, as his bluffs were almost impossible to tell.

"Whoa," Eren said in awe as they finally were in visual range of their destination. "Is that Central?"

"Mhm," Al answered, nodding. "The largest city in Amestris, by a very wide margin."

"I must say," Captain Levi began, quirking an eyebrow. "I am rather impressed, as well. The city's far larger than I expected."

"Central is the very first city of Amestris," Colonel Mustang noted. "Way back when the country was less than half its current size. It serves not only as the capital of the country, but also as the seat of military power, as well as a major player in the country's economy."

"Reminds me of when I first came here on leave," Havoc added, stretching his arms. "I thought I'd entered an entirely different world. The city was more massive than any other I'd ever seen, I spent most of the week I had just wandering the place."

"You mean you weren't born here, Second Lieutenant?" Hange inquired in a chipper voice.

"Oh no," Havoc replied with a laugh. "I was born way in the south in Warringstown, near the border with Aerugo. We might have had a decent main street, there, but nothing that far south compares to what Central has to offer."

"Yep," Mustang began fondly. "Havoc here is our resident country boy."

"You say that almost as if its a bad thing, Colonel," Havoc shot back with a smile, taking some of the bite out of his words.

"Not at all," Mustang responded with a wave of his hand. "Hell, your way with finding simple solutions to our problems has saved my ass a number of times."

"I believe the train is slowing down," Captain Levi observed as their view began to fill with a more intimate view of the city.

"We should be hitting the station any minute, now," Mustang stated simply before turning to Al. "Hey, Alphonse. Better wake up Fullmetal and get some coffee in him. We don't want him groggy in front of the Fuhrer."

"No need," Ed said, yawning. "I'm awake, Colonel. Though, I think I will get myself a cup before we disembark."

With that Ed got up, a bit slowly at first. As comfortable as the seats were, they were still train seats and his body was more than a little stiff from his nap. At least he hadn't had any more weird dreams. As he walked to the back of the car and poured himself a cup of coffee from the metal carafe on the counter, Ed tried to remember if he'd dreamed at all. A simple transmutation later, and the coffee was perfect drinking temperature, and he savoured the first, long sip he took from the cup. He had no idea how people could stand milk in their coffee; the one time he'd tried it, at Granny Pinako's insistence, it was the most wretched thing he'd ever tasted. Sugar wasn't much of an addition, either, and Ed had become fond of the drink itself, preferring to have it straight and black. The warmth spread throughout his tired body and woke him up. As he thought, he couldn't come across a single dream he'd had the entire time he'd slept. It was a rare thing, for him to not have nightmares. Even before the titans, Ed's sleep had rarely been so peaceful and, more than once, he'd had to substitute quantity for quality. Finishing the cup and placing it back on the counter to be cleaned by the staff, Ed slowly walked back to where his brother was sitting, feeling almost hyperactive with the energy even a small amount of actual sleep had given him.

"Did you sleep well, brother?" Al asked as he sat down.

"Oddly, yeah," Ed replied after a deep breath. "I usually don't sleep well on trains, but this time, I couldn't tell you about a single dream I had; if I had any, I don't remember them. Honestly, though, I don't really mind. I feel a hell of a lot better than I was when we left."

"That's certainly good to hear, Edward Elric," Ed heard Armstrong say fondly as he walked by. "A growing boy such as yourself needs all the good rest he can get, and it is heartening to see you well, my young friend."

"Its nice to see you, too, Major Armstrong," Ed replied kindly.

Major Armstrong nodded with a faint smile, just barely visible behind his bushy mustache, and stalked off towards the coffee, undoubtedly wishing to pick himself up a little, as well, before their meeting with the Fuhrer.

"Man," Ed said quietly to his brother. "Is it just me, or is it weird seeing Major Armstrong act so...different?"

"I don't think Major Armstrong has slept well since Emell," Al replied in a whisper. "I remember when we were back in Eren's world, resting before we'd met the Survey Corps members. I...I remember him crying in his sleep, begging people to forgive him."

"I think we need to do something nice for him, when we get the chance," Ed said after a moment. "Hell, I think we need to do something nice for all of Mustang's people. If it weren't for them, we'd still be fighting the titans blind."

"Maybe, once this has all settled down," Al said, perking up a little. "We can take a vacation together somewhere nice and relax. Maybe out west, somewhere."

"I don't think I've ever been to West City before," Ed replied with a small smile. "And, I think they might appreciate the thought, at the very least. I hate delaying our quest for the Philosopher's Stone, but honestly, once the dust's settled, I think we're all due for some much-needed R&R."

"You said it, brother," Al replied with a sincere, deep nod.

As the train gently slowed to its final halt, the visitors from the Walls were all startled by the loud hiss of the steam engine and the accompanying blowing of the whistle announcing their arrival. Gathering up their last few things, the group went to the exit as one and disembarked, Colonel Mustang taking the lead as the senior officer. As Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stared around, mouths agape at the bustling station, a group of soldiers led by a tall, gruff-looking man with short-cropped, hair the colour of sand at night approached the group.

"General Hakuro," Colonel Mustang called out as the Amestrian soldiers amongst them sketched a salute. "I'm surprised to see you in Central, sir. I take it you are to be our escort to Central Command?"

"Indeed, I am, Colonel Mustang," General Hakuro said, nodding. "If you will, we have cars waiting to take you and your guests to see the Fuhrer."

"Lead the way, sir," Mustang responded with a short bow.

"I'm surprised to see the train station so busy," Al remarked, looking around him. "With the state of emergency being declared, you'd figure travel would be locked down tight."

"It is," one of the soldiers escorting the answered. "The Fuhrer's contracted several civilian logistics companies to help get supplies to the front as quickly and efficiently as possible. Some of the trains you see are on lease from one private company or another."

"Your military works with astounding speed," Captain Levi observed, a barely visible narrowing to his eyes as they approached the cars waiting just outside the station. "The titans haven't been in your world for very long, I'm surprised to see how quickly you've coordinated your responses."

"You'll see how we got all that done, soon enough," the soldier replied as he opened the door to one of the cars, whispering to the visitors getting into his car. "Central Command looks like a kicked-over anthill; I doubt most of the comm officers have gotten more than an hours' sleep between them since this whole thing began."

Captain Levi raised an eyebrow at the admission as he and his group were herded, gently and politely, into one car while the Amestrians went into the one in front of them. It was a little cramped, he noted, even after they'd stored their gear in the car's oddly ample trunk. Each of the cadets had chosen a window seat, leaving Captain Levi and the Squad Leader sandwiched somewhat awkwardly between a fascinated Eren Yeager and an almost euphoric Armin Arlert. Levi gave a despairing look to the only other adult amongst them, and her smile and shrug did little to calm his nerves or relieve his annoyance. He did admit, to himself at any rate, that Central was a rather impressive city. The streets were far wider than the ones to which he'd grown accustomed, and the numerous shops he could make out were lit with an almost garish light, displaying their wares behind their windows like a proud parent with their children. Captain Levi snorted to himself, some things truly never change.

"The Fuhrer will be wanting to talk to you lot, first," General Hakuro told Colonel Mustang as he drove towards Central Command. "Alone."

"Understood," Colonel Mustang replied with a nod and a direct look at the General.

Inside, Mustang knew almost exactly what the Fuhrer had in mind: he would want to talk about his actions during and after the Battle of Emell. Likely, Fuhrer Bradley was mostly interested in their version of events, since whatever tales they no doubt received had grown exaggerated from a mixture of terror and simple human nature. There was also the matter of their...trip. It wasn't exactly cleared with command, and considering they'd been missing, assumed dead, until they showed up in East City, it was likely that the Fuhrer wanted to ensure that no desertion had taken place. The more Mustang rolled it over in his head, the more it made sense, in a way. He was almost certain the Fuhrer wouldn't see his actions in that light, but there were facts that needed conveying, facts only he and his group were likely to know. Colonel Mustang sighed inwardly, realizing that a court martial, or at the very least some form of disciplinary action, was unlikely; not just for himself, but most especially for those under his command. After all, they were following his orders.

The few minutes it took to get to Central Command were quiet and blissfully uneventful. As they walked into Central Command itself it was, however, a much different story. Mustang quirked an eyebrow at the scene: while Central Command was always busy, the level of activity here was bordering on madness. Privates were scurrying about, some at a dead sprint, carrying sheaves of paper. Colonel Mustang could, as they made their way through the complex to the Fuhrer's office, just make out snippets of conversation regarding troop deployments to Risslett and Hamp, as well as talk of supply convoys, both diesel transport and trains, heading all along the eastern edge of the country, bringing in fresh ammo, food, troops, as well as State Alchemists, conscripts, and massive amounts of resources mostly consisting of concrete and steel. It began to make sense, now, how the defensive perimeter had cropped up so quickly: the Fuhrer was quite clearly sparing absolutely no expense in penning the titans in. Mustang smiled lightly, this was going to cause the accountants migraines for generations. Given the number of times they'd "misplaced" his paycheck, or occasionally sent it to Hughes by mistake, Mustang felt little sympathy for them.

"I'm afraid our guests will have to wait outside for a moment," General Hakuro said firmly as they reached the door to the Fuhrer's office. "His Excellency has requested the presence of our people for a private discussion. Someone should be along shortly to ensure that you are taken care of in the meantime. Ah," Hakuro sighed, seeing a face in the thinning crowd walking up towards them. "Speaking of which, here he is, now."

"Hey, Roy!" Mustang heard in the unmistakably chipper voice of none other than Maes Hughes. "Its good to see you alive and well!"

"Likewise, Hughes," Mustang said as he shook his friend's hand, something he'd feared he'd never be able to do again. "I'd love to stay and chat, but its best to not keep the Fuhrer waiting any longer than necessary."

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Hughes replied in his ever-friendly tone as he looked over the visitors. "I take it these five are my charges?"

"Indeed, they are," Mustang responded, barely able to hide his growing smile. "Maes Hughes, allow me to introduce you to Captain Levi, Squad Leader Hange Zoe, and Cadets Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman, and Eren Yeager."

"Its a pleasure to meet you all!" Hughes said, shaking Zoe's outstretched hand. "Don't worry, Roy, I'll keep our guests from getting too bored. I'll be back in about...does an hour sound right to you, General Hakuro?"

"It does," General Hakuro said, nodding. "Make it so."

"Aye aye, sir!" Hughes replied, sketching a somewhat more enthusiastic salute than most soldiers. "If you'll follow me, ladies and gentlemen, I'll show you lovely Central Command!"

"He's never in a bad mood, is he?" Ed observed wryly.

"That's just how Hughes is," Mustang answered fondly. "Always smiling and making sure to bring everyone up as best he can."

"I have to admit," Ed began as they walked into the Fuhrer's office. "I did miss him, some."

"Aah, Colonel Mustang," Fuhrer Bradley began, standing up from his chair, a friendly, if somewhat distant, smile on his face. "I am glad to hear that you and your group hadn't perished at Emell. Amestris would've lost some of her best and brightest, had that happened."

"Thank you, sir," Colonel Mustang said with a salute. "However, I can't take all the credit. Everyone here contributed to getting us out of there alive."

"Indeed," the Fuhrer said as he sat back down, a move which those in the room copied, taking the seats that had been added to the room, likely for this very occasion. "Colonel Mustang, I have asked to speak to your group first, and away from our guests, because I wish to hear your version of events at Emell. As you might understand, the tale that has been going around has no doubt gotten exaggerated with time and retelling. As your people are some of the survivors of that massacre, any insight you could provide as to your actions would be invaluable."

"Understood, sir," Mustang replied with a firm nod. "I suppose it would help to begin shortly before everything broke down. Colonel Greene and I had coordinated the defensive preparations for the city with time to spare before the titan attack, that night. Despite the appearance of at least one abnormal that leapt over the wall and was summarily destroyed, the fight was proceeding relatively well, all things considered. However, one or more of the alchemists we conscripted failed to take the fuel lines running underneath part of the city into account when building the wall. When a stray bullet hit one of the fuel storage tanks at the depot, it detonated the tank, as well as a great deal of the underground lines, creating a massive breach in the wall...and that's when the titans broke through the perimeter and the general retreat was sounded."

"I understand that Colonel Greene did not make it out of Emell?"

"He did not," Major Armstrong answered solemnly. "I was sent to inspect the explosion and determine if any damage was done to the wall. On the way, I happened across some soldiers who were already retreating into the city. They...they said that Colonel Greene had been killed by the explosion."

"A tragic loss, Johnston was a fine officer," General Hakuro said, hanging his head.

"Indeed," Fuhrer Bradley stated, his face set in deep thought. "Colonel Mustang, why did you and your men not assist in aiding the retreat after sounding it?"

"Honestly, Your Excellency," Colonel Mustang responded with a resigned sigh. "My sounding the retreat was mostly a formality, by that point. Everyone was in full panic, trying to corral them would've just been an exercise in lethal frustration. My group and I decided to try and make the retreat at least count for something, and that's when we made our trip to Liore, and through the portal, where we found our new friends."

For a moment, the Fuhrer sat there, quietly. Mustang began to sweat a little, but the Fuhrer's look wasn't one of accusation or anger, more one of calculation, as if he were weighing multiple versions of the story he'd no doubt gotten.

"I see," Fuhrer Bradley said, straightening up. "That lines up with the general overview of events, as we understand them. Don't worry, Colonel," he added with a laugh. "You and your men aren't going to receive any disciplinary sanctions for what you did. In fact, I am entering an official commendation in each of your service records for going above and beyond the call of duty in securing vital intelligence that has led to us finally being able to combat the titans."

"T-thank you, sir!" Mustang blurted out, unable to stop himself in his complete surprise.

"Now, then, Colonel Mustang," Fuhrer Bradley continued, smiling more genuinely, this time. "What can you tell us about this world you went to? We've received some reports, but I'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth, as it were."

"Technologically," Mustang began, getting straight to business. "They're behind us in a lot of ways. They don't even have locomotives or guns like we do. The only area in which they're ahead is with their omni-directional mobility gear, which allows them to use a pair of grappling hooks and some kind of propellant to maneuver across populated areas with relative ease. They use a set of sharp, hard, steel blades to cut away a titan's weak spot and kill it."

"They engage the things in close quarters combat?" Fuhrer Bradley said, almost shocked. "I imagine their mortality rate must be extremely high, even with their mobility."

"I don't have any actual figures," Mustang replied, nodding. "But, Captain Levi has hinted that such is indeed the case. As far as land is concerned, their territory seems to be divided into three large sections, each couched behind one or more concentric walls. Estimates suggest that the area inside the furthest wall, Wall Maria, is many times that of Amestris. However, the area between Walls Rose and Maria were lost to the titans several years before our arrival. The portal comes out in that area, just a few kilometers from the city of Trost behind Wall Rose."

"I suppose that would explain why the titans are coming through, then," Fuhrer Bradley stated, looking down at his desk. "Colonel Mustang, have you or any of your group entered into any kind of trade agreement or military pacts with these people?"

"No sir," Mustang responded, shaking his head. "Any agreements we've made were strictly unofficial. It isn't my place to make agreements on behalf of the entire country."

"Good, thank you. What of the land around the portal?"

"Its mostly grassland," Colonel Mustang continued after a deep breath. "The most challenging terrain is some gently rolling hills and a dirt road leading out of Trost district. Honestly, sir, securing the area around the portal wouldn't be terribly difficult, with enough men to hold the perimeter until construction is complete."

"Duly noted, Colonel. Is there anything else you care to report?"

"There is, sir," Colonel Mustang replied with a grave nod. "Sir, the reason for the loss of the area between Walls Maria and Rose, as well as the near-loss of Trost, was due to a pair of unusual titans known only as the Colossal and the Armoured Titans. From what we've managed to gather, these two display a level of intelligence far beyond that of a normal titan, almost bordering on human. During the attack on Trost, as we understand it, the Colossal Titan made a point of destroying the cannon emplacements atop the wall before it disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Fuhrer Bradley asked, concerned.

"Yes sir," Mustang said, narrowing his eyes. "The Colossal and Armoured Titans seem to possess the ability to appear and disappear at will. Sir, it is my belief that these two titans are likely the greatest threat to any defensive measures we might create. However, the Colossal was never mentioned as being in possession of notable defenses other than its sheer size. Of the two, I would rate the Armoured Titan as the greatest threat, due to its smaller size, greater agility, and superior defensive capabilities."

"This is indeed most concerning," Fuhrer Bradley said, placing his chin in his hands. "However, if they are the only two threats coming from the titans' side, I think we should count ourselves lucky. General Hakuro," he continued, turning towards the quiet man sitting in the corner. "Please have our guests brought in, I believe I have everything we need, now."

"Right away, sir," General Hakuro said as he got up, saluted the Fuhrer, and left the office.

It only took a few minutes for the General to return with the group, led by Maes Hughes. Said minutes passed by, in the office, quietly, with an air of curiosity, everyone wondering exactly what the Fuhrer was planning behind that unreadable face of his.

"As requested, Your Excellency," General Hakuro said as the group entered the room.

"Your Excellency," Colonel Mustang began as he got up from his chair. "Allow me to introduce to you Captain Levi, Squad Leader Hange Zoe, and Cadets Mikasa Ackerman, Eren Yeager, and Armin Arlert."

"Its a pleasure to meet you all," the Fuhrer said with a smile as he motioned them to sit in the remaining chairs. "Please, let's be seated so we can begin."

"Your Excellency," Captain Levi began, careful to mimic the appellation he'd heard the others using. "I would like to take a moment to thank you for the hospitality you've shown my people and I, as it is as uncommon as it is both welcome and greatly appreciated."

"You're most welcome," Fuhrer Bradley said with a smile and a nod. "Captain Levi, I am assuming that you are the leader among your group. Is that correct?"

"I was designated such by Commander Erwin, yes. Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to cut right to the chase, if you don't mind," the Fuhrer said, his tone more direct. "Are you allowed to negotiate deals between your people and mine?"

"I'm...afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you, Your Excellency," Captain Levi said after a moment's thought. "The only one I know of that would at all have anywhere near that kind of power would be my Commander, Erwin Smith. Even then, it would likely require the presence of at least one other Commander from another regiment for anything official to take place."

"I see," Fuhrer Bradley said, sighing. "I had guessed as much. Well, then, I suppose that settles matters. Colonel Mustang?"

"Yes sir?"

"I apologize, but I must impose upon your men once more," Fuhrer Bradley said as he got up. "As you and yours are the ones among us most familiar with the world from which Captain Levi and his subordinates come, I am hereby requesting you to act as part of my escort detail."

"S-sir?" Mustang asked, at a complete loss for words.

"If I cannot negotiate with Captain Levi, here," Fuhrer Bradley began with an amused chuckle. "It stands to reason that a representative delegation should be sent to those who have such authority. Seeing as I am the Fuhrer of Amestris, I would be the obvious choice. General Hakuro will accompany me, as well as a detachment of his men. We will travel with Captain Levi and his group back through the portal and officially discuss negotiating some form of deal between our peoples so that we may work together to help fight the titan incursion. After all, two heads are better than one, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do, sir, but with all due respect," Colonel Mustang stammered out, still baffled by the decision that had been made. "We'd be marching you right into enemy territory. We don't know how safe the area around the portal is or what might be waiting for us on the other side. Meaning no disrespect, sir, but it just seems like an incredible risk."

"Much like you did, Colonel Mustang?" Fuhrer Bradley retorted, his tone friendly as ever. "I suppose you could say I'm following the sterling example of one of my own subordinates. Besides, you know my service record as well as anyone, Colonel; you know that I am no stranger to the front lines."

"Of course, sir," Mustang responded, bowing deeply. "I apologize if I was out of turn."

"No harm done," Fuhrer Bradley replied with a wave of the hand. "You're simply concerned for my well-being, something which is completely understandable, all things considered. General Hakuro," he continued, turning to the man that had been sitting quietly during this exchange. "How soon can you have your men ready and a convoy formed to take us to Liore and through the portal?"

"We'll have everything ready before dinner, sir," General Hakuro replied, saluting.

"Very well, see that it is done."

"Yes, sir!" General Hakuro barked before promptly leaving the room.

"Now then," Fuhrer Bradley said, turning towards Levi. "Captain Levi, if you wouldn't mind, I would like you to fill me in on some of the details of your world. I have heard reports that your people have suffered massive losses to the titans."

"In as many words, yes, Your Excellency," Captain Levi responded seriously. "When we lost Wall Maria, nearly a fifth of the population, some two hundred and fifty thousand people, went with it. Mortality rates during titan combat are usually at least twenty to twenty-five percent."

"Those are quite staggering losses, Captain," the Fuhrer stated simply. "That would leave your populace at just around one million, correct?"

"Correct, sir."

"For such a large area, your population seems rather low," Fuhrer Bradley continued, deep in thought. "Though, I suppose that gives us a good amount of breathing room, as well. Unless the titans number in the tens or even hundreds of millions, I doubt they'd be densely-packed enough to prevent us from establishing supply lines and defensive fortifications."

"Your Excellency," Captain Levi began, his curiosity piqued. "What are you getting at, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The thrust of the matter is this," Fuhrer Bradley began, straightening slightly. "If we are to cooperate with your people in the destruction of the titans, we need a way to get troops and supplies to and from our territories with relative safety and ease. On our side, the issue is rather simple: using the remains of Liore, we could create a fortification strong enough to resist the titans. Once we encircle them with the outer fortifications we're already building, we can easily cull their numbers to nothing. However, in your world, its another matter, entirely. The most logical choice would be to build a large outpost around the portal in your world, but to do that, we need supplies, especially building materials. Once that's complete, we can build a set of defensive walls around our supply route into your territory, as well as supplying a safe route from which to sortie into titan territory."

"That's...a very ambitious plan, Your Excellency," Captain Levi said, taken aback at how much the man had planned out ahead of time. "Given that you'd be helping us retake land lost to the titans and helping us defend ourselves more effectively against them, I can't really see anyone in their right minds being against this."

"Excellent," Fuhrer Bradley said, getting up from his desk. "Then, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are adjourned for the time being. I ask that you stay within Central Command until such time as preparations are complete and we can undertake our journey. Until then, feel free to avail yourselves to whatever you may want in our mess hall for lunch. All we ask is that you forgive us for the rather hectic state we're in, currently. Dismissed."

Deep within the bowels of Central, Father sat atop his throne, listening to the echoes of rumours floating about his creation. Things were moving exactly as he'd planned, thus far. Wrath was positioning himself as an envoy of succor to the people in the new world that had been opened up, and Envy was already in place amongst the unwitting General Hakuro's retinue. Alas, two of his children were largely without work; Lust and Gluttony were getting rather bored, but the presence of the titans was proving to be a bothersome nuisance. However, that wasn't to say that they weren't useful, in their own way. Indeed, they had carved the circle of blood at Liore far better than any civil war could've done, but they lacked sorely in reliability. They were random, mindless creatures, incapable of even basic reasoning and, thus, the ability to follow basic orders...even Sloth, indolent simpleton that he was, could at least follow simple instructions.

There was also the matter of his grand scheme. He had no idea how the portal would affect it, but it could potentially work towards his favour. Everything he knew about alchemy pointed in that direction, but even by his lofty standards, these were exceptional circumstances, to say the least. Father knew that the little humans would probably want to experiment with the portal, to see how it worked and what its limitations, if any outside the obvious, were and he'd consigned them to be the guinea pigs for such things. Better the lower creatures risk themselves in dangerous experiments than someone of his station condescending to look into matters, himself. Envy and Lust could report any findings they gathered, and he knew that he was more than up to the task of interpreting them correctly. After all, his power was absolute.

These monsters were mindless, that much was certain as Scar opened the earth and made it swallow two pursuing giants, who were now scratching, blank stares fixed on their grotesque faces, at the walls of their tomb, trying to reach him. He'd been forced to head far south over the past few days. The Amestrian military seemed to be building at an alarming pace, new checkpoints popped up out of seemingly nowhere, no doubt due to the Devil's science the Amestrians so loved. They were responding with terrifying speed to the new threat facing them. They were outright rejecting the righteous wrath of Ishvala, who had seen fit to wipe them from the world for the havoc they'd wreaked on His people. He'd seen giants ambling towards the fortifications, only to have their necks and shoulders blown to pieces by machine gun fire.

It was odd, the soldiers weren't targeting the head or chest...and Scar had seen them kill more than a few giants, he knew that it was fully intentional. Not that Scar would get close enough to use his power on one of the creatures. The few times he'd been able to rest, he'd been haunted by images of Yoki being picked up and devoured by one of the giants. After all the things he'd seen, after witnessing the near-extermination of his people, why that was the one thing sticking out in his mind was something the Ishvalan had difficulty understanding. Perhaps...maybe it was the mindlessness of it all. State Alchemists, horrors that they were, had minds. They could think, they could feel, they could reason, even if they chose not to use said faculties. These giants, they had none of those things. They were as a force of nature: powerful, but completely bereft of intelligence and passion. They ate, and that was all they seemed to do.

Maybe the giants were a metaphorical punishment for the Amestrians. Their gluttony for power had led them to work the Devil's tools to create Hell on Earth. They had let their appetite for conquest and glory blind them to Ishvala's will, and to all but eradicate His people. As they ate the world with their evil, so would the world eat them in the only way it knew how: cold, dispassionate, never-ending hunger.

Rumours had been circulating around Dublith, reaching the Devil's Nest, of a huge goings on in the east. Initially, Greed had paid little attention to them, probably some war or something, part of his Father's oh-so-grand scheme. But, last night, when he'd heard a state of emergency had been declared, that man-eating giants called "titans" were pouring out of a portal to another world in what were now the ruins of Liore, Greed had begun to listen a little more intently. Especially to that "another world" bit. Not only could it serve as a one-way ticket away from his old man, but who knew what riches lay in wait for one who was both willing and able to plunder them. The idea tempted him greatly, he'd even had a little plan worked out: he and his minions would go in disguised as regular military jack-offs, get to the other side, and quietly disappear for a while before finding some nice, juicy treasure...and maybe some nice, juicy women with nice, ample bosoms, as well. Greed grinned. This state of emergency and the lock-down that'd come about as a consequence could well end up being very useful to him.

"Hey, Martel!" Greed called out across the bar.

"Yeah, boss?" Martel answered somewhat groggily. "What's up?"

"You remember those uniforms you won from those rubes a few weeks back?" Greed asked, his grin growing wider by the second.

"Sure do," Martel replied with a small laugh. "Those guys were so sure that I'd end up losing my top...never once did they think I'd marked the cards. Why do you ask?"

"I wanna go check out that other world," Greed said happily. "I'm bored just sitting around here, and a little adventure, with a the potential to get a little treasure, sounds like just the thing to liven up this dull state of affairs!"

"You got it, boss!" Martel said as she hurried off in search of their comrades and their disguises.

"Oh yeah," Greed said to himself as he ran a comb through his hair, making it lay flat. "This is gonna be fun."

Author's Notes

Awww damn! The train sequence did not want to get written, I swear. But, all in all, I like how things came out. Plans are starting to collide and things are about to get very, very interesting. I couldn't help but bring Greed in, too. He's my favourite and I couldn't keep him out for much longer. Besides, you guys can't tell me that you can't see Greed as a treasure hunter, too. ...Right? … Let's just answer reviews before things get more awkward, hmm?

TheWritingGirl23: First off, thankee! Also, you're quite right. Though somewhat...unofficial, the last chapter (as well as this one, to a degree) kind of mark a turning point in the story. I have more twists and turns in the mix, though. I've taken it upon myself to get a basic outline of the plot going in written form so I can keep track of things in my head. It has been extremely helpful and, while I don't have everything planned, I've got the next few chapters' worth of content in rough sketch form. Also, yeah, I kinda enjoy the analyses, glad the didn't bore folks!

Drgyen: Well damn, you kinda beat me to the punch! I gotta get better with the twists, or I'm gonna be out of a job! Well...not a job, since I'm not getting paid, but you know what I mean! Aye, I too enjoy anime that focus a lot on problem solving and planning: its one of the reasons I enjoy Yu Yu Hakusho, as well as FMA.

Bright Eyes Illusionist: Thankee! Given the things Ed's witnessed, I think Armstrong feels more comfortable truly opening up to him and his brother and sharing with them some of the more deep things he's learned during his time as a soldier. Armstrong's also been faced with near-Lovecraftian horror, and I think that has him evaluating a lot about himself, now, as well as how he treats others. In this specific case, he's resolved to not treat Ed and Al with kid gloves as much as he used to, because he knows what can happen if things like what they've witnessed aren't handled very carefully.

Well, that's about it for this one, folks! I, again, apologize for how long this bugger's taken to get up, but I do hope it was worth the wait! Don't forget the tracker I've got linked to in my profile (if there's an issue with it, lemme know in a review, please!), as it is updated whenever I'm working on a story! With that said, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twelve of The Greater Evil, Once More Into The Breach! Take care!